A Scourge for a Railer, Preface
THE PREFACE TO THE Christian-Reader.
WHen Rezin King of Aram, and Pekah King of Israel had conspited against Iudah, and fought against Ierusalem: the Prophet was sent with this comfortable messages Feare not, Isa. 7. 4.neither be faint hearted, for the two tayles of those smoaking firebrands, Woodward the Iesuite as it is thought, in his Detection.&c. two such suming, rather then fiering brands, hauehave raised of late a smoake against me:R. Parkes. some foure yeares since a Popish Aramite and now of late an English Israelite: But as the flames of the first were soone quenched, so I doubt not but the irefull heate, and vaine smoake of the other will quickly be laide. It were somewhat too hard to say of these two aduersaries, as Tulke did of his two enemies D…labella and Antonie: Philippi…. 11.Duo haec capita nata sunt post homines natos tet…rrima … quorum alter effecit, quod …pt abat, de altero p…tefactum est, quod cogitaret: these two heads are sprung vp the worst and most dishonest of all men aliue; the one whereof hath effected, what he desired. the other hath discouered what he thought: for neither will I thinke so vncharitably of them, though they thinke and speake most basely and vilely of me: neither hath either of them had his pleasure of me, but in seeking to disgrace me, hauehave defamed themselues: and hauehave rather bewraied what they thought, then effected, what they intended.
Dy…nisius when he heard of two young men, that railed vponupon him, and perceiued that the one spake in drinke, but the other seemed to be sober, and yet reuiled: he dismissed the one as a drunken and foolish person,foreign. but punished the other … Antagonists. The one beeing … Babylons cuppe, and hauing wrung out the very dregges of Romish superstition, writ his pleasure of me in his madd and drunken fittes: the other, professing himselfe a sober Protestant, (but let him take heede, if all be true*ô si & mihi liceret dicere, quae multi clamitant, iam & nos intelligeres scire, quae omnes sciunt, & me quoque audire, quae nullus ignorat Hieron. ad Theoph. I heare, least that one cuppe of (nimis) more, make him not as drunke as the other) hath in his pretended … … ded the raging fittes of the other lightbraine. But I passe very little, neither doe I regard their rayling speech, comforting my selfe with that saying of the Apostle, If ye be rayled vponupon for the name of Christ, blessed … ye: a… all they are,1. Pet. 4. 14. which are maligned for the defense of the …: and here I may fitly vse those words of Augustine: …go volo te esse sanum, Serm. 164.quare tu furis in me sicut insanus; I would hauehave thee to be found and whole and you rage against me, as one vnsound or madde. If they are become mine enemies for the Gospel and the truths sake, I will therein glorie. The one of them shooteth his darts at me, because I strike at the very bodie of Poperie: the other …arpeth, because I prune off one of the branches thereof, that superstitious opinion of Limbus patrum, as euen now shall be s…ewed.Dialog. 1. adv. Pelagian. But I say here with Hierome, Bre…iter respon…eo, nunquam me haereticis pepero…sse, & omni eg…sse studio, vt hostes Ecclesiae, mei quoque hostes fiero…: I answer briefely, that I neuer spared heretikes; and hauehave endeauoured with all my studie, that the enemies of the Church should also be enemies vntounto me. Let them diuide this sentence betweene them: let the first take the first part, and the other, that which remaineth: for this I speake bordly, and confidently, that I know no enemies of mine in matter of religion (some difference in opinion there may be among friends and wel …illers, whome yet I count no enemies) but they are also enemies (I dare say to the Church of God, and religion: that I may here truly v…e the Orators words; Quonam meo fat… fieri dicam vt nemo his annis viginti Reipu…hostis fuerat, quinon bellum eonam tempore, mihi quoque indixerit: I can not tell by what fatall destinie it happeneth, that there hath not beene these twentie yeares an enemie to the Commonwealth (and so to the Church also) which hath not the same time bid battell vntounto me.
Now I come to shew, that this mungrell Protestant, directly holdeth, that Christ descended in soule to hell, to deliuer some from thence, that were there, and so consequently maintaineth the Popish opinion of Limbus patrum: where they imagined the soules of the Patriarks to be till the comming of Christ thither.
1. Place.P. 9. of the former booke. edit. 1. and p. 1…. edit. 2. These are his owne words: S. Peter mentioneth sorrowes, which Christ loosed at his resurrection, which could not be in the sepulchre, where his bodie lay dead, and senselesse:P. 12. 1. b. edit. 1. and p. 14. edit. 2. and 2. b. p. 37. and in an other place: he affirmeth they were the sorrowes of hell which Christ loosed: out of which words this argument is pressed: The sorrowes of hell which Christ loosed, he loosed for himselfe, or for others ther. deteined: but not for himselfe: Ergo for others. To this he answeareth: 1. in graunting all this to be true, and yet it will not follow that the Fathers were deliuered out of Lambus:2. b. p. 37. vnlesse by bell, you vnderstand Limbus patrum, and the persons there deteined the Patriarks, then you will fall into the same ditch your selfe, &c.
Contra. 1. It followeth well, if the conclusion be graunted, that Christ loosed the sorrowes of bell for others: for either they must be the Fathers which were deliuered out of Limbus, which the Papists make a member of hell: or els he falleth into a worse heresie, that some of the damned deteined in hell, were thence deliuered. 2. Is he so blind and absurd, that he seeth not how this conclusion is enforced against him, and not out of the Replyers iudgement: doth the opponents conclusion force the disputer, I pray you, or the answearer: the conclusion is, Ergo be deliuered the Fathers out of Limbas: doth he inferre this to confirme his owne opinion, or to confute yours? The Replyer therefore will keepe himselfe well enough out of the ditch, while he himselfe sticketh fast in the mire.
Ans. 2. He denieth the assumption, affirming with Augustine,Epist. 99. that Christ loosed the sorrowes of hell for himselfe.
Contra. 1. In deede one of Augustines expositions in that place is, that Christ may be said to hauehave loosed the sorrowes of hell for himselfe, quemadmodum solvi possunt laquei venantium, &c. as the snares of hunters may be loosed, least they should hold, not because they did hold: but this exposition can not serue his turne: for he saith, these sorrowes were loosed at Christs resurrection: they were not then loosed before, till then: so it followeth that Christ was in them: which Augustine there denieth; neque coperat in eis esse tanquam in vinoulis: he beganne not at all to be in those sorrowes, as in bandes. 2. Againe, he saith, these sorrowes were not in the graue, because the bodie was senslesse, and so felt them not: therefore by the same reason, those sorrowes were in hell, because Christ soule was full of sense, and consequently felt them. Thus, will hee, … hee, either hee must confesse, that some other were deliuered out of the sorrowes of hell by Christs descending thither, or that he himselfe felt the sorrowes of hell.
2. The second place that encreaseth this suspition is, because he striueth mightily,1. b. p. 36. 1. edit. that we must read, 1. Pet. 3. 19. the spirits, which were in prison, not which are: whereupon it followeth,2. b. p. 39. that he thinketh, some were in the prison of hell, but are not, or els he striueth about words.
Ans. It followeth not, because I say it should be translaeted, (which were) &c. not, (which are) that they therefore were in hell, but are not: no more then it followeth, the Angels were in heauen at Christs as…ension, but are not.2. b. p. 39.
Contr. 1. Hee omitteth the other part of the disiun…tion, that either that must follow, or els he striueth about words. 2. The instance of the Angels therefore is impertinent: for the Replyer doth not reason thus; they were in hell, Ergo they are not: but thus, either they were in hell, and are not, or else he striueth for words. 3. Yet this cō tending about the reading of were for are, giueth strong suspicion, that hee so thinketh, that some were in hell, and are not; because his great Master; vponupon the aduantage of that word,Bellar. lib. 4. de Christ. anim. cap. 13. inferreth the same conclusion, thus writing: All the Latines, & Greekes, whom we hauehave cited, expound (were) not (are;) because they will hauehave them deliuered out of hell by Christ but it could not bee said truely of those spirits in the time of Peter, that they were then in the prison.
3. The third place is this: In that Christ personally descended into hell, it doth more amplifie and set forth his goodnesse toward mank…de,1. b. p. 52. 1. edit. p. 55. 2. edit. &c. for so much, as the more vile, and loath some the dungeon is, the greater is the louelove of the Prince,2. b. p. 40. who to enfranchise and set at libertie the captiues there enthralled, dis…ineth not to enter into it, in his owne person.
Hence it is inferred, that these captiues in hell, which were enfranchised by Christ descending thither, could be no other, then the fathers in Limbo patrum: for out of the nethermost hell of the damned, none can be deliuered.
Ans. 1. The argument is denied, Christ went to set at libertie captiues in hell: Ergo, the fathers in Limbo.
Cont. The argument standeth thus; the captiues in hel set at liberty, were either in Limbo, or in the nethermost hell.
But they were not in the nethermost hell, for thence none can be deliuered.
Ergo: the captiues in hell set at liberty, were those in Limbo.
The reason cannot be denied, beeing a true syllogisme: the Replyer is not then a … in making such reasons: but the Confuter a brables in denying them.
Ans. 2. You must first prooue that the Fathers were in Limbo patrum and that hell, the place of eternall captiuity▪ was all one with it, which yet your selfe affirme, is no part of hell: and therefore I inferre it is no place of thraldome.
Cont. 1. Now this ignorant Confuter sheweth himselfe a trifler indeed, and a silly Logician, to denie the conclusion, that the Fathers were not in Limbe, which is the conclusion of the former argument.
2. How absurd is this fellow, that seeing a manifest disiunction in the proposition, betweene Limbus patrum, and the nethermost hell; yet saith, it must be prooued that they are all one.
3. The Replyer in his owne opinion taketh Limbus, to be neither a part of hell nor any where else; but disputeth ex concessis, according to their conceit, that so imagine. But this trifling Confuter is caught in his owne wordes; for in confessing that Limbus is no place of thraldome, he granteth, that such a Limbus there is, but not a place of that qualitie: for according to his owne rule, the forme… must first be granted, (namely, that there is a Limbus) before you can dispute of the latter: whether it be a place of thraldome,2. b. p. 3. or not; and thus to giuegive him his owne words againe you whip your selfe with your owne scourge, whose lashes if you feel… not. I say you are very senslesse: and to vse Tullies words,Secund. Philip. haec te si vllam partem habes sensus laceret, haec cruētat oratio: this saying, if you hauehave any part of sense, tareth and woundeth you.
Answ. 3. But the Confuter not insisting vponupon any of these answers, which are very simple; findeth our another: that these captiues, enfranchised by Christ, was all mankind, which by Ad…s sinne were made guilty of eternall death, and so made his captiues, that had power ouer death, that is the diuell, vnderunder whom wee were held in most slauish thraldome, &c. vntill such time, as it pleased our most gratious king to enfranchise vsus.2. b. p. 143. 2. b. p. 143.
Cont. 1. This answer is not to the purpose, for the question out of his former words obiected, is not of captiues to hell and the diuell, but of captiues in hell. 2. b. p. 40. and there detained. p. 37. and enthralled there; to enfranchise whom our prince descended thither. p. 40. We were indeede all captiues by sinne to the diuell, subiect to death, hell, & damnation, but not captiues and enthralled in hell; this is but a simple euasion.
2. Our deliuerance and enfranchising was procured & purchased by the death of Christ,The Coufuters inconstancy & vncertaintie. as the Apostle saith, that he might destroy through death, him that had power ouer death, that is the diuell, and that he might deliuer, &c. for that ende therefore Christ needed not to descend to hell.
3. See how inconstant this new doginatist is: one while he saith, that Christ descended to hell, that the Redemption of mankind now performed, might bee manifested euen vntounto the dead. 2. b. p. 72. sometime, to denounce retention in sinne to the obstinate: and so consequently, in euerlasting death and damnation; for so hee expoundeth that preaching to the spirits in Peter: 2. b. p. 77. And now it was, as hee saith, to enfranchise, and set at libertie. And thus hee is one of those, of whome the Apostle speaketh,1. Timoth. 1. 7. They would be Doctors of the Law, and yet vnderunder stād not what they speake, nor whereof they affirme. I may apply against him the Orators words, quam miserum est id negare non posse, quod … est conf…er…: how miserable a thing is it, Philipp. 2.not to be able to deny that, which it is a…rame to confesse. He is ashamed to confesse he holdeth Limbus patrum, and yet beeing pressed with his owne words, he can not denie it.
4. Pla. What honour is greater then his, who entreth by force into his enemies pallace, … him of his power, disfurnisheth him of his treasure;Lib. 3. p. 5. and returneth victorious, &c.In lib. 5. ep. ad. Rom. cap. 6. and what he meaneth by his treasure, hee referreth vsus to a place of Origen, where he saith thus; hic alligato forti, &c. the strong man beeing here bound vponupon the crosse, hee went forward into his house, into the house of death, into hell, and tooke thence his goods, that is, the soules, which he held.
5. Pla. Ambrose is cited in these words, lib. 3. p. 22.beeing free among the dead loosing the power of death, he gaue release to those which were in … and what he meaneth hereby, Lib. de incarnat. Domin. sacram. c. 5.the words following shew, (omitted by him) hee shed the light of life vponupon those which were placed in hell, &c.
6. Pla. 3. b. p. 72.He saith that Christ euangelized, or deliuered the glad tidings of the gospel to the dead: but to whom else could the preaching of the Gospel be glad tidings, but to those, which had comfort and deliuerance by it? And so he must be driuen to say with his great friend,Bellarm. l. 4. de Christ. anim. …. 13. Pradicationem Christi, &c. that the preaching of Christ in hell, was only for the annuntiation of that great ioy (of their deliuerance) to the godly soules.
7. Pl. You must first prooue,3. b. p. 79. that they erred in holding that opinion of the deliuery of the Fathers: but if he himselfe hold that to bee an error, what needed any further proofe thereof?
8. Pl.3. b. p. 122. Hierom is cited, who should say, that Christ descended to hell, vt vinctos de carcere dimitteret: that hee might dismisse them which were bound, out of prison.
9. Pl. Likewise,3. b. p. 123. Cyril is brought in, speaking to the same purpose: that Christ appeared to the spirits in hell, and said to those which were in bonds, come forth, To what purpose should he alleadge these testimonies, if he consented not with them herein? for men doe not vse to produce witnesses against themselues.
10. Pl. He confesseth Limbus patrum, but denieth it to be any part of hell: to let passe (saith hee) your falshood, (beeing the falsarie himselfe) and absurditie, 3. b. p. 142.in confounding (Limbus patrum) with locus damnatorum, the one being no part of hell, as your selfe eueryevery where preach, But this is his owne preaching or rather prating▪ for the Replyer in those places,Limb. 43. 44. speaketh onelyonly of Abrahams bosome not a word of Limbus. If then, in his opinion, there was a Limbus patrum, then either the fathers were deliuered thence, or else they are in Limbe still; for heauen or paradise, I hope he will not take to be Limbus, which the masters of that tearme the Romanists, take for a prison and dungeon of darknes.
11. Pl. Cassiodorus is brought in thus witnessing for the deliuerie of the Fathers out of hell: 3. b. p. 144.Christ hauing bound the devill, brought out those prisoners which he held in captiuitie.
12. Hierome againe is thus alleadged: Christ descended not into the whale,3. b. p. 169. but into hell, to the ende, that those which were in hell, might be loosed from perpetuall bonds.
13. Augustine also is brought to the same purpose: I see no reason,3. b. p. 194. why we should beleeue, that our Sauiour came thither, but to saue some from the sorrowes and paines thereof.
14. So also Origene is produced: the onelyonly begotten sonne (of God) descended into hell for the saluation of the world,3. b. p. 194. and thence brought backe againe the first man Adam.
15. For the enfranchising and setting at libertie the captiues in hell, he alleadgeth Ruffinus, referring vsus onelyonly in generall to his exposition of the Creede: in the which he directly affirmeth in these words, Redijt victor à mortuis, 1. b. p. 55. 2. edit.inferni spolia, &c. he returned a conquerour from the dead, and carying with him the spoile of hell, brought out those which were held of death. So it seemeth that therein he concurreth with Ruffinus, for the bringing out of some out of hell.
16. Whereas the Article of the descension was thus set downe in K. Edwards time, in the Synode held ann. 1552. As Christ died for vsus, and was buried, so it is to be beleeued, that he descended into hell: for his bodie lay in the graue till the Resurrection, his spirit beeing sent forth from him, was with the spirits which were detained in prison, or in hell, and preached vntounto them, as testifieth Peter: the last clause whereof was left out by the Reuerend Fathers of this Church in their Synode, ann. 1562. and so remaineth still. Now this man commeth, and would expound the meaning of that clause omitted:2. b. p. 4…. saying, that their application of those words of Peter vntounto Christs descension into hell, is no other then all the auncient Fathers hauehave made on that place, as may appeare by holy Athanasius, &c. But Athanasius saith, foreign.he preached the Gospel or glad tidings to those which were in hell:D…al. 4. de sanct. T…it. so he vnderstandeth S. Peters foreign. So likewise Iustinus and Ireneus say, descendit ad eos evangelizare salutem:D…alog. cum T…phon. he descended vntounto them to evangelize, or bring the glad tidings of saluation,I…ea. l. 3. c. 23. as they cite the Prophet Isai: wherefore, if he vnderstand it according to their exposition, he must hold, that saluation and deliuerance was preached by Christ to some in hell.
17. Place. The harrowing of hell, &c. if you will beleeue an old ploughman in your haruest,3. b. p. 110. is no such matter, as you take it for,Northbrokes confes…. c. 4. fol. 11. but such as ought to be beleeued of all Christians, as containing a deepe mysterie: he would father his conceit vponupon an other, that *he expoundeth that phrase of the harrowing of …ell, of the victorie obtained by Christs death ouer hell: not of his personall descending thither, as he …oth.fauoureth it not: but indeede he cunningly hereby conueieth his owne opinion, as fit to be beleeued of all Christians.
18. His opinion is that Iob was in hell: for that place, Iob 17. 13. he readeth thus: hell shall be my house, and I shall make my bed in the darke. And further he addeth: for so much as Iob was a perfect figure of Christ, in many things, the word (bed) taken in the better part, doth very truely agree vntounto him: 3. b. p. 153.because, though hell be a place of restlesse disquiet to the wicked, yet was it to him a place of quiet rest. In which words, beside that in right construction the whole sentence runneth vponupon Iob, he beeing a figure of Christs beeing in hell, as he maketh him, must first be there himselfe. But to the hell of the damned he will not thrust him, where els was he then in Limbo?
19. But he doth not more apparantly discouer himselfe, then in these two places following: the first is, 3. b. p. 170. VntoUnto these I will also adde a propheticall saying,3. b. p. 1…0. (as it seemeth to me) which I finde reported out of two of the most famous Doctors among the auncient Hebrewes:…. Hoc eo dosti. …. R. Simeon a…d Galatinum. (the latter Iewes shall kill their Messias, then shall his soule descend to hell,…. b. 8. c. 21. where it shall abide three daies, that it may bring from thence all the soules of the Fathers, and of the Iust, and lead them with him into Paradise, and heauenly glorie:) If this be a propheticall saying, then it must hauehave his accomplishment; and so in his iudgement the soules of the Fathers and the iust men, were brought out of hell by Christs descending thither.
20. The other place is, 3. b. p. 174. The ende of this redeeming visitation he maketh to hauehave beene,3. b. p. 1… (the illumination of those, which sate in darknes, and in the shadow of death,) which words S. Damascene and Ruffinus applie to Christs descension in hell: And in truth the words of (visiting and redeeming) doe necessarily implie a freedome to men in captiuitie, which to denie to hauehave beene in hell, as you doe in your second assumption, is to derogate from the blessed death, and passion of Christ. Now my second assumption (as he calleth it) was, But Christ redeemed none in hell. This assumption, seeing he denieth, what els can be his opinion, but that Christ redeemed and deliuered some in hell by his descending thither? and therein agreeth with Damascene and Ruffinus.
I appeale now to all iudicious men and vnderstanding Readers, whether this counterfeit Confuter, be not apparantly conuinced to be an euident maintainer of Limbus Patrum: therefore how voide of all truth and modestie that speach is, 2. b. p. 5.who seeth not? there is no cause, nor colour of cause in the world (saith he) why you should accuse that mine answear, as any way enclining to that opinion: for what one word is there thorough the whole booke, which doth so much as insinuate any suspition thereof? But what neede this circumloquution of words, when the thing it selfe is apparant: according to that saying, foreign; when the matter is conspicuous, the prolixitie of speech is superfluous. These places obiected doe giuegive such euidence of his opinion, that he can not with modestie denie it: Philippi… ….as the Orator saith, Respondebisne …d haec, aut omnino hiscere audebis: can you answer any thing to this, or dare you once open your mouth? and so I say with Hierome:Apolog▪ 3. cont. Ruffin. si non illud scripsisses, vtcun que de luto evaderes, If you had not thus written, &c. you might hauehave wrastled out of the mire.
But in defence of this his opinion, of the deliuering the Fathers out of Limbus, antiquity will bee alleadged: for this goeth for currant among the Fathers: whereunto I answere; That the auncient writers of the Church, in some things might bee ouerseene, and that this error might be both generall, and continue long also: as the Patriarkes long remained in that error of Bygamie, and Polygamie, and corrected it not. Augustine answered Hierome well, who hauing alleadged diuers places, said, Patere me errare cum talibus: Aug. ep. 19.suffer me to erre with such: quis est (saith he) qui se velit cum quolibet errare? who is there that would willingly erre with any? The Orator saith well, quae malum est haec ratio, semper optimis causis veteranorum nomen opponere, Philip. 10.&c. quos quidem libertatis adiutores complecti debetis, seruitutis authores sequi non debetis: What reason is this, alwaies in good causes to oppose the name of the auncients, whom you ought to embrace as helpers of your liberty, not to follow, as authors of your seruitude. The like may be said of the auncient Fathers, that we ought to follow them, when they stand for the truth, not to be lead by them, when they incline to error. And herein the intent of the Fathers is rather to be respected, then the content of their speech: their meaning was, that euen the Fathers of the olde Testament, though beeing at rest in Abrahams bosome, yet had an accession of ioy, the Redemption of mankind beeing accomplished by Christ: (like as the Saints now shall hauehave the like encrease of ioy at the resurrection, and consociation of their bodies with their soules) though they failed in the particular apprehension and application of this mysterie. And so I end this point, with that worthy saying also of the Orator,Philip…. 9. Non exempla …aierum quarenda sunt, sed consilium est eorum, à quo exempla nata sunt, explicandum: The examples of the Elders, are not (so much) to bee sought into, as their intent, and counsell, from the which the examples are sprung, is to be expounded.
Thus much for the matter of his booke in generall, now concerning the manner: First, he faileth in charitie, in confuting publikely, that which was written first priuatly; and bringing into open view to the world, that which was sent in secret to a gentleman: I speake of the originall occasion of his first booke, wherein, he beeing a Christian, saw not so much, as Tullie perceiued by the light of nature; who thus reprooueth Antonie for the very like, for making his letters publike, which he sent vntounto him in priuat: Quis vnquam, qui paulum medo bonorum consuetudinem nosset, Philipp 2.literas ad se ab amico missas, offensione aliquâ interposita, in medium protulit? quid hoc est aliud, quam tollere è vita vitae societatem: quam multa ioca solent esse in Epistelis, quae prolata si sint, inep…a videntur? quam multa seria, neque tamen divulgenda? Who euer, that was but euen a little acquainted with the custome of good men, brought forth letters sent to him from a friend, some offence comming betweene? what is this …, but to take out of this life, the societie of the liuing? how many merriments vse to bee in letters, which seeme foolish, if they bee vttered? how many serious things, that are no waies to bee published?
Secondly, he faileth in modestie, in persecuting the Replyer with rayling speech: you shall finde fewe pages of his booke,Impu. 1. which are not pestred with the imputation of lying, forgerie, falsie…e, heresie, blaspemie, atheisme, Machiauellisme, and such like. Thus hee bestirreth him as another Shimei, or Rabshekah: which I may well requite with round and smart speech, but will not with like railing: for as he saith,Cicer. Philip. 8. vehementer me agere fateor, i…acunde nego: I confesse I deale earnestly, but not angerly: and I consider that it is much better, according to that saying, foreign: to heare euill, then to speake euill.
Thirdly, he forgetteth common honestie, in loading the Replyer with slaunders and vntruths;Imput. 2. 3. God forgiue him this wrong:Iohn 8. 44. he knoweth who is called the father of lies, & the accuser of the brethren: Apocal. 12. 10.farre be it from me to repay him in the like. I say with the Orator, Ego dabo operam, vt & pro me minimo cum fastidio respondeam, …icer. contra Sallust.& in hunc minime mentitus esse videar: I will doe my indeauour, that I may both answer for my selfe, with the least irkesomnesse, and without lying of him.
Fourthly, his discretion might hauehave beene better, then eueryevery where vntruely to obiect those things, whereof hee is guilty himselfe; as throughout this my defence appeareth, not remembring the saying of our blessed Sauiour: why seest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eie, Math 7. 3.and perceiuest not the beame that is in thine owne eie? And so Hierome saith,…eg…l. Monach. Perdit authoritatem docendi, cuius sermo opere destruitur, vt bene Tullius, caput artis est docere, quod facis: Hee looseth the authoritie of teaching, whose saying is controlled by his owne doing, as Tully saith, it is the chiefe thing in arte, to teach that which thou doest thy selfe.
Fiftly, his answere is insufficient; for neither doth hee cleare himselfe of the suspicion of beeing a fauourer of Limbus patrum: neither hath hee answered the arguments proposed by the Replyer,Limbom. p. 11. Ans. 1. 9. lines omitted: p. 37. argum. 3. 17. lines omitted: to obiect. 2. p. 40. 2. whole l…aues omitted, from arg. 5. to arg. 9. p. 53. ob. 6. 20. lines omitted. omitting many of them of purpose, as I hauehave here obserued, as finding no colour o… answere vntounto them: leauing therefore, the argument of the booke as yet vnanswered, I onelyonly hauehave collected 1▪ 2. seuerall imputations, by him imposed vponupon the Replyer; in eueryevery of them, first setting downe the accusation, then th… iustification, lastly, the recrimination: wherein, the Confuter is discouered to hauehave writtē neither diuine-like, scholler-like, nor Christian-like; so that the Prouerbe which Hierome vsed against Heluidius homely dispute is verefied vponupon him, Camelum vidimus saltitantem, we hauehave seene a Camel dauncing.
Now one word I will adde more concerning my selfe, mine aduersarie, and to the indifferent Reader: As for my selfe, I had thought at the first to hauehave said nothing; nor to hauehave regarded vaine words; as the Preacher saith,Eccles 7. 23. Gine not thine heart to all the words that men speake: and Aristippus said well, when flying away from one that reuiled, beeing asked why he did so, made this answere, foreign: thou hast power to speake euill, and I not to heare: and that saying also of Demosthenes came vntounto my minde, who when one rayled vponupon him, answered; foreign: I will not enter into that combate, where he that is conquered (indeed and in truth) is superiour (in words) to him that conquereth. But further considering with my selfe, that by his audacious & brauing speech, (if it went currant without checke) some might bee carried away; I thought it not amisse, though not very needfull, to frame him some answer: and here I say with Hier▪ Hieron. August. tom. 2.Si in defensionē mei aliquid scripsero … te culpa sit qu… prouocasti, non in me, qui respond… compulsus sum: If I write any thing in my …erence, the fault is in you, that prouoked me, not in me which am compelled to answer.
And touching him, I hauehave small hope to reclaime the man to a peaceable mind, considering his insolent kind of writing, and his hawty spirit, who proudly refused to hauehave any conference with me, when his booke was offered to the Presse, though I earnestly desired it, (which he calleth in his Preface indirect dealing, for other can hee charge mee with none) beeing with childe, as it were, till this his mishapen and deformed monster came forth: so that I may say with the Orator,4. Philippie. Non est mihi cum eo hoste certamen, cum quo aliqua pacis conditio esse possit: I hauehave not to doe with such an enemie, as with whom there can be any condition of peace. And I may say with Diogenes, who admonishing a lewd man, beeing asked what he did, said, foreign: I doe wash a blacke-a-moore to make him white: yet I will not cease to aduise him, that if he hauehave any grace, he may returne to a better minde; that seeing he hath once done euill, hee may leaue off, and doe so no more. Seneca said well, Optima ciuilis belli defensio, obliuio: The best defence of ciuill discord, is to forget it. And Tullie said well, Liceat semel impune peccare: Philippie. 12.sit erranti medicina confessio: It may be born with, once to offend without punishment: let confession bee a medicine of error.Homil. 6. in Exod. And Origen also saith, Possibile est; vt si forte resipiscat, qui devoratus est, rursus possit evomi, sicut Ionas: it is possible, that he which is deuoured, if he repent, may be cast vp with Ionas: So he may vomit vp those bitter pilles againe, which he hath swallowed, if his stomake be not still sicke. But if he be auerse from wholesome counsell, and so shew himselfe vnworthie of peace, which is offered,Matth. 10. 13. it shall, as our Sauiour saith, returne to vsus againe.
Now last of all to the Christian Readers I turne me in a word, not doubting of their godly equitie in comparing his calumniations, and my defence together, that I shall not need… to say with Simonides the Musician, who thus answered to one that said …e heard euill of him; foreign: and when will you leaue to hurt my fame with your eares. But I say vntounto them in Augustines words:Contra lit. Petilian. 3. 11. Obsecro vos deponet… paulisper studia partium, & inter me & Petilianum cum aliqua aequitate indicate: I praey you lay aside a little all partialitie, and iudge betweene me, and mine (aduersarie) with equitie. And so I commend you all to the grace of God, who in his merciemercy graunt,foreign. that we may follow the truth in louelove: And as many as walke according to this rule, Eph. 4. 15.peace (shall be) vponupon them, and merciemercy, Galat. 6. 16.and vponupon the Israel of God.