A Scourge for a Railer, Treatise · Part 11

A Scourge for a Railer · Treatise · Part 11

p. 137The 11. Imputation, of the forged falsification of Fathers.

The Accusation. 1. Origene pretended to be falsified.

1. Whereas the Replyer saith, that one bond of faith in the diuersitie of some priuate opinions, may containe and keepe vsus in peace: that same, vnum fidei linteum, quod vidit Petrus quatuor Euangelijs alligatum: that sheete of faith, which Peter saw tied with the foure Gospels in the corners: The Confuter crieth out: he applieth it not, (as you vntruly report him) vntounto the diuersitie of opinions in matters of faith,2. b. p. 108. &c.

p. 1382. Who would translate, cum ligno crucis, in the tree of the crosse.3. b. p. 185.

3. He saith, he clippeth Origenes words, because the Replyer leaueth out (fere.)3. b. p. 178.

4. So in an other testimonie cited out of Origene, he saith,3. b. p. 182. that Origenes words are clipped.

5. The Reader may see, what little care you hauehave of credit or conscience, thus to abuse so auncient, and learned a father.3. b. p. 188.

6. So an other place of Origene (he saith) is abused in like manner. p. 188.3. b. p. 188.

The iustification.

1. IT is well that this (false Accuser) confesseth Origenes sense onelyonly not to be followed, and so graunteth his words to be rightly alleadged. But he applieth it not (saith he) vntounto the diuersitie of opinions in one particular Church, &c. but that all people and nations whatsoeuer, without difference of place, or distinction of persons, should be gathered vntounto his Church. He would be asked, whence he hath this application: for Origene onelyonly alleadgeth the prophesie of Isai, and the vision of Peter, without any speciall application in that place. And if nations that were at enmitie and of diuers religions, shall be conteined in this sheete of faith, much more they which are of one faith, differing onelyonly in some priuate opinions.The vnlearned Confuter himselfe clippeth Origene. But he is the man that clippeth and corrupteth Origene: for beside that he translateth ill, as turning the passiue into the actiue, quae alia nobis figura servanda est, what other figure should we obserue, for, what other figure is to be obserued of vsus: which I would not note, but that he is so captious in other places, to finde fault with the Replyer in the like, to shew his grammer learning: he also englisheth, simul ire ad pascua, to feede together: which signifieth, to goe together to the pastures. He leaueth out also a whole clause, eorum que foetus simul paleis vesci, and their young shall eate straw together.3. b. p. 107.

p. 1392. Had malice so blinded him, that the Replyer translating, in the tree of the crosse, he could not consider, that it might be the Printers fault, to set cum ligno, for in ligno, especially seeing in the printed copies of Origene, it is in ligno: as, in an other place he saith, principatus traducti & triumphati in ligno, the principalities were traduced, and triumphed vponupon in the tree. tract. 3. in Matth.

2. Origenes words are these, inveniemus quia nunquā fere in sanctum quis locum descendisse legitur: we shall find, that neuer (almost) any is said to descend into an holy place: hereupon he taketh this exception, because this word fere, (almost) is omitted by the Replyer. A doubtie exception sure. But is Origenes sense any thing chaunged by the omission of that word: nay, is not his sense made more full to the Replyers purpose, by the supplying of that word: for is he so ignorant in his owne grammar learning, that he knoweth not, that fere is sometime a word of vniuersalitie:Memini in eum sermonem incidere, qui tum fere erat in ore. i. semper. if he had consulted with Calepine, he could hauehave told him, that fere is otherwhile taken for semper, for alwaies, as he sheweth out of Cicero. And that it is so taken here, it may be gathered by the sentence going before, observand…m est, &c. quomodo in singulis (quibus que locis) ascendere dicatur & descendere: it must be obserued, how in (eueryevery) place, it is said to ascend, and descend: so then in the next sentence, (fere) almost, is taken in the same sense that (quibusque) euerie, is in the former.

4. The place cited out of Origene is this: si qui… mente & cogitatione descendit in abyssum, &c. if any man in thought and minde descend to the deepe, thinking Christ there onelyonly to be contained, as though it were all one, and alike to call him from the dead, &c. Origene, he saith, is here abused, because he speaketh not of Christs humanitie, but of his diuinitie,3. b. p. 182. his words also are clipped. First, the Replyer onelyonly alleadgeth Origene in this place for the meaning of this phrase, to descend to the deepe: which he sheweth out of his owne words, quasi simile sit revocare Christum p. 140à mortuis, ita subiungit, hoc est Christum reducere à mortuis: as though it were alike to call Christ from the dead, he adioyneth thus, that is, to bring Christ againe from the dead. He euidently sheweth, that to descend into the deepe, and to bring Christ from the dead, is in a manner all one: whether he speake of the diuinitie or humanitie of Christ, concerneth not the vse of the phrase. Secondly, the Replier leaueth out the latter clause, ita subiungit, &c. partly, because the same in effect was saide in the former wordes, partly, supplying it by an &c. for breuitie sake: which clause beeing added, maketh the Replyers collection more strong, and full, and therefore it was not omitted of any fraud,The Confuter himselfe prooued a corrupter of Origene. Thirdly, he himselfe is the man, that corrupteth Origene: for whereas Origene thus rehearseth the Apostle, therefore the iustine, which is of faith, saith thus: say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into heauen: he turneth it, say not in thine heart, who shall descend into the deepe: & thus corrupteth both the Apostle, & Orig. that, citeth him.

5. Origene is alleadged by the Replyer, to vnderstand Christs descension sometime of his comming downe from heauen to the lower parts, in these words: Paul us quoniam descensionis Christi mysterium praedicat, &c. Paul because he preacheth the mysterie of Christs descension into hell, he named the deepe, as of one comming from the higher to the lower parts, &c. Could any thing be spoken more plainly? what vnshamefast dealing then is this, or what meaneth this bold fac'd fellow to say, that Origene speaketh not a word of any of the former fictions (he meaneth belike, the mysterie of Christs descension, whereof the Replyer entreateth) but onelyonly of the length, breadth, and height of Noahs Arke: And that by the higher parts, he vnderstandeth the heauenly, by the lower, the earthly, (which is an other thing, that he cauilleth at) it is euident by the words following in the next sentence: de terrenis & humilibus ad coelestia & excelsa conscenditur: frō terrene and low things, it is ascended to heauenly, and high. He himselfe also clippeth p. 141Origen here: for whereas Origen thus reciteth the Apostle, vt sciat is, quae sit longitudo, & latitudo, &c. that yee may know, what is the length, breadth, height, and depth; he leaueth out (breadth.)3. b. p. 188.

6. In the sixt place cited out of Origen, the Replyer abridging his testimony in those places, for the which hee is not alleadged, leaueth out in diuers clauses, in coelum, de coelo, in coelo, into heauen, from heauen, in heauen; and not onelyonly these words, but a whole sentence is omitted: qui nō rapinam arbitratus, &c. which thought it no robbery to bee equall to God, but made himselfe of no reputation, taking the shape of a seruant: that he might hasten to that part of the sentence which is vrged; our Lord descended not onelyonly to take care of vsus, but to beare our insirmities. If hee can shew any word of moment for that purpose, wherefore Origen is produced, to be omitted, let him crie out, that Origen is abused. And doth not Origen himselfe abridge his owne words, when in the next sentence hee saith, cum descendit, when he descendit,The Confuter clippeth Origen. omitting, de eoelo, from heauen. And how chanceth it, that he could not see his owne fault; cutting off this whole clause, astiterunt (inquit) tres viri super eum: three men (saith he) stood by him: which followe immediatly after those words,3. b. p. 188. as we hauehave declared before. It is a fond part of him to spie a mote in another mans eie, when he seeth not a beame in his owne: to complaine of curtalling of words, when he clippeth off a whole sentēce.

2. Other Greeke Fathers pretended to be falsisied, Athanasius, Cyrillus, Chrysostome.

The accusation.

1. That Athanasius words are not truely alleadged, & that the Replyer goeth about to make him contrary to himselfe.3. b. p. 125.

2. For S. Cyril (saith the Confuter) I find no such thing in the place quoted by you, but those words in the 49. chap. v. 9. after, beeing in effect the same with the other, hee most plainly expoundeth of Christs locall descension to hell.3. b. p. 123.

p. 1423. Chrysostome in the same place saith plainly, that both Dives and Lazarus were apud inferos, 3. b. p. 124.in hell.

2. The iustification.

1. Athanasius words truly alleadged are these:Athanas. epist. ad Epictet. apud Epiphan. heres. 77. nunc vero ipsum quidē verbū ivit ad praedicandū, corpus autē syndone inuolutum deposuit Ioseph: now the word it selfe went to preach, but his body wrapped vp in a linnen cloth, Ioseph laid vp, &c. Is he not ashamed to denie that Athanasius said the diuine nature went and preached? for was not the word his diuine nature. Nay, doth not hee falsely alleadge Athanasius, that hauing cited an impertinent sentence out of him tenne lines long,The Confuter mangleth Athanasius. breaketh off at these words, nune vero ipsum verbum, &c. for the which he was produced, and passeth them ouer in silence, as though no such words were there to be found?

2. These are the very words of Cyril, vponupon the 49. cha. of Isay, v. 9. His qui in vinculis & catenis suorum peccatorum constrictierant, &c. to those which were tied in the bands and chaines of their sinnes, he cried out, come forth, which were conuerfant in the darkenesse, and the mist of their minde, &c. those he bid to be lightened, and to come to the light, and to open the eies of their minde, &c. Seeing he confesseth these words, Isay, 49. v. 9. to bee in effect the same with the other, Isay, 42. v. 7. how was he blinded that he could not trace out Cyril there?The Confuters ignorance in the fathers. but this his ignorance in the Fathers, sheweth that hee gathered vp other mens scrapings, and trusted not to his owne reading. And whereas he citeth another place out of Cyril, De rect. sid. ad Theodos.to shewe the meaning of the prophet Isay; there, though some allusion and reference be made to that place of that Prophet, yet is it not quoted by name, not of purpose interpreted. But what did he meane himselfe, in reciting of that sentence, to leaue out this whole clause?Cyrillus curtalled. quiddam etiam divinus Paulus dixisse videtur, &c. and diuine Paul also seemeth to hauehave said somewhat of the word of God, and his soule, according to the vnion of dispensation: which whole clause, p. 143omitted by him, followeth immediatly after these words: and this Peter also declareth, &c.

3. Concerning Chrysostome, they are his words; Paradisus pauperis, sinus Abrah…, Abrahams bosome was the poore mans Paradise: whence the Replyer inferreth, that in his opinion Christ went not to hell, but to Paradise: what Chrysostome saith beside in that homily, is not the question, but whether he hath these words which if hee hauehave, what impudent and brasen face dealing is this, to cry out here of illiterate and irreligious dealing? true it is, that he saith that Abraham was (apud inferos) because Christ was not yet risen, that should bring him to Paradise: Seeing then Chrysostome saith in the same sermon, that both Abrahams bosome was Paradise, and that hee was not yet in Paradise himselfe, it is cleare, that he taketh Paradise in a double sense, and maketh two kindes of Paradise, one in inferno, beneath, or belowe; another, in heauen aboue: in inferno, cannot signifie hell, for he putteth these two together, quicunque in inferno est, & in regno coelorum est, &c. He which is in the infernall, or inferiour place, and in the kingdome of heauen, I cannot tell, whether hee can hauehave pitie: where Paradise is, and the kingdome of heauen is, there is not hell. Therefore when he saith, that Abrahams bosome was the infernall or inferior Paradise, and yet hee himselfe not in the superior or heauenly Paradise, he meaneth nothing but this, that by the resurrection of Christ, there was an accession of ioy, and of greater bliffe & glory to the holy Patriarchs departed: for hee also saith, Omnes in illius sinū ire festinemus, Let vsus all make haste to go into his bosome: the faithful that now depart, doe not presently enter into the fulnesse of that ioy, which they shall hauehave in the resurrection; but they goe also to Abrahams bosome, vntounto a place of heauenly ioy and rest, where they expect the consummation and perfection of their glory at the resurrection of their bodies. There is another place in that homilie, which this (blinde busie-body) would not p. 144see: Abraham nec dum erat in Paradise, quia nec dum Christus intrauerat cum latrone: Abraham was not yet in Paradise, because Christ was not yet entred with the thiese: But Christ as God entred not into Paradise, beeing neuer out of Paradise: therfore his meaning is, that Christ entred in his soule into Paradise, and the thiese with him.

3. Ambrose pretended to be falsified.

The accusation.

1. Saint Ambrose is no lesse iniuriously handled by you.3. b. p. 20.

2. The other place you corrupt shamefully, &c. S. Ambrose speaketh of no such matter,3. b. p. 20. 21. as you would make your Reader beleeue.

3. Another place maketh as clearely against you, as nothing more.3. b. p. 22.

The iustisication.

1. Ambrose is produced, who expoundeth Christs descending into hell, of the presence of his diuine power: Abyssum opinione si penetres, &c. If thou in thought wilt search into the deepe, you shall see also Iesus worke there: these are the very words of Ambrose: here is no mention (saith this dreaming Confuter) of Christs personall descension into hell, but of the powerfull operation of his godhead. As though the Replyer to that ende alleadged not Ambrose, that he expoundeth the descension of the presence of his diuine power; for he said immediately before, descende verbo in infernum: descend not (in the word, as hee drawleth it out) but with the word into hell: for to say (in the word) hath no sense. And what calleth hee a personall descension? he would hauehave said locall, for I hope he will not p. 145appropriate Christs person to his humane nature: when our Sauiour saith,Ioh. 3. 15.John 3:15 No man hath ascended vp to heauen, but he that descended from heauen, &c. Doth he not speake of his personall descension, and the powerfull operation of his Godhead together: how then without any learning or iudgement, doth he here distinguish them? And if Ambrose be iniuriously handled by any, it is by himselfe, that leaueth out this whole sentence: etenim si ascenderis in coelum, Ambrose … talled.&c. for if you ascend into heauen, Iesus is there: if you descend into the deepe, he is present: which sentence followeth immediately after these words, Descend with the word into hell, Iesus is there.

2. In the second place, he saith Ambrose wordes are clipped, and corrupted: because whereas Ambrose deliuereth two senses of those words, Psal. 139. 15. My substance was in the lower parts of the earth: the one of the beeing of his soule there, to set at libertie the soules of the deceased: the other of the presence of his diuine substance, the first is omitted. But, 1. the question is not here, whether Ambrose held the locall descension of Christs soule to hell, but whether he sometime vnderstand not the beeing of Christ there, of the presence of his diuine power: which is so euident, that this wilfull gaine-sayer confesseth it: to what ende then should the Replyer alleadge that part, which was impertinent: 2. if the first part of the sentence be added, it maketh not for his opinion, vnlesse he say with Ambrose, that Christ wrought in hel, to set at libertie the soules of the deceased. 3. this sentence was not fraudently cut off,Ambrose clipped by the Confuter. but supplied by an, &c. 4. But what if he himselfe prooue the clipper: for he skippeth ouer this whole sentence, denique ad divinam substantiam, &c. and that the diuine substance is here vnderstood, the words following declare; thine eies sawe mine vnwrought substance, that is, the vnmade and vncreated word.

p. 1464. Hierome pretended to be falsified.

The Accusation.

1. The like dealing you vse with S. Hierome misqueting the place, and misapplying the words: for it is not in his Epistle to Fabiola, the argument whereof is de veste sacerdotali, as you note beeing the 128. but in his epistle vntounto Marcella beeing the 130.lib. 2. p. 72.

2. Whereas the Replyer alleadgeth Hierome, who vnderstandeth by prison spoken of in Esai, 42. 7. the bandes of sinnes and errors: the Confuter, to make the Reader beleeue, that there is no such thing in Hierome, supposeth an other place out of him, where he should say, that Christ descended to hell, 3. b. p. 122.where the rich man was.

3. Valerius also being cited, whose epistle to Ruffinus is found among the works of Hierome: he saith, the author, whence he had them, (for I can not finde it) hath not the words, as he reported them: but thus, reprobata est fatu… vex tanquam anseris inter olores.2. b. p. 27.

The iustification.

1. That saying of Hierome, beeing alleadged rather for exornation, and accomodation onelyonly to the present purpose, then produced for any praise or confirmation, required not such an exact quotation of the place: the saying is this: other matters, which you desire to know, let vsus conferre of together in presence, that if we be ignorant of any thing, where is neither witnes nor Iudge, it may die in a faithfull …are: what if the place had not beene quoted at all, the matter had not beene great: this allegation beeing as of a sentence, not of a testimonie: as he to the same purpose citing a sentence of Augustine, vseth no other quotation but this,3. b. p. 89. as Augustine saith some where. Neither is the mistaking of the place such, as he proclaimeth: for the epistle p. 147to Marcellus is of the same argument with the other to Fabiola: treating also de veste sacerdotals, namely of the Ephod.

2. First, Hierome vponupon those words of the Prophet, Isai 42. 7. That thou maist bring out the prisoners from the prison: thus writeth, funibus peccatorum vnusquis que constringitur, &c. EueryEvery one is tied with the coardes of their sinnes: and those which sit in darkenes, he interpreteth, qui in error is nocte & caligine versabantur: which were conuersant in the night and darknes of error: the very like interpretaion, and in the same wordes he giueth, of the like place, Isa. 49. 9. all which is deceitfully concealed by this Cauillous wrangler. Secondly, who told him, that Hierom hath such a saying vponupon the 14. chap. of Isai: some other mens notes deceiued him, for there I finde it not. And if he will hauehave Hierome to write, that Dominus descendit ad infernum (locum suppliciorum & cruciatunm) in quo videtur Dives purpuratus, vt vinctos de carcere dimitteret: that our Lord descended to hell, a place of punishment, and torment, where the rich man cloathed in purple was seene, to dismisse the prisoners out of prison:A great error laid vponupon Hierome by the Confuter. then is a great error laid vponupon Hierome, that some were deliuered out of hell, where the rich glutton was tormented: contrarie to the Scripture it selfe, They which would goe from hence to you, can not, neither can they come from thence to vsus. Luk. 16. 26.

3. This Trifler sheweth his great learning, and deepe reading,The Confuters ignorance in the fathers. that could not finde out Valerius epistle to Ruffinus in the 4. tome of Hieromes workes, whence the Replyer taketh that sentence: and that it may appeare in deede, who is the liker that gagling cheate, he will take vponupon him to gesse at the authors words, though he know them not. Now that his ignorance may fully be displaied, Valerius words are these: reprobata est fatui vex anseris: the gagling of the foolish goose is contemned: and a little after follow the other wordes, ea tamen Senatores docuit vrbem p. 148servare ab incendie: yet the goose taught the Senatours to saue the citie from the fire: but those words comming betweene, according to the saying, a goose among swannes. which should hauehave beene enclosed in a parenthesis, are inserted by the Replyer, not borrowed from the author. Now, because this (gagling mate) sporteth himselfe, in retorting that by-word vponupon the Replyer,The Raylers immodest term of goose, returned home to the full. anser inter olores, a goose among swannes, and so after his vnmannerly fashion, thinking he hath his schoole-boyes in hand, calleth him in plaine teannes, a goose: this his addle goose egge, which he hath brooded, shall be broken vponupon his owne face. Though with Valerius the Replyer thinketh not scorne, in comparison of Ruffinus, and such graue and wise men, as he writeth vntounto, to be counted, (tanquā anser inter olores) yet it becommeth not such an anser, so to gaggle at him, that would be ashamed, if he were not worthie to goe for an olor, among such anseres. But the Replyer is contented for this time, to goe for an anser inter olores: as the Poet saith,Virgilius. digna sed argutos inter strepere anser olores; though a goose, yet meete to make a noise among swannes: and the Rayler shall be a counterfeit swanne: but I feare me such an one, as Valerius speaketh of: forsan cum Senatoribus intellig…s, quod tibi organizent olores interitum, & anser salutem strepat: it may be you shall perceiue with the Romane Senatours, that the swannes sing your baine, and the goose gagleth health: for the propertie of the swanne is, to sing before her death, as the Poet elegantly saith,Oridius. cantator cygnus funcris ipse sui: the swanne doth celebrate her owne funerall. So, beside that this glosing flatterer, which with the false Prophets, would sow pillowes vnderunder all arme-holes,…ech. 17. 13. and sing a song of securitie: he hath in his gagling pamphlet in this one propertie imitated the swanne, to sing out his owne shame and confusion; in all others parts bewraying his anserine follie: for as he saith,Philemon. foreign: if one should gather 30. thousand p. 149foxes together, he shall finde the same nature and disposition in them all: so one goose differeth not from another in gagling and creaking.

5. Augustine pretended to to be falsified.

The accusation.

1. Augustine much misvsed & corrupted: for he saith, si quid aliter sapio,2. b. p. 13. &c. Limbom. readeth si quid erraueris.

2. The place of Augustine mis-quoted, the third book for the second: some of his words are cut off, some mistranslated.2. b. p. 166.

3. To translate (trophaeum) a deuise or policy, is but your owne politike deuiseithe crosse of Christ is rather called trophaeum, because it was the ensigne and monument of his victory.2. b. p. 189.

4. S. Augustines words falsely translated, and corrupted, for triduo illo corporeae mortis, is not three daies by his bodily death:3. b. p. 2. but the three daies of his bodily death.

5. You corrupt Augustines words, turning blasphemy, into error.3. b. p. 74.

6. These words of Augustine, which are the two waies, whereby the soule can be said to die; you cut off.3. b. p. 84.

7. S. Augustines words you alleadge corruptly, by leauing out halfe of the sentence.3. b. p. 91.

8. His other words to the same purpose, whereof, as your manner is,3. b. p. 115. you take but a piece, are these, &c.

9. S. Augustines words vntruly alleadged, for you leaue out the word (forte.)3. b. p. 128.

10. S. Augustine clearely against (Limbom.) in the place alleadged by him.3. b. p. 189.

11. And because the Replyer saith, Why may wee not as well expounde Christs descending into hell with Ambrose,3. b. p. 20. of the presence of his diuine power, as p. 150with Augustine his ascending vp to heauen? The disgracefull Confuter thus insulteth; Where doth Augustine expound Christs ascending vp to heauen, of his diuine power? dare you vponupon your owne bare worde, without any proofe or shewe of reason, so contumeliously traduce so holy a man, as an ouerthrower of an article of our Creede? for you quote no place, neither will any Christian man beleeue, that euer he dreamed of any such exposition.

The iustification.

1. For further and full satisfaction herein, I referre the Reader to the 3. Imputation of vntruths. Iustificat. 5.

2. The mis-quoting of the figure of 3. for the figure of 2. is no such ouersight, which might escape the Printer, as wel as the Author; seeing there is as wel the 3. as 2. booke de doctrin. A grosse ouersight in the Confuter.Christian. But that is a more grosse ouersight in this blinde Confuter, in quoting the 28. homilie of Origen vponupon Iosua, 3. b. p. 19.whereas hee wrote but 26. in all: those words omitted, (spem atque charitatem, &c. hope and charity, which we handled in the former booke) were impertinent to the matter in hand, and therefore it was not necessary to alleadge them: for the translation, the Replyer englisheth, in ijs, quae aperte posita sunt, &c. in those places, &c. the Confuter englisheth, among those things, which are plainely set downe in Scripture, all those things which containe faith and manners are found. Now I pray you (Sir Grammarian) is not in ijs, better translated, in those, then among those: retaining then the proper signification of the preposition? whether is better supplied, in those places, or in those things? for to say in those things, all those things are found, &c. beside the vaine tautologie, it includeth absurditie, that the same things should be both the continent, and the things contained: wherefore his meaning is, that matters concerning faith and manners, are handled in the plaine and perspicuous places of Scripture.

p. 1513. Augustines words are these, trophaeo suo diabolus victus est, The diuell was ouercome by his owne deuise: the word is not referred to Christ; for then hee would hauehave said,The Confuter hath forgotten his Grammer rule. trophaeo eius, not suo: hath hee, professing himselfe a Grammarian, forgotten his Grammer rule▪ …ui & suus reciproca sunt? And in another place Augustine sheweth more plainely, that he referreth this word to the diuell: diabolus trophaeo suo victus est, Serm. 174. de Tempor.exultauit, quando mortuus est Christus: The diuell was ouercome by his owne policie, he reioyced, when Christ died, &c. and was ouercome by Christs death: He calleth the death and crosse of Christ, the diuels trophaeum, because hee supposed to hauehave vanquished Christ by putting him to death: if now trophaeum be taken in the vsuall sense, for a monument or ensigne of victory obtained, as hee would hauehave it, his translation will containe blasphemie; that the crosse of Christ was the monument of the diuels victorie: therefore how could it be more fitly translated, then deuise; or policy? the diuell supposed, or intended to set vp Christs crosse, as a triumphant pillar, but hee was ouer-wrought in his owne deuise.

4. The words of Augustine, triduo illo corporeae mortis apud inferos custodiae mancipari: the Replyer translateth thus; to be kept in hell three daies by his bodily death: the Confuter thus; to be kept in bondage in hell the three daies of his bodily death. Who seeth not, that the sentence hauing no distinction comming betweene, will beare both these translations? if corporeae mortis, bee ioyned with triduo illo, the latter, if it be put to custodiae, the former: but it is an harsh speech, that Christs soule should be said to bee kept in bondage three daies in hell, for it was not there in bondage at all; but in the graue his body might be said to be in bondage, during that time, because it was vnderunder the bands of death, which Christ loosed, as Saint Peter saith, Act. 2. 24. And Dauid saith in the person of Christ, The sorrowes, or coards of the graue (for the word …heblee signifieth p. 152both) tooke hold vponupon me: therefore the former reading yeildeth the safer sense. See more hereof, 5. imput. iustificat. 1.

5. The Replyer there citeth no testimonie out of Augustine, but onelyonly conformeth and applyeth his sentence, with the qualifying of one word, to his purpose: This captious controller taketh greater liberty himselfe, in the next page following; for citing a place out of Augustine, to make it serue his turne, he inserteth these names, Arrius, Eunomius, Apollinaris, and Athanasius, Epiphanius, Fulgentius, making Augustine to bring them in, whereas Fulgentius was after Augustines time: what reason had hee to finde fault with another for strayning a gnat, wheras himselfe swalloweth a Camel?

6. The addition of that clause was not necessary, and therefore the Replyer for breuities sake omitted it: hee vseth not with long and impertinent periods to weary his Reader, as this palfrey-man posteth often out of the way, till he hath lost both it, and himselfe. That which is alleadged out of Augustine sufficeth to shewe his iudgement, that the soule cannot be said to bee quickened, because it cannot die: but what reason had he to translate, quibus duabus de causis, &c. which are the two waies: he that translateth causae, waies, sheweth that he was neuer well wayed himselfe.

7. The point there handled is, how Christ is said to be quickened in the spirit: therefore the Replyer omitteth the former part of the sentence; Mortificatus carne, &c. Hee is said to be mortified in the flesh, because hee died in the flesh onelyonly: for the question is not, how hee was put to death in the flesh: and then he beginneth the sentence, at viuificatus spiritu, but he was quickened in the spirit, &c. But wheras the Replyer here by flesh, vnderstandeth Christs humane nature: how can this sophisticating Sophister infer, that he meaneth his soule and body: for is there no difference between his humane nature, and his whole humane p. 153nature? as is your logike, such are your conclusions.

8. What an absurd fellow is this, that will not allowe a sentence to be taken out of a Father, but one must hale in that which goeth before, and commeth after, beeing not to the purpose pertinent: the question beeing about the varietie of copies; Augustine giueth two rules, that the more must bee preferred before the fewer, the Elder before the nower▪ and thus much was sufficient to be cited out of that place. But what meaneth himselfe to corrupt Augustine by a false translation? whose words rightly translated are these: hoc modo quaerunt, &c. by this means they search, which would find out in the holy Scriptures, confirmed with so great authority, what moueth them: hee translateth thus; this course they take, who doubt of any thing in holy Scriptures, 3. b. p. 117.confirmed with so great authoritie.

9. As before he quarrelled about the omission of (fere) in a place of Origen, loc. 3. so now for leauing out (forte.) It seemeth he wanted matter, when thus he hunteth after words. Hee is a furious man, that will begin a fray vponupon a word; and it is a quicke fire, that wil flame out straight vponupon a sparke:Hieron. Pammach. if he had read that sentence of Hierome, Difficile est alienas lineas insequentem non alicubi excidere: it is an hard matter for one that followeth anothers lines, not sometime to misse: hee would not hauehave stumbled at a strawe▪ But forte is a particle of doubting and …certaintie▪ saith he, & sheweth he did not resolutely pronounce, &c. And will you speake this of your Grammer skill, that (forte) is alwaies vsed as a particle of doubting?Ioan. Godscalcus obseruat. ling. latinae. I much doubt of that: for sometime, if you will giuegive credit to a good Latinist, it is vsed for exornation: sometimes it is a word of attention, & deep consideration: as Ionathan saith, si forte, if perhaps the Lord will worke with vsus, 1. Sam. 14. 6. he doubted not of it, but with an earnest desire and attention waited vponupon God. And so is it here vsed by Augustine, as a note of more deepe consideration: so that the omission of it, doth most disaduantag… the Replyer.

p. 15410. And how proue you, that Augustine is against the Replyer in the place alleadged? his words are these: Haec terrena vita, &c. This earthly life, where flesh and blood is, if it be compared to that, is the lower part, or hell, &c. Augustine is alleadged, to shew that the earth is called the lower part in respect of heauen: let him shew now, how Augustine maketh against him in this very place: forsooth, because he maketh mention afterward of Christs descension to hell: as though the Replyer were ignorant of that; for doth he not directly confesse, that Augustine in the words following seemeth to incline to the opinion of Christs descension to deliuer the Patriarchs. 3. b. p. 186. But this Trifler was to giuegive instance of this place here alleadged, therfore he doth but palter, and still beateth the bush where the bird is not: and so as Hierom well saith, Manum peteris, & pedem porrigis, You are asked your hand, and you stretch out your foote.

11. 1. As the godhead in Scripture is said to descend, Iohn 3. 13. None hath ascended into heauen, but he that descended, &c. So God is said to ascend, Gen. 17. 22. God ascended vp to Abraham: where the same word ghalah is vsed, which is applyed to Christs ascension, Psal. 68. 18. 2. And so Augustine expoundeth that place also, Iohn 3. 13. of Christs ascension and descension according to his godhead: for these are his words in the same epistle, 57. which is cited by the Confuter vponupon that place, none hath ascended, &c. secūdum hominem; &c. According to man he was in earth, not in heauen, where he now is, when he said (none hath ascended, &c.) although according to that, hee was the sonne of God, hee was yet on the earth, and was not ascended into heauen. Here he vnderstandeth Christs ascension and descension, as he was God. 3. Neither is this to denie his ascension, as hee was man, and so to ouerthrowe an article of the Creede, for then he hath made a good argument against himselfe; that because Christ is there said to descend from heauen in his deitie, therefore it followeth, p. 155he descended not in his humanitie. 4. Nay then hee himselfe ouerthroweth an article of the Creed, that confesseth the ascension and descension there spoken of, to be diuers from that mentioned by S. Paul, Ephes. 4. 9. and to be meant of the deitie of Christ. 3. b. p. 172. 173. Now sir, to returne your owne words, though it belongeth not to a Christian mans beliefe, what Augustine writ or thought to or fro: yet I hold him no reasonable man, that hearing Augustines owne words, will not thinke he spake of one kind of ascension and descension of Christ in his godhead, (though properly the godhead neither ascendeth, nor descendeth.) But he is no good Christian, that the Scripture so speaking (that God ascended) will not beleeue it: and so in effect, hee prooueth himselfe no good Christian, if hee deny that Christ is said in Scripture to ascend, as hee is God.

6. Other Authors pretended to be falsified.

The accusation.

1. These nine words (of Bernards sentence) are left out by you;2. b. p. 198. and so we shall alwaies be with the Lord.

2. Bellarmine (he vnmannerly saith) you hauehave belied now the second time;2. b. p. 190. for leauing out this clause, for the enlightning of the Fathers with the vision of God.2. b. p. 196.

The iustification.

1. Bernard is produced by the Replyer to shewe the difference of Christs beeing with vsus, and of our beeing with Christ: the sentence is this; Christ is with vsus at all times to the ende of the world: but when shall we be with him? when we shall be taken vp, and meete Christ in the ayer: thus farre p. 156Bernard is alleadged; then follow those words, which hee crieth out are omitted, and so we shall alwaies be with the Lord. And why might not these words be spared, seeing sufficient was alleadged before for proofe of that difference? and if these words be supplyed, they make more fully to the Replyers purpose, and therefore this exception of omission is friuolous. But it is strange, that hee date obiect this, seeing in the same recitall of Bernard, hee cutteth off a long period himselfe: for after those words, who could persist in it without him, followeth this sentence: omne gaudium existimemus, The pitifull Confuter taketh himselfe by the nose.&c. let vsus count it all ioy, when we fall into diuers tribulations my brethren, not only because wee must through many tribulations enter into the kingdome of God, but because the Lord is neere vntounto those that are of a troubled heart: one faith, &c. then follow the next words, If I shall walke, &c. All these lines are left out by this pitifull Confuter, p. 198. who doth most of all confute himselfe. A shame it is for a man to …ee so senslesse, to reprooue another for omitting a fewe words, and those not necessarie, himselfe skipping ouer diuers lines.

2. I see it goeth neere to him, that his graund master is touched, that he so bestirreth him, in giuing the lie, after his rude manner. But it shall presently appeare, that none here hath tolde a lie but himselfe: So that according to the law of Honorius, Poena calumniae similitudo supplicij. Cod. lib. 9. tit. 46. leg 10.the penaltie of slaunder, is the equalitie of punishment: the brand of lying, which he would hauehave set vponupon an other, shall be printed on his owne face. Bellarmines sentence is thus cited: Licet non esset necessaria animae Christi praesentia, &c. Although the presence of Christs soule were not necessarie in hell, yet it was of congrurtie that it should be present: three exceptions now he taketh to this allegation: 1. that, in hell is added, beeing not in Bellarmine. 2. that this clause is omitte, which followeth after (animae Christi) vt patres divina visione illustrarentur, that the fathers should be enlightened, with p. 157the vision of God: for he addeth immediatly, Christ descended not to hell, for the beatification of the fathers onelyonly, but for other causes. 3. the necessarie presence of Christs soule in hell in substance,2. b. p. 190. he affirmed a little before.

Contra. 1. These wordes (in hell) beeing onelyonly in the translation, and not in the latine sentence, doe free the Replyer from all suspition of corruption: and they are added in the English onelyonly by way of explanation: and Bellarmine so expoundeth himselfe afterward, as his disciple also reporteth him, that Christ descended not to hell onelyonly for the beatification, &c. 2. Seeing the Replyer shutteth vp the first clause of the sentence, ending at animae Christi, with an &c. 3. b. p. 191. it sheweth, that there was no fraud intended: neither was the rehearsall of that clause necessarie, seeing as much is saide immediatly before, that Christ needed not (by the sentence of Durand) to descend to hell to deliuer the Patriarkes: where upon Bellarmine is produced to confesse as much, that though it was not necessarie for Christ to descend (namely for that ende, for that is the point in questiō) yet it was of congruitie. And what though he make other endes of Christs descension? it is sufficient, that he maketh not that ende of necessitie, which onelyonly is in question, to deliuer the fathers. 3. Bellarmine indeede saith before, that Durand was in error, for not holding the substantiall presence of Christs soule necessarie in hell: but there he addeth not the ende, for the enlightening or deliuering of the fathers: therefore both may stand together, that Bellarmine held Christs presence necessarie in hell: and yet not for that speciall ende, necessarie. But, if Bellarmine should say and vnsay the same thing, which is no rare thing with him: what is that to the Replyer: let him, whose darling he seemeth to be, looke to salue his masters credit.

Thus hath this (Calumnious aduersarie) opened his wide throate, and vttered his S…ors voice, in accusing the Replyer of falsification: whereas he is not able to fasten p. 158one line corrupted or falsified by him. If sometimes for breuities sake, he abridge a sentence, leauing out yet nothing materiall, and omitting what is impertinent, it is no falsification: that is a sound rule of Gelasius, Non mentitur, Caus. 22. qu. 2. c. 5.qui animum fallendi non habuit, he lyeth not, that had no intent to deceiue. It is no small iniurie, for one against his conscience,Cod. lib. 9. tit. 36. leg. 1. Si quis famosum libellum. Valentin. with a cauillous spirit, to accuse an other to be a falsifier. The Ciuill law is, that he which findeth a famous libell of an other, and publisheth it, should be punished, as if he were the author: Now this vnconscionable Slaunderer, is found both the author, and publisher too, of this infamous libell and accusation. If he escape humane censure, let him take heede he incurre not the diuine displeasure. As for the Replyer he regardeth no more such cholerike inuectiues, then Dauid did Shemeies throwing of stones, and casting dust in the aire: a good conscience as a brasen wall shall stand against all such p…llets of enuie: and as Alexander saide of Darius great …, wherein there were many thousands, foreign, that one slaughter man is not afraid of many sheep: So the edge of truth shall be able to cut downe, all such false accusations, that the defender thereof shall not neede to be afraid of them.

The recrimination.

1. Origene falsified and corrupted by the Confuter.

1. Beside those places of Origene, wherein the Replyer is falsly charged with corrupting them, but they are retorted vponupon the Confuter himselfe, as namely the 1. 4. and 6. places before obiected: He doth diuersly peruert, and falsifie this learned father in other places by himselfe produced: as 3. b. p. 169.3. b. p. 169. he three waies abuseth a sentence of Origenes: 1. in misnaming the place, from whence he p. 159borroweth it: citing homil. 35. i… Math. whereas it is not an homilie, but a … vponupon Mathew, containing aboue 20. leaues in folio, which could not be vttered in one homilie or sermon. 2. He clippeth off a great part of the sentence, which he beginneth thus: be that called Christ from hell, &c. leauing all out, that goeth before: Quod si vi… audire, quid profuit Christo, &c. If you will heare, what it profited Christ to hauehave or …ed out with a great voice,Origene curtalled by the confuter. and so to hauehave giuen vp his spirit, that is, to hauehave commended his spirit into the hands of the Lord, and so to hauehave giuen it vp, or to hauehave leaned his head vponupon his fathers bosome, and so to hauehave deliuered his spirit, heare what the Prophet saith; for this therefore, he shall not leaue his soule in hell, nor suffer him to see corruption: if therefore we can so behaue our selues, that we can commend our spirit into the hands of the Lord; or leane our head vponupon the Lords bosome, and so deliuer our spirit: without doubt, neither shall he leaue our soules in hell, nor suffer vsus for euer to remaine in corruption. All this is quite cut off, because he saue what a pregnan… place this was against the locall descent: seeing that Origene affirmeth, that …he soules of Christs members, that cōmend their spirits into the hands of God, shall after the same manner, not be left in hell, as Christs soule was not left. But the soules of the faithfull come not into hell at all. 3. Beside, that, which he rehearseth out of Origene, is very corruptly translated: Origene corrupted.he that called Christ from hell after the third day; recalled vsus also in due time: and he that gaue to him, that his flesh should not see … hath, also giuen to vsus: whereas Origenes words are, nos revocabit, shall recall vsus in due time, & nobis dona…is, and shall all giuegive to vsus: what greater forgerie could be …? what shamelesse dealing is this?

2. Againe, whereas Origene is produced by the Replyer, to shew his different iudgement from other of the fathers, concerning Limbus patrum, making Abrahams bosome to be, where were Angelorum ch…r…, &c. the company p. 160of Angels, the kingdome of Christ: he to confront this testimony of Origen, alleadgeth another place in this maner: the only begotten sonne (of God) descended into hell for the saluation of the world, and thence brought backe againe, the first man (Adam:) for that which hee said to the thiefe, to day thou shall be with me in Paradise, you must vnderstād to be spoken, not to him only, but to all the Saints, for whom he descended to hell. 3. b. p. 194.Here diuers faults are committed: 1. The words inclosed in the parenthesis, hee addeth of his owne. 2. Protoplostum he translateth the first man, which signifieth, the first made (man:) intellige, which is vnderstand thou, hee englisheth you must vnderstand. 3. Beside, this testimony maketh flatly against the Confuter, who holdeth Christs soule to hauehave beene three daies in hell;3. b. p. 165. whereas Origen thinketh, that not onelyonly the thiefe, but all the other Saints went into heauen the same day of his passion: but they returned not without Christ: Christs soule then could not be so long in hell, in Origenes opinion. 4. Further, out of this very homil. 15. in Genest. it more fully appeareth; that Origene differed in opinion from the rest, concerning (Limbus patrum) for vponupon those words of the Lord to Iakob, revocabo te inde in finem, &c. I will bring thee backe againe in the ende: he writeth thus, velut si diceret, &c. As if he should say, because thou hast fought a good fight, kept the faith, finished thy course, I will call thee now out of the world, vntounto future happines, vntounto the perfection of life eternall, vntounto the crowne of righteousnes, which the Lord shall render in the ende of the world to all that louelove him. The place, whether Iakob was called out of the world, was a place of happines, the perfection of life eternall, &c. therefore not a prison, dungeon, place of darkenes, or hell: as Limbus patrum was of some of the fathers imagined to be.

3. Origene is cited by this confused Confuter,3. b. p. 19. where he committeth diuers foule ouersights: 1. he nameth the 18. homilie vponupon Iosuah: but in that homilie, the sentence p. 161which he alleadgeth, is not to be found: nor yet in the homilie vponupon the 18. chap. for he might mistake the number of the homilie for the chapter. 2. Beside, to mende the matter with: in the margen, he setteth the 28. homilie vponupon Iosuah, wheras there are but 26. in all vponupon that booke. 3. The place is altogether impertinent to his purpose: for the question beeing of the meaning of those words of our Sauiour, Ioh. 17. Father, I will that where I am, these also may be with me: whether Christ speake of himselfe as the Messiah, or in respect of his Godhead onelyonly: he bringeth in these words of Origene, Blessed is he, who sheweth himselfe such an one, &c. that of our Sauiour he may receiue the portion of the heauenly mansion in the world to come, The Confuters ignorance in Origens works.of which our Lord Iesus himselfe speaketh, (father, I will, &c. In which wordes it is euident, that Origene speaketh of Christ, as the Sauiour and Messiah. 4. And to shew his great skill in reading of this fathers workes: he citeth the 12. homilie vponupon Matthew, 3. b. p. 35.3. b. p. 35. and the 35. homilie vponupon Matth. p. 57. whereas they are the tractates or commentaries vponupon Matthew, not homilies: which were his sermons to the people, or multitude, whereof they hauehave their name.

5. An other place of Origene he diuersly abuseth:3. b. p. 165. 1. by clipping of many words: as where Origene alleadgeth the text, to sacrifice vntounto the Lord our God, he saith, to doe sacrifice vntounto God: Againe, those words of Origene: Pharaoh would not permit thē to come vntounto the place of signes: that is, mysteries: he omitteth altogether. 2. He translateth corruptly: for those wordes, resuscitabit nos Deus, &c. God shall raise vsus after two daies, he englisheth, God shall visit vsus after two daies. 3. He saith very boldly, that these words of Origene, (the first day to vsus, is the passion of our Sauiour, the second day is that, wherein he descended to hell, and the third day is the day of the resurrection:) he doth not appropriate them to Christ, and his abode in hell: because he applieth them to vsus. A very senslesse and vnlearned answer: p. 162for whereas the Prophet saith, vntounto vsus a childe is horne: he might as well inferre, that he doth not appropriate it to Christs natiuitie, because it is applied to vsus. As though all Christs actions, his birth, passion, resurrection, and the rest, were not for vsus. 4. Whereas he holdeth Origenes opinion to be, that Christs soule was three daies in hell, and citeth him to that ende, p. 169.3. b. p. 169. the contrarie is shewed before, loc. 2. that Origene held, that all the fathers, together with the theife, entred into heauen the same day of Christs passion: whence it will follow, that Christs soule also entred together with theirs. And in this place it is euident, that in his opinion the soule of Christ descended not till the second day.

6. Whereas the Replyer citeth a place of Origene, wherein comparing Christ to a victorious captaine, that diuideth the principall spoiles among his souldiers of best desert, he saith, that he likewise, vntounto those, which hauehave laboured most, sibi similes decernit honores, doth giuegive honours like to his owne, 3. b. p. 10.such as he conferred vponupon his disciples: when he said, Father I will, that where I am, they may be with me: And proueth hereby, that these honours like vntounto Christs, are not those which are due to his godhead, which are not communicable vntounto any, but such, as he receiued as Messiah. This vaine and trifling Confuter first quarrelling, because the Replyer abridged this sentence, keeping the sense, then denieth that he hath any such meaning; but that these words make directly against the Replyer: whereas Christ beeing compared to a victorious and triumphāt captaine diuiding spoiles, must be vnderstood as the Messiah, as he ascended into heauen, and led captiuitie captiue: which he did, not as God onelyonly, but as the Messiah and captaine of the Church. These honours were due vntounto him in deede as God, for who denieth that? (vponupon which false supposall he groundeth all the force of his reason) but not as God onelyonly, but as God and man, the blessed Sauiour and Messiah.

p. 1632. Ignatius, Thaddaeus, and Tertullian falsified.

1. Thaddaeus, as he is cited by Bellarmine, from whom he borrowed it, (for why should not the scholer be bould with the master) hath this sentence: Christus descendit ad inferos, & disrupit maceriem, &c. Christ descended into hell, and brake downe the partition wall, which no man had euer broken downe in the world: (who descended alone, but ascended with a great multitude) this last enclosed clause he cutteth off, 3. b. p. 143.least he should too openly hauehave discouered his opinion touching Limbus patrum.

2. He bringeth in Ignatius saying the same thing with Thaddaeus: 3. b. p. 143.for he ascribeth to them both the same testimonie.Bellar. lib. 4. de Christ. anim. c. 14. But herein he left his first instructer, who produceth two other testimonies of Ignatius: the latter whereof is this, Descendit ad infernum solus, regressus autem cum multitudine: he descended into hell alone, but returned with a great multitude. But he omitteth this testimonie also, to auoid the former inconuenience.

3. Tertullian is notably abused by him: 3. b. p. 143. lib. de anim. c. 55.1. for his assertion in the same place is this: that Christ descended to the lower parts of the earth: vt illic Patriarchas & Prophetas compotes sui faceret: that there he should make the Patriarks and Prophets partakers of himselfe: this he concealeth. 2. The sentence by him alleadged, is not Tertullians affertion out of his owne iudgement, but an obiection: Sed in hoc (inquiunt) &c. but he descended (they will say) for this, that we should noe goe thither: for he taketh away this obiection: and thus confuteth them, satis superbe non putant,Tertullian grossely abused. &c. they proudly thinke that the soules of the faithfull are not fit or meete for hell, the seruants taking vponupon them more then the Lord, and the scholers then the master: and concludeth the soules of the dead, apud inferos sequestari in diem iudicij: to be sequestred in hell vntill p. 164the day of iudgement: and a little before: nulli patet coelum, &c. heauen is not open to any, as long as the earth is preserued, transactione mundi reserabuntur regna coelorū, &c. the kingdome of heauen shall be vnlocked in the transaction (and passing away) of the world: what grosse ignorance then is this, to ascribe vntounto Tertullian that opinion, which he confuteth, though (I confesse) he falleth into a worse error himselfe. But this excuseth not his deceitfull legerdemaine. These fathers for antiquitie, should hauehave beene placed before Origene: but he is raunged in the forefront, because diuers testimonies of his are corrupted by the Confuter.

3. Chrysostome falsified.

1. Thus Chrysostome is alleadged: Christ descended into the lower parts of the earth (that is, in 4. c. ad Eph. 3. b. p. 143.Eph 3to hell, as himselfe doth interpret it) for our soules: whereas Chrysostome doth in the same place farre otherwise interpret it: for he expoundeth it by that place, Philip. 2. he humbled himselfe, and became obedient to the death of the crosse: quemadmedum illic de animi modestia,Chrysostome wrested contrarie to his owne minde. &c. as there giuing admonition concerning modestie, and humilitie of minde, he bringeth in Christ; so in this place, because he descended into the lower parts of the earth: yea further he thus expoundeth in direct words: inferiores terrae partes mortem dicit, &c. he calleth the lower parts of the earth, death; and that according to the suspicion and opinion of men, as Iakob also saith, you shall bring mine olde age with sorrow to (hell) or the lower parts:ad inferos. and againe in the Psalme, I shall be like to those that goe downe to the pit, that is, to them that die. What an vnsauourie fellow now is this? that dare so falsly charge Chrysostome, making him to vnderstand that of hell, which he interpreteth of death: which in the opinion of men seemeth to be as it were hell?

p. 1652. In another place these words of Chrysostome, Ista pro vobis ferens, Suffering these things for you; hee translateth, Suffering these things for Christs sake: whereas Chrysostome saith, Sed qui moritur indies? studio, voluntate, & quod promptus ad eam rem sit: How doth he die daily? in study and willingnesse, & because he is ready for that thing: he turneth the words thus; Animi promptitudine, quia esset ad mortem subeundam semper paratior:3. b. p. 64. In promptnesse of minde, and for that he was eueryevery day more and more ready to suffer death for Christs sake.

4. Hierome falsified.

1. Hierome handling that place, Math. 18. 15. is alleadged thus; Praecipit. Dominus peccantes in os argui debere: translated thus; Our Lord commandeth that we should reprooue offendors to their face,2. b. p. 67. or openly: cleane contrary to Saint Hieroms words that follow: Hierom shamefully peruerted.Secreto, vel adhibito teste: Secretly, or taking a witnes, which words hee fraudulently omitteth: Hierome expoundeth in os, to the face, secretly, or before a witnesse, hee peruerting his sense saith, openly.

2. Saint Hierome also is cited vponupon Psalme 70. verse 20. expounding it of Christs locall descension to hell:Hierom clipped. where the words of Hierom are omitted, which immediately follow vponupon these wordes, thou hast encreased mine honour: 2. b. p. 136.cum hi, qui in inferno tenebantur, mecum redierant: when they, which were held in hell, returned with me: which sentence he concealed, for vnlesse he also maintaine Limbus patrum, it maketh nothing for him.

3. The Replyer is charged with many faults, in translating Hieroms sentence: Non tam stultus sum, vt diuersitate explanationum tuarum, me ladi putem, quia nec tu laederis, si nos contraria senserimus: I am not so vnwise, as to thinke my selfe hurt by your explanations,The Confuter cauilleth about the turning of nec into non. because neither are you preiudiced, &c. because he changeth nec into non: a great matter, and beseeming the grauitie of such an obiector: p. 166whereas, the Replyer readeth non, to make a perfect sentence. Againe, there is left out in the translation diuersitate, with the diuersitie: but seeing it is not omitted in the latine sentence, there can bee no fraud, and in the English it is implyed; for he could not be hurt or preiudiced, but by different and diuers explanations. A third fault hee sindeth, because the Replyer englisheth laedi, to bee hurt and preiudiced: whereas he translateth it wronged and iniuried, which is further off from the signification of the word, then the other.

But this (coyning Confuter) himselfe committeth many and great faults in the recitall of this sentence. 1. He saith he findeth it in the 13.Hierom clipped and corrupted and falsely quoted. Epistle of Saint Hierome to Saint Augustine: whereas Hierome did not write so many Epistles to Augustine, but tenne onelyonly, or there-about, which are extant in the first and second Tomes of Hieroms workes: and this sentence which he alleadgeth, is found in the 6. of them. 2. These words, in Scripturarum disputatione versemur, he translateth, we may reason of the Scriptures: the english whereof is this; that we may be conuersant in the disputation of the Scriptures. 3. Nostrum emendemus errorem, hee translateth, and so either correct your error: which should bee thus englished; let vsus amend our error. 4. After those words, that is a childish boasting, he leaueth out this whole sentence, quod olim adolescentuli facere consueuerant: which young men in time past were accustomed to doe.3. b. p. 101.

5. Ambrose corrupted.

1. This Grammarian instructer, that professeth to teach boyes to conster, himselfe maketh a pittifull construction of Ambrose, 2. b. p. 59.2. b. p. 59. these words, Angelo non placuit ancillae insolentia: Lib. 1. de Abraham. c. 4.The insolencie of the hand-maid pleased not the Angel: hee translateteth; The Angel was not pleased to see the insolency and pride of the handmaide: p. 167reuertere ad Dominam tuam, Ambrose corruptly translated.Returne to thy Lady: he englisheth; turne againe to thy Lady and Mistresse. Verberantis savitiam, the cruelty of the beater: hee englisheth, the crueltie of Sara beating her. Fugientis discessionem, the departure of the flier or runner away he rendreth, Hagars departure in running away: adding Sara and Hagar of his owne. Humiliare, be thou humbled: he englisheth, humble thy selfe.

2. In another sentence taken from Ambrose, 3. b. p. 22.hee leaueth out these words:Ambr. lib. de incarnat. Dom. sacram. c. 5. In inferno positis vitae lumen fundebat eternae: To those which were in hell, he powred the light of eternall life. Which clause if he had added, he saw that Ambrose would make little for him, vnlesse hee held the locall descent of Christs soule to hell, for the enlightening and deliuerance of the Fathers thence.

6. Ruffinus falsified.

1. Ruffinus also is pitifully mangled: for his sentence (taking the whole) is this; But that he descended into hell also, is euidently pronounced in the Psalmes, where he saith, Thou broughtest me to the dust of death: Ruffin. in Symbolum.and againe, what profit is in my blood, while I descend into corruption: and againe, I descended into the mire of the deepe, where no substance is (that is, ground or bottome:) yea and Iohn saith, art thou he, which art to come (without doubt into hell) or looke me for another? All this is fraudulently left out: and then follow the next wordes,Ruffinus mangled. which he culleth out: Our Lord also himselfe speaketh, 2. b. p. 179.&c. But this deceitfull Iugler, that playeth fast and loose with the Fathers, well perceiued, that seeing Ruffinus expoundeth descending to hell, to be brought to the dust of death, and to the place of corruption and blood, that his meaning can be no otherwise, then to vnderstand death and the graue: as to the same purpose he said before, that vis eadem verbi videtur esse, &c. the same force of the word seemeth to be in that, he is p. 168said to be buried: as he is said before to descend to hell.

I maruell also, how his (mastership) could take no knowledge of another place in Ruffinus, not farre from that, which he thus hacketh and pareth: where hee saith, that Crux Christi trumphus est, &c. that Christs crosse was a triumph, and a famous (trophaeum) monument: and further, he sheweth how he triumphed ouer all things vponupon the crosse, both celestiall, terrestriall, and infernall: vntounto the first, applying the vppermost part of the crosse; to the next, that part where his hands were stretched out; and for the third he saith, ea vero parte, quae sub terram submergitur, inferna sibiregna subiecit: but by that part, which was hid vnderunder the earth, he brought vnderunder to himselfe the infernall kingdoms.

This cleare testimony of Christs triumph vponupon the crosse, and his victory ouer hell, crosseth that impious and profane opinion of this drowsie and dreaming diuine; that the conquest vponupon the crosse, A blasphemous scoffe vttered of the triumphant crosse of Christ.was openly an ouerthrowe, and therefore no triumph: and againe, if Christ triumphed in the crosse, as you say he did, it was according to the prouerbe, triumphus ante victoriam (triumph before the victory:) 1. b. p. 188.

7. Augustine falsified.

1. Thus Augustine is alleadged: 2. b. p. 165.This custome (of baptizing infants) I beleeue,Lib. 2. contr. Donatist. c. 7. as comming from the tradition of the Apostles, &c. whereas the question with the Donatists, was not concerning the baptizing of infants, Augustines sense corrupted.but the rebaptizing of those, which were baptized by heretiks: as it may appeare by the wordes going before; Nolite obijcere nobis authoritatem Cypriani ad baptismi repetitionem, &c. Doe not obiect to vsus the authoritie of Cyprian, for the repeating of baptisme, &c. That question of Baptisme was not yet throughly handled, but yet the Chruch kept this wholesome custome; in the schismatiks and heretiks, corrigere quod pravum est, non iterare quod datum est: to correct p. 169what was amisse, not to iterate what was giuen: then follow those words, which saide custome, &c. (as many things are not found in their writings, nor in the latter Councels) &c. all this enclosed, is omitted.

2. Augustine is thus brought in:de vnitat. Eccles. c. 19.Sir 19 that custome of the Church, which was opposed against Cyprian, &c. whereas the name of Cyprian is not to be found in the 18. 19. 20. chapters of that booke.2. b. p. 167.

3. Againe the same place is quoted, where Augustine should write thus: 2. b. p. 167.Cum hoc nusquam legatur, &c. when as this is read no where, we must beleeue the testimonie of the Church, which Christ hath testified to be true: these words are not extant in that place, Augustine vntruly alledged.in that forme, but after this manner: Nunc vero cum in Scripturis non inveniamus, &c. now seeing we finde not in the Scripture, that any hauehave come to the Church from heretikes, &c. and afterward: perhibet Christus testimonium Ecclesiae suae, &c. Christ doth giuegive testimonie to his Church.

4. Augustine is cited, serm. (he should hauehave said) hom, 2. in vigil. pasch. tom. 10. in these words: si sepultus fuisset in terra, &c. If Christ had beene buried in the earth, they might hauehave said, they had digged vp the earth, and stollen him away, to prooue a difference betweene Christs tombe, and the earth:3. b. p. 164. yet in that homilie no such sentence is to be found: Augustine ignorantly cited.but rather the contrarie: quid illi tumulus in terris, cuius sedes manebat in coelis? why should he hauehave a tombe in the earth, whose seate remained in heauen: here he affirmeth Christs tombe to hauehave been in the earth. This grosse ouersight sheweth, how well (this pettifogger in diuinitie) is seene in the reading of Augustine.

5. That place of August. c. 15. cont. Felician. lib. 3. p. 2.lib. 3. p. 2. he diuers waies corrupteth: 1. he addeth generall resurrection: nullus ignorat, he translateth, eueryevery man knoweth: which signifieth, no man is ignorant: cuius corpus, &c. saith Augustine, whose bodie common death had enclosed for the future resurrection: he readeth, whose bodie death had shut p. 170vp (in the graue) vntill the future resurrection of all flesh.

Beside, he bewraieth his ignorance, in mistaking the sense and scope of Augustine in that place: 1. he saith that Augustines whole discourse, is to prooue that Christ deserued not hell fire: whereas the very point of the question is, that though Christ died in bodie, yet his soule perished not: vt vita perderet vitam, that our life, should loos… life: c. 4. in init. by occasion of which question he falleth also into that other point, concerning the death of Christs soule. 2. He saith, that Augustine taketh this for graunted, that the promise made to the theefe, was the voice of Christs Godhead: whereas Augustine onelyonly propoundeth it by way of obiection: sed dicet aliquis, &c. but some one will say: Augustines meaning mistaken.we beleeue this was the voice of the deitie, not of the soule of Christ, &c. and afterward he rather reasoneth against that obiection, then yeildeth to it: & quid in eo cui promittebat, accipimus &c. and what doe we take in him, to whome the promise was made: and so he frameth his argument, from the soule of the theefe to the soule of Christ: reasoning from the lesse to the greater. 3. He denieth that any such collection can be made out of Augustine, that if the soule of the theefe went to Paradise, Christ much more: but that this is Augustines meaning rather, that because the theefes soule was presently made blessed, &c. in Paradise, and so freed from the feare of death, and hell, much more was the soule of Christ exempted. Contra. Augustines words are these: If the soule of the theefe was straightway (the bodie…beeing dead) called to Paradise: shall we thinke any to be so impious, to thinke that the soule of our Sauiour was three daies kept in hell? &c. here is no mention of the feare of death or hell, but of calling the soule to Paradise: his wordes are plaine, that Christs soule could not be in hell all those three daies, that his bodie was in the graue: nay it can not be prooued out of this treatise of Augustine, that Christs soule was in hell: for it is euident, that he taketh (inferi) for the place of the p. 171dead: As c. 14. he saith, erat vno eodem que tempore totus in inferno, totus in coelo, illic patiens iniuriam carnis, &c. he was at one and the same time, whole in (hell) or below, whole in heauen: there suffering the iniurie of his flesh, here not leauing the glorie of his deitie. Againe, c. 17. iacebat quantum ad corpus, &c. he lay touching his bodie dead in the graue, raising the dead in hel, or in the low parts: but Christs flesh was in the graue, not in hell, and from the graue, not from hell he raised the dead.

6. An other place of Augustine is corruptly alleadged: epist. 57. ad Dardan. lib. 3. p. 14.lib. 3. p. 14. first, he inuerteth the order of the wordes: for that sentence, beginning as it might rightly be said, and ending, because he is alwaies eueryevery where, &c. is at least 40. lines after that sentence, if this (to day thou shalt, &c.) which he confusedly placeth immediatly after, as though it were all one sentence. Againe, in the next sentence, beginning, if this (to day thou shalt, &c.) and ending, humane soule: he clippeth off at the least 20. lines, and leapeth them all ouer, to those words, but the sense is much more readie, &c. which he ioyneth as immediatly following, beeing 20. lines after: thirdly, he fraudulently omitteth many sentences, which come betweene, making directly against his opinion of Christs descent to hell: 1. Augustine saith, Vnde quaeri solet, &c. whence it vseth to be questioned, Augustine clipped by the Cō futer, because he directly maketh against him.if the infernall places are vnderstood onelyonly to be penall, how can we beleeue godly, that the soule of Christ was in hell: but it is well answeared, that therefore he descended, to succour, whome he could. Here Augustine maketh no other ende of Christs descending into the penall place of hell, but to giuegive succour and releefe. 2. If both the region, of those which were in griefe, and those which were at rest, &c. is to be beleeued to hauehave beene in hell, who dare say that Christ went onelyonly to the penall places of hell, and not to hauehave beene with them which were at rest in Abrahams bosome: where if he were, that was the Paradise, which he vouchsafed to promise the thiefe: p. 172here he resolueth, that the soule of Christ went to the Paradise promised to the thiefe.

7. So Augustine is erroneously cited: for twice he quoteth tract. 91. in Ioh. 17. 3. b. p. 8. and 16. whereas the place is taken out of the 111. tract. in Ioh. 17. Beside, he would make the Reader beleeue, that Augustine expoundeth this glorie, 3. b. p. 8.which Christ speaketh of, Ioh. 17. onelyonly of the glorie of his Godhead: 3. b. p. 16.and that other speach, (where I am, &c.) to be vnderstood of the presence of his Godhead. Cont. In the very same tractat. 111. Augustine thus expoundeth those words, I will, that where I am, they may be with me: Quantum attinet ad creaturam, &c. Concerning that creature, wherein he was made of the seede of David after the flesh, he was not yet himselfe, where he was to be: but in that sense he might say, where I am, as we might vnderstand, that he should quickly ascend into heauen: that he said he was there alreadie, where he was presently to be. In the same tractate, he also thus expoundeth the glorie: etiamsi eam dici hoc loco intelligamus, &c. Though we vnderstand that glorie to be here spoken of, not which the father gaue vntounto his sonne beeing equall in begetting him: but which he gaue vntounto him beeing made the sonne of man after the death of the crosse: he vnderstandeth it as well of the glorie giuen vntounto him as man, as that due vntounto him as God.

But more euidently Augustine sheweth his minde touching these points, in the former tractates vponupon this chapter:

As, tract. 104. Haec est glorificatio, &c. This is the glorifying of our Lord Iesus Christ, which tooke beginning from his resurrection.

Tract. 105. That the sonne was glorified of the father, according to the forme of a seruant, whome the father raised vp beeing dead,Augustine maketh directly against the Confuter. and placed at his right hand, the thing it selfe sheweth, and no Christian doubteth. And if the Confuter doubt hereof, in Augustins opinion he is no Christian.

p. 173And vponupon those words, Glorifie me with the glory, &c. which I had, &c. he writeth thus, sicut tunc praedestinatione, &c. as then in predestination, so now in perfection, doe in the world, what was with thee before the world, doe in time, that which thou appointedst before all time. Thus Augustine apparantly vnderstandeth the glory which was giuen vntounto Christ, as man.

And how Christ our blessed Sauiour prayed vntounto his Father, he thus also sheweth; tract. 104. Poterat Dominus noster, &c. Our Lord the onelyonly begotten, and coeternall to the father, might in the forme, and by the forme of a seruant if it had beene needfull, hauehave praied in silence: but hee would so exhibite himselfe to his father a praier for vsus; as that hee remembreth himselfe to be our teacher. And againe, in another place, Orauit Dominus non secundum formam Dei, &c.in Psal. 87.Ps 87 Our Lord prayed, not according to the forme of God, but according to the forme of a seruant, according to the which he suffered. For if he will stil stand vntounto it, that Christ as God prayed vntounto his father, and not as man, hee will make Christ a Priest, as he is God, and so inferiour vntounto his father, as God, and so fall apparantly into Arrianisme, from the which hee cannot shift himselfe, with all the …eights that a subtile head, and froward wit can affoard him.

8. He would wrest a sentence of Augustine, Epist. 99.to shewe, that he thought Abrahams bosome to be in hell:3. b. p. 194. producing this place; if the holy Scripture had said, that Christ after his death came into that bosome of Abraham, not mentioning hell, and the sorrowes thereof, I maruell if any durst hauehave said, that he descended to hell, &c. It is a strange thing, that a man should so cast off all modestie, as so apparantly to fasten vponupon Augustine an opinion contrary to his owne words:The Confuter citeth Augustine, contrary to his owne words. for a little before he said; ne ips…s quidem inferos, &c. I cannot finde hell in any place of the Scripture to be called for good: and immediately after he inferreth, that the bosome of Abraham, that is, the habitation p. 174of quiet rest, is not to be beleeued, to be a part of hell: yea and in these words, which he ignorantly presseth, as much may be gathered: for in saying, that vnlesse mention were made in Scripture of hell, and the sorrowes thereof, but onelyonly of Christs going to Abrahams bosom, no man durst hauehave said, that Christ descended to hell: hee insinuateth that Abrahams bosome was not hell, for then any durst hauehave so said, without any further mention of hell. Thus he confoundeth himselfe with his owne testimony.

9. He citeth a place out of Augustine, to prooue that vnity is a note of the Church, quoting lib. 2. cont. liter. Petilian. c. 54.Lib. 2. p. 108. but printed 112. Augustine misquoted. Dissentio & diuisio facit haereticos, &c. Dissention and diuision maketh heretiks, but peace and vnitie maketh Catholiks. But in that place, no such sentence at all is to be found; which sheweth, what vaine oftentation hee maketh of his reading in the Fathers, beeing vtterly ignorant in them. The place which he aimeth at, is the 96. not the 54. chapter of that booke, which he corruptly alleadgeth: for Augustine saith, Dissentio quippe (vos) & diuisio facit haereticos, &c. Dissention and diuision maketh (you) heretiks, peace and vnity maketh Catholikes. But hee leaueth out (you) wherein the force of Augustines speech lieth. His meaning is, that not the diuersity of faith, or dissenting in religion; but diuision onelyonly and seperation from the Catholike Church, made them, namely the Donatists, heretikes: for the Donatists confessed of themselues, and Augustine denied it not;Cont. Cich. lib. 2. cap. 7. nobis vobisque vna est religio, &c. You and we hauehave the same religion, the same sacraments, nothing diuers in Christian obseruation. Other heretiks were discerned then by their hereticall opinions; the Donatists by their schismaticall seperation. Againe, Augustine meaneth not, that vnity simply is a note of the Church; but vnity with the Church of God: for the Pagans had vnity among themselues: As Augustine in another place saith,Tom. 9. de vtilitat. i…iun. Non proferant nobis, quasi concordiam suam, hostem quippe, quem nos patimur, illi non patiuntur: Let them not p. 175obiect vntounto vsus, as it were their concord, for they suffer not that enemie, whom we suffer. Therefore he two waies abuseth Augustines sentence, both in clipping his words, & peruerting his sense, in making vnity and dissention in the Church, the cognizances, and causes distinctiue, &c. wheras Augustine speaketh not of vnitie and dissention in the Church, and among themselues; but of vnitie with the Church, and of dissention & seperation from the Church. Wherefore this sentence was impertinently alleadged against the Replyer, who thus saith, That one bond of faith in the diuersitie of some priuate opinions, may containe and keepe vsus in peace. There may be some diuersitie in opinion in the Church, and yet neither faith peruerted, nor peace violated.

10. Augustine is brought in thus writing;3. b. p. 16. tract. 12. in 3. Ioann. Behold, Christ was here, and he was in heauen, for so he came thence, Augustine very corruptly alleadged.that he departed not thence, and so returned thither, that he left vsus not here: and what maruaile you? this God doth: for man according to the body both is in a place, and goeth out of a place, but God filleth all places, and is whole eueryevery where: yet Christ was at that time, according to his visible flesh in earth. But Augustines words in that place are these, writing vponupon this text: No man hath ascended into heauen, but he that descended, &c. Ecce hic erat, & in coelo erat, &c. Behold, he was here, and hee was in heauen: he was here in his flesh, and in heauen in his diuinitie; yea eueryevery where in his diuinitie: borne of (his) mother, and not departing from (his) father, &c. And …ome fewe lines after, he saith, mirari…, &c. Do you maruell that he was in heauen also: he made his disciples such: heare the Apostle saying, our conuersation is in heauen: if Paul the Apostle beeing man, did walke in his flesh in the earth, & yet was conuersant in heauen; could not the God of heauen and earth, be both in heauen and earth? The iudicious Reader may see, what small affinitie and agreement there is betweene these two sentences: and although Augustines p. 176testimonie had beene truely alleadged, yet had it not beene to the purpose: for the question is not of the meaning of these words of our Sauiour, Iohn 3. 13. The sonne of man, which is in heauen: but of those, Iohn 17. 24. I will that they, &c. be with me, where I am. Other places cited out of Augustine, and other Fathers, are handled with the like vncleane fists; but these giuen in instance, doe sufficiently bewray his cunning counterfetting of antiquity: and the like fidelitie he sheweth, in producing the new writers, as now shall be seene.

8. Caluinee falsified.

1. In alleadging Caluin, Lib. 2. p. 183.lib. 2. Institut. c. 16. ser. 8. these corruptions are committed. 1. Hee clippeth off diuers sentences: for after these words, There is no small force to the effect of our redemption, this sentence followeth; Quanquam enim ex veterum scriptis, &c. For although it appear out of the writings of the auncient, that this particle was not of olde so much vsed in the Church, yet in handling the summe of doctrine, place of necessitie must be giuen vntounto it: thē follow the words next obtruded by him: It cōtaineth a profitable mysterie, &c. then, in the last part of the sentēce, There is none of the auncient Fathers, which doth not in his writings make mention of Christs descension into hell: Hee quite cutteth off the words following, tametsi interpretatione diuersa: although in a diuers (sense) and interpretation: the which words doe euidently shewe, that Caluin receiuing the article of the descension, yet insisteth vponupon the right interpretation. 2. Hee also peruerteth the order of Calvins words: for that clause, This certaine, is out of all question, &c. he putteth last, wheras in Calvin it goeth before the precedent part, this clause hath so great force, &c. 3. He alleadgeth Caluin for the locall descent, contrary to Caluins iudgement, who vnderstandeth it of the spirituall agony and perplexitie of Christs soule. ibid. sect. 10.

p. 1672. Caluin also is cited,3. b. p. 292. 2. lib. Institut. c. 16. sect. 9. as though he should hold, that the faithfull of the olde Testament were in that prison mentioned by Saint Peter, that is in hell, &c. where they carefully expected the promised redemption: where diuers vntruths are vttered. 1. Caluine saith, Concludere in carcere mortuorum animas, puerile est: To shut vp the soules of the dead in prison, is a childish thing. He denieth then, that they were in prison. 2. Hee speaketh not of redēption, which they expected; but saith, that piae animae eius visitationis, quam sollicite expectauerant, praesenti aspectu sunt potitae: The godly soules did enioy the sight of that visitation, which they carefully expected. His meaning is, that euen the godly soules departed had a sense of Christs death, and were affected with a lightsome ioy, the time of visitation beeing now exhibited vntounto the Church, which they, while they liued, in faith beleeued, and in hope expected. 3. Yet is hee not ashamed to alleadge Caluin, as a maintainer of the locall descension; and not content therewith, hee addeth one vntruth vntounto another, that the Replyer himselfe saith, that Caluin holdeth Christs descension into hel euen in that place of Peter: 3. b. p. 79.whereas he affirmeth the contrary, that Caluine and Beza hold not the descension as he doth, in that very place which he hath reference to in the margin, Limbom. p. 58. And indeede Caluines opinion is, Vim mortis Christi, vsque ad mortuos penetrasse: that the force of Christs death did pierce vntounto the dead: that the power and effect of his death, not the presence of his soule was there.

9. Beza falsified.

1. Beza is here diuers waies wronged.2. b. p. 68. 1. His words are falsly translated: de priuatis iniurijs, of priuate wrongs, he englisheth, of priuate offences: a priuate wrong (that is) done to a priuate person, may yet be committed publikely,Beza in Math. 18. v. 15.Matt 18:15 but so cannot a priuate offence. 2. He curtalleth the p. 178sentence, repeating onelyonly the first clause, they are deceiued, who thinke that Christ in this place speaketh of priuate offences: all the rest that followeth is omitted; quum Christus, &c. seeing Christ intendeth nothing else in these words, then to distinguish secret sinnes, from manifest: therefore he is said to sinne against one, not onelyonly which hurteth him priuately, but which with his priuitie only, sinneth against God, or any other. 3. By this sentence it appeareth his meaning is, that Christ speaketh of secret sinnes, whether committed against God, or any priuate man. What immodest dealing then is this, to alleadge Beza, as expounding this place, not of sinnes secretly, but openly done?

2. Beza thus expoundeth, in te, id est, te tantum conscio, against thee,2. b. p. 69. thou onelyonly knowing of it: but hee thus corrupteth that place; against another, thou knowing of it: where he addeth these words, against another, and leaueth out only: for the secret trespasser may as well sin me against him, whom he offendeth, as against another; as appeareth in the former testimony.

3. I omit certaine places out of Beza, 2. b. p. 107.clipped by him: as in that testimony cited vponupon Act. 5. 17. Beza his words are, qui à (recepta) sana doctrina, &c. and, Dei (&) Ecclesiae, (ipsius:) where these words inclosed, are omitted by the Confuter. So,2. b. p. 171. vponupon Iohn, 15. 26. he leaueth out more then foure lines in the middes of the sentence: but because the sense is not much hindred by these omissions, I will not take that aduantage, which he is ready to catch at vponupon eueryevery occasion.

He further abuseth Beza, 3. b. p. 69.in deprauing his words, and detorting his sense, as though he should thinke it a forced and violent thing, by spirits to vnderstand liuing men, 1. Pet. 3. 19. whereas he meaneth onelyonly, that men yet liuing cannot be called spirits: but those which are now spirits, may by a certaine figure, called prolepsis, be vnderstood to hauehave beene sometime liuing men: as Peter calleth them spirits, in respect of that time present, wherein hee wrote, p. 179not of that, whereof he writeth. This then is a meere cauil, à dicto secundum quid, ad dictum simpliciter: because Beza in some sense counteth it a coact thing to vnderstand by spirits, liuing men, that simply and absolutely hee denieth it.

4. Beza is imagined to vnderstand that place,3. b. p. 92. 2. Cor. 13. 4. crucified concerning his infirmitie, not of the naturall substance of Christs flesh and humanity, but of the quality onelyonly thereof: foreign, qualitatem declarat: infirmity declareth the quality of the substance: where he leaueth out the former part of the sentence: where Beza directly applyeth it, ad infirmam formam serui, to the weake forme of a seruant, (that is, to the humane nature) which Christ tooke: and saith further, idem hoc declarat, &c. this sheweth the same thing, which (according to the flesh) 1. Rom. 3. So Beza his meaning is, that though infirmitie in the natiue vse of the word, signifieth the qualitie onelyonly; yet thereby in this place, the very substance of the humane nature is insinuated.

10. The Geneva translators abused.

This vnconscionable Confuter,3. b. p. 192. would fasten vponupon thē, to hold Limbus patrum, and to fauour the opinion of the Fathers; that the Patriarchs went not to heauen, but were deliuered by the descension of Christ: and to this ende hee bringeth in that annotation, Hebr. 9. 8. which is thus set downe whole in that place: (So long as the high Priest offered once a yeare for his owne sinnes, and for the peoples) & also while this earthly tabernacle stood, the way to the heauenly Tabernacle, which is made open by Christs blood, could not be entred into. Here first, all the first words inclosed, are cut off: secondly, hee forgeth a sense, contrary to their owne iudgement: for that those godly learned men, that penned those annotations, did beleeue all the holy p. 180Fathers of the olde Testament, to be in heauen, appeareth by that their interpretation of Abrahams bosome, Luke 16. 22. whereby is signified (say they) the most blessed life, which they that die in the faith of Abraham, shall inioy after this world. Therefore they could not bee so forgetfull, or contrary to themselues, in that other place so to conceiue, as though the way in the olde Testament was not opened for the Fathers to enter into heauen, before the comming of Christ: wherefore they either speake comparatiuely, that the way was not so opened, and made plaine before the comming of Christ, as since; as they giuegive the like sense of those words, Heb. 11. 39. They receiued not the promise: they had no such cleare light (say they) of Christ as we hauehave: Or els their meaning is, that by the sacrifices and rites of the Tabernacle, that way was not opened, but by the blood of Christ: so that the times are not compared together, but the things; as they thus note, Hebr. 10. 19. By the blood of Iesus wee may be bold to enter into the holy place: we by Christ (say they) hauehave that liberty, which the auncient Fathers could not hauehave by the lawe.

Thus this Surmisers supposed falsifications are returned vponupon his owne head, and hee himselfe is found to bee the clipper and deprauer, and corrupter of the Fathers testimonies: fewe whereof are recited by him, which hee doth not mangle and wrest at his pleasure. These places out of the old and newe writers (about thirty in all) giuen before in instance, are an euident proofe hereof: the like might hauehave beene shewed in the rest, but that it is not worth the labour, to spend time, to hunt after so meane a game, and to hauehave such a silly bird in chace; which hath (according to the saying) defiled the owne neast.

When he first entred into this challenge, and aduentured to lay load vpō the Replyer, with this cauillous charge of falsifications: he should first hauehave himselfe considered, whether one might not rubbe vponupon his owne galled backe. And he herein playeth an euill fensers part, that lyeth p. 181open himselfe, where he thought to giuegive an other a venie. That wise sentence should hauehave come into his head: foreign;Moschionis. wherein thou purposest to smite an other, therein expect a greater blow thy selfe. It is an euident argument either of a bad cause or weake defense, that is bolstered out with such indirect meanes. The truth (as the prouerbe is) will not seeke corners: nor yet will the veritie be defended with a lie, nor simplicitie by falsifications and forgerie. In the sixt Synode of Constantinop. Act. 6. when as Macarius and Petrus, with other Monothelites, had mangled the testimonies of the Fathers, as well in sense as words; the Catholikes said, Non congruit orthodoxis ita circumtruncatas patrum sententias deflorare, &c. It is not agreeable to the orthodoxall (men) so to deflowre, (and deface) the gelded sentences of the fathers: this is more proper for heretikes. If he would therefore hauehave beene taken for an orthodoxall and Euangelicall writer (as I wish with my heart, he may hereafter prooue, and that the amendment of his heart may reforme the error of his penne) then should he not hauehave trode in the pathway of Heretikes, and followed their guise, in corrupting of his witnesses. Therefore concerning his omissions, alterations, additions, and other corruptions in the allegations of the fathers, I say as Augustin did to Iulian concerning Chrysostome, whome he corruptly alleadged:lib. 1. cont. Iulian. c. 1. Si totum legisses, invenire potuisti, aut si legisti, miror quemadmodum te potuit praeterire, aut si praeterire non potuit, miror quomodo te non correxerit: If you had read the whole, you might hauehave found it: or if you read it, I maruaile how it could escape you, or if it did not escape you, I wonder, how it did not correct you.