Popish Glorying in Antiquity Turned to their Shame, Chapter 11 – Chapter 12
CHAP. XI. How the Romanists not onelie equall, but preferre the judgement of their late Divines, to the Fathers, (not-with-standing of the Reverence they pretend to Antiquitie) and this, both in Dogmaticall poynts, and exposition of Scripture.
FIrst then, forequalling their new Doctors, with the most auncient Fathers, let the Iesuit, Sandeus his speach concerning Bellarmine, Sandeus in admoni. sua ad Laurentium p. 63.in Proofe hauehave the Primacie: A Man (sayeth hee) most learned, and modest, Quem veluti saeculi nostri Augustinum venerabitur posteritas, & boni omnis & catholice eruditi suspiciunt: that is, Whom the Posteritie shall reverence, as the Augustine of our Age, and whom all good men, and Catholicke-instructed, doe wonder, and admire.
Agayne,Senens. bibli. l. 4. t. Ioamies Fisherus. thus saith Sixtus Senensis, of Fisher, late B. of Rochester: In the aboundance of Learning, (sayth he) and sinceritie of Godlinesse, and in constancie of mynde, Cui que ue ex sanctissimis & acerrimis Ecclesiae propugnatoribus merito comparandus: that is, Worthilie to bee compared with anie who-so-ever, of the most holie Fathers, and most cowragious Defenders of the Church.
In lyke manner,Perer. in gen. 25.15. Disp. 1. num. 24. thus sayeth Pererius, of his Fellow Tostatus: A man (sayeth hee) surelie not onelie for the multitude of Wrytinges, but also for the subtiltie and rypnesse of Wit, gravitie of Iudgement, and excelling in sundrie kynd… of Learning, Antiquis illis magnisque patribus & docto…ibus merito annumerandus: that is, Who is worthilie to bee numbered with the ancient Fathers, and great Doctors of the Church.
Next, for preferring their newe Doctors,Roff…n. contr. …uther. art. 1…. to the most auncient Fathers, let their bishop Fisher testifie, vvho sayeth, That it cannot be obscure vntounto anie, that manie things, as well in the Gospels, as in the rest of the Scriptures, are now more exquisitelie discussed, by later Wryters, and more clearlie vnderstood, than they hauehave bene heere-to-fore.
Stella in Lu…. 10. p. 15.Againe, when Frier Stella hath rejected the Exposition of all the Fathers, on Luke 10, 21, hee sayeth, That tho it bee farre from him, to condemne the common Exposition given by the ancient Fathers, yet hee knoweth verie well, that Pigmeis beeing put vponupon Giants shoulders, doe see farther than Giants them-selues.
Like-wise,Salm. in Rom. l. 2. Disp. 51 §. secundo. when the Iesuit Salmeron, getteth the whole Fathers (as Erasmus showeth) in his Teeth, against the conception of the Virgine Marie, without original Sinne, in their exposition of Rom. 5, 12, yet hee answereth, That the whole devotion towardes the Mother of God, did not consist in Bernard, Bonaventure, and other Fathers: for she had manie then, as shee hath now, better knowne to her selfe, (that were of the contrarie minde) then they were knowne to the World: and there-after, hee concludeth, in favours of the new Romish Clergie, saying, Quo Iuniores, …o perspicaciores esse Doctores: that is, That the later their Doctors bee, that they are the more wittie and clearer sighted.
In like manner, in another Question of great moment, Whether the Law of Moses, concerning Degrees forbidden in Marriage, belong to Christians, where-in from the authoritie of ancient Fathers affirming the same, when the Church of Rome is attainted, as patrons of Incest, by her Dispensations with such forbidden Degrees, the Author of Apologia tumultuaria, Lib. pro dispens. matrim. Heu. 8. cum v…ore fratru. sect. postr….answereth heer-in thus, Let the Fathers (sayeth hee) hauehave their owne reverence, &c. But I dare say, that the more recent Divines, in manie places, are more pertinent and pithie, yea, more exquisite, diligent, & watchfull. And even so sayth Costerus, Costeri Enchirid. cap. 3.That as the Church is grown now in number, so is the same in Learning, and Sharp-sightednesse.
CHAP. XII. By what partiall & absurd Rule the Romanists do admit, or reject, the Testimonies of Fathers.
FIrst, for clearing here-of sufficientlie, Bellarmine giveth evidence, who amongst the diverse Expositions of Fathers, & others, vponupon that place of the Romanes, 14, 5, which sayth, One man esteemeth one day aboue another; taketh that onelie, and admitteth as true, Quae nobis maxime fave…, Bell. Lib. 3. de sanct. cap. 10 sect. 2(sayth he:) that is, Which most favoureth our side, being heere-in like Faustus the Manichean, Aug. Lib. 11. contra Faust. cap. 2who by this Rule admitted some Apostolicall Writs, & rejected others, Qula hoc pro me sonat, (sayde hee) illud nequaquam: that is, Because this maketh for me, and the other not so▪ Partiall Iniquitie, but not precious Veritie; and no wise the louelove of the Trueth, but selfe-louelove, bearing the whole swey.
Againe, whether the same vnction bee meaned, Marke 6, and Iames ▪ 5, in this point for defence of extreame vnction, to be by Christ's institution, Bellarmine rejecteth the judgement of Beda, Theophylact, and OEcumenius, who are contrarie to his mynde; & he receiveth a newer Exposition, of their owne Divines, saying of the same, Mi…i saue eo nomine gratior est, quia video Lutherum Calvinum, & Chemnitium, in priori opinione: that is, Surelie this Exposition is the better liked by mee, because I see Luther, Calvine, and Chemnitius, of the first opinion. Thus is our consent with Antiquitie, (wee see) a sufficient ground to them of dissenting there-from, direction of Reason not inducing, but distraction of Affection seducing them from the Trueth.
In like manner, Maldonat, on the sixt of Iohn, giving an Exposition of the 63 verse, saith, I deny not, (saith hee) that I hauehave no Author before me of this Exposition, Sed bane eo magis probo, quam illam alteram Augustini caeter…rum que alioquin probabilissima…, quod haec cum Calvinistar…m sensu magis pugnet: that is, But I approoue this Exposition the rather, & preferre it before the other of S. Augustine's, and the other Ancients, (altho other-wise the same bee most probable, and lykliest to bee the true meaning) because this Exposition fighteth, or is more contrarie to the meaning of the Calvinists. Thus wee see Faction, not Affection to the Trueth; Prejudice, not sound Iudgement; and the hatred of persons, and not the regard of Cause simplie, so in these to prevaile, that we may loose hope, that wee can availe them.