Against Popery, Treatise · Argument 2
THE SECOND ARGVMENT TOVCHING THE PREſeruing and maintayning of true religion.
THE ſame is alſo manifeſt by the ſecond meanes whereby poperie hath bine from time to time, and yet is vpholden and mainteined. For as touching this, what ſhall we ſay of the impudencie of the Papiſtes, I meane ſuch as account themſelues the learned Papiſtes, both in falſifying the auncient Fathers, & alſo in alleadging patches onelyonly of their writinges, as making againſt vsus, but leauing out ſome part of the ſame ſentēces or ſome ſentence going before or following after: whereby both that Father his minde is made euident, and alſo our doctrine approoued? Is not this to deale with the Fathers, as the deuill doth with the Scripture againſt our Sauiour. Mat. 4. 6. And that the Papiſts doe thus abuſe the readers by citing the Fathers in ſuch ſort is ſufficiently ſhewed, by thoſe that hauehave written in particular controuerſies. To proue the APOCRYPHA bookes Canonicall Scriptures, they alleadge the teſtimonie of Augustin lib. 2. de doctrina Chriſtiana. cap. 8. Yet that Auguſtin did not ſo vnderſtand the word Canonicall, as they applie his teſtimonie is manifeſt in the ſame place, let the learned reader ſee Whitak. Controuerſ. 1. queſt. 1. Cap. 4. Pag. 15. In like manner they deale with Ambroſe, whoſe teſtimonie they alleadge for proofe of this: that manie things are hard in the Scriptures, thereby indeed to diſcourage all vnlearned, from reading of the Scriptures, as though all things were hard in them: and yet in the verie ſame place, Ambroſe alſo ſaith, that in the Scriptures is matter fitt for all perſons to drinke firſt, ſecond, and laſt; where by he alſo teacheth that as there are ſome things to be drunke laſt in the riuers of the Scriptures, that is, not till men be well grounded in knowledge and iudgement, ſo alſo there is for yong beginners & ſuch as hauehave not entred, or that hauehave made but litle entrance. So they deale with Auguſtin oftentimes in the ſame queſtion of the perſpicuity of the Scripture, as alſo the learned reader may ſee Whitak. queſt. 4. pag. 276. In like manner they deale with the Fathers almoſt in all other queſtions and controuerſies; Sometime alſo they alleadge the teſtimonies of the Fathers out of ſome of their books not regarding how they hauehave either opened their minde or retracted their former errors in other of their bookes. Sometime againe they pleade the authoritie of ſome Fathers in citing teſtimonies of their bookes, which they wrote after that they were fallen into ſome hereſie. So they alleadge the teſtimonie of Tertullian out of ſuch workes as he made after that he was a Montaniſt. Whitaker. queſt. 6. pag. 449. Finallie oftentimes they are not aſhamed to name the Fathers in particular queſtions as if they were on their ſide, whereas the cleane contrarie is manifeſtlie prooued and ſhewed by our writers, and is likewiſe euident to them that are acquainted with the writings of the Fathers. For proofe hereof let the reader looke their preface to the tranſlation of the new teſtament into Engliſh by thēſelues, and likewiſe reade M. Fulke his aunſwer to the ſame.
2 For their firſt reaſon, why they tranſlate the new Teſtament according to the vulgar latine tranſlation, and not according to the greeke originall is this. It is ſo auncient (ſay they) that it was vſed in the Church of God aboue 1300. yeares agoe as appeareth by the Fathers of thoſe times. But M. Fulke ſheweth: firſt that no one tranſlation was in thoſe daies commonly rèceiued; Secondly, by many examples that Tertullian, Cyprian, the Clergie it ſelfe of Rome in Cyprian his time, Hierome, Arnobius, Hilarie, and Ambroſe, did not followe this vulgar tranſlation, but did reade the text farre diuerſly from the ſame. In their fourth reaſon they commend it as that which for the moſt part euer ſince Hierom his time hath beene vſed in the Churches ſeruice, expounded in Sermons, alleadged and interpreted in the Commentaries and writings of auncient fathers of the latine Church. But M. Fulk prooueth and ſheweth, Firſt, that their Church ſeruice is not ſo auncient as Auguſtine his time, many of their Church leſſons beeing taken out of Beda and other writers liuing many hundred yeares after Saint Auguſtine his age. Secondly, that ſuch parts of the Scripture as ſeeme to hauehave beene of moſt auncient times vſed in the church of Rome are not taken out of their vulgar text; and thirdly, that ſince Ierome his time Optatus Melevitanus, Fuigentius, Primaſius, Prosper, Aquitanicus, and Leo likewiſe himſelfe Biſhop of Rome did alleadge and interpret the texts of Scripture much differing from this vulgar tranſlation.
3 The like may be ſaid of their belying the Fathers in their notes afterward vponupon the text it ſelfe. VponUpon the firſt petition of the Lords praier, Matth. 6. 12. for their olde diſtinction of ſinnes veniall and mortall, they quote certaine places of Augustine to beare the vnlearned reader in hand, that Augustine was the author or a fauourer thereof. Notwithſtanding Augustine in thoſe places quoted by them, vſeth no ſuch diſtinction, but onelyonly ſpeaketh of ſmall ſinnes, which no man denieth. VponUpon 1. Cor. 13. 10. they ſaie that S. Auguſtine, lib. 22. de Civit. cap. 29. prooueth that the Saints in heauen hauehave more perfect knowledge of our affaires here, then they had when they liued here. And yet S. Auguſtine in that place ſpeaketh not of the knowledge of the Saints now in heauen touching our preſent affaires here in earth, but onelyonly ſpeaketh generally of the perfect knowledge which all Saints both dead and yet liuing ſhall hauehave in the reſurrection. Aboue all other places I wiſh the reader to ſee how foully they falſifie Chryſoſtome for defence of Peters ſupremacie vponupon Ioh. 21. 17 yea how common this fault of falſifying the fathers is with them by the iudgement of themſelues, euen of the Vniuerſitie of Doway approoued by the Cenſors according to the decree of the Coū cell of Trent, concerning the book of Bertrame. For this Vniuerſitie acknowledgeth how they doe oftentimes excuſe auncient writers, beeing by Proteſtants oppoſed vntounto them in diſputation, and how by deuiſing ſome pretie ſt…ifts they denie them, and doe faigne ſome commodious ſenſe vntounto them: and therefore whereas it ſeemeth there had beene ſome conſultation for the vtter ſuppreſſing of the ſaide booke of Bertram, the ſaid Vniuerſitie concludeth that the foreſaid booke of Bertram ſhould rather beeing amended (that is, clipped and mangled at their pleaſure) be tolerated, then altogether forbidden. See this more largely in the anſwer of M. Fulke to their note vponupon the place of Ioh. 21. 17. but eſpecially let the learned ſee the ſame in their Index expurgatorius, pag. 11. and 12. where alſo the reader ſhall ſee what they commaund to be cleane put out in that booke of Bertram, and what alſo to be changed or expounded according to ſuch ſenſe as they imagine or would hauehave to be of his words. All this their iuggling with the people in crying out, all the Fathers, all the Fathers, are on our ſide, might be ſhewed more plentifully, but that it is not fit for this treatiſe. In like manner they are not aſhamed to belie our owne writers, and to charge them with ſuch wordes, as they neuer vſed. So they deale with that worthie, and reuerend man D. Fulke, as himſelfe ſheweth in his Defence of Engliſh tranſlations of the Bible, in his anſwer to the 49. ſection of the preface, and of the 18. and 37. ſections of the firſt chapter, and in many other places. The like may be ſaide of their fathering new things vponupon ancient writers: ſee Calvins inſtit. lib. 4. cap. 7. ſect. 20. Doth truth neede to be vpholden by ſuch notorious lies?
4 But all this is nothing to their intollerable impietie both in adding vntounto, and alſo in detracting from the writings of the Fathers what they liſt, to make the Fathers to ſpeake nothing but that which they will hauehave thē for to ſpeake. Yea thus to deale with the writings and works of the Fathers euen in the printing of them: that their whole volumes beeing ſo printed, the readers may thinke, that the Fathers did ſpeake and write as now their bookes are printed. In like manner they deale with ſuch notes as are by ſome new writers added to the margent of the Fathers writings for the better directing of the reader in reading thoſe writings. So alſo deale they with ſuch tables as by late writers are gathered and ſet in the beginning or ending of the Fathers works, for helping the reader more eaſily to find that which he deſireth in the Fathers. Whatſoeuer in ſuch marginall notes or in ſuch tables, may any waie helpe the reader to finde any thing, or the better to vnderſtand any thing in the Fathers either againſt their errours, or for the truth receiued by vsus, that hauehave they by publique authoritie and act of the Tridentine Coū cell, and of the King of Spaines Edict, commanded to be blotted and raſed out of the books of the Fathers in the new printing of them. And for the better doing thereof, they hauehave ſet forth a table of all ſuch things as they will hauehave ſo raſed out by the authoritie aforeſaide. This table they call Index expurgatorius. And this table though they kept from vsus a while, yet now we hauehave by the induſtrie and paines of Junius: who alſo in his preface thereunto teſtifieth, that at Lyons in the yeare 1559. he beeing familiarly acquainted with a printer, whoſe name he ſaith was Lodovicus Sauarius, did there ſee Ambroſe his works moſt fairely and exquiſitely printed: ſo that he could not but admire the artificiall and beautifull countenance thereof. But the printer ſeeing him ſo well to like thereof, and ſo much to be delighted there with, told him notwithſtanding that if he were to buie Ambroſe his workes, he would rather buie of any other edition then of that. Iunius maruailing at that ſpeach demanded the reaſon thereof. The printer therefore ſhewed him from vnderunder his table certaine leaues of the auncient copies of Ambroſe, ſome cancelled wholly, ſome other in part onelyonly raſed, telling him alſo that thoſe were the patternes of thoſe leaues which but fewe daies before he had truly printed, according to the example of the auncient and certen patterne. But ſaid he further, two Franciſcan Fryers by authoritie hauehave put out all theſe leaues, and commanded theſe to be put into their places, contrarie to all truth of the former bookes. What they hauehave commaunded to be raſed out of the marginall notes and tables of the Fathers doth plentifully and particularly appeare by the Index it ſelfe ſo ſet forth by Iunius. Nowe let any indifferent reader iudge of their religion, the which by theſe meanes they are forced to vphold and maintain. Certenly if their religion were of God, it would not neede any ſuch proppes of falſhood and wickednes. Yea if thēſelus or at leaſt the chiefeſt of them, thought it to be of God, they would neuer ſet ſuch rotten ſhores to keepe it vp.
5 Neither ought men much to maruel at their clipping of the writings of men in ſuch ſort, ſith they deale in like ſort with the pretious come of god his owne ſcriptures. For firſt of al they hauehave beene bould to take away the whole ſecond commandement out of the decalogue, that ſo they might beare the common people in hand that there is nothing in the ſcriptures againſt images, or at the leaſt nothing in the morall law to binde vsus now as well as the Iewes in former time: and that this their dealing might not be eſpied by any defect in the number of the commaundements, they hauehave deuided the tenth commaundement into two. Both theſe things are manifeſt by their commō primmers. The like they doe with the Scriptures in many other places, as appeareth by their vulgar tranſlation & edition of the Scriptures in latine: the which although it were not theirs at the firſt, yet becauſe they condemne all other, and do onelie commaund this as authenticall, forbidding alſo anie man to appeale from the ſame to the originall text in the Hebrew and Greeke, therefore it is to be accepted theirs. In that tranſlation and edition many things are wanting that are in the originall text, and manie things alſo corrupted. In the 9. of Matth. verſe. 13. Our Sauiour ſaith. I came not to call the righteous but the ſinners to repentance. In their trāſlation are theſe two words to repentāce left out. Rom. 11. 6. All theſe words are wanting in their tranſlation. If of workes then not of grace, or elſe were worke no more worke. Ioh. 14. 26. For theſe words, he ſhal teach you al things, and bringe all things to your remembrance which I hauehave told you. For theſe words I ſaie which I hauehave told you, their tranſlation ſaith which I ſhall tell you. Thus they reade for help of their traditions to make the common people beleeue, that Chriſt ſpeaketh in this place of ſome thinges, which he would ſpeak afterward, that he had nor ſpoken before. Manie other places there are in like manner either clipped or corrupted. If their cauſe were good, why ſhould they ſuſteine it by ſuch vile meanes?
6 Let vsus here further remember their exceeding crueltie, and moſt bloudie dealing, for the continuall maintenance of their religion. If fire & faggot had not better holpen them, then preaching & diſputing, their religion had neuer been ſo vniuerſall as it is. For although the blood of the Martires be called the ſeed of the Church, and hauehave been a notable meanes to confirme many in the profeſſion of the Goſpell. Yet other alſo hauehave thereby been drawne from it, and for feare hauehave receiued poperie. As therefore the Prieſtes, Scribes, & Phariſes, and other Iewes, when they were not able by the Scriptures to reſiſt the wiſedome of our Sauiour, of Stephan, of the Apoſtles, & the ſpirit that ſpake in them, did vſe force and violence for their laſt & chiefeſt argument: euen ſo hauehave the Prieſtes, Scribes, and Phariſes of the Church of Rome alwaies done. Such alwaies hath bin their crueltie, that as diuers wild beaſts and birdes make the fleſh and blood of other to be their nouriſhment and life, ſo alſo the blood of the Proteſtants hath been their ſpeciall releefe. The crueltie exerciſed here in our owne lād, as ſometime before, ſo eſpecially in the late time of Queene Marie doth plētifully witneſſe the ſame. The like may be ſaid of the Spaniſh inquiſitiō the chiefe meanes of vpholding poperie, not onelyonly in Spaine it ſelfe, but alſo in manie other countries. The crueltie thereof is ſo great and barbarous, that the crueltie of Nero, Domitian, and all other the like profeſſed enemies vntounto Chriſt Ieſus and his Goſpell is nothing to be compared thereto. The copies thereof are to be ſeene printed in engliſh for iuſtifying that which I write. A man would thinke that all the deuills in hell ſhould neuer hauehave deuiſed ſuch tortures and moſt exquiſite puniſhments, except it were thus manifeſt. Here alſo is to be conſidered the moſt bloodie maſſaker in Fraunce Anno 1572. in the which of noble men, gentlemen, learned men, & cōmon perſons thought to be proteſtants in Paris were ſlaine and moſt violently & cruellie murthered without anie proceeding by order of law, the number at the leaſt of ten thouſand within three daies, and within leſſe then one monethmonth preſently after in manie other cities & townes of France, were in like ſort ſlaine & murthered 20000. more. So that as it ſhould hauehave bin with the Iewes through all the prouinces of Ahaſhueroſh, if the curſed purpoſe of Hamā had proceeded to effect; ſo alſo was it with all the knowne or ſuſpected proteſtants in Fraunce, vponupon whom the merciles Papiſts could lay hāds: what doth this elſe witneſſe but that the religion of the Papiſts is like vntounto that wicked decree of Ahaſhueroſh & from the ſame fountaine? Neither may this be ſaid to hauehave bin a fault onelyonly of that nation. For the great ioye of the Pope, with all his Cardinalls at Rome, their proceſſion, their gunſhott, and ſinging Te Deum in honor of the bloody act, doe euidently ſhew both the approbation of the thing done by the whole Church of Rome, and alſo that the ſaid Pope and Cardinalls were acquainted with the matter before, and had an hand & ſtroke in it. I confeſſe I note this out of the booke of Martires, but no Papiſt is therefore to ſuſpect the truth of the matter: for this hiſtorie there reported is but briefly gathered out of the French Chronicles and Hiſtories, which do more largely deſcribe the ſame. Beſids this act is ſo late & was ſo notorious at the firſt committing thereof, that there needeth not the teſtimony of anie writer to be ſuſpected therein. Thus we ſee that a piller of blood is the chiefe piller of the Romiſh Church ſuch as now it is.
7 The like obiection made againſt our religion from the execution of manie Seminarie prieſtes and Ieſuites in our owne land hath bin ſufficiently aunſwered by others. For they hauehave not been executed to maintaine and vphold our religion, but for their haynous treaſons whereby they hauehave ſought the ſacred life of her Maieſtie in bringing in of forreyners here to vſurpe the kingdome, and the ouerthrow of the whole land their owne naturall cūtrey. Therefore this horrible treaſon againſt both their Prince and countrey, beeing eſpecially authorized by the Pope himſelf, and his Clergie, not onelyonly for the ſeducing of the ſubiects from all obedience to her highnes, but alſo for the ſhedding of her blood, as alſo the like treaſons of manie other to the ſame intent, attēpted by the ſame authoritie doe plainely diſclaime their religion as not beeing of God neither acceptable vntounto God. For truth ſeeketh no corners, truth requireth no ſuch ſtilts to goe by. Neither did our Sauiour vſe ſuch meanes to commend himſelfe & his doctrine, though he might hauehave commaunded more then twelue legions of Angels, neither after his aſcenſion did the Apoſtles or anie of thē ſo further the goſpel.
8 To theſe meanes before mentioned I may add their foule abuſing of the ſimple people with pretended reuelations & lying miracles, thereby to make them to account their religion to be as diuine and from heauen, as by the ſame meanes well looked into, it doth manifeſtlie appeare to be altogether diuoliſh and from hell it ſelf. Such was the practiſe of certaine Monkes & Friers with Elizabeth Barton a Nunne in Kent whom they called by the name of the holie maid of Kent. This holie maide by the deuice of the foreſaid Monkes and Fryers, fained her ſelfe to liue with no other food then that which was brought vntounto her immediately by the Angells of heauen, ſhee made alſo as though oftentimes ſhee laie in a traunce wherein ſhee did ſtraungly alter her coū tenance with the other partes of her bodie, and ſpake manie things in commendation of Idolatrie, pilgrimage, and other like points of popery, and likewiſe in derogation of the Goſpell, & in diſallowance of King Henrie his diuorce from the Ladie Katherine the late wife of his elder brother Prince Arthur, threatning as it were by way of prophecying that if he proceeded therein, he ſhould not be king one monethmonth after. This knauerie beeing found out both ſhee and her abettors, namely certen Munks, Fryers, & Prieſts, were executed for it. See the booke of Martyres, printed 1583. p. 1054. And other hiſtories thereof. The like is reported in the ſame booke. p. 1291. out of the ninth booke of Sleydan his commentaries, of certaine fryers of Orleance in Fraunce, who becauſe the Maiors wife of the citie vponupon her death bed had deſired her husband that ſhee might be buried without the ſolemnities then commonlie vſed at the funeralls of ſuch perſons, whereby their noſes were wiped of a great part of their accuſtomed gaine, cauſed a boye in the time of their night ſeruice to make a ſtraunge noyſe in one of the vaults of the church where ſhee was buried as if he had been a ſpirit. This boyiſh ſpirit, or ſpirituall boye thus inſpired by the deuill and the fryers, and coniured like wiſe after their popiſh and deueliſh manner, hauing ſignified that he was a dumb ſpirit by ſignes alſo ſhewed that he was the ſoule of the ſaid Maiors wife before buried, now condemned in hell, for the hereſie of Martin Luther. This frierlie prancke being found out, the fryers by authority of the King were committed to priſon where they continued a long time before they were releaſed. Let the reader ſee this more largelie in the booke of Martirs & Sleidan his commentaries. As theſe and ſuch like meanes continuallie applied to ſhore vp popery, do ſhew the rottēnes thereof, ſo our religion continuing and ſtanding right notwithſtanding manie ſtormes and tempeſts againſt it, doth ſhew it ſelfe to be ſound and vpholden by him onelyonly whoſe power none is able to reſiſt. But of this more ſhallbe ſpoken afterward vponupon other occaſion.