the text The Doctors that defeÌ„d theÌ„ The manner of handling them or quoting of places not to be found to vse any vaine and foolish shifts in answere such as any may perceaue to bee feeble weake to deliuer their mindes so doubtfully that an English man in the English tongue shal not vnderstand vvhat they meane to be so contrarie and opposite on to an other and many times each froÌ„ himselfe to dispute for that which they confesse is not so ancient nor so good as the contrary It is an olde saying a rich man need not bee a theife and a good cause at their handes cannot bee lost for lack of pleading only that which wanteth is the truth of the cause they haue bin fashioÌ„ing of it these many yeares euer anon there comme some experter masters than formerly vvith some fresher vernish but noe better prose some tast of this dealing I gaue the readers be-but a more larger euidence and veiw shal follow after in diuers of the points mentioned that all the vvorld shal see confesse that the popish religion at this day taught and professed by the verie confused handling of it is nothinge lesse then accient catholike and true which shal be so faithfully collected that they shal not be denied to be their owne and so plaine for vnderstanding Peruium cunctis iter Sence in Oct. art 2. that although you concâ—aue little or nothing of the questions theÌ„selues yet you shall perceaue the weaknesse of their side by the manner of laying downe their proofes and defences Tub. When I shal see that performed substaÌ„tially which you haue here promised confidently I wil surly stay my haÌ„d from subscribing my harte from consenting to anie such doctrine as shal stand vpon such proofes Rom. By the grace of God I wil not faile to shew it you you shal not take any thing vpon report you shall see and read their owne bookes and discourses themselues and since now you are the man vnto vvhose conscience I appeale for your consent to our side let me shew you the dutie of a reader in a case of controuersie betweene two noe otherwise then D. Harding in his Reioynder against B. Iuell touching them both doth lay it down to you and me and al men else To the reader The dutie of a reader Consider I require thee saith he what is thy duty Remember thou be not partiall towards either of our persons Let all affection be laide aside Let your conscience be the rule of both loue hatred Let neither hope nor feare haue place in your hart to win or loose by either of our fortunes yea if you can so conceaue let our bookes represent vnto thee not Iuell Harding but two men Iohn Thomas departed this worlde to noe man liuing knowen to haue liued And when you haue left of all affection touching our persons then study to discharge thy minde of all blind parciality towards both our doctrines abandoning all humane likings and carnall phantasies with a single eie simple hart behold imbrace what is good true only for loue of God and for the truthes sake Being thus desposed commend your selfe vnto God with praier beseeching him to lighten your vnderstanding by his holie spirit to lead you vnto the truth This done with an humble hart read both our Treatises and iudg yet this much I saie in case of necessitie not to all in generall but to certaine such as by other meanes will not bee induced to consider of the truth The reply is that which B. Iuell wrot against him for otherwise I acknowledge that both the REPLY and all other hereticall bookes by order of the Church without speciall licence bee vnlawfull to be read and are vtter he forbidden to bee read or kept vnder paine of excoÌ„municatioÌ„ Remember I saie the part of a iudge is to iudge as the Lawyers speake secundum allegata probata that is to saie as things be alleadged proued Beware everie thing is not proued for which authorities bee alleadged Nota bene neither is all made good which by probable arguments seemeth to be concluded Allegations must be true plaine simple neither weakned by taking awaie nor strengthened by putting to of wordes nor wrested from the sence they beare in the writer else they bewraie the feeblenesse of the cause for proofe whereof they be alleadged also the great vntruth of theÌ„ that for furtherance of their purpose abuseth them if they haue corrupted their witnesses or brought in false witnesses if they haue vntruly reported their Doctors shamfully falsified their sayings theÌ„ ought you to giue sentence against them then is their honestie stained then is their credit defaced and then is their challenge quiet dashed Thus farr D. Harding Mat. 27.24 And Pilate tooke water and washed his handes before the multitude saying I am innocent of the bloud of this iust man euen so cleare is M. Hardinge and his fellowes froÌ„ misreporting the Doctors or falsifying their sayings or in not committing any thing wherof they would seeme to be most free as anon shal appeare Tub. Me thinketh by these words of D. Harding by your request made before vnto me that both parties on both sides require nothing more then that al their readers should ponder waighe the allegations proofes both of the one side other and then iudge of the truth accordingly but I feare he meaneth nothing less because he saith that both the REPLY al other hereticall books by order of the church without speciall licence bee vnlawfull to bee read or kept By hereticall bookes hee meaneth the protestants writings which inference abridgeth the libertie of reading consequeÌ„tly of iudging by any indifferent way or meane to come to the knowledge of the truth For the heathen Poet could deliuer a good speech to that purpose by the very light of naturall discourse Qui statuit aliquid parte inauditâ alterâ Aequum licet statuerit haud aquus fuit Senec in Med Act. 2. He that not hearing either part ponounceth his decree Vnrighteous maÌ„ accounted is though right his sentence be Rom. I did includ so much in mine owne speech vnto you before but that perhaps you wil sooner approue of your owne obseruation then my collection And to tel you truly which you shal certainty find by conuersing more with theÌ„ they doe not suffer the common laitie amongst them to see or read or heare any thinge without speciall licence so much and such parcells as it shal please them But those that they knowe are so stiffe and obstinate that nothing will a waken their vnderstanding perhapps they will giue some small libertie of reading the better to colour their denial to others And this doe they not only touching the vse or reading either of the holy scriptures or of the protestants bookes Hard cont Iuell art 2. fol. 56. In
THE FAL OF BABEL By the confusion of tongues directly proving against the Papists of this and former ages that a view of their writings and bookes being taken it cannot be discerned by any man living what they would say or how be vnderstoode in the question of the sacrifice of the Masse the Reall presence or transubstantiation but in explaning their mindes they fall vpon such termes as the Protestants vse and allow FVRTHER In the question of the Popes supremacy is shewed how they abuse an authority of the auncient father St. Cyprian A Canon of the 1. Niceene counsell And the Ecclesiasticall historie of Socrates and Sozomen And lastly is set downe a briefe of the succession of Popes in the sea of Rome for these 1600. yeeres togither what diversity there is in their accompt what heresies schismes and intrusions there hath bin in that sea delivered in opposition against their tables wherewith now adaies they are very busie and other things discovered against them By IOHN PANKE 2. Sam. 3.1 There was long warre betweene the house of Saul and the house of David but David waxed stronger and the house of Saul waxed weaker Printed at Oxford by Ioseph Barnes 1608. TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVLL and Reuerend in Christ M. D. A. the heads of Colledges and companies of students in the Vniuersitie of Oxford And their Colleagues and associates against the common aduersarie in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge and all other publike defenders of the true christian religion within this his Maiesties Realme of great Brittaine Iohn Pancke wisheth grace and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ I Haue read it reported Reuerend Fathers and Brethren Reyn in the beeginning of his 6. conclusions And also in his apology of them Quid opus est vt properes periculum suscipere condemnationis loqueÌ„do cum taceÌ„do possis esse tutior Ambro. offic l. 1. c. 2. that it was the fortune of Aulus Albinus to bee reprehended by Cato the censor because being a Romane and writing his historie in Greeke he did seeme to aske pardoÌ„ if he did therin amisse wheÌ„ with lesse adventure hee might haue kept himselfe from all fault in not medling with such a businesse at all My case at this time is euen as his in this matter taken in hand I would both adventure it will also praie your pardons if I haue either done amisse in medling with a businesse that beelongeth to right approued schollers or haue not proceeded so soundly against the aduersaries as the waight of these questions doth requier My defence in both cases is by waie of excuse for seeing I haue for some fewe yeares past bin conuersaÌ„t in al your writings that J could harken out to be printed against the adversaries to whom rather shoulde J giue an account then vnto you either of the profit I haue made by them to ouerthrowe the contrarie part or incite you to continue yet your further labours to the building vp of the spirituall house of the Lord and better accomplish all could doe that by this kinde of dedication Illustres praestantes viri discipulorumcer taminibus noÌ„minus quaÌ„ suis vincunt Amb. offic l. 1. c 41. Si pro otioso verbo reddemus rationem videamus ne reddamus pro otioso si entiâ— Amb. offic l. 1. c. 3. The truth hath spokeÌ„ it we shall render an account for euerie idle word and so shal we for our idle silence J freely confesse vnto you al that next the booke of God your volumes and treatises haue especially tied mee at home when some other my companions haue bin walking abroad The holy truth which in your consciences you knowe you doe vphold is the waightiest assurance of well doing that maie bee The consent of nations Churches abroad is a great motiue to pricke you forward but when by the particular travel of any on man it may also appeare that hauing had your writings tried by the CanoÌ„ of holie scripture and some antiquitie else hauing it found that there is a true Diapason concord in al your voices in arguing the truth of the Lords cause this to bee testified by others that are of the Laitie as children ioining with you Fathers wil J suppose bee noe smal ioie and gladnesse vnto you Macte virtute Go forward J beeseech you with good courage the aduersarie is insoleÌ„t but verie weake Lactant instit lib. 5. c. 20. fol. 465. iam profecto ab amculis quas contemnunt à pueris nostratibus error illocum ac stultitiae irridetur euen of old wiues and yong children which they most contemne is their verie religion derided Illa enim religio muta est non tantuÌ„ quia mutoâ—um est sed quia titus eius in manu digitis estnoÌ„ in corde aut lingua sicut nostra ibid. l 4. c. 3. fol. 303. They can tel now as wel as their teachers that their religion is dumbe as done vnto stockes and blockes and also is idle as beeing placed in the hande and fingers scarcelie comminge into the tongue but neuer into the heart as the auncient father Lactantius saith by the Gentiles which aptly sheweth the vanitie of theirs also for by euens ods they make their praiers long or short Their Beads Iuell Nolo nuÌ„c aut Oxonienses CaÌ„tabrigiensibus aut Cantabrigienses Oxoniensibus anteponere vtrosque constat ingenio eruditione vaâ—uisse Sic. Melc Canus de Graecis Latinis l. 7. fo 231 a. not the one before the other but either of them before the best in the world Lilly Fulke Whita L. B. Winchest Reynoldes Besides lib. de Rom. Ecclesiae Idolol Apolog Thesium Humphrey Erat enim ingenio facili co pioso suavi quae sermonis maxima virtus aperto vt discernere nequeas vtrum ne ornatior in eloquendo an faciliot in explicando an potentior in persuadendo fuerit Lac. de Cyp. lib. de iustitia c. 1. To incite you to this holy conflict I wil cal to your remembrances the paines of very worthy men both aliue and dead Let it bee the honor of Bishop Iuell once bishop of Sarum that his reply Apology stand safe without iust reprehension when his direct adversary D. Harding reioined but to one of 27. articles Stapleton returned but to 4. those so meanly cloathed that himselfe might haue bin ashamed not answering the 10. part of the bishops text leauing out whole sheetes to which he hath not said a word Dorman delt also against the Bishop in 4. articles too but too too porely Propose to your sights the industrious toiles of D. Fulke and VVhitakers the one for his answere to the Rhemish testament as also his defence of our translatioÌ„s against Gregory Martin his answere to Bristow Allen and others The other for his paines against Champion Stapleton Dureus Bellarmine But in this are the liuing to be preferred before the deade in that it hath
covenant and promise aside are not worthy of eternal life Gods mercy and promise is then his best stake howsoeuer sometimes he would pul it vp To make our workes truely and properly meritorious and fully worthy of euerlasting life What they say of good works Rhem. 2. Tim. 4 v 8. Ieam c. 2 v. 22. What they say of good works and more principal causes in the matter of iustification then faith to make them the cause of heauen as ill deeds are the cause of hel To say that we may trust vnto them that they are true righteousnesse and that they are able to abide the iudgment of God And yet to say that it is of his free mercie and liberality that either he promised any such reward to our works and that the works of themselues are his none of ours and that when he crowneth our works he crowneth his owne gifts that he rewardeth them aboue our desert and al this in respect of his free promise and graunt are the words of men that are disposed to play their parts on a stage and when they are out of their parts to imagin some God to come downe amongst them to keepe their credit with the people for their tenor and breefe of all their talke is we haue truely and properlie deserued heauen because of his free bountie mercie he first promised and then gaue it vs. Stapleton after much debating of this questiòn De vniuets iustif doct lib. 10 c. 7. fol. 361. God is to himself not not to vs. commeth in the end to this That debter whensoeuer we doe read in the ancient fathers that god is debter vnto vs in the great gift of eternal life It must be vnderstood as debter to himselfe and in respect of his owne promises and that hee is not debter vnto vs to himselfe not to vs for his own promises not for the worthines of vs or our woorks If this suffice them wee will stand to it God is iust saiâ— we in that he keepeth promise and doth not deceaue his of that reward Whitak cont Gul. Reynold fol. 58. which they hope for but the promise is free for freely he promised and freely hee giueth yet in that hee bound himself vnto vs by his free promise it was iust that he should performe the same not that wee haue iustly and worthilie deserued any part of that reward but because it is meete that God be alwaies faithfull in his words And so make him if debter to any theÌ„ to himselfe as Stapleton speaketh The Crowne is the reward which God hath promised to the worke not because the worke is vvorthie of it but because it pleased him so graciously and liberaly to bestowe such excellent rewards vpoÌ„ vs that haue deserued so little and so keep in with the promise and couenant and exact nothing of him because al are his as Bellarmine a voucheth Cui redderet coronam iustus iudex si noÌ„ donasset gratiaÌ„ misericors pater quomodo eslet ista corona iustitiae nisi pra cessisset gratia quae iustificat impium Augde gra lib. arb c. 6. â—nnot 2. Tim. 4. v. 8. And when he crowneth vs he crowneth his owne gifts not our workes giuing before what he repaieth after For how should hee repay as a iust iudge vnlesse he had first giuen as a merciful father how should this be a crowne of iustice if grace had not gon before which iustifieth the vngodly man as saie the Rhemists Of these notes and the rest in this whole booke following I would haue you that are seduced to demand of your teachers what they thinke praying them to reveiwe reexamine them and for your parts to marke how they answere defend their opinioÌ„s but see with your own eies trust not theirs Thinke that the verie debating of these questions vvhich they cannot chuse but handle hath drawen such confessioÌ„s from them settle your selues but once to compare their reasons First with the holie scripture then with the ancient fathers of the primitiue time and lastly by the protestant writers of this age in the Church of England and then iudge where the truth is you wil then sone perceiue I wil speake of one for all that noe man can more fully contradict Bellarmine then Bellarmine doth himselfe Nec enim poterit ab vilo Cicero quam Cicerohe vehemen ius resutari l 2. c. 9. fol. 148 Cicer pro domo sua post medium Staplet in the fortresse f. 5. b as Lactantius said of Tully If he or anie of them or al of them bee growen in your opinious great it is but the elemeÌ„ts of your sloth that wil not giue you leaue to looke on him Calamitas huius temporiss lan dem viri propagauit The miserie of this time wherin pusillanimity so much reigneth in your mindes hath gotten him the praise he hath and not the cause he handleth for looke into that and you vvill bee ashamed both of it and him Wee all iumpe in this As noe building standeth without a sure and substantial foundation so noe life no saluation is to be hoped for vvithout a right and true faith Let vs therfore look whom vve trust and what vve beleue Sireligio tollitur vulla nobis ratio cum coelo est Lactant l 3 〈◊〉 10. away religion fol. 224. Take and we haue noe societie with heauen Non hic nobis labor Invtilis ad pernitiem sed vtili ad salutem Aug ep 111. The Iewes could tel that the golden calfe which they worshiped was not God yet were they idolaters and the heathen did not thinke did not thinke that those thinges which they made with their hands to be Gods c. and yet were they grosse Idolaters A quibus si persuasionis eius rationem requiras nuilam possint reddere sed ad maio rum iudicia coÌ„fugiant quod alli sapientes fuerint illi pro bauerint illi scierint quid esset optimum seque ipsos seÌ„sibus spoliant ratione abdicant dum alienis erroribus jeredunt Lact 5. c. 20. the labour therof is not vnprofitable leading vs to destruction but profitable bringing to salvation Beleiue not them that woulde drawe you from knowledge Knowe that they abuse you that saie the scriptures are not for you to read and al to keepe you in ignorance because you shal not see what they say or doe Take you heed of them that teach you worshiping of Images praying to Saints that plead their pardons their purgatorie noe one sillable in Gods booke sounding anie waie to either of them I knowe they haue excuses that you doe it not to the image but to the thinge represented which excuse besides that it is the same that the Iewes and all Idolaters that vvere heathen could make for themselues it is a moÌ„strous vntruth in it selfe They know there be amongst them who haue written in defence of the vvorshiping of the imag of the Crosse and trinitie
say Peter is named in speciall as often elswhere for prerogatiue It is said of Midas that he wished every thinge he did touch might be gold I thinke they are as so manie Midasses every thing they deale in maketh for Peters prerogatiue a simple prerogatiue I thinke it is for him to bee named after all the Disciples Tub. Here bee shrewd accusations indeed they accuse you and you accuse them on whom shal I such other that stand in doubt betweene you relie They are very famous for their learning and paines taken in defence iustification of their cause their volumes and bookes are many and it maie be your replies answers are as large but here is the doubt who saith true Rom. Iuell to the reader in the def of the Apologie Indeed it cannot chuse but pitty everie good maÌ„ in behalfe of his vnlearned brother to see his conscience thus assalted this daie with so contrarie doctrines of religion especially when there is a zeale to followe and men knowe not what and would faine please God and cannot tell how or if they finde not themselues armed with Gods holie spirit not are able to discerne their meat from poison nor to wind theÌ„selues out of the snares for Sathan transformeth himselfe into an Angel of light 2. Cor. 11. the wicked are more watchful vehement then the Godly and falshood is oftentimes pointed beautified shineth more glorious then the truth These be the things which as S. Paule saith worketh the subversion of the hearers and by meane wherof 2. Tim. 2. Mat 24 as Christ saith if it were possible the very elect of God shoulde bee deceaued Notwithstanding God in these daies hath so amazed the adversaries of his Gospel and hath caused them so openly and so grossly to laie abroad their follies to the sight and face of all the world that noe man now bee hee neuer so ignorant can thinke he may be iustly excused it is but tolle lego take vp read read and vnderstand by Gods assistance But the indiscretion of manie in the world that doe stand doubtful of the truth betweene them vs is equivalent and semblable to that answere which I once hard a Master giue to on that had bin his Factor or rather indeed his fractor in a case not vnlike to this about some difference between them of accouÌ„ts the Factor pleaded his innocencie and truth by the plainenesse of his proceedings in deliuering his bills and reckonings to his Master from time to time to be examined his M. replied you haue so done indeed but you knowe that I neither did nor would looke on them It is noe basenesse for the greatest to de scend looke into their own estate Bacon sE of expeÌ„ce nor examine theÌ„ I fouÌ„d by that answere that the reason whie the Master would not nor had anie liking to veiw them was because hee woulde haue libertie at anie time as occasion serued to say he could not tell whether his man deceaued him or not Wheras if hee had but taken the paines to haue examined his mans dealings hee might haue bin assured to haue found how he had behaued himselfe towards him whether true or false so fareth it in these daies with vs painfull workes there are enough some of great volume some slighter al concerning the truth of our cause which all men maie see and read but that which galeth vs and most tieth our adversaries to themselues and their errors is that they who condemne vs knowe vs not whether we be white or black they neuer obserue Albi an atri simus nesciunt who say we are heretickes dispisers of the Church and yet neuer read what we hold nor examine vs in any thinge that we doe as publikely complaineth a great scholler of our side D. Doue of Recusancy c. 2 and I my selfe haue oft had experieÌ„ce And therfore in few words between them and vs I can saie as the ancient father Arnobius said against the Gentiles wheÌ„ they accused the christians of those things wherof themselues were guiltie even in the verie entrance of his conference he testifieth roundly to the world Arnob. contra Gentes lib. 1. in princip in these words Efficietur enim profecto rationum consequentium copulatu vt non impij nos magis sed illi ipsi reperiantur criminis estius rei qui renuminum profitentur esse cultores atque inveteratis religionibus deditos It shal be proued saith he by the ioining of our reasons to gether that we are not so wicked as they lay to our charge but that themselues are founde guiltie of that wherof they accuse vs who doe professe themselues worship pers of the Gods and only retainers of the ancieÌ„t religions But if you or any other wil be amated with anie streame of words to beleiue that part without looking into the matter reasons proofes drifts and arguments of al sides wherby you maie rightly iudge indeed the same Father telleth you againe Quid est enim quod humana ingenia tabefactare studio contradictionis non audeant Arnob. Ibid. l. â— fol. 102. what is it saith he that the witts of some meÌ„ dare not ruinate with the studie of coÌ„tradictioÌ„ yea although that which they studie to ouerthrowe be pure and clear and hedged with truth on everie side and who cannot saith hee dispute with arguments of great liklihood yea although he defend a manifest vntruth lye The roote of this error vaine consequeÌ„ce he toucheth in the next words following Cum enim sibipersuaserit quis esse quid aut non esse amat quod opinatur asserere When a man hath perswaided himselfe that anie thing is so or not so he then loueth what he apprehendeth and desireth to excell others in sharpnesse of wit especialliy if the matter which is dealt in be remote hid or darke But God be thanked those learned diuines reuerend prelats before mentioned and a number other in this age with their infinite toile and paine haue threshed and winnowed for vs the doctrine and differences of the Church of Rome and this of England they haue performed the first part of the Apostles speech which willeth to trie all things 1. Thess 5. â—1 the latter part resteth vpon vs to followe that that which is good bee kept nether can there be a keeping of that which is good without a triall of all things doe goe before so that I dare pronounce there is none who maie not if he will see on which side the truth is Epist 105. M. to this purpose I doe remember a sentence of the Godly and learned father S. Augustine which is Ignorantia in cis qui intelligere noluernut sine dubitatione peccatum est Ignorance in them which are notwillng to learne without doubt it is sinne in them which cannot learne a punishment of sin in both there is noe iust excuse but iust damnation Tub. It
wherin I cannot chuse but maruaile at his grosse and poore shiftes in a case so plaine so taken so knowen of all men What deuises What impostures What weaknesse hath he shewed in his ghesses As though hee had neuer seene nor read the place Doth S. Augustine speake of vnlawfull counsels Doth hee speake of deliuering ouer the books of holy scriptures to the heretiks doth he speak of matters of fact Doth he speake of precepts of maners Or doth he speak of all of these Or of any one of these Nether of any one of these doth he speake nor of all of these But because it appeareth by these ghessing answers of theirs that the coÌ„trouersie would sone be at an end if the occasioÌ„ which drew those words froÌ„ him were rightly truly deliuered because al meÌ„ agree Intelligentia dictorum ex causiâ— est assumendi dicendi Apolog. Thes Rey. de sacra scrip fol 215. The vnderstaÌ„ding true sence of words must bee fetched from the occasion that gaue the speech which was this In that ancient father S. Cyprians time a couÌ„sell was held in Carthage Cyprian being president therof wherin was concluded an error of faith that such were to beere-baptized as had bin baptized by heretikes The Donatists vrged that decree together with S. Cyprians authoritie against S. Augustine S. Augustine as he refused the opinion holding no rebaptization although heretikes had baptised and the authoritie too answering that only the scriptures could not erre but all other both Bishops writings prouincial counsells yea generall too might erre and therfore bee amended And this is plainly to be seene both in the first chapter of the first booke Aug. de bapt contra Donat. l. 1. c. 1 lib. 2. c. 1. where he saith he will diligently handle that question of Baptisme in the bookes following which elswhere he had omitted proue it too against all those qui non studio partium cacati iudicant who iudge not according to parts taken And also in the first chapter of the third booke where hee reciteth the verie state of the questioÌ„ which he was to handle against the Donatists and that decree which was vrged wherin was concluded that al heretikes schismatikes that is to say all that are out of the fellowship of the Church haue no baptisme and therfore whosoeuer being baptized came from them to the church were to bee baptized againe Vnpossible it is that either the Rhemistes or Bellarmine or any other writer amongst them should be ignoraÌ„t of this But when malice shadoweth mens minds they doe verie really lay open themselues Hardly can any of them saie that this question of Baptisme was a matter of fact not of faith or of maners and not of doctrine vvheÌ„ it is of so high a point as baptisme by heretikes whether we ought to baptize those againe who haue by them bin baptised first He that mistrusteth what I haue said herein let him ether read S. Augustine Confer in the tower 2 day Annot in 15. act v. 13. Praelect Whitak coâ—t Bell. de con q 6. f. 318. that shall best resolue him or the learned writers of our age D. Fulkes second daies conference in the Tower with Cawpâ—an And in his answere to the Rhemists 15. acts v. 13. D. Whitakers in his tract of counsells against Bellarmine set out since his death Or D. Reynolds in his Apology of his Thesis and Whitaker s against Dureus Apol. thes Io. Rey. de sacra scrip fol. 225. Whitak cont Dureum l. 4. de conc f. 291. Bellarm. testifieth against himselfe that S. Aug. spake against rebaptisation which I hope hee wil not say is a matter of fact Bellar de coÌ„c auth l. 2. c. 3. f. 111. de coÌ„c eccles l. 1. c. 10. fol. 46. 47 all which doe mightily discouer the folly of their adversaries in this point Compare their concord in this question with the inconstancie of those on the other side But see the high impudencie of Bellarmine against the witnesse of his owne conscience and against al the excuses and deuises before set downe to darken the place in question He doth scarsly full foure leaues before say plainly in praise of generall counsells That S. Augustine did excuse Cyprian froÌ„ heresie only because at that time there had bin no generall counsell held quo definiri potuisset questio illa de baptismo haereticorum Wherin that question of the baptisme of heretikes might haue bin defined quoteth Aug. lib. 1. de baptc 18. And could Bellarmine tel that in the first booke 18. Chapter Augustine spake of baptisme by heretikes and that that was the Donatists case and his They alleadging and he excusing S. Cyprian could hee not tel that it was the same which Augustine spake of in the 2. booke and third chapter being the place in questioÌ„ with vs but foure chapters of But wee may thanke the truth for Bellarmines confession against himselfe as Tully said of it O magua vis veritatis quae contra hominum ingenia Tull. pro. M. Coelio calliditatem sollertiam contraque fict as omnium infidias facile se per seipsam defendat O the great strength of the truth which will easily defend it selfe against the wits craft suttelty all deuises of men whatsoeuer As before you haue seene their seuerall obseruations touching that authority of Aug. so wil I yet more plainly discouer their preteÌ„ded right to a CanoÌ„ of a great ancieÌ„t counsel Can. Nic. coÌ„ 6 Iuell reply to Hard art 4. di 7 fol. 240. Reyn conf with Hart. c. 9. diuis 2 f. 573. Defenc. of the Apology p. 2. c. 3. diuis 6. fol. 214. the first generall held at Nice in a question betweene the bishop of Rome and vs we saying the Canon maketh for vs and they for them The canon goeth thus Mos antiquus perduret in Aegâ—pto Libia Pentapoli vt Alexandrinus Episcopus horum omnium habeat potestateÌ„ quandoquidem Romano Episcopo parilis est mos. Let the ancient custome remaine throughout Egipt Libia and Pentapolis that the Bishop of Alexandria haue the goverment ouer al these because the bishop of Rome hath the like order Likewise also in Antiochia in other provinces the priviledges are to bee kept to the churches Which canon of the councel is acknowledged by ours to be plaine for the purpose it was written viz that the Bishop of Rome hath no soveraignty ouer other patriarches but only a fellowship and equallity with the rest to walke carefully within his owne division as others were bound to do within theirs For the councel grouÌ„ded themselues on the custome of the bishop of Rome that as he had preeminence of al the bishops about him so Alexandria and Antioche should haue of al about them and likewise other Churches as the Metropolitan each in their owne provinces doe shew that the Pope neither had preeminence of al through the worlde before the