God according to their gift haue a care to do Tract But when men â—arre and do not agree about the sense or meaning of some hard places of scripture is it not good and great quiet to the Church that some one in authority should strike the stroke and say Let it be taken thus Guid. What if one mans exposition proue worse then ail the rest shall we build our faith for quyetnesse sake vpon a false interpretation Indeed it were a blessed thing if any one might be found any where that could and would alwaies hit aright and neuer misse but because you cannot name any such a one on earth the safest and surest way is for each Christian King in his owne dominion to call vnto hinâ— the greatest godliest and best learned and so they altogether to vse the meanes which the learned professors of the Gospell iudge to be best for the vnderstanding of the darker places and so through Gods helpe finding the truth hold the people to it by such discipline as shall be thought most fit for the glory of God and the good of the Church Tract By that meanes it may bee that each particular Church may yeelde to that which the chiefe in that church shall affirme to bee soundest But yet one particular Church may for all that dissent from another as England froÌ„ Spaine in many points especially if any Church would notwithstanding they would seeme to vse that meanes bow the sense to the opinion they haue long fauoured and not their opinions to that sense vnto which the meanes you spake of if they would suffer it would draw it And so mens affections ouer-ruling the meanes though there may be some vnity in the particular yet there will be still a war in the vniuersall and therfore if you wil haue a generall vnity there must be a generall Councell in which some godly learned men out of all parts of Christendome must meete and all shew themselues willing to the truth and to embrace vnity and vniformity So might we haue one translation and one interpretation throughout all Christendome which though they differed in Language should be all one in sense Guid. If any in that generall meeting will be froward and labour to draw as you said the sense to their opinion they may all goe home againe and conclude nothing It is well knowne that latter Councels haue vndone that which some former haue decréed and that there hath béene iarring and erring in Councels Tract Haue Councels erred Guid. If one decrée for the obseruation of any thing and an other decree against the same thing one of these must needes erre Rom. You must needs grant that cozen Guid. Your cozen may sée this proued to be true in the writing of sundry men if it please him Tract Well it may bee that men seeing the inconueniency of such iarring and varying will be wiser now and take heed they decree nothing which others in time to come shall haue iust cause to gaine-say and vndoe And they shal the better effect this if they begin with prayer and some ancient godly man to exhort the rest that as they haue the feare of God any sound faith in Iesus Christ any true zeale any loue to Gods Church any care to quiet mens consciences they should laying aside all bitter and biting words all partiality all hunting after vaine-glory earnestly carefully painfully and charitably conferre and trauell to bring one sound Translation one forme of sound doctrine and one good gouernment in the Church in all Nations Guid. I doubt the Protestants will hardly be drawne to goe among such as not onely count them Heretikes but also hold that no promise no faith is to be kept with them Your dealing heretofore with Iohn Husse and Hierom of Prage and your late Powder plots are able to make any were he neuer so willing to seeke peace to be a fraide to come among you You talke much of Charitie it is a monstrous charity that is still seeking for bloud Our louing Redemer found fault with Peter for striking off a Seruants eare Mat. 26 51. and did you thinke to please him with blowing vp so many not Seruants but Maisters Lords yea the Lords Anoynted Wretched Fauxe neyther thou Mat. 5.36 nor any man can make an haire white or blacke Tract Good Maister Guide-well talke no more of such Catholike conclusions I for my part am ashamed of them and so I thinke are all such as haue not their consciences seared with a hotte Iron let such bloudy deuises returne to Hell from whence they came let vs now here what is thought of the Learned to be the best means to coÌ„e by the true sense of the Scriptures which as Saint Peter sayth P 3. 316. are peruerted by such as are vnlearned and vnstable Guid. There be diuers meanes which if they be rightly vsed will no doubt further vs well in that search The first is Prayer Aske and it shall be giuen you The second is the knowledg of the originall tongues chiefely required in translators for except we vnderstand the words how shall we find the sence The third is the Word to consider what is spoken properly what figuratiuely VVhit controuer l. p 349. 350. 351. c. It is a miserable bondage of the Soule sayth Austin to take the Signes for the Things That is to interpret those things properly that are spoken figuratiuely The fourth is to consider the scope the end the matter the circumstance what went before and what followeth after If thou wilt enter into life saith Christ keepe the Commandements Here-hence our Aduersaries do gather that we are iustified by works not marking to what man our Sauiour Christ made that answere euen to him verily which leaning to the opinion of his owne righteousnes demaunded what thinges he might doe that he might obtaine eternall life such men as trust to their own workes are worthily sent to the Law the so they may vnderstand how farre they bee from perfect righteousnesse The fift meane is to conferre one place with another the obscure with such as bee more plaine Saint Iames saith Abraham was iustified by workes Ia. 2.21 Saint Paul saith Abraham was not iustified by workes for then he should haue wherein to boast Rom. 4.2 And that Paul spake in that place of workes which followed the calling of Abraham it is euident first because it is said AbrahaÌ„ beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse which all men know to haue bene long after his calling Secondly because Saint Paul commeth afterward to the example of Dauid who was an holy man renued by the Spirit of God called of God Wee must needs therefore grant that the word of Iustification is taken diuersly So that to be iustified with Iames is to bee declared iust as Thomas Aquinas himselfe vpon that place granteth but to be iustified with Paul is to bee absolued from all sinnes and to be
féete be not shod with preparation of the Gospell of peace but wiâ—â— a masse of massacres battle and bloud theâ— haue not the shield of faith to quench the fieâ—â— darts of the wicked but of some Popish diâ—pensatioÌ„ or of some fond imaginatioÌ„ vnto 〈◊〉 which while the trusted thinking therby to bâ— aduanced they threw theÌ„selues down head long into perpetual confusion many thingâ— are laid to the charge of such as wish Papish gone with bag baggage as yâ— they are a with soning crue quarrelsome sectaries agrée with the Annabaptists c. but for ought yâ— I caâ— sée they are so far from thinking on any such hellish stratagems that for the defence of our right déere Soueraigne the Gospell their country they would spend each drop of bloud in their bodies God grant all those that professe the Gospell sincerely so to loue one another that if néede require we may fight together against the common enemy Chap. Alasse how should they fight that haue lost their liuings though a man had mony to buy him a weapon yet if his body bee weake for want of nourishment hee will scarce bee able to kill a frog Sal. It were good they had maintenance â—nd weapons too to defend themselues â—om their Enemies I know the Lord is â—ur best Buckler he is onely our support Psal 23. â—hat Horses Bowes and Swords can not â—â—ue men yet he that saide so 1. Sam. 40.45.47 had a Sling â—nd a Stone though he trusted not in them â—ut in the Lord of Hostes who the very â—ame day that the Philistine had thought to â—aue giuen Dauids flesh vnto the Foules of â—â—e Heauen and to the Beastes of the field â—losed him in Dauids hands and so his owne â—ead was cutte off with his owne Sword Such as make pittes for such as feare God â—oe oft-times fall ints the same themselues Chap. But how fell wee to talke of this from talking of such as talke in time of Sermon Sal. I cited that place in Saint Paule where he biddeth the Ephesians put on all the Armour of God and so we digrest to the Armour of the wicked who if they made any reconing of the Scriptures they would â—reade them oftner then they doe and in reading note that Dauid was touched in his heart when he had cut off but the â—lappe of Saules Garment that though Amon worshiped his Fathers Idols yet by the iust iudgement of God 2. King 21 2â—.23 the people of the Land slew all those that conspired againsâ— him and that though King Pekaiah did euilâ— in the sight of the Lord yet Captaine Pekaâ—â— that slew him to raigne in his steed waâ— himselfe slaine by Hosea the Sonne of Elaâ— If these wicked Walkers for I haue donâ— with the Church talkers hoping I shalâ— neede to say no more of that matter would remember those histories and the fall oâ— Traytors in all ages and how that thâ— Lord hath not only forbidden to touch wilâ— bloudy hands his Annointed and the heriâ—tage of his Prophets but also threatneâ— that the bloudthirstie and vngodly menâ— whom he abhorreth shall not liue out halfâ— their dayes they would not imagine sucâ— mischitfe vpon their beds and conceiue much lesse bring foorth such monstrouâ— fruite Alar Lib. vniuer iuri Histor desâ—â—ip pag. â—5 The day in which proude Tarquiâ—â— was banished was called Regifugium Iâ— were well if the fifth of Nouember werâ— called Papae-fugium for that I wishe 〈◊〉 raigned no longer in any mans hart here 〈◊〉 these be theire fruites Chap. If they escaped not that conspired against bad Kings how shall they be freâ— that rise vp against a good King which by his calling of a Conference and by his Proclamations and by his Bookes hath mad◠〈◊〉 knowne to all that will not be willfuly â—gnorant that he hath great care that all things may be wel ordered both in Church and Common wealth If any haue Popish Pardons for such pestilent plots they came not from the Chaire of Peter who sayeth euen in that translation which they most esteeme Feare God honour the King But from some other bloudy bench where Sathan hath a throne I thinke few of these we speake of come to our Churches Sal. I thinke so to but if they would come with a minde desirous to finde the trueth and pray from their hearts that it would please God to deliuer them from whatsoeuer offendeth his Maiestie If they would call afterknowledge Pro. 2.3.4 and cry for vnderstanding If they would search for her as they would for siluer and treasure then as Salomon sayth they should vnderstand the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God Chap. The Lord for his tender mercies graunt that both we and they may so seeke for the true knowledge of God and of his true worship as that we may find it and finding it may hold it fast vnto the end and so I leaue you making roome for the next Chapman The 4. and 5. Chapmen VVEE would be the next if wee might Sal. What would you haue Chap. Wee would haue Salt for two Shepheards Sal. Shepheards vse Tarre and not Salt as I thinke Chap. As Tarre is good for some Sheepe so is this Salt which you bring good for the Shepheard Sal. How knowe you that before you haue tryed it Chap. They say that your Salt is Canonicall and that being sound must needs be good Sal. True if it be well vsed but what is amisse in the Shepheard for whom you come Chap. The one is either so lame or so lither that he will not feede his Flock And the other though he fodder his Sheepe yet he doth not looke well to his way and that makes him stumble very much Sal. If I thought they would estéeme of it and take it in good part and not snuffe at it as if you sought and brought this Salt rather to frecte them to their heart then to whet them for their good I would gladly helpe you to that you come for but I meruaile you seeke not first for your selfe but beginne with your Shepheards Chap. I am perswaded that if they were sound we should all doe the better Sal. You do well to seeke to haue your Shepheard sound so that you remember there was neuer any perfectly sound but one called Archipoimen The chieâ— Shepheard who gaue his life for his Sheepe 1. Pet. 5.4 and fitteth now at the right hand of Maiesty in the highest place Chap. That Shepheard was peerelesse Reu. 1.5 for as some write of him he washed them in his owne bloud But our Shepheard I feare me hath more fellowes though some say a lame Shepheard hath no fellowe Sal. Not onely your Shepheard but my selfe for I am a Shepheard also and all Sepheards haue their infirmities more or lesse and it were to be wished we could and would all of vs take as great paines for the good of the Flocks coÌ„mitted to our charge as did Iacob
fellow euen as I had pitty on thee So his maister was wroth and deliuered him to the Iaylors till hee should pay all that was due to him So likewise shall my heauenly Father do to you Note except you forgiue from your hearts each one to his brother their trespasses Blessed bee the mercifull Math. 5.7 for they shall obtaine mercy Be ye courteous one towards another Eph. 4 3â— tender hearted forgiuing one another euen as God for Christs sake forgaue you Whatsoeuer you would that men should doe vnto you euen so doe yee to them for this is the Law and the Prophets If you doe forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly father will also forgiue you your trespasses Math. 6 14 â—â— But if you do not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your father forgiue you your trespasses Now therefore as the elect of God â—ol 3.11 holy and beloued put on tender mercy kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse long suffering Forbearing one another and forgiuing one another 1â— if any man haue a quarrell to another euen as Christ forgaue euen so doe yee â—4 And aboue all things put on loue which is the bond of perfectnesse The twelfth Chapman NOW come I. Salt For whom Chap. For one that is very curious in washing his hands and in cleansing the outsides of all his vessels but if one looke into the inside of them he shall finde them so foule and filthy that it would loath a man to eate any thing that commeth out of them Salt I haue some for you besides that which I deliuered to the eight Chapman that is this Woe bee to you Scribes and Pharisies Mat. â—3 25 hypocrites for yee make cleane the vtter side of the cup and platter but within they are full of bribery and excesse 26 Thou blind Pharisie cleanse first the inside of the cup and platter that the outside of them may be cleane also Wo be to you Scribes and Pharisies 27 hypocrites for you are like vnto whited tombes which appeare beautifull outward but are within full of dead-mens bones 28 of all filthinesse so are yee also for outward yee appeare righteous vnto men but within ye are full of hypocrisie and iniquity yee lay the commandements of God apart and obserue the traditions of men Mark 7.28 Chap. This is somewhat a byting Salt Salt It is such as is fit for the men you come for therefore if you like it take it and giue place to another Chap. I like it well but I would haue some more of it for such men cannot haue too much of this kind of Salt Sal. Then you make a great difference betwixt this Salt and that which is commonly set on the Table the which although it be commodious and necessary for many things yet S. Augustine saith thus of it Salem immoderatius acceptum De moribus Manicheorum cap. 8. quis non venenus esse clamauerit who cryeth not that salt immoderately taken is poyson Chap. But store of Canonicall Salt well giuen and well taken doth not poyson but season therfore I pray you let me haue some more Salt Euery one will deceiue his friend Ier. 5.4 and will not speake the truth for they haue taught their tongues to speake lies and take great paines to do wickedly c. Therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts behold I will melt them 7 and try them c. 8 Their tongue is as an arrow shut out and speaketh deceit one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth but in his heart he layeth waite for him 9 Shall I not visite for these things saith the Lord or shal not my soule be aduenged on such a nation as this Chap. Past grace bee they that make light of this Salt but I will giue place The thirteenth Chapman I am glad I haue his roome Sal. You would bee more glad if you had all Rome Chap. What it hath bene in times past I know not but since I can remember I can see no such good come from thence as should moue any wise-man to bee in loue with it I cannot bee perswaded that superstition idolatry gazing on babies roarinig Buls conspiracies vndermining of states monstruous cruelty c. come from Peters chaire such Babylons cannot but fall and come to confusion the English pillars of it begin to totter already thanks bee to God God grant that the Preachers and professors of the Gospell may loue one another and that euery one may keepe his standing as contented in his place to helpe what hee may to beare vp the roofe of so much of the Lords house as is here amongst vs. Salt Chapman I will bee your Clarke this once and say Amen to your praier but tell me now what you come for Chap. I would haue Salt to season one that trusteth to his riches and is so carryed away with couetousnesse that he thinketh corne is neuer deere enough Salt Take this Iam. 3 24. The Lord is my portion saith my soule therefore I will hope in him 25 The Lord is good to them that trusteth him and to the soule that seeketh him 26 It is good both to trust and to waite for the saluation of the Lord. If riches increase set not your hearts vpon them Psal 62 10 Doublesse man walketh in a shadow Psal 39.6 and disquieteth himselfe in vaine he heapeth vp riches and cannot tell who shall gather them And hee that receiueth the seed among thornes Mat. 1â— 22 is he that heareth the word but the care of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches choake the word and he is made vnfiuitfull Children Mark 10.24 how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the Kingdome of God Riches auaile not in the day of wrath Pâ—ou 11.4 but righteousnesse deliuereth from death The liberall person shall haue plenty 〈◊〉 â—â— 25. and he that watereth shall also haue raine Hee that withdraweth the corne the people will cursse him Prou. but blessing shall bee vpon the head of him that selleth corne The graue and destruction can neuer be full 22.9 so the eyes of men can neuer bee satisfied He that hath a good eye he shall be blessed for he giueth of his bread to the poore 27.20 Heare this ye that swallow vp the poore Amos. 8.4 that ye make the needy of the land to faile Saying 5 when will the new moneth beginne that we may sell corne And the Sabboth that wee may set forth wheate and make the Ephah that is the measure small and the Shekell that is the price great and falsefy the waights of deceite That wee may buy the poore for siluer 6 and the needy for shewes yet sell the refuse of the wheate The Lord hath sworne by the excellency of Iacob surely 7 I will neuer forget any of their workes Shall not
Christmas and at our Wakes If that which Doctor Fulke Bishoppe Iuel Maister Nowell Doctor Reynolds and others haue written at large of the Popes either touching their supremacie their erring or their liues will not satisfie your Couzen and you I know not what to say to you yet because you refuse not to conferre with me I will tell you my mind plainely and that in fewe words First for Christs Vicar generall I know none worthie to be so called as the Holy Ghost whom Saint Austin calleth the Porter yea I cannot see how it can belong to any besides I prooue it thus He whome the Sonne Christ promised to send from his Father Nondedignater spirit as sanctus esse osâ—oarius in Io tract 4. not only to Peter but to the rest to comfort them and to abide with them for euer is only Christs Vicar generall Io. 14.16 But this was the Holy Ghost only 1. Argument Therefore he only is that Vicar For to be thus sent doth nothing diminish his deitie He which is the Spirit of trueth whom the world receiueth not 2 Argu. though he dwelleth with the faithfull is alone worthie to be called Vicar to him which is the trueth But such a one is the Holy Ghost 3. Argu. Ergo he whome the Father sent in Christs name to teach all thinges and to bring all thinges to remembrance that Christ told is Chrsts Vicar generall but such a one is the holy Ghost alone therefore he only is Christ his vniuersall Vicar Tell vs plainly Maister Tractable can you or any man apply these things to any Pope or to Peter himselfe if any of you would say yes then it should follow that Peter should not néed to haue béene comforted and confirmed himselfe ere hee went about to confirme others Tract But is it not some supremacy to be a strengthner of others after he himselfe was confirmed Guid. It is a good worke and a good fruit of repentance when a man hath shewed his weaknesse in denying his maister and that with cursing and swearing after his conuersion to exhort them to take héed they confesse Christ constantly lest with him they féele that which made him wéep bitterly This Apostle was forward in answering when our Sauiour asked any question forward in louing and no doubt forward in feeding Christs shéepe where he came as the rest did where they came But that hee had more authority to censure the other two Pillers Iames and Iohn then they him I cannot finde in the Holy Scriptures I bring not this as misliking degrées in gouernment thought fit for the better preseruing of the safety and peace of any land but as wishing you to remember to shew that Peter called himselfe and his fellowes witnesses of the resurrection of Christ Act 10 39.4â— but no Pastor of Pastors or head of the vniuersall Church Tract Christ bade him feede his sheepe Ergo that belongeth to him and his successors more then to others Guid. Christ bad Peter to pay that for tribute for them two as he should find in the Fish he said not so to the rest ergo if your argument halt not Christ and Peter with his successors to auoyd offences are more bound to pay tribute to Caesar then any others I thinke you will not grant this willingly Our Sauiour knowing that Peter had denyed him thrise Aug. in Io tract 1 2 3 though he promised to sticke to him though all the rest should forsake him bad him if hee loued him more then the rest did to shew it by his diligence in feeding his sheepe and his Lambes yet ye know these words Mat. 28.16 19 Mat. 27.5 Acts 1.11.22.26 Goe and teach all Nations were spoken to ten others besides Peter I say ten others because at that time there were but eleuen for Iudas had hanged himselfe before and Matthias was not chosen to bee a witnesse of the Resurrection of Christ with the rest till after Christ was taken vp from his Disciples into Heauen Tract Well let vs leaue this and returne from whence we digressed If you will haue the holy Ghost the Guide and Teacher of the whole Church militant for of that we spake where shall we finde the holy Ghost which is inuisible guiding and teaching that we might hearken vnto him Guid. In the holy Scriptures He shall testifie of me you shall beare witnesse also Io. 15.26.27 which are in the mind in the mouth of euery godly faithfull sound discréete zealous teacher that teacheth according to the same scriptures not séeking their owne glory but the glory of God and the edifying of his people S. Peter saith speaking of prophesie in the Scripture 2 Eph. 2. Peâ— 1.20.21 See the 2. of Tim. 3.16 that holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost The Apostle to the Hebrews citing these words of the 95. Psalme To day if you will heare his voyce saith the holy Ghost spake them S. Peter saith Heb 3.7 2. Pet. 3 16. 1. Cor. 7.40 Ioh. 14 17. that S. Paul wrote according to the wisedome giuen vnto him S. Paul himselfe saith I thinke that I haue also the Spirit of God Our Sauiour told his Disciples that the Spirit of truth should dwell with theÌ„ be in them Wicked men by the help of some Spirituall gifts prophesie 1 Cor 6.19 oâ— and yet profit no more themselues then the bell that calleth others to hearing heareth nothing it selfe But if the body of each faithfull Christian bee the Temple of the Holy Ghost which they haue of God then no doubt he is also in that teacher which hath a care of these things following First not only to leade into some truth but into all truth I meane that is reuealed in the word S Paul saith Act. 20. that he kept nothing back For in fit time place euery thing reuealed in the holy scripture as occasioÌ„ serueth is to be laid open in a discréet maner Secondly as the holy Ghost extolleth not the wisdome power and merits of man but glorifieth Christ so doth euery good teacher according to that is measured vnto him endeuour to glorify the son of God Ioh. 16.13.14 yea the blessed Trinity whose loue is made manifest in Christ not only by his doctrine but also by his déeds Thirdly as the holy Ghost sheweth things to come so doth the true teacher tell what the holy Ghost saith shal be in the later daies 2. Thes 2 for this is part of the truth as to tell that the man of sin shall be disclosed 1. Tim. 4. Some shall speake lies through hypocrisie 2 Tim. 3. forbidding to marry Some creeping into houses shall leade captiue simple women â—ou 18.21 The great Cittie Babylon shall bee Cast downe Reu. 21 2. The new Ierusalem shal be prepared as a Bride for her husband c. These and the like things such as bee guided by
In the yeare of our Lord God 1581. on the fourteenth of October there was a Glocestershire Gentleman examined in the Towne-Hall of North-hampton M. Kirtland was then Mayor The cause why hee was examined was for that some of the Officers seeing him and a Woman that was in his company stay in the Towne longer then Trauellers vse to doe suspected that the Woman which stayed there so long in his company was not his owne wife Being therefore questioned withall about this matter he answered Indéede I am betrothed vnto her and I thinke that I may lawfully marry her though shee whom heretofore I tooke to wife bee yet liuing The reason is for that shee I meane which was my first wife was sometime my Fathers Harlot by whom hee had three Children and after that did enforce mee beeing foure and twentie yeeres of age to marry her to the end I might be partaker of that which hee was minded to bestowe vpon her that so hee might stoppe two gappes with one bush So I marryed her and after I had two Children by her I was diuorced from her in Bishop Hoopers time for the Lawyers said it was not Matrimonium ab initio Afterwardes in Queene Maryes time Bishop Brookes who was great with my Father being both Papists perswaded me to take her againe I did so and had seuen children more by her and then turned her vp againe and kept company with this Bridget Taylor a mans daughter of Busheley Mad. What say you to this neighbour Romana whose fruits were these the father being a papist constraineth the sonne to marry one by whom he himselfe had three children and after the diuorcement a popish Bishop perswadeth the sonne to take her againe Rom. What say you Ma. I promise you I was almost an ace out Mad. O you cannot heare on that side now you are asleepe but let vs passe ouer other mens faults and looke to our owne If any professor of the Gospel by his ill dealing be a stumbling-blocke in your way go by it and remember that we are bid to bee followers of God as deare Children And that our Sauior saith Happy is he that shall not be offendedia me Eph. 5.1 Math. 11.6 Let not mens faults keepe vs from hearing Christs voice Good sheep will take their fodder though there be neuer so many pillards in the flocke or though the sheepheard halt Tract Your translations be not currant Guid. Speake the truth M. Tractable Is not that translation best which commeth neerest to the Hebrew in the old Testament the greatest part whereof was written in that tongue and to the Greeke in the New Tract They being the Fountaines I sée no reason why I should not say yes What then Guid. Can you shew where our Translations doe vary from the originall in any chiefe poynt of our religion Tract I cannot call things to remembrance on a sodaine Gen. 34.3 Ios 24.31 yet this one place of the 7. of the Acts I remember well where you translate Hamor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hamor the the sonne of Sychem But the word sonne is not in the Greeke besides Hamor is diuers times called in the old Testament the father of Sychem Guid. If your Latine translation had not Filij Sychem you might haue been the bolder to haue found fault with ours but whether Hamor were the Father or the Sonne of Sychem it neither maketh nor marreth our faith It should seeme that as in that 7. of the Acts Abraham is put for some of the house or posterity of Abraham to wit Iacob so it may bee that some which first translated tou suchem finding in the third of Luke these words beeing as men supposed the sonne of Ioseph tou Heli tou Mathat tou Leui c. of Heli of Mathat of Leui c. meaning that Ioseph was the sonne of Heli and Heli the sonne of Mathat and Mathat the sonne of Leui might also thinke that tou Sichem should bee translated the sonne of Sichem forgetting that Chamor is found to be the sonne of Sichem ten times in Genesis 34. and once in Ioshua 24.32 Howsoeuer it came to passe you may not deny this word sonne in some translations to bee printed in smaller letters And your vulgar Edition hath a filijs Omor filij Sichem of the sonnes of Omer the sonne of Sichem But what else doe you obserue in our Translations Tract In the Psalme 105. according to the Hebrue but in our Latine Translation 104. we finde these words Lo maru eth debario thus translated in the Psalter which you reade in your Church they were not obedient to his word But we reade it thus Et non exacerbauit sermones suos that is saith Ludane non infideles fecit hee made not his words vnfaithfull he was faithfull in his word or promise And Fryer Titellman sometimes a diuine reader in Louaine in his exposition which hee calleth Elucidatio taketh these words to be spoken either by God or by Pharaoh and in respect of God he giueth this sence non irritos fecit c. the Lord spâ—ke not in vaine but as he threatned Pharao by Moses and Aaron ita factum fuit so it came to passe But as they might be referred to Pharaoh hee expoundeth them thus Non amara neque blasphema loquutus est Hee spake no bitter nor blasphemous words but sought for pardon and sending for Moses hee desired to bee deliuered from the Plague meaning here the plague of Darknesse Exod. 10.21 Psal 105. Guid. You may see if it please you to looke on that English Translation printed Cum priuilegio 1576. these words Lo Maru c. translated thus They were not disobedient to his Commission And in the Bible of the largest volume printed 1585. those words are Englished thus they went not from his words In both which translations the verbe Maru is taken for the third person piurall and not the singular as in your Latine Tract But the first of the two translations named by you doe English the 22. verse of the 37. Chapter of Isaiah thus This is the word that c. He hath despised thée and laughed thée to scorne O daughter of Ierusalem hee hath shaken his head at thee But it should be thus The virgin the daughter of Sion hath despised thee meaning the King of Ashur and laughed thee to scorne the daughter of Ierusalem hath shaken her head at thee Guid. In the last of these Translations which I named that ouer-sight of the former is corrected But I maruell that in searching for faults in Translations you cannot or will not see whst a number of faults some of the Learned haue noted in your old Latine Translations differing so much from the Hebrew in the old Testament and from the Greeke in the New D. Whit CoÌ„ 1. q. 2. ca. 11. pa 137. 138. A Learned professor of Diuinity hauing occasion to search into these matters after he hath set downe many faults found in
grownd in his sacke should put of his cap make a legge and thanke the mill and so take vp his sacke go his way neuer thinking on the mil-wright that made the mil or on the miller that set it on worke though I say these erred worshipping the creatures in steed of the Creator yet in my simple iudgement hee that reasoneth thus these things do mee good and were not made by men therefore they are Gods doth reason more wisely then he that saith Sun Moone and starres keepe their course giue vs light the fire doth heate mee the raine helpeth my corne grasse to grow these are not Gods therefore there is no mighty power that worketh by them How sayest thou Chapman doth not the first reason more wisely then the latter Chap. The reason of the first seemeth to haue more force then the latter yet I may not grant it to be wiser vnlesse the first were wise but I cannot grant the former to bee wise vnlesse I would therewithall grant that there is wisedome in worshipping the workes in steed of the worke-maister but I haue no more reason to grant that then to yeeld to the Atheist that religion sprang froÌ„ policy for if that were true the inuentors of it should be called fainers or lyars Salt Lactantius Deâ—lra dei cap. 10. versus finem an ancient and learned writer saith that opinion is false by which men thinke that religion was instituted by wise men terroris metus gratia * To keepe men in awe as the vulgar Atheist speaketh for terrour and feare sake through which the ignorant might abstaine from sinne which if it were true saith he then are we derided by ancient wise-men who if they forged Religion to deceiue vs and all mankinde they were not wise because a lye is not found in a wise-man but how wise soeuer they were how came they by so great felicity in lying that not onely they deceiâ—ed the vnlearned but Socrates also and Plato and so easily deluded Pithagoras Zeno and Aristotle the Authors of the greatest sects Chap. Howsoeuer others might fayne Lact. de falsa Religione c. 4. I do not thinke the Prophets were such Salt To haue a will to faine any lye saith the aforesaid Authour belongeth to them which be still raking of riches and gaâ—ing for gaine Ibid paulo ante which things without doubt there far from those holy men * which set forth one God and beeing guided by the spirit of the same God spake one thing who not onely had no gaine saith hee towards the end of the same Chapter but torments and death and he addeth this reason for the precepts of iustice are bitter to the vitious and bad-liuers and therefore after they had cruelly tormented such as reproued and spake against their sinnes they killed them Chap. What if any Pagan should say to vs that professe the Christian Religion you Christians haue fained that which you haue set forth and to the end men might more bee moued to giue credit you do with one consent write that all those things were fore-told long before Salt Saint Augustine vpon the 8. 〈◊〉 Iohn saith Tract 45. that against such Pagan enimies the should so say we haue haue the testimonies of other enemies proferimus codices a Iudaeis we bring forth bookes from thâ— Iewes wee answere both they you arâ— enimies to our faith therefore are they dispearsed amongst the nations that we may conuince one enemy by another Let the booke oâ— Esay be brought forth by the Iewes let vs seâ— if I do not read there Isay 53.7 He is brought aâ—â— sheepe to the slaughter Chap. 53. Chap. Are there none that write oâ— this one God but the Prophets and other holy men named in the Scriptures Salt You forget your selfe you told mâ— you would haue Canonicall Salt for your Atheist why then doe you aske for other belike you meane to giue him a preparatiue before you giue him a quicke purge whom do you meane The Fathers that wrote after the Apostles time or some other among the heathen before Christ his incarnation if you meane these last-named then know you that Lactantius setteth downe some spéeches of Trismegistus De fal relig ca. 6. and the Sibylls touching one God Chap. What was that Trismegistus and those Sibylls Salt Cicero bringeth in Cotta disputing against the Stoicks touching religions and the varieties of the opinions which are wont to bee concerning the Gods there were saith Cotta fiue Mercuries whereof the first was he that slew Argus and so fled into Egypt and deliuered vnto them lawes and letters This man the Egyptians call Thoth Some of our Prognost say they call Iuly Thoth Prog. 1610. of whom the first moneth of their yeare that is September is named c. This man being furnished of all kind of learning was for his great knowledge sur-named Trismegistus thrise greatest as some with vs by such as dedicate bookes to them are called thrise Noble thrise vertuous c. Chap. Well what saith that great learned man Salt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But God is one Lact. de fals relig ca. 6. Lact de verâ— sap ca. 6. and one needeth no name and againe saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Lord and Creator of all things whom we thinke good to call God c. Chap. Now to the Sibylls what were they and what say they Salt Varro who as Lactantius saith was as learned a man as euer liued among the Greekes and Lattines De fal relig ca. 6. affirmeth that the Sibylline bookes or workes that beare the name of Sibilla were not made of one Sibylla but were so called because all Prophetesses in time of old were called Sibylls either from the name of one Sibyll that was at Delphis or for the denouncing the counsaile of the gods For in Arolikes speech they call the gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and counsell not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now there were tenne of these Sibylls whereof the fift was Erythraea shee in the verses that were brought to Rome hath these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One God which alone passing all magnitude vncreated These Sibylls haue written many things touching our Sauiour Christ his miracles sufferings resurrection and comming to iudgement as is to be séene in the said Lactantius out of whom Saint Augustine citeth many spéeches of the said Sibylls especially of Erythraea the first letters of whose Greeke verses touching Christ his comming to iudgement make these words in Lattin Iesus Christus Dei filius saluator Iesus Christ the Sonne of God our Sauiour Chap. Haue you read these words in S. Augustine or do you finde them in Phillip of Morney his booke Salt What if I had read it in any of his bookes will you not giue as much credit vnto him as vnto me which in
all respects am farre inferior vnto him but the truth is I haue read it my selfe in Saint Augustine his 18 booke and 23 chapter of the Citty of God the first word of which chap-chapter is eodem and the last word scripserunt Chap. Are the verses you spake of set downe in that Chapter Salt Yes in Lattine Iudicij signum c. Chap. I would I had them in English Salt If you will haue them Englished in the best manner you must craue it at the hands of some other but if you will see the sence as I haue giuen it after the plaine fashion thus it is The earth it selfe shall sweat through feare To shew that iudgement doth draw neere The eternall king from heauen shall come In flesh to iudge at day of dome Faithfull and faithlesse then shall see The glorious God and Saints set free When earth vntilled shall bryars beare TheÌ„ soules with flesh that Iudge shall heare Reijcient simulactra viri cunctam quoque gazam Exuret terras ignis pontuÌ„que poluÌ„que inquirens c. Then shall men cast false Gods away With treasures rich and iewels gay The earth shall burne with fiery flame That shall search sea and heauenly frame The dores of dreadful diuels then Shall broken be in sight of men The bodies of Saints in light shall shine When wicked men in flame shall whine Things done in secret and by night Shall then be knowne and brought to light Then men shall cry alasse and woe And wayling gnash their teeth also The Sun and Moone shall loose their light The heauens dissolue no starre in sight The hils shall downe the vallies rise Each thing made euen in wonderous wise The course of all things then shall stay The earth sore crusht shall quite decay The fountaines then shall dry be found And Trumpets giue a dolefull sound Bemoning then mans misery When hell shall gape most horribly Before the Lord at that same hower Shall Kings be brought and men of power A fearfull fire from heauen shall burne With store of brimston for that turne Chap. In whose time liued that Sibyll Salt He that compareth the 23 Chapter of the 18 booke De Ciuitate Dei with the Chapter aforegoing shall finde that she was in the daies of Romulus and Ezechias Romulus was some 700 yeares before Christ but in the end of that Chapter hee saith some wrote that she was belli Troiani tempore in time of the Troiane warre Chap. Did she write such things so long before the Incarnation of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Salt It should seeme so by S. Austin but since your comming was not for Sibyl-Salt but for Salt Canonicall tell mee how much you will haue Chap. Marry friend Salter tell me first I pray thee what I shall say to these Atheists if they should aske mee how I know that this Salt which coÌ„meth from Bible-Spring doth passe all other Salt Hee which for that matter hath not the inward testimony of the spirit which is the chiefest must bee exhorted to seeke for some outward testimony in the fountaine it selfe whereof the first may be the maiesty of the doctrine euery where appearing in those sacred and Canonicall bookes Vide Whita in dis de sacr Scrip. contren 1. Qâ—aest 3. cap. 3. sect 5. The â—econd the simple pure and heauenly kind of writing neither Plato Aristotle nor Demosthenes nor Cicero nor any other that wrote so purely so holily and so diuinely The third is the antiquity of them for the bookes of Moses are more ancient then the writings of all men other Writers were vtterly ignorant of the History he deducteth from the creation or had it from thence or else bee sprinkled with many fables The fourth testimony is the Oracles which confirme the authority of those books to be very sacred as the which must needes bee diuine for that in them are fore-told some things which came to passe manâ— ages after and names were put vpon somâ— men before they were borne certaine hundreth of yeares as in 1 Kings 13 Chapter the man of God which came out of Iudah by the commandement of the Lord cryed against that Altar in the presence of King Iereboam and said O Altar Altar thus saith the Lord behold a child shal be borne vnto the house of Dauid Iosiah by name and vpon thee shall hee sacrifice the Priestâ— of the high places this he spake more therâ— 300 yeares before Iosiah was borne 44.28 45. â— thâ—â— Prophet Esaie in like manner nameth Cyrus some 100 yeares ere he was borne Chap. How can you proue that Iosiaâ— and Cyrus were named so long before they were borne Salt I find in the 2 Chronicles 13 20. that Ieroboam in whose daies Iosiah was named by the man of God aforesaid being plagued of God died in the daies of Abijah who was then King of Iudah now he that will reckon how many yeares each King of Iudah from Abijah to Iosiah did raigne shall finde the yeares when he fetteth down the whole sumine to be more then 300. And as touching Cyrus named by the Prophet Isay know you that this Prophet prophesied in the daies of Vzziah Iotham Ahaz Isay 1.1 and Hezekiah Kings of Iudah now presuppose that the Prophet Isay named not Cyrus till the last yeare of Hezekiah his raigne and that Cyrus was borne in the 11 yeare of Iehoiakim about which time beganne the captiuity of Babilon if yee reckon the yeares of the raignes of the Kings of Iudah that raigned betwixt Ezekiah 2. Chro. 26.6 Iehoiakim you shall finde them as I said to amount to some hundred yeares lacking some nine monthes for Manasses who succeeded Hezekiah raigned 55 years Amon two yeares Iosiah 31 yeares Ioachas 3 monthes Iehoiakim 11 yeares Chap. Go on now with the rest of the testimonies for the authority of the Scriptures Salt The fift is the number of miracles Chap. What miracles if you meane such are found in the Scriptures assure your selfe that they which doubt of or set light by the Scriptures make little accompt of the miracles or any thing else contained in them though they were not faigned Salt If that testimony seeme weak take the sixt Do. Whitak in dis de sacr Scrip. contro 1 Qu. 3. ca. 3. sest 5 which is the enemies themselues who though they haue oft gone about to take away all the Scriptures from the sight of men yet they could neuer bring it to passe but by their owne paines and punishments vnderstood that it was the word of God that they oppugned The seuenth is the testimony of the Martirs which by their confession and death sealed the doctrine deliuered and set forth in those bookes The eigth the Writers themselues who wrote theÌ„ bring great credit vnto theÌ„ for if ye consider what manner of meÌ„ they were before they were stirred vp by the holy Ghost to take this vpon them wee shall finde that they were very vnfit for such