done the like you had never rambled on such a Collection as this to say Christ had erroneously taught him the way to life by vade vende omnia if this bee not a Counsell of voluntary poverty Your sequell is out of ioint and absurd rather Christ would haue never applied this plaister if he looking through the windowes of this young mans soule into his inward most retired roome had not found covetousnes to be his hinderance and encombrance And this proveth it selfe in the Text for he went away sorrowfully I cannot but note the malice and virulent dealing of your ignorant contradicting spirit traducing Calvine for a blasphemous interpreter who taught no more then he learned of the Fathers and if among those that did interpret Scripture since the fathers time any one is worthy to be accounted fidus interpres Horat. Art Poet. for his soūdnesse and profoundnesse blessed Calvin is who was as Eramsus wrot of Tonstall a world of learning Eras epist 84. Claud. Verderius conscio in Autores pag. 174. and as Theodorus Gaza testified of Plutarch that if any mā were so limited that he could only read one humane authors bookes he would read Plutarch so many renowned Divines next vnto sacred Scripture haue of all other authors choisly and cheefly selected this holy servant of God So that in this Paragraph you blaspheme God iniure truth accuse your knowledge and abuse your conscience Mr LEECH Lastly I would but demand what S. Paule meant 2. Cor. 7.25 Vid. Damas dict Gnomi in Indice to distinguish plainely betwixt Precepts Coūsells thus praeceptum non habeo consilium do for so the vulgar readeth which all the latine Church followeth and all the Greeke Fathers haue so taken it if there be no Counsells For he groundeth this his distinction vpon his Masters wordes Non omnes capiunt and therefore S. Paul had no precept But qui potest capere capiat And hence floweth the second branch consilium do as S. Hierom S. Basill and divers others of both Churches doe obserue ANSVVER Discourses that grow tedious are odious and such is this your frequent and too often querulous quaere The distinction in S. Paule is betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betweene a precept and sentence no word signifying Counsell in that place I haue already shewed how Antoninus maketh S. Dominick the Author of Evangelicall Counsells Anton. parte 3. vt ante and S. Paul the teacher of faith and the law and yet you produce S. Paul as a speciall bullwark for your Counsel house Many Fathers haue I confesse read that Text so but the originall ministreth no such interpretation nor doe the Fathers themselues otherwise hence ground but that qui potest being enabled is qui debet hee that is commanded You and Coccius teach the Fathers to speak very preposterously Beware of the Fathers curse or rather of Gods curse seeing you call them to beare false witnesse against the Law Gospell and God himselfe Mr LEECH And that this point may be every way full and perfit builded vpon so many seuerall rockes as there bee seuerall places of Scriptures let the Doctors of the Church speake Vincentius Lyrin in cōmonitorio being the most probable Maisters and teachers in the Church against quot capita tot sensus the very bane of all religion mother of innovatiō let the church interpret Scripture and hee that will not heare the Church you know what followeth 2. Pet. 1. vlt. sit tibi tanquam haereticus Nay sit tibi tanquam ethnicus For as it is said of the letter of the scripture that it is not of any private inspiration For it came not in old time by the will of man but holy men spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Serm. 17. in Cantic So may it be as truely saide of the sense of the Scripture that it is not of any priuat spirits interpretation And the reason why every man should flie from a private spirits interpretation A sentence that striketh the Religion in England as dead as a dore naile is this as it is excellentlie rendred by that mellifluous Father S Bernard Nonnulli adesse putant spiritum cùm non adest suúmque sensum pro sensu spiritus sequuntur deviantes suásque sententias magistrorum sententijs praeferūt that is for I cānot but translate it many men thinke that they haue the spirit of God when they haue it not erroneouslie following the sense of their owne private spirits for the meaning of the holy Ghost preferring their owne private opinions before the publique iudgements of their masters and teachers ANSVVER You haue suffered shipwracke vpon your rockes They be severall indeed Psal for they are severed far from you which is manifest in that you rocke to and fro in your preposterous building like a tottering wall or like a broken hedge You call for advocates the Doctors of the Church Num. 23.38 and fetch them in as Balaac did Balaam but they answer as there hee did but with a more holy spirit We are come vnto thee and can we nowe say any thing at all The worde that God hath put in our mouthes that shall we speake But if this helpe you not you call the Church to testifie with you To the church we leaue as much as the spowse hath made her iointer in the interpretation of Scripture by the Church Tertull. libro de praescrip haereticorum that of Tertullian is to be remembred who warneth of some Qui non ad materiam Scripturas sed materiam ad Scriptur as excogitant and thereby run into one of those two miseries which S. Austin observeth Aust Comm. Faustum lib. 22. cap. 32. Caiet in praef Com. in lib. Mosis aut falli imprudenter aut fallere impudenter you say the Fathers of the Church are for you yet Caietā beleeveth that God hath not tyed the exposition of the Scriptures to the senses of the Fathers And if the Fathers serue not you saie let the Church interpret Scripture We distinguish the Church from the Synagogue of Antichrist and seeing wee hold that Scriptures must tell which is the Church wee must deny that the Church must tell vs the sense of Scripture Gerson doth disclaime the iudgement of Pope Gerson de exam doct part 1. cō 5. Councell or Church cōcerning interpretation of Scriptures and trial of doctrine when hee delivereth that the examination of doctrine concerning faith belongeth not to the Councell or Pope but to every one that is sufficiently learned in Scriptures Cus Ep. 2. pag. 833. And Cusanus cannot deny but that by the iudgement of the Church the Scripture is fitted to the time and the sense altered as the time altereth We make the spirit of God speaking in Scripture to be iudge of the Scripture and Act. 17.17 as the men of Berea sought the Scripture to approue the
should be ready to cast a stone the stone which I cast against superogatiō is no other thē that which S. Iohn cast against it who giveth the lie to him that saith he hath no sin Bell. de Mon. lib. 2. c. 13. And Bellarmine is constrained to cōfesse that S. Austin Bernard and Thomas doe thinke it impossible to keep that Commandement Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde Mr LEECH These are wiser fuller of zeale then Christ himself who suffred nay gaue commandement as it is in the parable that both tares and wheat should grow together vntill the harvest of the last iudgement and then shoulde the tares and weeds be bound vp in bundles fitted for the fire and the wheate should be gathered into his barne For at the last iudgement Sermo 3. de le iunio collectis 1. Cor. 3.12.13 there are some things vrenda flammis other things condenda horreis as S. Leo speaketh And doth not S. Paul allude to this Whose words be if any man build vpon Christ the foundation gold silver precious stones timber hay stubble every mans worke shal be made manifest for the day shal declare it because it shal be revealed by the fire and the fire shall try every mans workes of what sort they are To which fire let this Doctrine be reserved to stand or fall to burne as stubble hay timber or rather to escape as gould silver and precious stones ANSVVERE True zeale is the true seale of a Christian If you had any sparke therof I would wish as Porsenna did to Scaevola concerning his Country Lavater Iuberem macte virtute esse si pro mea patria virtus ista staret So I for true Religion Iobs friends had a bad cause but handled it well Iob had a good cause but maintained it ill neither ability of the cause nor dexterity of the handling haue assisted you The multiplicious abuse of Scripture in your text is frequēt that as the Prophet spake of aslying book so may al of your lying book You wold by intimation of that Scripture in the Parable of the Tares desire that as the tares are suffred to growe Mat. 13.30 so your doctrine may remaine vncēsured till the iudgement It is well that you acknowledge your doctrine to be like the Tares Fearefull will that iudgement be at that vniversall Sessions where Christ will be iudge the Saints the Iury when you are accused with those words of the Parable Master sowedst not thou good seed in thy field whence thē are these tares In that Parable of Christ as the streame of interpretation doth carry it is meant that by the evill seed mixt with the good the Church shall never be free from some wicked that it is impossible to roote them finally out for if wee wish to avoide these so fully as the godly could wish wee must goe out of the world as the Apostle speaketh So that of lewd persons not of hereticall positions that place is to be vnderstoode for Christ doth threaten the Churches in the Revelation for connivencie of false doctrine Laodicaea Rev. 2.3 chap for beeing neither hot nor cold Rev. 2.14 Rev. 2.20 Gal. Pergamus for maintaining the doctrine of Balaā Thyatira for suffring Iesabell to teach and deceiue his servants The Church of Galatia is reproved for that they suffered the Copartnership of Iewish Ceremonies when they were established in the Gospell of Christ and shall Religion the truest bond betwixt man and man the knot of coniunction and consociation In Dion Cass shall it bee divided Shall Maecenas wish Augustus to hate and correct any that change any thing in the service of the Gods Ioseph cont ap 2. Shall the Athenians enact that they that spake of their God otherwise then the law appointed should be severely punished And shall we so much neglect the attonement of iudgements and peace of soules as to suffer blending of doctrines not only leaven in our Lumpe but poison in our bread Far be it frō vs and from our seed for ever Let it be the brand not only of a luke-warme affection and of a Policie overpolitique but of Machiavillians and matchlesse villaines to call for connivency of hereticall positions From hel it came to hell it must returne againe We cannot chuse but suffer the Tares of iniquitie to grow vp but we will endeavour pro aris focis to eradicat the Tares of heresie Your second place of Scripture out of S. Paule A chardgeable Appeale is very fit for your purpose and the words in the next present verse as fit for mine 1. Cor. 3.11 Let every man take heed how he buildeth the later of those verses shall bee my praier for you that though your worke burne at that day and you loose yet you may be saved In the meane time Scripture hath disapproved you and the fathers haue refused you Mr LEECH Now to God only wise be rendred praise power might maiestie rule dominion and thanksgiving and let al the creatures in heavē in earth or vnder the earth say so be it Amen ANSVVER Vnto that supreame iudge Rev. 22.13 and to the last iudgment be this referred and vnto the everliving God who is in himselfe α ω in Angelis sapor et decor Aust in iustis adiutor protector in reprobis pavor et horror be ascribed the admiration of his Maiesty the acknowledgment of his mercy the awful remembrance of his power the ioyfull continuance of his favor And Hallelu-iah Rev. 19.1.2 Salvation and glory and honor and power be to the Lord our God for true and righteous are his iudgements for he hath condemned that great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornications Amen Hallelu-iah CHAP. 8. Mr LEECH THus gentle Reader thou hast seene my maine defence of this doctrine wherein I haue followed the mature advise of the Philosopher and Oratour For I thought it not sufficient to confirme truth in the former part of this sermon vnlesse I confuted falshood also in the later And this I did for establishing thee if thou be in the right or reducing thee vnto it if thou hast been in the wrong ANSVVER THus Gentle Reader thou hast seen the meane defence of this doctrine wherein whether the author as he professeth hath followed the advise of the Philosopher or Orator iudge by the contradictions misapplications falsifications in the sermon Can Oratory or Philosophy be obtained without Grammar or cannot a Grammarian distinguish between Concilium Consilium the one comming originally à conciendo Calepin id est convocando the other derived from Consileo eo quòd vno consulente caeteri consileant It was a most probable tryall of the Ephraimits in shibboleth Iudg. 12.6 and sibboleth the mistaking cost the death of the body It was a laudable triall betweene the Coūsell of Nice and
fishing therefore vndertook no wilful Poverty he carried his sword stroke Malchus and therefore professed no Monasticall obedience you deal with S. Peter as the Printers in Rome doe with Christ for they in their Printed Tables of the Popes first place Christ then Peter c. as if Christ had been Pope But as Christ is contrary to the Pope Antichrist so S. Peter is most opposit to this your doctrine and giveth commande to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men 1. Pet. 2.15 Mr LEECH Appearing now vpon my summons Other Doctors of better worth who heard my sermons were not called vnto my triall whereas two only of these six Iudges were my Auditors I found M. Vice-chancellour assisted with 5. compeeres D. Airay D. Aglionbee D. Hutton D. Harding D. Benefield a selected company for his owne humor Who as they were generally to be excepted against by me as incompetent Iudges so in speciall D. Hutton for his inveterate malice conceived against me long since vpon a base and vnworthy respect D. Benefield as he was my principall opposite so he with the rest being a doctrinall Calvinist could never afford me an equall triall in this issue Quid mihi dabis c. depending vpon the Fathers which he and they do really disclaime ANSVVER These fiue Assistants are knowne to bee of much worth and sufficiency Iust censures they deserue not as living without the compasse of an adversary vniust they contemn Although you loade al of them plētifully you should express some reasō why these were incōpetent Iudges in generall seeing these were as eminent for learning honest for life haue beene oft chosen Delegates by our whole Vniversity in our Convocation for the greatest affaires that concerne our Academicall state Or what inveterate hate Doctor Hutton had against you in particular He was a speciall meanes to obtaine your place a continuall shelter for you against all stormes while you were in the house when he might haue imprisoned you hee forbare Is this the inveterat malice Hee may say as our Saviour said for which of these good deedes doe you persecute me For any aspersion of base bribery in your Marginal Quid mihi dabis he disclaimeth the thought and abhorreth the fact his free and good disposition course of life abilitie and integritie bee his compurgators and his protestation shall more prevaile with all honest mē then al your oathes Your exceptiō against Doctor Benefield is as vnsufficient as the former Malignant Though he were as you in scorne entitle him a Calvinist yet hee doth not disclaime the Fathers as in his practise we all can testifie having red more in thē then your head and your backe can carrie what his estimation of the fathers is in his Appendix hee doth manifest and for Mr Calvin his workes shew that he did read and vse the fathers not onlie approved thē but even the citing of heathen authors as may bee seene Cal. Com. in 1. Cor. 15.33 in his Comment vpon the Corinth 1. Cor. 15.33 though he be maliciouslie traduced to the contrary Mr LEECH These petty Iudges being thus assembled M. Vicechancellour inveighed against me with a bitter and passionat speech cōtaining in it these capitall accusations First that I had lately preached scandalous erroneous Doctrin Secondly that I was vehemently suspected of Popery and that by this doctrine I had nowe iustified the suspition Thirdly that I had brought an infamy vpon the Vniversity and in speciall vpon him and his house Wherefore I must expect a censure according to my demerit ANSVVER It is scornefull shamefull in you so to tearme mē of as Beaw-desert as our Church or kingdome hath anie The Vicechancelour in this your blast of wordes is often falsely taxed for being passionate whose passions are as so many good servants which stand in a diligent attendance ready onlie to bee commanded by reason and religion in no other sort is hee passionate The accusation consisting of those three articles was most true your doctrine was scādalous it offred much offence being generally distasted and was erroneous being detected to be the floodgate of Traitors staiers loosing in some supposititious doctrines and many blasphemous arrogating much to man derogating much from God Secondly it was suspected by many of our most religious and observant Doctors and Students that you were much tainted with Popish corruption and it now grew manifest by the breaking forth of the Impostume in your last sermō Thirdly that you drew publike infamy vpon Oxford where Popery in former ages of blindnesse had beene discovered that now in the splēdor of the Gospell here Popery should be by any maintained And you derived from the generall invndatiō a streame of aspersion vpon your Collegiate Gouernour and his house the worthy Deane and all his Society who all professe thus I and my house will serue the Lord vpon these your errors you were to expect the ensuing Censure Mr LEECH To the first I answered that as vpon sufficient descovery of the pretended errour I would recant it since I sought nothing but the advancement of truth so I should consequently acknowledge that I haue giuen the scandall if I haue preached the errour But my conscience telleth me that I haue offended neither in matter nor manner substance nor circumstance To the second that men might suspect what they pleased and that it lay not in me to hinder every suspition As for the imputation of Popery in this point it cleaueth vnto the Scripture and all Antiquity from which iointly I assumed this Popish doctrine To the third that as he and his house could receiue no infamy by such a truth so much lesse the Vniversity forasmuch as the best in iudgement there if not the most in number also concurred with me in this point ANSVVER I answere these three Paragraphs together thus First the discovery was made of the falsenesse and faultinesse of the doctrine by D. Huttons inhibition and by D. Benefields Lecture and therefore your cōscience might haue beene informed that you offended in MATTER by condemning the law for being imperfit and therefore requiring Counsells in mad insolence durst you controle where you should wonder In MANNER you offended daring to say over the same lesson which was by authority forbidden you Thus you were guilty both in substance and circumstance Secondly you ought to abstaine as the Apostle speaketh from all shew of evill as well in opinion as in action and therefore not to giue so iust occasiō of suspicion or more of detection of Popery in you This point of Popery like a high house built vpon small pillars though you say it had countenance frō Scripture Antiquity yet it is most plaine that both these authorities doe disclaime vtterly any maintenance of the point in controversie Thirdly that the best or most concurred with you is most vntrue Saint Austin in one of his Epistles mentioneth his conference with one that
diffidence in this point All testimonies divine humane of God and of his Church did firmely establish me therein And therefore though I conferred with many learned men vpon the same yet I never demaunded of any man by way of doubt Sir What is your opinion c. but I alwaies said This is the Doctrine of all the Fathers this is the iudgement of the whole Church it is founded vpon sacred Scripture c. will you stand to it or will you disclaime it wherevpon I commonly receiued this answere the doctrine is true in it selfe though not seasonable for these times But Master D. King hauing not any such certainty of infallible grounds could not but fluctuate in the instability of his private iudgement ANSVVER VVhich two proposed coÌ„siderations be both false How can any indifferent Reader looke vpoÌ„ your lines with any other entertainement but contempt first you accuse Doctor King to want well grouÌ„ded knowledge whoÌ„ your conscience knoweth to be profound ready and resolute in all faculties in all studies in all learning was not the force of reason vsed as the meanes to coÌ„vert you when a solemne lecture was read vpoÌ„ the point was not the TeneÌ„t of our Church shewed you were not disputations many times offred you and did not the Doctors that assisted at the convention of you catechise you so farre as they founde you not able to answer what the church was what faith was what the rule and Canon was c was this violence of Authority or force of reason Violence did not appeare in authority against you never was wilde fire so quietly quenchâ—d nor open mouthed aduersary so favourably handled so movingly incited or so fully confuted Your secoÌ„dly is twin with the former only the limmes be greater Did he punish you with an evill conscience you suffred with a good Or you suffered with an evill and he censured you with a good You say you had not the least scruple of diffidence or distrust in this point Doubting in some causes is commeÌ„dable it is the meanes to sift and fanne try the wheat of truth froÌ„ the chaffe of error What mist had veiled and invelloped that eie sight that sawe not the monstrous absurdities of this point But you say all Testimonies are for you divine humane c. Your Testimonies haue beene pervsed and in them there is nothing worthie to commande affection or beliefe God and his Church I am sure certitudine fidei be against you and this I am established in that Gods law is not wanting nor imperfect craveth not the assistance and support of CouÌ„sels God vseth not second editions with supplemeÌ„ts he hath set forth no other Deuteronomy In your conference with many I beleeue you traduce many for I knowe that some that you had personall though not doctrinal fauor from do for ever disclaime any honest thought of you Were any common measure of hatred fit for a revolter I shoulde haue hoped that you would forbeare your slanders against many but your heate and hate do both conspire to make them subiect to interpretation who are most opposite to your opinion I dare pronounce it that no one of iudgemeÌ„t learning sound Religion did giue you that answere that here you deliver I haue beene bolde to enquire of your questions with some of very worthy respect and they disclaime the countenance and mainetenance of your opinion you know you were so repressed from preaching this Doctrine that while a Reverende and learned Doctor of publike respect and place in the Church and private goverment in the Vniversity remained here you durst not deliuer this but in the time of his attendance and absence in Convocation busines then you began to settle your selfe vnsettle truth Traduce none nor gull the world as if any affirmed your doctrine to be true All the learned in the world can not make sense of that which you by your written coppy deliuered where your literall meaning is often so poore that it can reach no sense and your mysticall so transcendent that no sense can reach it Truth is seasonable at all times and only enimies of truth will at any time suppresse it Falsifie no mans speech This slaunder coÌ„meth from no good spirit The well rooted resolution of the Vicechancelour anchored him his grouÌ„ds had certainty if Scripture containe it hee had truth infallibility his iudgement was not privat his certainty did not fluctuate Iude. 11. 2. Pet. 2.17 S. Iude doth attribute this to Apostats and S. Peter describeth them to be clowdes without water carried about with a tempest to whom the blacknesse of darknesse is reserved for ever Mr LEECH To returne now vnto the conference of M. Vicechancellor with the aforesaid Doctour he received a cold satisfaction vnto his hot demaund For the Doctour wondering that any difficulty should be made in this matter answered presently without any demur there are Evangelicall Counsailes and no doubt can be made thereof And what was thinke you Doctour Kings reply vnto this graue and confident assertion Did he dispute against it no he could not Did hee gainsay it no he durst not Thus the renowned pulpit-Doctor that could domineere over his poore inferiour censure him depraue him vilifie him with intolerable reproaches such as he feared not to vtter but I am ashamed to mentioÌ„ stoode mute not daring to disclose his opinioÌ„ which he could not iustifie by any waight of reason ANSVVER To returne to your most vntrue relation As before so againe I answere that the Vicechancelour did not doubt of the doctrine he manifested no haesitation he sought no satisfactioÌ„ The discourse was at dinner where neither argument was vrged nor any suffrage of iudgement required the allowance of the distinction being graunted by this reverend Deane what followeth therevpon Dare you conclude therefore that your doctrine was true The other sister and famous Vniversity hath had much experience of his rare dexterity in cleering the obscure subtilties of the Schoole and easie explication of the most perplexe discourses And not only he but others haue graunted such a distinction for distinctions bee but intentions they are signarerum non res signatae Many graunt Counsells that doe as much hate your opinion as you hate our Religion And how different froÌ„ your Tenent this learned Doctor is doth appeare in the sequele of this Chapter But first to your interrogation or rather your imaginary supposition The Vicechancelour needed not to dispute it nor meant to gainesay it For howsoever properly there bee no Evangelicall Counsells so he doth and ever did maintaine yet he never denied such a distinction repreheÌ„ding the consequents positions you grounded therevpon rather then the name of Counsels In scorne you call him the renowned Pulpit Doctor a Title generally worthily bestowed vpon him for who ever saw him without reverence or hard him without wonder Yet you heape so many obloquies vpon him that I marvell your soule doth not
of eradication to bee rooted out of their possessions whereas otherwise their daies might haue been long in the land which the Lord their God had given thē The most Reverend but now deceased much lamēted Prelat did not by chāge of place chāge his thoughts your intimation is base and false to make the worlde beleeue any other affection in his Grace towardes Religion then what God and man approved openly so by the sequel of your busines it is manifest Where in your second limb of that mōstrous accusation is against his Iustice his approbation of the Vniversitie censure was as much as another condemnation of you pretenses his grace needed not for maine reasons wanted not his experience of the truth knowledge wisedome iudgement and goverment of his vicegerent and the worlds experience of his Graces prudent and eminent carriage in all his high and honourable imployments do free them both from your imputations and returne you your smoaky evaporations a Phrase lent you from the sulphureous fume of the bottomlesse pit But you conclude that you are nothing and worse then nothing The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of your booke sheweth that you are somewhat more then nothing the only argumēt to serue your turne to proue the Pope to be God is because he can make something of Purgatory which is nothing I could turn this vpon you but I forbeare and only returne to your owne figure How pleaded you for Iustice With stubborne tumultuous quarellous disobediēce In what In a point derogatory to the Iustice and Law of God When Then when you oppressed truth reiected your faith disobeyed your Iudge beganne to forsake your Church Before whom In the open face of heaven in the presence of God men and Angels in the holie place the pulpit in the best place on the best day For what end the dishonor of God the disgrace of his law which you accused of insufficiencie and imperfection Thus you did delude and were deluded for this these Reverēd Doctors haue beene by you iniuriously traduced That I may truely say no Revolter ever did offer more scandall in generall to our Church or slander in particular to so many worthy members thereof Mr LEECH TO M. DOCTOR KING DEANE OF Christ-Church in Oxford and Vicechancellour of the Vniversitie H. L. wisheth health and salvation in Christ IESVS SIR though your will was your law to punish me without my offence yet it shall not bee your sanctuary to defend your selfe without more sufficient reason For as you convented me before a selected Calvinian assembly so now I convent you and them before all men in the assured confidence of my good cause and in the comfortable peace of my sincere heart And since you dealt with me as a Magistrate by the strength of your authority you must giue mee leaue now to deale with you as a Scholler by the validity of arguments Finally because I wish your future happinesse I cannot omit to acquaint you with your present miserie which I will lay forth before your eies in Syllogisticall manner and then I will referre you vnto the consultation of your owne heart Whatsoever doctrine is founded vpon Scripture according to the conformable opinion of the ancient Church that is a point of Catholike faith But the doctrine of Evangelicall Counsailes is founded vpon Scripture according to the conformable opiniō of the ancient Church Therefore the Doctrine of Evangelicall Counsailes is a point of Catholique faith The Maior is a maxime in all Christian schooles The Minor is proued by the ensuing testimonies of the Fathers whose vniforme verdict in this behalfe is the iudgement of the Church Whosoeuer doth obstinately impugne any point of Catholique faith he is an heretike But Doctour Kinge D. Aglionby D. Airay D. Hutton D. Benefield c. do obstinately impugne a point of Catholique faith Therefore D. Kinge D. Aglionby c. are heretikes De haeres ad Quod-vult D. in perorat The Maior is granted by all men of iudgement and is confirmed by S. Augustines rule The Minor is proued by their own proceedings against me in this particular Every heretike is bound to recant his heresie or else he is liable to the punishment decreed in the Canonicall law of the Church But D. King D. Aglionby c. are heretickes Therefore D. King D. Aglionby c. are bound to recant their heresie or else they are liable to the punishment decreed in the Canonicall law of the Church The Maior is cleare of it selfe The Minor is proued already And because it shall appeare yet more sensibly I pray you to consider that whosoeuer reiecteth the ioint consent of Fathers in a point of doctrine as D. King doth herein he is an hereticke and this I will breefly declare by foure evidences FIRST Epist 1. ad Leon. cap. 1. by the testimony of Flavianus Patriarch of Constantinople saying Haeretici est praecepta Patrum declinare instituta eorum despicere In Concil Chalced. SECONDLY by the testimony of Eudoxius admitted in a generall Councell qui non consentit sacrosanctorum Patrum expositionibus alienat se ab omni sacerdotali communione a Christi praesentia See Sozom. l. 7. c. 12. THIRDLY by the proceedings of the most Christian emperour Theodosius against the proud distracted Hetikes who would not submit themselues vnto the iudgements of the venerable Fathers See Vincent Lit. cap. 41. FOVRTHLY by the practise of the Ephesine Counsaile against Nestorius who was iudged an heretike not only in regard of the matter itselfe Veterum interpretum scripta perdiscere dedignatus est See Socrat. l. 7. c. 32. NOTA. wherein he erred damnably but in regard of the manner and tryall by the holy Fathers which his contemptuous spirit did vtterly decline Many also of those Fathers by whose testimony the cause was then handled against Nestorius are the very same whose verdicts I shall now produce against D. King and against his abettours whosoeuer ANSVVER TO Mr. HVMFREY LEECH LATE Minister now Revolter SIr it is Salomons counsel in the 4. verse of the 26. Chap. of Proverbs not to answer some sort of mē yet in the next verse he adviseth to answer such lest they TRIVPMH in their owne eies Vpō the instruction of the former verse this worthy Deane intends to contēne rather then answer and yet wisheth you lesse presūption greater knowledg lesse sophistry more honesty but vpō the directiō of the insuing vers I the weakest of many yet strōg enough for this cause haue vpon reasons of some importance vndertaken to confute your calumnies to cleere the truth to cōfirme the faithfull In Christian Policy you were to be answered and in common charity you are to bee counselled hereafter to care what you write whom you revile so to rule your pen and order your tongue that you be not iudged either in this worlde or in the future or in both for a prostituted cōsciēce if not a
hardned hart In that presumptuous speech that will was the law to punish you without an offence yet shall not be the sanctuary to defend that Reverende Governour that censured you you are much offensiue to truth It was your ignoraÌ„ce that betrayed you the offence coÌ„deÌ„ned you the law did ceÌ„sure you Now you are far of you veÌ„t your gall like vnto Gall his reproach against Abimelek when he supposed him far enough from him Who is Abimelek and who is Shechem that wee should serue him Your threats be blasts he needs no sanctuary that hath so many in the eares and hearts of the most honoured and best affected of this lande And though you presume to CoÌ„vent him yet at this time a farre meaner man shall discharge him You desire leaue to deale as a scholler it is wel you wil aske leaue that you neglect not all duty to your Master but I assure you it is generally beleeved that if any thing in your whole book be truely your own it appeareth in the validity of these argumeÌ„ts framed so sophistically as if you had only learn'd logike by that rude prescriptioÌ„ Discere si cupias Logicam discas Titlemannum Ille Sophistarum crimina pandere vult Mr Wright complaines that none of our Protestants answer breefly and punctually you shall not need to complaine so In two wordes I answere your three arguments Negatur minor For ever you affirme as a Principle the thinges to be proued which manner of argumentation 2. Prior. c. 16. 8. Topic. 13. 1. soph 5. 2. Soph. 12. Aristotle reckons for a fallacy in many places and tearmes it by this name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a begging to haue that graunted which in the beginning was the maine controversie So Archimedes would moue the whole earth if he could obtaine a seperat standing from the earth which might not be And this is the dealing of all your Champions first they take this as graunted that the Church of Rome is the Catholike Church and then conclude that wee are the Heretiques which is the especiall point to bee proued In your first syllogisme your presumption rather theÌ„ assumption is faulty But the doctrine of Evangelicall Counsailes is founded vpon Scripture according to the conformable opinion of the ancient Church Was there any hope that this might passe vncontroled being the maine controversie of all But it is proued saie you by the ensuing testimonies of the Fathers but it is disproued say I both by that which hath beene said in this Tract as also in particular answer to every Father by D. Benefield that except you be more then perversly obstinate you will vndertake no more such challenges The minor in both your other syllogâ—smes assume that D. King D. Aglion by c. obstinately oppugn a point of Catholique faith and are heretiques and therefore must recant c. And your poore proofes bee their proceedings against you in this particular Alas doe you boast of reading Fathers Schoolemen Children Schooleboyes would be asham'd of such arguments which I easily returne againe in this manner Whatsoeuer doctrin is not fouÌ„ded vpoÌ„ scripture c. aut the doctrin of EuaÌ„gelical CouÌ„sels is not fouÌ„ded c Therefore the doctrine of Evangelicall Counsells is not a point of Catholike faith The syllogisme is good in the first figure by the rules of Logicke though the Minor be negatiue because the Maior is convertible The Minor is proued before in the right interpreting of the testimonies of the Scriptures Fathers which you manifestly wrested and perverted Whosoever doth obstinately maintaine any point of doctrine contrary to Catholique faith is c. But Mr Leech doth obstinately maintaine a point of doctrine contrary to Catholike faith Therefore Mr Leech is an heretique The Maior is graunted by all men of iudgement and it is taught by the same rule of Austin The Minor is proued by his owne proceedings in this particular Every hereticke as in your owne words c. But Mr Leech is an heretike c. Therefore Mr Leech c. The Maior is cleere of it selfe The Minor is proued already and your foure evidences that follow are evidently turned vpon your selfe Thus Baals Priests launce themselues and Saul falleth on his owne sword And in full satisfaction that it may appeare to all men that we suppresse not the truch we reiected not the Fathers for though by the rule of Vincentius and the graunt of Bellarmin all learned Papists wee are only to receiue the vniforme consent of the Fathers yet in this you haue neither all nor the most nor any places pregnant for your doctrine as is manifest by the answere to them and the interpretation of the Fathers To your fourfold evidence In praef com lib. Mosis I might returne First the authority of Cardinall Caietan thus God hath not tied the exposition of the Scripture vnto the sense of the Fathers Andrad defens fidei Trid. lib. 2. Secondly the iudgemeÌ„t of Andradius that they spake not Oracles when they expounded the Scriptures that the oversights of the translation which they followed must needes cause theÌ„ to miste sometimes the right meaning of the holy Ghost Turrecrem In c. sancta Romana d. 15 nu 4. Possev Bibl. select l. 12. c. 23. Thirdly what Turrecremata hath deliuered herein thus At this day there be many things found in the Fathers deseruing no credit Fourthly what Possevine coÌ„cludeth somethings in the Fathers wherein vnwittingly they dissented from the Church are iudged and condemned I could vrge for your foure fortie of your own that doe disclaime the authoritie of Fathers your graÌ„d Iurie is answered so fully by D. Benefield that as no man can say more so I hope it will make you say much lesse I denied not these 4 authorities you here bring but I deny that they bee applied to the present for in all the course of your testimonies we denied no Fathers but interpreted all And now Mr LEECH let me tell you your vndeceiueable Iudge doth see you and wee both must receiue our censure at another barre Once one church held vs in an honourable function one Vniversitie in a loving Communion one Towne the flowrishing and happy and chiefe Towne of our Shire in a kinde participation of all good offices But you are departed Now you are gone you haue broken all these leagues nay more broken your covenant with God in the Ministry of his Church Shame the Devil forsake your stepmother satisfie the world saue your soule We shal wish you but not misse you weep for you but not want you VnderstaÌ„d not amisse good reader for nothing is so contrary to the will consent as error Had these offers beene proposed these propositions had never beene refused First hee only proposed out of a Popish peevish writer these extracted or rather extorted authorities and would never condiscend to answer the point as a scholler in disputation Secondly it was disproved by a publike lecture it was maintained against him by the Reverend Doctors his Iudges that neither Scriptures nor Orthodoxe fathers were for him Thirdly it was manifest that to preach Perfection in this life especially Angelicall integrity was at the least Pelagianisme heresie coÌ„demned by the Fathers and Ancient Church Fourthly that this doctrine being the grounde of workes of supererogation merit c. was plainely against the position of our Church as Doctor Benefield in private conference offered to proue The scandals therefore be full of iniquity which you impose on the Reader if hee beleeue your advertisement I wish you may finde more acceptance before God in the day of retribution then your words are like to finde with any True harted ChristiaÌ„s Seeing error conceived them humor produced them FINIS CHristian Reader this booke was long since promised my attendance was the cause of the stay but at length it is finished I had rather with Cato craue pardon for my fault in doing this then keepe my selfe cleere from committing this fault for I haue herein satisfied the importunity which imposed it on me and the necessity of the cause which drew me to it In the Triumph that is proued true which Tully spake of Athenagoras Of his offence hee spake nothing but complained of his punishment There was small cause of the Authors flying lesse of his reviling His reproachfull tearmes defiling and besmearing those many and worthy Divines I could haue returned in the same language hardly can any that shall answer him avoid it without calumny or so pay him his owne without note of infamy But in these labours nothing is to be more praied for then a sanctified spirit and therefore I haue as much as possibly I might avoided any thing that may seem contumelious or malitious It resteth that I find Christian and brotherly interpretation in this labor by those that shall pervse it My hast may betray the manner of my writing not the matter And it may be I shall find some such readers Hier Prooem in l. 2 coÌ„met in OseaÌ„ as S. Hierom did Alij saith he quasi parva contemnunt quicquid dixerimus contractare despiciunt alij magis aliorum silentium quà m nostrum studium probant quidam in eo se disertos arbitrantur doctos si alieno operi detrahant If such Readers meete with my booke I feare not If my book meet with such I care not The better sort I hope to find leaue attentiue and will pray for all meanes of their instruction in this world and salvation in the better world Errata Read Children p. 40. l. 16. metonymiam p. 113. l. 30. some acknowledge some denie p. 126. l. 10. Aetnam p. 131 l. 9. quo seniores eo saniores 193. l. 5. Ambigne p. 195. l. 15. quod 227. l. 4. editions p. 336. l. 19. Norris l 24.
these two most worthy pillers of the Church were as the flowers of Roses in the spring of the yeere as Lilyes by the fountaines of waters as branches of Frankincense in the time of Sommer as faire Oliues that bee fruitful or Cypres trees that grow to the Clowdes as i Ecclesiast Ecclesiasticus speaketh of others Cyprian for eloquence Austin for dexterity of wit wisedome learning Cyprian was as k Naz. Orat. in Cyprianū Nazianzene reporteth him the great name of Carthage of all the world whose name was famous in all Churches both Heretique and Christian whose name and workes Nazianzene professeth he reverenced more then he did all others and for his eloquence surpassed all other men so farre as other men doe bruit beasts Saint l Epist ad Paulinum de instit monat Ierome calleth him sweet professing that the Lord dwelt in him and m De doct Christ c. 40. Austin calleth him a most sweet Doctor and most blessed Martyr and concludeth of him Tanti meriti tanti pectoris tanti oris tantae virtutis Episcopus And concerning blessed Austin n Epist ad Aug. 31. 37. Paulinus calleth him the salt of the earth a Candle worthy to be set on the candlestick of the Church his mouth like a Conduit pipe of living water a veine of that eternall fountaine o Eras epist praef 1. tom Augustini Erasmus testifieth of him his name being Aurelius Augustinus that the world hath nothing magis aureum vel augustius that there never was a golden name more worthily giuen to any then to him And if I shall reckon Titles giuen to him that is called the perfection of the Fathers the Hammer of Heretiques the Treasure Megasine liuing librarie of learning and infinite his other Titles it would be tedious Nay Iesuits and all kind of Papists afford him such Encomtasticks that never had any Father of the Church so many Looke c Possevin in appar sacr p. 151. 152. Possevin in his Aparatu sacro where he giueth him the greatest and worthiest Titles that ever any Doctor of the Church had and testifieth that by the consecration of the d Synod Florent Florentine Synod he was called Illustrissimus Latinorū Doctorum You see how grosse your comparison is Concerning the approbation of a general Councell there is no such thing directly named in any of the Concilia Toletana being 13 in number The only Councell of all which that mentioneth Gregory is the last of which e Caranza in Epitome Cōciliorum Caranza in the Epitome of Councells giueth this note Nihil habet hoc concilium singulari annotatione dignum Mr LEECH Concilium Tolctan Did it then become M. Doctor Hutton to detract frō the due worth of so great and learned a Saint since I may yet adde this to perfect his praise whatsoever hee was vnto others doubtlesse vnto vs he was an Apostle to speake in the phrase of the Apostle to whom our English nation standeth perpetually obliged for her conversion from Paganisme vnto the Christian faith Beda Eccles hist Angl. lib. 2. cap. 1. ANSVVER Gregory was not our Apostle All histories be against you Britaine had true religion planted here before your Gregory or his Monke Austin were extant It is recorded by your f Baron Ann. 35. num 5. Chronologicall Cardinall that Ioseph of Arimathaea was here g Theod. de curand grec affect lib. 9. Theodoret saith S. Paul h Bar. anno 597. n. 20. Baronius thinketh S Peter i Nic. l. 2. c 40. Nicephorus saith that Simon Zelotes and k Tertul. advers Iudaeos Tertullian l Orig. in Hom. 4. in Esec Origen and other of the most worthy of the Fathers doe affirme that the Gospell was planted here in the time of the Primitiue Church And that you shall not reply that religion was extinguished and afterwards lightned by Gregory I say religion was not extinct at the comming of that proud petty Monke Austin whom hee sent Witnesse m Lib. 1. c. 8. 17. 21. Bede whom you vntruly cite who writeth that before Austins comming the Britaines were troubled with Arrianisme and Pelagianisme but that three French Bishops delivered them And the forger of the three cōversions n Three con par 1. c 9. n. 1 testifieth more that from king Lucius time vntill the comming of Austin which was foure hundred yeeres and more they did not alter their faith but it remained among them when he entred Therefore Gregory converted not our land per se nor per aliū And Austin as impetuous or imperious as he was was but Gregories Curat For Gregory at that time as o Ordo Rom. praef Cassander observeth did change the Lyturgies and service bookes vsed in our westerne parts for which cause it is likely Austin came ouer So that Gregory and Austin converted bookes not soules and therefore were Translators Correctors no Apostolicall Doctors or founders of our Church Mr LEECH But to passe over the praise of this bright shining star in the firmamēt of the Church my reioynder was that this doctrine must first be proved to be erroneous scandalous before any such imputation ought vpō any absolute necessity to be imposed and fastened vpon it since scādall doth arise from errour errour is an approbatiō of that which is false in iudgement and vnderstanding ANSVVER The answer of the Philosopher in p Diog. Laert. in vit Phil. Laertius to one that immoderatly praised him was fit for you Me hic aut ludit aut odit this fellow would procure me to be scorned or hated Your vnmeasurable LASHON of cōmēding Gregory it deserveth no other speech We esteem Gregory to be the best Pope from the yeere about 600 wherein he lived to this present He never held the q Reg. Epist lib. 9. ep 9. supremacy r Lib. 7. ep 69. l. 7. ep 30. merits and other points of Popery and he never taught this Doctrine as you do therefore the error scandal must remaine with you not with him Mr LEECH And as for defending of S. Gregory my opinion then was and now is that the very name it selfe and Authority of this worthy Father ought and would rather amongst all learned and iudicious divines be my iust defence ful dischardge then that his credit should bee so farre called in question as now after a 1000. yeares continuance in the Catholique Church of Christ being generally reputed Orthodox so long to stande in neede of mine or any other mans defence whatsoever ANSVVER The worthines of Gregory is not denyed But that his very name should be sufficient to prescribe against all opposers and to patronize your conceipt it is much doubted Concerning Gregory I thinke of the reading of him as S. ſ Hier. in ep ad Romanum Ierome doth of reading the other Fathers Meum propositum est antiquos legere probare singula retinere quae
bona sunt à fide Ecclesiae non recedere I would you had taken this course in reading Gregory But for the point in hand you haue not in al the words of S. Gregory the distinctiō of Praeceptū Consilium no place that defineth Evangelica consilia neither their name number or any thing concerning thē And therefore to any never so little intelligent you will seeme strangely ridiculous to make Gregory Godfather to that childe he never knewe or Author of that doctrine which he never taught or thought Wee call not his credit into question I would yours did it not as I formerly shewed and especially t Bar. Tom. 8. Annal. Ann. Christi 1593. num 62. p. 57. Baronius who speaking of the barrennesse of learning in Gregory his time sheweth that Gregory himselfe was ignoraunt in many things Mr LEECH And yet rather then the doctrine shall be thus odiouslie traduced and my Author want his promerited defence I will according to that poore ability wherewith God hath enabled me endeuor to defend both it and him and therefore if S. Gregory in this point hath not transgressed the boūds of Ancienter Church nor crossed any tenent of his owne Present Church nor yet for this hath hitherto been censured by the lawfull iudgement of any Catholique succeeding Church nay if the Church more ancient then his his owne present and the ever after succeeding Centuries of Catholique Church haue from hand to hand deliuered vnto him receiued with him and with vniforme consent followed him in this point of doctrine never so much as once noting it questioning it impugning it cōtradicting it which certainely they would haue done had the doctrine beene erroneous for their devoted piety spared no Heretique Origen Millienar Tertul. Montanising Cypr. rebaptising no not the most renowned martyrs nor glorious fathers of the Church in any of their errors repugnant vnto the vnity of Catholique verity then vpon these premises I may irrefragably conclude in defence of my Authour and doctrine that S. Gregory his position is no privat opinion hatched out of his owne braine but the vniforme deduction and tradition of Christ his spouse the true Catholique never erring Church inspired guided directed by God his holy spirit in all ages ANSVVER Rather then you will let truth haue the supereminence quae magna est praevalet you will continue to father your opinion vpon Gregory yea and vpon the Primitiue Derivatiue Church Act. 9. But it is hard for you to kicke against the truth The weedes of supererogation growing vnder the shaddow of Evangelicall Counsailes haue had no time of encrease of growing in the ancient primitiue Church None of the first and worthier Fathers taught it It is a common but not commēdable vse among you of imposturing interpreting the Fathers in a wrong sense The chiefest groūd for your doctrine is the misinterpreting of that place of S. Paule which sense neither the Originall will carrie nor any Greeke Father ever followed And that blessed servant of God Mr Perkins in his Probleme proveth against opposers how farre the Fathers were from mainetaining workes of supererogation Physitians that meane to cure the disease first beginnne with the cause so giue me leaue seeing workes of supererogation bee only the inductions and cause of teaching this doctrine First I desire you to answere whether S. Hierome thought any such works were performed who disclaiming them thus speaketh p Hier. lib. 1. c. 3. cont Pelag. Tum ergo iusti sumus quando nos peccatores fatemur iustitia nostra non ex proprio merito sed ex Dei consistit misericordia or whether S. q Retract l. 1. c. 19. Augustine doth thinke a man might supererogate who affirmeth a contrary positiō Omnia mandata Dei facta deputantur quando quicquid non fit ignoscitur or r Chrys in 8. Hom. in 4. ad Roman Chrysostome who in his 8. homily on the 4. to the Romanes affirmeth No man to bee iustified by the Law because none can fulfill the Law ſ Bern. in 73 ser in Cant. or Bernard in his 73. vpō the Canticles who wisheth no man to trust to his own iustice or fulfilling of the Law or to approch neerer what meant t De Consil Evang. statu perfectionis Gerson that famous Doctor to deny any perfection in Evangelicall counsailes Secōdly I desire you to answere why u Aq. 22 dae Art 5. Aquinas teacheth that perfection doth essentially which is perfectly consist in keeping the Commandements which none can do and in the fulfilling of the Lawe if that perfection of Counsailes bee so much aboue the Law why x In sent lib. 3. distinct 34 q. 3. Paludanus vpon the Sentences doth affirme that some men may attaine to as great height of perfection liuing in marriage and possessing much as they that liue single and giue away all that they haue I will aske no more questions but seeing this is so taught by so many reverend Ancients yea by many of your owne later y Ians in 100. Cap. in Evang Iansenius in his 100. chapter vpon the Evangelicall concord professing with Gerson and Aquinas that only the fulfilling of the law doth iustifie and z Cus excit lib. 10. Cardinall Cusanus confessing that none but Christ ever did fulfill the Commandements seeing all this is thus why will you so boldly affirme that this doctrine was never impugned never contradicted c which indeede was never rather taught never approved It is true S. Gregory was never contradicted in this for hee never taught any such thing But this opinion was gainesaid and disliked and the Church never received never generally delivered any such position Although if it had your epithet of never erring Church is scarce currant for you cannot deny but the Church hath had her blots a Dial. contra Lucif S. Ierome cōplained that the whole world groaned and wondred to see it selfe Arrian b Aduers proph Novit Vincentius Lerinēsis confesseth that not only some portion of the Church but the whole Church may be blotted with contagion But this was none of her blots spots or infectious blemishes for shee never generally mainetained or taught this Doctrine Mr LEECH But M. Doctour Hutton lending a deafe eare vnto my defence though in my conscience and iudgement it ought to haue satisfied him sounded another alarome and ringed a fresh peale in my eares charging nay surcharging me ad nauseam vsque for holding any distinction betwixt Precepts Counsailes For saide hee there is no such distinction those which you falsely cal Coūsailes are in deed Precepts and not Counsailes ANSVVER The Comoediā c Plautus Plautus taxeth some that had no stuffe in them but in their tongue and that only in speaking lewdly of their betters Isthic est thesaurus stultis in lingua situs ut quaestui habent malè loqui melioribus Let the lawes of God Nature and Nations
Pez p. 552. Pezelius noteth they make thē Perfectiores leges Evangelicas which be but Enarrationes decalogi But to your supposition how vmbragious soeuer you seeme to be it is manifest you never vnderstood the state of the question Counsells are precepts I can easily bring a Iurie of Fathers to proue it not such as you impanelled to condemne your selfe Precepts I say they be to particular men who exceed others in gifts of grace And because much shall bee required of him that hath much giuen him therefore a Counsell as a praecept doth oblige not all in generall but him that is particularly furnished by God for such a purpose and service and therefore he that hath the gift of chastity other circumstances concurring is bound sub poena not to marry S. Hierom doth only speake of generall precepts and the place in Gregory is oft cited and as oft answered but not quoted at all But I say the same of him Greg. mor. l. 26. cap. 25. as of Hierome for Gregory is most plaine in the point in the 25 Chapt. of the 26 booke of Moralls his words be specialis iussio and specialia praecepta and specialiter imperatur and the distinction of generale praeceptum speciale praeceptum is so often repeated about the midst of that Chapter as nothing can be more plain So that Ierome and Gregory come over to vs for they meane speciall precepts not generall And certainely as S. Basil speaketh if virginity were a generall command to all it would exclude marriage but being not some may marry some liue chast all doe well Mr LEECH This I demanded but hee then passed it ouer with silence and therefore I expect his answere now how hee cā avoid this consequence which followeth vpon his own learning ANSVVER Eccles 12. The words of the wise are like Goads like nailes fastened by the masters of the assemblies saith Salomon His words might haue satisfied you if truth and reason would haue yeelded you satisfaction but a false opinion once grounded is like poison fully setled or like Deianiraes shirt it wil hardly be shaken of without plucking the skinne with it Mr LEECH As for sending me vp to London to answere the point there my reply was that for my part I was ready to answere vnto the point and to iustify the doctrine either there or else where in what consistory soever in the kingdome Only for your own credit sake and place said I which you supply I wish that it would please you to bee better advised at least to conferre with some other doctors who heard the sermon as well as your selfe and maturely to deliberate whether there be scandalum datum or acceptum a scandall on my part iustly giuen or on your part vniustly taken and whether your exception against my doctrine will beare waight or no being poysed in an indifferent ballance of equity before you resolue vpon this precipitation Otherwaies you shall bewray great want of sound iudgement in opinion and disclose much oversight in discretion ANSVVER o Theod. in Plut. Pericl Pericles had that skill in wrastling that though he receiued a fall yet hee would perswade the wrastler that cast him and others that beheld him that he cōquered I know no such subtelty in you as you would haue your hearers to beleeue but sure I am you did not braue it so with the Doctor as you here relate In all these proceedings of D. Hutton you haue iniured him much but your selfe more you know what slayeth the soule and therefore ought to forbeare al insulting tearmes iniust imputations circumstantiall disparadgments false relations and to regard age and authority learning piety so are you bound by feare and conscience What other Doctors iudged concerning your sermon you knowe by those reverend Divines and governors among vs when you were censured about it and therefore it is an idle question whether you gaue or tooke the offence The doctrine you know was Papisticall therefore you ought not to haue obtruded such a point in the pulpit Christs speech is generall p ◠Mat. 18.6 whosoeuer shall offend one of these little ones that beleeue in me it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that hee were drowned in the depth of the sea Your weapons were made on the Philistims forges Aug. your arguments were neither de veritate nor pro veritate Neither truth of matter nor sobriety of speech had place in your tempestuous conceit disiointed sermon You were not so willing to answere at London nor so peremptory to accuse the Doctor for want of iudgement in opinion or ouersight in discretion Mr LEECH And farther I assure you call me whether you will into questiō I shall discharge my selfe with sufficient credit when you shall gaine little by questioning my doctrine or molesting me causelesly ANSVVER You wel ad the word farther for you never spake so farre as this you haue a strange gift of amplification you scarse spake the tēth part of that which you haue here so enlarged as is confirm'd and averred by wise honest witnesses that heard it This large discourse was not extant then You neither durst nor could babble so much in so short a time you durst not for your distraction that night observed by many was very much it shewd that then you had not altogether dispassioned your conscience but that there was some sparke which did feare and follow you observed by her owne eie though no other eie should perceiue her chased by her own foot though nothing either in heauen or earth should pursue her Relation tells me there was some ouerture of compunction then in you your looks gestures words gaue testimony that you durst not speake so peremptorily And that you could not it is plaine scarse three questions and answers passing between you and those rather commanding your Coppy then disputing the question Mr LEECH Here the kitchin-conference brake vp only in the loose he required a copy of that doctrine of Counsells delivered by me out of S. Gregory To this I voluntarily condescended adding these words to intimate my confident resolution Sir For the doctrine I will request no fauor at your hands only I hope that you will doe me iustice if not assure your selfe I shall right my selfe else where This was the last period of our conference at that time and so wee parted supper calling vs both away ANSVVERE So much for your saucy vnsauory kitchin-stuffe You need not againe to insist vpon the place a circūstance in that businesse lest materiall And the advantage of malice and hatred hence is very small if duly considered Therefore breefly to enforme the Christian indifferent Reader Concerning that aspertion of disgrace you call the kitchin conference thus it was as I haue receiued it from the mouthes vnder the hands of those it concerneth Presently vpon your sermon you were sent for because of the generall
distast thereof being not found before Euening prayer you were sought for againe after that divine service but not found till M. Doctor Hutton Subdeane was come into the kitchin instantly before supper A cōmon order and custome in that house required that the Subdeane Treasurer should as you well know come into the kichin to see that provision service performed as Bursers doe in some of our lesser Colledges Stewards in others You being first met with there were examined the copy required you were admonished not to preach the like doctrine taxed for not vnderstanding S. Gregory reproued learnedly and lastly threatned to bee sent to the Castell if you did not with some speed yeeld vp your Papers CHAP. 5. Mr LEECH SOme two daies following vpon the very point of the prefixed time which doctor Hutton had appointed I deliuered vnto him in his own lodging a punctuall summe coppy of the doctrine so vehemently by him excepted against so earnestly required ANSVVER YOu desired but till the next morning then promised to bring that part of the sermon but did not till two or three daies after which shewed either negligent presumption in contemning authority or ignorant dulnesse in compiling your notes without method or dexteritie Mr LEECH The said copy with all seeming alacrity he cheerefullie contentedly received at my hands dismissing me without any further questioning about the point either thē or any other time after Wherevpon I concluded that he had retracted his former opinion by a more prudent circumspection ANSVVERE You conclude not Logically the premises bee not well collected it was a Censure if you well obserue it that you were inhibited to preach that doctrine any more he did neither feare nor faint in the busines as by the remainder will appeare Mr LEECH And that he now determined to pursue me no farther I was then am now the rather induced to beleeue because on the very night of our said kitchin-conference he repaired vnto a very graue learned Doctor in that Vniversity who had heard my sermon to craue his opinion resolution concerning the point complaining first of my peremptory obstinate resolution discovering withal his disgust of the Doctrine certifying him farther of his purpose to send me vp to the Bishop of London to answer the point there ANSVVER It is a fiction that there was any reluctation in Mr Doctor Hutton or that hee desired by any to be resolved in the point he was no reede to bee shaken with the winde of vnsavorie breath Hee only repaired to that excellent patterne of learning life and governement Doctor Kilby to desire the help of his memory concerning the point that you delivered in that evening sermon thinking you woulde not haue endured to deliver your copy and therefore being to sende the notes the next morning to our Vicechancelor then at London because he would not be partiall or confidēt in his owne memory he desired the Brotherly helpe of this graue and worthy Doctor and this was his onlie occasion of repaire vnto him that night Mr LEECH The venerable Doctor perceiving his heddy resolution withall conceiving the truth of the Doctrine which his discreet mature iudgment could not possibly suffer him to dissemble very prudently learnedly advised him to stir no more in the point but to passe it over with a calme quiet silence For said he in sending him vp to London well you may put him to trouble chardge but for the Doctrine for ought that I could conceiue the issue wil be this he may will answer it either here there or else where with more credit then you shal possibly gaine in calling it into question ANSVVER The Reverend Doctor consulted with was a friend to your person not to your Doctrine and that rather in commiseration then approbatiō of you How often did he disswade you from maintaining any such positions intimating that it had beene the course of heretickes in all times to open some strange pointes to get them a name The generall notice of his soūdnes of Doctrine and excellency of learning may free him but more then this he protesteth vtterly against anie adhering to your opinion ever distasted and detested your venting ventilating of such heresies Besides it is false that the Doctor should vse any such speeches Plaut Pyrgopol that you could answer the Doctrine with credit The bragging souldier in Plautus thought to purchase him selfe very high commendation in the Comedie when he cryed out Magnum me faciam nūc quoniam illi me collaudârunt and so you attribute much to your selfe because you say you haue the opinion and approbabation of this Reverend Doctor And I must confesse if you had any such shelter you were in better state then you are But seeing his wisedome integrity vprightnes before God and man do deliver the contrarie and his religious protestation doth seale it silence your selfe and repent with other this error Mr LEECH And is this said he the reward of our Pulpit paines Are Schollers whose state you knowe to be but meane to be put by schollers vnto this extraordinary charge needlesse and causelesse expense Ought not you I all of our ranke rather study to giue them all lawfull content then to seeke their grievances by surmising against them vniust matter taking exception where no scandall is given to bring them to iust discontent wherefore Master Subdeane to waste neither more time nor wordes about this point for conclusion since as you say you are come purposely to aske my opinion counsaile in this matter my advise is if you will be ruled by me let all matters be husht rest as they are there an end without either further troubling or provoking him ANSVVERE It is a true saying sometimes z Aug. Qui volens detrahit famae nolens addit mercedi You doe in this supposed Dialogue detract frō the worth of this learned Doctor yet vnwillingly you accumulat much honour to him in traducing him They that are so pitifull in the grievances of Schollers are to be reverenced and no doubt shal bee rewarded I woulde schollers were not wanting to schollers in these offices But your case was so spitefull that it deserved not to be accoūted pitifull and therefore his wisedome knowing the Apostles Cannon Reiect him that is an hereticke after once or twise admonition did then no farther intercede for you then that you might be censured at home receiue condigne reformation here rather thē to be transported to London And that he did for many reasons either because the worlde should not take notice that any durst make our Pulpits Antichristian Oracles as you did or because hee knew that your censure in that high and honorable Court of Commission would be like a Gen. 4.13 Cains sentence to heavy for you to beare Whereas you double that speech in this Paragraph that Mr Doctor Hutton came to aske counsell or
Religion hath shee not corrupted The doctrine of the Trinity seeing you here againe vrge it as aboue so I hence remoue it as aboue to your Motiues Mr LEECH Secondly his worship obiected vnto me that D. Benefield had lately and learnedly confuted the said Popish doctrine of Evangelicall Counsells and that therevpon I ought to haue surceased my reply was that D. Benefield his opinion was no canon of my faith nor that his authority was of such value with mee as to preponderate the iudgement of the Ancient Church and testimonies of the venerable Fathers And therefore since I began to publish this doctrine vpon such grounds I was bound in cōscience to defend the same and specially since he made an opposition in schooles vnto my position in the pulpit so that I could not be silent without treason vnto God his truth ANSVVER The argument consisted of reason and religion in reason if the doctrine were answered how could it be gainsaid the learning wisdome degree of Doctor Benefield by infinit degrees paramounting all that ever will be in Mr Leech In religion for if the Canons of the Church grounded on Scripture doe someway obliege our consciences that among the rest one especially provideth that there be no publick contradictiō of points in religion how durst this to be infringed and opposition so peremptorily maintained by you in the Pulpit But you say you did so because that his opinion was no Canon of your faith c. And yet you did make opinion the Canon of your faith and produced your conceit distinction grounds testimonies proofes c all for the most part out of Bellarmine and though you disclaime it yet you vnderwent that Babilonicall servitude which by Alphonsus de Castro is called Miserrima servitus iurare in alicuius verba Magistri Alphons de Castro cont haeres lib. 1. cap. 7. so that opinion was your Canō I haue already professed from the Protestation of D. Benefield that he read no way with purpose to touch you but only in generall as this controversie was the occasion of much innovation much corruption so that yours was the contradiction not his Mr LEECH Thirdly whereas he laid vnto my charge that he had inhibited me to intermeddle any farther with this point I answered that de facto he had never done it and that de iure he could not doe it For God must bee obeyed rather then man Besides though in discretion submission vnto your authority I would haue surceased from prosecution of this matter yet this notorious and intollerable impugnation did force me to breake my intended silence ANSVVER Deny it not for you were charged vpon your second sermon not to intermeddle any further in this point and therefore your distinction de facto and de iure is fond Your inhibition de facto should haue restrained you de iure should haue feared you for the Magistrat beareth not Gods sword in vaine But you say God must be obeyed rather then man By what revelation or fained new found vision had you command from God to preach this sermon the second time We must obey say the Lawyers Parents and Magistrats in licitis honestis but God in omnibus because all things are not only lawful to vs but fruitfull for vs if enioined by him But God Stella in Luc. Glory iudgement vengeance proper to God only Psal 8.5 that as Stella observeth hath impropriated 3 things vnto himself the first being his glory never did send any warrant to you so much to oppose his glory as to place man not as David speaketh little lower but equall or somewhat higher then the Angells in Angelicall integrity spirituall transcendency c as if man should be beholdē to you more then to his glorious maker Besides say you intolerable impugnation did breake your silence you would make the world beleeue you were iniured S. Austin asketh in this case a question libet hominem vindicare Tom. 10. ser 42. in Orat. Domin and must you encourage your selfe in the vnlawfulnesse of revenge But God mē Angells testifie you doe iniury to affirme you had iniury by any notorious or intolerable impugnatiō Were you imprisoned censured excommunicated Deserving all these you were punished by none of these Mr LEECH Fourthly whereas he demanded a copy of my sermon protesting vpon his faith and troth to God that hee would send me presently vnto the Castle vnlesse I then delivered it I was content vpō the perswasion of Doctor Kilby to yeeld into his hands the originall and only copy thereof And so I was dismissed for this time ANSVVER The Copy was demanded And though you say you deliuered it vpon persuasion yet it might haue beene enforced from you This protestation you objected once before against the Provice chancelour and now againe If you could fasten any aspersion vpon him or any that the cause concerned I knowe you would Protestations are often iustifiable and commendable Rom. 9.1 2. Cor. 11.31 Gal. 1.20 as I haue giuen instance before in many of the Saints but especially in Paul in divers Epistles To the Romans I say the truth and lie not my conscience bearing me witnesse To the Corinthians God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ knoweth that I lie not To the Galathians I witnesse before God that I lie not And Espencaeus in his owne practise sheweth that a protestation may very religiously be vsed Espenc tract 6. Epist dedic ad Card. Cast his wordes translated be these I doe RELIGIOVSLY SWEARE that as often as I thought vpon the report of obtaining the Red hat freely which others hunted after for mony who were repulsed I giue immortall thankes vnto God that he suffered not I wil not say so much good but so much evill to happen vnto me Quid facerem Romae mentiri nescio What should I doe at Rome I cannot lie Thus much for your obiection against his protestation and thus much for the honesty of the place where your habitation is now supposed Mr LEECH CHAP. 2. This storme being thus overblowne a quiet calme ensued vntill M. Doctour King deane of Christ-Church and Vicechancellour of the Vniuersitie was now returned frō London vnto whō I made repaire partly to do my duty vnto him and partly to preuēt that sinister impression which D. Hutton and others sought to worke in him to the preiudice of me and of the doctrine which I had preached For which purpose I had collected the testimonies of 24. Fathers that thereby he might be well informed in the state of this present question ANSVVER A storme it was not you felt neither the thunderbolt of excōmunication nor lightning of expulsion If in this storme as you call it you had shed a showre of repentant teares then you might haue been happy Aust in that which S. Austin applyeth to such a purpose Post pluuiam sequitur magna serenitas post nubilū magna claritas post tempestatem magna
Of revolting in these later times he had reason to speake whē the misery of this age is such that an asses head is sold at a shekle and our Philistine adversaries will offer any preferment to him that will turne their Proselite and yet when they receiue them admit them into no order but of Mendicants as the late proofe of some present experience of your selfe shew ◠Pet. 2.1 Apostasie was foretold as by others so prophetically by Peter that there shal be false teachers which shall privily bring in damnable heresies And who can ponderat this but with much sense and sorrow he will lament that anie sonne of this Country nay any son in the outwarde appearance of the church shoulde exenterat his naturall nay his spirituall mother and do this in a sinister conceit either for some particular discontent or for want of preferment ever for want of iudgement Lamentable is such Apostasie to Antichristian Popery Mr LEECH At which simple suggestion I coulde not but smile within my selfe first to consider that whereas he had absolutely charged this doctrine to be erroneous yet nowe he could not tel whether it were true or false Secondly to obserue that the preaching of truth contained in the gospell should be a meanes to draw men from the gospell vnto Popery as he was pleased to speake ANSVVER Simple suggestion If the Cumane beast could speake more modesty and duty would bee vttered You smile like the Picture that having two faces hath his embleme over it Nos tres so you by an enterchangeable view looking on them two you smile as ill favored as they and so make three The first cause of your vnseemely smile is that which wil cause gnashing of teeth vnlesse you repent He whose wisdome and knowledge ioined togither faithfully and strongly to charge you with the error of your doctrine did hee now doubte whether it were erroneous It is a mint of forgeries and falshoode and vnworthy the invention of anie that is called Christian Your second smiling consideration was as fonde as the other was false did you preach the truth out of the Gospell Bern. sup Cant. ser 65. Evangelium apellasti ad Evāgelium ibis Hast thou appealed to the Gospell saith Bernard vnto the Gospell thou shalt go The Law is said to be the killing letter but the Gospell will bee the killing letter at the arraignement of this supposititious erroneous position Mr LEECH But perceiving him to be enkindled with the flames of passion I forboare to adde fuell vnto the fire and therefore I pretermitted the mētioning of his folies at that time Only I made this briefe answere that if some truth bee not to be preached at all times yet the Contrary vnto truth was to be preached at no time and if it be lawfull for any man to impugne it is it not lawful for me to defend it and especially when it concerneth my selfe in particular For so it did in this case the eie of the whole Vniversity being cast vpon me in this behalfe ANSVVERE Rather say But trembling and fearing to stay much lesse to speake that there is so black liuor in your paper seeing you had so white a liver at your speech I admire not much Iam. 3. seeing your fictiōs be great though your Poetry none at all You say you forbeare to adde fuell vnto the fire S. Iames saith the tongue is a fire but I finde that your pen is a fire and yet but ignis fatuus I wonder that these poysonfull and filthy calumnies fabricated in the forge of a froathy braine eate not through your paper Lubert Replic l. 1. c. 1. If you continue this railing reviling slaundring you will so envenom your booke that none will buy it as Gretzer the devills agent in slaundring villany and railing scurrility was vsed in Frisia where only one of his bookes were to bee sold which none would buy because that foule mouthed Cerberus doth so besmeare all mens reputations hee dealeth with The conceited malice in you whetted with a custome of slaunder and edged with a contagion of error hath made your tongue so keene your stile so sharp and your truth so short that you woūd whom you can What follies can the bottomlesse pit of your opē sepulchre mētiō against this Paragon of men In whose defence men and Angells stand against all clamorous railers When you say Only I made this breefe answere c. that onely is ONELY more you neither did nor could reply so You never had that advantage given you as the acknowledgemēt of one sparke of truth in that doctrine nor ever was there doubt made but truth is allowed to bee preached and that you say the eie of the Vniversity was vpon you it was only the eie of iudgement and condemnation not the eie of respect or expectation few lent you their eies fewer their eares none their beleefe Mr LEECH Thus I tooke my leaue of M. Vicechancellour hee being full of passion and I of resolution for this matter against which he declamed with many words and without any reason consorting herein with those furious Donatists of whom S. Augustin pronounceth truly Contra lit Petil. l. 2. c. 51. Quid hoc aliud est quà m nescire quid dicere tamen non posse nisi maledicere ANSVVER He was full of resolution you full of discontented turbulent passion you were glad to be gon being so beaten with the power of truth for the wordes that stroke you were full of reason faith and religion as your consciēce knoweth notwithstanding your profusd dissembling and professed railing S. Austins speech to the Donatists retorteth it selfe vpon you so full of contradiction and malediction Aust and with it I returne another speech of S. Austin Non est intuendū quà m amarum sed quà m falsum I stand not so much vpon your acerbity as to shew to the worlde how you falsifie Mr LEECH CHAP. 3. THis Magistrate intending a preposterous course against me and yet pretending a formality of iustice convented me before him in iuridicall manner vpon the vigill of S. Peter a practitioner of my doctrine Lord said he what shall we haue that haue forsaken all and followed thee ANSVVER THis faithfull deputy of his maker and Master entended no preposterous course against you His brest like the hart of a good Magistrate is the Ocean whereinto all the cares of our Academicall causes empty themselues which hee ever sendeth forth againe in a wise conveyance by the streames of iustice he hath in all the time of his goverment beene the Pay-master of good deserts and Patron of Peace it was not formality of iustice he pretended but the satisfaction of the whole Vniversity who importuned that you might be convented and censured What vaine-glorious humor riseth vp in that froth of ostentation to cause you cal S. Peter a practitioner of your doctrine He was married therefore practised no Counsell of Virginity hee continued his
that D. Hutton had inhibited me that D. Benefield whose bookes I was not worthy to carry had publikely confuted my doctrine c. with such like frivolous allegations ANSVVER Here to helpe your memory which wandreth as much as your iudgement you forget that vpō your bragge that all the Latine Church held with you D. Aglionbee asked you what was the Church and you receiving a blow where you had no ward were driven so farre out of the way as to affirme the last resolution of the Church to be not in primam veritatem but in the iudgement of men the absurdity of which position I haue dealt with in your Epistle The Vicechancellour seeing such presumptuous insolence ioined with ignorance herevpon remembred you how the inhibition by authority and the confutation of that controversie might haue staid your proceedings and added the due worth of the Doctor who had determined that point in his solemne Lecture Mr LEECH As for D. Hutton his inhibition I answered as before adding farther that I respected not his iudgement in this matter For I knew indeed that as his vnderstāding is not very deepe so his affection is not very good who in a certaine booke or rather statizing pamphlet concerning the crosse in baptisme defendeth this laudable Christian ceremony by tradition of the Church as it is witnessed by the holy Fathers and yet now in a point of greater importance expressed in Scripture taught by Fathers practised by the Saints defined by the whole Church he blushed not to accuse me nay S. Gregory himselfe of Popery in this doctrine But singular is my comfort to consider by what Iudge I am thus vsed in what cause and with what Patrone from whom our Nation first receiued her first faith for whose faith I must now forsake my nation ANSVVERE You leaue the answer of your neglect of D. Huttons gouernement and traduce his iudgement Inhibition is matter of authority not of learning why disobeyed you that command you answere but not to the purpose you respected not his iudgement Let not malice be iudge but cōsider how base infamous malitious your reproaches be his soūdnes of iudgment is approved sufficiently by the consent of our whole Vniversity And that booke which so scornfully you reproach is esteemed deservingly and is of reverend respect with the best Bishops of our Church Where the Fathers agreeing to Scripture are truly vrged and vnderstandingly interpreted both D. Hutton and all of our part with all willingnesse receiue their assertions But when Fathers are misvrged arrested and impostured by Coccius or Bellarmin and you receiue them at second hand not from the foūtaine but from the ditches we returne your party-coloured blended sentences as vnworthy of approbation because they be vsed as the Tyrant entertained his guest if to long for his bed to chop of if to short to racke them out The doctrine which you call a point of great importance expressed in Scripture taught by Fathers practised by the Saints and defined by the whole Church is not so founded as you presume to teach Scriptures no where expresse it Fathers teach it not the Saints of God haue not practised it the Church of Christ hath not defined it Therefore he only accused you of Popery but not Gregory For as formerly hath beene said D. Hutton and all any way seene in Gregories Moralls may perceiue how you foist into the Text the words Evangelicall Counsells Your comfort will proue your corrasiue your Iudge in this was God others were but his deputies the cause was religiō nay the very marrow pith of Religion and the opposition of many absurd hereticall positions Your Patron was not Gregory hee neither taught you this nor from him our Church received their first faith Neither for defending this were you cōstrained to leaue the Land you forsooke your Religion rather then your Nation Vegetius tells that in the Roman Armies Vegetius Non fugere was a speciall precept The way for you to Triumph had beene to recant and to remaine in your station not to fly Bosquiers speech is true Bonsq cont 7 the Devill is overcome by resisting but the flesh and the world by running away but you fled because you would run into the world Mr LEECH As for D. Benefield with his lecture his bookes I passed them over considering that M. Vicechancellour made excursions from the point loading me only with contumely and disgrace ANSVVER You passed him ouer because he doth so far overpasse you but he is in your bosome his Lecture lyeth heavy on your heart it is such a pang that you will not easily remoue The Vicechancellour loading you as you call it with disgrace knewe you had a back provided for a burthen If his speech seeme harsh to you you turned his tongue being turned your selfe Otherwise his tongue is the hearauld of encouragement and comfort himselfe the refuge of innocencie a Tutor to his Colledge and a father to the Clergy in his Accademicall governement Mr LEECH Wherefore not suffering him to divert mee from the maine issue Haeretici est praecepta Patrum declinare saith worthy Flavian in his first epist to LEO the great I desired him to deale punctually that is to say first to admit a triall by the Fathers or to deny it if he denied it he should be thereby sufficiently convinced Secondly if he admitted this triall then either to disproue my authorities or to approue my doctrine ANSVVER To deale punctually is so proper vnto all his discourses that all his Auditors will acknowledge this a speciall felicity in the power of his speech Your demands were preposterous in your Epistle you commit your selfe to the censure of the Church now to the triall of the Fathers no appeale at all to the Scriptures without which whatsoever is taught is like Israells building in Aegypt without stuffe no warrant for the matter they build with Mr LEECH But he not daring to make a briefe and punctuall answer to my reasonable demands fell extravagantly into a mention of the reformed Churches summoning me before their tribunall for the censuring of this doctrine ANSVVER Not daring Why continueth this Bracchadochian humor it hath long beene in the consumption it will at length spend it selfe What dareth not he that vndertakes without rashnes and performes without feare did ever your experience finde him to be a read shaken with the winde or to want the sinewes of courage and resolution No you knowe hee is ballaced with wisedome and worth able to vndertake the most resolute and vndauntedest of the contrary side in the worlde Neither in this was there the least note of extravancie as your exorbitancie of accusation doth impute for by whom should a minister of the reformed Churches bee censured but by the power iudgement of the reformed Churches Mr LEECH Which course of proceeding I vtterly disclaimed as vnequall because the later Church is not to iudge the former but contrarily the former
falsified Mr LEECH Thus the assēbly was dissolued I putting M. Vicechancellour in minde of the Articles which he formerly promised and bade me now to expect within two or three daies tooke my leaue for that time ANSVVER What prostituted cōscience would so persevere in falsity This must not passe vnconfronted Articles were not promised you It is more then improbable that such experienced discreation and expert resolution should first condemne and sentence and after giue the reason It is neither the custome nor commendation of Iuridicall proceedings His wisdome prevented you in this scandall and told you before many that you most falsly did bely him all may perceiue your spiting spleene to break out in revenge which revenge that you seeke to wreake vpon others will without repentance proue vengeance to your selfe Mr LEECH And now courteous Reader since thou hast seene the proceedings of these mē consider with me whether I haue not iust cause to complaine against them as S. Augustine complained long before against the Donatistical faction Fecerunt quod voluerunt tunc in illâ caecitate Non Iudices sederunt non Sacerdotes de more Quod solent in magnis causis congregati judicare Non accusator reus steterunt in quaestione Non testes documētū quo possent crimē probare Sed Furor Dolus Tumultus qui regnant in falsitate Wherfore I conclude this whole passage with the burthē of that excellent Psalme Omnes qui gaudetis de pace modò verum judicate ANSVVER Consider Christian reader duly ponderat whether a malignant adversary or a repugnāt Controversiary may more truely be portraied then these antecedent proceedings of M. Leech haue most liuely deciphered Malice hath strengthned error error begot heresie and this last brought forth Apostasie The virulence of speech is much in the former chapters Prolog ad 1. sentent the accusation in this Paragraph is the summe of all Lombard well noteth that in such cases fidei defectionem sequitur hypocrisis mendax And I feare me this will proue a remaining disease in the bowels not only of this Triumphant Pamphlet but of any thing that shall come from the same Author It is absurd you should so vnfitly and rudely apply S. Austins verses Fury Deceit and Tumult are the vpholders only of Heretikes And as good Physick misapplied is but poison so good Authorities misvsed though they keep the sense yet loose their reason To your verses so rudely applied in prose we returne S. Chrysostome his speech vpon Genesis Chrysost in Gen. hom 5. Quocirca divinae Scripturae vestigia sequamur neque feramus eos qui temerè quidvis blaterant and this shall bee the resolution of vs to follow the steppes of holy Scripture and not to endure those that rashly babble every thing And if this prose serue not wee returne part of the same Psalme of Austin contra Partem Donati Sacerdotes transmarini possent inde iudicare Quid curritis ad schisma altare contra altare Vt quod postea iudicatum est iam non possetis audire Et à iudicibus vestris cogeremini appellare Dum vultis erroris regnum quoquo modo confirmare You may abuse and accuse your iudges seeing like to the Donatists you appeale from them The clause and aphorisme of the song of S. Austin we receiue and honor our Saviour is the Prince of peace our Gospell the Gospell of peace we are the children of peace and the end of our beleefe is the peace of God that passeth all vnderstanding CHAP. 4. Mr LEECH VVHen S. Paul had appealed vnto the tribunall of Caesar Festus the deputy thought it an vnreasonable thing to send a prisoner vnto his Lord and not to signifie the cause For thus the light of nature could teach an Heathen that in discretiō and in iustice no man should be called into question without a pretence at the least of some speciall crime But see now a Christian Magistrate inferiour vnto an heathen in this behalfe who did not only convent but cōdemne me and never signified the cause which yet could be none other 1. Cor. 7.25 then that which concerned S. Paul himselfe Consilium do c. ANSVVER To whom appealed you whether were you sent Prisoner An idle and dull comparisō And to vse your owne wordes if but the light of nature had taught you any thing your comparison had not beene so rude nor your senses so duld as not to remember what was obiected not as a pretence but as a generall scandall offred not only against authority and the Vniversity but against the law and the truth of God For which you were often convented threatned inhibited now censured Was not the cause signified by Doctor Hutton by the Vicechancelor in your censure and by all that were assistants and dare you say the cause was never signified Was it so and do you deny it Do you deny it in one line in the next say it could be no other then that which concerned S. Paule himselfe Consilium Do wheras it is manifest S. Paul hath not the word Consilium By this you cōfesse the cause of the censure though we deny that ever S. Paul was the cause of your doctrine Mr LEECH Howbeit if he had dealt with me according to the law sparke of sinne he would answer him as he answereth you Avoide Sathan I will worship the Lord my God I abhorre the name of periury I will never sweare but in truth and iudgement and iustice And for that which followeth in this poisōful Paragraph I say that which S. Ierome in the like case counselleth Ierom. prol super Mat. if Shemei barke and snarle at thee contumelious wordes are to bee regarded only as the barking of Dogs And I ende this with the speech of Seneca Men speake evil of him but evil men If Marcus Cato if wise Lelius if Scipio should so speake it would grieue him but when professed slaunderers branded with the indelible marke of falshood and pursued with the fury of feare taught by error tempted by Sathan replenished with vnrighteousnesse and malitiousnesse let it no way grieue goodnesse it selfe Mr LEECH When I perceiued what small conscience he made either of faith in his promise or of equity in his proceedings I desired him with many earnest obtestations that it woulde please him at the least to signifie vnto me now by worde of mouth expresly what that point is for which he had thus punished me to my disgrace and losse And this fauor I hūbly requested at his hands asmuch for the generall as my owne particular satisfaction For many saw the punishment but could not know the cause ANSVVER Is there extant in the worlds greatest volume of history example of such dulnesse and senselesse apprehēsion that when the cause had been ingeminated yea tergeminated so often mentioned yea so often exprobrated and censured that yet you should pleade that you knew not the cause And that without
the third in the Lateran Councell within these 400 yeeres that the Councell of Trent proposed Images not only to be worshipped Pol. Virg lib. 6 c. 13. de inventi which as Polydor confesseth all the Fathers condemned but it also inioined men to yeeld them divine honour These and infinit more alterations in religion falling from God truth falling from them doe shew that the name of their opinions deserueth not a Catholique title but is meere Popery You lay for your ground that it is probable only that Popery truly conceiued is the very Catholique faith yet notwithstanding you conclude for your finall resolution that Popery is the necessary consequent vpon the true grounds of divinity Can this stand together that Popery dependeth necessarily vpon the grounds of divinity and yet it is but probable that it is the Catholike faith This your third vnconsiderat consideration is my absolute resolution that either the Catholike faith is not a necessary cōsequent as the grounds of divinitie which is absurd to thinke or Popery is not the Catholique faith which I verily beleeue and haue proued by many testimonies Mr LEECH The fourth Motiue The Protestants subvert the truest meanes of piety and perfection PErfection is not absolute in this life but graduall that is to say men are perfit in a degree some more some lesse according to their cooperatiō with divine grace To which ende and purpose there are Consilia perfectionis Counsailes of perfection as Virginity Pouerty c. which remoouing the impediments of perfection are excellent meanes to conduct vs therevnto in as much as they withdraw vs from the loue of the flesh and of the world which are our capitall enemies assaulting vs with their continuall delights and pleasures But the Protestants being in the number of them of whom the Apostles by prophetick spirit spake long before that they would not suffer wholsome doctrine renounce the advise of their Saviour qui potest capere capiat they reiect the monition of S. Paul consilium do they cast behinde thē the common iudgement of ancient Fathers in this point And whereas themselues are now caried away with the evill current of this worst age they feare not not only to disclaime the Fathers but irreligiously to slander them D. Benefield in his lecture as as men bewitched with the errors of their time Hence it is that the plausibilitie of the fift gospell seeketh not to cast any raines vpon the fervour of nature but yeeldeth passage rather and helpe vnto her precipitate course S Paul was of a contrary opinion witnesse his owne words castigo corpus c. Antiquity was of another disposition witnesse S. Hierom in his epistle vnto Pope Damasus and vnto the virgin Eustochium Witnesse S. Gregory Nazianzen in his funerall oration vpon S. Basill witnesse the whole quire of ancient Church Carnem legibus fraenavit which with a sweet heauenly harmony aswell in practise as in doctrine hath commēded vnto vs the restraint of lawfull things with a singular austerity of life These things being wholly opposite vnto the delicacy of Luthers spirit are reputed Popish by him and by his carnall sectaries whose single faith not clogged with the burthen of pious workes can more easily mount vnto heauen Thus are they lulled a sleepe in the cradle of security dreaming of a victory without any striving at all If this be the way vnto happinesse the Way it selfe hath misled vs our guides haue seduced vs our teachers haue misinformed vs the austerity of so many Saints registred in the canon of Gods word and recorded in the Calender of the Church hath beene practised in vaine and the late gospell is more profitable then the former But whether I may rely more safely vpon the first or last I remit me vnto the consideration of any man that hath the sense of true piety lodged in his breast ANSVVER PErfection wee teach thus All true beleevers haue a state of perfection in this life and that this perfection hath two parts first the imputation of Christs perfect obedience which is the ground and fountaine of all our perfection whatsoever Secondly sincerity or vprightnesse And this standeth in two things first in the acknowledging of our imperfection and vnworthinesse in respect of our selues secondly in a constant purpose endeavor and care to keepe the commandements of God So farre are we from perverting the true meanes of perfection as hath beene often answered needeth no more to be answered but that your odious Tautology doth expect some kind of answer We refuse not that which is called by the Apostle wholsome docrine but that which the same spirit hath called Doctrinam Daemoniorum Doctrine of Devills the texts of Scripture are often and fully satisfied and the Fathers plainely and truly interpreted so that it is most contrary to our practise to disclaime the Fathers to slander them as you slander vs But especially seeing herein you cast this imputation on D. Benefield his Lecture see his answer Praefatione ad Academicos Oxonienses § 4. ad 7. where how vntruly you taxe him and how vnworthily the Papists haue dealt with the Fathers may appeare How many points of the Popish Religion doe directly tend to subversion of pieety to maintenance of sinne and liberty of life Haue not they variety of dispensations for any sinne licēces for all things vnlawful and as if Popery consisted but of this triplicity impudence ignorance and indulgence it is maintained they may beleeue as the Church beleeveth never need to learne what the Church holdeth they may iustifie the allowance of Stewes for a common wealth so Harding teacheth Hard. confut Apol. p. 161. they professe that Papists are discharged of all bond of allegeance towards Princes if they be not of the same religion so the Iesuits hold they professe that debtors may except against their creditors choose whether they pay them if they be not of the same Religion Ovand 4. d. 13 Sam Ang. p. 101. nu 15. Caiet 22 ae p. 144. Greg. de val Tom 3. pag. 1090. so Ovandus professeth that prisoners may breake iaile as Caietan averreth that Children may marry without consent of their Parents as Gregory de valentia maintaineth that the Sabaoth may be broken obedience neglected an oath infringed murther iustified and what not Your fifte Gospell wee are not to bee taxed with we only acknowledg the 4 rivers of that Paradise of God The fift was the worke of a monk of your own of the same stamp with Alcoranum Frāsciscanum and our Ladies Psalter all manner of blasphemies abound in both You vrge S. Paul his castigo corpus doth not every true Christian seeke to practise this among vs letting blood in the swelling veines of pride launcing the impostume of greedy desires quenching the fire of filthy lusts and all the firy darts of the Devill Saint Hieroral whom you vrge did worthilie practise this I confesse and had that good father not
the 50. Paragraph of his way to the true Church doth proue And that we haue had the assistance of Councels in al ages to make laws against such positions witnesse the Greek Church against Bonif. his Supremacie the 6. generall Councell decreeing the marriage of Priests the generall Councell of Constantinople vnder Leo Isamus against Images the Councell of Constantinople vnder Constantine Capronymus of Franckford vnder Charles the great the second Nicene Councel and many others This doctrin of yours was repugned by doctrinall and legall authority and without reiecting of the fathers we reiected your Doctrines we maintaine that they never received it with Arrians or Donatists wee reiect not the fathers All that shall see the premises will witnesse that you were dealt with legally according to the statuts of our Vniuersity for the breach of that order which inhibited you to forbeare preaching this doctrine againe as also you were censured Canonically for infrindging that Canon made against the publicke oppositions of Preachers Your Pope Syricius and his Councell taxe no position that we hold if Ambrose had any more then what Doctor Benefield hath fully satisfied you had before this produced it Sathan was at your elbow when you wrote that hereticall imputation of singular pride and therefore you are culpable of iudgement if not of further punishment Stand to your promise come backe confesse repent retract if you be not convinced by truth which stirreth in your conscience and moaneth that you haue so repressed her then for ever forget the name of any thing but Hereticke Otherwise this shall be my 11. Motiue to abhorre that Religion that doeth so possesse any that they grow resolute in evill actiōs peremptory in talking fastidious in hearing hard-harted in obeying hypocriticall in professing the worde of God Mr LEECH The twelfth Motiue The superiour Magistrates amongst the Protestants concurre with their subordinates to suppresse the truth and to oppresse the patrones thereof against all equity and conscience Though there be a very neere connexion betwixt the superiour and inferiour Magistrate yet since all Magistracie is ordained for the conservation of truth and iustice aswell in the Church as in the common wealth nay much more in the first then in the second it is very requisite that the superiour shoulde yeelde redresse where the inferior hath done a wrong and that rather respecting the cause then the persons hee should minister equity vnto both with an impartill hand For which consideration when my petty iudges had oppressed me according to their owne humours and passions I appealed vnto my Lord of Canterbury his Grace in regard of his Academicall soveraignty over me and them being our honourable Chancellour and much more in respect of his Archiepiscopall dignity he being the Primat of our Church perswading my felfe also that as he is more high in place so he would haue beene more equal in iustice and specially in this cause since his Grace hath sufficientlie manifested himselfe and hath beene so generally reputed to be averse from Calvinisme Tempora mutantur nos mutamur in illis and my hope was that his present place had not changed his former vnderstanding To whom though I truely vnfolded the whole businesse and acquainted him with all circumstances therevnto belonging yet his Grace seeming to favour Calvins opinion but how conscionably it shall bee now referred vnto the iudge of all the world and he will reveale it in the appointed time put me of with continuall delaies But his Grace had iust reason to expect a strong resolution in me since I did appeale vnto him to doe me iustice only and much more to giue his verdict vpon the doctrine it selfe For otherwaies no favour nor benefit whatsoever could yeeld contentment vnto my greived soule I leaue it vnto others to consider how his Grace standeth affected vnto truth as for me I trust that I haue given a sufficient demonstration on my part that I would rather loose my liberty of speech then that shee should want my vttermost defence Here the indifferent Reader may also conceiue with me that if my doctrine had beene liable vnto a iust censure then surely his Grace would haue made no stay to cōdemne it in solemne manner especially since it was so publiquely taught so earnestly defended by me and since I did now entirely desire him to doe me iustice without any fauour But since this Doctrine was not subiect vnto his condemnation why then had his Grace so little reverence vnto the eternall truth of God and so smale respect of mee that he would suffer it to bee so indignely censured by his vicegerent and leaue me helplesse from such iniurious oppression his pretenses to the contrary if he haue any are nothing but smoaky euaporations I am nothing and worse then nothing But I pleaded for iustice In what In a point of faith When being violently oppressed Before whom my most proper iudge to whom the decision of these things doth most fitly appertaine For what ende the honour of God and his gospells sake which I truely delivered and for which I was shamefully intreated ANSVVER THis 12 and last motiue serveth rather to fill the number then the matter wherin is a Rhapsodie of insolent indiscretion and malapart irreligion wronging the living memorie of a dead monument of most honorable and reverend estimation the late worthie Chancellour of this Vniversitie who beeing appointed for the conservation of truth and iustice did iustifie the proceedinges of his worthie and onlie Vicechancellour and therfore you call in question his Truth first and then his Iustice For any aversenes in him frō Calvinisme by which you mean the Protestants religion it is to say no more of it a biting slander vnfit to proceede from the mouth of a Minister In another man it is a double sinne against his owne soule and doth proue him guilty not only of malitious slander to revile the innocent but of impudent and infamous libelling to dishonor the name of a personage so truely reverend But in a Minister it is not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Philo speaketh not a twofold but a manifold offence bad in intent in act in example in consequence c. His workes follow him his iudgement proved him to be sound by his preferment of those that were sound by his government repressing the opinions censuring the Authors of any positions vnsound by his deere and neere respect of those that he foresaw were like to stand in the gap couragiously and victoriously against the Popish Philistims Truth hath lost a defender and the Church a father the one he maintained by precepts and constitutions the other he defended not only with praiers petitions but as Paul spake cū lachrymis suspirijs with sighes lamentations to see howe the venomous Gangren of Atheisme doth infect this age some flying frō the religion of the church others stealing from the possession of our Church thereby incurring that curse