A Scourge for a Railer, Treatise · Part 2
The 2. imputation of slaunders.2. Imputation.
The accusation.
1. The Replyer is noted as a slaunderer, because he chargeth the Antagonist, to vnderstand directly by Christs death, hell. 2. b. p. 36.2. b. p. 36.
2. He calleth it a slaunder, that he is charged by the Replyer, to maintaine Limbus patrum. 2. b. p. 40.2. b. p. 40.
The satisfaction, or iustification.
1. THe slaunderer himselfe mistaketh the Replyers wordes, which are these; he directly by his death vnderstandeth hell: where this word his, should by the Compositor hauehave beene made this: which missing of a letter in the word this, is an ouersight of the Printer, as may be seene in other places of the ReplyersaAs Hexapl. p. 217. l. 24. this chiefe fault, for his cheife fault: and, p. 356. l. 25. this Patriarchal dignitie, for his Patriarchal. So Synops. p. 978. l. 28. this soule, for, his soule. workes: the Printer therefore, setteth his death; the Author wrote, this death: neither of them hath Christs death, as he misreporteth: he is therefore the slaunderer himselfe.
2. Whether he be not without any slaunder or false imputation, directly a Limbist, it hath beene sufficiently prooued before in the preface.
The recrimination.
That eloquent declamer said well, Carere debet omni vitio, Cicer. respons. ad Salust.qui in alterum paratus est dicere: he should himselfe be voide of blame, that speaketh against an other: with what face then could the Accuser impute that to others, which he falleth into himselfe? and wracke himselfe vponupon that rocke, which he imagineth others to runne against: for here followeth a rabble of his slaunderous accusations.
1. Limbomastix, is become Symbolomastix: that is, a scourger of the Creede. epist. dedic. p. 10.ep. ded. p. 10. you cunningly went about to casheere an article of the Creede. 2 b. p. 166.2. b. p. 166. you still labour to discreede this Article of our faith. 3. b. p. 3. 179.3. b. p. 179. you still labour not onelyonly to discredit it, but to discreede it also. 3. b. p. 198.3. b. p. 198. And in diuers other places he laieth this grieuous imputation: whereas the Replyer directly saith, Who denieth the article of Christs discension? 3. b. p. 197.
2. That he conueyeth an appeale frō his Maiestie, and the Clergie, vntounto the Parlament: epist. p. 10.epist. p. 10. whereas the Epistle Dedicatorie to the Parlament house, is directly intituled to the Lords spirituall and temporall.
3. That in Synopsis he striketh at some maine points of faith, shaking the foundation it selfe, and calling in question heauen and hell, the diuinitie and humanitie: yea, the very soule and saluation of Christ himselfe. epist. p. 6.epist. p. 6. all which are meere slaunders: the author of Synopsis holdeth all these points more soundly, then this slaunderous carper: neither shal he be able to fasten any such imputation vponupon that booke, and therefore he glaunceth ouer with this generall fiction, descending to no particular.
4. That the Replyer holdeth this blasphemous paradox, that Christ our Sauiour suffered in his sacred soule, the hellish horror and paines of the damned. epist. p. 10.epist. p. 10. whereas, he misliketh this phrase of speech, that Christ suffered the paines of the damned, and wisheth it to be forborne. Synops. p. 974. err. 7.
5. That he maintaineth, impious and hereticall paradoxes: pref. p. 2.pref. p. 2. seeketh to bring in a new Puritane heresie. p. 43.2. b. p. 43. that neither Rhemist nor Romanist could lightly hauehave more disgraced the discipline and doctrine of the Church. epist. dedic. p. 10. how falsly he hath herein slaundered the Replyer, his writings alreadie extant can giuegive sufficient testimonie both to this age present, and to posteritie: that he is as farre from all heresie, and popish doctrine, as this Reviler is from a sober and modest man.
6. That he falleth to scourging the guides and gouernors of the Church: 2. b. p. 2.2. b. p. 2. transformeth the order thereof into an Anarchie: p. 29.p. 29. that he reiecteth Ecclesiasticall authoritie,2. b. p. 110. euer repining at that gouernment whereby you should be ruled. p. 110. But what a reuerent opinion the Replyer hath of the calling of Bishops, it appeareth both by his iudgement deliuered, Synops. p. 241. l. 3. wherein he confesseth in the calling of Bishops in the reformed Churches, (such as the Church of England is) somewhat no doubt to be diuine and Apostolicall: and Antilog. pref. to the King, p. 9. where he esteemeth the calling it selfe of Bishops, as one of the profitable parts of the Church. As also by his practise, who hath dedicated diuerse bookes vntounto certaine reuerend Bishops and Prelates: more, I thinke, then any one writer of the Church in this age hath done beside: which he hath done onelyonly of dutie and louelove toward them, not beeing mooued thereunto by any present fruition, or future hope, of any preferment either receiued at their hands, or expected.
7. As for personall inueighing against the writers of our Church, there is none that hath more peremptorily directed his penne, or more presumptuously emploied his paines, then your selfe. 2. b. p. 7.2. b. p. 7. There is none among all the impugners of the locall discent of Christs soule to hell, who hath in more disgracefull manner reproached some of the best Preachers and writers of this English Church, then you hauehave done. 2. b. p. 81.2. b. p. 81. he falsly and slaunderously condemneth the doctrine and teachers of the Church, for Popish, vnsound, corrupt, erroneous, yea hereticall. 2. b. p. 29.2. b. p. 29. you affirme some Popish bookes to hauehave beene written by Protestants. 2. b. p. 54.2. b. p. 54. All these are vncharitable slaunders: 1. for he can not name one writer of the Church, that the Replyer hath personally inueighed or directed his penne against. 2. of like truth is it, that he hath vsed reproachfull tearmes against some of the best preachers: what are those reproachfull words, where, and when vttered? 3. it is as true, that he chargeth the doctrine and teachers of the Church, with hereticall opinions, and writing of Popish books: he saith that some bookes (set forth) doe maintaine doctrine too much declining to Poperie, which can not be denied of any of sound iudgement: if these and the like positions, that the Scriptures alone are not compleate to euerlasting felicitie: that mans will naturally is apt without grace to beleeue: that mens naturall workes are acceptable vntounto God: that there are workes of supererogation: that to be preserued from all sinne in this life, is not vnpossible: and such like, as they are noted els where, Eccles. triumph. p. 91.be not doctrines too much declining to Poperie: then it must be confessed the Replyer is ouerseene, The Confuter holdeth positions contrarie to the articles of religion established.if they be, then the wrongfull Accuser is prooued a slaunderer. Doth he count these the doctrines of the Church, which are directly opposite to the articles of religion established? which thus affirme, that the holy Scripture containeth all things necessarie to saluation: artic. 6. that man of his owne naturall strength, can not turne and prepare himselfe to faith: artic. 10. that workes done before the grace of Christ, are not pleasant to God: artic. 13. workes of supererogation, can not be taught without arrogancie and impietie: artic. 14. they are to be cōdemned, which say they can no more sunne, as long as they liue here. artic. 16. The Slaunderer then himselfe, and his adherents, are those that condemne the doctrine of the Church.
8. He chargeth the Replyer, with heresie tending to Atheisme: pref. p. 5.pref. p. 5. it is to be feared least in time you become as bad members to the Church of England, as they, that is, the Anabaptists, were to the Church of Germanie. 2. b. p. 8.2. b. p. 8. there were certaine omnifidians, &c. who held the like opinion, as you doe, of which number was one Appelles, who affirmed, that it was needelesse to discusse the particulars of faith. 2. b. p. 90.2. b. p. 90. he calleth his exposition of some places of Scripture (which he tearmeth misconstruction) hereticall. 2. b. p. 91. blasphemous, p. 92.2. b. p. 91. 92 These imputations of heresie, blasphemie, Anabaptisme, are most vile and pestilent slanders: so is this, that the Replyer is burthened, to hold an implicite faith, p. 91. and that it is needelesse to discusse the particulars of faith: whereas he directly holdeth the contrarie, condemning els where the Popish implicite, and simple faith:S…nops. p. 874. he onelyonly wisheth, that seeing we all hold the foundation, the peace of the Church be not broken, in contending about the manner of Christs discension. Limbom. p. 5.
9. Slaunder. That he bitterly exclaimeth against the whole state of the Church: 1. b. p. 10.1. b. p. 10. reuiueth clamorous inuectiues: their heads plotting, and their hands practising Babylonian warres: they can not auoide the name of dissemblers in the Church of England, nor yet disturbers of it. p. 18.1. b. p. 18. his petition and complaint, are in plaine English nothing els but a bitter inuectiue against the doctrine and discipline of the Church, glossed with flatterie, and gilded with hypocrisie. 2. b. p. 19.2. b. p. 19. that they thought his Maiestie would erect the Genevian Consistorie, or Scottish Presbyterie, p. 23.p. 23. and change the state of religion. ibid. the picture of a discontented, if not turbulent spirit. p. 29.p. 29. 31. he rebelleth against the Church. p. 31. those whome you call reuerend Fathers, you vouchsafe them no sonne-like obedience. p. 68.p. 68. All these are most vntruly obiected: 1. to complaine of some abuses of the Church, is not to exclaime against the Church: the late Canons and Constitutions of the Church doe shew, that many things had neede of amendment and reformation in the Church: 2. what reuerent opinion the Replyer hath of the Gouernours of the Church, is before shewed, slaund. 6. 3. how farre he is from a turbulent spirit, God he knoweth: and some of the greatest place in the Church can tell, how his courses hauehave tended to a pacification in the Church. A more vile slaunderous tongue, I think hath seldome beene heard to speake.
10. Slaund. The Kings most excellent Maiestie can not escape the Taint of his intemperate tongue: for whereas his grace saith, that he acknowledgeth the Romane Church to be our mother Church: it is (saith Limbomastix) a foolish conceit and imagination: he maketh him a very nouice in the faith. 2. b. p. 28.2. b. p. 28.
In these foule slaunders, he doth bewray nothing else but (to vse his owne tearmes) falshood and malice. 1. Is it like that the Replyer had the least imagination to crosse his Maiesties speech, when as the booke, which the slaunderer quoteth,Eccles. triumph. was published ann. 1603. about the time of his Maiesties coronation in the monethmonth of Iulie, and the Kings oration followed aboue sixe moneths after,Anno 1603. in the monethmonth of March:Mart. 19. what an absurd collection is this? 2. But this slanderous obiecter doth his Maiestie the wrong, to suppose that he is contrarie to himselfe: for his Maiestie holdeth the Pope to be Antichrist, and to be the head of a false and hypocriticall Church:Meditat. in Revel. 20. par. 2. is he so shamelesse to imagine, that his Maiestie thinketh a false and hypocriticall Church to be our mother? it is cleare then, that the King in acknowledging the Romane Church to be our mother, meaneth not the Popish Church, as it now standeth: but that sometime while it stood in the integritie, it was our mother Church: that is, a principall and chiefe church, where the Patriarchall seat was of the Occidentall parts: for these are his Maiesties owne words, I acknowledge the Romane Church to be our mother Church, although defiled with some infirmities and corruptions, as the Iewes were, when they crucified Christ. The Church of Rome is no otherwise then our mother Church, then the Church of the Iewes was of our Sauiour Christ and the Apostles. 3. Neither yet is it in the place giuen in instance called a foolish conceit to say, that the Romane Church is our mother, (which in the Kings sense being admitted, yet as he blindly taketh it, will be denied) but that Rome should be the mother Church and nurserie of all the world: the Accuser then himselfe is found to be a falsifier, and slaunderer. 4. Yea, it is his owne intemperate tongue, the taint whereof his Maiestie can not escape: whereas he calleth diuers points of doctrine true and sound positions, 2. b. p. 20.2. b. p. 20. some of which are before set downe, slaund. 7. which his Maiestie in his iudgement condemneth: the King affirmeth, that all, which is necessarie to saluation, is contained in the Scripture: R. Parks opposeth himselfe in diuerspoints of doctrine to his Maiesties iudgment.that no man is able to keepe the law, or any part thereof: that we are saued by beleeuing, not by doing: that whatsoeuer is not of faith, is sinne: that we can not thinke any thing of our selues, and consequently that we are not apt of our selues to beleeue: the contrarie positions to all these, with others, this cauillous aduersarie calleth sound and true positions: as that the Scriptures of themselues are not compleat to saluation: that it is not impossible in this life to be preserued from all sinne, and so consequently to keepe the law: that our workes (and so not onelyonly faith and beleeuing) are meanes to blot out sinne: that naturall workes are acceptable to God, euen such as are without faith: that mans will is apt to take or refuse any particular obiect: and consequently to beleeue. Then in this slaunderous excepters opinion, the King holdeth vnsound and vntrue positions: the contrarie whereof he calleth sound and true positions: and thus he thwarteth not onelyonly the doctrine of the Church in the articles of religion, as is before shewed, 7. slaund. but his Maiesties iudgement also: see more of this, pref. to Antilog. p. 4.
5. But the other obiection is friuolous and childish, that the Replyer maketh him a Novice in the faith: affording his Highnes onelyonly a liuely feeling and inward touch thereof: Sense and feeling of religion the perfection thereof: against R. Parks ignorant position.for, 1. he addeth (onelyonly) deceitfully of his owne: the Replyers wordes are these, as God hath endued his princely heart with a liuely feeling, and inward touch of true religion. 2. he bewraieth his carnall and grosse ignorance, in making the liuely sense and feeling of religion onelyonly to appertaine to a Novice, which is the very perfection of true knowledge, and religion: for a liuely sense presupposeth knowledge: one may hauehave the knowledge and shew of religion, and yet feele not the power thereof, as the Apostle saith,2. Tim. 3. 5. foreign. hauing a forme of religion, but hauehave denied the power thereof: in which number (I feare me) this enuious aduersarie is one. But there can not be a liuely sense of religion,Philip. 1. 9. foreign. without knowledge preceding: as S. Paul againe saith, I pray that your louelove may abound, yet more and more in all knowledge and sense.
11. Slaund. That the Replyer defendeth many things in that booke that is contrarie to the Gospel. 2. b. p. 50.2. b. p. 50. you conuince your selfe to be no Protestant, in calling me an adversarie to Protestants. p. 52.p. 52. they hauehave neither friend, nor faith left them. p. 53.p. 53. that some of his friends denie the Pater noster. p. 76.p. 76. if we must receiue no article of the Creede, vnlesse it be expounded according to your sense of the Scriptures, and your conceit of the Analogie of faith, we may in time hauehave neither Creede, nor Christianitie left vsus. 2. b. p. 180.2. b. p. 180. that he followeth prophane errour in hatred of the truth. 3. b. p. 203.3. b. p. 203.
Vnlesse this shamelesse man were possessed with the spirit of lying and slaunder, he would neuer hauehave laid vntounto the Replyers charge, to defend things contrarie to the Gospel, to be no Protestant, to hauehave no faith, no Christianitie, to hate the truth: whose bookes, if they had not more true diuinitie in one leafe, then his rayling bundle in the whole packe, and the author more faith and Christianitie in his serious meditations, then the other in his deepest studies, he would neuer set penne to paper againe, nor looke any man in the face hereafter. But I must here excuse my selfe with Tullie, Philippic. 12.Iniuriae dolor facit me praeter morem gloriosum: the sense of my wrong maketh me boast beside my wont.
12. Slaund. Your seldome excursions abroad against the common aduersarie, can not excuse your often incursions at home against your brethren: 2. b. p. 58.2. b. p. 58. what will not a slaunderous tongue forge? The Replyer calleth God and men to witnesse for the clearing of him in this point: that he hath neither vsed often nor seldome incursions against his brethren; making any challenge by name to any of them. This whole Church can testifie with him, that the most, if not aSynops. Tetrastylon. Catholicon. the Retect. the Antilog. Hexapla on Genesis.all of his writings (certaine explanations of Scripture onelyonly excepted) hauehave beene directed against the common aduersarie: of like truth is the marginal glaunce in the same place: that two petitions were exhibited to the King, the one with a 1000. hands, the other with 1500. whereas I hauehave beene certenly informed, and I doe verily beleeue, that neither of them were subscribed with any hands at all. Of the same credit is the next obiection, p. 60.2. b. p. 60. that the Replyer with others doe think themselues persecuted for the profession of the Gospel: whereas (leauing other mens complaints) he most heartily thanketh God for that sweete peace, which he hath enioyed in his ministerie, which by Gods gracious assistance hath brought forth such fruits in the vse of his penne, as he needeth not be ashamed of.
13. Slaund. Your words doe necessarily implie all the auncient fathers, and all sound writers since, together with all good Christians throughout the whole world, to be popish and superstitious men, &c. for all these doe firmely hold the locall discent of Christs soule into hell. 2. b. p. 82.2. b. p. 82. Contra. 1. The Replyers wordes doe implie no such thing, but the contrarie: for these they are, They which hold not the locall discent of Christs soule to hell should not condemne the other as prophane & superstitious that are so perswaded. Limbom. p. 5. is not then he ashamed to inferre the contrarie, that the Replyers words implie they are popish? 2. The fathers opinion touching the local discent of Christs soule, is farre different from his: and in these fowre substantiall and materiall points: 1. in respect of the place, they hold he went not downe to the hell of the damned, but to that part of hell, where the fathers were: 2. in respect of their persons; that he descended not to the damned, but to preach deliuerance to the fathers there detained: 3. the ende is also diuerse: they hold he went to deliuer: 4. in the effect they differ: for their opinion is, that hell was emptied at Christs going downe thither, and that returning from thence, he brought an innumerable companie of captiues with him:Bell. de Christ anim. l. 4. c. 14. to this purpose Bellarmine alleadgeth aboue twentie Greeke and Latine fathers beside Councells. 3. And are all sound writers, and good Christians of his opinion? thenain Act 2. v. 27. institut. lib. 2. c. 16. sect 9. 8. Calvine, bin Math. c. 27.Bucer, cin Act. 2. 27.Beza, dAct. 2. v. 27.Erasmus, Sarcerius, ein Eph. 4. 9.Marlorate, fin Eph. 4. 9.Gasper Megander, gin Symbol.Oleviane, hAct. 2 sect. 11.D. Fulke, D. Reynolds, icont. Monach. Burdegal. p. 176.Sadeel, kMedull. de Ignat. c. 3. p. 448Scultetus, lsuper hunc articulum.Vrsinus, Bucanus, with diuers others, were in his blind opinion neither sound writers, nor good Christians, all which held the contrarie.
14. Slaund. That the Replyer was one of those that contradicted, what reuerendm2. b. p. 95. B. Bilson taught concerning our redemption by the death of Christ: p. 95. that he holdeth that the article of Christs descentionn2. b. p. 96. is to be reiected out of the Creede as a new addition, lately foisted into the Creede. 2. b. p. 96. Contra. What will not now this malitious Accuser dare to say, obiecting things as contrarie to truth, as darknes is to light? he might as well say, that the Replyer holdeth, there is no Christ, nor God, as accuse him to denie the redemption of mankind by the death of Christ, and the article of the discension: his prophane heart knew, that his dissembling lippes, wandring hand, and erring penne, consented here to make a lie.
15. Slaund. The fourth fault is horrible impietie, in that you hereby condemne the soule of the Prophet Dauid, to the very place of the damned. 3. b. p. 41.Whereas, 1. the Replyer saith in very direct words, his, that is, Dauids soule was not at all in hell, Limbom. p. 24. how then is not the slaunderer ashamed thus to obiect: 2. because the Replyer saith, the not beeing or leauing of the soule in hell, was as well performed in Dauid as in Christ: Limbom. p. 24. hence he doth inferre thus: Dauids soule was not left in hell, Ergo it was in hell: whereas it is cleare, that the Replyer, by not leauing, vnderstandeth the not beeing: so our Sauiour saith to his Apostles, Ioh. 14. 18. I will not leaue you comfortlesse: will he hereupon conclude, that they were comfortlesse, but not so left: 3. It is the accuser himselfe, that is guiltie of this impietie, that Dauids soule was, if not in hell,Dauids soule affirmed by the aduersarie, to be almost in hell. yet neare vntounto hell: for in these words of Dauid, if the Lord had not holpen me, my soule had well-nie dwelt in silence, Psal. 94. 17. by silence, he vnderstandeth*2. b. p. 159. hell: in his sentence then Dauids soule was almost in hell, and by the like collection it was there, though it dwelt not, or continued there.
16. Slaund. The Replyer is charged with Iudaisme, for that none but Iewes did euer applie this prophesie to any but to our Sauiour Christ. 3. b. p. 41.Contra. 1. It is not Iudaisme to applie the propheticall saying of Dauid concerning Christ, in some sense, vntounto Dauid, but to vnderstand them onelyonly of Dauid, and not at all of Christ: as, if his memorie had serued him, he might hauehave turned backe to 2. b. p. 1362. b. p. 136. where he himselfe citeth Hierome vponupon the 71. Psalm. v. 20. Thou wilt take me from the depth of the earth: Iudaei hunc psalmum in solum Davidem convenire volunt, &c. the Iewes will hauehave this psalme to agree vntounto Dauid onelyonly: and 3. b. p. 47.3. b. p. 47. he alleadgeth out of Mollerus, that D. Kimchi interpreteth the 16. Psal. of the Prophet Dauid: and wil not hauehave these words meant of the resurrection of Christ. 2. If they sauour of Iudaisme, which applie the propheticall sayings concerning Messiah in the Psalmes to Dauid, then is Basil guiltie that way, who vponupon these words in the 48. Psal. The Lord shall deliuer my soule from the hand of hell, Basilan Psal. 48.thus writeth: Manifeste vaticinatur Domini ad inferos descensum, qui cum alijs etiam ipsius animam redimat, ne remaneat ibi: he manifestly prophesieth of the Lords descension to hell, which with others should also redeeme his soule that it remaine not there: he applieth this text both concerning Christs descension to hell, and Dauids deliuerance from thence. So Augustine indifferently expoundeth those words, Psal. 86. v. 13. Thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest hell: Aug. in Psal 86.either of Christ, or of some of his members. Ergo aut ipsius vox est hic, eruisti &c. wherefore it is either his voice (that is, Christs) or our voice by Christ our Lord, which to that ende came thither. 3. Then doth he himselfe Iudaize, who thus confesseth of that place, Psal. 68. 18. He ascended vp on high, and led captiuitie captiue, which is as properly by S. Paul fitted to the ascension of Christ, Eph. 4. 8. as the other place, Psal. 16. is by S. Peter to our Sauiours resurrection: alluding (saith this obiecter) to the place of the Psalme, Psal. 68 18.where it is literally spoken of King Dauid himselfe, The slaunderer taken in his owne trap.to whome God gaue victorie and triumph ouer all his enemies, but prophetically meant of Christ our Sauiour, 1. b. p. 57.of whome Dauid was a type and figure. Thus it falleth out according to the saying of the wise man,Prov. 26. 27. he that diggeth a pit, shall fall therein, and he that rolleth a stone, it shall returne vntounto him: this accusation of Iudaisme, which as a stone he cast at the Replyer, recoyling againe, hath broken his owne pate.
17. Slaunder. According to your sense, all that will follow Christ, must suffer the death of the soule, 3. b. p. 63.3. b. p. 63. You deliuer for sound doctrine, that Christ suffered that death which was threatened to Adam. 3. b. p. 66.3. b. p. 66. Your blasphemous paradox of the death of Christs soule. 3. b. p. 83.3. b. p. 83. Whereas the Replier doth directly affirme, that Christ died not the death of the soule, either by sinne, or damnation. Synops. p. 977. which are the two kinds onelyonly of the proper dying of the soule. And, though a kinde of death may after some sort be affirmed of Christs soule, in respect of the great anguish and torment which hee endured in his soule; yet he wisheth that kinde of phrase, as beeing not vsed in Scripture, to be forborne and discontinued. Synops. p. 978. The Replier here then, is as farre from blasphemie, as the Accuser is from honestie, in charging him with such an apparant vntruth.
18. Slaunder. That he doth call againe out of hel, Arrius, Eunomius, Apollinaris, Lucianus, to ioyne hands with you against Athanasius, Epiphanius, Fulgentius: that he doth iustifie so pestilent and blasphemous heretiks, against so reuerend, so learned, and holy fathers. 3. b. p. 74.3. b. p. 74. You reiected Athanasius before for a misconstruer of Scripture, an establisher of error; yea little better then a blasphemer: euen because he proued against the Arrians, that the word Spirit in this place of Peter, signifieth the humane soule of Christ. 3. b. 125. 1.3. b. p. 125.
Contra. 1. What an absurd collection is this? Athanasius, Epiphanius, did censure the Apollinarists out of this place of Peter, proouing thence, that Christ had an humane soule: you therefore refusing their interpretation and collection out of this place, condemne them, and iustifie those hereticks. 2. Augustine and Ambrose doe prooue the eternitie of Christ, and coexistence with his father, against the Arrians out of that place, Ioh. 8. 2. which they read thus according to the vulgar latine; the beginning, who spake vntounto you: which reading, indeed by the authoritie of these Fathers, the Rhemists follow in their translation: whereas, the true reading according to the originall is, Euen the same thing which I said vntounto you from the beginning. Doth it follow, that they which refuse this their interpretation and application of this text against the Arrians, doe therefore iustifie the Arrians against these godly Fathers? 3. The Replier no where ascribeth blasphemie vntounto Athanasius; the slaunderer blasphemeth rather in so saying: error he is not free from, seeing he is cited by Bellarmine, De Christ. anim. lib. 4. c. 14.to prooue Christs descent to Limbus patrum, which all Protestants hold to be an error, howsoeuer this Antagonist staggereth at it.
19. Slaunder. That the flames and torments of hell fire are temporall: Synops. p. 1010. 1014.and that eternall continuance in them, is not of the essence and nature of hell torments. 3. b. p. 77.3. b. p. 77. If this (false fellow) had not hardened his face as the Adamant, hee would not for shame hauehave thus obiected: for, the Replier in the first place quoted in the margen, speaketh onelyonly of the hell sorrows and torments, which Christ suffered in his soule, which were not eternall, because of the dignitie of his person: for, these are the words concerning hell flames; First, in that they are not eternall in Christ, the digniti… of his person obtained: for his temporall enduring of hell sorrow, was as effectuall and meritorious, as if they had beene perpetuall. Here is no one word of the torments of hell in generall. Againe, in the other place these are the words: The inseperable adiuncts, and necessarie members of hell, are these; 1. the Place, which is infernall: 2. the Time, which is perpetual: 3. darkenes vnspeakable. What fault can this quarrel-picker finde with these words? what meane Logician knoweth not, that the continuance of time, is not of the essence of a thing, but a necessarie adiacent or adiunct? Yea, these are his very owne words in an other place; whose inseperable adiuncts (speaking of hell) are vtter darkenesse, and endlesse paines. 1. b. p. 3.1. b. p. 3. Is he not now a wise man, that reprooueth another for speaking in his owne words?
20. Slaunder. By which wicked and intolerable speech, you send to hell, not onelyonly those, which were at that time thorough the world, but euen Noahs owne familie also, which were together with him in the Arke. 3. b. p. 104.3. b. p. 104. But more wicked and intolerable is this shamelesse creature, that dare thus open his mouth to reuile: for, whereas the words which he quarrelleth at, stand thus in the booke; In so much, that the Lord vpheld him in all his preaching, and profession, against all the (professors) of the old world, condemning them, Li…bomast. p. 41.and sauing him: but that his malice blinded him, he might hauehave turned to the Errata in the beginning of the booke, where he should hauehave found, that professors by the Printer was here taken for prophane persons. If hee knew this escape to bee so corrected, and yet would traduce the Replier, it bewraieth malice: if hee knew it not, it argueth his ignorance and rashnesse, that would make no further search.
21. Slaunder. You place hell in the aire. 3. b. p. 153.3. b. p. 153. 1. What shamefull dealing is this,Synops. p. 1018. thus without any conscience to detort and depraue the Repliers words? He in that place speaketh onelyonly of the place whither the deui…s are now cast downe, which is into hell (as S. Peter saith) where God hath deliuered them to chaines of darkenesse;2. Pet. 2. 4. whom yet S. Paul saith, to rule in the aire, Eph. 2. 2. To reconcile these two Apostles, it must be confessed, that the aire is the diuels present hell: and so Augustine taketh it. Poenaliter hunc infernum, id est, De natur. bon. c. 32.caligino sum aerem tanqua… carcerem acceperunt: They hauehave receiued this infernall and darke aire for their prison. That therefore, which is spoken secundum quid, in part, and after such a sort, he wresteth, as beeing spoken simpliciter, simply and absolutely: inferring thus; The diuels present hell is in the aire: ergo, there shall be no hell but in the aire. 2 And concerning the site of hell, the Replier else-where deemeth not, but that it may be in the earth, Synops. p. 1056.or where else it pleaseth God: and consisteth specially vponupon this position, That the place of hell causeth not the torment, but the wrath and curse of God: which, this caueller shall neuer be able to disprooue.
22. Slaunder. Hexap. 9. 28. 15. 9. &c.That he vtterly condemneth allegories. 3. b. p. 166.3. b. p. 166. Here this endlesse wrangler committeth the same fault which hee fell into before, to presse that as generally spoken against all allegories, which is intended only against such allegories, as are of mens deuising, and hauehave no warrant in Scripture: as the words thus stand in the first place there noted, I hold it not safe wading without a bottome, and therefore I omit these allegorical applications, as mens fansies. Is this vtterly to condemne allegories? he that so doeth, alloweth none, and so euen the allegories vsed by S. Paul, Gal. 4. and in other places of Scripture, should also be excluded. EueryEvery man may see what paltrie dealing this is, and such is his lewd vaine throughout this whole Satyricall discourse. Many other slaunderous accusations are foisted in eueryevery where, which it were lost labour to examine. If I should altogether busie my selfe in raking in this filthy dunghill, I might be thought as vaine and beastly,foreign, qui …tercora colligit. as this Coprologus himselfe: yet I will adde one slaunder more.
23. Slaunder. That the Replier calleth the blessed roots of the Christian faith, cursed rootes. 2. b. p. 84.2. b. p. 84. A vile slaunder: for the Replier only repeateth the Confutors words, which are these; That he chargeth his brethren irreligiously and vnchristianly to call the maine grounds and principles of our faith into question. Saying further, To plant by writing, or water by speaking the cursed rootes thereof. These are his owne wordes in many syllables: now this word thereof, which he meaneth of Atheisme, hee with a cavillous spirit retorteth vponupon the Replier, as spoken of faith in the precedent sentence; which is apparantly seperated and suspended from the next clause, by these words interlaced in other caracters (and saying) which this slie iugler concealeth, that his fraud appeare not.
I would he had grace to consider, how grieuously hee hath offended, in persecuting his brother with such vncharitable slaunders, and had remembred that sentence of the Apostle,1. Ioh. 3. 15. that he which hateth his brother is a man-slaier: yea, as Cyprian saith, Multo malum leuius & periculum minus est, cum membra gladio vulnerantur: facilior cura, vbi plaga perspicua, &c. zeli vulnera abstrusa sunt & occulta. Serm. de Liuore. It is a lighter euill, and lesse danger, when the members are wounded with a sword: the cure is easier, where the wound is in sight; the wounds of enuie are close and secret.
Theocritus being demanded which were the most cruell beasts,foreign. made this answer; Truely in the hilles, the Beares and Lyons; but in Cities, sycophants and slaunderers. The wise man hath expressed it better,Prou. 17. 12. That a Beare might rather meete with a man, then a foole in his folly. But, because a word once spoken cannot bee called in; the next way to make amends for this grosse ouer-sight, is to take heed of the like slip afterward:Prou. 3. 32. and to follow the wise mans counsell; If thou hast beene foolish in lifting thy selfe vp, and if thou hast thought wickedly, lay thy hand vponupon thy mouth. Let him heare Cyprian againe; Venena fellis euome, purgetur mens quam serpentinus livor infecerat, 3. Imputation.amaritudo omnis quae intus insiderat, Cyprian. de livore.Christi dulcedine leniatur. Vomite vp thy poisoned gall: let the minde be purged which serpentine enuie hath infected: let all bitternes, which festred within, be allaied by the sweetnes of Christ.