sect 15. it seemed saith he a plausible thing vnto them to cite out of Dauid the wordes now rehearsed verbo Domini coeli firmati sunt c. to proue that the Creation of the world was no lesse the worke of the holy Ghost then of the Sonne the second person in Trinity Sed infirma illa ratio fuit but that proofe was weake So Caluin very piously as yow see 84. From this Doctor Hunnius passeth to examine these wordes of the 45. Psalme as spoken of the Sonne of God Thronus tuus ô Deus in seculum seculi c. propterea vnxit te Deus Deus tuus c. Thy throne ô Lord is to endure for euer and therfore hath God euen thy God anointed thee with the oile of ioyfulnes aboue thy fellowes which the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrues saith Hunnius doth expresly apply vnto the eternall Diuinity of Christ but Caluin ouerthroweth the same by applying the meaning to haue byn of K. Salomon only The simple and naturall sense of this place saith Caluin is that Salomon did not gouerne Tyrannically as other Kinges but with right and equall lawes and therfore his Kingly seate should be stable for euer See how base a conceipt this man had of diuine thinges but yet heare him further for in another place he writeth thus Faciendum est c. VVe must confesse that this Psalme was made of Salomon as a bridesong of his marriage with the King of Egypts daughter Doe yow see the prophanity of this mans spirit But yet let vs produce a farre greater audacity of his 85. The Apostle S. Paul in the 4. to the Ephesians doth vrge much for proofe of Christes diuinity the wordes of the Psalme 67. Ascendens in altum captiuam duxit captiuitatem dona dedit hominibus c. He ascending vp to heauen did carry with him our Captiuity as captiue distributed giftes to men vpon earth which thing S. Paul doth vrge as a point of singuler moment for proofe of Christes diuinity But what saith Caluin yow shall heare what he writeth both of the thing and of his Censure of S. Paules simplicity in so applying the same Quia locum hunc Paulus saith he subtiliùs ad Christum deflexit Ephes. 4. videndum est quà m bene cum mente Dauidis conuenit For so much as Paul did more subtily wrest this place to Christ it is to be considered how well he agreeth therin with the mind or meaning of Dauid shewing in deed by diuers reasons that his exposition and application doth not agree with Dauids intention in that Psalme which is a most impious insolency if it be well considered 86. After this the said Doctor passeth on to cite that famous place of Esay the sixt Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus Dominus Exercituum as a testimony for the blessed Trinity by the witnes and allegation of al ancient writers wheras Caluin of purpose calleth the same into doubt saying in fauour of the Arrians Wheras ancient writers haue vsed this testimony of Esay whē they would proue the Trinity of persons in the essence of one God I doe not reiect their sentēce but yet if I should haue to doe with Hereticks I would rather vse more strong testimonies ne Haereticis ridiculi simus least we be ridiculous vnto Heretikes and in truth the Prophet by this triple repetition holy holy holy doth rather note a restles assiduity or continuance of Angelicall melody in the prayses of God c. And doe yow not see saith Hunnius how this arrogant fellow doth saucely pull by the locks old venerable antiquity making the same 〈◊〉 and how he instructeth the Arrians to illude or shifte of this sacred testimony for the blessed Trinity Could the Arrians doe more for themselues or their owne cause So he Shewing also the like boldnes and impiety in that he goeth about to weaken the Authority of Michaeas the Prophet vsed by all ancient Fathers for the proofe of Christes Godhead where he saith Et egressus eius ab initio à diebus aeternitatis and his going forth is from the beginning from the dayes of eternity which words Caluin though he cannot but grant for the euidēcy therof to appertaine to the diuinity of Christ yet doth he diuert the Prophetes meaning to a farre different sense and saith Hic est simplex sensus scio quosdam insistere pertinaciùs quod hic loquatur Propheta de aeterna essentia Christi c. This is the simple sense and meaning of the Prophet albeit I know that some doe more obstinatly contend that the Prophet speaketh heere of the eternall essence of Christ and for my part though I doe willingly acknowledge that the diuinity of Christ is heere proued yet for that we shall neuer get the Iewes to confesse it I would rather simply take the wordes of the Prophet as they sound So he And note heere his good reason saith Hunnius for that because the Iewes will not be brought to confesse the truth of this text Caluin himself will dissemble it also and peruert the Scriptures to another meaning to please them Is not this wickedly to betray the cause of Christians And is not this secretly to collude with the aduersaries Is not this by dissimulation to weakē our owne forces in fauour of the enemies But herof yow shall see more in that which ensueth Out of the new Testament §. 2. 87. ANd with these places and some other the said Doctor endeth his discourse for corrupting of the Scriptures of the old Testament in fauour of Iewes and Arrians passeth to the new shewing 〈◊〉 no lesse to fauour them both therin then in the other but rather much more And first he alledgeth that most excellent place of S. Iohns Ghospel before mentioned Ego Pater vnum sumus I and my Father are one which testimony al ancient Fathers without exception did vrge against the Arrians as an inuincible bulwark to proue the vnity of Godhead in Christ with his Father But what saith Caluin Ego saith he Pater vnum sumus abusi sunt hoc loco veteres vt probarent Christum esse Patri Homusion neque enim Christus de vnitate substantiae disputat sed de consensu quem cum Patre habet c. The ancient writers did abuse this place to proue 〈◊〉 that Christ was of the same nature and substance with his Father for that Christ did not dispute heere of the vnity of substance but of the vnity only of consent betweene him and his Father which was the very answere and shift of Arrius himselfe and of the old Arrians and is at this day saith Hunnius of the new Arrians in Transiluania and els where to wit of Franciscus Dauid Blandrata and others 88. And so in like manner where in the 10. and 14. of S. Iohn Christ our Sauiour repeateth oftentimes Ego 〈◊〉 in Patre
consequently that he may assigne a Church to the Arrians Wherto I answere saith S. Ambrose trouble not your selfe O Emperour nor thinke that yow haue Imperiall right ouer those thinges that are diuine doe not exalt your selfe but if yow wil raigne long be subiect to God for it is written that those thinges that belong to God must be giuen to God and to Cesar only those thinges that belōg to Cesar Pallaces appertaine to the Emperour but Churches to the Priest the right of defending publicke walles is committed to yow but not of sacred thinges Thus Doctor Barkley out of S. Ambrose in the very place cited by T. M. which he thought good wholy to pretermit and cut of as not making for his purpose and so had he done more wisely if he had left out also the other authority of Pope Leo which he reciteth in the eight place of authorities out of ancient Fathers in these wordes 18. The eighth Father saith he is Pope Leo writing to a true Catholicke Emperour saying Yow may not be ignorant that your Princely power is giuen vnto yow not only in worldly regiment but also spirituall for the preseruation of the Church as if he said not only in cases temporall but also in spirituall so far as it belongeth to the outward preseruation not to the personall administration of them and this is the substance of our English oath And surther neither doe our Kinges of England chalenge nor subiectes condescend vnto In which wordes yow see two thinges are conteined first what authority S. Leo the Pope aboue eleuen hundred yeares gone ascribed vnto Leo the Emperour in matters spirituall and Ecclesiasticall The second by this mans assertion that neither our Kinges of England chaleng nor doe the subiectes condescend vnto any more in the oath of the Supremacy that is proposed vnto them which if it be so I see no cause why all English Catholickes may not take the same in like manner so far forth as S. Leo alloweth spiritual authority to the Emperour of his time Wherfore it behooueth that the Reader stand attent to the deciding of this question for if this be true which heere he saith our controuersy about the Supremacy is at an end 19. First then about the former point let vs consider how many waies T. M. hath corrupted the foresaid authority of S. Leo partly by fraudulent allegation in Latin and partly by false translation into English For that in Latin it goeth thus as himself putteth it downe in the margent Debes incunctanter aduertere Regiam potestatem non solùm ad mundi regimen sed maximè ad Ecclesiae praesidium esse collatam Yow ought ô Emperour resolutly to consider that your Kingly power is not only giuen vnto yow for gouernment of the world or worldly affaires but especially for defence of the Church and then doe ensue immediatly these other wordes also in S. Leo suppressed fraudulently by the Minister for that they explicate the meaning of the Author Vt ausus nefarios comprimendo quae bene sunt statuta defendas veram pacem his quae sunt turbata restituas To the end that yow may by repressing audacious attemptes both defend those thinges that are well ordeined and decreed as namely in the late generall Councell of Calcedon and restore peace where matters are troubled as in the Citty and Sea of Alexandria where the Patriarch Proterius being slaine and murdered by the conspiracy of the Dioscorian Heretickes lately condemned in the said Councell all thinges are in most violent garboiles which require your imperiall power to remedy compose and compresse the same 20. This is the true meaning of S. Leo his speech to the good and Religious Emperour of the same name as appeareth throughout the whole Epistle heere cited and diuers others Nonne perspicuum est saith he quibus pietas vestra succurrere quibus obuiare ne Alexandrina Ecclesia c. Is it not euident whome your Imperiall piety ought to assist and succour and whome yow ought to resist and represse to the end the Church of Alexandria that hitherto hath byn the house of praier become not a den of theeues Surely it is most manifest that by this late barbarous and most furious cruelty in murdering that Patriarch all the light of heauenly Sacramentes is there extinguished Intercepta est Sacrificij oblatio defecit chrismatis sanctificatio c. The oblation of sacrifice is intermitted the hallowing of Chrisme is ceassed and all diuine misteries of our Religion haue withdrawne themselues from those parricidiall handes of those Heretickes that haue murdered their owne Father and Patriarch Proterius burned his body and cast the ashes into the ayer 21. This then was the cause and occasion wherin the holy Pope Leo did implore the helpe and secular arme of Leo the Emperour for chastising those turbulent Heretiks to which effect he saith that his Kingly power was not only giuen him for the gouernmēt of the world but also for the defence of the Church which our Minister doth absurdly translate not only in worldly regiment but also spirituall for the preseruation of the Church turning ad into in and praesidium into preseruation and then maketh the commentary which before we haue set downe As if he had said quoth he not only in causes temporall but also in spirituall so far as it belongeth to outward preseruation not to the personall administratiō of them 22. And heere now he sheweth himself intangled not only about the assertion of Imperiall power in spirituall matters by that S. Leo saith it is giuen ad praesidium Ecclesiae to the defence of the Church which proueth nothing at all for him but against him rather as yow see and much more in the explication therof to wit what is meant by this authority how farre it strecheth it self wherin truly I neuer found Protestant yet that could cleerly set downe the same so as he could make it a distinct doctrine from ours and giue it that limites which his fellowes would agree vnto or themselues make probable 23. About which matter M. Morton heere as yow see who seemeth no small man amongest them and his booke must be presumed to haue come forth with the approbation and allowance of his Lord and Maister the Archbishop at least saith as yow haue heard that it is no more but such as S. Leo allowed in the Emperour ad Ecclesiae praesidium to the defence of the Church and Church matters and men and for punishing Heretickes that troubled the same And further more T. M. expoundeth the matter saying That this Imperiall Kingly authority in spirituall causes reacheth no further but as it belongeth to outward preseruation not to the personall administration of them And doe not we graunt also the same Or doe not we teach that temporall Princes power ought principally as S. Leo saith to extend it self to the defence ad preseruation
of the Church In this then we agree and haue no difference 24. There followeth in T. M. his assertion heere But not in the personall administration of them to wit of spirituall causes this now is a shift dissembling the difficulty and true State of the question which is in whome consisteth the supreame power to treate iudge and determine in spirituall causes which this man flying as not able to resolue telleth vs only that he cannot personally administer the same which yet I would aske him why For as a Bishop may personally performe all the actions that he hath giuen authority to inferiour Priestes to doe in their functions and a temporall Prince may execute in his owne person if he list any inferiour authority that he hath giuen to others in temporall affaires so if he haue supreame authority spirituall also why may he not in like manner execute the same by himself if he please But of this is sufficiently writteÌ„ of late in the foresaid booke of Answere to Syr Edward Cooke where also is shewed that a farre greater authority spirituall was giuen to King Henry the eight by Parlament then this that T. M. alloweth his Maiesty now for outward preseruation of the Church to wit To be head therof in as ample manner as euer the Pope was or could be held before him ouer England and to King Edward though then but of ten yeares old was granted also by Parlament That he had originally in himself by his Crowne and Scepter all Episcopall authority so as the Bishops and Archbishops had no other power or spirituall authority then was deriued from him to Queene Elizabeth by like graunt of Parlament was also giuen as great authority spirituall and Ecclesiasticall ouer the Church and Clergy of England as euer any person had or could exercise before which was and is another thing then this outward preseruation which T. M. now assigneth hauing pared the same in minced wordes to his purpose to make it seeme little or nothing but dareth not stand to it if he be called to the triall 25. Wherfore this matter being of so great importance and consequence as yow see I doe heere take hold of this his publicke assertion and require that it may be made good to wit that this is the substance meaning only of the English oath and that neither our Kinges of England doe chalenge more nor subiectes required to condescend to more then to grant to their authority for outward preseruation or ad Ecclesiae praesidium as S. Leo his wordes and meaning are and I dare assure him that al Catholickes in England will presently take the oath and so for this point there will be an attonement Me thinkes that such publicke doctrine should not be so publickly printed and set forth without publicke allowance and intention to performe and make it good Yf this be really meant we may easely be accorded if not then will the Reader see what credit may be giuen to any thing they publish notwithstanding this booke commeth forth with this speciall commendation of Published by authority c. 26. And for conclusion of all it may be noted that there hath byn not only lacke of truth and fidelity in citing Pope Leo for Ecclesiasticall Supremacy in Emperours aboue Popes but want of modesty discretion also for so much as no one ancient Father doth more often and earnestly inculcate the contrary for the preheminence of the Sea of Rome then doth S. Leo in so much that Iohn Caluin not being able otherwise to answere him saith that he was tooto desirous of glory dominion and so shifteth him of that way and therfore he was no fit instance for T. M. to bring heere in proofe of spirituall supremacy in temporall Princes 27. But yet in the very next page after he vseth a far greater immodesty or rather perfidy in my opinioÌ„ in calumniation of Cardinall Bellarmine whome he abuseth notably both in allegation exposition translation application and vaine insultation for thus he citeth in his text out of him Ancient generall Councelles saith the Romish pretence were not gathered without the cost of good and Christian Emperours and were made by their consentes for in those dayes the Popes did make supplication to the Emperour that by his authority he would gather Synods but after those times all causes were changed because the Pope who is head in spirituall matters cannot be subiect in temporall Bellarm. lib. 1. de Concil cap. 13. § Habemus ergo 28. And hauing alledged this resolutioÌ„ of Bellarmine the Minister insulteth ouer him in these words Who would thinke this man could be a Papist much lesse a Iesuit how much lesse a Cardinal who thus disableth the title of the Pope granting to vs in these wordes after these times that is after six hundred yeares the truth of purer antiquities challenging Popes to be subiect vnto Christian Emperours And yet who but a Papist would as it were in despite of antiquity defend the degenerate state saying after those times Popes might not be subiect in temporall matters As if he should haue said Then gratious fauour of ancient Christian Emperours then sound iudgment of ancient reuerend Fathers then deuout subiection of ancient holy Popes in summe then ancient purity and pure antiquity adieu But we may not so bastardly reiect the depositum and doctrine of humble subiection which we haue receaued from our Fathers of the first six hundred yeares and not so only but which as your Barkley witnesseth the vniuersall Christian world imbraced with common consent for a full thousand yeares So he 29. And doe yow see how this Minister triumpheth Who would thinke that men of conscience or credit could make such ostentation vpon meere lies deuised by themselues as now wee shall shew all this bragge to be And as for D. Barkley alledged in the last lines let any man read him in the booke and Chapter cited and he will wonder at the impudency of this vaunter for he speaketh no one word of gathering Councells or comparison of spirituall authority betweene the Pope and Emperour concerning their gathering of Councelles or Synodes but of a quite different subiect of taking armes by subiectes against their lawfull temporall Princes And what will our Minister then answere to this manifest calumniation so apparently conuinced out of Doctor Barkley But let vs passe to the view of that which toucheth Cardinall Bellarmine against whome all this tempest is raised 30. First then we shall set downe his wordes in Latin according as T. M. citeth him in his margent Tunc Concilia generalia fiebant saith he non sine Imperatorum sumptibus eo tempore Pontifex subiiciebat se Imperatoribus in temporalibus ideo non poterant inuito Imperatore aliquid agere idâ—irco Pontifex supplicabat Imperatori vt iuberet conuocari Synodum At post illa tempora omnes causae
of the Church therin which should be a greater sinne but yet is not necessary for that the perfect nature of Heresy is consummated by knowing that it is against the Church and for that this notice or knowledge belongeth to the vnderstanding therfore Vasquez holdeth that the last perfection or consummation of this sinne is in the vnderstanding and not in the will not meaning to exclude therby obstinacy of the wil as ignorantly T.M. doth when he saith wee may not be ignorant but to shew in what power of the minde the last perfection consummation of this heinous sinne consisteth to wit that a man may be a perfect and consummate Hereticke by holding obstinatly any opinion against the doctrine of the Church after wee once know it to be against the said Churches doctrine though we haue not that further malice also of expresse will and purpose to contradict therby the said Church but only we hold the same for that the opinion pleaseth vs or is profitable or honorable to vs or therby to contradict another or some such like inducement according to those wordes of S. Augustine to Honoratus Haereticus est qui alicuius temporalis commodi maximè gloriae principatusque sui gratia falsas ac nouas opiniones vel gignit vel sequitur An Hereticke is he who in respect of some temporall commodity but especially for his owne glory and preheminence doth beget or follow false and new opinions 45. The same S. Augustine also against the Donatistes proposeth this example Constituamus saith he aliquem sentire de Christo quod Photinus c. Let vs imagine one to thinke of Christ as Photinus the Hereticke did perswading himself that it is the Catholicke faith c. istum nondū Haereticum dico saith he nisi manifestata sibi doctrina Catholicae fidei resistere maluerit illud quod tenebat elegerit I doe not yet say that this man is an 〈◊〉 vntill after that the doctrine of the Catholicke faith being opened vnto him he shall choose notwithstanding to resist and to hold by choice that which before he held by errour In which wordes S. Augustine doth euidently declare how necessary both knowledge will are vnto Heresy and consequently how absurd and ridiculous the assertion of M. Morton is that Heresy being a vice proper to the vnderstanding may denominate the subiect whatsoeuer an Hereticke without obstinacy of will For 〈◊〉 we grant with all Deuines that Heresy is in the vnderstanding as in her subiect and so is faith also that is her opposite and further that her last perfection and consummation is from the foresaid knowledge in the vnderstanding as Vasquez doth explane it yet doth not Vasquez or any Deuine els exclude the necessity of pertinacity also and election in the will consequently both his wordes and meaning haue byn euidently falsified and calumniated by T. M. and so much of this first charge wherby yow may see what bookes might be made against him if we would follow his steppes in all his fraudulent traces But yet let vs see somewhat more in this very leaf and page 46. For within few lines after he beginneth his third Chapter with these wordes That is only true Religion say your Romish Doctors which is taught in the Romish Church therfore whosoeuer mainteineth any doctrine cōdemned in that Church must be accompted an obstinate Hereticke And in the margent he citeth Cunerus alledging his Latin wordes thus Haec est Religionis sola ratio vt omnes intelligant sic simpliciter esse credendum atque loquendum quemadmodum Romana Ecclesia credendum esse docet ac praedicat Which wordes if they were truly alledged out of the Author yet were they not truly translated for if by only true Religion a corrupt translation of Religionis solaratio be applied to particuler positions and articles of Religion then we grant that such true Religion may be also among Hereticks not only taught in the Roman Church for that as S. Augustine well noteth Heretickes also hold many articles of true Catholicke Religion but heere the corruption and falsification goeth yet further and it is worthy the noting for that Cunerus hauing 〈◊〉 largely against the insurrections and Rebellions of those of Holland and Zeland for cause of Religion and other pretences against their lawfull King taketh vpon him in his thirteenth Chapter to lay downe some meanes how in his opinion those dissentions may be compounded giuing this title to the said Chapter Quae sit vera componendi dissidij 〈◊〉 what is the true way of composing this dissention and then after some discourse setteth downe this conclusion Haec igitur in Religione concordiae sola est ratio vt omnes pio ac simplici animo purè integrè sic sapiant viuant loquantur ac praedicent quemadmodum sancta Catholica Romana Ecclesia quae Dei prouidentia magistra veritatis Orbi praeposita est docet loquitur praedicat This therfore in Religion is the only way of concord that all men with a pious simple minde doe wholy and purely conceaue liue speake preach as the holy Catholicke Roman Church which God by his prouidence hath giuen for a teacher of truth vnto the whole world doth teach speake and preach 47. And now consider yow this dealing that wheras B. Cunerus saith haec est in Religione cocordiae sola ratio this is the only way of concord in Religion this man alledgeth it in his margent haec est Religionis sola ratio this is the only way of Religion as though concord and Religion were al one then by another tricke of crafty translation in his English text that is only true Religion as though true Religion and the way or meanes to come to true Religion were not different and then for all the rest how it is mangled and how many wordes and sentences are put in by this Minister which are none of Cunerus and how many of his altered and put out is easy for the Reader to see by comparing the 〈◊〉 o Latin textes before alleadged and therby to consider how facile a matter it is for this fellow to deuide our tongues A course saith he which I professe in all disputes when he deuideth and separateth the wordes from their Authors and the sense from the wordes and the whole drift from them both a very fine course and fit for a man of his profession But let vs proceed 48. In the very next page he going about to make vs odious by our seuere censuring of Heretickes putteth downe first these wordes of Alphonsus de Castro He that vnderstanding any opinion to be expressely condemned by the Church shall hold the same is to be accompted an obstinate Hereticke Wherupon M. Morton playeth his pageant thus VVhat obstinate It may be some doe but doubtingly defend it what will yow iudge of these wherunto he answereth out of
our Grandame Eue. His fixt argument intituled from examples of dissimulation condemned by Scriptures Fathers Pagans §. 6. 27. HEERE yow see how he tyeth togeather Scriptures Fathers and Pagans all do proue indeed his purpose alike for that he bringeth nothing to the purpose out of any of them And first yow see that he flyeth the word Equiuocation and nameth only Dissimulation which Equiuocation we haue proued lately before to be a different thing from Dissimulation for that Equiuocation hath a true sense and meaning in the mynde of the speaker conforme to the matter and circumstance that is handled and most euidently vsed by Christ himselfe and diuers holy men as largely before hath bene declared which yet without impiety cannot be called or tearned Dissimulation in such a sense as Tho. Morton would haue it to wit as Dissimulation importeth deceipt or fraud for otherwise S. Augustine himselfe writing contramendacium against lying doth confesse that in a good sense Christ did dissemble when he said 〈◊〉 tetigit who touched me when he knew well ynough 〈◊〉 it was and of Lazarus Vbi posuistis eum where haue yow buryed him Per hoc nescire se finxit saith S. Augustine Christ by this kynde of speech did feigne that he knew not And againe in the same booke neyther that which Iacob did to obtayne the benediction of his Father nor that which Ioseph did to delude his brethren nor that which Dauid did when he feigned himselfe to be mad Neque caetera huiusmodi mendacia iudicanda sunt neyther other such like dissimulations as these are may be iudged for lyes Before also we haue heard his opinion for allowing all dissimulation in stratagems so the war be iust And thus much for the tytle of his argument now to the substance 28. First to begine with his examples out of Scriptures I say that he might better haue said Example in the singuler number for wheras we of our parte haue alleadged so many and so great variety of examples in our former discourse to the contrary he poore man out of all the body of the whole Bible hath alleadged but one and that nothing to his purpose as presently shall appeare His example is out of the Acts of the Apostles where it is recounted how Ananias and Saphira his wife hauing sold a certayne field of theirs and bringing a parte of the price and laying it at the feete of the Apostle as though it had bene the whole price were miraculously punished by Saint Peter for defrauding the Community of that which they had promised or would pretend to giue An Act saith T. Morton proper to the infancy of the Church to bring their substance and tender it to the Apostles for the comon good of the Saints By which words if he allow that fact as a forme of perfection in that purity and integrity of the Christian Churches begining why then now is the imitation therof in religious men of our dayes impugned by the Protestants And if by the word infancy he meane weaknes or imperfection in the sense of S. Paul saying Cùm essem paruulus c. VVhen I was a child or infant I speake as a child I vnderstood as a child I thought as a child but when I came to the yeares of a man I cast of those thinges that belonged to a child If this I say be Thomas Mortons meaning to note the act of imperfection the ancient Fathers do stand wholy against him and do allow it rather for great perfection and that it was a vow of voluntary pouerty to liue in comon which those first Christians had made by counsell of the Apostles and consequently do interprete those wordes Nonne manens tibi manebat c. Did it not remayne in your power to giue it or not to giue it to haue byn meant by S. Peter before their vow which if it be true and that S. Peter did giue so dreadfull a sentence vpon the first vow-breakers of voluntary pouerty euen for deteyning somwhat of their owne how much may Thomas Morton and some friends of his feare the like sentence for teaching it to be lawfull to take away that from a Religious cōmunity which themselues neuer gaue 29. But let vs come to the application of this example against Equiuocation which he hath chosen to vse principally about the womans speach The woman is asked saith he Sould yow the land for so much Her answere is yea for so much meaning but one halfe concealing the other in which dissimulation it is impossible but that your reserued clause must haue come into her mynd to thinke but so much to giue in common or to signifye vnto yow Thus Thomas Morton teacheth that poore woman to equiuocate after his manner of Equiuocation that is to say to lye for that now I suppose he hath learned by that which hath byn set downe in our precedent Chapter that to speake an vntruth or to conceale a truth or to vse any Equiuocation when we are iustly demaunded by our lawfull Superiour and when no iniurie or violence is vsed vnto vs is a greiuous mortall sinne in our Catholick Doctrin and consequently she being lawfully demaunded by S. Peter in a lawfull cause touching her owne vow promise no clause os reseruation could saue her speech from lying as our Minister doth foolishly imagine 30. Wherfore S. Peter as most lawfull Iudge and gouernour of the vniuersall Church vnder Christ the holy Ghost in him did worthily punish that dissimulation and lying both in her and her husband for example of others in that beginning and for manifesting the great and special assistance of the holy Ghost that assisted him and should be in his Successors to the worldes end in that their gouernement to the terror of wicked men that should impugne it or otherwise deserue by their demerites to be punished by the same And thus much of his examples out of Scriptures which is but one as yow see and that much against himselfe and his owne cause if I be not deceaued for that it proueth all equiuocation is not lawfull as 〈◊〉 will nedes suppose vs to hold 31. In the Fathers he is more copious for he hath two examples but of as small moment to the purpose as this The first out of S. Augustine in his booke against lying where he proposeth a certaine Case that if a sicke Father hauing a sonne vpon the point of death whom he loueth so tenderly that if he should know he were dead it would indanger also his owne life what might his friend answere vnto him who comming from his sonne and knowing him to be dead should be demaunded by the said Father whether he were dead or no S. Augustines resolution is that which before we haue also set downe in our generall Doctrine to be true that for sauing any mans temporall life a lye is not to be
Iohn Caluin in this behalfe who doth euery where reprehend the old writers for that they wrested these wordes Ego Pater vnum sumus to the vnity of essence or substance He noteth also these wordes in Caluin Impropriam esse atque duram orationem illam Symboli Niceni Deus de Deo that that speach of the Creed of the Councell of Nice is an improper and hard speech God of God Which speech notwithstanding S. Athanasius did greatly vrge saith he in his dayes against the Arrians wherof we haue treated somewhat before 79. Now then may we see how fraudulently Thomas Morton hath dealt in this matter by putting downe slyly one reason only for which our malignant Doctors as he calleth them doe condemne Caluin for Arrianisme and it is as if a malefactour being condemned for many crimes his Aduocate would giue out that he had byn accused only of one and then by diminishing that also make it none and so proclaime him quit in all But for so much as he calleth our said Doctors malignant from which crime I dare auouch them of all others most free doth say That the iudgment of the Lutheran Doctors alleadged by his Aduersary the moderate Answerer against him namely of Doctor Philippus Nicolaus and of the Deane and vniuersity of Tubinga who condemned Caluin for the same crime of Arrianisme hath byn depraued as may seeme saith he by their obiections by our said malignant Doctors We shall heere with as much breuity as may be bring forth the iudgment of another renowned Protestant-Doctor concurring with the foresaid he being a publike Reader of Deuinity in another famous Vniuersity of Germany namely VVittenberg where Martyn Luther himselfe once held the chaire as Caluin did in Geneua and this Doctor whose name is AEgidius Hunnius in a seuerall Treatise set forth about a dozen yeares gone entituled by him Caluinus Iudaizans dedicated vnto one Dauid Pareus a principall Caluinian Doctor setteth downe the argument of his booke thus in the first front therof This booke is to shew saith he that Iohn Caluin hath most detestably presumed to corrupt in fauour of Iewes and Arrians the most cleare places and testimonies of Scripture concerning the glorious Trinity deity of Christ of the Holy Ghost and aboue all the predictions of Prophetes for the comming of the Messias his natiuity passion ascension sitting at the right hand of God c. with a cleare cōfutation of his false corruptions therin c. 80. This is the title and argument of the booke which he doth prosecute for almost two hundred pages togeather deuiding the same into two partes the first wherin he sheweth how Iohn Caluin most wickedly and maliciously vnder pretence of interpreting the Scripture in different sense from the ancient Fathers did goe about couertly to weaken infringe or take from the Christians all the strongest argumentes which they had or haue out of the Scriptures for the Godhead of Christ and his equality and consubstantiality with the Father And in the second Part that he vseth the same fraud and malice by ouerthrowing all the predictions foretellinges of Prophetes about Christ as he was man Out of the old Testament §. 1. 81. ANd for the first Part of peruerting Scriptures he giueth these examples out of the old Testament first that wheras Moyses saith in 〈◊〉 Creauit Deus coelum terram God created heauen and earth the word in the Hebrue is ELOIM Gods in the plurall number out of which D. Hunnius proueth that the ancient Fathers and most learned also of later times in the Hebrue tongue doe gather Moyses to haue signified the plurality of persons in the Bl. Trinity but Caluin to take from Christians this comforte saith Colligere solent hic in Deo notari tres personas c. Heere Christians are wont by this plurall number ELOIM to gather that three persons are signified in God but for so much as to me it seemeth a weake proofe of so great a matter the Readers are to be aduertised to beware of such violent glosses Thus Caluin And with like spirite of presumption arrogancy if not worse he goeth forward in all the rest as namely that of Genesis the 19. about raining of brimstome ouer Sodom and Gomorrha where the wordes are Pluit Iehoua a Iehoua saith Hunnius according to the Hebrue text and is applied by Christian writers against the Iewes for Christes diuinity Caluin most insolently reiecteth the same saying Quod veteres Christi Diuinitatem c. wheras ancient writers endeauored by this testimony to proue the Diuinity of Christ it is but a weake argument and in my iudgment they brabble much without cause that so sharpely vrge the Iewes with this place 82. In Genesis also Chap. 35. where Iacob built an Altar to God and called the place Bethel for that ELOIM the Gods had appeared vnto him there vsing the plural number not only in the substantiue but also in the verbe it selfe Caluin without all probability of reason will needes haue it meant that not God but Angels only appeared which Hunnius refuteth for that the apparition of Angels was not a sufficient reason to name the place Bethel as Iacob did that is to say the house of God or to build an Altar to God for that Angels only and not God had appeared to him 83. But that which much more importeth Caluin taketh from the Christians that other excellent place also of the second Psalme wherin is proued the Diuinity of Christ by those wordes 〈◊〉 me us es tu Ego hodie genui te Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee wherby S. Paul himselfe Act. 13. and the Author saith Hunnius of the Epistle to the Hebrues for that Lutherans doe not admit that Epistle to be S. Paules and all ancient Fathers after them doe alleage these wordes for proofe of Christes diuinity but Caluin doth ouerthrow it by interpreting it to be vnderstood literally of Dauid himselfe as Hunnius at large proueth exactly refuteth as also his impiety in taking away that other place of the 33. Psalme in like manner Verbo Domini coeli firmati sunt spiritu oris eius omnis virtus eorum The heauens were established by the word of God and all their power by his holy spirit Out of which the ancient Fathers proued not only the diuinity of Christ the second person in trinity but of the holy Ghost also and consequently the blessed Trinity which Caluin endeauoring to ouerthrow writeth in this manner Subtiliùs veteres hoc elogio vsi sunt c. The ancient Fathers did more subtily vse this place of Scripture against the Sabellian Heretickes to proue the eternall Godhead of the holy Ghost but I would not dare to vrge Sabellius with this testimony to proue the deity of the said holy Ghost And againe in another place lib. 1. Institut cap. 13.