vnderstanding onely or to any one faculty of the soule though hee place it principally in the will in regard of those natiue and inseporable qualities of true sauing saith namely confidence and affiance in Gods promises So that I wonder how this Doctrine of that good Cardinall hath escaped the flames of their Purgatory Index But his owne life paid for it when he with his fellow Cardinall Fregosus being suspected too much to fauour the Doctrine of Luther were both quickly taken out of the way non sine veneni suspicione not without suspicion of poyson But those Diuines that liued in more ancient ages contented themselues with the most simple but most eâ—phaticall tearmes of the Scripture not troubling their heads with quirks and questions of this nature whether faith were in the vnderstanding or in the will c but with the Scripture they include altogether in the heart the seate and confluence of all the powers of the soule Bernard saith that first the sâ—â—ncere roote of holy faith is planted in the ground of mans heart and when faith is fully growne vp it becomes as a great tree hauing in it sundry sorts of apples wherewith the soule being full of God is refreshed St. August takes no more care but to place faith in the soule Vnder whence comes death in the soule because faith is not there whence in the body because the soule is not there therefore the soule of the soule is faith Againe Fides quae credit in Deum vita anima existit per hanc iustus viuit Faith which beleeueth in God is the life of the soule and by it the iust man liueth And speaking of the vnderstanding hee saith Intellectus merces est sides c. The vnderstanding is the reward of faith doe not then seeke to vnderstand that thou maist beleeue but beleeue that thou maist vnderstand And againe Intellectui fides viam aperit infidelitas claudit faith opens the way to the vnderstanding but infidelity shuts it And speaking of the will he saith Fides excitat ad exercitium voluntatem Faith stirreth vp the will to excercise And in a word Fides sic est in anima vt radix bona quae pluuiam in fructum ducit Faith is so in the 〈◊〉 as a good roote which peoduceth the raine into fruit I might adde many others but this may suffice Babylonius But Sir whereas you seeme to oppugne the Councell of Trent doth it not also acknowledge faith to be the roote of all other graces Doe the Church of Rome right I 〈◊〉 you Orthodoxus God forbid else The prouerbe is Giue the Diuel his due Indeede the Trent Councell confesseth that faith is the beginning of mans saluation the foundation and roote of all iustification But vnder this painted Sepulcher she buries the bones of true sauing faith which she hath slaine there to ly rotting as the Iewes did with Gods Prophets whom their Fathers had slaine and vpon the foundation they erect the Monument and Trophe of their Pageantfaith For vndertaking to glâ—sse vpon the Apostles wordes A man is iustified by faith and gratis freely she saith These wordes are to be vnderstood in that sense which the perpetuall consent of the Catholicke Church hath holden and expressed to wit that we are said therefore to be iustified by faith because it is the beginning of mans saluation the foundation and root of all iustification So that they attribute iustification to faith not simply for it selfe but relatiuely as it hath reference to the fruits whereof they say faith is the roote namely their inherent righteousnesse But the truth is this restrained yea constrained sense of theirs is most absurd and senslesse as hauing neither foundation nor roote of reason to support and maintaine it All is but wordes They neither meane nor will nor can maintaine it For how is faith a beginning of grace if grace be no necessary consequent of their faith For they confesse they may haue faith and want grace which is the Diuels case Or how is faith the roote of grace and iustification sith it is impossible for this roote to produce any fruite at all For how can a dead roote bring forth any liue-fruite And they confesse their faith to be a dead and dry roote of it selfe vntill the sap of charity be powred into it to actuate and quicken this otherwise dead roote So that by Babylons Doctrine the fruite must giue life to the roote not the roote to the fruite And yet forsooth faith must be the roote of iustification the foundation of mans saluation Surely the Prouerbe may here well be verified Dignum patella operculum like roote like iustification both dead like foundation like building both sandy yea meere aery and imaginary Babylonius But is not faith dead and vnformed vntill it be inliued and formed by charity Doth not St. Iames say that as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without workes is dead also Therefore the good workes of charity giue life vnto faith as the soule to the body Orthodoxus Doth charity giue life to faith How is then faith the roote your owne reason may teach you the contrary as wee haue showed But to that place of Saint Iames it is too commonly abused For marke first hee saith not As the body without the soule is dead but as the body without the spirit is dead The spirit is the breath by which the body is knowne to liue So that the body receiueth life from the soule but sheweth it by the spirit which it breatheth The spirit then is an effect and signe not a cause of the life of the body So charity and the workes therof are a fruite and effect breathing from sauing faith testifying that it is a liuing faith not causing it so to be for that were to turne the tree vpside downe as if the roote which is faith should receiue life sap and groweth from the branches And it is plaine by the whole analogy and tenure of the chapter that the Apostle speakes of good workes as they are demonstratiue signes and fruits of a liuing faith not as causes of it Againe he putteth a distinct difference betweene the true sauing faith which alwaies shewes it selfe to liue by the fruits of it for it is that faith euer working by loue and betweene a false counterfeit faith such as is dead and knowne to bee so by the not breathing out of good workes So that the true sauing iustifying faith is that which worketh by loue So the Apostle saith But how by loue as by the efficient mouing cause of the working of it or rather as the instrumentall cause moued by the hand of faith Loue is faiths instrument whereby it worketh Yea it is an inseparable quality of sauing faith whereby faith workes as the heat is the inseperable quality of the fire whereby the fire worketh This is the Doctrine also of the ancient Fathers They so make faith the roote as
it with my best strength courage and skill against the adversary of this grace who saith that the Child of God maâ— fall away totally and possibly also finally from grace and justification Which one Heresy overthroweth the whole tenure and truth of the Gospell it turneth vpside downe the very foundation of our salvation grounded vpon Gods eternall loue in Electing and Predestinating vs in Christ to Grace and Glory those gifts and calling of God without repentance it revineth directly in part and by consequence altogether that wicked heresy of the Pelagians noted by the Reverend Bishop of Chichester and the worshipfull M. Francis Rovs two noble champions of Gods Truth it comes close vp also to make a league with the Councel of Trent to truck with Rome in all that fardâ—ll of Apostaticall doctrines packed vp in the sixt Session of it as of Freewill Iustification Predestination Cortaintie of salvation Perseverance in grace c. In which poynts and many more of that nature coincident to the doctrine of Iustification the subiect of that whole Session I had I confesse formerly taken some paynes in setting downe the true difference betweene vs and the Church of Rome in this mayne fundamentall And having the Treatise by me already finished and priviledged also while the season served for the Presse onely prvented by the last visitation I haue ben the more willing to take this new occasion to borrow at least some Artillery from that greater worke to encounter these fresh Assaults made against the Truth And see how the same motiue that put me vpon the former worke hath drawne me also to this Shall I tell the plaine truth Why not But I must name Doctor Francis White then and discover something which passed betweene him and me in private But this I hope shall not violate the Law of fidelity sith I shall say no more but what himselfe in his Approbation prefixed to the Appeale hath not stuck to make open profession of to the world It is this I having about foure yeares agoe taken a thorow survey of the sixt Session of the Councel of Trent and finding therein Romes Apostacy from the faith of Christ cunningly couched I tooke occasion simply suspecting nothing as then to goe to the said Doctor wishing he would vndertake so worthy a Taske as to declare fully the true difference betweene vs and the Church of Rome in the doctrine of Iustification according to the Councel of Trent But his answer was that the difference was but small between vs. I wondring at his answere No Sir said I then let vs shake hands with them and be good friends For on this foundation stands the maine fabrick of Romes Religion consisting in humaine satisfactions and merits all devised to fill vp the vast emptines of their Iustification from which Roote they all as branches doe receiue life and growth Yet to be sure another time I propounded the same question vnto him his answere was the same and so was my reply Hereupon farre aboue my strength I tooke courage to attempt that taske my selfe leuelled against Pontifician and Arminian Doctrines ioyntly all along and now againe am I no lesse if not much more iustly prouoked to reuiew and reuiue something of that former worke being spurred thereunto more I confesse by Doctor Whites Approbation then Master Mountagues Appeale Nor in such a Cause am I a whit moued with the name and fame of Doctor White He is a learned man I confesse but Truth is better learned Hee is an ancient graue Diuine crowned with an hoary venerablenesse true but Salomon saith The hoary head is a crowne of glory if it be found in the way of righteousnesse And howsoeuer the world may value Truth according to personall respects yet God is no Accepter of persons My brethren saith Saint Iames haue not the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ the Lord of glory with respect of persons He condemnes those that in points of faith preferres the Gold-ring the soft or white rayment before the poore man Tertullian saith Quid si Episcopus c. What if a Bishop if a Deacon if a Widdow if a Virgin if a Doctor if also a Martyr shall fall away from the Rule therefore shall haeresies seen e to obtaine the truth Ex personis probamus fidem an ex fide personas Doe we approue the faith by the persons or the persons by the faith Nemo sapiens c. No man is wise but hee that is faithfull none great none a Christian. Nemo auteÌ„ Christianus c. And no man is a Christian but hee that shall perseuere vnto the end Auolent quantum volent paleae leuis fidei c. Let the chaffe of light faith fly away as fast as they will with euery breath of temptation the cleaner heape of graine shall be laide vp in the Lords Garner Nonne c. Did not some of the Lords Disciples forsake him being scandalized and offended with his Doctrine Yea was not Iudas the Traitor one of the twelue Apostles What then if any great Doctor yea or Bishop fall away from the faith they once professed Is this a sufficient proofe that Gods saints may fall away totally or finally from sauing grace and iustification Will any Appealer or his Approuers make this good by their owne examples of falling away No saith Saint Iohn cited by Tertullian in the foresaid place Phigellus Hermogenes Philetus and Hymeneus forsooke the faith they went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would no doubt haue continued with vs but they went out that they might bee made manifest that they were not all of vs. And why weÌ„t they out Saint Iohn a little before admonisheth Gods children to beware of the loue of the world whereupon he giueth them examples of Apostates inferring that the loue of the world drew them away Demas forsooke Paul and imbraced this present world So easie a thing is it for a louer of the world to fall into all heresy the God of this world hauing blinded his eyes Therefore when we see a starre shoote as the vulgar call it doe we as they thinke it to be a very starre falling from the firmament Nothing lesse We know it to be nothing else but an earthy slime falling to the earth whence it ascended in a vapour For earth will to earth Stella cadens non est stella cometa suit Such acry vapours then when you see ambitiously mounting aloft towards the vpper part of the lowest heauen well may they shine there for a time like starres but maruaile not when you see them fall backe againe they were no true starres Sacerdotium quod intus cecidit diu foris stare non potest It was Gregory the greats saying of ambitious simoniacks Was Iudas once in the state of grace iustification because he was an Apostle Indeede Andreas Vega one of the champions of the Trent Councell puts him downe fâ—â— an in instance
that the Elect may fall away finally from grace because Christ said Haue not I chosen you twelue Iudas then saith he was one of the Elect. But as Saint Augustine answereth well it is one thing to be elected to the office of Apostleship another to the fellowship of the Saints For there is as a twofold vocation so a twofold election externall and internall temporary and eternall Iudas was of the externall and temporary but not of the internall and eternall election For of this Christ said elsevvhere I speake not of you all I know whom I haue chosen There Christ puts a plaine difference between Iudas an elect Apostle the rest who were also elect Saints But how came Iudas an elect Apostle to fall away hee was a theefe and bare the bagge Yet he bâ—ught not his Apostleship he was elected by Christ. He had a faire and lawfuâ—l calling Yet his coueteousnesse brought him to Apostacy and euen to betray the innocent blood of the Lambe of God Then wonder not at the Church of England The saâ—e Rebecca brought forth as well a rough Esau as a smoâ—th Iacob And as Tertullian saith to the same purpose Of the kernell of the milde and fat and vsefull oliue doth spring the rough wilde oliue and of the most pleasant and sweete figges seede doth grow the windy and empty wilde figtree So heresies saith hee haue fructisied of that which was ours but they are not ours being degenerate from the graine of truth and by lyes become wilde They went out from vs but they were not of vs. What then if wee shall see some of the Apostles or such as would bee accounted Apostolicall to proue Apostaticall from the faith shall this stumble Gods Saints Or shall an impotent admiration of their persons draw beliefe to their heresies God forbid For as the same Tertullian for I finde not an acuter authour for this purpose comparing champion-like hereticks to wrastlers or sword players which many times ouercome not by their owne strength but by the others weaknesse no otherwise saith he doe heresies preuaile ouer the infirmities of men but haue no power at all vpon a sound faith Yea of what qualitie or dignity soeuer hereticks be whether for personall or politicall respects the holy Ghost warnes the Saints to auoid and contemne them Auoide an hereticke saith the Apostle And St. Iohn If there come any vnto you that brings you not this Doctrine receiue him not to your house neither bid him God-speede for hee that biddeth him God-speede is partaker of his euill deedes And Saint Paul doubles his admonition If an Angel from heauen preach vnto you any other Gospell then that which we haue preached vnto you let him be accursed which is not another Gospell but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospell of Christ. Into this condemnation be the new Pontifician Arminian shall I say Hereticks I need not if they persist I will not if they recant and desist Approvers of the Councel of Trent fallen the doctrine whereof is a fowle and flat Apostacy from the Mystery of godlines They would bring in another Gospell though no Gospell but they would obtrude it far the true and only Gospell of the Grace of God And if the Galatians were said to be fallen from Christ onely for mingling Circumcision with the Gospel as requisite with faith to their iustification how fearefull is that Apostacy from Christ which quite ouerthroweth the effectuall and free grace of God excluding yea accursing the true sauing faith in our iustification as the Doctrine of Trent doth so dangerous it is to be any way accessary by yeelding the least assent vnto it And what execrable heresies will these proue to be that goe about to pluck vp the tree of life by the roote out of the Paradise of Gods Church and would plant instecde thereof the forbidden tree of knowledge teaching and perswading the eaters that they are made thereby as Gods selfe-sufficient selfe-wise selfe-able to saue themselues not onely in their receiuing but retaining grace which worke of their owne wills being foreseene of God was say they the first mouing cause of electing and praedestinaring them to saluation which what is it else but a meere making voide of Gods vnchangable Decree of Praedestination and free grace of Election no farther fixed and certaine but as mans receiuing and retaining of grace and perseuering therein is certaine which say they is vncertaine Pardon my zeale gentle Reader Impute it not to any bitternesse of spleene I beare it not to any mans person liuing God is my record much lesse to the Authours of the Appeale and the Approbation I know none whom I hate more then my sinfull selfe But the Lord knowes it is no small greife to me that I am thus forced to sharpen my style Which if it seeme tarter to thy Palate then may sure with Christian moderation and modesty examine I pray thee whether the long custome of Court-smoothing and eare-pleasing specially in Diuine matters haue not bred such a delicacy in the soules tast as that downe right zeale for Gods glory can hardly finde a slomack to take it downe or digest it but is reiected as a bitter pill or potion of such Patients as account the remedy worse then the disease Zeale will not passe now but for fury or rude incinility at the best But ab initio non erat sic In old time it was lawfull to call a spade a spade Saint Peter dealt roundly with Simon Magus for his Simony Thy money perish with thee How sharpe was Paul with Elimas the Sorcerer for going about to turne away the Deputy fioÌ„ the faith O full of all subtilty and all mischiefe thou child of the Deuill thou enemy of all righteousnesse c. And what would he haue said trow we to those men who goe about to turne away not a Deputy but a whole kingdome a well settled flourishing Church from the faith What if they were graue learned Diuines So much the worse If an enemy had done this it had ben more tolerable but it was euen thou my guide and familiar freind I will not adde Dauids imprecation but rather aduise them as Peter did Simon to pray that if it be possible the sinne not of their heart onely but of their hand may be forgiuen How did Paul though but a young Apostle reproue the prime Apostle Peter onely for a matter of dissimulation in his conuersation not any default in his preaching And shall wee not zealously resist those to the face that noâ— now dissemblingly anymore but with opeÌ„ profession approue auow stafly maintaine grosse and greiuous heresies deuised by the Deuil to betray Gods glory and mans saluation That sticke not to call the Doctrinas of Pradestination freewill and the like Scholasticall speculations meerely questions of obscurity not fit for pulpits and popular eares but procuring rather discord and troubles in
Church and State then serue to edification c. Appeale pag. 42. 78. 80. Which speeches and the like whether doe they tend but to suppresse those Doctrines of the Gospell whereby God is most glorified and man most humbled shall we spare such When Policarpus met Marcion the hereticke casually and neglecting him was asked of him Dost thou not know vs He replyed I know thee for the Diuels eldest childe Such was the zeale of holy men in times past against not onely those that were Hereticks but hinderers of the truth The Apostle wished that those false teachers of legall righteousnesse were euen cut off which troubled the Church of Galatia Therefore what cause any faithfull Minister of Christ hath to vse sharpnesse of stile to seditious seducers and troublers of Church and State in so famous a Kingdome in so perilous a season too let any indifferent man iudge And consider iudicious Reader if we had not a King seasoned from his very cradle with the knowledge of the true faith of Christ hauing now growne vp therein to a goodly ripenesse in regard whereof we haue small cause to suspect his constancy herein iâ—to what danger were we and Gods religion brought when such kind of Ministers are not wanting to helpe forward the reerecting of the Romish Baal in our Land had they but a young Manasses to restore the Altars and Groues which the good King Ezechiah his Father had pulled downe But to conclude sith these two fore named Worthies worthy to be named againe the Reuerend Bishop of Chichester Dostor Carlton and the Worshipfull Maister Francis Rovs haue so learnedly and zealously confuted some materiall points in the Appeale which like expert archers making speciall choyse of for their marke they haue hit home although I could haue wished that they had with no lesse felicity coped with the rest of the materialls in the booke yet sith they haue ben pleased to leaue behind them some liberall gleanings yea some whole ricks of tares to be cut vp and carried away from Gods wheat field I will craue leaue to shew at least my good will in all hoping my defects will finde pardon of all them who though they can yet forbeare to make their best supply The blasphemer was to be stoned of the whole Congregation some hitting one part some another till he were beaten downe and buried vnder the heape Yet in this Impression the Plea reacheth no farther then the first part of the Appeale Which if it finde courteous intertainment the other part is forth comming and wants but time to helpe the slownesse of the Presse to bring it forth Farewell Thine in the Lord H. B. Good Reader correct these faults with thy pen with others of smaller note The rest are noted in the end of the booke Amend first then reade Page 7 line 19 reade scantling l. 28 r. Doctrines p. 51 l. 13. r. preuifion p. 52 l 6 r. â—ssâ—s p. 54. l. 21. r. 4. 5. l. 29 r. sâ—â—scos p. 82. l. 3 1. â—â—â—â—â—ude 10. l. 9 1. vn 〈◊〉 c. Whence l. 13 1. anima l. 24 1. prâ—â—â—ceth p. 83 l. 15 r. the beginnâ—ng p. 84. l. 35 1. into him p. 85 l. 24 r. quomodo p. 87 l 13 1. â—xecrated p. 91 l. 30 1 ground of hope l. 35 r. his Maiesties A PLEA TO AN APPEALE Asotus Babylonius Orthodoxus ASotus Master Babylonius you are well met Babylonius And you Master Asotus Asotus Sir I thanke you for your last good company at the Ordinary and especially for your both merry and learned discourse wherein among other passages you wittilie disciphered the nature of a Puritan that common opposite to vs both I was much delighted to heare you and haue often thought of you since and shall loue you the better for it for of all men I cannot away with these Puritans a precise sect crosse and contrary to all other men A man may not sweare an oath forsooth nor play the good fellow a little in drinking a cup or two more then needs for good fellowship-sake nor loue a wench and the like but wee must passe their most sharpe censure Nay hauing deeply waighed the matter I am perswaded that were it not for these Puritans wee and you should agree together as louing brethren and Countreymen Babylonius Are you aduised of that friend Asotus you haue hit the very nayle on the head and herein you discouer your wisdome and judgement For it were no hard matter I wis to reconcile you and mee and such as wee are as well in Religion and opinion as we are already in affection were it not for these make-bate Puritans And you haue well said in saying we and you for howsoeuer the Puritans both in England and beyond the seas I meane the Caluinists and Hugenots are called Protestants yet betweene them and vs Romane Catholicks there is a great Gulfe set so that there is no hope of reconciliation betweene vs. And indeed for those ciuill and good fellow Protestants whom I know you meane that hold of the Church of England and of the Doctrine of the Church for the prop and piller of their Faith there is great hope that they will ere long be reconciled to the holy mother Church of Rome for he that beleeueth as the Church beleeueth is not farre from the kingdome of God But these Puritans they will not acknowledge any rule of faith from the Church but are all for Scriptures Scriptures so that so long as they are of that minde there is no hope of reconciliation betweene vs and them vnlesse they will yeeld to this Manime That the Church is the Iudge and interpreter of the Scriptures which they most obstinately deny Asotus But by your leaue Master Babylonius I neuer vnderstood but that the Doctrine of the Church of England was all one with the Doctrine of the Scriptures as I euer haue ben taught Babylonius I will not take vpon me now to dispute that point but haue you not seene an excellent Booke set out of late by one of your most learned Ministers which he calls his Appeale to Caesar. Asotus I haue heard of it the Author is highly commended by some for a great Scholler but a great many on the other side and especially those we call Puritans doe very much condemne the booke saying it is written in the gall of bitternesse and with the spirit of sedition enough to set all in a combustion if his books should passe for currant Babylonius In the gall of bitternesse That was the doome of Saint Peter vpon Simon Magus but by such like puritanicall censures you may the better judge of the worthinesse of the booke which is both learnedly and wittily pend Asotus You say well I thinke neuer a whit the worse of the booke for the Puritans taxing of it nor the Author the lesse learned when you Master Babylonius sticke not so to commend him Babylonius I must needs ingenuously confesse that I like the booke the better
answere then hee did to them and so to all aduersaries of this Doctrine of the grace of God Nuâ— propter malos c Is the truth of this Doctrine to wit of praedestination to be forsaken or shall it bee thought worthy to bee cancelled out of the Gospell because of those that are wicked cold Let the truth be spoken especially where any question doth require it to be spoken that they may receiue it who are capable of it least haply while it is concealed in regard of those that are not able to receiue it they who are capable of the truth wherby falshhood may bee detected bee not onely defrauded of the truth but may be ouertaken with falshood And a little after Nonne potius est dicendum verum c. Is not the truth rather to be spoken that he which can receiue may receiue it than to be suppressed that not onely neither can receiue it but also he that is more intelligent may be made worse The enemy of grace is importunate and vrgeth by all meanes that it might be beleeued that it is giuen vnto vs according to our merits and so grace should now be no more grace and yet we will not speake that which by the testimonie of the Scriptures wee may speake for we feare forsooth lest if wee speake hee that cannot receiue the truth be offended and we feare not lest while we are silent he which is able to receiue the truth may be deceiued by error For either is praedestination so to be preached as the holy Scripture doth euidently declare it that in those that be praedestinate the gifts calling of God may be without repentance or else we must confesse that the grace of God is giueÌ„ according to our merits which is the opinion wisdome of the Pelagians And againe cap. 2 1. ibid. he saith Nimiae coÌ„tentionis est c. Itis too much peruersues to contradict praedestinatioÌ„ or yet to doubt of it Babylonius But you know that the late wise and judicious King IAMES of famous memory did inhibite and restraine the preaching of the Doctrine of Praedestination and Election Orthodoxus But in what respect His Maiestie did not restraine Preachers from the liberty of preaching the Doctrine of Praedestination it being a speciall part of the Gospell but rather to giue caution and direction at least to yonger Ministers and Diuines lest through want of mature judgment in the manner of opening that mystery and applying of it they might haply put a stumbling blocke before the inâ—udicious and ignorant hearer or those of weake consciences As Saint Aug. denies not but wisdome and discretion is to bee vsed in the preaching of it For saith he it is not so to be preached to the ignorant multitude as that the preaching of it may seeme worthy of reproofe Nam dolosi vel imperiti medici est c. It is the propertie of a deceitfull or an vnskilfull Physitian so to apply euen a wholesome plaster as that either it doe no good or else hurt This was the minde of his Excellent Maiestie of blessed Memory in that his iniunction to aduise all Ministers to play the faithfull and skilfull Physitians in in the applycation of so wholsome profitable and comfortable a plaster and Doctrine as the Church of England calls it Art 17 though the Appealer doth flout his Informers and those which call Praedestination a comfortable doctrine Appeale pag. 39. But otherwise his Maiestie himselfe of blessed Memory hath left His royall record of this Diuine Doctrine in his learned and Diuine Paraphrase of the Reuelation the 20 chap. in the latter end in these words The Booke of life was opened to the Elect that all those those whose names were written into it to wit Praedestinated and Elected for saluation before all beginings might then be selected for eternall glory Babylonius Neither doth the Authour here simply oppose or question the Doctrine of Praedestination and Election but as it is deliuered by the new Diuines as hee calls them to wit Caluin and his fellowes whom he chargeth with a two-fold error as touching Praedestination The first is that they teach especially Caluin that Gods eternall election and praedestination was irrespectiue and absolute without any respect or reference to Adams fall The second error of Caluin is in deliuering the doctrine of praedestination in such a rigid manner as he doth Orthodoxus For Master Caluin there needeth none other Apologie then his owne Workes or Writings which shall euer praise him in the gate For his workes and in summe his Institutions if a man snatch at them as the Aegyptian dog doth at Nilus for feare of the Crocodile not obseruing his grounds taken from Scripture nor well waighing his reasons no maruell if such snatchers prepossessed with a preiudicate opinion can as easily opeÌ„ their mouths against such famous Authours as the Dog can barke at the Moone-shine But perhaps hee had no more quarrel to holy Caluin then that fellow had to just Aristides who not knowing Aristides by face but onely by fame that he was a just man came to him vnwittingly to craue him to write downe his name for him that hee might with the rest of the enuious Citizens consent to his banishment by their law of Ostracismon because he so much excelled others in honesty It may be he neuer read Caluins workes much lesse his Institutions to catechise him in the grounds of religion Or perhaps hee hates Caluin as Ahab did the Prophet Micaiah because his Doctrine is altogether against his Interim-religion with all his confederate Intermiists Orwhatsoeuer is the cause Thus did Heretickes by catching at the outward rinde and barke of some one part of Scripture maintaine their Heresies But I maruell what the Appealer could reade or heare of Master Caluin that hee should write so contemptuously of him sauing that he was a holy man faithfull and painfull in his calling exercised with continuall preaching writing watchfull prouidence in gouerning a man of great learning dexteritie of wit sincerity of judgment of great piety equity and sobriety of life a true patterne and precedent of vertue Therefore as Christ said Many good workes haue I done among you for which of these doe yee stone me so for which of Caluins vertues doth this Authour tongue-smite him The most noble and judicious King IAMES of happie Memory thought not so slightly of that learned Diuine while he prefered his Commentaries vpon the Scriptures before all others It were to be wished that the Authour going about to oppose such a worthy and famous man had imitated the heathen Academicke Carneades who intending to write against the positions of Zeno the Stoicke did first purge his stomacke and pectorall parts with white hellebore lest some malignant humour possessing the stomacke might distemper and imbitter his style which is no lesse a disparagment to a professed Christian Diuine than was wont to be of old to the Heathen