there is a worke vnder the name of S. Austen intituled d Lib 2 34 De mirabilibus sacrae Scripturae where by the Authour the book of Machabees is secluded from the Canon NotwithstaÌ„ding we do not vrge thâ—…t to be his but take it for a counterfeit rather yeeld that S. Austen framing his iudgment to some others opinion in the Westerne Church did repute these also Canonicall Yet here that is to be remembred which briefly before I touched concerning S. Ambrose that this mistaking in this worthy Father grew by his want of knowledge in that tongue wherein the old Testa was originally writteÌ„ by which means he was not acquatÌ„ed with many things appertaining to the Iewish church vnto whoÌ„ since al Scripture before Christs time was coÌ„mitted if these had bin Scripture they also should haue bin coÌ„mended then they should haue bin written in the tongue which they vnderstood that is to say in the Hebrew not in the Greek which was a laÌ„guage of the GeÌ„tiles as e Aut l 30. 9 Iosephus testifieth the Iews did not accoÌ„modate theÌ„selues to the learning of any tongue but their own which is to be interpreted of the ordinary sort of theÌ„ But all these controversed writings are only in the Greeke and not in the Hebrew which is a maine argument against them and ruinateth the very foundation of them Now that S. AusteÌ„ knew nothing of the Hebrew he in his own f â—…pist 131. modesty most ingenuously confesseth as also in another place he acknowledgeth that he had but little skil in the Greeke I g Cont. liter Petilian DO nat lib. 〈◊〉 truely haue attained vnto very little of the Greeke tongue and almost nothing And this made the iudgment of S. Austen the more defectiue in that behalfe Now as this great Doctour might bee overtaken partly by his ignorance of the Hebrew and many circumstances belonging to the Iews partly by leaning to the opinion of some other neere about him in the Westerne Churches of Italy Afrike so it is a matter very probable that the h CoÌ„c cart 3. can 471 CouÌ„cel of Carthage induced by the same reasons and most of all by the authority of S. Austen mighte exorbitate in their Censure vvhen they put all these Apocriphal bookes among the writingâ—… Canonical For there assembled none but such Prelates as were about Carthage which standeth toward the West of Africa in comparison of the East Churches The same causes doubtlesse moved i Decret Innocâ—…n CoÌ„câ—…js Innocentius the Bishop of Rome and therefore of the Westerne Church to put all these books into the Canon Tobias excepted of whoÌ„ he saith nothing An errour once begon goeth plentifully forward is not stayed vpon the suddaine WheÌ„ce it was that k Gelas. Epist. in Concilijs Gelasius coÌ„ ming after InnoceÌ„tius did in this case treade the steps of his Predecessor wheÌ„ himselfe togither with seveÌ„ty Bishops doth define al these writings to be sacred Scripture NotwithstaÌ„ding he who wil looke the Decree of Gelasius as l Part 1 Dist. 15. 4 Gratian citeth it about this matter shal see that the iudgmeÌ„t of Gelasius coÌ„cerning the CanoÌ„ is very weake little to be regarded And in those decrees of his which are found amoÌ„g the CouÌ„cels the same wil appeere wheÌ„ he maketh meaner things theÌ„ these coÌ„troversed books to be of irrefragable authority For in the very next Decree to that which I formerly mentioned he saith thus touching an Epistle of Leo one of his Antecessors in the Roman see The text of the Epistle of Pope Leo if any maÌ„ shal dispute of eveÌ„ to one iote shal not revereâ—…ly receive it in all things let him be accursed This heate doth shew that Gelasius was not too too much advised in his determinations of this nature but followed the tract of those that weÌ„t before him without farther ventilating or disquisitioÌ„ And this is the most of that which by mine own reading I find in Antiquity making for the iustification of these Apocryphal bookes And some such shewes there be for the story of Susanna of Bel with the Dragon which also are not in the Hebrew therfore togither with the fragmeÌ„ts of the booke of Esther some other of equal sort are by vs held to be no Scripture Hee who would behould what farther may be saide for these things let him looke m De verbâ—… Dci lib. 1. Cardinall Bellarmine where he shal finde a many weake citatioÌ„s agreeing in substance with those whom before I haue named Now if we looke what is against them we shal easily discover testimony of greater ponderosity to overturne them then is any to support vphold them 12 VVhat the Iewes did or doe esteeme of them you haue heard before Onely take this with you that n 〈◊〉 l. c. 10. Bellarmine can say out of S. o â—…n Prolog gelâ—…at Hierome that all these bookes togither are reiected by the Hebrewes Now let vs see what witnes the Easterne Church giveth of them p Eccl. Hist. lib 4 2â—… Eusebius hath an Epistle of Melito sometimes Bishop of Sardis in Asia the lesser where Melito himselfe saith that of purpose he travelled to Hierusalem into Palestina to know what were the Canonical Scriptures of the Church before Christ and there he setteth downe all those bookes which wee admit none other This was very soone after the age wherin the Apostles lived It is heere to be marked concerning this holy man as also of al the rest whom I shall name that they never had in this businesse reference to ought but to the course of the Iewes accepting their iudgement for the bookes of the olde Testament to be that wherevnto Christians also should cleaue Not long after that time came Clemens Alexandrinus of whom q Lib. 6 11 Eusebius writing saith that hee cited the bookes of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus in his vvorkes vvhich bookes saith Eusebius all men do not receiue And he addeth as it may seeme to prevent least any man vpon his example should attribute much to those two that he cited also the Epistle of Barnabas of Clement By the iudgement then of Eusebius Wisedome Ecclesiasticus at the least are books coÌ„troversed Soone after came r Cap 19 OrigeÌ„ who lived at AlexaÌ„dria in Aegypt And he reckoneth vp the CanoÌ„ of the Iews coÌ„prised in two tweÌ„ty voluÌ„es accepting all that which we accept not naming the other saving the Machabees which he saith to be reiected of the Iews That worke of OrigeÌ„ wherin that was coÌ„tained is now lost yet in those which remain he saith that the book of Wisdome s De principijâ—… lib 4. 3â—… is not accouÌ„ted of authority with al. Athanatius after his time lived also at Alexandria he sheweth what was held for Canonical what was refused s In Synopsi There be Canonicall of the old Testament two
and corrupt the New Testament partly by their Translation but most of all by their Annotations they may not chuse but say somewhat of the Revelation although they professe that it is as m In argument Apocalyps in Apoc. 1. 1. sparingly as may be as briefly which is not for that the volume of the Rhemish Testament groweth great as they would colour it but for feare least they should too much lay open their owne weaknesse which while that booke is in the Bible will never be concealed Howsoever therefore through their volume in many maine matters they be very silent vvhere they should most speak as of the question of imputed righteousnes where the n Rom 4. vi de Ration 14. Apostle doth most handle it a â—…ore argument of their owne conscience distrusting their cause even sinking vnder the waight of that Chapter yet here God over-ruling theÌ„ to say a truth as he did o Ioh. 11. 50 Cayphas they interprete the woman to be the p In Apoc. 12. 6. Church flying from the great persecution which shall bee in the time of Antichrist Indeede to keepe peace with their Lord and Master the Pope they will not haue this flight to be but in the very ending of the world and so they would fetch it with a back racket that the woman should continue so in secret but three yeares an halfe which to keepe all vpright they assigne to be the time of Antichrists raigne then the iudgement must come which is a most fonde evasion seeing by that means men living at the appearance of Antichrist should bee able precisely to tell when the last day should be to wit three yeares and a halfe after Antichrists entring But of q Mark 13. 32. that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels which are in heaven neither the Sonne himselfe saue the Father only It can never be made good that the r Apoc. 11. 2 3. c. 12. 6. c. 13. 5. Dan 7 25. time times and halfe a time the two and forty moneths and the thousand two hundred and sixty daies are so literally to be taken as that they should containe exactly three ordinary yeares and a halfe Your Romane Bishop in his declination hath already beene in the world much longer and he is the greatest Antichrist that ever yet was manifested among men and on whom many things in the Scripture signified touching Antichrist do directly and vnavoidably light 16 Well this revolt taking place and the woman the Church being in the wildernes it is not to be doubted but here there be diverse which serue God aright the very s Mat. 16. 18 gates of hell not beeing able to prevaile against them And as these in generall whersoever dispersod doe make vp the vniversal militant Church so where any few of them eveÌ„ in the smallest number are asseÌ„bled togâ—…ther they may bee saide to be a particular Congregation or Church s Exhortatio ad castitatem Where three are saith Tertullian there is a Church although they bee lay persons It is likely that he alludeth to that saying of our Saviour t Mat 18. 20. VVhere two or three are gathered togither in my name there am I in the middest of them He is with them as with members of his Church to guide them heare them to blesse theÌ„ preserve theÌ„ And that such little assemblies are not vnworthy the name of the Church is plain by S t. Pauls words to â—…hilemoÌ„ where he seÌ„deth greeting not only to PhilemoÌ„ Appiat Archippus but to u Philem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church in Philemons house for so the Rhemists themselves traÌ„slate it In dangerous Apostatating times such petty aslemblies do make vp the general they beloÌ„g vnto the same mystical body although they not only be not known to their persecutors but many of theÌ„ have no acquaintaÌ„ce with other Tâ—… have the same head the same faith the same charity the samâ—…â—…pirit u De Baptism contra Donatist 6. 4 Idem Spiritus sanctus ca dimittit i. peccata qui datus est omnibus Sanctâ—…s c. The same holy Ghost is given to all Saints ioyned one to the other in love whether they know each other corporally or doe not know theÌ„ saith Saint AusteÌ„ The waÌ„t theÌ„ of acquaintaÌ„ce each with other may keepe the godly aâ—…uÌ„der as wel as the rage of their persecutours both which are to be souÌ„d in the case of Elias But directly to follow farther this argumeÌ„t of the Eclipse of the Churches glory may it not be thought to be brought to a low ebbe wheÌ„ it is said of the second beast that x Apo. 13. 16. he causeth al both smal great rich poore free bond that he should give theÌ„ a marke in their right haÌ„d or in their fore-heads that no maÌ„ might buy or sel saue he that had the marke or the name of the beast or the nuÌ„ber of his name And what else is signified wheÌ„ so many y Cap. 17. 2. 15. are meÌ„tioned to have coÌ„merce with the whore of BabyloÌ„ yea all z Cap 18. 3. NatioÌ„s are reported to have drunken of the vvine of the wrath of her fornication The ancieÌ„t Fathers were not ignorant that such times there might be wheÌ„ they so oft coÌ„paâ—…ed the Church to the Moone as Saint Ambrose a Epistol lib. 5. 31. The Moone it selfe vvhereby in the Oracles of the Prophets the countenance of the Church is figured when at the first rising againe shee is renewed into the ages of the month shee is hidden by the darkenesse of the night by little little fiâ—…ing her hornes or right ever against the Sun ending theÌ„ doth shine with the light of cleere brightnes Saint Austen in one b In Psa. 10. place doth for diverse respects liken the Church vnto the Moone and expoundeth the Moone to signifie it In another c Serm 134. de TeÌ„pore place he saith the Sun is Christ the Moone the Church VVhich as on the one side it doth intimate vnto vs that the Moone hath no light but froÌ„ the Sunne and the Church no light or bewty but from God so on the other side it doth most lively put vs in mind that as the Moone continueth not at the same stay but increaseth and decreaseth waxeth and waneth is eclipsed by the interposition of the earth betweene her selfe the Sun sometimes in the chaÌ„ge caÌ„not be seene although it is never to bee doubted but there is a Moone so the Church of Christ while this troublesome world doth last is now glorious then shadowed in one age in bewty in another age kept vnder vnder some Princes in peace vnder others in persecution yea sometimes so pressed with the extremity of the maliâ—…us as that she is glad to remaine retired into secret places not 〈◊〉 appeare opeÌ„ly to the malignaÌ„t albeit she
never is nor cā be extinguished but hath a continual being Vnto which it may be added that since faith doth much cōsist d Heb. 11. 1. of things which are not seene we beleeve the holy Catholike Church as an Article of our faith it may follow that it need not ever be eminently visible and apparantly sensible vnto vs. 17 For the better exemplificatiō of this verity it may be remēbred what havocke was made by the heathen Romane Emperours their Deputies against the flock of Christ in the ten first persecutions That in the Roman dominion there was scant any to be heard of who professed Christianity but hee was soone cut of by the sword or otherwise Did they in those times suffer any patent visibility of true profeslours or when they once knewe where they were did they not forthwith labour to extirpate thē But in the daies of Cōstātius whē the Arriā Heresy had once gottē the head where in the world did there appeare any sēsible cōgregatiō maintaining the Orthodoxe belief Hieromes testimony of those daies was e Adversus Luci◅rianos The whole vvorld did sigh wondred that it selfe was Arrian The words are but fewe but they are to the purpose So said Gregorius Presbiter writing the life of Gregory Nazianzen The secte of the Arriās had almost possessed al the coastes of the world the power impiety of the Emperour ministring boldnes vnto it The words of Constātius himselfe in f Theodor. Hist. Eccles. lib. 2. 16. Theodoret do give testimony vnto this neither doth Liberius the Roman Bishop say ought to the cōtrary The speeches of the Arrian Emperour against him Athanasius are these The whole vvorld doth thinke that this is well The whole world hath givē sentēce of his impiety Thou alone dost embrace the friēdship of that wicked man And a litle before that Doth so great a part of the world reside in thee Liberius that thou alone dost dare to come in aide to that wicked mā disturb the peace of the vniversal world Whervnto Liberius did not take exceptiō saying that the visible Church stood for him Athanasius but rather giveth another reason to make good his being alone Be it that I am alone Notwithstāding for that the cause of the faith is not the worse For a great while agone there were three only foūd who would resist the Kings cōmandemēt Heere the Church for any external shew was low brought for if any body held it vp it was Athanasius who thē plaied least in sight durst not appeare For this Liberius who did for a time second him did afterward shrinke He went at first into banishmēt in defence of the truth but after that he was so sollicited laid at by g Hieron in Catalog script Eccles. Fortunatianus that he relēted cōdescended to subscribe to the Arrian heresy as Hierome witnesseth who lived in that age was longe cōversant in Rome therfore could better report what was the issue of Liberius his cōstācy thē some other who do relate it otherwise What can be said for him h De Pontifice Romano 4. 9. Bellarmine hath but yet enforced by the evident testimony of Athanasius Hilary Hierome he cōfesseth so much as I have heere set downe but cover it he would that he only consented to the externall acte of subscribing but remained in hart Orthodoxe Why should it then be a marveil◅ if in processe of time Antichrist growing to greater strength the Church should be in covert It is no more then often times fell out vnder the Iewish Synagogue and hath bin exemplified to have beene since among the Christians was so evidently foretolde before In so much that by the example of the i Apoc. 12. 6. woman it cannot be the true Church vnlesse it should be hidde in the wildernes Which while our Popish teachers deny to agree to their Romish Church but professe that it hath ever bin in sight they thēselves do by a cōsequēt proclaime that they are not the pure vndefiled flying womā but another painted harlot strūpet The true Church is for a time out of sight in the wildernes but so say they was their Church never and therefore will they nill they their Church is not the true Church 18 And heere to the end that the slaūderous calūniatiō of our Adversaries may the more bee manifested to all those who will not wilfully close their eies against truth I wil a little shewe the vanity and yet maliciousne◅ of their obiectiō whē they say that there was k Campian Ration 10. Q◅nti Evang pro fessores never any of our faith before the daies of Luther who in the yeere 1517. began for hi◅ part to display the kingdō of Antichrist Where I pray the Reader to cōsider that the most pa◅t of those whō I shal ◅e are Popish writers no way partially flected toward vs. We say thē that M. Luther was not the first brocher of those pointes which he taught against Papistry but as he did originally deduce thē frō the Scriptures out of the workes of the ancient Fathers so he did derive thē also hereditarily frō other who immediatly before him had taught the same doctrine left it both in bookes the harts of mē recōmēded vnto him As principal parties herein I name Iohn Hus Hierome of Prage al such as were their scholers in or about Bohemia who before Luthers time oppugned the beliefe of the Church of Rome and their professiō was not extinguished vntil his dates howsoever it before had bin mainly assaulted If we could learn this no where els yet Fraūcis Guicciardine an Italiā Florētine Historiographer would informe vs of it who l Histor. l. 13. writing of the yeere 1520 saith plainly that Luther did set abroad the Heresies as he tearmeth thē of the Bohemiās he nameth there Hus Hierome as former divulgers of the same And Petrus m In vita Wenceslai Messias a Spanyard therin agreeth with him who mētioning the opiniōs of Hus the Bohemians saith they were the seed of those errors which were afterward in Germany alluding to the doctrin of Luther There is no mā whose testimony in this behalfe may be of more worth thē Iohannes Cochleus first because hee wrote a large story n Historia Chochle◅ de Hassit◅s of purpose cōcerning the Hassites and therefore by his long search reading writing in that argument may bee presumed to knowe as much as any Secondly because it may bee vvell imagined that hee woulde faine nothing to doe Luther good in as much as hee also wrot◅ a o Histor de actis script M. Lutheri volume purposely against that worthy servāt of God intēding to rippe vp his whole life frō yeere to yeere to censure all his workes Yet this enimy of his in the story of the Hussites doth plētifully satisfie vs about the
vs belieue that although in the first Synode which long since did canonize the bookes of holy writte they were not admitted yet in a later Synode the Canon was made larger And reasons for this he maketh shew to giue But it is too late Genebrard you come after the faire The Councel which cannot erre hath shut them out of dores the Pope hath ratified their Decree therfore you lose your labour and you are but one man against so many Fathers therfore best pul in your hornes For as with your owne side you are like to gaine nothing so otherwise you wil pul an olde house on your head whē by your example you teach vs that a private man may question yea conclude against that which your Counsels haue determined Where by the way let not the simple and vnlearned Christian wonder that in this best booke the Bible there should be any thing which is not properly a member of it for we therin as also in reading some part of them publikely doe but imitate the custome of the most auncient purest c Zanch. in Observat in cap. 1◅ Confessiō Churches ioyning that with Gods most sacred word which vniversally hath bin ioyned among Christians since almost the eldest times and is not refused by the most reformed Churches at this day but we distinguish these writings from the divine volumes and note them by the name or appellation of Apocripha as hidden in comparison of the bright light of the other which may wel endure the light and sunne-shine And by a little Preface before those doubted bookes as also by the Articles of Religion agreed on in Cōvocation An. 1562. we teach what opinion the Church hath of them that they are not received to be publikely expoūded nor to confirme matters of doctrine but only as they cōsent with the other which are Canonical or onely as the writings of some godly men which may serue to giue light to the history or containe some not vnprofitable instructiōs touching good manners And these things in our Sermōs writings we do fequētly notify So that this indifferent course being held there is no iust cause of offence givē either to the weake beleever or to the malitious clamorous adversory that being done which anciently in the best Christian Churches was done and yet the people be taught but howe and in what sence it is done Nay our Church hath beene so carefull for giving any vvay iust occasion of scandale in this matter that it permitteth the Minister to reade in steede of any of these Apocriphal Chapters other Canonicall lessons vpon the Sun-daies and Holy-daies and therefore much more vpon the working-daies as hee in his wisedome iudgement shal see fit requiring of him prudence discretion in that behalfe Which appeareth in the Second Tome of Homilies set out by publike d An. 1563. authority almost in the beginning of her late Maiesties raigne For there in the e An admonition to al Ministers Ecclesiasticall Preface this advertisement being given to all Ministers For that the LORD doth require of his servant whom bee hath set over his housholde to shevve both faithfulnes and prudence in his office c. some thinges are advised vnto him touching his duty but lastly this is subnected and subioyned And vvhere it may so chaunce some one or other Chapter of the olde Testament to fall in order to bee reade vpon the Sundaies or Holy-daies vvhich vvere better to bee chaunged vvith some other of the New Testament of more edification it shall bee vvell done to spende your time to consider vvell of such Chapters before hand vvhereby your prudence and diligence in your office may appeere so that your people may haue cause to glorifie GOD for you and bee the readier to embrace your labours to your better commendation to the discharge of your consciences and their owne Which pointe being well considered avoideth all blame from the Church of England even in the eyes of them that would seeme most quicke-sighted it being not onely permitted to the Minister but also commended in him if vvisely and quietly hee doe reade Canonicall Scripture vvhere the Apocryphal vppon good iudgement seemeth not so fitte or any Chapter of the Canonicall may bee conceived not to haue in it so much edification before the simple as some other parte of the same Canonical may be thought to haue For the wordes wil very well cary both these 7 VVell then if there bee reasons why the Church of Rome doth shut out from the Canon these bookes of Esdras and yet they are printed and bound vp with all their ordinary Bibles if the same or such like exceptions may bee taken against Iudith Tobias and the rest is there not as great reason that they also should be secluded from the Canonicall albeit they remaine in the volume of the Bible The exceptions against all these controversed writings are many but I will reduce them briefly to these three plaine heads which I meane to touch First the matter of the bookes of Esdras is slight and vaine without maiestie and vnworthy the holy and sacred spirit of God Secondly these tracts are not to be founde in the Canon of the old that is the Iewish Church And thirdly in the computation of Christians they are also reiected If we lay these lines and rules to the rest we shall finde them of very little different quality For first the matter of them is not coherent with the rest of the vndoubted scripture In c Cap 5. 12 Tobias the Angell vtteteth somewhat of himselfe which cannot literally be avoided when he saith to old Tobias I am of the kinredos Azarias and Ananias the great and of thy brethren So it is a narration worthy at the least to be pawsed vpon that the d Cap 6 13 seven husbands of Sara should be killed by an evil spirit the first night of their mariage Of the hart and liver of the fish I haue spoken before Is it not a likely matter that e Cap 8. 9◅ Raguel would make a graue for him whom the day before hee so advisedly tooke for his sonne in law now to bury him before hee was dead They are not matters to bee commended by the penne of the holy Ghost that Iudith should f Iud 10 3 4 dresse and tricke her selfe more then became a matrone that so she might allure Holofernes to wantonnesse that shee g Cap. 12 12 14 18 c 13 1 should make shew as not to deny to lie with him that shee should tell such evident h Ca. 10. 12. 13 vntruthes to his servants at her first taking and to i Ca 11 15 16 himselfe afterward That the Iewes should haue peace so long in her life k Ca. 16. 25. time and a great while after her death is a matter vnprobable since these warres of Holofernes are saide to be made in the time of King l Cap. 2. 1.
and twenty bookes equal in nuÌ„ber to the Hebrew letters For among the Hebrewes the elemeÌ„ts of the letters are so many But besides these there be yet of the same old TestameÌ„t other books not Canonical which are read only to the Catechumeus Heere is a most manifest distinction betweene the Canonical and the Apocryphall and a signification that these inferiour volumes were only read to such as were novices in the faith but they were not accounted authentical vnquestionable Next I ioyne Epiphanius who lived in Cyprus he t Haetes 8 rehearseth for Canonical Scriptures of the old Testament the Iewes bookes the other not admitted by them he expungeth for Apocryphal And in a u Haeres 76 second place reckoning vp al the divine writings he shutteth out these Apocryphal fellows only after al the volumes of the old new TestameÌ„t rehearsed he nameth also the Wisedoms of SalomoÌ„ of the sonne of Sirach He nameth theÌ„ I say but after al the right ones yet least any man should take advaÌ„tage of the mencioning of those two heare him else-where u De mensuris poÌ„deribus Among the Hebrews there are two and twenty bookes For thâ—…se two bookes written in verse The Wisedome of Salomon which is called Panaretus of all kinde of vertue and the Wisedome of Iesus the sonne of Syrach the nephew of that Iesus vvho wrote that Wisedome in Hebrew so that his nephew interpreting it did vvrite it in Greeke are profitable and commâ—…dious but are not put into the number of those vvhich are received How corruptly theÌ„ doth x De verbo Dei l. 1 14 Bellarmine deale who citeth Epiphanius as an allower of these two bookes and denieth that hee spake against them otherwise then according to the opinion iudgement of the Iewes But infinite such base shiftes are to bee found in that Cardinall In the meane time we see that thus Epiphanius who was very wel skilled in the Hebrew keepeth close both with the Iewish Canon and the iudgement of the Easterne Church 13 Gregory Nazianzen hath a y De veris libris Scriptur little treatise in verse of purpose made to shew what are the books of the old new TestameÌ„t inspired froÌ„ God He in the old reckoneth vp two twenty books after the Iewish fashioÌ„ so oft aboue meÌ„tioned no more There he putteth al these whoÌ„ we acknowledge vouchsafeth not so much as to name Tobias or Iudith or any one of those whoÌ„ we seclude And so doth he againe z De recta educatione ad Selencum To all these so famous learned men of the East Greeke Church wil I adde for the conclusion the Councel of Laodicea which in the last a Canon 59 Canon recapitulateth all the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament but hath not one of those whom the Romanists vvould gladly thrust vpon vs. Nowe is it not a greate sinne thinke you for vs to ioyne in iudgement vvith so many learned and holie men with all the good and religious Hebrews who were before the time of Christ withal the Eastern Church without impeachment for ought that I can truely find Are not we worthy to be reviled and revelled at as renters tearers and clippers of the sacred Bible I doe marvaile why we should be Heretikes for not admitting of these Apocryphals since so many Fathers and reverend Doctors of the Primitiue Church did the same that wee do and yet heretiks they are none Yea but the Romanists doe loue to be tried by themselues And great reason The Westerne Churches they will say haue ever beene of another minde Wel yet here is but one against two and then by S. Austens rule before named the matter should go on our side But what if we find in the Latin Church as much against it as for it Are not our popish people in a prety case for railing vpon vs as if we were manglers deâ—…uÌ„catours of the Bible Hilary was a Bishop of FraÌ„ce and b Prolog su per 〈◊〉 he saith that there bee two and twenty bookes of the olde scripture See his own opinion consonant with that of the Greekish and Iewish Church vnto which number saith hee some doe adde Tobias and Iudith and so make foure and twenty Marke that they be but some who do adde more and these doe adde but two so that the Machabees and the rest are vndoubtedly gone in his iudgement nay I may say in his minde these two also But if any man be in this cause to be heard it is Hierome whom Lodovicus Vives some-where did truely call miraculum orbis the miracle of the worlde Hee lived a good while at Rome and thought highly of that Church and therefore would not hastily break from any thing vvhich generally or vvith good ground was there received Hee travailed into Palestina and there spent much of his time and by longe conference vvith a Ievve and other his extreame labour attained to the exact knovveledge of the Hebrevve tongue and there-vpon as some thinke translated the vvhole Bible into Latin as others suppose reformed and castigated that version vvhich is called the Vulgar and is now only currant among the Papists Also hee made those learned Commentaries on the Prophets which labour may truly be said to be the glory and beauty of all his vvorkes vvhich yet otherwise are renoumed sufficiently Then if any man bee to be heard in this Argument it is this Hierome and that deservedly Hee then speaking of Iudith bestovveth this ierke on it c Epist 10 UUee doe reade in Iudith notvvithstanding of it please any man to receiue that booke But aftervvarde hee goeth more generally to vvorke and d Epist â—…06 sheweth which are the Canonicall bookes even those whome vvee holde for Canonicall and vvhich are Apocryphall even the very same that wee reckon for Apocryphall Neither hath hee yet done but continuing in the same iudgement he sheweth how and in what manner the Church readeth and accepteth those inferiour bookes e Epist 115. As therefore the Church indeed doth read the bookes of Iudith of Tobias and the Machabees but doth not receiue them among the Canonical scriptures so it may read also these two volumes that is Ecclesiasticus and the booke of Wisdome to the edification of the people not to confirme the authority of Ecclesiasticall doctrines What would he haue said thinke you if he had seene our Papists bring these bookes as the chiefe pillers of praier for the dead and intercession of Saints and other such like Apocryphal trumpery 14 And that there were more learned men of the Westerne Church in the same minde with Hierome wee appeale to that treatise on the Creede of the Apostles vvhich some suppose to haue beene written by Cyprian and for that cause it is found among his workes but more generally it is thought to be of Ruffiuus his doing who very well might speake for the evidency
vnfit saying it is wel that it is but one Doctors opiniō since the words of men yea of all the world put togither cannot be ballanced in equall waight with the immediate word of God which is so directly inspired by the holy Ghost A sweet childe the while was our Campian z Ration 4 who would take on him to proue that the rest of the Synods namely that of Trent was of the same authority with those foure first and so consequently all as powerfull as the Gospels By which reconing wee should not only haue a fifth Gospell of Nicodemus or some such counterfeit but eighteene Gospels more besides the foure Evāgelists so our Bibles now will grow so big that one volume wil not hold thē What a wrōg did that prowde and arrogant Iesuite to the Scripture when hee durst write on that fashion we dare not so far dignifie or rather magnifie the best Councels after that in the Apostles time for feare of blasphemy But if we shall compare the better with the worser the weaker with the stronger we shall see that we are not to far to leane on such assemblies least by attributing over much to such confluences we sometimes take error for verity For haue there not bin meetings which haue concluded against the truth yet haue caryed a goodly shew too I wil not insist on Provinciall Councels as that of a Inter opera Cyptiā A frike where Cyprian the rest cōcluded for rebaptising of those which were baptised by heretiks or that of b Soc. 1 21. Tyrus which proceeded against Athanasius being innocēt or that of c Lib 2 7. Antioch as also of d cap. 25. Sirmiū both which decreed for the Arrians against the faith of Consubstantiality in Christ with his Father I will rather stand on those who go for generall as that of Sardis in part reiected by e In Indice conciliorū Possevinus that of Milaine where were 300. Bishops ioyning for Arrianisme that of Selētia being gathered to the same purpose Here may you finde more general Synods making for the Arrians while they were in anye strength then making against them 13 Lay to these the Great Councell of Ariminum vvhere vvere sixe hundred Bishoppes mainetaining and decreeing for the opinion of Arius and the authoritye vvhereof seemed to bee so greate and vvas so farre vrged that Saint Augustine himselfe had beene everborne vvith it had hee not beene forced to flie to the Scriptures which were and are the touch-stone to trye Councels by The place which he hath to that purpose is famous f Aug contra Maxim Arrian Episcop l. 3 But now neither shoulde I produce the Nicene Councell nor thou that of Ariminum as meaning to extoll it Neither am I helde vvith the authoritie of the one nor thou vvith the other VVith authorities of Scriptures vvhich are vvitnesses not proper to either but common to both let matter contend with matter cause vvith cause reason with reason Both of vs doe reade That vvee may be in his true sonne Iesus Christ He is very God life eternal Let both of vs yeeld to waight of so great moment These are the words of the same S. Austē who els-where had said g Epist 118 The authority of Plenary Coūcels is most wholesome in the Church Very whole some while they keepe right with the verity of Christ but whē they fal frō that they are otherwise But S. Austē was never of opiniō to atrribute too much to Coūcels for he was not so simple but that he saw there were or might be many imperfectiōs in thē yea in the best of thē It is a worthy testimony which he gives in this behalf whē he was pressed with the authority of Cypriā the Africane Coūcel h De Bap◅ismo cōtr Donaust lib. 2. 3. The sacred Scripture saith he is not at alto be doubted or desputed of The letters of Bishops writē since the Scripture if there be any errour in thē may be reprehēded by the wiser speech of any one who is more skilful in that matter by the graver authority of other Bishops by the wisedome of the more learned by Councels And who knoweth not that Provincial Councels without any sticking do yeeld to the authority of plenary Councels which are gathered out of the whole Christian world yea that oftentimes the former Plenary Coūcels are amended by the later when by any experiēce of things that is opened which was shut known which did lye hid without any vanity of sacrilegious pride without any puffed necke of arrogācy without any contention of malicious envy with holy humility with Catholike peace with Christian charity And some part of this he cōfirmeth againe afterward Among after-cōmers the later Coūcels are preferred Cap. 9. before the former the whole evermore by very good right is esteemed before the parts Wel thē by Austens sentēce evē General coūcels may be amēded altered therfore they may erre or come to short Which wil the better appeere if we remēber that sometimes one Councel is directly contrary to another as that of Ariminum to the former of Nice that of Franckforde touching Images to the later at Nice those of Constance Basile in the subiecting of the Pope to the Councel to those of Florence and Trent the 2. at Ephesus approving Eutyches to that of Chalcedō which cōdēned him Yea the k Socrat. 2. 16. Coūcel of Sardis against it self whē the Easterne Bishops were for Arrianisme the Westerne against it whervpō they devided thēselves in place as wel as in opiniō It were thē a hard matter in an vnavoidable cōtrariety or rather cōtradictiō to have both sorts of Coūcels allowed the affirmer the denier therfore simply absolutly of thēselues they are not to be held for sufficient cōfirmers of that which we must beleeve It may bee added as another singular exception against Coūcels that most of thē are hādled with such irregularities that it is not only probable that they may swarve but likely that they wil since even the best men to the best Coūcels do come so laden with passions affections humours partialities that they wil not or cannot see the truth One of the most moderate of all the Popish Councels was that of Basile yet what turbulētnes doth l De Concil Basilcens Aeneas Sylvius witnes there to haue bin He therfore in that argumēt is rather to be reade thē that which cōmōly goeth for the Coūcel of Basile as m In Indice falcic rerum expet fugiend Orthuinus Gratius wel observeth for in Aeneas who was present at that meeting and saw and recorded all the manner of it a man may find the order or disorder of it so described that he may imagine himselfe to behold the Fathers there assembled sitting in their Pōtificalibus If we would haue an exāple of this in an olde
assured that we haue none but those which are right in the whole and in the parts For Actes of Councels haue bin much falsified as it is alleadged in the sixt Generall Councell holden at Constantinople t Action 14 that some had falsified the Actes of the fifth Generall Councel holden in the same place as was apparantly deprehended How those in Afrike did cōplaine of the Popes forsting in somewhat to the first Nicene Synode I haue shewed before and how the Councell sent to Nice it selfe to see the Originall But in the same manner hath the Pope complained that other haue also falsified the Actes of the same Councell For Felix Bishop of Rome himselfe hath made this Decree u In Decretis felicis Papae In Concilijs Let the persons of the accusers be without all suspicion because by reason of the molestations offered by evill men this was defined in the Nicene Councell by all although by the falshoode of lewde persons these and many other things are blotted out We then had neede to take heede that wee do not beleeue those things as certaine which of themselues are so vncertaine Let Papists doe it if they wil. Lastly before I shut vp this Chapter it is not amisse to know that it is not for the ancient Synods that the Romanists doe striue but for those which lately were helde wherein their Pope bore much sway and their Popery was established by fragments For out of the old Councels both Provinciall and Vniversall there are many matters contrary to their definitions As in the thirde Councel at Carthage there is much spoken concerning the children of Priests which sheweth that Priests then were ordinarily marryed And there it is that the Pope should not be called the Prince of Priests or chiefe Priest In the Elibertine Councell is a flat decree against Images in Churches It u Canon 36 pleaseth vs that pictures should not be in the Churches least that which is worshipped or adored should be painted on wals In the fifth x In epistol felicis Councell at Constantinople by an Epistle of Pope Felix to Zeno it is shewed that the Church is built on the confession of Peter not on his person or place In the ninth Councel of y Canon 1. Toledo if a Metropolitane defraude the Church complaint thereof is to be made to the king which sheweth that Princes then had to do with persons and causes Ecclesiasticall Very many more such instances may be brought how the old Councels knew nothing of that hart of Popery which since hath growne vp by the connivence of some Princes the weaknes of other and the notable cunning of Antichrist And for times now long agone the extravagancie and transcendencie of the Roman Bishops power is no where knowne For in the Nicene z Canon 6 Councell the Bishop of Alexandria in his Province and the Patriarke of Antioch in his haue as much iurisdiction as the Pope hath in his In the a Isidor in praefat Cōcil Ephesin Ephesine Synode Cyrill of Alexandria was president and not the Bishoppe of Rome and there it is saide that b In epistol ad Nestoriū Peter and Iohn were each to other of equall dignitie because they were Apostles and holie disciples which overthroweth the Primacie of the Romane Bishoppe deriving his prerogatiue only from Peters preeminence And in the Councell of c Canon 1. Chalcedon all is confirmed which was decreed before in other Synodes Thus the Pope and Papists should gaine much by sending vs to looke into the most ancient Councels THE TENTH REASON Fathers T. HILL THE Catholike Romane religion is most plainely taught by all the ancient Fathers of the first second thirde fourth fift and sixt hundred yeares after Christ and hath beene ever vvithout all controversie taught of the Fathers of everie age since vntill this day That religion did Diony sius Areopagita S. Paule his scholer so manifestly teach as Causaeus a French Protestant called him for his labour a doating old Causaeus Dial. 5. 11. In capt Babilonica man much like as his father Luther had said before him that Areopagita his workes were like to dreames and most pernicious The same faith vvas taught of Saint Ignatius Clemens Iustinus Tertullian Cyprian Irenaeus and in one vvord all the anncient Fathers not one excepted G. ABBOT WHen Thomas Pilcher sometimes an vnworthy fellow of a Colledge in Oxford but afterward an vnlearned Priest of the Seminary after pardon once given him for his life and beeing exiled from his Countrey returned againe into Englande to pervert the subiectes of her late Maiestie he vvas by arrest of lawe to be brought to execution vvhere as I haue heard being remembred by an intelligent person that he should bee well advised what the right or wronge of the cause was for which hee did suffer his reply was that if hee were in an errour then Irenaeus and Iustine Martyr Tertullian and Origene Lactantius Hilary Chrysostome Ambrose Hierome Austen Gregorie Bearnarde and all other the olde Fathers of the Primitiue Church vvere mightily deceived for what he held they taught The silye man had much adoe to learne the names of all these but for reading any of them or for knowing what they vvrote there bee many yet living who dare safely giue their word that he good man was never troubled with it This is the very case of the greatest part of you Papists you wil speak without the book and make good little of that which you say but yet for lacke of chalenging facing it out you will loose nothing of antiquity And among al your copes-mates as one that knoweth least and therfore dareth to say most you lay about you here for al al againe You are now come to your selfe revested with your olde spirite and therefore wee will looke for a legion of Vniversals at your handes The vn-Catholike Romane Religion it is Papistry which you meane is not onely taught or plainly taught but most plainelie taughte not by some but by all the ancient Fathers of the first sixe ages after Christ and hath beene not sometimes but ever not doubtingly but without all controversie taught of the Fathers of each age vntill this day If you had a fore-heade lefte and knevve vvhat you did saye vvhich I thinke you doe not but onely take vp this speech on the word of other men you would blush a whole yeare togither at this your owne absurdity and by that time woulde this rubour bee so setled in your face that it would never out For that I may plucke you a little backe by the sleeue doth Saint Augustine and Orosius Fulgentius and Bernard where they of purpose handle the argument teach as you do teach cōcerning the freenesse of Gods grace every way and touching free will a In pref 1. 5 Bibli Sāct Sixtus Senensis shall condemne you who reiecteth Saint Augustines doctrine in that behalfe Doe Lactantius and
these plaine and evident matters it may appeere whether the Romanists or we doe truely make more reckoning of the Fathers since wee yeelde them so much authority as belongeth to auncient godly and learned men noble lampes in the Primitive Church and great illustratours of the truth they in substance overthrow all this since we conserving them they corrupt them and either raze or adde to or pervert such sentences sayings of the Doctours as any way impeach their Romish Hierarchy wherby as vsurpers they raigne and dominere in the consciences of men and women FINIS To the Christian Reader IT is now about one yeare and a halfe agone that beeing intreated to aunswere this Pamphlet which is more fraught with malice and bitter speaking then with truth or learning in behalfe of my poore countrey-men abused by these Seminarians I vndertooke it And albeit for the whole yeere following I was sufficiently burthened with my ordinary businesse therein for the space of 9. or 10. weeks sicke and much weakened with a sharpe and vehement fever yet my desire to dispell these foggy mists of Popery was such that within the compasse of that time I drew vp the first Copy of an Answere to 16. of these Romish Reasons Wherein rather desiring to giue to the Reader a substantial then a flight satisfaction I found by probable coniecture that even so much would grow to a reasonable volume and the like course heere-after being taken with the latter part of D. Hils book there also might arise a work of like proportion Vpon this conceit I fell to revising writing out to the Presse that which formerly I had done and therein by Gods blessing I went so farre that now 6. moneths since I finished so much as heere is published some few interlacings only excepted But when I shoulde haue proceeded to the perfecting vp of the other sixe a burthē was by my honorable Patrone imposed vpō me which togither with my necessary imploimēts at Winchester since that time hath so put me frō cōtēplatiō kept me in cōtinual actiō that I scant haue bin able to sustaine the waight of the daily cōtingent perpetually incūbent busines as is apparant to every mā acquainted with mine estate And in as much as yet for a time I 'am not like to be freed from that charge I am put to this difficulty that either till I haue more leysure I must stay the Answere to these tenne Chapters being now completed by the Printer or I must send these forth without their fellowes which is much cōtrary to my former purpose Notwithstanding at the last I haue resolued vpon the latter of these two courses being the rather inclined thervnto because a learned man of the other Vnivetsity hath lately vn-quartered the whole Quartron of D. Hils Reasons which peradventure in the iudgement of many men may seeme so good a satisfaction to that which the adversarie hath obiected that my future labours in this Argument may very well be spared For this cause my purpose is giving way to my present necessarie services to attend and expect for a while the iudgement and Censure of men wise and learned in our Church and afterwarde to proceede or not proceede as occasion hall require In the meane time I may say that the mainest and principallest bulwarkes of the Romish religion are these which I haue already assaulted and it is as easie a matter to go forward with the rest as it hath beene to deale with these Before persons which are wilfully ignoraunt or perverse togither with their learning Popery may bear some shew but with such as haue the skill to displaye it or the grace to endure the dismasking of it it is but a painted Iesabell Only herein the vnsearchable iudgement of God is to bee admired and his waies which are past finding out are to be wondered at and that with amasement and astonishment that there should yet be so many who haue eies and see not eares and heare not yea harts and vnderstand not but still go forward to make vp the number of the servitors of the beast and of the traine of Antichrist who must haue some to adore him till the dissolution of the worlde But to the ende that such among our Popish Countrey-men as are ordained to salvation may be plucked out of the fire it behoveth vs who are the Ministers of the Gospell to be diligent in preaching the Gospell to such as wil heare and in writing for such as will reade that they may know and beleeue and be saved For the better accomplishing wherof and for the instruction of the ignorant who most readylie are seduced I haue taken these paines endevouring to deliver plainely and without obscurity that which I haue to saie And for the cleering of all my Doctors both general and particular suggestions tracing him step by step besides discussing the maine drifte of his Reasons togither with the validity of those Arguments which others for the strengthening of the Romane perfidiousnesse doe or may rest therevpon And yet in fitting my selfe to the capacity of the vnlearned I haue not beene altogither forgetful to giue some cōtentment to men of more knowledge wherin how farre I haue gone it is not for me but for others to iudge But whereas I haue once made mention of the expelling of the Iesuites out of Fraunce and the sharpe Edict which was there against thē and now the report is strong that vpon some cōditions they are restored thither again to the truth wherof in particular I must ingenuously cōfesse that I cannot yet attaine the difference of time being waighed will easily aunswere for that matter it beeing certainelie here-tofore one waie and nowe peradventure another In respect whereof it is not amisse to know that as it was longer agone that the Copy writtē for the Presse was finished so it is fiue moneths since that the Printer began with this booke howsoever sometimes this worke hath beene interrupted one while with the danger of the Pestilence which of late hath beene so generally spreade another while with the publishing of divers other linal tracts which the present occasion did offer And this also may serue for Answer to another point wherin my charity presumed more quietnes in some men amōgst vs thē thēselues are willing to yeeld correspōdence vnto Nevertheles I trust that this is but a fit that time and experience will giue rest to the most vnquiet and restlesse soirits Lastly I earnestly intreate al Romishly affected English men women that they be not so ready to harken to Iesuits Seminary men as here-tofore they haue bin to follow their lures either in spirituall or temporall matters What they can say for their Idolatry superstitiō is long since known neither haue they yet brought ought of moment but hath received answer And for their other behaviour whither it be cōmēdable Christiā or no let their own books between the