A Scourge for a Railer, Treatise · Part 4
The fourth imputation of grosse ouersights.
The accusation.
1. That it be lawfull for none to maintaine or defend, those doctrines, wherein the Protestants of England consent with other reformed Churches. Here he crieth out: when he set downe this petition, sure it is either he was much distracted, or not soberly minded. 2. b. p. 25.2. b. p. 25.
2. Because the Replyer hath as it is printed, Augustine saith well to Hierome, whereas it was Hierome that so writ to Augustin in his 13. epist. he exclaimeth, you vnlearnedly mistake. 2. b. p. 101.2. b. p. 101.
3. Because his Linx eye findeth applicate printed for explicate. 3. b. p. 6.3. b. p. 6.
4. Because Limbom. hath, if the Apostle had treated of Christs descensiō, before his resurrection: is this such a foule error? whereas he should hauehave said, if the Apostle had treated of Christs resurrection, before his ascension: he proclaimeth grosse ouersight. p. 54.2. b. p. 54.
5. Because Limbom. 3. b. p. 89.readeth foreign, where it should be foreign.
6. Limbom. saith, The Lord vpheld Noe in all his preaching and profession against all the professors of the old world, condemning them, and sauing him: whereupon he crieth out: a wicked and intolerable speech. 3. b. p. 104.3. b. p. 104.
7. Amiddes the vncircumcised (not circumcised) as you falsely call them. p. 137.3. b. p. 137.
8. Limbom. But there came an other descention betweene, which immediately went before his descending to death and the graue: whereupon this peeuish prier would inferre, that the Replyer bringeth in a third descension, which should immediately goe before his descending to death and the graue. 3. b. p. 158.3. b. p. 158.
The iustificatim, or satisfaction.
1. THis curious ouerseer of others, might hauehave considered, that this one monosyllable (but) should hauehave beene inserted, and so the wordes to be read thus: (but) those doctrines, wherein the Protestants, &c. And thinketh he, that so small a word, might not easily escape the compositor in the authors absence: who neither knew of the printing of that booke, no… was present at it? seeing that in other of his workes the like scapes hauehave beene made: sometimes by the adding of a word too much, sometime by leauing out: asaHexapl. p. 8. l. 45. were not, is put for were: bp. 65. l. 31.for the, in stead of, for that the: cp. 283. l. 21.had yet reuealed, for, had not yet reuealed. And as (but) is here omitted, so is it there superfluously added, as,dp. 193. l. 37. but though, for though.
2. The Replyer himselfe in an other place,In the Latine Epistle to the Archbish. of Canter. before the first Cent. in Synops. p. 4. citing the very same wordes, saith, vt bene Hieronymus Augustino, as Hierome saith well to Augustine: therefore this partiall Censurer, who otherwise is quicke sighted enough to espie motes in the authors eye in Synopsis, might hauehave compared that place with his censure: but his vncharitable partialitie blinded him. The Replyer therefore is cleared from this ouersight, who soeuers els it was. And whereas Hierome writ but 10. epistles to Augustine, and this is found in the sixt of them, he committeth a double ouersight, saying it is in the 13.
3. As though the Replyer himselfe hath not corrected that word among the errata before Limbom. shewing that explicate should be read for applicate: he had small reason therefore to take this slender exception.
4. He that taketh this transposing of the words, whether in the writer or the setter (an vsuall ouersight in compositors) for so great a fault, might hauehave remembred, that it is a grosser fault to mistake one word for another, especially of a contrarie sense, as ascending for descending, as he doth in these words: there is no word of ascending ioyned with it, as in all places, where it signifieth hell. 3. b. p. 184.3. b. p. 184. he should hauehave said, no word of descending: for to ascend to hell was neuer read▪ And againe, he might hal…e …eene (if he had not beene willfully blind) that the Replyer in setting downe the obiection, placed the words in their right order: the transposing then of them afterward, by all likelihood was not his fault.
5. The word corrected by the Caviller, was before so amended by the Replyer in the errata, which his wilfull blindnes would not suffer him to see.
6. Likewise, professors in that place, should be read, prophane persons, as the Replyer himselfe hath noted it among the errata to Limbom.
7. The Replyer himselfe thus readeth in the one place not many lines before: they are gone downe with the vncircumcised: and therefore this friuolous fault finder might hauehave knowne, that the Replyer could read no otherwise in the other place: whose ouersight so euer it was.
8. Here this captious Controller picketh this quarrell for want of a small comma in parenthesis: for the words should be read thus: there came an other descension betweene, which went immediatly before,) his descending to death and the graue: that is, namely his descending &c. so there must be a pause betweene, before, and descending, and then there is no place left for this cauill.
The Recrimination.
1. He saith, he will take the paines to peruerse his pamphlet once againe, pref. p. 5.Pref. p. 5. he meaneth the Replyers book: but this may be well taken for a willing or wilfull scape: for in deede this spitefull spie fault, or rather make fault, doth nothing els but peruert, and, in his owne tearme, peruerse the Replyers pamphlet: his penne did here hit righter then he was aware.
2. There wanted no good will in you, but courage in a good cause: 2. b. p. 44.he would hauehave said, bad cause: but his penne is ouerruled to write the truth against his owne minde.
3. Now to proceede to your militiaes, p. 57.2. b. p. 57. he would hauehave said militaries: so, 3. b. p. 150.3. b. p. 150. here is a plaine exposition (of ascending and descending) he would hauehave saide opposition.
4. Touching the signification of the Hebrew & Greeke words, sheol and hades, vsed by Dauid, and Peter in this place, all religious diuines and learned Doctors, &c. which for a thousand fiue hundred yeares together flourished in the Church of God, alwaies taught, and the Christian world beleeued, that they signified onelyonly soule and hell. 2. b. p. 119.2. b. p. 119. I pray you (Sir Controller) which of these two words in your Grammer learning signifieth soule? sheol, or hades?
5. Hee citeth Synops. p. 1218. p. 124.2. b. p. 124. in the margen, whereas that booke hath in all but pages 1114. Will not any man thinke that he was well ouerseene here?
6. Dauids perdiction. 2. b. p. 116.2. b. p. 116. It may be hee would hauehave said Dauids prediction. So 3. b. p. 78. auncient Nathers, for fathers. 3. b. p. 60.3. b. p. 60. in spirituae sancto for spiritu.
7. As for the auncients, Irenaeus, Athanasius, &c. and for late interpreters, Caluin, Bullinger, &c. as the reader may see in my former booke, it is also confirmed by the text it selfe, &c. 3. b. p. 72.3. b. p. 72. I thinke no man liuing can make any sense or construction of this inconsequent speech.
8. 3. b. p. 193.3. b. p. 193. he saith, S. Chrysostome, and S. Augustine, are both here named by your selfe among those, which agreed in that opinion: he should hauehave said, agreed not: for the Replyer propoundeth it negatiuely: neither did all the fathers agree in iudgement, that Christ descended into hell; to redeeme, &c. and then Chrysostome and Augustine are produced, as not agreeing with the rest therein.
9. So, 3. b. p. 184.3. b. p. 184. he putteth acending for descending, as is noted before, iustificat. 8. I omit many other literall scapes: as keek iustice, for keepe, and convertite, for convert, with such other slippes vsuall in his booke: which his trippings should not hauehave beene spoken of, but that he is so quicke sighted to note the least scapes in others. Let now the indifferent Reader iudge what he hath gained by obiecting grosse ouersights.
Thus it falleth out according to that saying of Chrysostome, foreign: that dishonestie is easily taken, and eueryevery where intangled by it selfe. And I send him withall Hieromes posie: Suadeas homini,Hieron. Magno. ne vescentium dentibus edentulus invideat, & oculos caprearum talpa contemnat: let not this toothlesse gentleman enuie at the feeders teeth, nor the moule scorne the goates eyes: his moulish blindnes was ouerseene to carpe at them, which are sharper sighted then himselfe.