Discovery of a False Detection, Introduction
THE ANSWERE TO THE LIBELLERS
Introduction.
ITremaineth now, that in few words an answer be made to the preamble to the Libell, which consisteth of two parts: the extenuation of the defender, and the chalenge of the detector.
For the first: 1. Though the defender take not vponupon him to be a principall dealer in controuersies, nor to be a professed challenger, as the Libeller boldly aduentureth: but doth confesse with Augustine: Absit vt mihi apud catholicosCont. Iulian. libr. 6. c. 4. arrogem, quod tibi (apud pontificios) arrogare non pudet: vnus sum è multis qui profanas vestras nouitates vt possumus refutamus, &c. Farre be it from me, to arrogate that to my selfe among Catholikes, which you are not ashamed to challenge (among Papists) I am one amongst many that doe refute, as wee may, your prophane nouelties, as God hath giuen to eueryevery of vsus the measure of faith.
2. Yet he maketh no doubt to encounter with this chalenger, and is assured he is able to defend, whatsoeuer by him can be impugned: neither doth he shew himselfe such a terrible hackster, but that a Protestant pygmie, as he scornefully calleth him, at any time dare grapple with this Popish pusio: who eueryevery where bewrayeth his ignorance: being neither seene in histories; for then he would not hauehave denied, that Leo 3. approued the bloud at Mantua to be the bloud of Christ, pag. 131. reported by Platina: nor yet hauehave called that a fable, of the childrens heads found in Gregories mote, p. 160. which is mentioned in the Epistle of Huldericus Bishop of Augusta to Pope Nicholas: neither would he hauehave made doubt of that which is alleaged out of Master Fox, concerning Luthers opinion of penance, pag. 166. As the Libeller is ignorant in histories, so neither doth he seeme to be conuersant in the Fathers: for then he would not hauehave doubted of Augustines opinion concerning remission of sinnes had in Iohns baptisme, p. 183. or of Origens concerning Limbus Patrum, pag. 185.
And as he is neither historian, nor read in the Fathers, so he seemeth to be no very good Grammarian: eueryevery where writing Tetrastilon, for Tetrastylon, and in one place Apocalipse, for Apocalypse, pag. 130. lin. 14. and here, where he would seeme to be most eloquent, he writeth pigmie for pygmie, pag. 118. lin. 20. Like as another bragger one Tannerus a Iesuite in a disputation held at Ratisbone, this yeere 1602. for foreign, foure times ignorantly cried out, thrusting out his throte foreign. The Libeller sheweth himselfe a right pygmie indeede, and a sillie champion, more worthie to be derided of Grammar boyes, for his pygmies skill, then Leo Bizantius that little Orator for his pygmiesforeign. stature. And as meete to be serued, as the schoolmaster to whom Alcibiades gaue a blow vponupon the eare, because he said, Nihil se habere Homericum:foreign. That he had no skill in Homer: as it seemeth he hath not in Greeke.
3. As for rauening wolues in sheepes cloathing, and your fardle of fables: your selues are the men, that are best knowne by this cognisance: such as the Apostle describeth: that make a shew of godlines, and denie the power thereof, &c. which creepe into houses, and leade captiue simple women laden with sinne, 2. Tim. 3. 6. which follow prophane and old wiues fables, which the Apostle would hauehaveTheophil. Hieronym. cast away, 1. Timoth. 4. 7. Such as Theophilus writeth of to Hierome: Vtinam apud vos deponerent hypocrisin, qui occulte dicuntur subruere veritatem: I would they amongst you would leaue their hypocrisie, that secretly are said to subuert the veritie. And Origen speaketh of such: Multi sunt, qui nomen Christi habent,Hom. 3. in Leuitic. sed veritatem non habent Christi: There are many which hauehave the name of Christ, but the truth of Christ they hauehave not. True it is, that when you speake of hypocrisie, and following of fables, you speake of your owne: as Chrysippus said of one that railed vponupon him: Thou hast done well, leauing out nothing, that is withinforeign. thy selfe. And this which the Libeller hath obiected to vsus but in word, shall be verified vponupon him in deede: As a cunning artificer said to the foreign.Athenians, when another bragging workman had promised much: That which this man hath said, I will performe.
4. Concerning your counterfeit spirit, with the white sheete, and flashing firebox: I feare me that in you the euill spirit doth more then counterfeit, vsing your tongue and penne indeed, as an instrument of lying and slaundering: For he is a lier and the father thereof, Iohn 8. 44.Apolog. 3. aduers. Ruffin. And as Hierome saith: Peccare est hominis, insidias tendere diaboli: It is of man to sinne, but to lay waite, is of the diuell. And it is your owne tongue that is the flashing firebox: as the Wiseman saith, He that faineth himselfe mad, casteth firebrands, arrowes and mortall things, Prou. 26. 18. You as Hierome saith: Flammas ore conceptas tenere non potes, vtApolog. 3. aduers. Ruffin. ille Barrhacabas author seditionis Iudaicae stipulam ore accensam anhelitu ventilabat, vt flammas euomere putaretur: You cannot keepe in your firie flaming words: like to Barrhacabas the author of the Iewish sedition, which kindled stubble set on fire with his mouth, that he might seeme to cast out flames. So you, as AugustineLib. 1. cont. Iulian. saith to Iulian the Pelagian: Contumelias & maledica verba ardens iracundia libris anhelasti: Burning with wrath, hauehave breathed out contumelious and railing words in your booke. But your fire shall flash vponupon your owne faces, as the firie furnace consumed those, that did heate it for the three children, Dan. 3. 22. And like as sluggish dogs do rend the skinneforeign. and bite the haire, but hurt not the beast: so though you snarle at the man and snatch at his person, you hurt not the cause.
5. You will not examine all his cosoning tricks, &c. that were with Hercules to cleanse Augeas stable.
It may seeme strange, that you dare obiect cosoning▪ and cunnicatching trickes, pag. 251. being so full of them your selues. Are you ignorant what your Quodlibeter hath discouered of the Iesuits exercise, which they vse to giuegive to landed gentlemen, as how Iohn Gerrard Iesuite gaue the exercise to Master Anthonie Rouse, Master Thomas Euerard, Edward Walpole,3. Quodlibet. art. 10. Iames Linacre with others, making them by force thereof to sell their lands, and drawing from some 1000. pound, from some 1000. marke, from one 3500. pounds, namely Henry Drurie, who became a lay brother, and was sent to Antwerp, where he died. The like practise the said deuout father vsed toward certaine yong Gentlewomen, Elizabeth Sherley, Dorithie Rockwood with others, and the Lady Mary Percie, whom he cosoned of their mariage portions, and made Nuns of themselues. These are indeede co…oning and cunnicatching trickes: but that as Hierome saith: Ad caeteros talpae, ad me caprearum oculos po…ides: You are as blind as a mole toward others, but you cast not a sheep, but a goates eye upon me. But as for Augeas stable, you are not Hercules to cleanse it, and if you were, your Popes Decretals, Clemētines, Extrauagants, Legend of lies, and other such dunghill and stable stuffe would set you a worke, you neede not seeke elsewhere. In the meane time to requite your Augeas stable, I say with Hierome against Iouinian:Lib. 1. aduers. Iouin. De tenebrosis libris, quasi de foueis serpentes protraham, ne que sinam venenosum caput, spiris maculosi corporis protegi: I will out of his bookes pull out the serpents as out of their holes, nor suffer his venemous head to be foulded within his speckled bodie. And as of three foreign.hundred images of Demetrius Phalereus, not one remained, but all while he liued, were destroyed: so all these monuments of the Libellers follie, shall quickly (I trust) in his sight be ouerthrowne and cast downe. And as Demosthenes was wont to say of Phocion, when hee began to foreign.speake: Now riseth the hatchet or cutting knife of my sayings: such shall our true defence be to his false detection.
Secondly, to answere in a word to his challenge of disputation and conference: that the defender should hold his hands from pen and paper, and come to trie the quarrell in the presence of her Maiesties most honorable Councell, with that fauour which the French Protestants obtayned before the French King, &c.
1. I doe not marueile, if the Libeller be loath to hauehave his obiections examined by writing: for he feareth least the light should discouer his iugling: as Demosthenes answered one suspected of theft, that found fault with his night studies: foreign.I knew well it grieueth you, that I burne light. And as a certaine vnskilfull Painter hauing made an euill fauoured picture of a Cocke, bid the boy driue away the true Cocks, that foreign.his vnskilfulnes might not appeare: So playeth this bungler, he would hauehave no other writing set by his, that his bold ignorance be not descried.
2. As for triall of the quarrell before the honorable Lords, as I willingly embrace the Libellers challenge, and am readie to take vp his gantlet, if it shall so seeme good to their Honors: So in the meane time I send him this Newyeeres gift: & say no more, then Archidamas to the Ele…ans: That it was good for them to be quiet. And foreign.where he telleth vsus, he will fall to it roundly pell mell, with push of pike, that saying of Pau…amas will very well fit him, to a certaine impotent man that gaue counsell for warre: I would ye did strip your selfe naked, that we may see whatforeign, &c. manner of man giueth this counsell to fight. So I could wish that this champion would shew himselfe, that we might see what a proper man he is to maintaine such a quarrell: which till it may be had I send him this posie of Hieromes: Moueat manum, figat …lum, eum ad libros prouoco, loquamur scriptis vt de nobis tacitus lector iudicet cum ad libros venerit, & pedem pedi cōtulerit, tune sudabit, tunc haerebit, &c.Ad Domnionem. Let him put his hand to his penne, I prouoke him to his booke, let vsus conferre by writing, that the reader by himself may iudge of vsus: when he commeth to write, and setteth foote to foote, then he will sweate and sticke fast, &c.
3. Because our aduersaries doe make great brags, and pretend a desire, that a free disputation and conferēce may be had, I will briefly shew, that they intend nothing lesse, then to hauehave the trueth decided by a sober and indifferent conference, but onelyonly to shew their wrangling spirits and froward nature, as may appeare by experience alreadie had of their attempts on that behalfe. First, in the disputation held at Westminster in the beginning of her Maiesties raigne, the popish disputers did behaue themselues very frowardly: 1. Where The peruerse behauiour of Popish disputers.they were appointed to deliuer their minds in writing, they contrariwise appointed one to repeate their minde in speech. 2. When he had finished, they were asked if they had any more to say, and they answered no: yet afterward when the Protestants had propounded their writing, they said they had much more to say. 3. VponUpon the second day, whereas they were appointed to conferre of the second question, the popish Bishops stood vponupon it, that they would first tender their minde in the first question. 4. They alleaged that they were commaunded to prouide their writing in Latin, whereas neuer any other order was taken, but that they should write in English. 5. Whereas they were appointed to begin, they utterly refused, and so through their wilfulnes the disputation brake off. See the report hereof penned by Master Fox. pag. 2119.
Of the like cariage were certaine Iesuites, Hungerus, Gretserus, Tannerus, that disputed at Ratisbone this last yeer 1602. with Hunnius, Helbronnerus, with other Ministers of the Augustine confession: 1. They before they would dispute, would hauehave the Ministers to proue themselues to be of the Church, and that they had the spirit of God. 2. They propounded a question impertinent concerning Vbiquitie. 3. In their disputation Tannerus, with histrionicall behauiour, lowd outcries, scurrilous scornings, and unseemely gibings, pudoris claustra perrupit, became impudent, as the reporter writeth. 4. Whē he could not answere, he said nothing, but nego consequentiam, nego consequentiam, I denie the consequence, I denie the consequence. 5. Plus centies clamatum, respondeatur in forma: Aboue an hundred times they cried out, answere in forme. 6. They refused to dispute in the Germane tongue. 7. When the Scriptures were alleaged, they answered nihil ad rem, nothing to the purpose: ex Egidio Hunnio. Before this a conference was appointed at Wormes, where because the Protestants would hauehave the Scripture to be the iudge of controuersies; the Colloquie was broken off. In like manner the Colloquies at Aldenburge, Mompelgard, Baden, by like occasions were without fruite: ibid. And here (I thinke) I see the old peruerse Donatists come foorth againe vponupon the stage, who in like manner behaued themselues in the Collatiō with the Catholike Bishops. 1. Where it was agreed that eighteene onelyonly of each side should come to the conference, the Donatists would hauehave all of their side admitted, which were all assembled to the very aged men that could not come. 2. They alleage, that the day prescribed for the conference was past, and would hauehave had the Catholikes proceeded against by default, where they were not faultie at all. 3. They required the presence of Collat. 1. diei ex Augustin. breuicul. collation.all the Catholikes that had subscribed, least any might be rehearsed that were not Bishops: whereas they had foisted in ones name, whom they (to make a cleanly excuse) affirmed to be dead in the way. 4. Whereas the Catholikes said they had 120. Bishops more at home, the Donatists affirmed the same for themselues, whereas they had said before, they were all come to the very aged men. 5. They desire a respite of sixe daies, which Collat. 2. diei.was granted them. 6. They contend, quinam erant petitores collationis, which of them were the first mouers and crauers of that collation. 7. The Donatists striue for the name Catholike. 8. They obiect that the Catholikes did defend alienam causam, a cause not belonging to Collat. 3. diei.them. 9. When the Catholikes began to prosecute their matter, the Donatists with noise interrupted them, and would not suffer them to proceede, and hardly could the President of that disputation Marcellinus obtaine their silence and patience. 10. When as they were bid to sit, they wilfully refused, saying, It is written, I will not sit in the assemblie of the wicked. 11. When the Critensian Councell was alleaged, they tooke exception against it that it had consulem & diem, the Consul and the day, otherwise then ecclesiasticall decrees hauehave, which was vntrue, as the Catholikes shew both by the ancient prophesies, that bare date of the yeere, and the Councell of Melchiades. 12. They take exception, that Lib. post. collation.sentence was giuen against them in the night. And by these and such other friuolous allegations, that Collation was made frustrate.
Now because he maketh mention of the fauour which the French Protestants obtained with the King for a conference: I will briefly also shew, what manner of fauour it was, and how indifferent the proceeding there vsed. First, the Lord of Plessis desired, that whereas the Bishop of Eureux pretended diuers authors to be corrupted in his booke against the Masse, that his whole booke might be examined, which could not be granted. Secondly, whereas the Bishop had taken exception to 500. places, Plessis required, that the rest might be held as iustifiable, which neither was yeelded vntounto. Thirdly, that the Bishop should propound those 500. places to the Lord Plessis, that he might make satisfaction: but neither could this be obtained, pag. 8. Fourthly, the Bishop would hauehave Plessis proceeded against The conference betweene the B. of Eureux, and the Lord of Plessis, before the French King.for default of appearance, being vncalled and vncommanded, pag. 5. Fiftly, he is denied his action of slaunder against the Bishop, if he could not proue the 500. places pretended to be corrupted. Sixtly, the issue is this, Plessis must presently without further warning make satisfaction vponupon the opening of the booke, or els it should be examined in his absence, pag. 11. and so about two of the clocke in the night the Bishop sent him 60. places, to the which he should make satisfaction the next day at eight of the clocke. So these 500. places were brought to 60. but only nine of them were discussed: in some of them the iudges suspended, in some they gaue sentence with Plessis, in some they were importuned by the Bishop to giuegive their verdict: in the rest they shewed too much partialitie in iudging otherwise then there was cause. The report of this conference is extant, translated out of French. Now all men may see, that these popish challengers stand altogether vponupon aduantages, and call for a disputation, not because they are able to say more then their forefathers, or can expect any better successe, but to set a good face vponupon the matter, that they should not seeme to say nothing. A wrangler cannot want words: and they care not, as Ambrose saith, Vt intus in animo perdat, foris victor abscedat: Though they lose a good conscience within, so they may get the victorie without. And such are their disputations, as Hierome saith of the Luciferians: Inconditam disputationemAduers. Luciferian. nox interrumpit, consputa pene inuicem facie recesserunt: The night brake off their disordered disputation, and spitting one vponupon anothers face they departed. Yet a sober and modest conference, without facing and brauing in words, …ailing speech, peruerse and froward behauiour we mislike not (but that there is small hope to bring the aduersarie to it) such as Ambrose speaketh of: Collatio inter seruos Dei esse debet,In 2. Tim. …. 2. non altercatio: There should be a collation, not contention betweene the seruants of God.
4. It grieueth you, that I call the popish religiō the owle-light of Rome, which alwaies hath been taught (you say) in a visible Church. I thinke the comparison is fit enough, seeing you refuse the light, as all euill doers hate it, Ioh. 3. v. 20. and will not be tried by the Scriptures: as some of your crue in a late colloquie, when it was alleaged, that Scriptura est norma fidei, The In colloquie Ratis…onae habit. anno 1602. ex Egid. Hunnio.Scripture is the rule of faith, answered, Hoc esse fontem omnium haerese…n, that this was the fountaine of all heresie. Ambrose cōpareth heretikes to the Owle, Quae grandibus oculis tenebrarum caligines diligit, splendorem solis horrescit: Which doth with great eyes louelove darknes, Serm. 43.but abhorre the Sunne light. Your Church hath indeede been visible, but to the eyes of the world, as the darknes of the night is visible to Bats and Owles, and as the Cimmerians see one another, though they hauehave no Sun light, neither beleeue that there is any. And though your number hath been greater (though in England it neither is, nor euer I trust shall be) wee may say to foreign.you as Zeno of Theophrastus, that had more schollers: His queere is greater, but mine singeth sweeter.
Lastly, as for the yuie todde of his parish of Barley, take you the yuie todde to your selfe, as the fittest bower for such a nightbird, that concealeth his name and dare not shew his face: andforeign. as the yuie doth catch hold vponupon eueryevery occasion; so the least rubbe in your way moueth you to quarrell. But it troubleth you, that pastor… are resiant in their parishes and charges to instruct their flocks and keepe out the wolfe: which course if eueryevery Minister did take (as were much to be wished) such foxes as you are would soone be chased out of their holes and dennes, where ye priuilie lurke. This is the cause why you enuie parishes that benefit which they reape by the presence of their pastors, whereby you want that opportunitie, which you desire, to seduce the people: for as Hierome saith: Statim vt oues suas recedere velle de proprio grege viderit, diabolus fremit, irascitur, furit, perire sibi existimans, quicquid Christo seruatur: The diuell as soone as he seeth, that his sheepe will goe from him, he fretteth, rageth, thinking it a losse to him that is gained to Christ.
I say no more at this time, but pray as the Apostle saith, that God may giuegive you and the rest (that are blinded) repentance, that yee may know the truth, and come to amendement out of the snare of the diuell. And I would hauehave you thus thinke, as Hierome saith: NostraDialog. 3. aduers. Pelagian. correptio viuificatio est, vt haeresi moriens viuas catholicae fidei: Our correption is but a viuification or quickening, that dying vntounto heresie you may liue to the veritie. And as Agesilausforeign. sent this salutation to vaine Menecrates: that he wished him a sound mind: the like I wish vntounto you: from hence foorth I would you did not put vsus to more busines to your owne cost: least as Demades said to the Athenians, that theyforeign. neuer would decree or agree vntounto peace without blacke garments, when they first had smarted for their rash aduentures: so you be forced to hold your peace with griefe and shame. If reason will content you, you are answered: but if you will brabble still, I can affoord you a moneths worke at any time, as I hauehave done now, though I desire to be occupied in more profitable studies: And so I conclude with Hierome against Vigilantius: Si dormitantius in mea rursus maledicta vigilauerit, nequaquam illi breui lucubratiuncula, sed tota nocte vigilabo: If this drowsie writer shall watch againe to raile and speake euill of me, I will awake for him, not by short fits, but whole nights. Thus for this time I take my leaue of you (Christian and curteous reader) wishing you heartily to farewell in the Lord.
Your heartie welwiller in the Lord, and seruant to all that ser…e God, A. W.