A Scourge for a Railer, Treatise · Part 1
The 1. imputation of rayling.
The Accusation.
FIrst, the Rayler chargeth the Replier with rayling: thus complaining: he rayleth on me without reason, calling me a secret Censor, a masking Mummer, a new Rabbine, a Limbist, a disgracer of the Gospel: pref. pag. 2. and againe: your foure cautions are nothing els but so many calumniations full of rayling without reason, &c. a secret Censor, a disgracer of the Gospel, a partaker with the wicked, a louer of Gods enemies, an aduersarie to Protestants, and a fighter against them with the weapons of Papists. 2. b. p. 48. and againe, although you thinke no tearmes disgracefull enough towards me. 2. testim. sect. 7. because the Replier had said, these are but ridiculous obiections: and yet further he saith, with what conscience or honestie, can you condemne me for a most shamelesse and impudent man. 3. b. p. 196.
The satisfaction.
1. Some of these tearmes the Replier vseth not, but the other imagineth: he calleth him not a disgracer of the Gospel, but onelyonly saith thus, what came in his minde to ioyne with the common aduersarie, in disgracing the defence of the Gospel, by one vndertaken in Synopsis. Limbom. p. 3. the other words, a partaker with the wicked, a louer of Gods enemies, an aduersarie to Protestants, are the Raylers owne collections, not the Repliers direct applications: for he speaketh in that place in Hieromes wordes, and not his owne: neither doth he call him, a most shamelesse and impudent man: but onelyonly writeth thus, with what face can the answearer affirme, &c. It seemeth his owne conscience condemned him, finding himselfe inwardly guiltie of all this, which he imagined outwardly to be imputed: as Ambrose well saith,Ambros. l. 3. offic. c. 4. Quod severius iudicium, quam domesticum, quo vnusquis que sibi est reus? what iudgement is more seuere, then the domesticall, wherein eueryevery one is guiltie to himselfe?
2. The most of the titles and epithites are truly imposed, and therefore they containe no vniust calumniation, but a due castigation or reprehension: is not he a secret Censor, that censureth other mens priuate writings, and bringeth them to publike view? a maintainer of …imbus I hauehave prooued him before in the Preface, and therefore a masking Mummer he is, that hideth his face, and ratleth his boxe full of counters, in stead of siluer and gold, winding in an errour and counterfeit opinion for sound doctrine. He therefore that speaketh the truth, reuileth not, as Hierome well saith,Hieron. oburgat Sabini…n. vsing those words of the Apostle: inimicus factus sum tibi vera dicens? Am I become your enemie speaking the truth?
3. All this beeing vttered in generall, no person beeing named, nor discouered, not so much, as the man in the moone, sheweth that he doth but barke at his owne shadow: for a generall and indefinite reprehension is no defamation; as that Imperiall law saith, Verba generalia vt quis vitam reformet, God. lib. 2. tit. 12. leg. 19.non infamant: generall wordes that one should reforme his life, doe not defame. But what doe I tell him of Imperiall laws, whose element and trade reacheth no further, then to giuegive lawes to petites and schoole-boies.
The Recrimination.
Now this vntrue imputation of rayling, is iustly returned vponupon his owne head, who for his gracelesse facilitie that waies, is worthie to carrie the bell, of all scurrilous writers (not the Popish Iudasites and Seminarie sectaries excepted) that hauehave abused their penne that way. Thus therefore he barketh and belcheth out his stinking and indigested stuffe.
1. Like a madde dogge he snatcheth. pref. p. 5.
2. I cannot but condemne your prauitie in so wilfull peruerting it, euen contrarie to your owne conscience. 2. b. p. 4.
3. You adde malice to falshood. p. 5.
4. It argueth meere malice without matter. p. 6.
5. His malecontented impatience. p. 17.
6. he counteth the author of Limbomastix, both a foole, p. 27. and a goose. p. 28.
7. rather Ismaelites in faction, then Israelits in faith. p. 18.
8. in this Calender of Saint-seeming Nocents Limbomastix hath canonized himselfe. p. 19.
9. he vseth the like parasiticall preoccupation to currie fauour. p. 24.
10. there is neither truth nor modesty in your words. p. 34
11. he calleth him a lier: applying these words, mendax raro memor. p. 38. that he properly belieth him. 3. b. 127.
12. no Sophister but your selfe. p. 39.
13. it is but the suggestion of malice. p. 40.
14. prooueth nothing els but presumptuous boldnes. p. 44.
15. which for want of true knowledge, you reiect with malice. p. 47.
16. past the bounds of modestie. p. 53.
17. he obiecteth also impudencie. ibid.
18. where veritie is banished, modestie is expulsed. p. 56.
19. as in pretending charity, you should defame all Christianitie. p. 64.
20. he obiecteth vnchristian, if not Machivellian policie. p. 79.
21. Thus Machivellian dissimulation is Christian policie with you. p. 82.
22. it is little better then infidelitie. p. 86.
Falshood attended with contradiction and absurditie. p. 3.
23. as you beganne with falshoode you meane to continue. p. 32.
24. it is both false and calumnious. p. 87.
25. you would falsly insinuate. ibid.
26. doth notably discouer his hypocrisie. p. 19.
27. letting hypocrisie passe this once, as if it were humilitie. p. 27.
28. you most hypocritically pretend. p. 44.
29. As you beganne your preface with falshood and malice. p. 105.
30. to the ende neither falshood should want absurditie, nor follie contrarietie. p. 126.
31. you beginne with falshood and slaunder. p. 139.
32. fraude and falshoode are eueryevery where your strongest forts. p. 143.
33. your falshood mixt with absurditie. p. 144.
34. falsification is growne into such an habite with you. p. 162.
35. falshood is your surest fortresse. p. 186.
36. as you delight in contrarietie, so it best pleaseth you to adde falsitie to it. p. 195.
37. fallacie mixed with falshood. p. 197.
38. would God you would once leaue your falshood. 1. test. s. 17. p. 2.
39. from these you proceede to the shamefull falsification, &c. 1. test. sect. 23. p. 2.
40. you seeke after nothing but falshood. 3. test. s. 7. p. 1.
41. your prophane contentions. p. 103.
42. diabolicall presumption. ibid.
43. hauing neuer a good thought of your owne. 2. b. 106
44. what is this els but to roote out Christianitie, and plant infidelitie. 2. b. 146.
45. it shewes your spitefulnes. p. 155.
46. it is your owne follie. ibid.
47. which shewes you neither regard rules of diuinitie, nor yet of humanitie. p. 158.
48. as you shew neither veritie nor modestie, so you incurre thereby absurditie and impietie. p. 161.
49. your malice shall not extinguish my charitie. p. 165.
50. the Euangelists are sufficient witnesses to conuince your incredulitie. p. 179.
51. which insolent vanitie. p. 175.
52. what peruersenes or rather impiety is it. 2. test. s. 9. p. 4.
53. if malice had not miscaried you. 2. test. s. 14. p. 3.
54. what arrogant presumption is this. 2. test. s. 17. p. 1.
55. thus imperiously, if not saucily. ibid. thus he raileth and rageth, because the original is preferred.
56. with what conscience or honestie. 3. test. sect. 16. p. 5.
57. your selfe in that respect worse then the Arrians themselues. p. 178.
58. you still feede your Reader with falshood in stead of truth. p. 179.
59. you doe exceede the limits of all modestie & shamefastnes. p. 181.
60. if your darknes will receiue it. p. 193.
61. you prooue your selfe to be a various impostor. 1. test. sect. 17. p. 2.
62. what dishonest dealing is this in you. 1. test. s. 23. p. 2.
63. you had no colour of belying me. 2. test. s. 1. p. 3.
64. while you bolster out impietie with blasphemie. 1. test. s. 3. p. 2.
65. such malepart saucines. 1. test. s. 14. p. 3.
66. whosoeuer denieth the article, (he meaneth, in his sense) is an Atheist. 3. test. s. 6. p. 3.
67. And to fill vp the measure of this his poisoned cuppe of reuiling words, he chargeth him with grosse errour, or rather heresie directly tending to Atheisme. pref. to the first booke.
Thus this vncharitable fellow goeth on in his pitifull rage, laying on load, charging the Replier, with follie, hypocrisie, falshood, infidelitie, impudencie, Machiavellisme, Atheisme, heresie: who in the sight of God, and of all good Christians, will by Gods grace approoue himselfe as farre from the imputation of these, as the Rayler wil shew himselfe (if he goe on in this course) from the reputation of an honest man. Little did he remember, when he suffered his penne thus to rage, that all raylers by the sentence of the Apostle,1. Cor. 6. 10. are excluded out of Gods inheritāce: what blindnes is this, to obiect rayling to an other, giuing him selfe tenne words of reproach for one, and that not reproachfull neither. Hieromes complaint is here most iust: Quid possumus facere, Hieron. advers. Ruffin.si vnusquisque iuste putat se facere, quod facit, & videtur sibi remorderi potius, quam mordere: what should we doe, if eueryevery man thinketh he well doeth, that which he doth, and that he himselfe is bitten, when he biteth others.
But the Replier for his part grieueth not to heare this intemperate mate, thus to reuile the liuing: for, as Hierome saith, Scillaeos canes obdurata aure transibo: I will passe by the Scillean dogges, Hier. ad Celant.and stoppe mine eares: seeing that he spareth not the dead, but emptieth his vncleane stomacke, casting vp gall and all by his vnbridled tongue vponupon them. Of reuerend Beza, he thus vnreuerently speaketh: All the figge leaues you can filch, R. Parkes his rayling vponupon the dead.will not couer his nakednes herein. 2. testim. sect. 17. p. 3. of that learned man D. Fulke, he is not ashamed to say, that he was in such an error, as could not be defended without blasphemie. 3. testim. sect. 17. p. 2. graue M. Gilbie is charged with swelling pride, and seducing hypocrisie. 2. b. p. 9. Carlile, a Protestant, neither Papist, nor heretike, is burdened with hereticall dealing in deprauing Scripture. 1. testim. sect. 1. p. 2. But among all other, that are at rest in the Lord, this wretched man rageth not more against any, then against worthie Doctor Reynolds: D. Reynolds reuiled after his death.whome he is not ignorant to be the author of the obiections, which he taketh vponupon him to confute in the first booke: for he in two seuerall places, 2. b. p. 6. and p. 76. nameth him in the Margen. In this manner doth he handle that learned Defender of the truth against the Popish Synagogue: calling his fact, in so obiecting and impugning, prophane and irreligious: epist. dedicat. p. 3. and the effect thereof heathenish & pernicious. ibid. their dissenting in this question of the locall discension, he blasphemously tearmeth, hereticall and sacrilegious. ib…d. p. 6. he saith further, whereby grace may happily worke in their hearts. epist. p. 11. as though that godly man, had beene voide of grace: he in the same place further chargeth him, frowardly to hauehave excluded the truth: he includeth him, among the prophane Anaxagorists of this age. pref. p. 2. one of the iuuenters of Noueltie, and Masters of error. ibid. he dealeth with him, as an aduersarie of the truth. ibid. p. 3. he affirmeth, that he standes peremptorily vponupon the deniall of this article. ibid. he meaneth an article of the faith: as thoroughout the whole booke is euident. And further he he saith: both which foule imperfections you grossely discouer, &c. 1. b. p. 3. it argueth more cunning and subtilty, then simple and plaine dealing. p. 4. vnlesse perhaps you thinke, the confession of the truth to be an indignitie vntounto you: who, as it seemeth, hauehave vowed the contrarie in this question. p. 7. in the same place he chargeth him, with grosse absurditie, or rather impietie: with prophane speeches. p. 18. with grosse error ioyned with impietie: he calleth him captious sophister. p. 24. he challengeth him, that he wresteth the Scriptures, and maketh the spirit of veritie, the spirit of error and absurditie. p. 26. you deale, as you did in the former, that is corruptly, and so falsely in both. p. 33. this Nemesis still pursueth falshood. 33. resting in hope, that where the louelove of veritie can not draw you, the very loathsomnes of absurditie will driue you to renounce it. p. 43. And thus he persecuteth the blessed memorie of that renowned Diuine in his former booke: which although it was first printed, while that worthie man was yet liuing, and not knowne to be the author of those obiections; yet it is euident, that he, whome this Reviler and false accuser of his brethren now knoweth to hauehave first written those obiections, had then finished his daies in peace, before this filthie sinke and chanell was the second time let goe, and this slaunderous Inuectiue reprinted. And no better dealeth he with him in the second booke: D. Reynolds in his opinion was none of the writers of our Church: for thus he writeth, I say and prooue that it is directed against no writer of our Church at all: 2. b. p. 7. l. 9. wheras he writeth directly against D. Reynolds. And this motion beeing made, that it had beene better priuately to hauehave conferred with him (that is, D. Reynolds) then publikely to hauehave censured him, this answer is made out of Ecclesiasticus: Aske no counsell of religion of him; who is without all religiō himselfe. 1. b. p. 74. but falsly noted 57. Againe, he saith, in this point (that is, of the locall discension) eueryevery good Christian is fully satisfied. p. 76. So by his vncharitable censure, D. Reynolds was without all religion, and no good Christian.
Thus this good man is traduced by the Raylers vncharitable penne, as guiltie of prophane, irreligious, hereticall, sacrilegious opinions, of grossenes, absurditie, sophistrie, prophanenes, and what not: So that, to vse his owne phrase,1. b. p. 29. What could the greatest Seminarie or Iesuite hauehave spoken more to the discredit, or defamation of this worthie Confessour: whose memoriall shall be blessed, when the name of such as he is shall rott: according to the saying of the wise man in the Prouerbs.Prov. 10. 7. Nay, I verily thinke, the most grosse and rayling Romanist would hauehave beene ashamed, thus to hauehave reuiled the seruant of God: who blusheth not, and is not ashamed that such stuffe should come out in print: as Augustine saith, miror, si habet in corpore sanguinem, Epist. 164.qui ad haec verba non erubescit: I wonder, if he hauehave any blood in his bodie, that doth not blush at these words. I may say vntounto him in Tullies words to Antonie: Philipp. 2.quam me pudet nequitiae tuae, cuius teipsum non pudet: how am I ashamed of your lewdnes, whereof you are not ashamed your selfe. To scourge good men liuing with the whip of the tongue, is iniurious, but to rage against the name and memorie of the righteous departed, is impious,Hieron. As…l…. and sacrilegious. Hierome saith well: prava dixisse de rectis, non facilis venia: to speake euill of the righteous, is not so easily pardoned. Plato resembleth such, as rage against the dead, vntounto dogges, foreign;Lib. 5. de … which are angrie with the stones which are cast, not touching him that cast them: such are they, which vnchristianly, and currishly too (according to his owne phrase, 2. b. pag. 199.) barke against the dead, carping at their memorie and name, who themselues are without his reach. The Replyer therefore neede not to be grieued, that he is marked with such a blacke coale: seeing such reuerend men as M. Beza, D. Fulke, D. Reynolds can not goe vnbranded: where he may say with Cicero, Philipp. 2.In huius concilij societatē, tanquam in equum Tr…ianum includi non recusabo: I will not refuse to be included in this companie, as in a Trojane horse. But in the meane time, while he would obscure others mens fame, he staineth his owne, and besprinkleth his owne face with that filthie dirt, which he casteth vponupon others. Let him goe on still, if he will in his madde fittes, he will purchase thereby eternall infamie vntounto himselfe: as the Orator againe saith,Philipp. 12. Pergit in me maledicta congerere, quasi vero ei pulcherrime priora processerint, quem ego inustum verissimis maledictorum notis, tradam memoriae hominum sempiternae: he proceedeth still to speake euill of me, as though he had sped so well in the former: whome branded with the true notes of disgrace, I will deliuer ouer to the euerlasting memorie of men.