Reims Against Rome, To the reader
AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE CHRISTIAN READER, CONCERNING SOME PASSAGES IN the Gaggers Preface; as alſo ſhewing this Authors generall intent.
IT is hard to ſay, whether boldnes, or ignorance bee predominant in the Writer of the Pamphlet, ſtiled, The Gagg of the new Goſpell. In his Thraſonicall Preface, he braggeth, that our owne Bibles are ſo cleare to all the World, for the eſtabliſhing of the Romane doctrine, and condemning our owne, that nothing is needful thereto, but that a man know to reade, and hauehave his eyes in his head, to behold the ſame at the opening of our Bible. And yet among the differences betweene them and vsus, this (not the leaſt concerning the deciding of controuerſies) is maintained and orged by him, that the Scripture is obſcure and difficult, ſhut vp with many ſeales, ſubiect to contrary interpretations, not to be cleared by conferring place with place: and therefore that the people ought to be reſtrained from reading of them. If ſo, how can his Catholique Reader at the firſt ſight, by the ſame, refute our doctrines? How needeth he nothing, but to hauehave his eyes in his head, when by their owne law, he may not vſe his owne eyes without the Popes ſpectacles?
He deploreth, or rather …ffeth at the multitude and varietie of our Tranſlations, and Editions of the Bible in Engliſh: and yet in the while will not remēber the manifold ſwarmes of their tranſlations, corrections, & editions of their owne vulgar Latine, euen ſince the making it authentical by the Councel of Trent. Had we, as they, aduanced, beyond and aboue the Originals, any of our authoriſed Tranſlations, attributed infallibilitie to eueryevery tittle of any of them, or in diuerſitie of varying Copies come neere the Romiſh for multitude, ſuch imputations might be laid againſt vsus, but not by Romaniſts.
Like a doughty daring Champion, or grand Goliah, vponupon diſplaying his banner of manifold Scripture-proofes for the Romane cauſe, he proclaimeth of and againſt our partie, that all the packe of them put together, is neuer able in their defence to doe the like, that is, to produce ſo many places in number, ſo expreſſe and cleare, and for ſo great a quantitie of controuerſies. I wiſh that this Thraſo had to the 276. places by him cited out of our Bible, added but this one, Let not him that girdeth on his harneſſe, 1 Kings 20. 11.boaſt himſelfe, as he that putteth it off.
Among this packe (as he is pleaſed in his peddling eloquence to ſtile vsus) I acknowledge my ſelfe to be of the meaneſt and courſeſt ſtuffe, farre inferiour to moſt of my learned and iudicious brethren, who are able with one finger, not only to gagg, but alſo to choake this babbler. Yet ſhould I thinke my ſelfe vnfit to beare the name of a Miniſter in this Reformed and Renowned Church of England, if vponupon one curſory view of ſome parts of the Scriptures, I were not able to obſerue and ranke out more pertinently, and with better conſcience, and directer conſequence, many more authorities and arguments for the defence of our Church, and beating downe Poperie, then he hath pretended to doe on the contrary.
True it is, that my principall calling and daily endeuour is (like Dauids in his minoritie) to keepe and attend ſheepe in the Countrey, my furniture is rather the Crooke and Scripp, then the Sword or Sling. Yet if wilde beaſts range and rauage among our flocks, we are awaked to ſtretch forth our hands, and reſcue our Lambs. And well may wee anſwer with Dauid: Thy ſeruant kept his fathers 1. Sam. 17. 34.She…pe: and there came a Lyon, and likewiſe a Beare, and tooke a Sheepe out of the Flocke: and I went out after him, and ſmote him, and tooke it out of his mouth.
Plaine Shepheardly Dauid, had he truſted in his owne ſtrength, and not rather in the goodneſſe of his cauſe, being Gods quarrell, might eaſily hauehave been diſcouraged not onelyonly by the braues and threats of the Philiſtine, but much more by the checks and ſnappes of his elder brother Eliab; who (perhaps being better furniſhed with abilities both for warre, and for Court) thought to frowne his rurall brother out of the field. But God is pleaſed to aduance his truth and cauſe the rather by plaine and weake meanes. For my part, nothing hath moued me to this encounter, but the zeale of Gods truth, and deſire to inſtruct the meaner ſort, and eſtabliſh our leſſe learned Chriſtian brethren. As for curioſities and ſubtill contemplations, I leaue them vntounto others, or rather to be left of all others, ſo farre as they tend to engendring of ſtrife among our ſelues, and preiudice to our Church. And accordingly in preſſing the paſſages of Scripture, and vindicating the ſame from violent and abſurd interpretations, I hauehave laboured to deliuer the plaine, true, and natiue expoſition, ariſing out of the literall ſenſe, and naturall context, together with the circumſtances thereof. Which manner of interpretation, as moſt ſound and ſolid, hath in all ages, and will find approbation with the iudicious.
As for the ſtile and words of Scriptures, I deſire (as this aduerſarie dealt with vsus by way of repercuſſion,) ſo to repay him in coine of his owne ſtampe: and therefore I ſtill pleade out of their owne vulgar Engliſh Tranſlation of the whole Bible, written and perfited by the Seminary Prieſts at Rhemes, as appeareth by the firſt words of their Preface to the New Teſtament printed there. Though the other part thereof, being the old Testament, was afterward printed at Doway, and thereupon is commonly called the Doway Bible.
The Rhemiſts Prieſts, for making any Tranſlation at all of the Bible into the Engliſh tongue (though out of the vulgar Latine, though obſcured by affected phraſes, and diſtorted by their corrupt Annotations) yet are ſaid to hauehave bin beſhrewed by their owne more ſubtile Maſters and Superiours, as hauing thereby layed open to the people the nakedneſſe and deformitie of their Romiſh doctrines. And therefore hauehave I the more willingly produced the ſame againſt themſelues; the power and luſtre of Gods Word, though clouded and diſguiſed by their purpoſed obſcuritie and improprieties, yet competently ſhining forth, for their conuiction, by this vnwilling wounding of Rome by the out-workes of Rhemes.
VntoUnto the places cited out of their Bible, I hauehave added not onelyonly (ſutably to the Gaggers proofes) the teſtimonies of diuers ancient Fathers and Doctours of the Church: but alſo, for ouer-meaſure, the conſent of diuers moderne Writers very paſſable, and laudable in the Romiſh Church.
Laſtly, in handling this Popiſh Gagg (varyed and furbiſhed in diuers Editions) I thought it not worth the while to goe thorow eueryevery particular question: ſome being friuolous, or of ſmall moment, or weake and naked enough of themſelues, but hauehave rather choſen to inſiſt vponupon thoſe which are moſt pertinent and weightie. The diſcuſſing whereof might tend to ſeaſonable edification. The iudgement of which my poore labours, I humbly ſubmit to our Reuerend and bleſſed Mother the Church of England.
And ſo, Chriſtian Reader, I commit my endeuours to thy charitable acceptation, and withall deſire to hauehave my part in thy deuout and brotherly prayers, reſting
Thine in the Lord, R. B.