Popish Glorying in Antiquity Turned to their Shame, Chapter 6

Popish Glorying in Antiquity Turned to their Shame · Chapter 6

p. 87CHAP. VI. How the Romanists hauehave shamefullie corrupted the Fathers, both by adding to them, payring from them, and altering their wordes.

AS the particulars of the proofe here-of, are heere-after set downe, of Popish corrupting of Fathers, making thē either to suffer, if not for their works, a Purgatorie heere-after, yet in their workes, a sure Purgatorie heere; or else, making them against their willes, to speake the Language of Israel and Ashdod together: So what was the sensible seene experience of that worthie and learned Iunius, which him-selfe relateth, let his owne wordes, and protestation, bona fide, testifie. I will relate (sayeth hee) truelie that p. 88vvhichwhich I saw vvith mine eyes: vvhen I remayned in Lions, Franc. Iu…ius, pra…r.…die. expurg. belg.(in the Yeare of GOD 1559. and the next Yeare after) I vvas familiarlie acquainted vvith the Correcter of a PRINTING-HOUSE there, named Ludovicus Saurius, vvho dwelt not farre from Mercurie Street, in the Lodging close adjacent to the signe of the three Doues. Now vvhen I had come to salute this Man, it fell out by chance▪ or rather by the singular providence of GOD, that I found him busied in revising over the Workes of S. Ambrose, vvhichwhich then Frelonius vvas printing: and after much talke hither and to, vvhen I shewed him, that I vvould no longer bee a vvith-drawer of him from his work, hee having begun againe the reading over of one Page, saide to mee, See yee not the manner of this our Edition of S. Ambrose, how prettie and perfect it is? and to looke vponupon it, is vvorthie to bee preferred before anie Edition that ever hitherto came out. And after I had behelde, and praysed the finenesse of the Edition, hee saide then vntounto mee, But if I vvere to buy anie Copie of S. Ambrose Workes, I vvould buy anie other Copie vvhat-so-ever, before I bought this vvhichwhich thou seest. And vvhen I had asked the reason vvhy hee saide so; Then hee taking out some Pages foorth of the Hutches, or Drawers vnderunder the Table, vvhichwhich vvere all razed and cancelled, either in part, or in vvhole: hee saide to mee, This p. 89is the first Impression (sayeth hee) of the Pages vvhichwhich vvith-in those few dayes vvee printed most faithfullie according to the Copie of the Olde and true Impression: but two Gray-Fr…ers since then, according to the authoritie given to them, hauehave blotted out in all these Pages, as thou seest, and hauehave caus…d those new ones to bee put in the place of the former, against all credite of these our Books; vvhichwhich thing hath bred both Charges, and exceeding great fashrie to the Printer Frelonius. The veritie of which Relation, if anie should doubt there-of, he may easilie perceiue, by collation of S. Ambrose works, printed at Paris, anno 1529, by Claudius Chevallonius, which I hauehave beside mee: or at Basill, by Hieronymus Frobenius, anno 1538, with that Impression at Lions, by Frelonius, anno 1560: and as the particulars ensuing shall giuegive proofe of others.

First, Examples of Popish adding to the Fathers.

FIrst, of adding to the Fathers, and their Decrees, being conveaned p. 90in Councell, wee hauehave a notable evidence, in that impudent and audacious fact of Pope Zozimus, who added a Canon in his owne behalfe, to the verie first Councell of Nice; which by that famous sixt Councel of Carthage was, as a notable Forgerie, detected, and declared, and could never hitherto, by all the croaking Frogges of that Iesuiticall Crew,See Bell. l. 2 de pon…. c. 25. bee soothed sufficientlie, or colourablie excused.

Againe, in the matter of appeals, where-as the Councel of Milevi decreed,Concil. Milev. c. 22. vnderunder paine of Excommunication, That none with-in Africke should appeale to any part beyond Sea: Bellarmine is forced to grant a forged addition,Bell. lib. 2. de pont. c. 24. §. respondeo aliqui. in favours of the Pope, to hauehave beene there-after grosselie by Gratian added to the Canon, saying, Addidit ad hunc Canonem exceptionem, nisi forte ad Apostolicam sedem appelletur, sed haec exceptio non videtur quadrare (sayth hee) nam praecipue propter Romanam Ecclesiam Africani statuerunt ut non liceret appellare p. 91ultra mare: That is, Hee added to this Canon, this exception, to wit, Except perhaps the appeale bee made, vntounto the Sea Apostolicke; but this exception (sayeth Bellarmine) seemeth not to agree with the Canon, for it was chiefelie for the Romane Churches cause, that it was decreed, to bee vnlawfull to anie, to appeale out of Africke, to anie part beyond Sea. Thus wee see for the Pope's advancement, and gratifying, how false, and trickie his Supposts hauehave beene of olde, even by our Adversaries owne confession clearlie.

Like-wise, when that grosse and blasphemous place in **Dist. 19. c. In cano…m.Gratian, alleadged on S. Augustine, is vpbraided, affirming, that the Pope's Decretals ought to bee accounted amongst canonicall Scripture,Bell. lib. 2. de concil. c. 12. §. respondeo ad. Bellarmine answereth, Deceptum esse ex depravato codice, quem ipse babuit B. Augustini cui tribuit illum canonem, codices vero veri & emendati B. Augustini non habent ut Gratianus refert: That is, Gratian (sayth hee) was deceived by a corrupt Copie of S. Augustine's, which p. 92hee had beside him, to whom bee attributeth that Canon; but the true and mended Copies of S. Augustine since then, hauehave not these words as Gratian reporteth thē. How bolde then the Pope's Parasites hauehave beene with the works of the Fathers, in corrupting them, for supporting that Whoore of Babylon, wee may clearlie see, by this confession of Bellarmine's, & others, who now in their latter and mended Copies, are forced, for shame, to hauehave razed out of their olde Copies, such grosse corruptions, and openlie to disclaime the same.

In like manner, to proue that in Purgatorie some sinnes are remitted,Bell. lib. 1. de purg. c. 4. initio. Bellarmine citeth a place of Augustine, which their owne Vives in his Notes vponupon that Chapter, denyeth anie wayes to bee found in the olde Copies and Manuscripts of Augustine, Aug. l. 2…. …e civit. De…. c. 24.kept amongst themselues, in their chiefest and Metropolitane Bibliotheakes, saying, In Antiquis libris Brugensibus & Coloniensibus, non habentur isti decem aut duodecim p. 93qui leguntur versus: That is, In the ancient Copies which are at Birges and Colen, these ten or twelue Lynes, which are heere read, are not to bee had there.

More-over, the same Ludovicus Vives, in his Notes vponupon the 8 Chapter, of the 22 Booke of Augustine, De Civitate Dei, **Also a notable patch is added to the 24 Chapter, of the 21 Booke.sayeth plainlie, In h…c capite, non dubium quin multa sunt addita, veluti declarandi gratia, ab iis qui omniū magnorum authorum scripta spurcis suis manibus contaminabant: That is, In this Chapter, (sayth hee) without doubt, many thinges are added, as it were for explanations sake, by those who with their filthie Handes, hauehave defyled the Wrytings of all Authors, that are of great Authoritie. And more particularlie, who those are, who hauehave done so, their owne Erasmus telleth vsus clearlie,Erasmus, in iudic… Scholiorum in Hieron. saying, Monachi Patrum corruperunt Scripta: That is, It was the Monkes (saide hee) that hauehave corrupted the Wrytings of the Fathers: as is cleare, both by that addition in the fore-alleadged corrupt Copie of Gratianus his Augustine, making onlie p. 94for the Pope, and as shall bee, Godwilling, here-after also shown, of the Monks of Weingart, and Bellarmine's own Testimonie, of their forging of Chrysostome's Homilies,Bell. d…scrip. rec…. an…. 396. Rhem. in Math. 3.1.Matt 3:1 on Marke, cited by the Rhemists, for monasticall lyfe.

Againe, in the works of Fulbertus, B. of Chartres, published at Paris, anno 1608, fol. 168, are set downe these words of Augustine, Vnlesse yee eate (saith Christ) the flesh of the Sonne of man, and drinke his Blood, yee shall hauehave no lyfe in you, Facimus vel flagitum videtur jubere, figura ergo est dicet haereticus praecipiens passioni Domini esse communicandum, &c. That is, Hee seemeth to command a great wickednesse; it is therefore a figure, will the Hereticke say, requyring vsus onelyonly to communicate with the Lord's Passion, and sweetly and profitably to lay vp in our memorie, that His flesh was crucified, and wounded for vsus. Remarke then, how the publisher hath put in of his owne these wordes, dicet Haereticus into Augustine's Testimonie, cited p. 95by the fore-saide Fulbertus; and by so doing, thinking to meete with the Hereticks of this time, (as hee calleth vsus) was not a-ware, that hee made Augustine lyke-wyse an Hereticke for Companie, whose verie words these are, and no other mans, Lib. de doct. Christ. cap. 16.

Like-wise, Gratian relating the second Councell of Cavaillon, Distinct. 1. cap. Quidam.their words concerning Confession, setteth them downe thus, Quidam veve sacerdotibus confitenda esse percensent, ut tota fere sancta Ecclesia: That is, But some are of mynde, that our sinnes are to bee confessed vntounto the Priest, as almost the whole holie Church thinketh. But that these wordes, ut tota fere sancta Ecclesia, are favourablie added for Popish Confession, to insinuate, that the same was a catholicke doctrine, and practise in the Church then, not onlie the preceeding wordes, comprehending the whole Greeke Church, their minde in the contrarie, verefieth, Qui Deo solummodo confiteri peccata dicunt, (saith p. 96the Canon:) That is, Who sayth, that sinnes should bee confessed onelie to God: but also the Note vponupon this place of their Canon Law, latelie published by Gregorie the 13, freelie granteth, that these words, ut tota fere sancta Ecclesia, are added, and are not neither in the Capitular, nor Councell.

What forged and farsed Additions like-wise are everie-where through-out S. Cyprian's workes, put in by that impudent Patcher Pamelius, let that Edition of his of S. Cyprians workes, conferred with ancient Copies, as Gulartius hath verie well observed them, to all men testifie: one example where-of I will onelie instance, of the alleadgeance, of a testimonie of S. Cyrian's, of that Edition, adduced for the Pope's Supremacie, in a written Popish Pamphlet, sent of late to a Brother of our Presbyterie, to answere vntounto; and which, for evidence of the trueth there-of, wee yet keepe beside vsus, containing p. 97foure grosse Additions, even in one onelie Testimonie, besides a most fraudfull Alteration, of most materiall words.

The Testimonie then or S. Cyprian, Cyprian. tract. de simpl. praelat. Lugdu…, apud Seb. Gryphium. 1537.printed amongst them-selues of olde, (as I hauehave the Booke to exhibite) is thus: The Lord speaketh thus to Peter, (sayeth Cyprian) I tell thee, (sayeth Christ) that thou art Peter, and vponupon this Rocke I will build my Church, &c. And Hee sayeth vntounto him againe, after His Resurrection, Feed My Sheepe. And albeit after His Resurrection, (marke this) he gaue a-like power to all His Apostles, and said, As My Father sent Mee, so sende I you, receiue the holie Ghost: to whom ye forgiue sinnes, they shall be forgiven, &c. Yet that Hee might manifest that vnitie should bee amongst them, by His authoritie, Hee disposed it so, that the beginning of this Vnitie should bee at one, yet were the rest of the Apostles the verie same, as was Peter, (remarke this againe) endued with alike fellowship, both of Honour & Power: p. 98but a beginning proceedeth from Vnitie, that it may bee showne, that Christ's Church is one.

Thus we may see, that this Testimonie sincerelie cited, and considered, maketh no wayes for Peter's Supremacie of Iurisdiction over the rest of the Apostles, or the Pope's, (as his Successor, over all other Bishops) but is flat agaynst the same: seeing it is sayde, That the rest were the same, as hee was, and all had the a-lyke, or equall power, as hee had.

But this fore-sayde Testimonie, as it is clowted and clamped, and by him who out of his Pamelius hath cited, and set downe the same with his owne hand, is thus, Loquitur Dominus ad Petrum, &c. that is, The Lord speaketh thus to Peter (saith Cyprian) I say vntounto thee (sayeth Christ) that thou art Peter, and vponupon this Rock… I will build my Church, &c. And Hee sayeth to him agayne, 1. Addition.Feede my Sheep…: Super illum unum aedificat Eccl…siam …, & illi p…scendas mandat oves suas: p. 99that is, VponUpon him alone did Christ build His Church, and to him onelie recommended Hee His Sheepe to bee fed. (This is the first Addition to this Testimonie▪) And al-be-it (sayeth Cyprian) after His Resurrection Hee gaue equall power to all His Apostles, and sayeth, As my Father sent mee, so send I you: and, to whom yee forgiue their sinnes, they shall bee forgiven, &c. Yet that Hee might manifest that Vnitie that should be amongst them, Vnam Cathedram constituit: that is,…. Addition. He appointed one only Chayre to bee (sayth the clowting Tinker:) And by His authoritie He disposed it so (sayeth Cyprian) that the beginning of this Vnitie should bee at one; yet were the rest of the Apostles the verie same, as was Peter, endewed with the lyke Priviledge, Honoris & Potestatis, (sayeth Cyprian) that is,Al…ration. of Honour and Iurisdiction. But, Honoris & Dignitatis, (sayth our metamorphosing Exchanger) nimirum ante illa verba Christi ad B. Petrum, Pas…e Oves meas: that is▪ And the rest of the Apostles had this honour, of equall dignitie, onelie before p. 100these wordes of Christ were spoken to Peter, saying, Feede my Sheepe. (This is the third new Patch.3. Addition.) But a beginning proceedeth from Vnitie, (sayeth Cyprian) & primatus Petro datur: that is, And the Primacie is given to Peter, 4. Addition.(sayeth our false Recorder, in Cyprian's name) that Christ's Church may bee showne to bee one, (sayeth Cyprian) Et cathedra una monstretur:5. Addition. that is, And that lyke-wyse one Chayre (to wit, of Infallibilitie) may bee demonstrate (sayeth this monstrous Mungrell.)

Thus hauehave they sowne in their Tares, in anothers Fielde: thus also hauehave they put in their Colloquintida, in the Pottes of the Lord's Prophets, and the Asse hath joyned to plow with the Oxe together. And by so doing, they hauehave made the workes of manie ancient and worthie Wryters, lyke Hermophrodites, which are hardlie knowne to which Sexe they inclyne most; joyning their newe Clowt, to the p. 101others graue Garment; and so marring both Colour and Credit of the whole Vesture.

Secondlie, examples of Popish purging from the Fathers.

AS in the former Examples we hauehave seene their illicite Lincie-wolsie mixture of Addition, So wee will show now, God willing, how these cunning Arithmeticians are as perfect in their manner of Substraction, and so cannot onelie decline in the Datiue, but as well in the Ablatiue Case: & as Naash would hauehave pulled out the right Eyes of the men of Iabesh, so how they hauehave (Crow-lyke) picked out manie orthodox Speaches, out of the works of holie Fathers, that were most peremptor against them, making them Eunuches so by violent castration after their deaths, whome they could not finde to hauehave made for their Errours by vnjust declaration in their liues.

p. 102Senensis, therefore, in the Preface of his worke, dedicated to Pius the fift, not onelie confesseth this practise of Purgatorie paines by the Pen, taken about the Ancientes, but highlie also commendeth the Pope, for his care of performing the same, saying, Tu beatissime Pater expurgaricurasti omnia Catholicorum authorum scripta, & praecipue veterum patrum: that is, Thou most blessed Father (sayth hee) hast caused purge all the Writs of Catholicke Wryters, and chiefelie the Fathers.

Lyke-wise, this is avowed in the late Edition of S. Augustine, Printed at Paris, by Nivel, in S. Iacques street, at the signe of the Storks, 1571.in the Preface where-of, it is saide, That by the command of the most holie Councell of Trent, the Bookes of the Ancient Fathers, are ordained to bee purged.

Yea, the Iesuit Possevin, showeth, that this Expurgatorie Practise,Possevin, l. 1. bibliothec. s… l…ct. c. 12. is not onlie to bee extended to those that are Print, but to manuscript Copies.

Gretzer. de jure prohib. l. 2. c. 10. p. 328. & 329.And this the Iesuit Gretzeras confesseth, p. 103after that hee hath spoken of the proscription of some whole Fathers, as Tertullian and Origen, hee subjoyneth of others, saying, Et si librum integrum proscribere fas est, fas etiam erit pr…scribere partem, seu magnam, seu parvam, eam exscindendo, delendo, obliterando, vel simpliciter omittendo ob lectoris utilitatem: That is, If it bee lawfull to suppresse or inhibite whole Bookes, then it is lawfull lyke-wyse to suppresse a great, or lesser part of one, by cutting out, deleting, blotting away, or by omitting the same simplie, for the Readers well-fare, (sayth hee.)

This lyke-wise, the Expurgatorie Index it selfe showeth in particular, both that which is printed at Madrill, by Alphonsus Gomezius, 1594. for Belgia; also the other, printed by Ludovicus Zanches, their King's PRINTER, for Spaine, anno M.DCXII.

In the which Spanish Index,Index expurg. Hisp. lit. B. tit. Bibliotheca Patrum. our of the Bookes of Abbot Antonius, 36 places are commanded to bee blotted out, who is one, that is set p. 104downe in the fift Tome of the Bibliotheca Patrum. Like-wise a great part of a whole Treatise of Dorotheus Archimandrita, is ordained to be razed,P. 103. who is in the first Tome. The like is also ordained to bee done with the 29 and 30 whole Chapters of Nicolaus Cabasila, who is in the …ixt Tome:P. 91. P. 106. P. 109. & besids two places of Melito, all the whole Chapters of his worke, which follow after the eight Chapter, are appointed, by a vehement purging Pill, to bee cleane rid out of the way, who is in the seaventh Tome.

To instance like-wise more particulars,Bell. lib. 4. de verbo. c. 11. §. f…xto. by confession of our Adversaries them-selues; when Chrysostome is vrged for perfection of Scripture, against Papall Traditions, the Testimonie beeing taken out of his Commentarie on Matthew, (like as hee giveth witnesse to the same Trueth, commenting on the first to the Galatians, and 95 Psalme, which are vnsuspect works, and by all acknowledged to be his) p. 105Bellarmine answereth thus, Locus hic ab Arrianis insertus, est quibusdam codicibus nuper emendatis sublatus: that is, This place (sayth he, by bare alleadgeance onlie) was insert by the Arrians, and out of some Bookes that are newlie amended, is quite purged away.

Like-wise, for prooving of the same point of the Scriptures perfection, where-as the olde Impression of Athanasius hath a notable place,Athan. lib. 1. contra g…tes. saying, Sufficiunt sacrae ac divinitus inspiratae Scripturae ad omnem instructionem Veritatis: That is, The holie and divine inspyred Scriptur…, are sufficient for ALL instruction of Trueth; This word [omnem] or [ALL] which galleth them, and where-in the verie pith of the Testimonie lyeth, in their latter Editions, which they hauehave at Rome, they hauehave al-together razed, and left out: for so Bellarmine professeth, that it is not now in their Bookes,Bell. lib. 4. de verbo▪ c. 11. …. profert. quarto. and therefore would hauehave that word to be added of late by vsus; were not the oldest Copies printed amongst themselues p. 106maketh him a Liar; and where-of I hauehave one beside mee, to witnesse to anie the veritie thereof.

In lyke manner, in that fourth Booke, & fourth Chapter of Sainct Ambrose, De Sacramentis, it is thus in the ancient and vncorrupted Copies, agaynst Transsubstantiation, Si ergo tanta vis est in sermone Domini, ut inciperent esse quae non erant, quanto magis est operatorius est ut sint quae erant, & in aliud commutentur? that is, If therefore there bee such power in the speach of our Lord, that thinges which were not before, began to bee, (to wit, at the Creation) how much more (sayeth Ambrose) is the same powerful to make, that things may still bee that which they were before, and yet bee changed to another thing?

But because these wordes, Vt sint quae erant, so clearlie crosse their Conceit, who after the wordes of Consecration, would hauehave the Elementes of Bread and Wyne, not to p. 107bee anie more, that which they were before in substance; and to bee changed, onelie into that, which they were not before in vse: to wit, To bee Sacramentes. Therefore, they hauehave, for avoyding the troubling of their Braynes, in forging fectlesse Evasions, rather taken the shorter Cut, (as wee say) and hauehave in their Romane Edition, (which is also followed in that, set out in Paris, Anno 1603) quyte cut out, and purged away these words, which like evill Humours so much before distempered them; making them now smoothe so to run, Quanto magis operatorius est, ut qua erant, in aliud commutentu…: that is, How much more powerfull is our LORD'S speach, to make that those thinges which were, should bee changed into another thing? And so no Bone sticketh in their Throat.

Agayne, in the same Matter, the Author of the imperfect worke, on Saynct Matthew, attributed to Chrysostome, Hom. 11. wryteth thus; If p. 108it bee so dangerous a matter (sayeth hee) to transferre vntounto private vses those holie Vessels, in which the true Bodie of Christ is not, but the mysterie of His Bodie is contayned; how much more for the Vessels of our Bodie, which God hath prepared for Him-selfe to dwell in, ought wee not to giuegive way to the Devill, to doe in them what hee pleaseth? Now these wordes, In quibus non est verum corpus Christi, sed mysterium corporis ejus continetur: that is, In which His true, or naturall Bodie, is not; but in which the mysterie of His Bodie is onelie contayned: because they did threatten so the Eversion of that Transsubstantiating Conversion of theirs, therefore it is, that in their later Editions, they hauehave hearkened to that saying, Abscindantur qui nos perturbant: and accordinglie, both in that Impression of this worke, at Antwerpe, apud Ioannem Steelsium, Anno 1537, and at Paris, apud Ioannem Roigny, Anno 1543, and at Paris agayne, apud Audoenum parvum, p. 109Anno 1557, not one Syllable of them is to bee seene, tho extant in the older Editions, of the date of 1487, and after.

More-over, Bertram, who wrote in the 800 yeare of GOD, agaynst Transsubstantiation, then peeping out, when in his Booke, of the Bodie and Blood of Christ, dedicated to the Emperour Carolus Calvus, who set him a-worke, hee hath clearlie in these wordes dashed that Babels Brood, agaynst the Stone of solide holie Writ, saying, Thinges which differ one from another, are not the same: the Bodie of Christ, which was dead, and rose agayne, and beeing made immortall, dieth no more, (Death having no more dominion over it) it is nowe ever-lasting, and not subject to suffering: But this which is celebrated in the Church, is temporall, not ever-lasting; it is corruptible, and not free from Corruption.…. But as they professe, in the Expurgatorie Index of this Author, when they hauehave p. 110essayed, for escaping, to invent some fyne Devyce, and feigne some cōmodious Sense for them, which is this, to wit, That this is meant of the Accidents, or Formes of the Sacrament, (sayth he) which are corruptible. or of the vse of the Sacrament, which continueth onelie in this present worlde, and in that sense, is temporall. And when notwith-standing they see, that this will not serue them, in respect the whole scope of the Discourse is agaynst this Shift, and tendeth to proue, That it is not the naturall Bodie of Christ, which was borne, died, and rose agayne, which Christians externally receiue in the blessed Sacrament; what then is their next Recourse? Even this bankrout Shift, Non male aut inconsulte igitar omittantur omnia haec: that is, It is not amisse then, (say they) nor vnadvysedlie done, that those things be left out al-to-gether.

Yea, not onlie hauehave they paired away parcels,Chap. 15. §. 4. but (as shall bee p. 111showne, God willing, heere-after) they hauehave razed, and bereaved vsus of whole Records, and entire Treatises, that hauehave made against them.

And, as Erasmus in a word tolde vsus before, who were those Aegyptian Flies, who were the Corrupters of the wholesome travels of ancient and holie Authors in the Church of CHRIST, before the noysome Crew of Iesuiticall Frogges, with more whoorish fore-heads, eased that filthie Swarme; and being the last Emissaries of that false Prophet, vnderunder-tooke that Taske: So, to confirme the trueth of Erasmus speach, I will heere relate one onlie proofe there-of, which that learned Father B. Vsher, helped to discover. In the yeare 1616, one Petrus Stuartius set foorth at Ingolstadt, amongst other Treatises, one especiallie, of Rabanus Maurus, Archbishop of Mentz, called his Penitentiall; in the 33 Chapter whereof, answering to a question of a Bisshop, named Heribaldus, concerning p. 112the Eucharist, what became of it, after it was consumed after the manner of other Meates, and sent into the Draught; Rabanus hath these wordes, Pag. 669; Some of late, (sayth he) not holding rightlie of the Sacrament of the Bodie and Blood of our LORD, hauehave saide, That the verie Bodie and Blood of our LORD, vvhichwhich vvas borne of the Virgine Marie, and in which our LORD Him-selfe suffered on the Crosse, and rose againe from the Graue. Against which Errour, writing vntounto Abbot Egilius, According to our abilitie wee hauehave declared (sayth hee) what is truelie to bee believed concerning CHRIST'S Bodie. Heere wee see, then, that Rabanus tongue is clipt for telling of Tales, (as sayth that former Father:) first, therefore, wee must see who is the Doer, and next, what are the words that are razed out. Stevartius, the publisher, freeth him-selfe of the fact, telling vsus in the margent, that hee p. 113found that blank in the manuscript Copie. But whence had hee that manuscript? Out of that famous Monasterie of Weingart, (saith he:) So that wee see clearlie, that the Monkes of Weingart stand on the Chalke.

Next, let vsus see vvhat are the words that are razed: B. Vsher (as I said before) hath helped notablie to cleare this to Posteritie, thus: In the Liberaries of that worthie Knight, S^r Robert Cotton, and D. Ward, M^r of Sidney Colledge in Cambridge, hee found a Treatise of the Sacrament, of great Antiquitie, (as he reporteth) beginning thus, Sicut ante nos quidam sapiens dixit, &c. In which the Author laying downe the opinion of Paschasius Radbertus, (who was Bertram's Antagonist) that the flesh which is received at the Altar, is no other than that which was borne of the Virgine Marie, and suffered on the Crosse, and rose out of the Graue, and is yet daylie offered, for the life of the Worlde, Contra quem p. 114(sayth this Author) satis argumentatur & Rabanus in Epistola ad Egilonem Abbatem, & Ratrannas quidam libro composito ad Carolum Regem, dicentes ali am esse: that is, Against vvhom, both Rabanus sufficientlie doth reason, in an Epistle vvritten to the Abbot Egilo; as also, one Ratrannus, (alias Bertramus) in a Booke made vntounto King Charles, saying, That it is another kinde of f…esh, (to wit, Sacramentall.) Where-by we may now see, what it is that these razed-headed Monkes of Weingart, hauehave razed with their hands out of Rabanus Penitentiall; seeing vvee are given to vnderstand by this Author, vvhat his opinion vvas in this point, in his Epistle to Abbot Egilo. And therefore, that the fore-said blanke hath beene filled vp before vvith these vvords: to vvit, That the naturall Bodie of CHRIST, is that selfe same Bodie, which is by the mouth received at the Altar. Against vvhichwhich Errour, (sayeth Rabanus) vvriting to Abbot Egilo, vve hauehave, p. 115according to our abilitie, declare… vvhat is truelie to bee believed, (to vvit, the cleane contrarie.)

Thirdlie, Examples of Popish Altering the words of the Fathers.

FIrst, for proofe of this Practise, as the thirteenth Chapter shall giuegive Instances of their Alteration of the wordes of a whole Convent of Fathers, conveaned in Councell; So, how they deale with them particularlie, let these Examples testifie.

Saynct Ambrose, to show, that Personall Succession, is nothing, without Succession of Doctrine, sayeth, Petri hereditatem non habea…, qui nō habent Petri fidem: that is, They hauehave not hereditarie Succession from Peter, who keepe not Peter's Fayth. But how is this Testimonie corrupted? (as is to bee seene in Gratian, De penit. dist. 1. c. potest.and in their later Editions) For mayntayning the Pope onelie to bee the lawfull Successour to Peter, p. 116and that such locall and personall succession, is the Note of the true Church. Petri hereditatem non habent, qui non habent Petri sedem, (say they:) that is, They hauehave not hereditarie Succession to Peter, who hauehave not P…ter's Chayre. Where ye see, Sedes, put for, Fides; The Chayre at Rome, for, The Christian Fayth where-so-ever.

Bell. lib. 2. de verbo, cap. 12. sect. dic… secunde.Lyke-wyse, Bellarmine, (to establish the adoration of the Virgine Marie) hee citeth Chrysostome, translating that place of Genesis, 3, 15. [Ipsa, Shee:] which Chrysostome hath plainlie in the Greeke masculine, foreign [Ipse, or bee shall treade the head of the Serpent] vnderstanding CHRIST, and not the Virgine Marie.

Also, to prooue the adoration of Reliques,Bell. l. 2. de r… liq. c. 3. sect. 8. Ioha…n…s. he citeth againe the foresaide Chrysostome, saying, Tumulos Martyrum adoremus; vvhere-as Chrysostome vvithout anie vvord of adoration, sayeth onelyonly, foreign, …angamus.

p. 117Againe, vvhen as Pope Leo his Epistle, is cited for the priviledge of Marriage in the Clergie, speaking (as Moses did of the conditions of the High-Priest's Wyfe) De muliere sacerdotis eligenda: that is, What a one for Wyfe the Priest should make choyse of; without anie more warrandable Reason than bare Alleadgeance,Bel. l. 1. de cler. c. 21. sect. alium. Bellarmine sayth, Legitur in codicibus melioribus, de muliere sacerdotio elegendi: that is, It is read in those Bookes that are better reformed, (to wit, by Popish Transforming) of the Wyfe of the Priest that is to bee chosen. Insinuating there-by, that howsoever he might hauehave had a Wyfe before his Su… ception of Priesthood, yet there-after hee might not hauehave anie.

In lyke manner,Bell. lib. 3. de pont. c. 7. sect. quod autem. the same Bellarmine, to proue, that Antichrist is not yet come, hee bringeth this reason; That when hee commeth, the Persecution of the Church shall bee so great, and manifest, that such a separation shall bee made, (contrarie to p. 118Matthew 13, 30) that all the Wicked, and lurking Hypocrites, shall bee conveaned together in Antichrist's Hoaste, & openly oppugne the Church of the Sayncts: which (sayeth hee) hath not yet beene: and therefore, that Antichrist is not yet come. But to proue his Major, hee adduceth a falsified Testimonie of Augustine's, saying, A… tunc erumpent omnes in apertam persecutionem, ex latebris odiorum: that is, And then all the Wicked shall burst foorth in open Persecution, out of the lurking Holes of their hatred. VVhere-as Augustine's true wordes are these, onlie speaking of Satan's loosing, Exibit a…tem, dictum est (sayth hee) in apertam persecutionem, de la…eb… is …rumpet odiorum: that is, As is sayde, Satan shall goe foorth, in open persecution, and out of the lurking Holes of his hatred to the Godlie, shall hee then breake out.

More-over, vvhen Pope Clements owne Testimonie in Eusebiu…, Eu…b. l. 2. …. c. 1.is adduced to show, that of the Apostles, p. 119after CHRIST'S Assumption, Nemo sibi vendicabat primatus gloriam: that is, Never one of them did challenge to them-selues the honour of Primacie, one aboue another; Bellarmine answereth,Bell. lib. 1. de pont. c. 26. §. ad testimonium. That albeit in the Edition of Basill, of Ruffinus Version, (which is the oldest, and vnsuspect) these fore-named words be: yet in the Edition of Colen, turned, and set foorth by a Catholicke Romane, since then, (vvhichwhich is later, and done by a Partie) the vvord of [Primacie] is not to be seene: (there is notable purging.) And for these vvords, (saith he) Bishop of the Apostles, (speaking of S. Iames) is to be found, Bishop of Ierusalem. (Heere is againe a notable alteration, and both the former Purgings, & this, are cleared by our Adversaries.)

Like-wise,Bell. l. de confirm. c. 12. §. est quidem. the same Bellarmine freelie confesseth Pope Gregorie's Epistles to be cunninglie corrupted, by Popish Episcopal Parasites, who vvould hauehave Confirmation onlie to belong to Bishops; and therefore p. 120they hauehave put in the fore-saide Epistles, baptizandos, for, baptizatos: that is, Those that are to bee baptized, for, Those that are baptized.

The like corruption hee confesseth to bee in Pope Gregorie's Morals,Bell. lib. 1. de purg. c. 11. sect. secund…. by those vvho affirming the Fire of Purgatorie not to bee materiall, and bodilie, hauehave put in, incorporeum, for corporeum: that is, Incorporeall, for, Corporeall.

And vvhen a Testimonie out of Socrates is produced against the Antiquitie of their fourtie dayes of Lent, Bell. l. 2. de bo…is oper. c. 15. sect. sed.after that Bellarmine, vvithout anie vvarrand, or certaintie, hath saide onlie, Probabile est codicem Socratis esse corruptum: that is, It is likelie, that Socrates booke bath beene corrupted: hee subjoyneth, **sect. Ita que .Pro tribus septimanis scribendum esse quinque: that is, That for three weekes, it is best to write fiue: and concludeth, that this metamorphosing of Authors, is the only fittestvvay (when they are straited) to extricate them-selues, and compose their differs, saying, Ita que si corrigamus p. 121textum Socratis, & pro tribus septimanis ponamus quinque, nulla erit discordia inter Socratem & Cassianum: that is, Therefore (sayth he) if wee amend the Text of Socrates, and if wee put for three weekes, fiue, then no discord shall bee betweene Socrates and Cassian.

Againe, vvhere-as the Author of the imperfect vvorke vponupon Matthew, attributed to Chrysostome, in the 19 Homilie of the olde Edition 1487, hath Sacrificium panis & vini: that is, The offering of bread and wyne: the latter Edition at Paris, Apud Audoenum Parvum 1557, hath altered them into these vvords, Sacrificium corporis & sanguinis CHRISTI: that is, The sacrifice, or oblation of the Bodie and Blood of CHRIST.

Likewise, this Prayer is found in the elder Editions of the Gregorian Sacramentarie, Greg. oper. tom. 5. …dit. Paris. 1505. col. 135.vvhere-by is proven, That Prayer which was vsed of olde for the Dead, did not necessarilie inferre, That their Soules were therfor in Purgatorie, for whō they did pray. Annue nobis, Domine, ut anima p. 122famuli tui Leonis haec prosit Oblatio: that is, Grant vsus, O Lord, that this Oblation may profit the Soule of thy Servant Pope Leo. For which, the later Editions hauehave chopt in this Prayer,Liturgis. Pamel…, tom. 2. p. …14. Annue nobis, Domine, at intercessione famuli tui Leonis haec nobis prosit oblatio: that is, Grant vsus, O Lord, that by the intercession of thy Servant Leo, this Offering may profit vsus.

I neede not to repeat agayne, that alteration of Cyprian's wordes,See also Aug. in Psal. 37, cited by Bell. l. 4. de purg…e. 5. §. Aug. having for, em… ̄ dato, emenda…ri….Ps 37 which is alreadie mentioned in this same Chapter, putting, Dignitatis, for, Potestatis; Honour, for, Power: where-vntounto the Reader, for inspection of the whole Forgerie, may hauehave his Recourse.

By such fraudfull Relation, then, of their Myndes, and Alteration of the words of ancient Fathers, they hauehave not onelie, as it were, marred their Complexion, and for Shibboleth, made them say, Siboleth; but shamelesselie also to hauehave called, Light, Darknesse; and Darknesse, p. 123Light; as in their dealing with the purging of Bertram they openlie professe; ordaining by their Expurgatorie Index, for, Visibiliter, fol. 1137, to bee put Invisibiliter: And so, for founding their Vsurpation, hauehave sought so to confound the Trueth; that if their owne Mouths did not condemne those naughtie Servantes, and their owne Pennes and Paynes, discovered not vntounto vsus some Examples, by Hercules Foote to cognosse the rest of his hudge Stature; Wee should doubt, that those whome the LORD made in their age (lyke Elias) to pleade for the Trueth, lyke Iesabels Priestes, that they had beene rather Pleaders for Baal. And therefore we see, how necessarie is that Caveat of Vincentius Lyrinensis, Vin…. Li…. de heres. c. 34. …. 37.That it is dangerous to commit the Tryall of inveterate Errours, to the Wrytinges of Auncientes, (how-so-ever he commend the Tryall of such as are new broached, to bee made by the consent of Fathers:) his wordes are these, p. 124But neyther al-wayes, nor all kinds of Heresies, are to bee impugned after this manner, but such as are new, and latelie sprung vp, namely, when they first aryse, whyle by the straytnesse of Tyme it selfe, they may bee impeded, from falsifying the Rules of ancient Fayth, and before that their Poyson spreading farther, they attempt to corrupt the Wrytings of the Ancients. (Note this.) But farre spread, and inveterate Heresies, (sayeth hee) are not to be dealt with after this manner, for as much as by long continuance of tyme, a long Occasion hath lyen open vntounto them, to steale away the Trueth. VVhere-of, by a few Instances, (in place of manie) wee hauehave proven the Popish Packe to be most guiltie, and whose Errours hauehave s…ielie spread so farre as a contagious Gangren in tyme of prevayling Darknesse, and hauehave continued so long in the Christian Church, as a longsome Sicknesse, that the very Mayntayners of them p. 125hither-to, bragge of their Vniversalitie, and Duration in the Church.