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
teneatis amici This storie might haue fitted you Mr LEECH And was not Christ himselfe Master Regius Professor of this spirituall poverty spirituall I call it because the contempt of this worlde for the hope of heaven is the worke of Gods spirit wrought within our soules Witnesse his entrance into this world when his house was a stable his cradle a cratch witnes his continuance in the worlde living meerely vpon almes ministred vnto him by certaine godly women and deuout persons Witnesse his complaint the foxes haue holes and the birds of heaven haue nests but the sonne of man hath not whereon to rest his head And was hee any richer at his departure out of this worlde when wanting a sepulcher of his owne he was enterred in an other mans tombe ANSVVER â—riâ—â— Mot. 6. It is blasphemous in k Bristow to affirme that no man is able to put difference betweene the miracles of Christ and of his Apostles and of Thomas Aquinas Bernard Bonaventure Becket Francis Dominicke others It is almost as much in you to paralel Christ Iesus blessed for ever ever with your Saints I meane not with the Fathers that were more tollerable though vnfit but that his sacred name person functioÌ„ birth life death his precepts actions passions all his conversations should be paraleld with false vtopicall Annalogicall Imaginarie statuary Saints Know and heare and feare and tremble Hee will not holde him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine But I wil catechise you in this point farther was that practise of poverty in Christ performed by any Evangelicall Counsaile or not If by counsaile from whom received he counsaile that was the wisdome of his father and himselfe the great a Esay 9.6 counsellor If not by Evangelicall counsaile why do you bring Christ for an example of the practise We confesse to our endlesse comfort his willing and gracious readines to become poore to make vs rich in that he borrowed a stable to be borne in a cratch to be laide in a pitcher to drinke in a parlour to sup in and a toombe to lie in but this is not to your purpose Mr LEECH Finally though he were Lorde owner of all beeing God the Lord and creator of all and the sole heire-apparaÌ„t of heaven and earth yet was he content to forsake all of rich he became poore teaching aswell opere as ore by example of liuing as manner of teaching reall practising as or all instructing first doing then teaching and all to this end vt conversatio magistri forma esset discipuli as blessed LEO speaketh that is that he might generally weane all Christians from the loue of this world but especially that he might become vnto his disciples and all Apostolicall men a perfit patterne of this spirituall poverty the maisters conversatioÌ„ being the schollers best instruction ANSVVER Every action of Christ serueth for our instruction but not every action for our imitation It were ridiculous in vs if we should presume to thinke we might b Mat. 14.15 walke on the water as he did or c Mark 8.3 endeauor to cleanse the leapers or d Mat. 9.25 to raise vp the dead or e Iohn 9.1 giue sight to the blind or f Mat. 4.1 to fast forty daies and forty nights or to goe about to liue in such hunger and thirst and want as our blessed Saviour did it is impossible we should performe them Wee haue no lawfull warrant for these more the Apostle teacheth whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne As for poverty it is no where in Scripture enioined vs. A blessing spirituall pouerty hath g Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but for the want of temporal things it afflicteth so many that none need to affect it h Hugo de claustro animae Hugo de claustro animae sheweth how some affect a monkish pouerty that they may come to some spirituall dignity and giueth the reason Et in Ecclesia honorari volunt qui in sua domo non nisi contemptibiles esse poterant You knowe by practise among you this to bee true that among the Monks and Monkies of Rome Poverty is made the first step to ambitious vain glory masked humility the vsher to obtaine aspiring dignity The words in Leo in the end of that sermon make not for you They only shew the humility of Christ in all passages of his life and in that close exhort vs therevnto as he himself did by his own mouth learne of me to be humble and meeke Mr LEECH For Christ came not downe from heauen to earth from the bosome of the Father by his eternal generation God to the wombe of his Mother by temporall incarnation Man when he deigned to stoope downe so low nay vouchsafed exinanire seipsum to put of the garment of his Fathers and heauens glory investing his incomprehensible deity with the base ragges of finite mortality I say Christ did not performe all this only to fulfill the morall Decalogue but ouer and aboue the lawes righteousnes Se S. Basil de vera virginit hee taught that which the law wanted of the merit of perfection ANSVVER The conclusioÌ„ of this is nothing else but this Christ did more then the law required therefore there is somewhat more then is required in the law I answer he did more then the law required of him for himselfe by his passiue iustice in suffering that which was due vnto vs whereas his actiue iustice was enough to satisfie for himselfe and whereby also the law is satisfied by vs. But this argument is like Mephibosheth lame in both feet for neither did Christ all this to practise Evangelicall counsells as you inferre nor did he hereby manifest any want of perfectioÌ„ in the law as you do vrge out of Basil de vera virginitate which book is misdoubted to be his because it is one of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are fathered on Basil of which workes Eustathius one violent against Marriage was the author as i Sozom. l. 3. cap. 13.14 Sozomen witnesseth Besides the disallowing of the booke receiue this satisfaction If the booke were S. Basils and that it were his speech that Christ did adde perfection to the law it must so bee vnderstood as that he added fulfilling perfect observing to the law not thereby manifesting that the law did want perfection For if that be perfect as the Philosopher defineth it to which nothing can bee added and that God himselfe gaue that especiall command in three several places in k Deut. 4.2 5.32 12.32 Deuteronomy that nothing should be added to the law how dare you accusing the law of imperfection stand out against Gods wisdomes proclamation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is commonly translated transgression may also be interpreted outlawry 1. Ioh. 3.4 you are subiect to the sentence and punishment of
desire to be taught the rule of faith out of an humble and a religious meaning here you may learne it it was a question worth his asking a point worthy your learning Mr LEECH Why said he what other ground of faith then the pure word of God I demaunded then who shall interpret this word Hee replied the spirit What spirit good Sir The spirit of God only which privat men thinke they haue Against which rule I except for that it was the common plea of all condemned Heretiques Wherefore I required a triall of this pretended spirit for I cannot admit that to be God his spirit in any private man which consenteth not with the spirit of the Catholique Church And thus you see M.D. Airay that what you formerly reiected out of my rule as Popish you must necessarily admit as true that is Ecclesiasticall Tradition annexed to the sacred Canon for the discerning of private spirits Otherwaies each Heretique will sense Scripture in the mould of his owne braine ANSVVER That the word of God is the ground of beleefe in God sacred Scripture it selfe proveth in manifold and pregnant places as in the olde Testament in the Proverbs Prov. 2.9 They make a man vnderstand righteousnes and iudgement and equity and every good path Esay 8.19.20 in Esay should not a people enquire at their God at the law and at the Testimonie they that speake not according to this word there is no light in them by Malachie Mal. 4.4 Remember the law of Moses which I commanded all Israell with the statutes and iudgements in the new Testament in S. Paul 2. Tim. 3.15 The Scriptures are able to make a man wise vnto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Iesus in S. Peter 2. Pet. 1.19 We haue a most sure word of the Prophets wherevnto we must giue heed as to a light that shineth in darknesse till the day starre arise in our hearts Luc. 1.4 in S. Luke They containe the certainty of those things whereof we are instructed and in S. Iohn Ioh. 5.39 These things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is that Christ the sonne of God and in beleeuing yee might haue eternall life and by Christ himselfe sealing this point Search the Scriptures for in them you haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of mee but to this also the Fathers with all reverence haue agreed Basil Ep. 80. ad Eust Med. Let the Scriptures be arbitrators betweene vs saith Basill in his 80 Epistle and whosoever holds consonant opiniōs to those heavenly oracles let the truth bee adiudged on their side We are to enquire for iudges saith Optatus Contra Parmenianum de coelo quaerendus est Iudex Optat. cont Parmen l. 5. the Iudge must bee had from heaven but saith hee wherefore need we to knock at heauen when we haue a iudge wohm wee finde in the Gospell The Scripture is the rule of faith saith Tertullian contra Hermogenem Tertull. cont Hermog Chrysost in 13. Homil. in 2. Corinth It is a most exquisit rule saith Chrysostome in his 13 homily vpon the second to the Corinths It is an inflexible rule Greg. Nyss Grati. de ijs qui adeunt Hierosolymā saith Gregorius Nyssenus And S. Austin ample for this in many places in his booke de bono viduitatis testifieth that the Scripture pitcheth downe the rule of our faith And not only the Ancient Fathers but the Schoole-men haue succeeded in the same resolution Aquinas writeth expresly Aq 1. qu. 1. art 8. that our faith must rest vpon the Canonicall bookes of Scripture Durand agreeth with this Durand pref in senten that the maner of our knowledge exceed not the measure of faith and the holy Scripture expresseth the measure of faith Sum part 3. tit 18. c. 3. Nay Papists haue acknowledged this Antoninus confesseth that God hath spoken but once to vs and that in Scripture so plentifully that hee voucheth Gregory in the 22 book of his Moralls thus God needeth to speake no more concerning any necessary matter Al. 1. sent quaest 1. art 3 1. Coroll seeing all things are found in Scripture Alliaco consenteth to this The verities of Scripture bee the Principles of divinity quoniam ad ipsas saith he fit vltima resolutio Theologici discursus Bell de verbo Dei lib. 1. c. 2. In one word Bellarmin agreeth to all these Testimonies in his first book de verbo Dei Sacra Scriptura est regula credendi certissima tutissima This may serue to shew you that there is no other ground of faith then the worde of God Scriptures Fathers Schoolemen nay even our Adversaries being witnesses Deut. 32.31 as Moses speaketh You demaund who shall interpret this word It is replied the spirit of God which spirit the elect doe know certainly that they haue not only thinke as you traduce the speech of this reverēd Doctor but they assure thēselus that they haue the spirit and hee that knoweth not this ◠Cor. 3.16 is ignorant as Paul teacheth by an interrogatiō Knowe yee not that yee are the Temples of the holy Ghost and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you But against this rule you except for this was you say Chrysos prolog in Epist ad Rohan 3. de Lazar. the plea of al Heretiques It is false Heretiques and the devill did vrge Scripture but these could never for wāt of Gods spirit compare Scriptures together The privat spirit even every Priuat man of himselfe saith Chrysostom only by reading may vnderstand yea need nothing else but to read Chrysos hom 13. in Gene◠by which he meaneth to confer one place of Scripture with another And the same Father giveth the reason Scriptura seipsam exponit auditorem errare non sinit The scripture expoundeth it selfe and suffereth not the hearer to be deceived Distinct 37. Relatum So speaketh Chrys 13. hom in Genes The Canon Law is most plaine herein Non enim sensum extrinsecus alienum extraneum sed ex ipsis Scripturis sensum capere veritatis oportet For we must not from without them seeke a forraine and strange sense but wee must out of the Scriptures themselues receiue the meaning of the truth And a clowde of witnesses do testifie the same Wherefore it is no way necessary that we aske helpe of Tradition which is as I formerly spake the cittie of refuge for all runnagate points in your religion Popish Tradition in the Church soiourning only as the deuill doth to deceiue as a treacherous stranger not to be acquainted with or as an Infidell not to be conversed with and therefore D. Airay taught you the truth when you heretically thought you might mould the sense of scripture in the brain of the brasen head Tradition Mr LEECH And now M. D. Airay being thus overthrowne in the rule of his faith proposed vnto me a question of
beene over luxuriant in commending virginity and condemning matrimony your own men had not so censured him as they do Gregory Nazianzene his speech concerning Basill no doubt is as true of many thousād Protestāts who haue bridled the appetites and lusts of the flesh and haue subdued themselues to the obedience of Gods spirit And howsoever Antiquity haue commended the restraint of lawfull thinges to vs yet in this they ever taught that lawfull things when they are hurtfull to vs are vnlawfull we are bound to avoide al things that are hinderances to Gods service Cōtinue your virulency and acrimony of speech against Luther let his works and studies testifie whether hee were of so delicate a spirit as you affirme and if by his carnall sectaries you meane Protestants read our D. Downham Mr Rogers Mr Greenham nay Luther himselfe and see whether we maintaine not that a Christian is bound to watch and pray fast thē consider whether we teach a single faith or no for as wee teach that faith only must iustifie vs so also wee declare that workes must iustifie our faith and continually we preach the excellency and necessity of good works If you lacked Chastisement you might haue complained and beene supplyed fasting I doubt not but you were practised in you were put out of Commons for whipping the Monkes exercise though it sort better that you haue it abroad then at home yet that should not haue been wanting to you if you had acquainted your friends Seriously I answere that Protestants are not lulled a sleepe in the cradle of security How many sighes do many send vp to heaven for their sins what straines of compūction what streames of contrition flow from the limbecke of many of their souls And yet this only serveth not For if this had beene the only way to happines thē had the Pharisies by violence obtained heavē The holinesse of their carriage continuance at devotiō avoidance of all meanes of polution their yeerely tithing monthly almes weekely fastings dayly whippings howrely praiers had holp them But of al such God asketh Who required these things at your hands nay who counselled any man to do this but only such as require will-worship Al these waies in the ballance of the sanctuary appeare to be but hay and stubble straw To this the way hath not led the guides not directed the teachers not informed For performing of this the true Saints haue not beene registred in this the true church hath never bin practised Wherfore my fourth confirmation is to sticke to the vnity of that happy Church which hath so worthily cleared it selfe from these visards of perfection and ragges of superstition Mr LEECH The fift Motiue The Protestants corrupt the holy scripture in defence of their opinions THe proper meanes designed by God to convince Heresie are two to wit sacred scripture and Ecclesiasticall Tradition Now because Heretiques are clearely refuted by the second therefore they fly only vnto the first which they depraue and mangle according to the liberty of their spirits And this they performe partlie in their translations and partly in their interpretation thereof Though many examples might be afforded in this kind yet I need not seeke after further proofe then this present busines doth afford whereof I now intreate For whereas the words of our Saviour are easie and plaine all men do not receiue this saying as though there were such an impossibility therein that the freedome of will concurring with the grace of God could not subdue the inclinations of corrupt nature Tom. 7. in ep ad Wolfgang Hence Luther the slaue of his affections saith that the propension of fervent nature in MAN towardes a WOMAN is so created by God in his body that it cānot be extinct by any vowes and therefore he that resolveth to liue without a WOMAN must leaue the name of a MAN and make himselfe to be plainly an Angell or spirit For it is by no meanes granted vnto him by God so that it is aboue his strength to containe himselfe from a woman And this is by the compulsiue word of God willing and commanding the same Wherefore the Counsaile of virginity is intollerable with them that conceiue such an impossibility to fulfill it To increase Tom. 5. serm de matrimon and multiply it is not a precept saith Luther but it is more then a precept it is implanted nature it is as necessary as meate and drinke It is no more in the power of Man to liue without a womā then to be a woman and no man In vaine then doth our Saviour giue his advise and S. Paul his Counsaile For in Luthers gospell it is more then a precept to avoide virginity And yet my Iudges not admitting it to be a Counsaile could not deny it to be a precept Which yet if it be so why doe they then make lesse conscience to fulfill a Precept then Catholiques do to follow a Counsaile For the neglect of the first is a sin but it is not so in the second vnlesse we tie our selues vnto it by a voluntary vow being not constrained therevnto by a necessary command ANSVVER THe proper meanes appointed by God to confute all sprouting Heresie is Scripture which because it is so powerfull against Popery therefore Papists doe disclaime it and with the most contemptuous Phrases brand that testimony that hath marked them with the stamp of heresie Tearming it a nose of waxe as Peresius blasphemously doth Peres de Tradit praef Pighius con◠3. Eckius Enchr c. 1. prop. 4. or dead inke a dumb iudge as Pighius and besides many other titles of disgrace Eckius affirmeth that God never cōmanded his Apostles to write any Scripture Thus they vilifie the word to magnifie tradition which tradition we acknowledge not for with Mary wee haue chosen the better part and doe assure our selues that there is no means so absolute as scripture to cōvince Heretikes which meanes you would take from vs by laying to our charge false translations and corrupt interpretations Concerning false Translations much might be spoken conferring yours with the Originall how many hundred differences wil be foūd how many Additions Detractions Falsifications Depravations Lyndan de opt gen Interpret l. 3. c. 1. 2. 4. 6. and intolerable Barbarismes be in the vulgar Lindanus hath confessed who acknowledgeth that there be monstrous corruptions of all sorts in it scarse one booke of Scripture that is vndefiled and so haue Bannes and Sixtus Senensis and others accused it And I desire but this resolution of any learned Papist that seeing the Councell of Trent hath approved commanded the vse of the vulgar translation affixing a Bull before it and Sixtus Quintus hath afterwards commanded only his translation to stand in force shewing many errors in the vulgar therefore hath prefixed his Bull before it after him Clemens Octavus finding manifold corruptiōs in the Bible of his Predecessor caused it againe to
this it will bee no otherwise prooved then c Confess Petric c. 92. de Traditionibus Hosius proveth that the greatest part of the Gospell is come to vs by tradition and verie little of it committed to writing which is a most rash false conceipt of his But Andradius acknowledgeth that the Cittie of refuge for all the runnagate points in Religion is Tradition His words d Andrad Orthod explic lib. 2. pag. â—0 be Quam traditionum autoritatem si tollas nutare vacillare videbuÌ„tur Manie points would reele totter if not supported by the helpe of Traditions Saint e 1. Cor. 9.6 Paule hath warned that no man presume aboue that which is written and f Regul contract 95. fol. pag. 502. Basill admonisheth that it is necessarie and consonant to reason that everie man learne that which is needfull out of Scripture both for the fulnes of godlines and least they bee invred to humane traditions Yet I answere concerning Traditions that when this controversie is fully discussed you wil be as vnable to proue your position from anie Apostolicall tradition as the men of Doryla in g Cicero pro L. Flacco Tully who when they were to proue somewhat against Flaccus out of their publike Records and their records were called for they said they were robd of theÌ„ by the waie so your Traditions which must speak for you they are lost by the waie no one neither Bellarmine nor Coccius nor Sonnius nor anie writer can produce one Apostolicall sanction tradition or authority And for the practise of the Church the Ecclesiasticall histories shew that the ancient servaÌ„ts of God which first retired themselues from the worlde did it not for anie opinion they had hereby to obtaine perfection but to escape persecution as h Sozomen lib. 1. c. 12. Sozomen writeth and to hide themselues And some of them were lay-men as k Athan. Ep. ad Dracont Dyonisius voucheth some of them married men as i Dion Ecclesiae hierar c. 6. Athanasius recordeth all of them freemen from binding themselues with vowes as l Nic. lib. 9. c. 14. Nicephorus proueth And for the practise of Popish Monkes now the patterns of this Evangelicall perfection m Philobib c. 5. Dunelmensis delivereth it Greges vellera fruges horrea porci olera potus patera lectiones sunt hodie studia Monachorum And you knowe the old verse O Monachi vestri stomachi sunt amphora Bacchi Vos estis Deus est testis teterrima pestis Mr LEECH But yet since contrary to my probable persuasion certaine private spirits whose faith is their owne fancy itching rather after prophane novelty and hereticall innovation then abiding the wholesome doctrine of sacred Antiquitie and the Churches dogmaticall tradition haue by all meanes laboured to impugne my doctrine and to defame my person I haue thought my selfe in conscience and duty both before God and man obliged a swell for the generall satisfaction of all whom this present busines may any way concerne as for my owne discharge in particular being the party herein especially interessed briefly to coÌ„pile and publish the whole carriage and progresse of this matter in the ensuing treatise humbly recommending and ever submitting my opinion vnto the graue and infallible iudgement of the Church at whose feete and tribunall alone prostrating my selfe I must stand or fall as also referring my selfe with the moderat deportment of my cause vnto the sincere iudgement of the discreet and impartiall Reader ANSVVER You were drawne to this vnwillingly in respect of your vnabillity to maintaine the opinioÌ„ but most willingly in desire to stand out in contradiction But why should you rubbe ouer any here with the title of itching spirits Barn It is the rule of S. Bernard when in disputation or coÌ„ference there is rayling or reviling tunc non veritas quaeritur sed animositas fatigatur Truth is not sought for but strong and stubborne stomakes disgordge their poison Hee that hath giuen leaue to try the spirits hath prohibited the condemning nay iudging of a brother and therefore while you slander them with the itch of prophane novelty you bewray your selfe to bee infected with the scab of heresie They that gainesaid your doctrine were wise and honest learned and religious not a few but the consent of all of all degrees among vs. And so farre are they from defaming of your person that I doe assure my selfe that everie religious honest heart in Oxford will bee desirous to cover it with the mantle of charity to pray that it maie bee invested with the robe of Christs righteousnes wishing from our harts that no other cause then conscience and duty as you saie had obliged you to publish this your Treatise and that the discharge of your selfe and satisfaction of others had beene more truelie and charitablie performed that you had submitted your opinion to Gods word rather then the Church seeing the Church is not the infallible rule of iudgement as you hold n Relec. controu 4. de potestat ecclesiae in se q. 3. art 2. resp ad arg 5. Stapleton him selfe after loÌ„g discussing durst not absolutelie affirme it but seemeth to make it rather probable then credible when he confesseth that it is not anie article of our faith to beleeue that the authoritie of the Church is the rule of our faith And not only a Doctor but a Pope speaketh in this case more plainlie o Decret Greg. lib. 5. de sent excom c. 28. a nobis saepe Innocentius affirming that the Churches iudgement followeth opinion which often deceiveth and is deceived And howsoever I maie saie to you as p Aug. de vnit Eccles cap. 2. S. Augustine did to some heretiques of his time De hoc inter nos quaestio versatur vtrùm apud nos an apud illos vera Ecclesia sit the question being controverted betweene you and vs whethers is the true Church neither of vs can proue the argument by the Church seeing q Chrysost in Hom. 10. in 1. Tit Chrysostome doth conclude that the Scriptures must teach who hath the true Church r De vnit Eccles cap. 16. S. Austin resolving that Scriptures be documenta fundamenta firmamenta the proofes foundations grounds of our cause and therefore vnlesse you bee contented to submit your opinion to the Scriptures it is manifest that you acknowledge that your doctrine and the Scriptures were never acquainted The Pharisies the false porters of the kingdome Å¿ Mat. 23.13 tooke awaie the key of knowledge and they received their reward a volley t Luk. 11.42 of wo. Take heede least doing the like you incurre the like danger More respectiue are the Schoolemen of Scripture then you are u Lom dist 23. LoÌ„bard x Scot. 3. dist 23. q. vin Scotus y Oc. 3. q. 8. art 3. Ockam z Bi 3. dist 23. q. 2. lit g. h.
doctrin of the Apostles though the Apostles doctrine was Scripture so we admit of no fundamentall interpretation to builde vpon but that which is approved by the sacred scriptures The place that you vrge out of Matthew Math. 18.17 Hee that will not heare the Church let him be tanquam Ethnicus you may vpō your better review finde it is spoken concerning those that refuse to heare the admonition or iudiciall censure of the Church not the glosse or interpretatiō of the Church Wee confesse the letter of Scripture was not nor the sense is of any privat inspiration and therefore trial which is made by the Scriptures is no privat iudgement but the publike cēsure of Gods spirit that speaketh openly in the Scriptures to all men And Basils rule shall bee ever the true practise of the true Church Basil de examin doctr part 1. Cons 5. that they that bee conversant in the Scriptures should examine all that is said whether it agreeth with Scriptures From a private interpretation not agreeing with the Canon of Scripture we fly because as you vrge out of Bernard Nonnulli adesse putant spiritum Acts and monuments by Mr Fox many thinke that they haue the spirit of God with them as they that in that Councell sang veni spiritus and an Owle was sent them they killed that spirit And many thinke they haue the spirit Nicol. Clau. disput de cōcil and yet shut out the spirit as the Councell of Pisa did You saie the sentence of Bernard striketh our religion as dead as a dore naile it is a clownish marginall you might haue learned amongst Scholers that a dore naile could not be said to be dead because it had never life Privat opinions with vs sway not each wel disposed mā submitteth himselfe to the censure of the Church wherein we liue our Church to the Scriptures and this wee make to be the last resolution Mr LEECH It is lawfull to followe the spirit in interpreting the Scripture but it must be the spirit of the Church that spirit of peace vnity charity that descended vpon the Apostles vnited for domus vna c. they abode all in one house a signe of externall charitie Mens anima vna one minde one soule for they had but one God one faith one Church Ancient Church Calvins and Luthers congregations a signe of internall spirituall vnity The same spirit ever since continued in the Church vnited in faith not divided in faction And wee may seeke for the sense of the scripture but where It must not be out of the stincking puddle of a private braine The aforesaid gentlemen c. but forth of the treasuring memory of the Church Christi Evangelio vim nō inferat humana praesumptio patrum semel definita non sunt iterum in dubium vocanda This is contrary to cursed Luther it is blessed Leo in his 94. Epistle let not humane presumption dare to offer violence vnto the Gospell of Christ for the constitutiōs of fathers once decreed are not further to bee questioned Nec definitiones eorum perpetuae commutandae quorum regulam secundum scripturam esse didicimus So speaketh Flavianus bishop of Constantinople in his Epistle to Pope Leo the first Neither are the perpetuall determinations of them to be changed whose rule we haue learned to agree with scripture ANSVVERE Vnity was the bond of Patriarkes Chariot of the Prophets refuge of the Apostles solace of the Saints and Character of Christians But is this belonging to them who abhorre vnity whose religion is rebelliō whose faith is faction as our Church litargie speaketh in the prayer against the conspiracies of Papists What part in vnity haue they that haue divided Christs Coate nay Christs body Christs Church Quis tulerit Gracchos de seditione loquentes Doe all the opinions in the world squadron themselues into so many divided factions as Papists Do not they like the Midianits sheath every man his sword in his neighbours side Cumel is against Suarez Bellarmine is invaded by Carerius for giuing to little to the Pope Marsilius and Father Paulus encounter him for giving to much Cardinall Columna striueth with Baronius Barelay with Boucher Antonius Augustine tilts against Gratian. That as Ieronymus de Cavallos hath set forth in the law his speculum aureum opinionum Communium contra communes so also in the diversitie of contradictions riotting one against another the sweet and mellifluous Author of the Peace of Rome whom I may tearme a library for a whole nation as Mirandula entitled another great scholler hath most amply delivered and sealed it with their own proofs Doct. Hall so also hath Crastovius in his booke Bellum Iesuiticū 205 contradictions of the Iesuits Pappus hath collected 237 differences in doctrine out of Bellarmine Laborious and reverend D. Willet proveth that there be 70 maine contradictions betweene the olde Papists and the new 37 among the Iesuits 57 points wherein Bellarmin is at strang variance with himself 39 essentiall contradictions of Popish religion 100 opposite Constitutions of the Popish Canons And many more might in this kinde bee registred wherein are divers assertions which are onely taile-tied as Sampsons Foxes with a firebrand betweene them but are head-severed wrenching one from another So that you are the divided factiō not we our difference only de fimbria non de toga yours de toga de corpore de Christo many ridiculous many blasphemous all erroneous We doe not seeke the sense of Scripture out of the stinking puddle of a privat brain as out of the Crows nest of your invention that impostumated phrase doth traduce vs nor doe wee by humane presumption offer violence to the Gospell of Christ as many thousand places in Popery bee abused as your blasphemous Pope who vpon that place Act. 2. Papa Clem. In Canonis cap. disertiss 12. quaest 1. Bellar. lib. 2. de sacram c. 1 Bell. Tom. 1. lib. 3. cap. 3. Bell. de Mon. Erant Apostolis omnia cōmunia addeth immo coniuges or your detorting Cardinal Tortus the Torturer of Scripture vpon that spiritus Domini ferebatur super aquas ergo Baptismus confert gratiam ex opere operato or againe vpon that Scripture Bibite ex hoc omnes id est saith hee omnes Apostoli or vpon that place vocauit nomen eius Enos coepit vocare nomen Domini ergo Enos fuit Monachus and infinite many more violences by him offred Your cursed epithet against Luther is full of hellish fury I doe assure my selfe that God blesseth where the Pope curseth and as sure I am blessed are they that die in the Lord and so is he for he resteth from his labours And was Luther cursed for denying some interpretations of the Fathers Did not Caietan as much In praef com in lib. Mosis in affirming that God had not tied the expositions of the Scriptures to the sēse of the Fathers And did not
in the gainesaying of Corah None here will be worthily thought men deceived by vaine and vnlearned suggestions Mr LEECH And if some men will obstinately shut their eies yet my trust is that others will looke vp to HeaveÌ„ whence this doctrine descended and whether it doth most readily conduce and that they will no longer take darknesse for light night for day poyson for medecine Heresie for verity since truth bringeth ever with it certainety peace and security at the last ANSVVER Psal 135.16.17 The legend giveth Scripture the lie Scripture saith that Idols haue eies and see not eares haue they and they heare not Legend Aurea and yet the legend reporteth that manie of the Idols Images haue spoken seen and hard They open their eies and see not we may shut our eies and yet see that this Doctrine never proceeded froÌ„ heaven or if it descended from thence the descention was like to Lucifer that fell from thence into the bottomlesse pit and no doubt Lucifers sin was no other then this so farre by elatioÌ„ to superlatiue man that in pride he rebell against God By respiratioÌ„ we send our praiers to heaven by inspiration wee receiue instruction from heaveÌ„ but I finde not that Phrase in any approved Author that doctrine descended from heaven And though the Priest in the law coulde only distinguish betweene a Leaper and a Leaper yet in the Gospell the Lord hath so illuminated his servants that they can easily discerne betweene the darknesse of the vnderstaÌ„ding which is falsum and the light thereof which is verum Which truth is the daughter of Syon and is atteÌ„ded with Peace of CoÌ„science ioy in the holy Ghost remission of sinnes communion of Saints and life everlasting Mr LEECH THE SECOND PART CONTAIning the irregular and violent processe of the Vice-chancellour and his complices against me and the former doctrine VVherein the Reader may excellently discerne the nature of heresie and the condition of Heretickes as in a perfit glasse * ⎠* As Iannes and Mambres resisted Moses so doe these resist the truth men corrupt in minde and reprobat concerning the faith 2. Tim. 3.8 ANSVVER THE SECOND PART CONTAIneth the exorbitant and virulent disobedience and palpable hereticall ignorance of the Author of the Triumph as also the false suggestions and vncharitable imputations against most of the Reverend and worthy Doctors of the Vniversity of Oxford wherein the nature of a conceited malecontented Apostat is discovered who having out of heresie spun the Spiders web an opinion Popish ridiculous out of slander and vnsavory words hatched the Coccatrice eâ—ges phrases reproachfull malitious doth beholde his naturall face in a glasse Psal 75. I said vnto the fooles deale not so madly Iud. 11. They haue followed the way of Caine and are cast away by the deceit of Balams wages and perish in the gainesaying of Korah A TRIVMPH OF TRVTH OR DECLARATION OF THE DOCTRINE CONCERNING EVANGELICAL COVNSAILES Mr LEECH CHAP. I. When I had ended my sermon it seemed good vnto Mr Doctor Hutton who was there present confronted me with ridiculous behaviour to cite me before himselfe immediatly in his owne lodging where I fouÌ„d him accompanied with two other Doctors D. Kilby and D. Benefield who gaue speciall attention vnto my sermoÌ„ with great shew of discontent ANSVVER Chrysost in 2. epist ad Tim. 2. IT is S. Chrysostomes observation that the cause of all evill is the neglect of the authority of spirituall governours when no reverence or feare or honour is vsed towardes them If this had not proved true in you you had not presumed when authority contradicted it to reiterate your former opinions Or to accuse D. Hutton of ridiculous behaviour whose gravity and reverent deportment according to his place age founde not in the whole course of his life any accuser but you his resolution in iudgement and office then in goverment were the motiues causing him to send for you you confesse that the Doctours accompanying him attended but much disliked your sermon so did not they only but the whole Church many standing amased to see you bring forth so publikely those two twins ignorance and impudence Of these two Doctors in the former part you affirmed that one of them approved your Doctrine and Apologisd for your opinion which is most vntrue for he ever abhord your assertioÌ„ as formerly I haue answered you that his worthinesse protesteth and as here plainely vnto all appeareth in that you say these two Doctors gaue attentioÌ„ to your sermon with great discontent Mr LEECH Before these men D. Hutton began to charge me with scandalous erroneous and Popish doctrine fitter to be preached in Rome then in Oxford and therefore in no case to bee suffered there to disturbe the peace of the Vniversitie ANSVVER The Provice chancellor and these Doctors as Indices et iudices veritatis did discharge that true care of Gods glory to charge you with the breach of the peace of the Church by obtruding a doctrine scandalous for the occasion erroneous for the opinion vnsafe to bee read and vnsound to be preached Mr LEECH To this accusation I framed my answer to the same tenour and effect as you haue formerly seene in the kitchin-conference adding farther that the doctrine of the Trinity consubstantialitie c. might be branded with the imputation of Popery as well as this doctrine of Evangelicall Counsells ANSVVER You preached this doctrine twise over verbatim almost as appeareth by the Coppies vnder your haÌ„d that now I haue in keeping at least verbatim in your extorted producing of testimony and now verbatim you haue the same Apology for your doctrine of the Trinity consubstantiality c. which you rank with Evangelicall Counsells and of which I shall haue occasion to reckon with you in your motiues Mr LEECH But such is the temerity of some men that they will rather disclaime a manifest truth then they will concurre in opinion with the Church of Rome And for my part I see no reason why you may not as well renounce that Popish doctrine of the Trinity as this of Evangelicall Counsells since both haue their evidence from the same ground Canonicall Scripture and Ecclesiasticall Tradition yea the later hath more cleere deduction and testification out of the Scripture then the former ANSVVER Such is the miserie of some men that they will in the corruption of their rotten hearts vndertake the defence of some manifest vntruth to get them a name as Reverend D. Kilby protesteth he ofteÌ„ warned you and it is the basenesse of some that in the fruitfull grounds of learning they smell after some dunghill questions of Popery to obtaine a title of singularity Mistake not slander not we disclaime not positions so much because Rome maintaineth them as because Antichrist and heresie invented them and yet looke into her streets marke well her Bullwarkes and religiously coÌ„sider what fountaine hath she not poisoned what part of
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
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
the third in the Lateran Councell within these 400 yeeres that the Councell of Trent proposed Images not only to be worshipped Pol. Virg lib. 6 c. 13. de inventi which as Polydor confesseth all the Fathers condemned but it also inioined men to yeeld them divine honour These and infinit more alterations in religion falling from God truth falling from them doe shew that the name of their opinions deserueth not a Catholique title but is meere Popery You lay for your ground that it is probable only that Popery truly conceiued is the very Catholique faith yet notwithstanding you conclude for your finall resolution that Popery is the necessary consequent vpon the true grounds of divinity Can this stand together that Popery dependeth necessarily vpon the grounds of divinity and yet it is but probable that it is the Catholike faith This your third vnconsiderat consideration is my absolute resolution that either the Catholike faith is not a necessary cōsequent as the grounds of divinitie which is absurd to thinke or Popery is not the Catholique faith which I verily beleeue and haue proued by many testimonies Mr LEECH The fourth Motiue The Protestants subvert the truest meanes of piety and perfection PErfection is not absolute in this life but graduall that is to say men are perfit in a degree some more some lesse according to their cooperatiō with divine grace To which ende and purpose there are Consilia perfectionis Counsailes of perfection as Virginity Pouerty c. which remoouing the impediments of perfection are excellent meanes to conduct vs therevnto in as much as they withdraw vs from the loue of the flesh and of the world which are our capitall enemies assaulting vs with their continuall delights and pleasures But the Protestants being in the number of them of whom the Apostles by prophetick spirit spake long before that they would not suffer wholsome doctrine renounce the advise of their Saviour qui potest capere capiat they reiect the monition of S. Paul consilium do they cast behinde thē the common iudgement of ancient Fathers in this point And whereas themselues are now caried away with the evill current of this worst age they feare not not only to disclaime the Fathers but irreligiously to slander them D. Benefield in his lecture as as men bewitched with the errors of their time Hence it is that the plausibilitie of the fift gospell seeketh not to cast any raines vpon the fervour of nature but yeeldeth passage rather and helpe vnto her precipitate course S Paul was of a contrary opinion witnesse his owne words castigo corpus c. Antiquity was of another disposition witnesse S. Hierom in his epistle vnto Pope Damasus and vnto the virgin Eustochium Witnesse S. Gregory Nazianzen in his funerall oration vpon S. Basill witnesse the whole quire of ancient Church Carnem legibus fraenavit which with a sweet heauenly harmony aswell in practise as in doctrine hath commēded vnto vs the restraint of lawfull things with a singular austerity of life These things being wholly opposite vnto the delicacy of Luthers spirit are reputed Popish by him and by his carnall sectaries whose single faith not clogged with the burthen of pious workes can more easily mount vnto heauen Thus are they lulled a sleepe in the cradle of security dreaming of a victory without any striving at all If this be the way vnto happinesse the Way it selfe hath misled vs our guides haue seduced vs our teachers haue misinformed vs the austerity of so many Saints registred in the canon of Gods word and recorded in the Calender of the Church hath beene practised in vaine and the late gospell is more profitable then the former But whether I may rely more safely vpon the first or last I remit me vnto the consideration of any man that hath the sense of true piety lodged in his breast ANSVVER PErfection wee teach thus All true beleevers haue a state of perfection in this life and that this perfection hath two parts first the imputation of Christs perfect obedience which is the ground and fountaine of all our perfection whatsoever Secondly sincerity or vprightnesse And this standeth in two things first in the acknowledging of our imperfection and vnworthinesse in respect of our selues secondly in a constant purpose endeavor and care to keepe the commandements of God So farre are we from perverting the true meanes of perfection as hath beene often answered needeth no more to be answered but that your odious Tautology doth expect some kind of answer We refuse not that which is called by the Apostle wholsome docrine but that which the same spirit hath called Doctrinam Daemoniorum Doctrine of Devills the texts of Scripture are often and fully satisfied and the Fathers plainely and truly interpreted so that it is most contrary to our practise to disclaime the Fathers to slander them as you slander vs But especially seeing herein you cast this imputation on D. Benefield his Lecture see his answer Praefatione ad Academicos Oxonienses § 4. ad 7. where how vntruly you taxe him and how vnworthily the Papists haue dealt with the Fathers may appeare How many points of the Popish Religion doe directly tend to subversion of pieety to maintenance of sinne and liberty of life Haue not they variety of dispensations for any sinne licēces for all things vnlawful and as if Popery consisted but of this triplicity impudence ignorance and indulgence it is maintained they may beleeue as the Church beleeveth never need to learne what the Church holdeth they may iustifie the allowance of Stewes for a common wealth so Harding teacheth Hard. confut Apol. p. 161. they professe that Papists are discharged of all bond of allegeance towards Princes if they be not of the same religion so the Iesuits hold they professe that debtors may except against their creditors choose whether they pay them if they be not of the same Religion Ovand 4. d. 13 Sam Ang. p. 101. nu 15. Caiet 22 ae p. 144. Greg. de val Tom 3. pag. 1090. so Ovandus professeth that prisoners may breake iaile as Caietan averreth that Children may marry without consent of their Parents as Gregory de valentia maintaineth that the Sabaoth may be broken obedience neglected an oath infringed murther iustified and what not Your fifte Gospell wee are not to bee taxed with we only acknowledg the 4 rivers of that Paradise of God The fift was the worke of a monk of your own of the same stamp with Alcoranum Frāsciscanum and our Ladies Psalter all manner of blasphemies abound in both You vrge S. Paul his castigo corpus doth not every true Christian seeke to practise this among vs letting blood in the swelling veines of pride launcing the impostume of greedy desires quenching the fire of filthy lusts and all the firy darts of the Devill Saint Hieroral whom you vrge did worthilie practise this I confesse and had that good father not