Discovery of a False Detection, Title page – To the reader
A RETECTION, OR DISCOVERIE OF A FALSE DETECTION:
Containing a true defence of two bookes, intituled, Synopsis Papismi, and Tetrastylon Papisticum, together with the author of them, against diuers pretended vntruths, contradictions, falsifications of authors, corruptions of Scripture, obiected against the said bookes in a certaine Libell lately published.
Wherein the vniust accusations of the Libeller, his sophisticall cauils, and vncharitable slaunders are displayed.
IOB. 31. 35. Though mine aduersarie should write a booke against me, would not I take it vponupon my shoulder, and binde it as a crowne vntounto me?
Augustine cont. Petilian. lib. 3. 2. Non ago vt efficiar hominī conuitiando superior, sed errorem conuincendo salubrior: I go not about to be superior vntounto him in railing, but sounder in refuting his error.
AT LONDON Printed by FELIX KYNGSTON, for Thomas Man. 1603.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
SAint Paul both as a Prophet foreseeing the state of Christs Church, and as an Apostle teaching how we should behaue our selues, saith, There must bee heresies, that they, which are approued among you, may be knowne, 1. Cor. 11. 19. For though it be possible foreign.to finde a countrie without wilde beasts, as they doe write of Creete: yet a commonwealth without enemies, a religion without gain sayers, a Church without heresies, is not to be found: Euen Creta, which was freed from wilde beasts, was pestered foreign.with brutish beastly men, liers, euil beasts, slow bellies, Tit. 1. 12. The Church of England likewise wanteth not priuie whisperers and carpers at religion, maligners of the present state, and professed enemies to all that louelove the truth: which as heretofore hath diuersly appeared to be most true; so the flames of this fire of malice priuilie kindled, hauehave of late burs… …orth in a certaine slaunderous Libell or inuectiue, especially directed and intended against two particular persons, one of excellent learning and singular industrie, Master D. Sutcliffe: the other, though not worthie to be ioyned with him in that quarrell, a well willer likewise of religion, and to his vtmost power a defender of the same. These two need not take it to be a disgrace, that they are singled out, and made markes to shoote at: but rather as Eudamidas said concerning the Thebanes, whom Alexander onelyonly excepted, proclaiming libertie to depart to the rest of the Grecians: This decree though it seeme hard, yet is glorious toforeign. you, because Alexander onelyonly feareth you: which though it cannot be said alike of both these defenders, yet as it appeareth, the one is feared of them; so the other hath no cause to feare them.
The Libeller hauing first discharged vponupon that learned writer before named, doth renew his second battaile against the other, laying siege to two of his fortresses, I meane his two bookes, Synopsis Papismi, and Tetrastylon: in which enterprise he promiseth himselfe a notable victorie, not remembring that saying: Let not him that girdeth his harnesse, boast himselfe, as he that putteth it off, 1. King. 20. 11. Augustine saith, Facile est, vt quisque Augustinum vincat, videris vtrum veritate, an clamore: It is an easie matter to ouercome Augustine, but see it be not rather with crying and outfacing, then in truth, epist. 174. So may we say to this boasting and bragging Thraso: I doubt not but his imagined victorie will fall out to be such, as Pyrrhus was against the Romanes: If we ouercome butforeign. once more (saith he) wee are vndone. It had been much better, in mine opinion, if the Libeller had harkened to S. Paul, to hauehave auoyded oppositions of science falsely so called, 1. Tim. 6. vers. 20. that is, not to hauehave opposed himselfe and his small skill and false knowledge against the truth. But this their opposition redoundeth much to the benefit of the Church of Christ: first, by this meanes they discouer the nakednes of their cause, that cannot be maintained but by railing, and slaunders: as Hierome saith: Istae machinae haereticorum, vt conuicti de perfidia ad maledictaApol. 3. aduers. Ruffin. se conferant: These are the engines of heretikes, that being conuicted of their faithlesse doctrine, turne themselues to railing. So that one foreign.reading their mad writings and furious stile, may say of them as Diogenes to a phrantike and witlesse yong man: Thy father was drunke when he begat thee. But, as the saying is, Like lippes,foreign. like lettice, like religion, such writing, like authors, like bookes: Like to Demonides slippers, which were euil fauoured, yet fit for his lame feete.
Secondly, by these barking fits and hollow ecchoes, I trust others will be awakened from their sleepe, and bend themselues to defend the truth by them defaced, and maintaine religion by them diminished, and hereby be put in remembrance2. Tim. 1. 6. to stirre vp the gift of God, which is in them. For (as the Apostle saith) God hath not giuen vsus the spirit of feare, but of power & of louelove, and of a sound minde; that they may say with Hierome: Breuiter respondeo, nunquam meDialog. 1. aduers. Pelagian. haereticis pepercisse, sed omni egisse studio, vt hostes ecclesiae mei quoque hostes fierent: I answere briefly, that I neuer spared heretikes, but did wholy studie, that the enemies of the Church should also become mine enemies. Onomademus gaue counsell, in a certaine sedition and commotion in Chius, that all the enemies foreign.should not be expelled, least we should then begin to fall out with our friends, saith he. Nasica, when Carthage was destroyed, vsed to say, that the Romane state was daungerous, because now they had none left, whom they needed to feare. And Antigonus, when he heard that Zeno the foreign.Philosopher was dead, said, That the theater of his exploits was taken away. In like manner, if Religion had no forren enemies, we should hauehave cause more to feare domesticall contention: and if superstition found no patrones to fauour it, the truth would hauehave fewer friends to vphold it: the opposition therefore of gainsayers doth make the defence of the truth more glorious: and the diligence of the aduersarie to offend, should make vsus more readie to defend the truth: and as the Oracle answered the Cirrheans, to fight night andforeign. day in the maintenance of the truth. Like as, when a fire is kindled in a citie, it is not fit that the standers by should looke on and doe nothing, but eueryevery one in that case ought to set to his helping hand to quench the flames: so should wee seeke to put out those sparks of superstition, which begin to be blowne from the coales of Popery and false religion. And in this respect, that law of Solon is not much to be misliked: who decreedforeign. him to be infamous, that in the commotion of the citie, would ioyne to neither part. So neither is he to be commended, that in this dissension of religion, standeth as indifferent and a Neuter.
Thirdly, a peculiar benefit may arise to the partie impugned and traduced, to profit by the admonition of his aduersarie: for as it were no shame for him, wherein he hath slipped, to confesse an error, if he found himselfe guiltie: as Augustine disdained not to retract diuers things in his workes: and Hierome saith, Imitati estis errantem, imitamini correctum: Ye hauehave imitated me, while I erred, imitate me also now being corrected, Hieron. Ocean. Hippocrates that learned Physition did acknowledge his error about the sutures or seames of the head, and committed the same to writing, least others might by his example be deceiued: So this further vse one may Plutarch. lib. de▪ pr… fect. virtut. sent.make of an enemies reprehension, thereby to become more cautelous, and to walke more circumspectly: as the Prophet Dauid saith, I will keepe my mouth bridled, while ye wicked is in my sight, Psal. 39. 1. Ambrose saith, Laqueus aduersarijIn Psal. 91. sermo noster; loquimur plerumque, quod excipiat inimicus, & quasi nostro gladio nos vulnerat: Our speech is the aduersaries snare; we often vtter that, which the enemie catcheth at, and so woundeth vsus with our owne weapon. Antisthenes vsed this saying, that he which foreign.desired to be sound, had need to hauehave either louing friends, or angrie enemies: for the one would instruct, the other correct him. For though one be not guiltie of that, which the enemie reproueth, yet he may be more warie not to commit that, which offendeth. As Chrysippus answered one that told him that he was euill spoken of by some: But I wil so leade my life, that no man shall giuegive credite-vntounto them. In like manner Philip was wont to say, that he was beholding to his backbiters, for they made him better. And so this carping of the aduersarie foreign.will minister occasion of greater circumspection.
But now to come a little neerer, to take a generall view of this Libellers proceedings: I doe note foure grosse ouersights by him committed: I finde his affection to be malicious; his matter friuolous; his manner of handling scandalous; his obiections to himself contumelious, being guiltie of the same crimes, wherewith he vpbraideth others.
First, if he had espied any such faults in his brother, charitie would that he should hauehave been first by priuate writing or conference admonished to amend them, not at the first by publike libelling to seeke to defame him. This is our Sauiours rule, Matth. 18. 15. If thy brother trespasse against thee, go and tell him his fault between him and thee alone, &c. VponUpon which words Origen saith: Non vult continuò te euolare in publicum, &c. Hee will not hauehave thee straight to flie out into publike censure, &c. Ruffinus saith well to Hierome: Si ebrietas mihialiqua obrepens sicut patriarchae nudau…rat turpitudinem, lcui palliolo rescripti tui cōtexisses opprobrium, & velasset epistola vigilantis, quem stilus nudauerat dormitantis: If some ouersight, as of the Patriarke, had vncouered my nakednes, you should hauehave hidden my shame with the cloake of your priuate writing, that your waking epistle might hauehave couered that, which the sleepic penne had vnfoulded. And Plato had good foreign;reason thus to say to Socrates, reprouing sharply one of his friends in a publike feast: Had it not been better to hauehave spoken these things priuately? And Socrates againe to Plato: Might you not also much better hauehave told me of this priuately?
Secondly, the whole discourse of this Libeller is superfluous and impertinent: for what is this to the truth of religion, or what preiudice to the common cause, if some few places should by some ouersight be mistaken? For as Augustine saith: Sine his dici potest, quod volumus: Take them away, and yet we are able to confirme, what we say, cont. Petilian. 3. 20. But it falleth out vntounto them, as the Apostle saith: They would be Doctors of the law, not knowing what they speake, nor whereof they affirme, 1. Timoth. 1. 7. So this challenger taketh vponupon him to be a great Rabbin in popish learning, and yet leauing the discussing of matters of religion in question, brauleth about words and syllables. Hierome saith, Quis omissa causa in criminum obiectione versatus est: Who leauing the cause would spend the time in obiecting of crimes? aut quid refert si causa cadas, & crimine superes: Or what great matter is it, if you faile in the cause, and preuaile in crimes? Apolog. 3. aduers. Ruffin. And what if this cauiller had his will vponupon the defender (which he is neuer like to hauehave) the cause of religion neither standeth nor falleth with him? I say vntounto him, as Augustine did to his aduersarie: Noli attendere quomodo vincatur Augustinus qualiscunque vnus homo, sed attende potius vtrum vinei poss… *Homousion.veritas: Doe not marke how Augustine, howsoeuer but one man may be ouercome, but whether the truth may be ouercome. And as Callicratides said to the Southsayer, that foretold victorie to the armie, but death to the Captaine: That the Spartane affaires depended not vponuponforeign. one man. Neither doth the defence of the truth relie vponupon any one mans credit. But as Ioseph said to Pharaoh, so may I in this case, Without me God shall answere, Gen. 41. 16.
Now in the third place let vsus see the manner of his stile: which is powdred (I warrant you) with such sawcie termes and popish Rhetorike, eueryevery page of the Libell so garnished with railing, slaundering giuing the lie, that he cannot be deemed to hauehave a religious heart, that so prophanely and vncharitably handleth his tongue. S. Peter saith, If any man speake, let him speake as the words of God, 1. Pet. 4. 11. Now whether the Libeller do speake the words of God, it shall euen now appeare in the rehearsing of some of his phrases: wherin as Hierome cōplained of his aduersaries: It a nomen meum frequenter assumitur, carpitur,Ad Theoph. aduers. Ioan. Hierosolym. ac si de libro viuentium deletus essem: My poore name is so often abused and carped at, as though I were rased out of the booke of life. Phocion did compare Leosthenes oration to the Cypres tree, that was faire and tall, but bare no fruite: so his speech was eloquent and foreign.pleasing, yet not profitable. But this Romane Rhetor, neither bringeth good speech nor good matter: yet were his sharpnes somewhat to be borne withall, if he had any colour or iust cause so to do: as Hyperides the Rhetorician desired the Athenians to consider not onelyonly if he were bitter,foreign. but if hee were bitter vniustlie without cause.
Now I will gather out some of his sweete flowers.
Fuller of lies then leaues. pag. 118.
A lie also it is. pag. 123.
He hath here belied vsus. pag. 124
Whether he be a lier or no, &c. pag. 126
Put in print an abominable lie. 127
Palpable lying. 129
Shamelesse lie. 131
He belieth him. 148
By lying and corruption. 150
He belieth him. 153
A notable lier. 159
A lie it is. 169
A notorious lie. 133
He maliciously belieth vsus. 140
Notable lies. 141
Summe vp his lies. 142
A lier and a falsarie. 144
Shamelesse lying and falsification. 147
Notorius lie. 155
A lie and a knocker. 156
Lies and mad trickes. 161
Hunt all his lies. 170
As the Libell is pestered with lies, belying, lier, so hath it great store of other like stuffe of bitter reuiling and railing.
Mere malice. 124
A proper tale as to set the diuell to sale. 132
Filthie Doctor, shamelesse mate. 133
Runnagate Roger. 138
So he blasphemeth Roger Holland Martyr.
Shamelesse vntruth. 159
Spruse Minister. 171
A giueth the same answere that Baal did to his suppliant seruants. 187
As Balaam deceiued Balaak. 187
Perfidiously peruerted. 213
Maliciously abused. 215
Malicious dealing. 220
Maliciously suppressed. 220
Cunningly and maliciously. 223
Maliciously abuseth. 231
Vnmaske malicious dealing. 234
Weare Proclus hereticall liuerie. 238
If he had not cast off all care of conscience, and shaken hands with death, hee would neuer so maliciously hauehave corrupted S. Augustine. 239
Maiming them most disgraciously wickedly peruerted. 240
Detest and forsake so malicious a Minister. 245
Without al cōscience by shameful shifts. 253
Malice and wilfull falsification. 258
If any should denie him the honor of a notable falsarie. 246
Shamefully corrupted S. Augustine. 247
A cunnicatching trick and in plaine English a lie. 251
Most absurdlie and maliciouslie corrupted, &c. 256
Maliciously added. 278
Will not any man now thinke, that this fellow hath well profited in Zoilus Rhetorike? but such is the manner of popish writers: railing and cursing is one of their common weapons. They shew themselues not to fight of Michaels side, that durst not giuegive railing sentence against the diuell, Iud. 9. nor yet to be of Pauls spirit, that when he called Ananias painted wall, excused it by his ignorance, Act. 23. 5. But this hath alwaies been the guise of heretikes and other aduersaries to the trueth, with euill and slaunderous words to assaile the professors thereof. Thus did the Pelagians call Augustine, Cultorem daemonum, A worshipper of diuels, cont. Iulian. 3. 18▪ Petilian the Donatist obiected against him sinne against the holy Ghost, libr. 3. cap. 62. He said further, that he had damnabile ingenium Carneadis, the damnable wit of Carneades, lib. 3. 20. Thus Celsus behaued himselfe against Origen: whose words we may well vse in this case against our aduersaries: Si grauiter & modestius haec tractaret plus forsitan suasionis sunt habitura, &c. If he handled these things grauely and modestly, he might perswade more: but seeing now he scoffingly and scurrilously vttereth many things, dicturi sumus eum elegantium verborum inopia, vt quae nec nactus esset, nec …et in tantā incidisse garrulitatem: we may say, that for want of good words, which hee was vnskilfull of, he hath fallen into such a vaine of brabling. Origen. cont. Cels. lib. 6. It is said that the Troians foreign.went to warre with great noyse and outcries, the Grecians in silence: But how sped they? the stilnes of the Grecians preuailed against the Troians outcries. Neither must these bragging fellowes thinke to carrie all away with great words. They are like to the pratling Pie, that chattereth vponupon eueryevery occasion: or rather to the Vultures and Kites, that follow the smell offoreign. stinking carrions, but hauehave no sense and delight in holesome flesh. So is this Libeller readie to take the least occasion to speake euill, and seemeth to sport himselfe with great delight in filthie and vncleane words: That like as Melanthius said of Diogenes tragedie, that he could not see it, because the strange words did hinder the sight thereof: So his vncouth termes, and vnseemely speeches, as a stinking mist and gloomie clowde doe couer and hide his slender stuffe.
Augustine would not giuegive the lie to Pascentius the Arrian, though he were worthily detected thereof, but thus saith vntounto him: If you say those things, which are reported, not to bee so done, either your memorie faileth you; Non audeo enim dicere te mentiri; aut …go & fallor & mentior: For I dare not say you lie, or els I am both deceiued & do lie, epist. 174. But nothing is more common in the Libellers mouth, then you lie, you belie him, a notable lier, a shamelesse lie: who herein representeth vntounto vsus another Stoical Antipater, who writing and railing against Carneades, was called foreign, one that rored or raued with his pen: or like vntounto Salmoneus, that counterfeited Iuppiters thunder: as Hierome saith, Tu alter nobis Salmoneus omnia per quae incedis illustras, tu flammeus, immo fulmineus, qui inApolog. 3. aduers. Ruffin. loquendo fulminas, &c. You are another Salmoneus, which fire all the way where you goe, flashing out lightning, and spitting foorth fire in your speech. But like as men vse to alay the heate of wine, with coole water; and so, as Plato saith, Deum insanum alio sobrio castigare, To correct a furious spirit with a tame and sober spirit: foreign.So I trust to qualifie this railers furious heate, with a true and modest defence: and not as Heraclitus diseased with the dropsie, desired the Physition to turne the abundance of showers into drought; but to alay his intemperate heate and drought with the pleasant dew of the truth.
I am not purposed to answere him in his owne vaine: for the Scripture teacheth vsus, that wee should recompence no man euill for euill, Rom. 12. 17. Augustine saith to Petilian the Donatist: Si ego tibi vellem maledicta pro maledictis rependere, quid aliud, quam duo maledici essemus, vt ij, qui nos legerent, alij detestatos abijcerent sana grauitate, alij suauiter haurirent maleuola voluntate: If I would render euillwords for euill, what els should we be, but two railers, that they which reade vsus, should either of a graue iudgement reiect vsus, or els of a corrupt fancie affect vsus? It is a sufficient defence against a false accuser not to be guiltie. foreign.The heathen Philosopher could say, To be without fault is not the least comfort: Crantor. That saying also of Diogenes is much celebrated, who being asked how he might be reuenged foreign.of his enemie: If thou thy selfe (saith he) become a good and an honest man.
Fourthly, it remaineth to be shewed how the Libeller iustly incurreth the same offence, which vntruly he obiecteth to others: as first he is guiltie of many vntruths: as that none of them reade obtulit, he offered, for protulit, he brought foorth, Genes. 14. pag. 123. that no author can be cited, that saith the fathers of the Inquisition Diuers apparant vntruths vttered by the Libeller.cannot erre, pag. 117. that women are allowed by the Communion booke to be ministers of the Sacrament, Libel. p. 129. which is vntrue: for neither is the baptizing by women collected out of the booke, neither yet is it practised, that I know, in our Church: as a most reuerend Prelate hath auouched in these words: For common practise I can say little, but for mine owne experience this I dare affirme, that I hauehave not knowne one childe so baptized in places, where I hauehave had to doe, no not since the beginning of her Maiesties raigne, &c. And in the same place: I thinke if the circumstances of the booke be well considered, it will appeare that the meaning is, that priuate baptisme is rather to be ministred by some Minister (which in time of necessitie may soonest be come by) then by any woman: Defence of the answere to the admon. pag. 794. This graue testimonie, omitted in the answere, I thought good here to insert, which is sufficient to deliuer us from the vntruth obiected, and to rebound it vponupon the accusers head. See the answere more at large to the 7. Slaunder.
Besides, a great vntruth it is, which he vttereth, pag. 164. contradict. 5. that Luther confesseth, he was stirred vp by ye diuell against the Masse: for in the places which he quoteth in the margin, libr. de Miss. angular. tom. 6. fol. 28. tom. 7. Wittemberg. fol. 443. no such thing is to be found, in the edition printed at Wittemberg anno 1558. neither hath Luther any such title, de Miss. angular. in the 6. tome.
The matter which the Libeller aimeth at, by other mens reading (as it seemeth) rather then his owne, is in Luthers booke, de Miss. priuat.A slaunder of Luther, that hee should confesse hee was stirred vp of the diuell, to write against the Masse. tom. 7. where Luther indeede reporteth, in the beginning of that treatise, how the diuell tempted him in the night, and set before him his hypocrisie, in the celebrating of priuate Masses, contrary to the institution of Christ, and that therein he committed most grosse idolatrie, in worshipping bread and wine in steed of the bodie and bloud of Christ. And whereas it might be said vntounto him, that the diuell is a lier, he answereth: Ipse sic adoritur: The diuell so setteth vponupon a man, that first he apprehendeth some solide truth, that cannot bee denied, & so doth turne and tosse it, and doth cast such goodly shew vponupon a lie, that hee may deceiue the most circumspect: as that thought, that stroke Iudas heart, was true, I hauehave betrayed innocent bloud: But this was a lie: Ergo, you must despayre of the merciemercy of God.
So Luther saith, The diuell lieth not, when he vrgeth a mans sinne: Confessus quidem sum, &c. I confessed being ouercome by the law of God, before the diuell, that I had sinned, and was damned as Iudas: sed verto me ad Christum cum Petro: but I turne my selfe vntounto Christ with Peter.
This is the summe of the whole narration, there set downe by Luther of this temptation.
Any man may now see the cauilling spirits of Papists: Luther onelyonly reporteth how Sathan displayed his hypocrisie and idolatrie, while he was a Masse priest, not to stirre him vp against the Masse, but to bring him into despayre; but that God deliuered him with Peter.
They may say as well that when Sathan sifted Peter, and set before him his sinne, which drew such bitter teares from Peter, that Sathan moued him to repentance: or that when Paul felt the pricke of his flesh, the messenger of Sathan sent to buffet him, whereupon he betooke him to prayer, that Sathan also stirred the Apostle to prayer. So then Luthers conuersion and opposition against the Masse was a sequell, but no effect of Sathans temptation: the diuell intended his confusion, God thereby wrought his conuersion.
The like cauill against Luther is vttered by Bellarmine, and vented againe by the Libeller, pag. 167. that Luther thinketh that if the diuell himself should minister the Sacraments, that they might bee fruitfull and effectuall: whereas Luther saith not if the diuell himselfe, that is in his owne person, as the diuell: but these are his words, ego pono, but I set downe this, Demiss. priuat. tom. 7. p. fol. 243 p. 2.that if I should afterward know, the diuell irrepsisse, to hauehave crept into the office of a pastor of the church, & in the shape of a man to be called to preach and baptize, &c. that the Sacraments therefore are not without efficacie. Thus they curtall and mangle his words, and alter his meaning at their pleasure.
Vntrue also it is, that the Apocalypse hath no more ancient authoritie, then the Councell of Carthage, p. 130. That Leo confirmed not, that the bloud issuing out of a certaine Crucifixe, was the bloud of Christ, pag. 131. That Gregorie 7. was not a sorcerer and adulterer. pag. 159. That it is a fabulous tale of the taking vp of diuers thousands heads of children in Gregories mote, pag. 160. That father Fox is belied, whereas he is truly alleaged contradict. 5. pag. 166. That it is a lie, that Nectarius abrogated priuate confession, contradict. 6. pag. 169. That the ancient fathers are called heretikes, contradict. 8. p. 177. That we should hold, that adulterie, murther, idolatrie, in the regenerate are no sinnes, contrad. 11. pag. 202. These apparant vntruths the Libeller vttereth, as more at large may be seene in the seuerall answers: and therefore he is worthie of Esops reward, who being asked what liers gained: That they, when they speake the truth,foreign. (saith he) be not beleeued.
Secondly, this Libeller is not free from contradictions: he affirmeth, that Saul was elected, and yet damned, pag. 191. contrarie to the opinion of Contradictions.the most learned of his side, who though they hold that a man cannot be certaine of his election, yet dare not, neither doe affirme, that election before God may be lost: nay Bellarmine writeth the contrarie, that the elect, per infallibilia media, by infallible meanes, are directed to eternall▪ life: lib. 2. de grat. cap. 9.
Likewise he seemeth to affirme, that Martyrs are not to be inuocated in the sacrifice of the bodie of Christ, falsific. 10. pag. 251. contrarie to the common practise of the Popish Church, which in the canon of the Masse prayeth to be defended by the merits and prayers of the Saints: see the answere.
Thirdly, the Libeller himselfe is full of falsifications: Falsifications.as pag. 209. contradict. 13. lin. 24. according to his doctrine of originall and eternall sanctification: where not the eternall sanctification, but externall rather and ecclesiasticall of the faithfuls children is spoken of. pag. 244. falsific. 9. he himself leaueth out diuers materiall words in Augustine, as is noted in the answere. He doth the like, pag. 247. falsific. 10. as is declared also in the defence, pag. 226. falsific. 5. in alleaging a canon of the Councell of Colen, in these words, to heare Masse, he addeth Masse, of his owne. Pag. 268. corrup. 7. he misreporteth the words inferring thus: He maketh S. Paul to affirme absolutely that faith worketh by louelove. See the correction of that corruption.
Fourthly, he is found to be a corrupter of scripture: as pag. 123. vntruth 1. the scripture saith it was Samuel, whereas the scripture saith only, Saul knew it was Samuel. Pag. 141. vntruth 11. he readeth, Saul an elect and good man, 1. Samuel 9. 2. for, Saul was a goodly young man and faire.
Thus it is euident how the Libellers eyes were blinded, and hoodwinked with selfeloue toward himselfe, and hatred toward others, that while he prieth to finde faults abroad, he forgetteth his owne at home. He should hauehave remembred our Sauiours words to the Iewes, Ioh. 8. Si quis vestrum peccatum non habet mittat primum lapidem: He that of you is without fault, cast the first stone at her. He should hauehave taken the beame out of his owne eye, before he had assaied to pull a moate out of his brothers. It falleth out now to him, as Ruffinus saith: Quasi siquis furti alium incusans, id ipsum vnde alium arguit in sinu suo contegat furtum: As if a man should accuse another of theft, and hide a stollen thing in his owne bosome: Inuectiu. in Hieron. Plato, when he saw any vncomely thing to be done by others, would thus say to himselfe apart, Whether I my selfe were not such anforeign. one. Thus this carper of others, should first hauehave examined himselfe: whereas now the reproch, which he would fasten vponupon others, of vntruths, contradiction, falsification, corruption, is cast vponupon himselfe. Like as Melanthius said to Gorgias the Orator, perswading concord to the Grecians: This man (saith he) counselleth vsus toforeign. peace, being not able to perswade himselfe, his wife, and maide three priuate persons to hauehave peace at home. And so this detector of others, is detected himselfe, of vntruths, falsifications, corruptions, and that not once or twice, but often: whereas in writing, as in warring, as Lamachusforeign. said to a souldier crauing pardon of his offence, It is not lawfull in warre to offend twice.