Confutation of Monstrous and Horrible Heresies, Part 2
❧A confutation of a deteſtable practiſe of H.N. in ſupplanting the true and grammatical ſence of the woorde, by bringing in place thereof, a baſtardly broode of Allegories.
TO vphold the hereſies of H.N. this is one eſpeciall and principall practiſe, that the Hiſtory and natiue ſence of the woorde of God, is altogeather neglected of him, and in ſteede thereof is intertained, an Allegorical and baſtardly conſtruction, which thing vtterly defaceth the certentie of the ſacred ſcripture, & maketh no other thing of it, then a noſe of waxe, which wil receiue as many ſundry figures, and impreſſions, as ſhal pleaſe a man to preſſe vponupon it: and beeing in it ſelfe one and the ſame thing, will notwithſtanding beare formes and faces, which within them ſelues are moſt diuers and diſtinct. Now if the woorde be made ſo vncertayne, our faith which is grounded therevpon, can not be ſure: And if our fayth bee not ſure, howeſoeuer it it goe with vsus, when the weather is calme, it can not be auoyded, but wee ſhall ſinke and ſuffer ſhipwracke, when the leaſt ſtorme of temptation ſhall beginne to blowe ouer our heades. And like as wee hauehave no ſtay for our ſelues, no more hauehave me any good weapon, wherwith either to beare of an aduerſary, or to make an aſſault againſt a deadly and ſworne enimie. For if the worde ſtande indifferent to ſuch diuerſe, and differing conſtructions, as muſt of neceſſitie be admitted, if Allegories be allowed: and our ſelues receiue no helpe from the writing, and letter, to decide more with one, then with an other: What will holde of the aſſaultes of an heretique, beeing a ſubtile aduerſarie? or where ſhall wee hauehave a weapon able to geue a deadly wound to any Hereſie? Whereſoeuer then Allegories ſhal happen to hauehave ſo good liking, and ſo great allowance, as H. N. doeth make them: there can nothing be long ſafe from our aduerſaries, neither any thyng wel aſſured to our ſelues. And therefore the meaning of ſuche as turne all into Allegories and borowed ſpeaches: is no other then to hauehave ſtrength and defence, to vpholde in religion and conuerſation, whatſoeuer any man his luſt and liking ſhall leaue hym vntounto. As for the eſtate of theſe men, who in this their Allegorizing, are alwayes borowing conſtructions and meaninges: theyr dealinges are lyke to the traffique of ſuche as goe all vppon truſt: for be theyr ſhoppes neuer ſo well furniſhed of wares, yet all is but borowed: And albeit they beare the countenance of men worth many thouſandes: yet when their eſtate is truely tried, they are foūd worſe then nothing: for this long borowing, doeth bryng them in the ende to playne begging. And it is out of queſtion, theſe ſhall finde it to true (who turne all their Scriptures into Allegories, and borowed ſpeaches) when tēptation ſhall trie them, they ſhall hauehave nothing to vpholde them: though in countenance and ſhew, they wilbe taken nowe for the beſt and richeſt among the chriſtiās. Where it is anſweared for them, that they receiue the woorde, heare, and reade it, alleage, and alowe it: true it is, they hauehave it, and as they hauehave it, Sathan both may and wyll very gladly ſpare it: For it is ſo diſguiſed by Allegories, that the true ſence, (and therefore the power and vertue that is in it) is plainely aboliſhed. So that Satan his gayne groweth too bee greater thereby, in as muche as the ſhadowe and ſhewe of liking, and alleaging the woorde, keepeth many ſimple ſoules from any ſuſpition, to receiue hurt or harme by imbraſing of theyr doctrine: whereas yf that ſhewe and colour were wantyng, and Chriſtian ielouſie had brought them once to a ſearching and examining of the matter: ſuche horrible hereſies coulde neuer long hyds them ſelues. Touching that place & credite which they geue vntounto the word of God: in trueth Eſope his fables may ſtande in as good ſteede, as the woorde of GOD doeth with H. N. and his familie. For yf a man bee no longer bounde too the ſignification and ſence, which the woordes being ſet togeather, yeeld of them ſelues: but may be permitted without any preiudice of the natural ſence, to take vp for his owne vſe an other meaning & conſtruction: Eſope his fables wilbe made to afforde as good diuinitie, as the ſcripture ſhal be able to yeeld any. And what blaſphemie thē is this, againſt the maieſtie of the woorde, to bee in effect, no other thing, then a tale of Robin Hoode: nay to be in effect no other thyng: then are the woordes and Characters of Coniurers, which of them ſelues (yeelde no ſence or ſignificatiō to the hearer, but hauehave all their vertue & operation, from the ſtrong perſwaſion and imagination of the Inchaunter. Allegories, by the iudgement of the godly and learned, are not allowed to geue any euidence in matters of doubt, neyther is theyr teſtimony taken for any proofe, when matters are called into queſtion: becauſe as they doe ſpeake darkly, ſo is there great vncertayntie in that which they ſay. And therfore ſaith Auguſtin very wel in his Epiſtle. Quis autem non impudentiſſimè nitatur, aliquid in Allegoria poſitum, pro ſeipſo interpretari, Aguſt. Epiſt. 48.niſi habeat manifeſta teſtimonia, quorū lumine illuſtrentur obſcura? What impudēcie is there in him, that wil alleage an Allegory for him, vnleſſe he hauehave other manifeſt teſtimonies, by the light wherof, thoſe darke thinges may be clered? This was ſpokē by that learned father againſt the Donatiſts, who alleaged an Allegorical ſpeach vſed in ſcripture, for proofe that they onelyonly were the Church. Nowe if vntounto Allegories vſed in the ſcripture, it be denied to ſpeake as witneſſes for the deciding of doubtes, becauſe theyr ſpeache is ſo doubtfull and obſcure in it ſelfe: with what conſcience can the teſtimony be taken of H. N. his Allegories, to decide the chiefe pointes of religion withal, ſeeing they are all hatched at home of him ſelfe, and not one to be founde in the writinges of the holy Ghoſt? Irenaeus likewiſe in his ſecond booke Aduerſus haereſes, and the tenth chapter, ſpeaking to the ſame purpoſe hath theſe woordes: Omnis autem quaeſtio, non per aliud quod quaeritur, habet reſolutionem, nec ambiguitas per aliam ambiguitatem ſoluitur, apud eos qui ſenſum habent: aut aenigma per aliud magis aenigma: ſed ea quae ſunt talia, ex manifeſtis, & conſonantibus, & claris accipiunt abſolutiones. Matters called into queſtion can hauehave no reſolution by other thinges, that are likewiſe in queſtion, neyther can one obſcure thing be cleered (among them, that hauehave eyther iudgement or ſence) by an other that is darke: but of queſtions that be darke and obſcure, are wiſe men woont not otherwiſe to be reſolued, then by apparant and manifeſt proofes. It is plaine therefore by the iudgement of theſe ancient and learned fathers, that Allegories, which are H. N. his beſt witneſſes: be as thoſe men who hauehave heretofore worne papers. For theyr teſtimony may not be taken to decide matters of queſtion. And he that bringeth no better matter then is an Allegorie, for the deciding of a doubt, is as he (who becauſe he wāteth better witneſſe,) is glad to call a periured perſon to the booke: I except not in this ſpeach Allegories, that are read in the ſcripture: vnleſſe they be ſuche, as by plaine woordes either going before, or comming after, bee clearely opened, and made manifeſt vntounto vsus. The diſpoſitions of ſuch, as hauehave their ſence by circumſtance made certaine, and are founde in the ſcripture (I deny it not) may bee taken: but that is altogeather for the aſſurance that the circumſtances doe make vntounto vsus, not for any certaine that is to bee had from them ſelues. They muſt be plaine and certaine, that ſhal induce a man to geue credite vntounto any matter, that he is not already reſolued of. The Logitians therefore refuſe too hauehave them among their places, from whence they deriue their proofes and probalities. I deny not, but that the Rhethoritians hauehave entertayned them, among their figures to moue and delight vsus; when before the trueth of that thing is out of al doubt with vsus. The Familie therefore are greatly abuſed of H.N. their Lorde and maiſter, whyle they are enforced of him, to take Allegories onelyonly for theyr euidence: And yet are not Allegories ſo muche abuſed when they be admitted for proofe, as when they are made to ouerthrowe the naturall and hiſtorical ſence of the worde. For albeit the caſe be to bee pitied, when a man ſhall be, forced for lacke of credible perſōs who hauehave beene preſent, to take a periured man to decide a doubt: yet is this more lamentable, when the party periured ſhalbe ſuffered, (to the end that he only may be heard) to ſtop the mouthes of men of good credite, who both could and woulde reſolue vsus of the right. And in trueth ſo ye caſe ſtādeth with H. N. his Allegories, for they vtterly aboliſhe the naturall ſence of the worde: and of an hiſtorie when H.N. hath doone with it, there is nothing left to be heard or ſeene, beſide a naked Allegorie. Ierome him ſelfe, albeit he had ſome times ouer great a lykyng of Allegories, yet was hee neuer ſo be witched with them, but yt he held this trueth in opiniō, that the literal & natiue ſence of the woorde was firſt to be layde as a ſure fundatiō, before the roofe of any ſpiritual ſence, or Allegorical meanyng, might be made therunto. Cum Hiſtoriae habuerint fundamenta, tunc ſpiritualis intelligentiae culmen accipiant: Hieronymus. in Amos. Cap. 9.vt, verè Chriſtus de virgine natus ſit: Verè Lazarū mortuū ſuſetarit, quamuis quotidie de anima Virginali naſcatur ſermo diuinus, quotidide peccato mortui, & vitiorum funibus alligati, de ſepulchro ſcelerum ſuorum iubentur exire. When they ſhall hauehave the foundation of an Hiſtory, then let them builde the roofe of a ſpiritual fence, As for example. It is the trueth of a deede once done, that Chriſt was borne of a Virgin, and that hee rayſed vp Lazarus when hee was dead: albeit a diuine word, is dayly borne of a pure & chaſt minde, & they that are dead vntounto ſinne, and bound with the cordes of theyr offēces, are dayly cōmaūded to come out of the graues of theyr ſinnes. Howe farre is H. N. from this moderation? for his Allegories in the weightieſt matters, as in the birth, death, and reſurrection of Chriſt, hauehave wholy drunke vp, and altogeather drowned the hiſtories: And generally throughout al his writinges after once hee hath begunne with it, hee neuer ceaſſeth to purſue his Allegory, vntyl hee hauehave ſeene it playe the hangman vntounto the natural ſence, and hiſtory. For the drift and ſcope of all his doinges, is to make vsus keepe our eares ſhut, againſt that which the Lorde doeth ſpeake plainely vntounto vsus out of his woorde, that we may onelyonly reuerence theſe rydles, that proceede from him ſelfe. The woorde of GOD wil not ſuffer vsus, with H. N. to place, and put into poſſeſſion Allegories, which be illegitimate, that the naturall ſence and ſignification of the woorde, which is the lawful heire, might thereby bee diſpoſſeſſed and driuen out. The practiſe of our Sauiour Chriſt, & of the Apoſtle Saint Paule is our preſident to vpholde the credite of the natural ſence, and meanyng of the woorde: which Allegories beeyng ſuffered, to hauehave ſo large alowance, as H. N. doeth make them, woulde ſoone driue out at the doores. For the leaſt part of an Hiſtorie (as a worde and circumſtance of time) the whole whereof H. N. his Allegories woulde vnhorſe and ouerthrow) is with our Sauiour Chriſt, aduaunced to the credite of deciding, and determinyng matters of greateſt weight and moment in religion. Nowe yf aworde in his proper ſignification, be ſo much made of with Chriſt, & the Apoſtles, as that it ſhalbe of ſufficient credit, to carry away a matter of greateſt weight: What wrong doeth H. N. offer the worlde, that with Allegories would beare downe not the natiue ſence onelyonly of a woorde, but of many wordes and ſentences ſet togeather, to maintaine a proper and naturall ſence and ſignification? Our Sauiour Chriſt, when he will prooue him ſelfe the true Meſſias, to be more then a man, he vrgeth the naturall ſignification of the woorde [Lorde,] that becauſe Dauid whoſe ſonne he was after the fleſhe, calleth him Lorde, therefore it coulde not bee, but that he was more then a meere man. Moreouer in that weightie matter of iuſtification, doeth not the Apoſtle ſtande vponupon the ſignification of this worde [impute] which is euer vſed when fauour and mercy preuayleth, but neuer when men are dealt withall according to deſert? And becauſe the Prophet Dauid had aſcribed bleſſedneſſe to that man, to whom the Lorde imputeth not his ſinnes, and it was written, likewyſe that Abraham his faith was imputed vntounto him for righteouſnes: hee is not afrayde to ſet it downe as an aſſured trueth, that our iuſtification commeth by mercy and fauour, and not by merite and deſert, So that the naturall ſignification of the woorde, doeth carry away iuſtification from works, and geueth it by good right vntounto fauour and grace. Wherin this is alſo woorth the obſeruation, becauſe wee are about the force and credite of the naturall ſence and Hiſtorie of the woorde, that the Apoſtle layeth great weight vponupon the circumſtance of time, which the Hiſtorie doeth yeelde vntounto him: inſomuche that becauſe righteouſneſſe was imputed vntounto Abrahā (as appeareth in Geneſis, by that hiſtorie, before he was circumciſed) he concludeth that iuſtification ſtandeth by fauour and mercy alone, and needeth not to be vnderpropped by woorkes: for that Abraham before circumſicion (which was with them as is baptiſme with vsus, the entraunce into religion and ſeruice of God, the firſt beginnyng to obey to the woorde and wyll of GOD) was reckoned of God him ſelfe as a righteous man. Yf there be ſuche weight in the woords, and circumſtances, which are the leaſt part of the hiſtory: then doeth H.N. (as was ſayde before) offer great wrong vntounto vsus who in his Allegories, drowneth not only circumſtances, and the naturall ſignification of words: but alſo the proper ſence of Hiſtories, and whole ſentences when they are ſet togeather. The Heretiques in all tymes hauehave by Allegories vpholdē their errors. And Allegories in al ages hauehave been theyr ſtrongeſt inſtruments to woorke with all.Epiphani. contra haereſes. Lib. 1 cap. 27. Epiphanius maketh mention of a beaſtly ſort of Heretiques, who by Allegories maintayned the ſinne of the Sodomites, not onelyonly as a thing that might be ſuffered, but as a duetie that muſt be doone: moſt ſhamefully racking to the defence of that ſhameleſſe opinion, theſe woordes of our Sauiour Chriſte: Verily I ſay vntounto thee, Matth. 5.26.thou ſhalt not come out thence tyl thou hauehave payde the vttermoſt farthing. The Heretiques called Priſcillianiſtae, who taught that it was lawful to lie and forſweare in cauſes of religion, thereby to hyde theyr religion and ſhameful life, from the daunger of theyr aduerſaries: by Allegories did auoide whatſoeuer out of the Scripture was brought agaynſt them. Theſe bee the woordes of Auguſtine touching thoſe perſons and that matter: in ſuos ſenſus Allegorizando vertunt, quicquid in ſanctis libris eſt, quod eorum euertat errorem: Whatſoeuer is founde in the Scripture,Auguſt. de haereſibus ad quod vult Deum. that ouerthroweth theyr errour: by an Allegoricall expoſition they make it to maintayne the ſame. And the Anabaptiſtes nowe in our dayes, with Allegories (as it were with Rackettes) doe toſſe the Scriptures too and fro like tennes balles to ſerue their turne withall. And who knoweth not, that Allegories are the hookes, wherewithall the Romiſhe Churche hath pulled vp theyr Purgatorie, and ſuche other pelfe of theirs? Hierome ſayth of Origen, that by his Allegorizing, hee made his owne wit Sacramentes of the Churche. Theſe bee his woordes,Hieron. in praefatione decem viſionum Eſaiae ad Amabilem Epiſcopum. Origines liberis Allegoriae ſpaciis euagatur, & ingenium ſuum facit Eccleſiae Sacramenta. In as muche as in an Allegory there is one thynge ſpoken, and an other ment, the Heretiques of all times, hauehave drawne the ſcriptures generally, without any reſpect, into Allegories: that whatſoeuer the woordes bee, they might hauehave libertie to make a meaning therevnto, of, and for themſelues, and that without any helpe at all from the matter that is in hande. Nowe the Allegories and figuratiue ſpeaches vſed in the Scriptures, muſte hauehave their meaning made manifeſt, and beaten out, by the circumſtance of the places, from whence they are taken, and by helpe from the matter which is in hande: neyther may any place in the Scripture be vrged, in an Allegoricall ſence, vnleſſe the ſame taken litterally, and in the Gramaticall ſence, ſhall eſtabliſhe ſome thing repugnant, eyther to faith, or Charitie.