the supposed answering of those few chosen and picked out by him must serue through the partiality of iudgement in his followers to disgrace all the rest of the Corruptions or falsifications vrged by you Animaduersion LII THe Protestants in falsly alledging the authorityes of Authours do abuse their Readers chiefly foure seuerall wayes First which is the most vsuall by concealing some part of the alledged authority SecoÌ„dly by adding some words of his owne to make the produced Authour or Father to speake like a Protestant Thirdly by transposing the words of an authority thereby to make the sense different from the Authors true meaning Fourthly by a wilfull mistaking or confusion of tymes I will exemplify these foure sorts in the wryting of D. White a great Impostour in his Scripts in his booke called The way to the true Churcâ— Well then the said Protestant in p. 119. oâ— his said Booke produceth a place out of the Rhemists to proue that the Church of Româ— can make that Scripture which is not anâ— vnmake that to be Scripture which is Scripture To proue this he produceth the Rhâ—mists (y) Gaelat 1. thus saying The Scriptures are 〈◊〉 knowne to be true neither are Christians bonâ—â— to receiue them without the attestation of thâ— Church Now heere marke the true wordâ— of the Rhemists and therein obserue his impurity of dealing committed by concealing part of the Sentence iust crossing his intended drift of vrging that authority Their true words are these The Scriptures whicâ— are indeed of the Holy Ghosts inditing being pâ—â— into the Churches triall are found proued anâ— testifyed vnto the World to be such and not maâ—â— true altered or amended by the same Since the Holy Scriptures in themselues were alwayes true before but not so knowne to be to all Christians All these are the words of the Rhemists where you see the wilfull concealement of this Parcell The Scriptures are nâ—â— made true altered or amended by the Church as also that other the Holy Scripturs in themselues were alwaies true meaning without the attestation of the Church Now all that can truly be gathered out of this authority is that the Scriptures though most sacred and true in themselues cannot be so made knowne to vs in which words lyeth the touch of the point without the Churches attestation But how farre off is this from M. Whytes vrging of this place Touching his imposture committed in â—dding of words this one place shall serue Thus then the said D. White produceth Bellarmine in contempt of the Churches authority saying Other meanes may deceiue me but nothing is more knowne nothing more certaine then the Scriptures That it were the greatest madnes in the world not te belieue theÌ„ c. Now in this sentence these words viz. Other meanes may deceiue me are not in Bellarmine but most subtily added to the begining of Bellarmines words and caused to be printed in the same kynd of Character or letter wherein the other words of Bellarmine are printed thereby to make the Reader belieue that they are words of Bellarmine wheras they are added as I about insinuated for the more depressing of the Churches Authority Now the whole sentence of Bellarmine was directed against the Swinkseldians who absolutely denyed Scripture and against whom Bellarmine in that place disputeth Touching the fraud consisting in a cuÌ„ning transposition of words without adding any words to the authority alledged or concealing any parcell therof this example of the foresaid M. Whyte may serue In pag. 344. of his way to the true Church he produceth for the ouerthrow of the religious vse of Images the Councell of Eliberis thus saying No (z) Can. 36. Picture is to be made in the Church lest that be adored which is painted on the walls But the true words of the Canon are these Placâ—â—â— picturas in Ecclesia non habere ne quod coliâ—â— adoretur in parietibus depingatur Jt pleaseth the Councell that pictures should not be in the Church lest that which is worshipped anâ— adored be painted on the Walls The nyce difference in words resteth thus Lest that which is worshipped be painted and as Mâ— Whyte translateth Lest that which is painted be worshipped Where the words of the Councell acknowledging the worship of Images maketh the worship due to them to be the cause why they are not painted on the walls to wit because they were subiect to be defaced either by inuasion of Enemyes or rayne c. Now M. Whites translation only by a subtill transposition of the words imports that Pictures are not to be worshipped at all Lastly concerning the Calumny resting in a wilfull confusion of tymes The said Protestant in pag. 61. for proofe of Priests lawfull mariage produceth a Testimony from Sinesius Bishop of Ptolemais thus writing of himselfe to a friend The sacred hand of Theophilus hath giuen me a wyfe and hereupon Iustify to all men that J will neither forsake her nor priuily as an adulterer keep her Company but I will pray to God to send me by her many and good children This Epistle is at large set downe in (a) Eccl. hist l. 14. c. 55. Nicephorus Now heere tâ—e fraud lyeth that at the tyme when this Epistle was written Sinesius was but a Lay-man but eminent for learning Now after he made himselfe priest and was created Bishop of Ptolemais he euer liued separated from the company of his wyfe as fully appeareth out of Nicephorus in the place aboue alledged Here then the Ministers deceit lyeth in applying that to him as if he had beene then Bishop which was spoken by him being a Layman and so M. White most fraudulently confoundeth those two different tymes together as if all had hapned at one and the same tyme. Animaduersion LIII YF your Aduersary will vant that he will proue all by Scripture only as most of them giue it out they will then force him to draw both his Premisses I meane both his Propositions if so they should be reduced to a forme of Argument from the Scripture alone of which Method within two Arguments at least he is certaine to fayle For if he take either of his Propositions from humane Authority or from naturall Reason you may tell him he leaueth his vndertaken of prouing by Scripture alone and consequently you may deny his force of Argument though Logicall in forme Here I further aduertize that if your Aduersary vndertake the part of an Opponent tye him precisely euer to Oppose which Scene perhaps he being brought to a Non-plus would flyely transferre vpon you In like sort if he taketh vpon him to answere suffer him not to oppose thought he labour so to do to free himselfe from answering Thus be sure that ech of you keepe your chosen Station Animaduersion LIV. IF the Protestant should seeke to expouÌ„d by way of conference of places those words of our Sauiour This is my body this is my Bloud figuratiuely by those other words of his J
it may be sauâ—d Put agaiâ—st the Pâ—â—itans they thus writâ— The (b) M. â—owâ—â— in his considerat Puritans are notorious and manifest Schismatiks cut of from the Church of God And againe The Puritans (c) M. Fâ—â—ks in his Epist dediâ— p. 3. seeke to vndermine thâ— foundation of fayth Now in requitall of this â—roceeding the PuritaÌ„s prefer the Roman Religion before the Religion of the moderate Protestant for thus with a ioynt consent diuers of them do affirme in a (d) Intituâ—eâ— A Christian and modest off r c. p. 11. booke by them written Jf we be in Errour and the Prelation the contrary syde haue the truth we protest to aâ—l the world that the Pope and the Church of Rome and in them God and Christ Iesus haue great wrong and indignity offered vnto them in that they are reiected Thus they Now what other deduction from these their seuerall censures can be drawne then that the Catholike Religion is the only true Religion the Relgiâ—on both of the Moderate Protestants and the Puritans is false For in that ech of them prefers his owne Reâ—igion before any other this may be presumed to proceede from partiallity and preiudice of iudgment in their owne behalfe But where they hold the Catholike fayth and Church rather to be imbraced then their Aduersaries fayth and Church this riseth from a cleare and imâ—artiall iudgment and from the force of all probable credibility And thus in this busines that most warrantable and receaued sentence takâ—th place Cui caeterae partes vel Sectae secundas vnanimiter deferunt cùm singulae sibi principatum vendicent melior reliquis videtur Animaduersion VIII IT is a point of great iudgment to vrge a passage of Scripture by way of illation in that sort in which the illation is of force not in any other only seeming inference I will exemplity my meaning in texts vrged both by Protestants and vs Catholikes And first the Protestants do insist in those words of our Sauiour against the reall Presence Palpate (e) Luc. 14. videte quia spiritus carnem ossa non habent sicut me videtis habere Handle and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me to haue To argue thus Jt is felt and seene Ergo it is a body is a good consequence and this is the force of our Sauiours words But â—t is no good sequele to argue thus Negatiuely as our Aduersaries from this text do it is not felt nor scene Ergo it is no body For it may be that a true hody may be present yet neither seene nor felt because God may hinder that it shall not transmit any Species sensibiles to the sense of sight Besides it may be effected by diuine power that a body may exist indiuisibly after the manner of a Sâ—irit as we Catholiks do hould in a sober coÌ„struction that the body of Christ doth in the blessed Eucharist and yet we teach that it is impossible that a Spirit should exâ—st after the manner of a true and naturall body or be extended in place And the râ—asâ—n hereof is this To wit because a Spirit hath no extension of parts at all and therefore it is indiuisible For seeing to be extended in place â—s a formall effect proceeding from its formall Cause of extension in it selfe if therefore a Spirit should be extended in place we should admit the formall effect without the formall cause which cannot be since the formall effect is later in Nature then the formall Cause and cannot be without the Cause To instance in our vrging of some passages of Scripture In prooffe of temporall punishment after this life we produce that passage (f) Math. â— Luc. 1â— Non exies inde donec reddas vltitauÌ„ quadrantem Thou shaâ—t not goe from thence till thou repay the last farthing FroÌ„ which words we do not thus immediately inferre as our Aduersaryes would seeme to haue vs donec c. vntill thou payâ—t the last farthing Therfore â—fter thou shalt goe from thence which inference we grant is not necessary seing by so arguing we might endeuour to proue that Christ should sit at the right hand of his Father only vntill and no longer he make his enemyes his footstoole according to that text (*) Psal 109. â—ede a dext ris meis donec ponam inimicos scabellum peduÌ„ tuorum which words only proue that aâ— the length the Enemyes of Christ shal be vnder his feet So heere we only thus immediatly inferre Thou shalt not goe from thence till thou payest the last farthing Therefore the last farthing may be payed and consequently that then thou shall goe from thence This kind of vitious arguing might be instanced in diuers other passages of Scripture impertinently vrged by our Aduersaries and falsly obâ—ruded vpon Catholikes Animaduersion IX WHen we Catholikes complayne of the great Persecutions against the Catholikes only for their Religion in Q. Elizabâ—ths raigne our Aduersaryes seeke to choake vs herein by way of recrimination in auerring that as great or greater was practized in Queene Maryâ—s tyme against the ProtestaÌ„ts of those dayes But admit for the tyme so much yet there is great disparity herein and there are diuers reasons more warranting the â—rocedings of Q. Mary in that kind then of Q. Elizabeth Among which reasons these following may seeme to be the chiefe First touching Q Maryes tyme the Lawes whereby Sectaryes were punished for their Religion were instituted some Eleuen or Twelue hundred yeares since those tymes not hauing any foreknowledge that Protestancy should sway rather in these dayes then any other erroneous Fayth In Q. Elizabeths tyme the statutes against Catholikes were made at the beginning of her comming to the Crowne which is fresh yet in the memory of mâ—ny hundreds of Men in England yet liuing Those Lawes wherby Q. Mary punished the Protestants were enacted by Popes and Generall (g) Concil Laodicens can 31. 32. Concil Carthag Can. 16. Councels to whosâ— charge and incumbency the burden of Religion is pâ—culiarâ—y by God committed seconded otherwise by the secular authority of Emperouâ—s and particularly of Valentinian and Marcian of which their seconâ—ing herein peruâ—e the Councell of Calcedon (h) Act. 7. Thâ—se other Lawes were first inuented by a Woman and a Parliament of Lay Persons the incompetent Iudges of Faith and Religion Lastly by the former Decreâ—s a Religion confessed by the chiefe Professours of it to be neuer heard of at least for fourteene hundred yeares together and therfore to be an annihilation of faith which is held by Catholikes to be a destruction of faith necessary to Saluation is interdicted prohibited And according hereto D. Fulke thus confesseth (i) Fulke in his answ to a counterfeyte Cath. p. 35 The true Church decayed immediatly after the Apostles tymes By these later Decrees a Religion coÌ„fessed by its greatest Enemyes and particularly (k) M. Napper thus confesseth in his
and practise of Nicromantickâ— Magi or Wisards and Witches which swarme in all Countryes For these through certaine Ceremonies and Verses are able to call vp the deuills and do cause that they do not â—ly shew strange effects which necessarily â—ply their preâ—ence but also make them to â—peare in a visible forme Yea heere in Enâ—and in Lancashire about some six or seaâ—n and twenty yeares since there were apâ—ehended about twenty witches all confesâ—â—g their witchcraft by help of the deuill 〈◊〉 haÌ„ged at Lancaster In like manner some â—â—ree yeares since or there abouts there â—ere certaine witches apprehended in the â—me shyre and condemned to death by the Iudges of that Circuite Thirdly the same â—erity of Spirits or Deuills is euicted from â—hose who are called Energumeni or possessed persons for two things appeare in them which are aboue humane power One that such as are possessed do speake strange Tongues which themselues do not vnderstand The other that they do discouer things secret or do relate things done in great distance of place as if they saw them openly But these two things afford an euident demonstration of a certaine Superiour Inuisible Nature by the power whereof they are performed To conclude this point of being of Spirits is further euicted from the many apparitions of Spirits which are affirmed to haue been from the testimony of many most probable Histories Now then if there be Jncorporeall Substances or Spirits and these many in number as certayne they are many in number then it ineuitably may be concluded thâ— there is one supreme Spirit to the which aâ— the rest are subiect and at whose command they all are gouerned since euerâ— multitude of things except there be a dependency and subordination to one moâ—â— High begetteth disorder and Confusion This point is further proued from the mosâ— dangerous inconueniences accompanying the contrary doctrine For if among Spiritâ— there were no Order that the rest should not be subiect vnto one at the command whereof the power of them were not to be restrayned then might euery one of them afflict and trouble the World at his owne pleasure might take away mens goods yea euen their Lyues burne and destroy all things finally might ouerthrow all mankind neither could any redresse be found to the contrary Now this supreme Spirit to which they are all subiect we call God who at his pleasure is able to restrayne and bridle the forces and power of all the rest Well then seeing there are many Spirits I here demand from whence this Multitude had its beginning or who brought them into the Word They proceed not from Bodies in that they are of a more excellent Nature then bodies are as also in that bodies do bring forth only bodyes Neither is one of them ingendred of another seeing this kind of generation is peculiar to things which are subiect to corruption to wit that by these meanes the Species and â—ynds of things may be perpetuated whiâ—â— the Nature being extinct in the Parent â—conserued in the Issue Neither lastly can 〈◊〉 be said that euery one of these Spirits â—d their being from themselues so as they â—epend of no other Cause Since granting â—at any thing receaueth its existence beâ—â—g from it selfe it is farre more probable â—at this so taking its existence should be â—ut One not Many Therefore I conclude â—hat this which taketh its being existeÌ„ce â—rom it selfe is but one to wit God alone â—ho is the supreme spirit of all who gaue 〈◊〉 creation existence and being to all other Spirits be they either good or wicked Spirits Animaduersion CLXXXXIX CArdinall Bellarmyne in his booke De ascensione Mentis ad Deum per scalas rerum creatarum taketh his second scala or Degree from the consideratioÌ„ of the fabrick of this whole world and the things created and contayned therein Now in this great world which coÌ„prehendeth all things within it these things following are most wonderfull to wit the Magnitude of the world Multitudâ— of things Created Variety of things Eâ—ficacy or vertue of things astly Beauty of things The which seuerall Heads being with earnest attention pondered haue great â—orce so to eleuate the soule of man as that it shal be â—uen absorpt in the admiration of a certain immense Magnitude Multitude Variety Eâ—ficacy and Pulchritude all which is God himselfe To beginne 1. The Magnitude of the Eartâ— only is so great as that in so many thousaÌ„d of yeares since the Creation of the world yet the whole superficies of the Earth remaynes vndiscouered from Man Now what iâ— the whole bignes of the Earth if it be compared to the comâ—asse and Magnitude of the Highest Heauen It is accounted by the Astronomers to be but as it were a Poynt and this with iust Reason For we obserue that the beames of the Sunne by the interposition of the Earth do so reach pierce the Stars opposite to the Sunne as if the Earth were Nothing Furthermore if euery Starre in the firmament according to the iudgement of the Learned be greater then the whole Orbe of the Earth yet through the almost infinite distance of the Starres they seeme in our Eyes most litle who theÌ„ can in thought arriue to the greatnes of the Heauens wherein so many thousands of Starrs do shyne Therefore if we reade in Ecclesiasticus (1) Ecclesiasticus ca. 1. Latitudinem terrae profuÌ„dum Abismi quis dimensus est what then shall we conceaue of the exteriour superfices of the Heauen of the depth or profundity of the whole world from the highest Heauen to the Center of the Earth Certainly the corporall greatnes of the whole â—orld is of that immensity as that no â—hought or cogitation of man can comprehand it 2. The Multitude of things created by â—ne God who can number For how many Metalls of gould siluer brasse lead precious stones are within the Earth and the Sea And how many Species kynds and Indiuidua of hearbs flowers and plants are vpon the Earth and how many parts are in them In lyke sort how many kinds Species and Indiuidua of perfect and imperfect Creatures as of fourefooted Beasts of creeping Wormes of flying Creatures And what may we say of the Multitude of Men since the first Creation To conclude how many starres are there in Heauen and how many Angells aboue the Heauens And of the starres thus we read (2) Genes 15. Numera stellas si potes Now here we are to obserue that God would haue himselfe knowne of Man in some sort and because not any one Creature could aptly represent the infinite perfection of the Creatour therefore God did multiply Creatures and gaue a certaine goodnes and perfection to euery Creature that thereby iudgment might be made of the goodnes and perfection of â—he Creatour who contayneth infinite perfâ—ctions vnder the perfection of one mosâ— simple Essence Euen as one peece of gold contayneth the valew and worth of many