that you haue punished me for teaching the contrary assertion ANSVVERE Your second demand was out of all course of reason or sense Was it not knowne to al that you were censured for preaching such Evangelicall Counsells of perfection whereby a man might doe more then the law required yea more then man need to haue performed was not your convention now and inhibition before censure at last sufficient witnes to all the world what you delivered why you were censured c. Nay was not this yea more then this your request offred you viz. that you should if you durst hold your position in the divinity Chappell in Christ church and in forme of a Respondent answere the Vicechancellour promising to appoint fiue paires of Masters to oppose you which you knewe had easily beene performed in that honourable and fruitful Colledge This you refused and thereby shewd that you had not an originall state but a Traditionall insight in this question This you durst not and therefore you required the subscription to make way to some threatning opposition That as the Poet speaketh Pede pes cuspide cuspis so now you hoped there might haue bin another kinde of digladiation pen against pen and hands against hands which you never could haue obtained Mr LEECH This request D. King not only denied but also exclaimed against me for making this petition And no marvell for he that durst never throughout this whole proceeding formally and by expresse mention condemne Evangelicall Counsells how could hee yeeld vnto any such subscription whereby he and the rest might haue remained Heretiques vpon their owne record ANSVVER You neglected the reverence you did owe to his government and detected the wilfull weaknesse of your owne iudgement to require it No such course vsuall in any Iuridicall proceedings And for your vile slaunder that the Vicechancelour durst not condemne Evangelicall Counsells it is impudent He did in the proceedings often rebuke and confute your maner of handling that point not denying but that a nominall distinction of counsells was sometimes vsed but he expresly condemned such Counsells as you preached being of another kinde then S. Austin dâ—livereth with the rest of the Fathers and Wickliffe whom you vrge who all maintaine each Counsell to be a commande for some time and some circuÌ„stance Which sentence and iudgement how you oppugned in your sermons may be seene where till you recant you remaine an Heretique vpoÌ„ your own record I vse your owne wordes Mr LEECH The conclusion of all was this M. Vicechancellour beating me downe with the blow of authority hauing no other meanes to convince me pronounced his definitiue sentence against mee which I will here relate word for word as neere as I could possibly beare it away ANSVVER You were beaten downe as you truly say by authority but more theÌ„ by humane by diuine You were driveÌ„ by Scripture to refuse scripture to be your iudg beateÌ„ by the censure of the Church that you deny to be censured by the Church convicted for stubborne impudence for preaching that doctrine which was inhibited you wheÌ„ you were countermanded it You were convinced for ignorance in that you produced witnesses that you knewe not and vrged Greeke Fathers that you read not And this conviction was not only by the blow of authority but by such a blow from heauen as Paul in the Acts was stroken Scripture Church Fathers Acts. 9. and all arguments of power did agree to this deiection of you and your cause and to the censure that ensueth Mr LEECH M. Leech for preaching scandalous and erroneous doctrine Doctrine as you well knowe stifly defended by the Church of Rome and wherevpon many absurdities doe follow I doe first as Vicechancellour silence you from preaching Secondly as Deane of this house I suspend you from your commons and function here for the space of twelue moneths This is my sentence and before these my associates I require you to take notice thereof ANSVVERE Here is the Act the manner of the Act the reason of the Act or censure The sentence was deliberat and guided with ripe wisdome the hand of Iustice in him was slower then the tongue For besides your heresie in the deliverie there was contumacie in you for presuming so to preach forbidden by Authority and yet was this censure easie by many wished to bee more by all marvailed at that it was no more For as the times increase in daunger so the rigor should increase in discipline But the manner of this censure was milde it passed no farther then losse of commons for a time this was within the walles of the Colledge and silence for preaching within the precincts of Oxford and this within the limits of the Vniversity This was no eiection expulsion out of Colledge and Vniuersity It had been worse by infinite degrees had you beene sent to London And the reason of all this was first intimated for your scandalous erroneous doctrine a doctrine stifly defended by the church of Rome inducing many absurdities I will vse an honourable speech of that most noble CouÌ„sellor at the arraignement of Garnet Earle of NorthamptoÌ„ fit to be bestowed vpon you Currat lex viuat Rex vincat veritas The marginall scurrile Note which you borrowed from some more witty but as wicked pate as your owne I coulde returne as a dart to your very soule but I forbeare because all reproach and contumelies against this worthy do breake themselues as waues shattered in peeces by the force of a rocke Mr LEECH Which sentence though it were tyrannicall and vniust yet it no waies discouraged me but rather confirmed me in my opinion Wherefore I protested the doctrine againe more resolutely then before wishing M. Vicechancellor and his assistaÌ„ts to vnderstande thus much from me First that I held the doctrine with asmuch nay more confidence then ever I did Secondly that I farther concluded the invincibility of the point out of the manner of their proceedings whereat they were driven into the extremity of fury and passion ANSVVER This vvas a greate degree of the hardnesse of your hart and it is manifest that you apprehended this as a pretence of your revolt The Vicechancelour was vrged to this doome which as it was impartiall so was it no way Tyrannicall had it been any other it had bin mercifull iniustice You should haue acknowledged the Truths victory given some signe of humility modesty and reverence to authority You say you were hereby confirmed CoÌ„firmed you were in your flight not in your faith And in your boast that you so againe protested the doctrine if it had beene so you shewed more boldnes then goodnes and the Truth had lost lesse then you gained but it was not so you did not you durst not contest so vmbragiously as you protest here My obseruation through your whole book holdeth true where you bragge most you faine most where you paint your speech there it is most corrupted and
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
bono pudicitiae Virginity an Angelicall gift exceedeth matrimony as much as an Angell excelleth a man Damas l. 4. Orthodoxae fidei cap. 25. Vide Cypr. de nativitate Christi Hieron lib. 1. contra Iovinian Angelicall Chastity Evangelicall Counsailes of perfection I haue not hammered them vpon any anvile in the forge of my owne braine but rather borrow them from Orthodox Antiquity ANSVVER It is no doubt that you forged not these tearmes for this mysterie of iniquity though it be but novelty hath beene more ancient then you You quote places in the Margent the first out of Cyprian de bono pudicitiae a booke much doubted of to be his as Reverend Mr t Perkins in his problem Perkins in his Probleme proveth and the other out of Damascene and Cyprian de Nativitate S. Hierome contra Iovinianum For that booke of Cyprian de Nativitate it is not only doubted of but denied by the u Cent. 3. cap. 10. p. 245. Magdeburgenses * In edit Bas apud Froben 1520. Erasmus x Medul Patrum com 1. lib. 24. p. 37. Scultetus by your owne y In argumeÌ„t lib. de Card. operibê° Christi Iacobus Pamelius z Biblioth sanctae lib. 4. de falsa librorum inscriptione Sixtus Senensis a In appar sacr voce Cyprianus Antonius Possevinus and b De amist grat stat pec lib 6. c. 2. Bellarmin But suppose it were Cyprians that those other Fathers did speake so largely of virginity yet you know that by their Hyperbolicall praising of it they almost made an Idoll of it And therefore the Iesuit c Acosta lib. 2. de virginitate c. 18. Acosta coÌ„fesseth concerning S. Hierome Dum oppugnatores virginitatis insectans videtur aliquando matrimonio iniquior They thought it the fittest kinde of life for those times because of the imminent daunger of persecution but c Espen com in 1. Tim. 3. Espencaeus denyeth not nay absolutly affirmeth that in these times a man may marrie yet his marriage no hinderaÌ„ce to his desire of a more perfect life Nuptiae licèt plurimum difficultatis habent sic tamen assumi possunt vt vitae perfectiori impedimento non sint Mr LEECH Against this he replyed that if I preached any erroneous doctrine out of S. Gregory such as this must needes be then both the defence of the doctrine and Author himselfe would be required at my hands For said hee cannot Gregory haue his errours but you must broach theÌ„ here to infect this place with POPERY ANSVVER He required with much wisedome but that which was reason If it be the Apostles rule that every one must be able to giue accompt of the hope that is in him then much more a Preacher to giue accompte of his doctrine And that Gregory is thought to hold some points erroneous I doubt not but your Ghostly Fathers will enioine you to beleeue For besides that many errors are imputed to the Fathers by d Biblioth sanct l. 5. c. 6. Sixtus Senensis e Biblioth select lib. 12. c. 23. p. 53. Possevine and f Mel. Can. lib. 7. de loc Theol. l. 4. c. 6. obs 2. p. 558 Melchior Canus Gregorie in particular is reiected by a g Tumul tuaria Apol. pro dispens matrim Henri fol. 46. § de Noverca Champion of your own in Apologia Tumultuaria wherein the Author thus basely disclaimeth Gregories iudgement Gregorius hîc non est audiendus neque quantum ad ius naturae neque quaÌ„tum ad honestatem Gregory here is not to be heard nether as concerning the right of nature nor honestie And before giveth the reason Apol. Tumul Scripturas obtorto collo ad suum institutum pertrahit for with a wrested necke he draweth the Scripture to his owne purpose And Hart in his conference with Doctor Rainolds Conference betweeene Doctor Rainolds and Hart. pag. 386. line 21. Gregory did mistake the words of Scripture doeth scornefully reiect the opinion of Gregory and therefore it was not so vnfitly said that Gregory had his errours The Church of Rome denyeth him in manie things as will appeare and h Durand l. 4. sent dist 7. q. 4. Durand concludeth Gregorius quum fuerit homo non Deus potuit errare And therefore D. Hutton spake truely Gregory hath his errours Mr LEECH This was the accompt that the culinariaÌ„ Doctor made of S. Gregory the great one of the holyest Ildephons de viris illustribus ca. 2. Isidore de viris illustribus cap. 2. Vide Greg. Turon lib. 20. histor de laudibus Gregorii learnedst doctours that ever breathed in the Catholique Church excelling S. Antony in holinesse S. Cyprian in eloquence S. Augustin in wisdome full of compunction humilitie the grace and feare of God indued with such light of knowledge that not any of the present time was equall vnto no nor of the former to whose morall exposition of scripture all the doctours giue place that in the iudgment of a generall councell ANSVVER C ham in Noahs family or Dathan in Moses Policie coulde not haue vented out more loathsome vnseemely speeches then this your Culinarian Title of him whom you were bound to not only for the participation of Gods blessings to you in his learning wisedome governement but especially for his worthy care and loue to you beeing a speciall meanes to bring you into that Colledge Of God the Psalmist testifieth that he setteth vp one and putteth downe another but that you shoulde so presume to extoll one Doctor and disgrace another I do beleeue you vvill much blame your selfe vpon due examination Your scoffing at Doctor Hutton is senselesse and gracelesse the most learned reverend and ancient here will testifie against your greasie scoffe that his young yeeres were beautified with al kinde of learning in which he was eminent his middle yeeres with all ingenuity in iudgement his reverend yeeres with great wisdome in government Therefore forbeare scornes Concerning S. Gregorie we are willing to giue him whatsoever he deserveth but it is very Hyperbolicall and vndiscreet in you to affirme that none of the latter should be like him none of the former Comparisons are ever odious and dangerous And yet we could be coÌ„tent to afford S. Gregory that attribute of greatnesse which AlexaÌ„der had in Greece Pompey in Rome Arsaces in Parthia Euseb and Charles in France but to giue him so many Titles as Eusebius records that Galerius had PoÌ„tifex Maximus Thebaicus Maximus Sarmaticus Maximus Quinquies Persarum Maximus c the greatest Bishop greatest in Thebes greatest in Sarmatia in Persia fiue times greatest greatest in Germany greatest in Aegypt to giue so many titles of greatnesse to your Gregory is to make him a monster That hee should exceede S. Anthony S. Cyprian S. Austin all that know their storie will deny Anthony not worthy to be coÌ„pared with Austine nor Gregory with Cyprian or Austin for
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
tranquillitas Though you thought the storme calmed yet it was no otherwise then that the expectation of our most worthy Vicechācellors cōming home staid it to whō by preuention anticipation you made repaire to repaire your weather-beaten credit and you say to do your duty which you had neglected to his deputy But why feared you sōe sinister impressiō in him who like that noble Emperour in all causes kept an eare as well for defendant as plaintiffe I coniecture the cause cōscience was the Notary Register Remembrauncer of an offence and will proue the sting and scourge for the offence Conscience at this your first appearing made you inwardly cry guilty Mr LEECH Assone as he beheld me he brake forth into this passionate declamation Sir would you haue a worde with me In verie good time I haue many words to speak with you for the shamefull rumor of your doctrine hath filled my eares wheresoever I came in London in Lambeth or else where your doctrine was stil laid in my dish yea I haue beene charged by divers to my face for tolerating such scandalous and erroneous doctrine freelie and openly to be preached in this Vniversitie ANSVVER His passion was no other then that which should be the proper passion of every true hearted Christian He was with Elias iealous for the Lord of hoasts 1. King 19.14 2. Cor. 11.2 and as S. Paul was iealous with a godly iealousie so was hee passionate with a religious holy Passion It concerned him in a double respect as a provident Vicechancellour of the Vniversity to see that the Lords ground receiue no tares as the diligent Governour of that honourable Colledge to see that the envious man liue not in his house that would sow these tares His burden of this double labour requireth a double ardor and without doubt it will receiue a double honour The speech hee vsed to you was the living representation of himselfe full of courage wisdome truth and honourable spirit and therefore I may returne Martiall his Apostrophe vpon you Sed malè dum recitas incipit esse tuū His sweet speech hath lost much by running through your Channell Occasion of much griefe it was to him to heare that vnder his Collegiat regiment any one should presume to teach that which was scandalous most erroneous doctrine And what freedome the world vseth in taxing Governors as guilty of connivency to some vnrulie Heretoclits vnder their authority Seperatists and Papists like Herod Pilat in their daily invectiues do testifie Mr LEECH To whom returning my answere in dutifull sort I protested first that I came not to insinuate with him nor to divert any course of iustice Secondly I know the doctrine to be founded vpon such invincible proofes and reasons that it will stand impregnable against all assaults whatsoever For demonstration whereof I presented the aforesaid testimonies vnto him and desired him to take a diligent review of the places alleaged in that schedule ANSVVER Your dutifull answere was vndutifull in that first you came not to craue his favourable interpretation and thereby in submission to haue committed your selfe and cause vnto his worthy iudgement as being in a double respect vnder his government secondly you might haue remembred to speake truth in this your answer for you presented no such Testimony of Fathers as you report here nor collected any authorities out of them at all When you were Collector for the poore proofes that you produce it seemeth you were Collector for the high waies also you gathered that rubbish out of Bellarmine and Coccius Ierem. 6.16 not out of the old waie as the Prophet calleth them Mr LEECH Whervpon he contemptuously entwited me saying go go you are a foole an asse c whē you preach here is nothing but Leo Leech and al the Fathers A proverbe which he had borrowed from some braynsicke Puritans and prophane scoffers ANSVVER Reproofes be as necessary Purgations you knowe how lawful it is according to the proverb to affirme Schapha est Schapha as also that it is helde true in Physicke Morality and Diuinity varium poscit remediū diversa qualitas passionum Ioh. 4.7 Acts. 7.51 Iohn Baptist to the Pharisies crieth out O ye generations of vipers Stephen to the Iewes O yee stiffe necked and of vncircumcised hearts eares Peter to Ananias Why hath Sathā so filled thy hart Acts. 5.3 Acts. 13.10 that thou shouldest lie vnto the holy Ghost and Paul to Elymas vseth no other language but this O ful of al subtilty and of all mischiefe the child of the divell and enemy of all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervert the straight waies of the Lord Such reproofes even to the dividing asunder the bones and the marrowe haue beene vsed frequently and necessarily But the wisdome of the reverend Vicechancellor forbare any such words as you impute here to him therefore in being the false relator you are become the author of these titles you giue your selfe The Title of Leo Leech was so commonly growne to a Proverb of you as that you grew prowd of it but without reason for you know how the creature was dealt with that strouted in the Lyons skin But this title of Leo Leech was not named then but deferred till your finall Censure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is your disease your Title of brainsicke Puritanes is spleneticall if not Phreneticall Wee are all free from the note of that Schisme we professe no transcendencie every man hath subscribed and willingly acknowledged the most auspitious and gracious goverment by the Religion professed and for ever to be avowed in our Church Forbeare then this tongue murthering and malignant slandering Mr LEECH Which contumely I repelled with few words and digested it with patience assuring him that Leech with one Leo woulde bee too hard for any man that impugned this doctrine ANSVVER Why should you boast of Leo when you had neither strength nor hony from this Lyon Leo is none of your Iury you haue no Counsaile from him Looke over your Catalogue you finde him not there and looke into your conscience and you wil finde that you made no mention of him here though you be false in opinion yet continue not in everie paragraph to be false in relation Mr LEECH And truely I could not but marvaile that hee who in his lectures vpon Ionah hath made a copious defence of the holy Fathers and approved the vse of their testimonies in publique sermons should now so vehemētly except against me and so meanely esteeme of them But such is the condition of these men that they will accept and reiect the Fathers at their owne pleasures as winde weather go ANSVVER That our worthy Vicechancellor was no Antipater may be plainely seene by his most exquisite apology for the vse of those great Fathers and Doctours of the Church who derived their streames of divine knoweledge from the Scriptures and from whose Lampes all Christendome haue
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
Andradius so who teacheth that the Fathers doe in many places not expound the Scriptures according to the literal sense the only which hath power to proue points of faith and that when they seeke the literall sense they doe not alwaies finde them but giue diuers senses one vnlike another therfore we may forsake their senses all and bring a new vnlike to theirs Now dare you curse Caietan and Andradius Andrad desens fid Trid. lib. 2. and bestow that epithet vpon these that you doe on Luther I knowe you dare not But as in others so in you Tullies observation is remarkable Tully that bad Orators insteed of reasons vse exclamations The reason why Luther is so much vilefied among you Erasmus gaue long since Chronic. Carion Auct a Melanthon lib. 5. when being asked by Frederick Duke of Saxony what hee thought of Luther so earnestly seeking reformation Erasmus answered as Carion records it that Luther had committed two great errors one was that hee touched too neere the Crown of the Pope another that he purged too much the belly of the Monks But the name of Luther shall remain among the posterities for euer and howsoever Hell and Papists haue endeavoured to transferre vpō the cause personall weaknesse most falsly imputed vnto him yet that Epitaph of his framed by Reverend Beza shall be monumentum aere perennius Beza in Epitaphijs Roma orbem domuit Romam sibi Papa subegit Viribus illa suis fraudibus iste suis Quanto isti maior Lutherus maior illa Istum illúmque vno qui domuit calamo The last part of this Paragraph vrgeth Flavianus to which speech we most willingly agree The determinations of the Fathers are not to be changed when their rule is consonant to Scripture but we deny that the generall consent of the Fathers ever helde this point for many of them whom you vrge haue not as in your proofes it is plaine so much as the distinction or any word of Counsaile And againe if by the misinterpretation of that place of S. Paule some of the Fathers read the place so yet the Greeke Fathers haue not any word of Counsels D. Benefield his Appendix pag. 186. in all their workes as Doctor Benefield in his Appendix witnesseth Mr LEECH And therfore to exemplifie further vpon this ground and to raise the particuler building vpon this general foūdatiō I would but aske what meant S. Cyprian that ancient famous martyr in his tract de Nativitate Christi sectione 10. penultima and S. Gregory that worthie pillar of the latine Church in his 26. booke on Iob to stile these consilia perfectionis Counsailes of perfection if there be no Counsailes Secondly what meant Theodoret Primasius Sedulius Haymo Theophylact Ambrose Augustine Hierome Gregory Basill Chrysostome Beda Lyra Aquinas Anselmus with all antiquity greeke and latine Church so to expound that place of S. Paul 1. Cor. 7.25 ANSVVER Suffragia potiùs sunt pendenda quà m numeranda voices and authorities are rather to be weighed thē to be numbred Cyprian or Gregory haue no worde of Counsailes The booke falsely ascribed to Cyprian is denied to be his by Pamelius Bellarmine Possevine many others of your owne as hath beene proved the ancient manuscript thereof in the library of All-soules Colledge here in Oxford entitleth Arnolde an abbat to be the Author of it For Gregory as I haue many times cited so do I now againe if in that place so often quoted viz. the 26. booke 24. 25. Chapters you finde the word Counsaile I will surcease to answere begin to beleeue you It is an easie businesse in you to faine the distinction of Counsels to be in Gregory seeing that the Vaticane Cyclopses haue foisted 168. Epistles into him besides infinite corruptions and contradictions as will shortly appeare by the exact and laborious endeavours of that liuing Library Mr Thomas Iames the indefatigable and carefull President of that businesse and the diligent assistance of many some whereof are the choisest most eminent in all our Vniversity The Fathers that you muster togither out of ranke I reverence yet what Austin in his 19. Epistle said in such another case that I hold good For all these Austin in Ep. 19. and aboue all these we haue the Apostle Paul saith he Though some of these Fathers do so read according to the translation formerly cōdemned yet habemus Apostolū Paulum we haue Paule to witnesse the contrary in his owne word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was but his advise or sentence not counsell Mr LEECH Thirdly what meant S. Hierome ad Eustochium and against that Epicurean Heretique Iovinian one of the first impugners of this Doctrine S. Ambrose in the tenth booke of his Epistles the 82. ad Vercellensem Ecclesiam in his tract de viduis propè finem S. Augustine in his 61. sermon de tempore his 18. tract de verbis Apostoli chapter the 21. his 2. booke of Evangelicall questions chapter the 19. and in his Enchiridion ad Laurentium chapter 121. Origen vpon the 15. to the Rom. S. Basill de vera virginitate S. Chrysostome in his 8. Homilie de poenitentia Nazianzen in his 3. oration which is the first invectiue against Iulian and many others The time would faile mee if I shoulde reckon vp all And therefore to close vp all in a word what meant all antiquity greeke and latine fathers so to distinguish betwixt precepts and Counsailes if there bee no Counsailes ANSVVER Lubertus truely observeth of Bellarmine that in a point where hee is weakest there will hee name and quote Authorities most plentifully but when hee should come to the life of the point then he shuffles away amōg his multitude like a Cut purse in a thrōg or like the fish sepia who being ready to be caught darkens the sea roūd about with a black water issuing from her These authorities and Testimonies of the Fathers haue been answered in that part of the Tract before the Sermon and as the occasion was offered in the sermon and all of them even the most strong and selected authorities that you coulde gather are aunswered plentifully in Doctor Benefields Appendix where it is proved that the Fathers did not set a man beyond the Land-marke of Gods commandement but that by the generall precepts enioining all the particular commanding some every man is bound to serue and feare and loue the Lord with all his heart with all his soule and withall his minde And this necessitate praecepti by the necessary obligement of the cōmandement Austin in 38. Psalm that which Austin vpon the 38 Psal hath written with the pen of a diamond standing fast as Hercules Ne plus vltra that no man can say he is perfit Nemo se dicat esse perfectum and so proceedeth that if any man doe looke for perfection in this life decipit se fallit se seducit se non potest hîc habere perfectionem Mr
Arius in the difference of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mistaking was heresie the death of the soule The Hebrewes haue a Tradition in their Talmud that they that could not discerne the pronouncing of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should not be made Priest Meg. c. 3. p. 24 or reader in their Synagogue And surely vnfitte is hee to write of Counsells that knoweth not the difference of letters in Concilium and Consilium I hold those titivillitious altercations of some Criticks not altogether so necessary as whether Epistula or Epistola iccirco or idcireo cotidie or quotidie bee the better reading But in a matter of moment of maine differēce a letter may much alter the sense Caranza Caranza in Epit. Concil in Concil Laodicens Can. 35. in the Councell of Laodicaea the 35 Canō which was made against the worship of Angells putteth in Angulos insteed of Angelos hauing no other corner to runne into to free his Church from the assertion of Idolatry and in this there was wit ioined with knavery so that it was pretty though pestilent but it was absurd to continue in your written Coppy ever to write Concilia with the ◠in steed of s as fearing to make longam literā The great difference of the things and the warning of Franciscus Sōnius should haue made you more criticall For Sonnius very plainely giueth a Caveat in this behalfe as supposing some such as your selfe should hereafter need it This is such a soloecisme in any learned iudgement that it would haue cost a lashing in any free schoole in England And howsoever you hold that commō rude speech of the Popes true Fiatur in cōtumeliam omniū Grammaticorum yet not Theologorum Mr LEECH And howsoever the truth of this doctrine hath not already nor yet haply hereafter shall escape the tongues and penns of some malitious or ignorant carping adversaries enimies of God and his Church yet can it never be suppressed but it will prevaile in the ende and florish like a greene palme tree being iustifiable and glorious both before God and man where reason swaieth and not passion rageth ANSVVER Heresie hath beene gainsaid in all ages and among the rest this where by the title of Evangelicall Counsells of perfection vaine Imaginarists haue sought to proue merits perfection supererogation and other strange and false positions To the suppressing of which the Fathers in all ages haue concurred as to the extinguishing of a generall devastation by fire Account you the opposers of your doctrine malitious and ignorant carping adversaries but God whose cause they haue in hand seeth and iudgeth whether they that acknowledge their sinnes or they that obiect their merit whether they that confesse thēselues vnprofitable servants or they that professe Angelicall perfection Psal 19.7 they that with reverence doe beleeue the law of the Lord to be perfit and an vndefiled law or they that accuse it for want imperfection they that professe it is impossible to fulfill the law or they that vaunt of performing more then is required by the law and as he seeth and iudgeth so he rewardeth every man according to his worke and hath pronounced that the wicked shall bee as the chaffe that the wind scattereth to and fro Psal 1.4 Mr LEECH Farther I can for more full complement if neede bee produce all charters roles evidences iudgements cēsures sentences arrests of all Christian parliamens the vmpiring determinations of the highest Ecclesiasticall tribunalls and generall Councells notwitstanding all pretenses pleas intrusions surreptions shifts contentions of all Hereticall Iovinianists ANSVVER This Paragraph hath put you out of breath put truth out of you It is like that congerious and multiplicious numeration of Criticks Phrases in Merula where he reckoneth vp Commentarios Adversaria Merula pag. 218. Annotationes Scholia observationes Animadversa Castigationes Disquisitiones Miscellanea Centurias Syntagmata Collectanea Catalecta Spicilegia c. Such is your disfigured figure in conglomerating your charters roles evidences sentences arrests c. But what haue these to doe with Evangelicall Counsells Quid ad Rhombum any of sense that readeth it will afford no other allowance but this of the Poet Hor. art Poet Quid dignum tanto feret hic promissor hiatu If I should follow you in this kinde I could vrge to make vppe an army royall in encounter of yours all Scriptures Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Martyrs Saints Kings Bishops Fathers Doctours Professours Schooles Chaires Vniversities decrees of the Church Canons of Councels Constitutions of Synods Histories acts and monuments of all times and of all places Notwithstanding the Index expurgatorius of the Pope the demolishing of Antiquity by the Iesuits the Corruption of the Fathers all authorities by the Vatican impostors and all the endeavors of Rome and Hell to violate the truth Mr LEECH Ad nihilum devenient tāquam aqua decurrens which S. Austine doth fitly apply vnto heresies Such is the difference betwixt truth and falsehood that errour in time as it is but the entertainement of time will of it selfe fall away when Truth will stand impregnable how many soever impugne her so true is that of the Apostle we can do nothing against truth ANSVVER The difference betweene truth and falshoode is as much as the height of heauen and the depth of hel But you never tooke paines to distinguish truth frō falsehood never to enquire publikely or to study seriously the arguments against your opinion S. Augustine thought it fit to make knowne whereof he stoode in doubt and also wherefore your course was otherwise Aug de Genesi literam you conceived in the eare and brought foorth in the mouth you read Coccius Bellarmine beleeved them and preached them and tooke vp from thē vpon trust but not vpō truth You builded vpō the sands your building is fallen because not founded on the corner stone for other foundatiō can no mā lay then that which is laid even Iesus Christ Mr LEECH And therefore leaving thee modest and discreet Reader to iudge of the matter doctrine now in difference as reason and Religion shall induce thee and not as the instigation and humour of some factious persons will seek to mislead thee I proceede to prosecute the remainder of this businesse hoping that no man of any apprehension will suffer himselfe to be deceived by vaine vnlearned suggestions ANSVVER Reason must be submitted vnto Religion but the triall of Religion only is submitted vnto Truth the ancor of Christians in the Tempest of Controversie Accoūt it no instigatiō by humor or prosecutiō against you by favour The Poet is my warrant Hominem malignum forsan te credant alij Ego te miserum credo c. Neither Fathers in divinity nor Fathers by authority can satisfie you but you presume to proceed I feare that like a flie about the Candel you will perish
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
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
is to iudge the later ANSVVER Who ever that was a supposed member in our Ecclesiasticall state durst disclaime the iudgement censure authority of our Church But your reasonlesse reason is the later Church is not to iudge the former If by the former Church you meane the ancient Catholike Church for the first 500. yeeres we maintaine our reformed Church to bee the same but if by the former church you meane the now Roman Catholike faith as Bristow and the Rhemists deliver Bristow mot 12. in marg Rhem in Annot in Rom. 1 8. that the Romane and Catholike Church be all one then we reiect and abhorre that Synagogue of Sathan wherein Ziim and Iim the Ostrich and Vulture and Schritchowle doe remaine And by many more degrees then Papistes prefer the Pope before the Emperour wee preferre the Reformed Churches which doe mainetaine the ancient Catholike Apostolike faith reformed from errors superstitions and heresies stealing in by the degrees of time and occasion into the window of the Church Mr LEECH And what did I herein good Reader but obserue the prescription of Antiquity in this behalfe Contr. Iulian Pelag. lib. 2. and namely that of S. Augustine against the Pelagian hereticks Patres oportet vt populi Christiani vestris novitatibus anteponant eisque potius eligant adhaerere quà m vobis ANSVVER Nay what did you but as Pelagian himselfe did magnifie the nature of man so strengthen the arme of flesh as if you would incite it to rebell against heaven and what did you otherwise then as hereticks of all ages who haue stoode so much vpon authorities out of some authors falsely collected that they will not be drawn no not by Scriptures to the acknoweledgemēt of their errors Such S. Austin observed the Donatists to be Aug. contra Donatist Quis autem nesciat sanctam Scripturam Canonicam tam veteris quā novi Testamēti c. where in a large discourse hee manifesteth that the Canon of Scripture is only so sure that there ought to bee no doubt or disputation thereof but for Fathers and Ancient Bishops much might be reprehended therein The cause that S. Austin in confuting the Pelagians did appoint the reading of the fathers to the people was this because the fathers formerly had delivered by strength of scripture the contrary doctrine to that heresie And yet that holy father speaking of himselfe and al the ancients before him Neque enim debeo negare saith he ad Vincentiū sicut in ipsis maioribus Aug. ad Vincentium Victorem ita multa esse in tam multis opusculis meis quae possunt iusto iudicio culpari that in him nor in any other this is a prescription of Antiquity to rely only on fathers Mr LEECH Here D. Airay distasting my refusall to stand vnto the verdict of the reformed Churches questioned with me about the rule of my faith I answered him briefly Contr. haeres cap. 1. c. See D. Field pag. 239. that I wholly followed Vincentius Lyrinensis his direction to wit Canonicall scripture and Ecclesiasticall traditiō the first being sensed by the second ANSVVER To refuse the iudgement of the ruler and to fly to a stranger is punishable in Policy to condemne and contemne your owne mother Church and to stand to the iudgement of a strange Church nay of a Synagogue a stranger from the Church is culpable in divinity It was a seasonable question to aske the rule of your faith whē it was manifest you had forsaken the faith your answer was vnsound ioining with Canonicall Scripture Ecclesiasticall tradition these be two therefore not the rule but rules whereas Canon regula must be but one Aq. lect 1. in 1. Tim. 6. Aquinas on Timothy affirming that the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles is called Canonicall because it is the rule Traditions wee renounce as vnworthy to be ioyned with Scripture Melch. Can. lib. 3. c. because Canus in this doeth expresly teach that whatsoever the Church of Rome practiseth and hath not warrant from Scripture the same things and the practise of them shee hath received by Tradition which Popish traditions we abhorre to supply scripture with as knowing that the Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation and also affirme that the most certaine rule of interpretation is by comparing Scripture with Scripture Vincentius Lerinensis is not for you he alloweth nothing barely vpon Tradition For by all the passages of his booke he doth plainely teach that no Traditiō is to be received but that which is consonant vnto Scripture such as S. Austin delivereth Quod vniversa tenet Ecclesia Lib. 4. contra Don. cap. 23. such as the whole Church hath doth hold agreeing to the Canon of the revealed word And from famous D. Field that powerfull hammer of all Heretikes that claime tenure in the Church you cā produce nothing to helpe your cause either in that page or in his whole booke Neither is Tradition to sense or expound the Scripture as you say This is your third interpreter first you appealed to the Church then to the Fathers now to Traditions the next appeale must bee to the Pope or else you will be cashierd Mr LEECH This rule he called Popish exclaiming against it as the very ground of Popery and superstition Wherevpon I desired him for my better instruction to giue a rule of faith more certaine infallible then this which be brāded with such disgracefull imputation ANSVVER Popish it is without all gainsaying For howsoever we reiect not all Traditions as first D. Field in his 4 booke of the Church the number and names of the Authors of Canonicall Scripture secondly the cheefe heades of Christian doctrine as delivered in the Creed of the Apostles Thirdly the religion purely collected out of Scripture delivered to succeeding ages fourthly the continuall practise of the Primitiue Church though not expresly commaunded but necessarily contained in Scripture and lastly Traditions of order not of faith such as are our Canons and Constitutions agreeing to the ancient and grounded on S. Paules speech Let all things be done in order I say we reiect not these though Waldensis in his time complained Waldens tom 3. tit 7. cap. 63. that the necessary Traditions of the Church were so confounded that they could hardly be discerned from the rest The points that we deny bee these first Scripture needeth not the Adiectiue help of Traditions it is a most sufficient rule and containeth all things necessary to salvation Secondly wee abhorre the comparison of these two and much more the preferring of tradition before Scripture as Hosius Baronius Symancha and others professe some affirming Hosius contr Petric c. 92. Baron an 33. nu 11. Sym. instit tit 24. n. 40. that all Scripture came to vs by Tradition therefore Tradition more worth others that Scripture needeth help from Traditions but Traditions neede no assistance from Scripture And therefore if you
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
your place or faculty to preach That being most true which you falsely apply of Iehu and Ioram while the fornications of Iezabell and the abominations of Babell were mainetained by you no peace to be kept with you Isay 48.22 God commandeth it There is no peace to the wicked saith God Mr LEECH Wherefore after signification of my thankful minde to his Lordship who now vouchsafed in some sort to commiserat my vniust vexations I answered that I had greater respect of the cause for which I suffered then of the punishment which I did sustaine assuring M. Barkham that restitution vnto my place was not the principall part of my desire For as God did require of me the constant iustification of his eternall truth so I coulde not but require it also at their hands who by their function as Ministers and dignity as Bishops were specially obliged therevnto ANSVVER His Grace commiserated your stubborn opposition but never iudged your iust punishment vniust vexation The respect you had of the cause was more then your respect of God truth faith peace or conscience If restitutiō to your place was not the chiefest of your desires what was Was it your desire of conquest and victory that your individual sentence should haue overswayed the iudgement definitiue resolution of so many so wise and learned Iudges It is impietie to averre that God did require the iustification of this truth by you Truth it is not to be iustified it was not by all the proceedings it is manifest that God by the mediatiō mouth of his Magistrates approveth it not The function and dignity of your iudges did yeeld you all equity though you continue your accusations and supercilious detractions against them Mr LEECH Whereas he pressed me farther with motiues of profit and that I hindered the course of my preferment by contending against the authority of Magistrates who as he said must stand one with another my reply was to this effect that I desired not to rise where truth must fall vertue is the path to Honor Heavē must not be lost for earth the plenty of riches doth not recompence the emptines of the soule a good conscience is a continuall feast ANSVVER These motiues of profit and preferment if they were vsed are subordinate to the motiue of sauing your soule These can neither repaire nor empaire those directing inciting comforts that come from aboue The contentments that the world cā afford are but weake and momentary but the ambition of preferment in heauen is the holy resolution making a true Christian firme and square You hindred your selfe in your worldly heauenly course in cōtending with religious Authority And howsoever you professe you made vertue the path to honour yet this is proued contrary for you refused the best of vertues Lombard quadruplex conscientia your religion And though a good conscience be a continuall feast yet Lombard and others distinguish of conscience that as a good conscience may be troubled so an evill conscience may bee so quieted that it thinkes it selfe good Mr LEECH As for the Magistrates I reverenced their persons and honoured their places knowing that their power is from God but designed for the preservatiō of his truth which if I impugned let them strik mee with the sworde of Iustice but if they withstood it yet I must defend it with courage Ecclus 4. as also I shall suffer for it with patience For I alwaies had the counsaile of the wise man before mine eies Striue for the Truth vnto death c. ANSVVER Had you considered duly that not only their power is from God Rom. 13.2.4 as Paul speaketh but as hee addeth hee that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to themselues condemnation giving the reason for hee beareth not the sworde in vaine your respect had beene more to thē if you had thus remembred the dignity from God giuen them Courage is then good when a good cause and a good conscience meet But to be couragious in defence of any adulterine proposition that hath not radicall truth it is condemned and wil be punished Acts are to be measured by desires desires by integrity And had you had God alwaies before your eies you had not been so Apocryphally wife in your owne eies Mr LEECH Which resolution in me though it sorted not with his liking nor yet perhapps was expected from a poore oppressed scholler whom his vncharitable adversaries had determined either to bowe or breake yet hee importuned me at the least to see his Lord and not to neglect his favorable inclination to doe me good ANSVVER Poore and lame and slack arguments cannot enforce resolution in the will or settle information in the vnderstanding All the connexions and all your concoxions out of Coccius had not this nutritiue power to nourish your conscience to such a strength of resolution But some other vnrevealed cause there is which only the searcher of all hearts knoweth Reprehension is not oppression nor had you any vncharitable adversaries they are adversaries to all vncharitablenesse they meant to direct straighten you not to bow much lesse to breake Some vpon whom you seemed to relie most in Oxford haue protested that they had proceeded in the same or a more strict course against you if the censure had passed their hands Mr LEECH Wherevpon I made a shew that I would shortly visit his Grace And this I did because I did probably collect that my intention was by some meanes disclosed vnto him whereby I might be defeated of that course vpon which I was now wholly resolved For me thought that God did speake within my heart as he spake sometimes vnto Abraham his seruant Goe forth of thy land Gen. 12.1 and from thy kindred and from thy fathers house and come into the land which I shall shew vnto thee For can any Church or any faith be in that land where the very grounds and principles of ancient Christianity are dissolved where there is no certaine foundation to build Religion vpon Where every mans power is his reason to make good his doctrine Where an iniury sustained for the truth can finde no redresse without treasonable connivencie to see the truth oppressed ANSVVER This was Aequivocation in speech and action neither honest but both common among Papists S. Austin condemned the Priscilianists for this and so other Fathers haue reproved this lying mummery hypocrisie Sepulueda de Ration dicēdi testimon Et de ratione dicendi occulta in praefat Azor. Ies Inst par 1. l. 11. c. 4. in fine cap. Emanuel Sa. in Aphor. And not only Scotus Aquinas Henricus Gabriell Biell are resolute against it as Sepulveda witneseth but also Iesuits themselues haue reproued it as Azorius Emanuell Sa and others You began to equivocate timely I doubt not but you haue increased it The reason of making this hypocriticall shew was lest you should be defrauded
may suffice for thy instruction concerning these Motiues Onely I may not forget to advertise thee that whereas through their titles I vse this perpetuall stile THE PROTESTANTS c. howbeit the most learned amongst them differ in iudgement from the common sort and in this respect cannot bee concluded in the generality of ALL I haue not done this without good consideration For though the principall divines in England do vtterly distast the vaine opinions of D. King and such like yet since by publike profession of the truth they giue not sufficient notice vnto the world of their Catholique positions I must involve them also in this common accusation And as they against their knowledge Corde creditur ad iustitiam ore fit confessio ad salutem doe suffer a preiudice to fall vpon God his truth they must likewise against their will suffer an infamy to remaine vpon their owne persons ANSVVER The Catholikes like to the olde Circumcellions are Individua vaga ever in motion Campians reasons Bristowes motiues the one ten the other 48 yours a Iurie This former treatise hath answered all yours But seeing they so commanded your affection and convinced your vnderstanding wee will heare your descriptions and marke the motions If it be the good of your Reader you wish you would not leade him into so many darke entries of the Chambers of death your booke is come into the hands of many better informed soules then your selfe and some that haue breathed lately from their Antichristianisme that haue seene and heard more then you haue and haue hated and abhorred and returned You seeke to iustifie but do condemne your selfe and you hope your satisfaction will proue an infection to some But each man doth disdaine that these should draw ouer any wise Proselyte They are the same in substance as in your sermon only as the Patron of error can change his shapes so doe these You say you must not forget to advertise and I cannot omit to discrie the vntruth in the advertisement For if with an indifferent eie ANY observant in the state of our Church doe looke vpon the more learned Of our Divines he shal finde that either they be writers or publike Readers or continuall Preachers against Popery neither doe they differ in iudgement from the common sort as most iniuriously you traduce them By publike profession in the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace in the essense and substance of religion all agree And howsoever there haue beene some differences in opinion betweene many of the most orient fixed starres in the firmament of the Church as betweene Ruffinus Ierom Ierom Austin Austin Symplician and many others yet all the world wil free our Church from hauing in her Religion any diversly affected from the truth addicted to Popery at the least any that ever were of deserving note or accounted the Principall divines If there be any such homely and home-made peeces as your selfe that coccle they be no sooner noted but punished Your preiudice and infamy will returne vpon your selfe for accusing our worthiest to maintaine a linsey woolsey blended mangled Religion Being supplanted your selfe in reputation you seeke to supplāt others the vtmost spirits of your malice and spite being as Enginers to overthrow the credit of those that by their learned paines do seeke to overthrow the wals of Babell Their publique profession and positions free them from your common accusation their sermons Lectures writings might satisfie you but that these heavenly showers haue fallen besides you Error surprising your will ignorance your knowledge a smale things may moue you that were never setled Mr LEECH The First motive The Protestants admit not a triall of their Religion by the testimony of the Fathers whatsoever they pretend to the contrary BEcause it is a preposterous devise to iudge the former ages of the Church by the later D. Field pag 204. We willingly admit a triall by the Fathers saith he in the name of his Church therefore the courses of my study haue ever beene directed vnto a diligent pervsall of ancient Fathers whose authority simply considered as it may preponderate our moderne writers so in reference vnto the Church being her witnesses who is the iudge to define all controversies their testimony is to be preferred before all Authors whatsoever Neither resolued I thus without serious deliberation and especially contra haeref cap. 1. 2. the graue counsaile of Vincentius Lyrinēsis did prevaile with me seeing that learned holy men did generally conspire in this opinion If any man will discerne Heretical pravity from Catholike verity he must be furnished with a double helpe first the Canon of sacred Scripture Secondly the tradition of the Catholique Church wherein three things inseparably concurre Vniversality Antiquitie Consent The reason of which prescription is yealded by him to be this The Scripture is sublime and forasmuch as all men sense it not alike it is necessarie to adioine therevnto the continuall interpretation of the Church Vpon this infallible ground evident vnto all men of any apprehension I builded my faith conforming it alwaies vnto those Orthodoxe principles which I had derived out of the venerable Fathers Hence I assumed this doctrine of Evangelicall Coūsells which as I delivered out of the sacred volumes of Antiquitie so Antiquitie it selfe deduced it with mee out of the divine Oracles of holy Scripture And therefore seeing that my opinion was cleerely built vpon this foūdation I pressed it vncessantly vntill my vniust Iudges were enforced to forsake this meanes of triall and consequently to punish the Fathers in me as I had spoken by them But when I plainely saw that my doctrine could not be condemned without condemnation of the ancient Church and that my Iudges were driuen to this extremity I inferred that their Religion could not be good and that their consciences were verie bad ANSVVER It is a most preposterous devise to make the Fathers iudges of the Scriptures whereas the Scriptures as S. Austin confesseth ought to be the iudges of the Fathers otherwise what you impute to vs is the practise of your selues which you seeke approbation of the former Church by the latine That the Fathers may preponderate the moderne writers I answere for their antiquity they doe but where the same truth is in both for their authority they do not exceed Hath the Church had no growth since their time Hath the sonne of righteousnesse Psal 19. going from the ende of the heauens and in his compasse returning to the ende thereof againe by his beames given no more light then when it first rose Hath not God revealed somethings to one which he hath not to another 1. Cor. 14.30 as S. Paul speaketh Our reverend estimation of the Fathers is most learnedly and fully delivered by his Maiestie in his premonition and our willingnesse of a triall by the Fathers is openly testified by the Reverend Bewcleark D. Field these exceptions
or rather annotations considered that there are divers Fathers meerely forged as Hyppolitus Amphilochius the epistles of Cletus Anacletus c. B. Iuell D. Rainolds that world of learning the honorable B. of Winchester haue proued which point was never answered as yet Secōdly divers false tracts are fathered on the true fathers as Mr Perkins Probleme a book neuer answered the worke now in our Oxford library in hand for comparing all the Fathers with their most ancient manuscripts do shew 136. bastard Epistles already discovered in Gregory Thirdly the Fathers are reiected most scornefully by Papists where they cannot wrest them to their purpose as is proved by the practise of Canus Villa vincētius Sixtus Senensis Baronius Bellarmine Fourthly that all of these Papists haue taxed the Fathers for particular errors Fiftly omitting many more reasōs the fathers make more for vs thē for Papists nay only for vs not for Papists as that precious Iewell of the Church hath irrefragably proved The counsaile out of Lyrinensis is already answered but this I adde hee doth not there meane vnwritten verities or a supply to bee made to scripture for hee doth acknowledge in the next Chapter and so againe in the 41. that solus Canon Scripturae sufficit ad omnia Vincent Lirinens satis supérque that the Scripture is sufficient alone against all Heretickes yea alone for all things more thē this that it is more then sufficient his 41. Chapter doth plainely deliver vnam regulā to be scripture the interpretation of which is ever to bee approved by Scripture And for those notes of vniversality Antiquity and consent which you say doe inseparably concurre Vinc. c. 4. c. 5. 11. he saith not so the word inseparably is not his for Vincentius sheweth that Heretikes haue claimed the two former shewing that the Arrians had vniversality and the Donatists Antiquity And for consent he forewarneth as a Prophet in 39 Chapter that when men endeavor Maiorum volumina vitiare to corrupt the ancient Fathers as Papists most openly doe to obtaine Consent then the only remedy is sola Scripturarum authoritate convincere to convince them by the only authority of Scripture And therefore if you built your fort vpon this ground as not hauing red or not vnderstood your Author choosing some fragments and not observing all the particulars and passages of his meaning your foundation is not on the corner stone the foundation rotten the building reeling and your doctrine hath no approbation from Vniuersality Antiquity or lastly from consent either iointly from all from the greatest number of fathers or from that which is the only Countenance and Approuer of Spirits Doctrines from the Scripture That therefore which you make your first motiue to haue rended you from the truth the same I make my first confirmation to settle me therein and to detest Popery that seeing Papists admit not a trial of their religion by Scriptures that the Fathers admitte none that reiect Scriptures as also that Papists approue not alwaies the Testimony of the Fathers as they pretend I infer in particular that this doctrine of yours is worthily condemned but not the Ancient Church as also in generall that by condemning of vs in any point you cōdemne Antiquity seeing our Reformed Churches be reduced to the ancient Primitiue And therfore your New foūd Religion is Rebellion against the Truth Apostasie frō Scripture and Antiquity Mr LEECH The second Motiue The Protestants preferre their Reformed Congregations before the ancient Catholique Church AS my violent Iudges did palpably disclaime the sentence of the ancient Church so they vnreasonablie required my submission vnto their reformed Congregations which as they be not comparable with the purity of the former so their principal Doctours Luther Zwinglius men no lesse odious each vnto the other S. Austin S. Ambros S. Hierom. then both are hatefull vnto the Church of Rome are no waies matchable with the Patrones of my doctrine For as S. Gregory Nazianzen iustly excepted against the Arrians in this māner If our faith be but 30. S. Gregory Epistola 1. ad Cledō contra Arrianos yeeres old 400 yeares being passed since the incarnation of Christ then our gospell hath been preached in vaine our martyrs haue died in vaine vntill this time c. So if for a point of faith I must remit my selfe vnto Luther Zwinglius Calvin and their reformed conuenticles rather then vnto the holy Fathers ancient Church thē surely the gospell hath beene miserably taught and all our predecessors haue beene pitifully deceiued for 1600. yeares since Singular therefore was the folly and partiality of my Iudges to detract authority from our blessed Fathers to yeeld it vnto Lutherans men of as new a stāpe in these times as the Arrians were in S. Gregory Nazianzen his time whose carnal appetites and base condition of life drew them to allow that in their doctrine which they performed in their practise being contrary in both vnto the canon of scripture and continual succession of the Church The consideration whereof did manifestly detect vnto me that either their vnderstāding is very meane or their will very perverse who feared not to disauthorise the Fathers yet would not grant me the same liberty against their brethren in whom I neuer approued any thing other waies then it was consonant with the prescription of Antiquity or dissonant from hir Tradition ANSVVER THe reformed Church that hath left Babylon and is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler having received true Religion 〈◊〉 according to Scripture was in all reason to haue had submission performed from you both because that the truth professed is against this position as also for that profession and subscription you had willingly afforded to her when you were supposed to be not only a member but a Minister in her Congregation Had you straied as a sheepe through simplicity it had been lamentable but to fly being a shepheard through Apostasie this is damnable Luther and Zwinglius though they agreed not in all points yet they both ioined in demolishing your Dagon Great lights of the Church haue diffred in some particulars nay haue whet their pens like rasors and edged their tongues like swords yet in the truth of God they haue agreed to the suppressing of the kingdome of Sathan The differēces between these two were nothing so scādalous as their ioint conflicts with Rome were victorious To coūtervaile your place out of Gregory Nazianzene Prudent Peristep hym 10 which you apply improperly Prudētius witnesseth the heathens did scornfully so deale with the religiō of Christianity in the beginning thereof Nunc dogma nobis Christianum nascitur post evolutos mille demū Consules so you as if after so many holy Fathers our Religion had beginning from Luther Zwinglius or Caluin But how contrary to all truth this is Bristow Motiue 45. Bristow his confession sheweth in