Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 4 · Section 11
#Sect. 11. An anſwere to there proche of the Oppoſites, which is, that theſe who ſtand for Diſcipline, are vnlearned.
NOw the firſt fogge is, that they who ſtand for the Diſcipline & the reforming of the Church, are men of no worth. There is not one learned man amongſt them: It is pittie a church ſhould be troubled with them. Firſt, this cannot be obiected without that ſuſpition,aHieron. cont. Hel…id. arbitror te veritate convictum ad maledicta conuerti. we are aſſes and fooles and not one learned man amongſt vsus: which is indeed the auncient hiſſing of the ſerpent which gaue forth in like maner, the Chriſtians are no bGenebrad chron. li. 3. in an. 406.ſchollers, they hauehave no learning in them: which conſtrayned Hierome to write that booke of his de viris Illuſtribus. What is this alſo but the newe language of Stapleton againſt D. Whitakers, whom he calleth an Aſſe, a clowne, and a foole? which ourcHireon vt ſlip. Writers cenſure as inhumane and barbarous, and fitter for women (dAnd Wilter. t…rraſ… lon. p. 1. pa. 22.23. as Hierome ſpeaketh) then for ſchollers: eſpecially when the adverſarie is known able to make his parte good againſt ſuch raylers, as the churches of the Diſcipline hauehave euer bene and will be able againſt all Biſhopps in the worlde. Allen and Champion giuegive forth great wordes of the learning of their ſide, debaſing vsus as hauing no learning at all amongſt vsus. This compariſon would rather beſeeme boyes in the ſchooles, then Divines in the church (ſaith oneeD. Bilſ. p. 1 pag. 5. of our Oppoſits) and this vaunting of learning is fitt for phariſeis, vnfit for Chriſtians. Harding obiecteth to Iewell, that he & his ſide are men of no learning. hefIewell. in epiſt. ad Harding. replyeth (as we doe nowe) take from vsus what learning you liſte, we pleade for trueth and not for learning: He is ouer well learned that bendeth his learning againſt God. Secondly, this cannot bee obiected without pride intollerable, in men whom knowledge hath puffed vp▪ euen as one of our Oppoſits proueth out of Salomon, gD. Bilſ. vb. ſup.let another man praiſe thee, & not thine own mouth what that this pride is as the ſame moſt truly affirmeth: the very iuſt reward of error. what that it ſerueth for nothing but to raiſe irriſion in all forraine proteſtant churches which are without the reach of that pearch whereon we clap our wings & crow without cōtroulment? what that it debaſeth al forraine churches; for they being all of our opinion, we may here replie with Hieron: hHieron. cont. Vigilant.ſi omnes tecū fatui ſunt; ſapiens quis eſſe poterit? Howbeit the hurt of the church is the worſt. for what wil this cōceite of learning but ouerthrow al in the end? as the beginnings ſhrewdly threaten which are theſe:lAmand Polan. in Dan 9 …er. 20. Doctrinam recte traditā ab anteceſſoribus. &c. The doctrine that hath bene well deliuered by our predeceſſors (hee meaneth Caluin and Beza) they carpe & cauil at, by their cenſures, and make it ſuſpected, alwaies ſeeking the trueth but neuer finding it they trauill with newe-found doctrines▪ as if they were with childe lothing the olde and auncient doctrine which they hauehave learned. who ſwel with ſo great a conceit of learning as that they thinke they are the only men that are wiſe: and that other wander like ſhadowes in compariſon of them, to whom no man is learned enough, whom no man ſatisfieth, that they them ſelues might bee eſteemed moſt learned. who ſeeke not Diſciples vntounto Chriſt but to themſelues. Hence is it that ſo many ſcifines, ſo many hereſies hauehave inuaded the Church: whereby (as it were with a waightie burthen) ſhe is oppreſt. Some hath rather bee Lutherans then Chriſtians, they that would ſeeme to bee the cheefe prelates of Evangelicall Religion what bookes ſet they forth and printe? what broch they? the purpoſes and proiectes of theſe men, the more gratefull they are to Epicures & to the enemies of pietie, ſo much the more bitter and the more greuous be they to good men: as they moue laughter to them; ſo what can they wring from theſe but ſobbes and ſighings? Thirdly, minus eſt malum (asmAuguſt. cont. Academic. li. 3 cap. 8. Auguſtine ſaith) eſſe indoctum quam indocilem as our Oppoſits are vnteachable. wheras of vsus it may be wel & truly ſaid, we hauehave learning enough, who hauehave learned the truth. Nowe as long as wee match our Oppoſites in the knowledge of the word, the vaunt of other learning is but the vaunt of a Gnoſticke whoſe deepe learning is but the dept of Satan. Apoc. 2.24.This I ſpeake not againſt ſecular learning vnleſſe it ſwerue from the wholeſome word as doth the learning of our Oppoſites in the controuerſies that are betweene vsus. Hence it cometh that their learning is likenDecret. p. 1. diſtinct. 37. ca. 7. honnie, very ſweete and pleaſing, but vnholy for a ſacrifice. their knowledg like theoAuguſt. quaeſt Euā gelic. lib. 2. cap. 33. Ianſenius concor. Euang. c. 94. huſkes of peſcodes, ſweetiſh in the mouth but ſwelling in the ſtomacke and not hauing power to feede like the bread that is in the fathers houſe, their acutnes in reaſoning (laſt of all) like thepDecret. quo ſup. Cyniphes of Egypt, their pompe of wordes like the Froggs of Egypt, which ſerue for naught but to ſting the mindes and to trouble the cares of men. FamousrZozomen. hiſt. lib. 7. cap. 6. Eunomies for eloquence, learning, and for ſharpnes in diſputing is againſt the Orthodoxe, and they hauehave not any one amongſt them all but is afraid of him. what is this to the cauſe? ſosTheodor. hiſtor li. 5. cap. 34. many good, great, and learned men are againſt Chriſoſtome, as that Theodores ſtandeth amazed, and ſinketh vnderunder the credit of them when hee commeth to write his ſtorie: was chryſoſtome therefore in the wrong, his enemies in the right? But the puritans hauehave ben euer ouercome.tAuguſt. Epiſt. 174. Auguſtines Apologie (in the very ſame reproch) ſhall ſerue our turne, facile eſt vt quiſque Auguſtinum vincat. videris vetrum veritate an clamore, non eſt meum dicere: niſi quia facile eſt vt quiſque Auguſtinum vincat. quanto magis vt viciſſe videatur, aut etſi non videatur, viciſſe dicatur, facile eſt? noli miēdore q…om…do vincatur Auguſtinus qualiſcunque vnus homo, ſed attende potius vtrum vinci poteſt Veritas, non bonum hominis eſt hominem vincere, ſed bonum eſt homini vt cum veritas vi…cat volentem, qui… malum eſt homini vt cum veritas vincat inuttam. na…t ipſa vincat neceſſe eſt: fiue negamen fiue confitentem. Fourthly, what though we be not ſo learned? the more… are we for the Churches & Congregations of the land which muſt hauehave precept vponupon precept, line vponupon line, here a little and there a little, thut which great learning will ſcorne to doe. As there be charges one vnderunder an other, ſo there bee veſſels one vnderunder another in the Lordes houſe (ſaithuHyper. de ſacr. ſtud. non deſere. pag. 36. one) as there are places higher and lower in the Church, ſo there are talents greater or leſſe beſtowed on the Preachers (ſaithwGualt. in Luc Homil 73. another.) In regard whereof they who contemne the meanly learned, call the wiſedome of God into queſtion, & wrong the meane aſſemblies,xGregor. Paſtoral. lib. 3 in prolog. concil. Aquiſgran…. cap. … 4. ſaepe alijs officiunt, quae alijs proſunt, paniſque qui vitam fortium roborat paruulorum necat. quid ſunt intentae mtēes auditorumniſi quaedam in Cytheram tentiones tractae chor darum quae vno plectro ſed non vno impulſu feriendae. Great learning therefore boaſted of, hurteth: the middle Congregations of a Church becauſe it ſtraineth the weake ſtringes to a keye too highe, and cloyed their infant-like ſtomacks with meat too ſtrong: whereas meane learning will not diſdaine to condeſcend vntounto the weakeſt weakenes. Let the effect of our miniſterie be examined without parcialitie: 2 Cor. 3.1.and if the churches in which we hauehave laboured be not letters of commendation ſpeaking for vsus, we will be contented to preach and ſpeake no more to them. Let the Churches of our learned Oppoſites be ſurueyed on the other ſide, they are ſuch for the moſt parte as are little profited or nothing at all, becauſe not fedde with milke and honnie. No merueil, for it is not vnknowne what a windie kinde of teaching this affectation of great learning in our Oppoſites hath brought forth, making theyDecret. pag. 1. diſtin. 43. c. 1 Preacher vncleane like one that doth pati fluxū ſeminis, becauſe the ſeed of the word that he ſoweth begetteth no iſſue, and making our Auditours like thoſe of the Iudiens, where one doth mulgere hircum, another doth ſupponere cribrum, becauſezTh. Morton. Apolo. pag. 1. lib. 2 cap. 18. naught is vnderſtood. and our preaching to a ſacrifice that hath tortum naſum and is miſhapen, becauſe not ſhaped to the hearers proffit: qui enim ea docet quae ab auditoribus non valent intelligi non adeorum vtilitatem ſed ad ſui oſtentationem facit. aDecret p. 1. diſtinct. 43. cap. 5.And ſeeingbDecret. ibid diſtin. 59. cap. …. rarum eſt … qu…d magnum eſt the preaching of great learning will make preaching rare: for great learned Preachers are thinlie ſowen, and great learned preaching bringht forth ſeldome (as it is in the prouerb) vnum pario, ſed leonem, great learned ſermons alſo, muſt bee ſtrawbery Sermons, againſt which Latymer cryed out ſo much. Fiftly. A life vnſpotted in the world, a conuerſation wanting couetouſnes, a ſober carriage free from ambition and from ſeeking of great things, Ier. 45.5.doth euer in the Church more good, then great learning in great men which for the moſt parte is accompanied with great vices contrarie: Howſoeuer, experience ſheweth that God doth bleſſe the laboures of the paynefull Miniſter (though his learning bee but meane) ſo that hee bringth in a greater harueſt for the moſt parte, then he that ſtandeth vponupon his learning. This he doth to hauehave the glorie to himſelfe. 2 Cor. 4.7. 1 Cor. 1.27. 1 Cor. 1.17. 1 Cor. 4.20This hee doth to confound the wiſe and learned. This hee doth to ſhewe the power of his Croſſe, which eloquence and affected learning doth evacuate. This he doth to ſhewe the power of the ſpirits euidence, and how ſpirituall his working is in them that be called. Laſt of all, This hee doth to build vp the faith of his choſen, that it might not depend on the learning of mē but on his own wiſedome.aCor. 2.4.5 For theſe cauſes it often falleth out, what fell out once at the Councill of Nice bRuffin. hiſtor. Eccleſiaſtie. lib. 1. cap. 3where a Chriſtian of no great lerning conuerteth one learned with whom all the learned Biſhops could do no good vt oſlenderet Deus (ſaith the ſtorie). &c. that God might ſhewe that his kingdome conſiſteth not in wordes but in power, euen as the conuert himſelfe acknowledged. Hearken (ſaith he) O ye learned men, as long as the matter went by words, against words, I oppoſed words againe. and that which was ſpoken I ouerthrewe by the art of ſpeaking: but when in ſtead of wordes power proceeded out of the mouth of the ſpeaker non p…terant reſiſtere verba virtuti, nec hom… aduerſari potuit Deo. The like fel out before Cōſtantine. cSoxomne. hiſtor. lib. 1. cap. 17.Alexander Biſhop of Conſtantinople: vita magis quam doctrina conſpicuus, conuerted a man famouſlie learned, whom the learned could not perſwade. Non in dialectica complacuit Deo ſaluum facere populum ſuum, regnum enim Dei in ſimplicitate fidei est, non in contentione ſermonis. dDecret. p. 1. diſtinct. 37. cap. 6.Sixtly, I thinke our heuieſtand hardeſt aduerſaries will not denie, but we are likelie to doe more good then either a Non-reſident, that preacheth not at his charge, vnleſſe he dropp now and then a ſhower which neuer maketh fruitfull, Heb. 6.becauſe the rayne muſt often come vponupon the earth before it be able to bring forth fruites: meete for their vſe by whom it is dreſſed, or then the doumbe dogg which is not able to preach at all: whom notwithſtanding they ſuffer ſtill to reward if not his creeping yet his capping to the Croſſe. They ſhall not need to degrade vsus as Ruſticus was degraded once:eDecret. p. 1 diſtinct. 85. cap 1 Quia pſalmos ignorat, wee hauehave as much learning as their CanonfIbid diſtin. 38. cap. 6. Lawe requireth of a Biſhop himſelfe wee doe omnibut modis pſalterium noſcere & in promptu habemus legere ſcrutabiliter & non tranſitorie diuinam ſcripturam and for that purpoſe for the moſt parte wee hauehave the knowledgs of the tongues which [many] of our Oppoſites want. At the leaſt wee hauehave the prieſtes knowledg, wegIbid cap. 5 ſcann our cōmunion booke, the liber Sacramentorum we are ſkilled in the Computus, we knowe the Pſalterium, and we can fetch the homilias per circulum anni Dominicis diebus & ſingulis festiuitatibus aptae. Alas what hard happ is ours, others can be held white ſonnes that hauehave the learning to doe this, wee hauehave this learning (and ſomewhat ouer and aboue) and yet wee can finde no fauour. Luc. 9.50.But bleſſed be he which quēcheth not the ſmoking flaxe, but doth at this power ſpeak from heauen in our behalfe vntounto our Gouernour: forbidde them not. what though we be the feet?hLeo. 9. in epiſt ad Michael. Conſtanti. epi…cop. Tho. Morton. Apolo. pag. …. lib. 5. cap. 19. fruſtra matris familias caput et faciem magnifieat, qui minimos filiorum eius impugnas, tamquam digitos pedum illius conculcat. The head, ſaith Ambroſe, cannot be without the feet, nor the ſuperior without the inferior ferrum poteſt quod non poteſt aurum.