retract It is not credible that you received as you saie incredible iniurie in the lawfull proceedings against you The Vniversitie censured you not imprisoned you The Colledge for a time discōmoned you not expelled you This small punishmēt no banishment your Cōplaint is the same with m In orat pro sexto Roscio Fimbria in Tully quod non totum tèlum in corpore recepisset you received great iniurie because you were not suffred to doe great iniury But be not deceiued God is not mocked enter into a serious and religious cogitation whether in this course that you are you need not feare the true description of malecontented Apostats I would you were not sutable to them as they be liuely deciphered both by S. n 2. Pet. 2. Peter and S. o Iude. 13. Iude to be presumptuous standing in their owne opinion wandring starres raging waues of the Sea foaming out their owne shame and speaking evill of them which are in authority which a man that maintaineth your third Counsaile of obedience should not doe The scornfull aspertion you cast vpon vs by the byname of Calvinists we neither reiect nor receiue Reverend learned holy Calvin was the greatest glory of the French Church that ever was since he was Hooker praef to his Church Politic. as a famous writer witnesseth And though our Religion seeke neither antiquitie nor authoritie from him nor we denomination or confirmation by him because as the Apostle speaketh we reioice not in men yet wee reverence him because as the same Apostle in the same verse concludeth o 1. Cor. 3.22.23 whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas al are ours we Christs and Christ Gods Mr LEECH Finally my brethren with my honest petition and necessarie counsaile I ioine my harty praiers and teares with them that it would please the author of all goodnes and the God of all truth to powre the abundant riches of his grace into your soules that your vnderstandings may be fully enlightned with his truth and that your wills may be made conformable therevnto in your profession of the holy Catholike faith For which as I now suffer the want of my natiue country so in defence thereof I shall be ready to yeeld vp my life when it shall please my gratious Lord to call mee vnto that honour whereof I am vnworthy Your devoted brother in Christ Humfrey Leech ANSVVER The Epistolary conclusion with a petition and coūsaile we should receiue more willingly if your petition were more honest and your counsell more Evangelicall Your prayers we returne tenfold into your bosome beseeching the Lord that it may please him to free your vnderstanding by truth ab p Albert. in Comp. Theol lib. 5. ignorantia veri to rectifie your will by good a concupiscentia mali and to purge your whole soule by grace ab impotentia boni that your will maie be subiect to his will your life to his seruice not his service to your will and so you may be reduced to the true Apostolique Catholique faith that as you complaine you suffer the want though the wanton want of your natiue Country so you may not endure the want of heavenly Ierusalem your spirituall Country that when you are to appeare at the fatall and finall iudgement among the great and smale when the muffling of conscience shall bee discovered the worme of conscience be not your portiō And that in your pilgrimage here you may rather wash your garments in the blood of the Lambe then in your owne blood so by the teares of a sinner blood of a Sauiour prayers of his Saints on earth you may bee brought againe to this militant Church in the better world receiue a permanent state in his triumphant Church Yours if you be Christs DANIELL PRICE THE PREFACE VNTO the whole discourse Mr LEECH VVHen first I set footing into this present businesse my purpose was not no not in my most secret thoughts to enter into any point of cōtroversie or to giue occasion of offence or dislike vnto any only my resolution was plainely positiuely as the course of my studies had ever bent and carried me to glaunce at a maine point of doctrine it comming but obiter in my way directly warranted nay lineally deduced from the vniforme consent of all ancient times bequeathed vnto vs by the perpetuall tradition and practise of the Church ANSVVER YOu tooke wrong footing in this busines both in secret and in open sight of God men and Angels wherein let me remember you how manie aimes you gaue to this question how desirouslie you entred into it how not onlie in Academicall but Parochiall sermons you taught it how you frequentlie seasoned your inkepot with the Colloquintida of contradiction sometimes openlie somtimes secretlie continuallie full of opposition Wherin as you were not often happie in the choice so not in the successe one beeing the cause of your pastorall remooue in * A most Faire large and ancient towne famous for building and cloathing but more especially for civill government care of Religion detestation of Popery what soeuer is praise worthy Shrewsbury the other the cause of your Academicall censure in Oxford And whereas you saie you meant to giue but a glaunce the purport of your whole sermon of distinguishing great and small a matter of great consequence prosecuted to small purpose sheweth how you did wire-draw a distinction vpon one part of your Text and prosecute especiallie that one point so farre as the howre and your paper could afford and indeed your glaunce so glanced vpon the whole Auditory that some departed others were perplexed all offended therewith Religion so wronged and the Vniversity disgraced by the publike cōtesting of a superstitious supercilious doctrine the consequences whereof are pernicious and dangerous and the question it selfe the verie ground of Monkish life as the Rhemists confesse Annot. Rhē in Nov. Test wherein men flying some occasions of evill they flie all occasions of doing good and prooue drie figge trees withered vines empty sepulchres broken cesternes And whereas you affirme that the position was directlie warranted nay lineallie deduced from the vniforme consent of all ancient times I thinke I may speake of it as a Cael. Rhod. antiq lectionum Rhodogine did of old Images Perierūt cum antiquitate you haue nothing to proue your position to be old but because it is rotten But we deny it as it shall appeare to haue any part of reverend antiquity to countenance it And whereas you affirme your maine point of doctrin to be bequeathed I enquire if bequeathed by what Testament surely neither by the old nor new by what Legacie Neither by the Fathers nor Generall Councels but by tradition you say wherein I may say to you as our b Mark 7.9 Saviour said to the Pharises Well do yee reiect the Cōmanmandements of God that you may obserue your owne traditions And yet for anie Apostolicall tradition to confirme
him that hath an eare heare what the spirit saith to the churches yet whosoever heareth and receiveth false doctrine willinglie receiveth and heareth his owne damnatiō And for the Catholique Church you bragge of c Lactantius lib. 4. Institutio cap. vlt. Lactantius hath given warning of such boasts singuli haereticorum coetus suam esse Ecclesiam Catholicā putant The Celestial Oracle heauenly spirit true catholique Church I say and wil confirme it by al maner of arguments they never taught that point as you seek to mainetaine it concerning Evangelicall Counsels of Perfection Mr LEECH Or I may speake with our blessed Sauiour advising exhorting counselling yea out of the whole masse of mākind inviting nay inciting some to that angelical gift of virginall chastity qui potest capere capiat hee that can aspire to the top of angelicall integrity let him become a votary of virginall Chastity ANSVVER The strangest exposition of wordes that ever I read or heard Virginall chastity the word virginall is out of tune a weake wired chastity to ascend the top of angelicall integrity Paule did not only approue but appoint Ministers and yet asketh the question 2. Cor. 2.16 Quis idoneus ad haec And though Christ not only was a virgin but did allow of virgins yet hee may pronounce this speech Qui potest capere capiat without any such inference or cōsequence You deliver no gold without drosse no place of Scripture without some wrested and impertinent glosse But in your sermon you shall receiue more satisfaction Mr LEECH This is S. Paule his sapientia inter perfectos apostolicall wisdome for men of angelicall perfection These easilie disclose and discouer the worlds foolishnes impostures when they paragon them with heavens remuneration treasures These are the salt of the earth the light of the world stars fixed in the spheare of heauen the Church militant not wandring in their motion towards heauen the Church triumphant ANSVVER The auncient writers doe not so expounde those words Al shew that the Apostle doth therein distinguish betweene the beleevers vnbeleevers as may be seene by the connexiō but more especially a Chrysost in 1. Cor. 2.6 Chrysostome thus expoūdeth perfectos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he calleth them perfect which did beleeue S. Hierome expoundeth so Theodoret so the whole currēt of expositors vnderstand a kinde of perfection in beliefe not in life Aquinas hath such a restriction that agreeth with the rest and all this sheweth that your speech is meere Pelagianisme wherin you magnifie the arme of flesh and the nature of mankinde and so seeme to approoue a perfit perfection which you do most vnperfectly It is S. b De peccat mer. remission 15. Augustines advise Cum dicitur cuiusque perfectio qua in redicatur videndū est When perfection saith he is named we must cōsider wherein it is named Perfectus est aliquis sapientiae auditor non perfectus Doctor a man may be a perfect hearer of righteousnes not a perfect doer or as some think a perfect knower why we knowe but in part 1. 1. Cor. 15. Cor. 15. Yes we knowe perfectly perfectione viae non perfectione patriae by the perfection of the way here not by the perfection of our Country hence say the Schooles Perfectione ordinis non finis saith d Iunius Iunius perfectione partium non graduum saith e Lomb. Lombard perfecti viatores non perfecti possessores saith f Aug. in Ps 38. Austin perfect travellers in righteousnes not perfect possessors and this so limited by that good Father as that hee alloweth it only pro consortio humanae societatis pro huius vitae capacitate pro statu viatoris pro huius vitae modulo only for a perfection sufficient to converse and hold society with mankind a perfection for the model capacity of this life for the state of passengers and wayfaring men and concludeth g Ad Bonif. lib. 3. Omnium in carne nostra imperfecta perfectio the perfection of all men while they are in the flesh is vnperfect Iohn Baptist had not a greater among the sonnes of womē but whosoever was least in the kingdome of God al the celestiall spirits is farre beyond him Inter natos mulierum non autem inter choros coelestium spirituum h Bern. serm 38. in Cantie saith S. Bernard among sonnes of women not amōg armies of Angels Not Iohn Baptist a Prophet nay more then a Prophet Who had for his cloathing haire for his habitation a desert for his meate wild locusts for his title the praecursor for his preaching Repentance for his ministration Baptisme the vsher and harbinger of our Saviour had not he angelicall perfection If hee that so faithfully attended his Master had it not how should you that haue fled from your Master attaine vnto it I say not * Esay 14.12 ô Lucifer how didst thou fall but O Lucifer whether wouldst thou rise Is it obedient humility to be so proud Spirituall poverty to desire to be so pompous Angelicall chastity to be so luxuriant I acknowledge that there bee some that are salt of the earth lights of the world roses in the field lillies in the vallies terrae gemmula coeli stellulae yet far from Angelicall integrity They may climb a step but not to the top of Iacobs Ladder Mr LEECH These are our best pilots amongst men their godly cōversation ought to be our holy imitation These guid by their examples the barkes of our bodies wherein the eternall treasures of our soules are caried as in earthen vessells through the perilous rockes of the seas of this world that they may ariue safely at the designed hauen of heauē when they flit from the bed of this mortall body ANSVVER Pilots they may be and yet as the i Ovid. de Trist lib. 1. Poet of his Pilot spake Rector in incerto est nec quid fugiátue petátue Denotat ambiguis ars stupet ipsa malis So I of the best they haue their slidings falls faults trances appolexies If you haue read over S. Austin you may finde the distinction betweene peccatum crimen sinne in generall which no man is freed frō and hainous notorious scandalous sinne culpable in the eies of men crying in the eares of heauen In his k Enchir. ad Laurent Enchiridion ad Laurentium he affirmeth this the life of holy men may be found though not without falt yet without an offensiue fault and more whosoever teacheth is Hereticall Beware in defending your perfect Pilots you make not shipwrack of a good conscience the mast of your faith is shaken let not the anker of your hope be broken Mr LEECH These are beacons on a hill the hill of the Church whose liues as lightes and burning lamps forewarne and so forearme vs against all invasion of any spirituall enimies These are entia transcendentia men soaring aboue the ordinary pitch of men celestiall
THE DEFENCE OF TRVTH AGAINST A booke falsely called THE TRIVMPH OF TRVTH sent over from Arras A. D. 1609. BY HVMFREY LEECH late Minister Which booke in all particulars is answered and the adioining Motiues of his revolt confuted BY DANIELL PRICE of Exeter Colledge in Oxford Chaplaine in ordinary to the most high and mighty the Prince of Wales 1. King cap. 20.11 Let not him that girdeth his harnesse boast himselfe as he that putteth it off AC OX AT OXFORD Printed by Joseph Barnes 1610. TO THE MOST ILLVSTRIOVS PRINCE HENRY PRINCE of Wales Duke of Cornwaile and Earle of Chester the confluence of those choise blessings Peace Grace and Glory MOST GRATIOVS PRINCE with all reverence and devotion I present to your Highnesse this labour To whom shoulde I dedicate it But to your Princelie goodnes to whose service I haue consecrated my tongue and pen and heart and all the offices of my life it is an answer to a revolted late Minister a busines I may say imposed me by some of very honorable respect much encouraged by others especially the most Reverend Archbishop our late Chancelour It is the maintenance of truth O let it receiue countenance from the royall heire apparant of the defender of the truth The infection of Popery spreads too farre some come not to our Church others fly our Land and Church both revile and slander the Church The eies and harts and hopes of all the Protestant world be fixed vpon your Highnesse all expecting your Gracious faithfulnes readines in the extirpation of that man of sinne March valiantly herein Most Gracious Prince and the God of Princes shall protect you his Grace and Providence shall reward your faith and Confidence and shall heape vpon your Highnesse favor and honor and glory in both worldes For which as long as I haue being I shall never cease praying Your Highnesse most humbly devoted and faithfull servant DANIELL PRICE ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE Mr LEECH TO the learned wise and ingenious Academicks flowrishing in the renowned Vniversitie of Oxford ANSVVER SIR your booke sent from Arras as a peece of worke of divers colours is at length surveyed and reviewed to see whether it be worth the answering The opinion of many was as that of Tully cōcerning a Act. 4. in verrem Heius that you had rather mard the cause then bettred it and therefore your tract vnworthy to bee answered But my minde was otherwise that the cause mard you and therefore you and it to be viewed to be pittied to be answered In which succeeding discourse would I could deale with you as S. b Ierome Tom. 2. Ierome desired to deale with Origen that our Countrymen shoulde know your best things and bee ignorant of your worst For my witnesses be in heaven in my owne bosome that no motion of envy gaine glorie irregular provocation or popular ostentation haue drawne me to this but the all guiding spirit of God by the honourable motion of some and comfortable encouragement of others And therefore I doe refraine all disparagements and personall aspersions against you wishing you had done so against those manie worthy Doctors of our Vniversity An act which I know you once disliked in that baaling Priest c His booke entituled de Triplici hominis officio his epistle to the Vniversitie Weston who as if he had beene one of Psilli who only fed on Poyson or the voice of a man in the mouth of a Devill d Esay 36.4 or Rabshekah sent out of Hell to blaspheme God did vilifie all the Bewclarks of learning aliue dead Doctors and governors of our Academy But let his branded character remaine vpon him and his memory Cams curse and Cains marke e Gen. 4.12 vagus profugus in terris The front of your Epistle sheweth at first that you thinke otherwise of vs thē he doth seeing that you stile our students the learned wise ingenious Academicks flowrishing and our Vniversity the renowned Oxford we shall see how you proceede Mr LEECH Experience doth well approue Saint Bernards saying Efficacior lingua quà m litera the tōgue is of greater efficacie then the pen. And therefore I suffer no little disadvantage in that I must now speake vnto you in a silent letter pleade my cause by a mute advocate of my mind ANSVVER It is true efficacior lingua quà m litera but yet melior anima quà m lingua If your pen expresse not what your tongue is able fullie I would your hart woulde conceiue that which your tongue may speake truly that as some thinke there bee certaine strings that passe from the hart to the tongue so there might bee a concatenatiō that what your hart thinketh your tongue speaketh and your pen writeth may so agree that they may be all to the glorie of God the instructing of others and saving of your owne soule For if your tongue could thunder as f Aul. Gell. lib. 17-c 17. Aristophanes spake of Pericles or you had a tongue like a trumpet as g Hier. adver Ruffin tom 2. fol. 221. Hierome saith Hilary had or as Saint h 1. Cor. 13. Paule observeth the tongue of men or Angels and had not Charitie it were but vayne sounding tickling tinckling The tongue not powerfull without charity and charity not fruitfull without verity S. Austin noted that all marvailed at Tullies tongue but not at his invention and at Aristotles invention but not his tongue I know not that ever you were admired for either But remember to vse the talent given in both as you ought thinke not you suffer disadvantage in that you speake in a silent letter I would it were not silent both for proofe and profit and that your mute advocate were not mutinous Mr. LEECH But since I write vnto thē who are not strangers in my busines but as well eie witnesses of the wrongs which I haue endured as eare witnesses of the doctrine which I preached among you my vndoubted hope is that your harts will be touched with some compassion either toward me vnworthyly entreated by a faction for I will not impute the crime of a few vnto all or towards your selues whome this particular doth very highly import in respect of your learning honor and estimation ANRVVERE You write to those that are strangers to your doctrine not to your person or strāgers not to the hearing but approuing your opinion strangers wee are all to any wrongs done to you not to the wrongs offered by you And therefore thinke you not to touch the hartstrings of our students with a dittie of compassion as if you were as you say wrongfully and vnworthily entreated by a faction Compassion every honest hart will afford you for being misled rather then misused i Lib. 1. de Controver ad Cler. c. 31. St Bernard distinguisheth of pacidicos and pacificos those that in word speake of peace but indeed make ready to battaile So may I
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.
these two most worthy pillers of the Church were as the flowers of Roses in the spring of the yeere as Lilyes by the fountaines of waters as branches of Frankincense in the time of Sommer as faire Oliues that bee fruitful or Cypres trees that grow to the Clowdes as i Ecclesiast Ecclesiasticus speaketh of others Cyprian for eloquence Austin for dexterity of wit wisedome learning Cyprian was as k Naz. Orat. in Cyprianū Nazianzene reporteth him the great name of Carthage of all the world whose name was famous in all Churches both Heretique and Christian whose name and workes Nazianzene professeth he reverenced more then he did all others and for his eloquence surpassed all other men so farre as other men doe bruit beasts Saint l Epist ad Paulinum de instit monat Ierome calleth him sweet professing that the Lord dwelt in him and m De doct Christ c. 40. Austin calleth him a most sweet Doctor and most blessed Martyr and concludeth of him Tanti meriti tanti pectoris tanti oris tantae virtutis Episcopus And concerning blessed Austin n Epist ad Aug. 31. 37. Paulinus calleth him the salt of the earth a Candle worthy to be set on the candlestick of the Church his mouth like a Conduit pipe of living water a veine of that eternall fountaine o Eras epist praef 1. tom Augustini Erasmus testifieth of him his name being Aurelius Augustinus that the world hath nothing magis aureum vel augustius that there never was a golden name more worthily giuen to any then to him And if I shall reckon Titles giuen to him that is called the perfection of the Fathers the Hammer of Heretiques the Treasure Megasine liuing librarie of learning and infinite his other Titles it would be tedious Nay Iesuits and all kind of Papists afford him such Encomtasticks that never had any Father of the Church so many Looke c Possevin in appar sacr p. 151. 152. Possevin in his Aparatu sacro where he giueth him the greatest and worthiest Titles that ever any Doctor of the Church had and testifieth that by the consecration of the d Synod Florent Florentine Synod he was called Illustrissimus Latinorū Doctorum You see how grosse your comparison is Concerning the approbation of a general Councell there is no such thing directly named in any of the Concilia Toletana being 13 in number The only Councell of all which that mentioneth Gregory is the last of which e Caranza in Epitome Cōciliorum Caranza in the Epitome of Councells giueth this note Nihil habet hoc concilium singulari annotatione dignum Mr LEECH Concilium Tolctan Did it then become M. Doctor Hutton to detract frō the due worth of so great and learned a Saint since I may yet adde this to perfect his praise whatsoever hee was vnto others doubtlesse vnto vs he was an Apostle to speake in the phrase of the Apostle to whom our English nation standeth perpetually obliged for her conversion from Paganisme vnto the Christian faith Beda Eccles hist Angl. lib. 2. cap. 1. ANSVVER Gregory was not our Apostle All histories be against you Britaine had true religion planted here before your Gregory or his Monke Austin were extant It is recorded by your f Baron Ann. 35. num 5. Chronologicall Cardinall that Ioseph of Arimathaea was here g Theod. de curand grec affect lib. 9. Theodoret saith S. Paul h Bar. anno 597. n. 20. Baronius thinketh S Peter i Nic. l. 2. c 40. Nicephorus saith that Simon Zelotes and k Tertul. advers Iudaeos Tertullian l Orig. in Hom. 4. in Esec Origen and other of the most worthy of the Fathers doe affirme that the Gospell was planted here in the time of the Primitiue Church And that you shall not reply that religion was extinguished and afterwards lightned by Gregory I say religion was not extinct at the comming of that proud petty Monke Austin whom hee sent Witnesse m Lib. 1. c. 8. 17. 21. Bede whom you vntruly cite who writeth that before Austins comming the Britaines were troubled with Arrianisme and Pelagianisme but that three French Bishops delivered them And the forger of the three cōversions n Three con par 1. c 9. n. 1 testifieth more that from king Lucius time vntill the comming of Austin which was foure hundred yeeres and more they did not alter their faith but it remained among them when he entred Therefore Gregory converted not our land per se nor per aliū And Austin as impetuous or imperious as he was was but Gregories Curat For Gregory at that time as o Ordo Rom. praef Cassander observeth did change the Lyturgies and service bookes vsed in our westerne parts for which cause it is likely Austin came ouer So that Gregory and Austin converted bookes not soules and therefore were Translators Correctors no Apostolicall Doctors or founders of our Church Mr LEECH But to passe over the praise of this bright shining star in the firmamēt of the Church my reioynder was that this doctrine must first be proved to be erroneous scandalous before any such imputation ought vpō any absolute necessity to be imposed and fastened vpon it since scādall doth arise from errour errour is an approbatiō of that which is false in iudgement and vnderstanding ANSVVER The answer of the Philosopher in p Diog. Laert. in vit Phil. Laertius to one that immoderatly praised him was fit for you Me hic aut ludit aut odit this fellow would procure me to be scorned or hated Your vnmeasurable LASHON of cōmēding Gregory it deserveth no other speech We esteem Gregory to be the best Pope from the yeere about 600 wherein he lived to this present He never held the q Reg. Epist lib. 9. ep 9. supremacy r Lib. 7. ep 69. l. 7. ep 30. merits and other points of Popery and he never taught this Doctrine as you do therefore the error scandal must remaine with you not with him Mr LEECH And as for defending of S. Gregory my opinion then was and now is that the very name it selfe and Authority of this worthy Father ought and would rather amongst all learned and iudicious divines be my iust defence ful dischardge then that his credit should bee so farre called in question as now after a 1000. yeares continuance in the Catholique Church of Christ being generally reputed Orthodox so long to stande in neede of mine or any other mans defence whatsoever ANSVVER The worthines of Gregory is not denyed But that his very name should be sufficient to prescribe against all opposers and to patronize your conceipt it is much doubted Concerning Gregory I thinke of the reading of him as S. ſ Hier. in ep ad Romanum Ierome doth of reading the other Fathers Meum propositum est antiquos legere probare singula retinere quae
bona sunt à fide Ecclesiae non recedere I would you had taken this course in reading Gregory But for the point in hand you haue not in al the words of S. Gregory the distinctiō of Praeceptū Consilium no place that defineth Evangelica consilia neither their name number or any thing concerning thē And therefore to any never so little intelligent you will seeme strangely ridiculous to make Gregory Godfather to that childe he never knewe or Author of that doctrine which he never taught or thought Wee call not his credit into question I would yours did it not as I formerly shewed and especially t Bar. Tom. 8. Annal. Ann. Christi 1593. num 62. p. 57. Baronius who speaking of the barrennesse of learning in Gregory his time sheweth that Gregory himselfe was ignoraunt in many things Mr LEECH And yet rather then the doctrine shall be thus odiouslie traduced and my Author want his promerited defence I will according to that poore ability wherewith God hath enabled me endeuor to defend both it and him and therefore if S. Gregory in this point hath not transgressed the boūds of Ancienter Church nor crossed any tenent of his owne Present Church nor yet for this hath hitherto been censured by the lawfull iudgement of any Catholique succeeding Church nay if the Church more ancient then his his owne present and the ever after succeeding Centuries of Catholique Church haue from hand to hand deliuered vnto him receiued with him and with vniforme consent followed him in this point of doctrine never so much as once noting it questioning it impugning it cōtradicting it which certainely they would haue done had the doctrine beene erroneous for their devoted piety spared no Heretique Origen Millienar Tertul. Montanising Cypr. rebaptising no not the most renowned martyrs nor glorious fathers of the Church in any of their errors repugnant vnto the vnity of Catholique verity then vpon these premises I may irrefragably conclude in defence of my Authour and doctrine that S. Gregory his position is no privat opinion hatched out of his owne braine but the vniforme deduction and tradition of Christ his spouse the true Catholique never erring Church inspired guided directed by God his holy spirit in all ages ANSVVER Rather then you will let truth haue the supereminence quae magna est praevalet you will continue to father your opinion vpon Gregory yea and vpon the Primitiue Derivatiue Church Act. 9. But it is hard for you to kicke against the truth The weedes of supererogation growing vnder the shaddow of Evangelicall Counsailes haue had no time of encrease of growing in the ancient primitiue Church None of the first and worthier Fathers taught it It is a common but not commēdable vse among you of imposturing interpreting the Fathers in a wrong sense The chiefest groūd for your doctrine is the misinterpreting of that place of S. Paule which sense neither the Originall will carrie nor any Greeke Father ever followed And that blessed servant of God Mr Perkins in his Probleme proveth against opposers how farre the Fathers were from mainetaining workes of supererogation Physitians that meane to cure the disease first beginnne with the cause so giue me leaue seeing workes of supererogation bee only the inductions and cause of teaching this doctrine First I desire you to answere whether S. Hierome thought any such works were performed who disclaiming them thus speaketh p Hier. lib. 1. c. 3. cont Pelag. Tum ergo iusti sumus quando nos peccatores fatemur iustitia nostra non ex proprio merito sed ex Dei consistit misericordia or whether S. q Retract l. 1. c. 19. Augustine doth thinke a man might supererogate who affirmeth a contrary positiō Omnia mandata Dei facta deputantur quando quicquid non fit ignoscitur or r Chrys in 8. Hom. in 4. ad Roman Chrysostome who in his 8. homily on the 4. to the Romanes affirmeth No man to bee iustified by the Law because none can fulfill the Law ſ Bern. in 73 ser in Cant. or Bernard in his 73. vpō the Canticles who wisheth no man to trust to his own iustice or fulfilling of the Law or to approch neerer what meant t De Consil Evang. statu perfectionis Gerson that famous Doctor to deny any perfection in Evangelicall counsailes Secōdly I desire you to answere why u Aq. 22 dae Art 5. Aquinas teacheth that perfection doth essentially which is perfectly consist in keeping the Commandements which none can do and in the fulfilling of the Lawe if that perfection of Counsailes bee so much aboue the Law why x In sent lib. 3. distinct 34 q. 3. Paludanus vpon the Sentences doth affirme that some men may attaine to as great height of perfection liuing in marriage and possessing much as they that liue single and giue away all that they haue I will aske no more questions but seeing this is so taught by so many reverend Ancients yea by many of your owne later y Ians in 100. Cap. in Evang Iansenius in his 100. chapter vpon the Evangelicall concord professing with Gerson and Aquinas that only the fulfilling of the law doth iustifie and z Cus excit lib. 10. Cardinall Cusanus confessing that none but Christ ever did fulfill the Commandements seeing all this is thus why will you so boldly affirme that this doctrine was never impugned never contradicted c which indeede was never rather taught never approved It is true S. Gregory was never contradicted in this for hee never taught any such thing But this opinion was gainesaid and disliked and the Church never received never generally delivered any such position Although if it had your epithet of never erring Church is scarce currant for you cannot deny but the Church hath had her blots a Dial. contra Lucif S. Ierome cōplained that the whole world groaned and wondred to see it selfe Arrian b Aduers proph Novit Vincentius Lerinēsis confesseth that not only some portion of the Church but the whole Church may be blotted with contagion But this was none of her blots spots or infectious blemishes for shee never generally mainetained or taught this Doctrine Mr LEECH But M. Doctour Hutton lending a deafe eare vnto my defence though in my conscience and iudgement it ought to haue satisfied him sounded another alarome and ringed a fresh peale in my eares charging nay surcharging me ad nauseam vsque for holding any distinction betwixt Precepts Counsailes For saide hee there is no such distinction those which you falsely cal Coūsailes are in deed Precepts and not Counsailes ANSVVER The Comoediā c Plautus Plautus taxeth some that had no stuffe in them but in their tongue and that only in speaking lewdly of their betters Isthic est thesaurus stultis in lingua situs ut quaestui habent malè loqui melioribus Let the lawes of God Nature and Nations
more then thou commādest Witnesse learned iudicious Hooker in the second booke of his Church Politie in the thirde page before the ende of the same booke witnesse also the Apologie in defence of him written by Doctor Covell in the 14. Chapt. of Satisfaction ANSVVERE Tertullian observeth that Orthodoxall teachers vse first to teach Lib. contra Valent. c. 1. and then to perswade but heretikes vse first to perswade and then to teach I can finde abundance of wants both in your manner method matter of this sermon This sermon doth nether teach nor perswade teaching by false proofe perswading by fained power to strengthen that which no mā besiegeth or gain saieth that there be degrees of perfection In this part your proofes so sinisterly collected from the practise of the Apostles Authority of S. Austin frō the opiniō of Mr Hooker Doctor Covell need rather an interpretiue answer then a defensiue encounter 1. For the Apostles that they did forsake all the necessity of the times and their vocation required it Legend yet Christ biddeth them keepe their Scrippe Coate Frier Iuniper thought that was too much ran about without his breeches and Fryar Ruffin as Sedulius witnesseth Apol. l. 2. c. 5. n. 7. did preach naked Secondly for the Virgins in S. Austin whose speech is amando te plus facimus quà m iubes Serm. 18. de verbis Apost by loving thee we doe more then thou commandest that is more thē thou commandest Perkin prob Tit. super hoc mandato de non moechando as learned Perkins answereth or it is to be vnderstood in genere to others that God did not command all so to loue him as they did that is in that kinde he commandeth al to avoide adultery but he commaundeth not all to professe Virginity and yet those that he hath seperated for that kinde of life are bound because commanded so to liue and cannot say plus facimus quà m iubes For your third allegation out of that Reverend Authour Mr Hooker In the place cited he maketh not any mētion of the word Counsaile One of his propositions among others is this that God approveth much more thē he doth commande which may be spokē in a good sense for as much as God doth approue many things hee doth not particularly commande in holy Scriptures I will seek no other example then that which Mr Hooker alleadgeth there his words be these Hook 2 book of Eccles Polity § 8. p. 120 lin 39. Hereat S. Paul vndoubtedly did aime in so farre abridging his owne liberty and exceeding that which the bond of necessary and enioined duty tied him vnto What that was his marginal quotation sheweth 1. Thes 2.9 the words be these 1. Thess 2.9 Yee remember brethren our labour travaile for we laboured day and night because wee would not be chargeable to any of you and preached vnto you the Gospell of Christ To preach the Gospel so freely as that he that serveth at the altar doth not seeke maintenance from the altar is more then is enioined generally to the Ministers of the Gospell and yet is approved in the sight of God and no doubt rewarded Yet vpon some circumstances where the people are vnwilling to heare because vnwilling to pay for their hearing a Minister ratione officij rather then beneficij is bound to preach because his rule is this vbicunque quandocunque quomodocunque wheresoever whensoever howsoever he is commaunded to preach the word in season out of season For your authority out of learned Doctor Covell I answere aetatē habet doctrinam habet he may saue you the helpe of a Frier to lash you for stealing out of that one Article aboue forty lines of his words without his meaning According to my vnderstanding all that he endevoureth to shew is that there be divers degrees of perfection in this life and of glory in the life to come that to attaine this perfection some courses bee more exquisite thē others that such courses are not of necessity prescribed to ALL therefore in that regarde they may be said to be more then is commanded in generall or in particular to any absolutely but only conditionally with supposall of gift or vocation These hee calleth Coūsels And we refuse not the name if the thing were taken aright but that by such we may merite for our selues and others and come with an over-plus to bee treasured vp to make marchandise for indulgences let him speake himselfe what hee thinketh in this Article whence you borrowed much but vnderstood little The 8. Article 8. of defence of M. Hooker Title Super. Article of his defence of Mr Hooker in the Title workes of supererogation whereas you quote him for the 14. Chapter the Title Satisfaction But to the purpose in the place aboue cited the vpshot of his tract is this we cannot supermerit by these more then we ought Therefore his speech fasteneth no post in your weake building And in a word to adde this Corolarie to Mr. Hooker Doctor Covell which will I hope giue some light to any that shall sinisterly interpret them Lib. 3. de anima It is a position in Aristotle lib. 3. de Anima that intellectus Coniunctus semper progreditur ab imperfecto ad perfectum which Thomas the schooles haue made vse of in the Metaphysickes to proue that conceptus particularis a particuler conceipt is ever more perfit then an vniversall so species then genus individuum then species is held more perfit because in descending downewarde there is ever something added to the perfection of the vniversall which the particular includeth This may be well applied to the present and to the conceit of these learned men to which you never attained Though the vniversall precept bindeth al and in that may be said to want no perfection yet the particular adding some thing from extraordinary meanes to a branch of the generall precept is some way said to bee a more exquisite way notwithstanding these lists are ever to be kept that as the Poet spake Est modus in rebus sunt certi denique fines Quos vltra citraque nequit consistere rectum So say I and so held these in divinity in all the actions of our life there be land markes of our procession which striue we never so earnestly we cannot goe beyonde and therefore not beyond the precept Mr LEECH The perfection of man here in this life is the soules vnion with God not essentiall for this is peculiar only to the Trinity Not personall this proper to Christ his humanity Not sacramentall this extendeth to the whole Church in generall But it is vnio animae spiritualis the soules spirituall vnion with God when the soule is whollie sequestred from the world and is sincerely ravished with the loue of God of Christ and of her neighbour guided ledde therevnto by precepts and Counsailes ANSVVER It is true
calleth by the name of Counsell and so doth expound himselfe in his 3 booke de Doct. Christ c. 17. when he affirmeth alia omnibus communiter PRAECIPI alia singulis quibusque generibus personarum here is the vniversall or common and that proper or speciall precept distinguished he giueth the reason that God hath not in this only taken care for the generall infections sicknesse of sinne in al but particularly for the spirituall disease and infirmitie of every one Psal 103. he hath giuen medicine to heale these sicknesses and the directiō of the receipt is a Praecipi Conf. l. 10. c. 29.30 And not only here but in his Confessiōs he acknowledgeth that god doth command virginity and continency Imperas nobis cōtinentiam continentiam iubes da quod iubes iube quod vis The second and third places of S. Augustin may be so answered But in a word to either the former of the two in which I must aime at the worde for I finde no quotation of these places oft vrged I say the former of these * Evāg quaest 2. l. cap. 19. whence you would proue not only Counsells but supererogation meaneth nothing else but that a man may by grace outstrip the common iniunction enioined other men but that ex debito not ex consilio as in other places Austin holdeth And to his latter place Enchr. ad Laur. c. 121. Quaecunque ergo mandat Deus c. Danaeus answereth that howsoever Austin seemeth to distinguish Counsells and precepts there yet the very word in that place speciali Consilio doth sufficiētly manifest his meaning to bee of precepts For an especiall Counsell is only herein especiall as hauing reference to a generall but generall Counsells there bee none but only Precepts therefore it is plaine by speciali consilio he meant a speciall precept Thus you are left without authority the scabbard whereof you will presume to keepe for you see the sword is taken from you or else so vnedged that it serveth not for your turne Mr LEECH Precepts and Counsailes therefore differ thus Precepts are of necessity Counsailes arbitrary left to our free choice Both aime at the marke of heaven by shooting at the butt of Christian perfectiō but differ in the māner Both levell at the meanes of salvation that is perfection of charity yet Counsailes after a more exquisite and excelling perfection ANSVVER Counsels and precepts do differ no more then Genus and species for Counsailes bee but the braunches and species of Precepts neither bee they left to our free choice for we haue no free choice but in every good thing the directing hand of heavē doth dispose of vs. Secondly they be not Arbitrary simply If we graunt them to be Arbitrary in regarde of the things to bee vndertaken which be indifferent yet they be not so in regard of the persons vndertaking who are bounde to loue serue and feare God as much as they can with their best gifts and yet in the end bee vnprofitable servants Mr LEECH The stage of this worlde and the theater of the Church present vnto our free choice the worlds trash and heavēs true treasure the more man cleaveth to heauens permanent felicity the more perfit excellent is he nay to cast the worlds trash wholy away in lue of heauens treasure as seafaring men do their goods wares in danger of shipwracke when the life is in hazard this is no precept of necessity but only an advise of greater perfection ANSVVER The stage of the world and the Theater of the Church are very vnfit Phrases and more vnfit to bee coupled But these do not present to our free choice the casting away of the worlds trash for the Apostle necessitate praecepti Heb. 12.1 doth binde every man to cast away every thing that presseth downe And yet all Christians are not generally commanded to giue away all or cast away al but to imitate the merchant in a dangerous tempest to cast away all rather then hazard his life and this is but conditionall and when the danger is lesse hee will depart but with some part reserving the rest for helping forward his traffique So the Christian sea-faring man will vpon an extremity rather forsake all worldly profit then endanger the shipwracke of faith a good conscience Neverthelesse in the common course of his life which is ordinarily hazardous will not be wāting to throw daily some of his goods into the salt sea of other mens misery for their reliefe alwaies so giving that he may alwaies giue Mr LEECH Transgressors of the lawes precepts deserue punishment but they that performe not Counsailes sin not only they want some measure of perfection ANSVVERE They that performe not counsailes as Evangelicall precepts particularly inioined them sin peccato omissionis For a man must serue God as much as he is able obligatione praecepti as it is iterated in Matthew Mark Mat. 22.37 Mark 12.30 Luc. 10.27 and Luke Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and with all thy minde which is not only by the Fathers Aq. 22ae q. 44. art 5. Com. in Math. 22. but by Aquinas and Caietā thus expounded that in the service of the heart is dedicated the affection in the soule the consecration of the life in the minde the sacrifice of the vnderstanding Yea scire is required in the heart velle in the soule posse in the minde all our faculties of soule and body are required by that precept delivered in the law confirmed in the Gospell and containing the very summe of Law and Gospell of Precepts and Counsailes and requiring the vtmost degrees of perfection that may be performed in this life Mr LEECH Observers of Counsailes shall haue greater reward yea they shall sit vpon thrones and not only iudge the twelue tribes of Israell but doome both men and Angels It was Christ his promise of remuneration made to his disciples for their consolation to encourage them to goe forwardes with the practise of Christian perfection embracing for his and heauens sake voluntary pouerty virginall chastity and humble obedience It was proclaimed also by that trumpet of the Apostles preacher of the world Apostle of the Gentiles and descrier of heavenly mysteries holy and blessed S. Paul know you not that we shall iudge the Angels c. The words are so pregnāt that all the wrāgling wits and contentious private spirits in the world cānot wrest them But law breakers without repentance shal haue greater punishment ANSVVER To the Saints in generall it is promised by the Oracle of truth Mat. 19.28 the truth himselfe not only in Matthew that they shall sit vpon twelue throanes and iudge the twelue tribes of Israell Luk. 22.30 but also in Luke that they shall eate drinke at his table in his kingdome sit on seats and iudge the twelue tribes of Israell And it is most true that
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
Flavianus Bishop of Constantinople in his first Epistle to Pope Leo the first Haeretici est praecepta patrum declinare instituta eorum despicere It is the propertie of an heretique to decline the precepts of holy fathers contemning their cannons and decrees ANSVVER Your iudgement or opinion is very small seeing you take vp any thing at the second hand and from Coccius Treasury that cocks dunghil cul Pearles as you thinke them Twise before you submitted your selfe to the Church and in every page almost to the interpretatioÌ„ of the Fathers That the Church hath necessarily a stroak in the decision of Controversies we deny not but so ever that it subscrib to the truth of scriptures Next you submit to the Fathers the Fathers we reverence more then any Papists in the worlde doe neither doe I beleeue that ever any Protestant in the Christian world hath offered so much disreputation vnto the Fathers as Bellarmin himselfe hath don not only in generall De Pont. lib. 2. c. 27. § resp istas Bell. de Purg. c. 18. praeterâ—a q. ad quartum de poenitent l. 1. c. 1. § igitur Beilar de verbo Dei l. 3 c. 10. § dicens making all the Fathers but Children and novices to the Pope but in particular almost every Father is vilified by him To Damascene he giues the flatly and affirmeth that Tertullian is not to be reckoned amoÌ„g Catholiques so worse then so he speaketh of many others so ill a Patron is he of them that disesteeming any of them in any thing that crosseth his assertions he concludeth thus it is evident that the cheefest of them haue greeuously erred So that it seemeth Bellarmine is the heritique that Leo speaketh of who declineth from the precepts and coÌ„temneth the decres of holy Fathers Mr LEECH Thus much be spoken in defence of that great pillar of the latine Church S. Gregory saying Quidam non iudicantur pereunt quidam iudicantur pereunt quidam iudicantur regnant quidam non iudicantur regnant as also in defence of that sentence inferred vpon the last braunch transcendunt aliqui praecepta legis perfectiori virtute ANSVVERE It is strange in divinity not only but in common sense that first you should make your sermon theÌ„ after choose your Text it was vsuall in you if those that were best acquainted with your vnmethoded studies be not mistaken You grounded your distinction vpon that Text that without much wresting and wiredrawing would not serue you And you accommodated your distinction as vnfitly to this doctrine of Counsells as you father this doctrine vpon Gregory from whose authority you cannot produce any word of Evangelicall Counsell your defence was a very poore on you left S. Gregory to fight for himselfe for you fled Cum caeteri pugnabant maximè tu fugiebas maximè saith the Comoedy Father Anbignies defence for concealing Ravelliacks damned treason against the last French King was this Anti-Coton that God had given him a grace to forget all that he heard in confessioÌ„ It appeares you haue the like guift to mistake most that you read in the Fathers else you would never haue maintained such disiointed inferences Mr LEECH This I haue the rather done God and his holy Angels in whose presence I now stand and speak De Mysterio Mediatoris lib. 1. As hereticks as temporizers bearing me witnesse lest that imputation of Fulgentius should light vpon me viz. Fidem Ecclesiae nolle asserere est negare vno eodémque sileÌ„tio firmat errorem qui errore seu tempore possessus veritatem silendo noÌ„ astruit Dominicam gloriam qui non firmârit evacuat divinaÌ„ contumeliam qui non refutârit accumulat Miles ignavus som noleÌ„to corpore depressus regia castra oppugnantibus tradit dum competentibus vigilijs non defendit That is not to aver the Doctrine of the church is to deny the faith of the Church So are some in England So are others for with one the selfe same silence he strengthneth an error who being possessed or carried away with errour or time avoucheth not truth by his silence He that coÌ„firmeth not the glory of God weakneth it and he that confuteth not iniurie offred vnto God augmenteth it The slothfull sleepy souldiour betrayeth the Kings tents to his enimes whilst hee keepeth not true sentinell as he should ANSVVER Fulgentius speech fitteth vs as well as you your protestation we partly beleeue and yet but partly because you sinne more of negligence then of ignoraÌ„ce I would I could giue you that testimony which S. Paul did the Israelits Rom. 10.2 I beare you record that you haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge or as another testimony of Scripture in the like case that you do onlie stray by ignorance Then would I hope that terrour of conscience should not punish your error in knowledge The Donatists loved their opinions better then their liues and you affect your owne folly more then Gods glory wherefore my exhortation to you is Returne Returne ô Shunamite Can. 6.12 if you wil not my praier and Petition for you is this Father forgiue him for he knoweth not what he doth Your marginallis false scaÌ„dal not our Church slander not our professors The Law Gospell agree in this Cursed be he that revileth the elders of his people Mr LEECH Hath any weedes of superstition growne vp with this Doctrine in the field of the Church Oh let not the pure wheate of Evangelicall Counsailes of perfection quoad viam quoad gradum fare the worse for the weedes Vnskilfull husbandmen are they and very vnfit to manure the Lord his tillage whose preposterous zeale issuing from the ground of a private groundlesse iudgement would pul vp both wheate and tares togither ANSVVER The words be otherwise in your coppy commanded by authority and by the notes against which exception was taken by the learnedst of our assemblie Vnder your owne hande This Paragraph beginneth thus Hath any weedes of SVPEREROGATION growne vp c. And dare you not nowe vse the same tearme Insteede of supererogation you put in superstitioÌ„ I grieue to think that you do receiue the wages of iniquity for maintaining as far as your poore revenews serues these two bastards of the Pope Aug. retract l. 1. c. 19. Hier. l. 1.3 contra Pelag. Theodor. in Rom. 10. Chrysost in Rom. 10. hom 17. Sed. in 10. RoÌ„ impiety absurdity The works of supererogation are of al other points of Popery most abhominable besids that none of the fathers teach so and that many of them bee expresly against theÌ„ as Austin HieroÌ„ Theodoret Chrysostome Sedulius your owne defenders Aquinas Gerson Iansenius Paludanus and Cusanus all deny this point And seeing that Scarlet whore of BabiloÌ„ druÌ„k with the blood of Gods Saints is nowe carted by heavenly iustice through all the reformed Congregations of the world I see not but every true Christian
should be ready to cast a stone the stone which I cast against superogatiō is no other thē that which S. Iohn cast against it who giveth the lie to him that saith he hath no sin Bell. de Mon. lib. 2. c. 13. And Bellarmine is constrained to cōfesse that S. Austin Bernard and Thomas doe thinke it impossible to keep that Commandement Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde Mr LEECH These are wiser fuller of zeale then Christ himself who suffred nay gaue commandement as it is in the parable that both tares and wheat should grow together vntill the harvest of the last iudgement and then shoulde the tares and weeds be bound vp in bundles fitted for the fire and the wheate should be gathered into his barne For at the last iudgement Sermo 3. de le iunio collectis 1. Cor. 3.12.13 there are some things vrenda flammis other things condenda horreis as S. Leo speaketh And doth not S. Paul allude to this Whose words be if any man build vpon Christ the foundation gold silver precious stones timber hay stubble every mans worke shal be made manifest for the day shal declare it because it shal be revealed by the fire and the fire shall try every mans workes of what sort they are To which fire let this Doctrine be reserved to stand or fall to burne as stubble hay timber or rather to escape as gould silver and precious stones ANSVVERE True zeale is the true seale of a Christian If you had any sparke therof I would wish as Porsenna did to Scaevola concerning his Country Lavater Iuberem macte virtute esse si pro mea patria virtus ista staret So I for true Religion Iobs friends had a bad cause but handled it well Iob had a good cause but maintained it ill neither ability of the cause nor dexterity of the handling haue assisted you The multiplicious abuse of Scripture in your text is frequēt that as the Prophet spake of aslying book so may al of your lying book You wold by intimation of that Scripture in the Parable of the Tares desire that as the tares are suffred to growe Mat. 13.30 so your doctrine may remaine vncēsured till the iudgement It is well that you acknowledge your doctrine to be like the Tares Fearefull will that iudgement be at that vniversall Sessions where Christ will be iudge the Saints the Iury when you are accused with those words of the Parable Master sowedst not thou good seed in thy field whence thē are these tares In that Parable of Christ as the streame of interpretation doth carry it is meant that by the evill seed mixt with the good the Church shall never be free from some wicked that it is impossible to roote them finally out for if wee wish to avoide these so fully as the godly could wish wee must goe out of the world as the Apostle speaketh So that of lewd persons not of hereticall positions that place is to be vnderstoode for Christ doth threaten the Churches in the Revelation for connivencie of false doctrine Laodicaea Rev. 2.3 chap for beeing neither hot nor cold Rev. 2.14 Rev. 2.20 Gal. Pergamus for maintaining the doctrine of Balaā Thyatira for suffring Iesabell to teach and deceiue his servants The Church of Galatia is reproved for that they suffered the Copartnership of Iewish Ceremonies when they were established in the Gospell of Christ and shall Religion the truest bond betwixt man and man the knot of coniunction and consociation In Dion Cass shall it bee divided Shall Maecenas wish Augustus to hate and correct any that change any thing in the service of the Gods Ioseph cont ap 2. Shall the Athenians enact that they that spake of their God otherwise then the law appointed should be severely punished And shall we so much neglect the attonement of iudgements and peace of soules as to suffer blending of doctrines not only leaven in our Lumpe but poison in our bread Far be it frō vs and from our seed for ever Let it be the brand not only of a luke-warme affection and of a Policie overpolitique but of Machiavillians and matchlesse villaines to call for connivency of hereticall positions From hel it came to hell it must returne againe We cannot chuse but suffer the Tares of iniquitie to grow vp but we will endeavour pro aris focis to eradicat the Tares of heresie Your second place of Scripture out of S. Paule A chardgeable Appeale is very fit for your purpose and the words in the next present verse as fit for mine 1. Cor. 3.11 Let every man take heed how he buildeth the later of those verses shall bee my praier for you that though your worke burne at that day and you loose yet you may be saved In the meane time Scripture hath disapproved you and the fathers haue refused you Mr LEECH Now to God only wise be rendred praise power might maiestie rule dominion and thanksgiving and let al the creatures in heavē in earth or vnder the earth say so be it Amen ANSVVER Vnto that supreame iudge Rev. 22.13 and to the last iudgment be this referred and vnto the everliving God who is in himselfe α ω in Angelis sapor et decor Aust in iustis adiutor protector in reprobis pavor et horror be ascribed the admiration of his Maiesty the acknowledgment of his mercy the awful remembrance of his power the ioyfull continuance of his favor And Hallelu-iah Rev. 19.1.2 Salvation and glory and honor and power be to the Lord our God for true and righteous are his iudgements for he hath condemned that great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornications Amen Hallelu-iah CHAP. 8. Mr LEECH THus gentle Reader thou hast seene my maine defence of this doctrine wherein I haue followed the mature advise of the Philosopher and Oratour For I thought it not sufficient to confirme truth in the former part of this sermon vnlesse I confuted falshood also in the later And this I did for establishing thee if thou be in the right or reducing thee vnto it if thou hast been in the wrong ANSVVER THus Gentle Reader thou hast seen the meane defence of this doctrine wherein whether the author as he professeth hath followed the advise of the Philosopher or Orator iudge by the contradictions misapplications falsifications in the sermon Can Oratory or Philosophy be obtained without Grammar or cannot a Grammarian distinguish between Concilium Consilium the one comming originally à conciendo Calepin id est convocando the other derived from Consileo eo quòd vno consulente caeteri consileant It was a most probable tryall of the Ephraimits in shibboleth Iudg. 12.6 and sibboleth the mistaking cost the death of the body It was a laudable triall betweene the Coūsell of Nice and
his Lordship thereof as hee had inioined me in his said letters ANSVVERE MAny offende as much in obtruding themselues as others in retyring especially when their doctrine is vnsounde In this is your condemnation rather then commendation more that you acted the best part with so bad a minde seminare zizaniam as the old Seminary Sathā had done long before You were silenced not for assiduous but erroneous preaching and being desirous to vtter some such point in a more eminent place though wise men hold our Vniuersitie sermons to be as solemne and more censorious then any other in the land you by great meanes obtained letters from some Chaplaine to be sent for to preach a vacation sermon the Common course of which letters was that they passe in name of the Bishop who often knoweth not the men or their worth I must confesse that the Right Reuerend Bishop the Angell of that Church did know your person and your no worth and had bestowed vpon you a Chaplaines place by the earnest suite of some of Reuerend eminent place in Oxford but not for your first sermō as you arrogate His Lordship did not request you at al nor enioin you not to faile your summons as you boast They be the cursary Tearmes of every of those missiue letters Mr LEECH The Vicechancellour getting notice of these summons sent for me immediatly and requested that he might haue a view of the Bishops Letters which in curtesie I then cōmunicated vnto him howbeit I had iust reason to suspect for his countenance expressed much perturbation in his hart that he would plot some meanes to hinder this designment And as in all probability he did coniecture that I would haue constantly asseuered my former doctrine in the greatest audience of the kingdome so I must acknowledge that this was my resolued determination ANSVVER The Reuerend Bishoppe most earnestly required the Vicechancellor to call for those letters and the first notice that he had was from the Bishops owne mouth whereby it is manifest that his Lordship sent no such letters nor knew of them at first for he was so earnest with his worthy successor that in a zealous vehemencie hee desired that vpon his comming home to Christ-Church you might be expelled grieving he had beene a meanes to giue any encouragement to any so stubborn disobedient ignorant The letters being demanded by the Bishop it was not curtesie as you cal it but duty to communicate or rather to render vp those letters There was no perturbation expressed by the faithfully zealous in this wisely iealous Goueror he only grieved that such a shame was like by your scandall to be imputed to Oxford Howsoever what he did in this was by the direction yea obsecration of that Reuerend Bishop of London And durst you intēd againe to presūe to appeare I say not in the face of mē but in the sight of God to deliver a doctrine so confuted so cōdemned for preaching of which you were twise inhibited censured silenced This determination as you cal it came not from God no motion of his spirit But the truth is this how ever you brag here you avowed with all earnestnes and the most eager protestations imprecations against your selfe that if you might bee suffered this time to preach at the Crosse you woulde neither preach this nor any point of controuersie Mr LEECH But Master D. King fearing least with so publike a promulgation of this truth I shoulde also blazon his shame which now neither Oxford nor London nor our divided world it selfe shall containe within hir limits handled the matter so by his policie and authority that my Lord of London through his misinforming suggestions countermaunded the former by second letters discharging me from the performance of that duty And now Maister Vicechancellor thought that he had not only inconvenienced me but also secured himselfe ANSVVER Had the inke that wrote this been mixed with the poison of spiders it could not haue beene more venemous then this is malitious I grieue to thinke how little in this booke doth savor of a Minister nay of a Christiā What son of Zerviah can vtter more reproachfull shamefull speeches And what roapes can be vsed to drawe downe more speedy vengeance vpon your head then these false accusations against him that is true of heart He to feare his shame whose conscience is murus ahaeneus Hee receiue any disparagement from the mouth of any railer that by reviling of the most bright fixed starres in the firmamēt of our Church hath manifested an infallible demonstration of his degenerous and degenerate minde Shall not Oxford and London or the divided world only containe the promulgation of this I will not iniure Scripture but I hope I may safly apply that speech of Christ to the woman and therefore to counterblast your vnsavory breath I say wheresoeuer the Gospell shall be preached mention shall be made of him no way but in honor for the cleerenesse of iudgemēt sweetnesse of stile gravity of person grace of conversation and true hearted soundnesse in religion let them al backbiting Dogges spit out livor liuer and heart and all For what Erasmus spake of Prudētius shall be true of him Ibis quovis seculo inter Doctos Prudenti There was no suggestion vsed by the Vicechancelour against you it was the Bishops owne motion and earnest impetrature who also in his second letters manifested his reasons of disliking and disabling you for that service Mr LEECH For this end and purpose also he repaired then vnto a Doctor of principall place and eminent worth a man not vnder any if not over all with whom he intertained long discourse touching the Doctrine of Evangelicall Counsailes complaining that in Oxforde it had beene lately broached and obstinatly defended And now I pray you good Sir said he what is your opinion concerning this point ANSVVER To this Reverend Deane he was with many other Doctors invited to dinner he repaired not to him as to a Coūsellor in this businesse as you falsely enforme The worth and eminency of this Oracle of Textuall Schoole divinity is acknowledged with reverēce but from his owne mouth I haue received it that he protesteth against you in this imputation absolutely denying that the Vicechancellor ever asked counsell or opinion of him Only among many other discourses at Table this questiō was repeated but not debated Besides this false imputation here it is confessed by you that you obstinately defended the point and obstinacy is offensiue whatsoever the defence be Mr LEECH Here by the way giue me leaue good Reader to propose two things vnto thy discreet consideration First that D. King either had no knowledge at al or not well groūded in that point wherein he condemned me by violence of authority and not by force of reason Secondly that as I suffered with a good conscience so hee punished mee with an evill For I had not the least scruple nor
diffidence in this point All testimonies divine humane of God and of his Church did firmely establish me therein And therefore though I conferred with many learned men vpon the same yet I never demaunded of any man by way of doubt Sir What is your opinion c. but I alwaies said This is the Doctrine of all the Fathers this is the iudgement of the whole Church it is founded vpon sacred Scripture c. will you stand to it or will you disclaime it wherevpon I commonly receiued this answere the doctrine is true in it selfe though not seasonable for these times But Master D. King hauing not any such certainty of infallible grounds could not but fluctuate in the instability of his private iudgement ANSVVER VVhich two proposed coÌ„siderations be both false How can any indifferent Reader looke vpoÌ„ your lines with any other entertainement but contempt first you accuse Doctor King to want well grouÌ„ded knowledge whoÌ„ your conscience knoweth to be profound ready and resolute in all faculties in all studies in all learning was not the force of reason vsed as the meanes to coÌ„vert you when a solemne lecture was read vpoÌ„ the point was not the TeneÌ„t of our Church shewed you were not disputations many times offred you and did not the Doctors that assisted at the convention of you catechise you so farre as they founde you not able to answer what the church was what faith was what the rule and Canon was c was this violence of Authority or force of reason Violence did not appeare in authority against you never was wilde fire so quietly quenchâ—d nor open mouthed aduersary so favourably handled so movingly incited or so fully confuted Your secoÌ„dly is twin with the former only the limmes be greater Did he punish you with an evill conscience you suffred with a good Or you suffered with an evill and he censured you with a good You say you had not the least scruple of diffidence or distrust in this point Doubting in some causes is commeÌ„dable it is the meanes to sift and fanne try the wheat of truth froÌ„ the chaffe of error What mist had veiled and invelloped that eie sight that sawe not the monstrous absurdities of this point But you say all Testimonies are for you divine humane c. Your Testimonies haue beene pervsed and in them there is nothing worthie to commande affection or beliefe God and his Church I am sure certitudine fidei be against you and this I am established in that Gods law is not wanting nor imperfect craveth not the assistance and support of CouÌ„sels God vseth not second editions with supplemeÌ„ts he hath set forth no other Deuteronomy In your conference with many I beleeue you traduce many for I knowe that some that you had personall though not doctrinal fauor from do for ever disclaime any honest thought of you Were any common measure of hatred fit for a revolter I shoulde haue hoped that you would forbeare your slanders against many but your heate and hate do both conspire to make them subiect to interpretation who are most opposite to your opinion I dare pronounce it that no one of iudgemeÌ„t learning sound Religion did giue you that answere that here you deliver I haue beene bolde to enquire of your questions with some of very worthy respect and they disclaime the countenance and mainetenance of your opinion you know you were so repressed from preaching this Doctrine that while a Reverende and learned Doctor of publike respect and place in the Church and private goverment in the Vniversity remained here you durst not deliuer this but in the time of his attendance and absence in Convocation busines then you began to settle your selfe vnsettle truth Traduce none nor gull the world as if any affirmed your doctrine to be true All the learned in the world can not make sense of that which you by your written coppy deliuered where your literall meaning is often so poore that it can reach no sense and your mysticall so transcendent that no sense can reach it Truth is seasonable at all times and only enimies of truth will at any time suppresse it Falsifie no mans speech This slaunder coÌ„meth from no good spirit The well rooted resolution of the Vicechancelour anchored him his grouÌ„ds had certainty if Scripture containe it hee had truth infallibility his iudgement was not privat his certainty did not fluctuate Iude. 11. 2. Pet. 2.17 S. Iude doth attribute this to Apostats and S. Peter describeth them to be clowdes without water carried about with a tempest to whom the blacknesse of darknesse is reserved for ever Mr LEECH To returne now vnto the conference of M. Vicechancellor with the aforesaid Doctour he received a cold satisfaction vnto his hot demaund For the Doctour wondering that any difficulty should be made in this matter answered presently without any demur there are Evangelicall Counsailes and no doubt can be made thereof And what was thinke you Doctour Kings reply vnto this graue and confident assertion Did he dispute against it no he could not Did hee gainsay it no he durst not Thus the renowned pulpit-Doctor that could domineere over his poore inferiour censure him depraue him vilifie him with intolerable reproaches such as he feared not to vtter but I am ashamed to mentioÌ„ stoode mute not daring to disclose his opinioÌ„ which he could not iustifie by any waight of reason ANSVVER To returne to your most vntrue relation As before so againe I answere that the Vicechancelour did not doubt of the doctrine he manifested no haesitation he sought no satisfactioÌ„ The discourse was at dinner where neither argument was vrged nor any suffrage of iudgement required the allowance of the distinction being graunted by this reverend Deane what followeth therevpon Dare you conclude therefore that your doctrine was true The other sister and famous Vniversity hath had much experience of his rare dexterity in cleering the obscure subtilties of the Schoole and easie explication of the most perplexe discourses And not only he but others haue graunted such a distinction for distinctions bee but intentions they are signarerum non res signatae Many graunt Counsells that doe as much hate your opinion as you hate our Religion And how different froÌ„ your Tenent this learned Doctor is doth appeare in the sequele of this Chapter But first to your interrogation or rather your imaginary supposition The Vicechancelour needed not to dispute it nor meant to gainesay it For howsoever properly there bee no Evangelicall Counsells so he doth and ever did maintaine yet he never denied such a distinction repreheÌ„ding the consequents positions you grounded therevpon rather then the name of Counsels In scorne you call him the renowned Pulpit Doctor a Title generally worthily bestowed vpon him for who ever saw him without reverence or hard him without wonder Yet you heape so many obloquies vpon him that I marvell your soule doth not
froÌ„ robbing the Church of a Sonne the King of a Subiect and your selfe of a soule Your misapplication of that speech of God to Abraham I might dilate much vpon as hauing variety of interpretations which doe vnderstand that place of the devill the world the flesh But I come neerer to your purpose hoping that those wordes that you say God spake to you were receiued by no revelation a frequeÌ„t imposture amoÌ„g Papists filling the mouthes of many swaying the faiths of some But what is the blemish you see in your mother â—oth our Church deny the principles of ancieÌ„t Christianity Doe wee not receiue the Scriptures the Creedes and Fathers of the first 500 yeares Do we not build our Religion vpon the foundation Iesus Christ the corner stone Is the rule of our doctrine any other then Gods sacred will revealed in his word Is any iniury sustained by you for truth It is not iniury but true iustice to punish those that be stubborne in action precipitat in resolution and faulty in opinion not able to maintaine their cause but with much wresting of conscience their revolt ever attended with sedition scandall and humane respect Mr LEECH But I will pretermit good Reader here to make a speciall enumeration of my Motiues drawing me vnto my finall resolution for they will ensue orderly in the thirde last part of this Treatise Only consider with me now with what conflict of flesh bloud I could intertaine this resolution to come out of my Land from my kindred and from my Fathers howse with what griefe I could forsake a noble Vniversity the company of my kindest friends the comfort of my dearest familiars other emoluments which such a place doth actually yeeld and prepareth vnto greater ANSVVERE Your Motiues shall be answered as briefly as vrged because they be to bee scanned at a higher barre Your conflict was not with flesh and blood but you did agree with the world and the Diuell and applyed your selfe to the service of that painted but ill-favoured witch the church of Rome Neither did you forsake our Vniversity friends and familiars before they forsooke you They at length heard hated who at first obserued your folly and pittyed Mr LEECH Howbeit my Brethren since there is banishmeÌ„t indeed where no place is left for truth I esteeme al these things as dongue that I may gaine Christ for he is my sufficient reward I did not conceiue that when I preached my doctrine among you I shoulde haue giuen you such an example thereof in mine owne person But thankes be vnto him who disposeth all things sweetly for the benefit of his children Finally my brethren I wish that you may enioy your country which is aboue without forsaking that which is below But if you cannot by reason of the time theÌ„ looke vp vnto your eternity let not your excellent spirits abase themselues vnto the loue of transitory things For behold I shew you a more excellent way 1. Cor. 12.13 ANSVVER If in the world there be any sanctuary for truth it is there where shee may appeare without controll without colors or disguises Which you woulde willingly acknowledge to be true if ignorance were not the mother of your devotion To forsake all for Christ is blessed but to forsake eveÌ„ Christ himselfe it is most cursed He is a sufficient reward to all that feare follow him and will follow theÌ„ that fly from him How pervious you were to fly from your Country after you had fled from the truth your intent before and your practises since haue manifested But farre be it that God should be reputed as the disposer of you to this vnnaturall and vnchristian disobedience to the Church and State O what bitter punishment must attend that presumption that endangers a double perishing and is so far from having expresse commaund that it hath direct and iust inhibitions Your wish that we may enioy our countrey that is aboue is a wish aboue your charity We wish your admission into the heavenly Hierusalem which is aboue and would from our harts pray for your triumphant state there Luke 16.25 but that as Abraham said to Diues Remember thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasure and Lazarus paines therfore he is comforted and thou art tormented so we are willing to awake you with this that seeing you make your selfe of the Church triumphaÌ„t in earth you coÌ„tinuing this course are like to haue small part in the triumphant glory in heaven And while wee for our partes and stations are here wee will affect no pilgrimage but from nature to grace so to glory hoping to accompany them that are in possession of the lawrell And to this iourney we haue no other hie way 1. Kings 8.36 1. Sam. 12.23 Ier. 6.16 Ioh. 14 6. but the good way which God teacheth and the right way which Samuell describeth and the old way which Ieremy informeth al which be not as yours be Crosse waies but doe terminat in the way even Christ Iesus THE THIRD PART CONTAIning 12. Motiues which perswaded me to embrace the Catholicke Religion Briefely and naturally deriued out of the premises * ⎠* S. AVGVST In Psal contra partem Donati Scitis Catholica quid sit quid sit praecisum à vite Si qui sint inter vos cauti veniant vivant de radice THE THIRD PART CONTAINETH 12. Articles against you whereby your 12. Motiues are disproved as having not affinity with the faith of the 12 Patriarks or spirit of the 12. Prophets or doctrine of the 12. Apostles or beliefe of the 12. Articles of our Creed shewing that as Art doth imitate Nature and an ape a man so as many grounds as good Christians rely vpon for their faith Apostats boast to alleadge for their fall Wherein as in the premises the particular Apostasie is confuted condemned with much facility and breuity * ⎠* S. AVGVST In eod Psal Contra Partem Donati Ipsam formam habet sarmentuÌ„ quod praecisum est de vite Sed quid illi prodest forma si non viuit de radice Venite fratres si vult is ut inseremini in radice Dolor est cum vos videmus praecisos ita iacere Aug. de vnitate Ecclesiae cap. 2. De hoc inter nos illos quaestio versatur vtrum apud nos an apud illos vera Ecclesia sit Mr LEECH To the conscionable and Ingenious Reader THOVGH the generall motiues vnto the Catholique Religion are many and waighty yet the particular which issued out of this present businesse where such as conuinced my vnderstanding and swayed my affection to approue and embrace the same Wherefore courteous Reader aswell to procure thy good as to iustifie my selfe and to satisfie others I haue coÌ„municated them vnto thy view For matter they are the same now as when I conceiued them in the beginning for manner they are brought forth in somewhat a different shape Thus much
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
these words the truth is that some there haue beene in many ages Motiue 46. in some points of their opiniō in his next motiue that many points of Protestancie were long before and in divers places As also the Waldenses spoken of by many who were almost 400. yeeres since do manifest our Religion to haue beene more anciēt then so But we stand not so much vpon these as because we are certaine that from the time of Christ the profession and succession of the doctrine of Protestant religion hath with much happines continued and hath appeared in place and persons and time and Doctrine and from the beginning of the Churches declination there haue beene some ever who resisted the Church of Rome and refused their Doctrine and therefore you may conclude as you do that the Gospel hath beene miserably taught amōg thē who haue not sought after the purity of doctrin Scornefull and shamefull is that title you call vs by in the by-name of Lutherans we haue no other title but Christians And as vniust is your slander that Lutherans are men of carnall appetites and base condition whose regularity in life by integrity of conversation is farre aboue any sort of Papists And this your second consideration is my second confirmation that Papists having not true knowledge cannot haue true faith either Originally in the foundation or Doctrinally in their assertions because they want the assurance either evidentiae or inhaerentiae accounting the Scriptures subordinat and the Reformed Churches illegitimat Mr LEECH The third Motiue The Protestants brand the Catholique doctrine with the name of Popery Luther THe name of Papists was first deuised by a luxurious Apostata inventour also of the name of Sacramentaries for so both Catholiques and Zwinglians stand indebted vnto him in these respects By the insolency of this man it came to passe that as many other doctrines so particularly this had beene stamped with the imputation of Popery whence it was that my Calvinian Iudges calumniating both me and it were pleased to fasten the note of Popery vpon it and of a Papist vpon me But since my grounds are meerely Catholique as you see and since this doctrine it selfe is the common faith of ancient Church it followeth either that it is no Poperie as these mē tearme it or that Popery truely conceiued is the very Catholique faith But of the two the later is more probable Wherevpon I inferred this conclusion for my finall resolutiō that Popery was necessarily consequent vpon the true grounds of diuinity and therefore my Iudges betrayed their owne folly in this behalfe for asmuch What Pope did ever devise this and many other doctrines which are called Popepery as by a condemnation of this doctrine they must inevitably confesse that Popery well vnderstood is the doctrine of Antiquity and that the Fathers were no lesse Papists haue in then my selfe ANSVVER LVxurious Apostat you know is a scandalous title cast vpon Luther whose many volumes continuall sermons and indefatigable paines did receiue a better Testimony out of the mouthes of learned Papists as is before proved The sirname of Papists is among some of you gloried in and are you ashamed of it Seeing it commeth from the worde Papa that is the Pope to whom you all profess subiectiō as a matter necessary to salvation why should you abhorre it Indeede it is S. Hieromes rule aduersus Luciferianos If any which are said to belong to Christ wil be tearmed not of our Lord Iesus Christ but of some other Hier. advers Lucif c they are not the Church of Christ but the Synagogue of Antichrist But you reply that you do not approue and assume this name more learned and more wise Papists do Anast Cochel Palaestrit honoris 1. p. 9. 6. Cochelet is zealous in the defence of it if it bee odious to others it is glorious to him wee are Papists saith he and confesse it and glory in that name and to this purpose I coulde cite others Luther was the first Author you say of this name It were the abuse of my Reader to discourse about such impertinēcies but otherwise I could easily disproue this This doctrine was by Luther and your Calvinian Iudges called Popery It was some iniurie sure to ioine things of so dislike natures as to cal him Papist who holds popery and it had beene a great calumny to you if you had not become Papist because then you were tearmed so and now professe your selfe to bee so Is not this a good reason to make you Turnecoate to leaue the religion and Church wherein you were Baptised Or because we tearme your Catholique doctrine Poperie therefore you are so angrie you will leaue vs. But consider that Catholique Doctrine is the Doctrine of the Catholique Church and the true Catholique church by the signification of the word is the vniversal Church so called because it is over al the world is not tyed to anie Country place person or condition of men According to which sense the Romane Church cannot bee called the Catholique Church Boz sig Eccl. l. 19. c. 1. Bell. de Rom. Pont praef lib. 3. c. 21. For Bozius Bellarmine doe complaine that the Protestants doctrine possesseth many and large Provinces England Scotland Denmarke Norwey Sweden Germany Mag Gregor descrip 166. Poland Bohemia Hungaria Prussia Litvania Livonia And Maginus in his Geography saith that the Greeks lōg since departed frō the Church of Rome appointed thēselues Patriarks these provinces follow the Greeks religiō Circassia Walachia Bulgaria Moscovia Russia Mingrelia Brosina Albania Illyricum part of Tartary Servia Croatia and all the provinces living vpon the Euxine Sea And not only all these but how manifest is it that the kingdome of France and the low Countries florish in the Protestant beleefe besides many thousands in Spaine and Italy It is as easie to proue that Popery is not Catholike in time as it is plaine it is not vniversall in place for besides that Reynerius who lived three hundred yeeres agoe Refert Illyr catol. tom 2. doth acknowledge that the Waldenses which professed as wee doe were reputed to haue beene ever since the Apostles time so on the contrary it is open to all the world that the Romane Church hath receaued many new born bastardly opinions which were never before extant I knowe there was a time whē the faith of the Romans was published through out the whole world Rom. 1.8 But now the Angell hath told vs that Babylon is fallen many alterations from the state of that Church Who knoweth not howe strange the point of Supremacy was even in the time of Gregory the great how the Councells of Lateran and Trent giue the Pope so great a transcendency as that he is aboue a generall Councell that the Councell of Constance and Trent forbid the Cup to the lay people that Transubstantiation was made a matter of faith by Innocent
hardned hart In that presumptuous speech that will was the law to punish you without an offence yet shall not be the sanctuary to defend that Reverende Governour that censured you you are much offensiue to truth It was your ignoraÌ„ce that betrayed you the offence coÌ„deÌ„ned you the law did ceÌ„sure you Now you are far of you veÌ„t your gall like vnto Gall his reproach against Abimelek when he supposed him far enough from him Who is Abimelek and who is Shechem that wee should serue him Your threats be blasts he needs no sanctuary that hath so many in the eares and hearts of the most honoured and best affected of this lande And though you presume to CoÌ„vent him yet at this time a farre meaner man shall discharge him You desire leaue to deale as a scholler it is wel you wil aske leaue that you neglect not all duty to your Master but I assure you it is generally beleeved that if any thing in your whole book be truely your own it appeareth in the validity of these argumeÌ„ts framed so sophistically as if you had only learn'd logike by that rude prescriptioÌ„ Discere si cupias Logicam discas Titlemannum Ille Sophistarum crimina pandere vult Mr Wright complaines that none of our Protestants answer breefly and punctually you shall not need to complaine so In two wordes I answere your three arguments Negatur minor For ever you affirme as a Principle the thinges to be proued which manner of argumentation 2. Prior. c. 16. 8. Topic. 13. 1. soph 5. 2. Soph. 12. Aristotle reckons for a fallacy in many places and tearmes it by this name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a begging to haue that graunted which in the beginning was the maine controversie So Archimedes would moue the whole earth if he could obtaine a seperat standing from the earth which might not be And this is the dealing of all your Champions first they take this as graunted that the Church of Rome is the Catholike Church and then conclude that wee are the Heretiques which is the especiall point to bee proued In your first syllogisme your presumption rather theÌ„ assumption is faulty But the doctrine of Evangelicall Counsailes is founded vpon Scripture according to the conformable opinion of the ancient Church Was there any hope that this might passe vncontroled being the maine controversie of all But it is proued saie you by the ensuing testimonies of the Fathers but it is disproued say I both by that which hath beene said in this Tract as also in particular answer to every Father by D. Benefield that except you be more then perversly obstinate you will vndertake no more such challenges The minor in both your other syllogâ—smes assume that D. King D. Aglion by c. obstinately oppugn a point of Catholique faith and are heretiques and therefore must recant c. And your poore proofes bee their proceedings against you in this particular Alas doe you boast of reading Fathers Schoolemen Children Schooleboyes would be asham'd of such arguments which I easily returne againe in this manner Whatsoeuer doctrin is not fouÌ„ded vpoÌ„ scripture c. aut the doctrin of EuaÌ„gelical CouÌ„sels is not fouÌ„ded c Therefore the doctrine of Evangelicall Counsells is not a point of Catholike faith The syllogisme is good in the first figure by the rules of Logicke though the Minor be negatiue because the Maior is convertible The Minor is proued before in the right interpreting of the testimonies of the Scriptures Fathers which you manifestly wrested and perverted Whosoever doth obstinately maintaine any point of doctrine contrary to Catholique faith is c. But Mr Leech doth obstinately maintaine a point of doctrine contrary to Catholike faith Therefore Mr Leech is an heretique The Maior is graunted by all men of iudgement and it is taught by the same rule of Austin The Minor is proued by his owne proceedings in this particular Every hereticke as in your owne words c. But Mr Leech is an heretike c. Therefore Mr Leech c. The Maior is cleere of it selfe The Minor is proued already and your foure evidences that follow are evidently turned vpon your selfe Thus Baals Priests launce themselues and Saul falleth on his owne sword And in full satisfaction that it may appeare to all men that we suppresse not the truch we reiected not the Fathers for though by the rule of Vincentius and the graunt of Bellarmin all learned Papists wee are only to receiue the vniforme consent of the Fathers yet in this you haue neither all nor the most nor any places pregnant for your doctrine as is manifest by the answere to them and the interpretation of the Fathers To your fourfold evidence In praef com lib. Mosis I might returne First the authority of Cardinall Caietan thus God hath not tied the exposition of the Scripture vnto the sense of the Fathers Andrad defens fidei Trid. lib. 2. Secondly the iudgemeÌ„t of Andradius that they spake not Oracles when they expounded the Scriptures that the oversights of the translation which they followed must needes cause theÌ„ to miste sometimes the right meaning of the holy Ghost Turrecrem In c. sancta Romana d. 15 nu 4. Possev Bibl. select l. 12. c. 23. Thirdly what Turrecremata hath deliuered herein thus At this day there be many things found in the Fathers deseruing no credit Fourthly what Possevine coÌ„cludeth somethings in the Fathers wherein vnwittingly they dissented from the Church are iudged and condemned I could vrge for your foure fortie of your own that doe disclaime the authoritie of Fathers your graÌ„d Iurie is answered so fully by D. Benefield that as no man can say more so I hope it will make you say much lesse I denied not these 4 authorities you here bring but I deny that they bee applied to the present for in all the course of your testimonies we denied no Fathers but interpreted all And now Mr LEECH let me tell you your vndeceiueable Iudge doth see you and wee both must receiue our censure at another barre Once one church held vs in an honourable function one Vniversitie in a loving Communion one Towne the flowrishing and happy and chiefe Towne of our Shire in a kinde participation of all good offices But you are departed Now you are gone you haue broken all these leagues nay more broken your covenant with God in the Ministry of his Church Shame the Devil forsake your stepmother satisfie the world saue your soule We shal wish you but not misse you weep for you but not want you VnderstaÌ„d not amisse good reader for nothing is so contrary to the will consent as error Had these offers beene proposed these propositions had never beene refused First hee only proposed out of a Popish peevish writer these extracted or rather extorted authorities and would never condiscend to answer the point as a scholler in disputation Secondly it was disproved by a publike lecture it was maintained against him by the Reverend Doctors his Iudges that neither Scriptures nor Orthodoxe fathers were for him Thirdly it was manifest that to preach Perfection in this life especially Angelicall integrity was at the least Pelagianisme heresie coÌ„demned by the Fathers and Ancient Church Fourthly that this doctrine being the grounde of workes of supererogation merit c. was plainely against the position of our Church as Doctor Benefield in private conference offered to proue The scandals therefore be full of iniquity which you impose on the Reader if hee beleeue your advertisement I wish you may finde more acceptance before God in the day of retribution then your words are like to finde with any True harted ChristiaÌ„s Seeing error conceived them humor produced them FINIS CHristian Reader this booke was long since promised my attendance was the cause of the stay but at length it is finished I had rather with Cato craue pardon for my fault in doing this then keepe my selfe cleere from committing this fault for I haue herein satisfied the importunity which imposed it on me and the necessity of the cause which drew me to it In the Triumph that is proued true which Tully spake of Athenagoras Of his offence hee spake nothing but complained of his punishment There was small cause of the Authors flying lesse of his reviling His reproachfull tearmes defiling and besmearing those many and worthy Divines I could haue returned in the same language hardly can any that shall answer him avoid it without calumny or so pay him his owne without note of infamy But in these labours nothing is to be more praied for then a sanctified spirit and therefore I haue as much as possibly I might avoided any thing that may seem contumelious or malitious It resteth that I find Christian and brotherly interpretation in this labor by those that shall pervse it My hast may betray the manner of my writing not the matter And it may be I shall find some such readers Hier Prooem in l. 2 coÌ„met in OseaÌ„ as S. Hierom did Alij saith he quasi parva contemnunt quicquid dixerimus contractare despiciunt alij magis aliorum silentium quà m nostrum studium probant quidam in eo se disertos arbitrantur doctos si alieno operi detrahant If such Readers meete with my booke I feare not If my book meet with such I care not The better sort I hope to find leaue attentiue and will pray for all meanes of their instruction in this world and salvation in the better world Errata Read Children p. 40. l. 16. metonymiam p. 113. l. 30. some acknowledge some denie p. 126. l. 10. Aetnam p. 131 l. 9. quo seniores eo saniores 193. l. 5. Ambigne p. 195. l. 15. quod 227. l. 4. editions p. 336. l. 19. Norris l 24.