Discovery of a False Detection, Chapter 4

Discovery of a False Detection · Chapter 4

p. 207THE FOVRTH CHAPTER, containing thirteene corruptions of Scripture.

FIrst, he taketh exception against the allegation of that place Luk. 17. 4. If thy brother sinne against thee seuen times a day, and seuen times a day turne againe, &c. thou shalt forgiue him: which place is vrged against the cruell practise of the Church of Rome, in punishing relapsed heretikes with death. This it pleaseth him to call a mad exposition: allow this, and when saith he, shall felons and traytors be executed?

Ans. 1. He misreporteth the words: for that text is not applied against their law in punishing relapsed and abiured persons with death: but against their cruell proceedings against simple men and women, that yeelded themselues to bee conformable: which practise is there shewed to be both against their owne law, which suffereth a man once to abiure his heresie, and against this rule of the Gospell. See the place, Synops. p. 336.

2. Yet is this their law also vniust, to sufferA hard law against persons once abiured. an heretike to abiure but once, being contrarie to the saying of our Sauiour here, and p. 208of S. Paul Tit. 3. 10. An heretike after once or twice admonition reiect.

3. They proceeded against such which were no heretikes, but held sound and catholike opinions, which they falsely called heresie.

4. Neither is there the like case of Ecclesiastical and Ciuill iudgement: neither is the same course to be held in punishing of Ciuill and temporall, and spirituall offences: for the one tendeth to the dissolution of the politike bodie, as the outrages of traytors and felons, and therefore must speedily bee preuented: the other though they doe spirituallyDifference in Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall proceeding. infect, yet are not so dangerous to the outward state, but may more safely be forborne. Our Sauiour Christ therefore giueth a rule to his Disciples here, and namely to S. Peter Matth. 18. 21. both how they should carrie themselues toward their offending brethren in their priuate disposition, and in the externall dispensation of discipline. So S. Paul sheweth to Titus before cited. And Leo epist. 13. Sedis apostolicae moderatio hanc temperantiam obseruat, vt seuerius agat cum obduratis, & veniam cupiat praestare correctis: The moderation of the sea Apostolike doth obserue this temper, to deale seuerely with the obdurate, and to shew merciemercy to the corrigible.

5. But because he speaketh of an excellent talent of interpreting, I will giuegive you a taste p. 209of his: to proue Saul to bee a iust and good man, he alleageth this text, 1. Sam. 1. 9. Saul was elect and good, that is, a choise yong man and a faire, as it is in the originall: Ergo, hee was a iust man. Christ said, Ioh. 17. vers. 12. Whom thou gauest me I hauehave kept, and none of them perished, but the sonne of perdition: Ergo, Iudas was once iust. This collection he fathereth vponupon Hierome, and alloweth himselfe, Libel. pag. 142. The like gift of interpreting Scripture is elswhere discouered in Bellarmine and the Rhemists, Tetrastyl. pag. 128. 129. whither the Reader must bee desired to hauehave recourse. And wee neede not marueile, that they hauehave such a dexteritie in applying and expounding Scripture: for they must be all led with the spirit of their head the Bishop of Rome, who sometime applied these words of the Apostle: They that are in the flesh cannot please God, Rom. 8. 8. very profoundly and clerklike against the mariage of Ministers. Innocent. distinct. 82. c. 2.

As his facultie is in the interpreting of Scripture, so is it in writing: more scoffes, taunts and reuiling termes cannot lightly fall out of any mans penne. But I force not: if I should make my choice I had rather be dispraised, then praised of such: As Antisthenes foreign.said, when he was commended of certaine lewd persons: I feare me (saith he) I hauehave done some euill, because these commend me. And Ambrose p. 210might hauehave told him: Non credibile est bene posse eum viuere, qui male loquitur: It is not credible, that he can liue well, that speaketh euill: in 4. ad Ephes.

The 1. Corruption.

GReat exception is taken, because wee reade, Act. 3. 23. Whom the heauens must containe, &c. whereas it should bee translated, according to the Greeke and Latin, receiue, &c.

The Correction.

1. THis is no particular quarrell against the partie challenged, but generall against the translation receiued.

2. We reade indifferently in one translation, receiue, in another containe: being both in sense all one.

3. Gregorie Nazianzene so citeth this text, as that it must bee vnderstood, that Christ is contained in heauen: orat. foreign.

4. Beza translateth the word better, foreign, capere, to containe or hold, then the Latine, recipere, to receiue: for this word in the English tongue is a compound, but in the originall it is a simple.

5. Whether we reade containe with Gregorie Nazianzene, or hold with Beza: or recipere p. 211to receiue with the Latine, or excipere to receiue in, as the Siriake translator, or suscipere, as Arias Montanus: we will not greatly contend. For howsoeuer it bee translated, the words following: vntill the time that all things be restored: doe make it an inuincible place against Christs corporall presence in the Sacrament: for if the heauens, containe, hold, or receiue his bodie till his second comming, till all things bee restored; then his bodie before that time is not to bee expected on the earth.

The 2. Corruption.

SYnops. p. 165. He that putteth away a good conscience, maketh shipwracke of faith: A wilfull falsification, for the Apostle speaketh not generally, but that certaine repelling a good conscience, made shipwrack about the faith. 1. Tim. 1. 19.

The Correction.

1. BVt that this (spider catcher) is disposed to cauil, he might well hauehave peceiued, that the text of S. Paul is not here alleaged, but a proposition from thence collected: that whosoeuer doth put away a good conscience, doth also make shipwracke of faith.

2. And where the Apostle saith, certaine: p. 212this word maketh a distinction betweene those that hauehave faith and a good conscience, whereof the Apostle speaketh in the beginning of the verse, and them that make shipwracke of both: not betweene some that make shipwracke of a good conscience and keepe faith, and them which put away both: but the Apostle speaketh in generall of all such, that if they put away a good conscience, consequently they also wracke their faith. As the Apostle elsewhere sheweth, 1. Tim. 4. 1. 2. That they which depart from the faith, hauehave True faith and a good conscience suffer wracke together.their consciences burned with a hot yron. And Tit. 1. 15. VntoUnto the vnbeleeuing, their minds and consciences are defiled. These two therefore do alwaies goe together, the wracke of faith and a good conscience. And so Ambrose saith: Dignus erat perdere inutilem fidem qui non exercuerat charitatem: He is worthie to lose an vnprofitable faith, that did not exercise charitie, libr. 2. de vocat. Gent. cap. 2. he setteth it downe as a generall axiome. Likewise Chrysostome vponupon these words: Vbi vita reprehensibilis sit, dogma item huiusmodi sit necessarium est: Where the life is reprehensible (a good conscience being put away) there the doctrine must needes be such. From the Apostles words he concludeth generally: that wheresoeuer a conscience of a good life is cast off, the doctrine of faith cannot be sound: and therefore it is an euident signe, that the Libeller p. 213making no conscience of lying and slaundering, can be of no good faith and religion. As for his lowd crying: he hath put away a good conscience, wee regard it not: as Demosthenes said to one that had a great voyce, but no great wit: Not that which is foreign.great is well, but that which is well (done or said) is great. Augustine saith: Nec malam conscientiam sanat praeconium laudantis, nec bonam vulnerat conuiciantis opprobrium: Neither doth praise heale a bad conscience, nor dispraise hurt a good.

The 3. Corruption.

IN that text Ierem. 17. 7. alleaged to proue that we must trust onelyonly in God, and not in man: these words are foisted in saith he, onelyonly, and not in man: and so likewise Psal. 50. 15. onelyonly is added of his owne.

The Correction.

BEcause this trifler picketh quarrels at eueryevery thing, and taketh exception against the allegation of these and other texts: I wil make him one answere for all, and shew in what manner the Scriptures may be cited and alleaged, without any corruption or falsification, though the same words bee not alwaies precisely kept. And this may be best p. 214learned from the example of our Sauiour Christ and the Apostles in the new Testiment: where in the citing of the old Scriptures sometime they follow the words with some alteration, sometime the sense and not the words; the words are altered diuers waies.

1. When as out of other places of Scripture other words are annexed: as that testimonie Matth. 21. 13. is taken out of two other places of the Prophets, Esay, 57. 7. Ierem. 7. 11.

2. Sometime a word is added, which is not found in the text, exegetic…s, by way of exposition: Matth. 4. 10. Him onelyonly shalt thou serue: whereas, this word onelyonly is supplied toScripture alleaged in sense, not in words. shew the sense, being not in the originall. Deut. 6. 13. So Matth. 2. 6. art not the least, where this word not is added to shew the sense in the accomplishment of that prophecie.

3. Sometime the manner of speech is altered: Matth. 13. 15. The Prophet speaketh in the imparatiue, make the heart of this people fat. Esay. 6. 9. the Euangelist: this peoples heart is waxed fat: Matth. 1. 13. the person is changed: they shal call his name: Esay. 7. 14. she shall call.

4. Sometime another word is vsed, but in the same sense: Matth. 4. 14. sate in darknes. Esay. 9. 2. walke in darknes.

p. 2155. The sense is gathered, not the words rehearsed: Matth. 22. 24. out of Deuteronom. 25. 5.

6. Sometime an argument is framed out of the scripture, not there expressed, but from thence collected: as Matth. 22. 32. Christ concludeth the resurrection out of these words: I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Iacob.

Thus as Hierome saith: Apostolis curae fuit non verba & syllabas aucupari, sed sententias dogmatum ponere: The Apostles care was not to hunt after words and syllables, but to set downe the sentence.

And as the Scriptures are not corrupted, when the sense, though not the words, is retained: So may the Scriptures bee abused, when the same words are kept, but the sense altered: as Matth. 5. 38. an eye for an eye, &c. the Pharisies did vse the words, but wrested the sense, when they applied that to priuate mens reuenge, which was lawfull onelyonly for the Magistrate.

Now then to applie these rules: in the places obiected there is no corruption: for Ierem. 17. 5. it is forbidden to trust in man: then consequently ver. 7. where the Prophet saith, Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, the sense must be, that God onelyonly is to be trusted in: therefore, not in man, is added out of the 5. verse: not foisted in, as he ignorantly and p. 216maliciously saith. In the other place, Psalm. 50. 15. Call vponupon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliuer thee, and thou shalt glorifie me: an argument is from thence gathered, that wee must onelyonly call vponupon God: for who els but God doth deliuer vsus? who els but God is to be glorified for our deliuerance? So that this is the order, as Augustine well sheweth: Cum tribularis inuocas me; cum inuocas me, eximam te; cum eximam te iam glorificabis me, vt iam non discedas à me: When thou art in trouble thou doest call vponupon me; when thou doest call vponupon me, I will deliuer thee; when I deliuer thee, thou shalt glorifie me, that now thou doe not depart from me: in Psal. 49.

Therefore to these places to adde onelyonly, to shew the sense of the place, that God onelyonly is to be trusted in, only called vponupon, is no more corruption, then where Moses is alleaged to say: him onelyonly shalt thou serue, Matth. 4. 10. whereas Moses only saith, him shalt thou serue.

The 4. Corruption.

BEcause 1. Corinth. 9. 5. we reade, a sister a wife, not a sister a woman: he crieth out, manifest corruption, a false translation.

The Correction.

1. TO translate foreign, a sister a wife is more proper, then to say, a sister a p. 217woman: for that were superfluous: the word sister implieth a woman: and therefore the Latine interpreter seeing the inconuenience, doth inuert the order, and putteth woman in the first place, saying, a woman a sister, contrarie to the originall.

2. Though some of the Fathers translate a sister a woman, all doe not so. Clemens Alexandrin. strom. lib. 3. by this place proueth that the Apostles had wiues.

3. Who were fitter to minister to the Apostles, then their owne wiues, which might be done with lesse offence? and it is absurd to thinke, that whereas some of them had wiues, as Peter, they would sequester themselues from them, and take other women into their companie. And where the Apostle saith, hauehave we not power, foreign, to leade a sister a wife: ouer what women were the Apostles more likely to hauehave power, then as husbands ouer their wiues?

The 5. Corruption.

WHereas reference is made to that place, Hebr. 13. 15. and thereupon it is inferred, that there is no sacrifice left, but spiritual, of praise and thankesgiuing: these words, but spirituall, is a dramme of his owne addition. Libel. 266.

p. 218The Correction.

1. THe Apostles words are not here alleaged: which are these: Let vsus by him offer the sacrifice of praise alwaies to God: wherof but two words onelyonly are rehearsed, sacrifice and praise: therefore this cauiller might hauehave seene, but that he is wilfully blind, that the words of the text are not cited, but the sense of the place giuen.

2. Whereas the Apostle biddeth vsus alwaies offer vp such sacrifice, and that God is pleased with such sacrifice, doth it not follow that the Apostle speaketh of spirituall? for such he speaketh of: and if God be with them pleased, they alone are sufficient, other sacrifice beside are superfluous: for if God bee pleased with such, what neede wee seeke for any other?

3. Where hee obiecteth, that there is beside, the spirituall sacrifice of prayer and contrition: he sheweth himselfe herein very childish: as though al these tend not to the praise of God, and the Apostle vnderunder the sacrifice of praise comprehendeth the fruites of the lips, where prayer also must be vnderstood, which is called the calues of our lips. Hosh. 14. 3.

4. And if this be a wrong collection from the Apostle, blame also Augustine, who vponupon these words of the Psalme: I hauehave offered in p. 291thy tabernacle the host of praise or iubilation, thus after many other words inferreth: In creatore quid agit? nisi solarestat sermone deficiente oratio: What shall he doe to the Creator? where speech faileth, nothing remaineth but onelyonly iubilation. He out of these words bringeth in a conclusion of onelyonly praise.

The 6. Corruption.

BEcause it is f gathered out of S. Paul, that a iustifying aith is alwaies actuall working by louelove: these w…rds, is alwaies actuall are foisted in. pag. 267.

The Correction.

1. BEside our generall answere, that the Apostles sense is here followed, not his words precisely numbred: the Apostles meaning is cuident, where hee saith, neither circumcision auaileth any thing, nor vncircumcision, but faith working by louelove; that no faith is auailable before God, but a working faith: then if it cease to work, it is no longer auailable; if it bee not auaileable, it iustifieth not: therefore a faith that iustifieth, must bee alwaies working, which is all one as to say, liuely, actuall: but that this cauiller is disposed to trifle.

2. Neither is S. Paul alleaged to proue eueryevery p. 220faith to be working: for who knoweth not, but that there is a dead faith, which worketh not: but mention is made directly of iustifying faith, which is alwaies working:A Falsifier. therefore he sheweth himselfe a notable falsifier so to misreport the words.

3. Augustine out of this place concludeth that it is faith working by louelove, which iustifieth: Fides, quae operatur per dilectionem si in vobis est, iam pertinetis ad praedestinatos, ad iustificatos, &c. Faith working by louelove, if it bee in you, you doe belong to the predestinate, to those which are iustified, serm. 16. de verb. Apostol. From hence then it is forcibly inferred, faith onelyonly iustifieth, which is actuall working by louelove: the faith, which they imagine to be in infants doth not worke by louelove: ergo, it is not an auaileable and iustifying faith, and so consequently a vaine faith, or no faith. To this argument, this doubtie Confuter answereth nothing, but certaine it is, that children are iustified by an habituall faith: and so like a skilfull Logician denieth the conclusion.

Thus I trust, it sufficiently appeareth, how friuolous and childish his obiections are: as for his scoffes and ridiculous termes; of being familiar with scripture, such luck, such gamesters, we passe them ouer as the words of children not to be regarded, or as of a phrantike person to be pitied: we are taught not to giuegive p. 221taunt for taunt, nor to recompence euill for euill Rom. 12. 17. And as Chrysostome saith, No man healeth euill with euill, but euill with good. And I say to this Cauiller, as Augustine foreign.to Petilian the Donatist: Te arbitrari possunt homines, nihil inuenisse quod diceres, nisi tibi proponeres, cui malediceres: Men may well think, that you could not hauehave found out what to say, if you had not propounded one vntounto your selfe, to gainsay.

The 7. Corruption.

BEcause Synops. pag. 730. of the first edition: this sentence is alleaged, When wee hauehave done all, wee are vnprofitable seruants, and we did no more then was our dutie: he crieth out, that the words of Christ are corrupted: because these words, all that are commaunded 1you, and say ye, are left out. Then hee taketh vponupon him to expound this text: that we are2 vnprofitable seruants: first, in respect of God: secondly, in respect of our nature: thirdly, wee must so acknowledge for humilitie, &c. pag. 270. 271.

The Correction.

1. FIrst: He might easily hauehave seene that the text is not alleaged in the same forme of words: for Christ speaketh in the p. 222second person, when you hauehave done, &c. the sentence is pronounced in the first, when we hauehave done: therefore the sense was more aimed at then the words.

2. So much of the sentence is alleaged, as was pertinent to shew that no workes are meritorious, because when wee hauehave done all, wee are vnprofitable, in which word lieth the force of this testimonie in this place: Yet otherwhere the whole sentence is produced, where the occasion so requireth: as Synops. pag. 288. argum. 3. and pag. 662. arg. 2. therefore he had no iust cause to complaine of corruption.

3. The Euangelists in citing the old scriptures, repeate so much of the sentence, as is to the purpose, and leaue the rest: as Mat. 4. 13. out of Esay 9. 1. a great part of the verse is omitted.

4. And if this bee a point of corruption, Hierome also is a corrupter of Scripture, who thus alleageth this text: Cum omnia feceritis, dicite, serui inutiles sumus: when you hauehave done all, say ye are vnprofitable seruants. He leaueth out: all things that are commaunded you, &c. ad Ctesiphont.

2. Secondly: 1. Our Sauiour speaketh of that profit which redoundeth to our selues: as may appeare by the parable, Doth he thank that seruant, &c. So likewise, where no thankes is receiued, what profit to a man is gained or p. 223deserued? And if it be taken, as he saith, that wee are vnprofitable seruants to God, this place still remaineth strong against merits: for if God receiue nothing from vsus, then can we not merit or deserue from him.

2. Our Sauiour speaketh not of men in the corruption of nature, for they are not Gods seruants being not yet called, but of such as are vnderunder grace, and doe walke in obedience of Gods commaundements: and so doth Ambrose expound it: Quis tanta salutis beneficia digno possit aequare seruitio: Who can counteruaile so great benefits of saluation with worthie seruice? serm. 16. in Psal. 119.

3. And of all other it is most absurd, that Christ biddeth vsus so to say for humilitie: as Augustine saith: Quomodo est humilitas vbi We are all vnprofitable seruants in veritie, not only in humilitie.regnat falsitas: There is no humilitie, where there is falsitie: Non ita caueatur arrogantia, vt veritas relinquatur: Doe not so take heede of arrogancie, that you leaue the veritie: Caus. 22. qis. 2. c. 9. 11. It is not to be thought that Christ the veritie, would hauehave his Apostles lie for humilitie: to confesse themselues to be vnprofitable seruants, if they were not so indeede. For a more full answere concerning the true meaning of this Scripture, I referre the Reader to another treatise, Synops. pag. 933.

p. 224The 8. Corruption.

SYnops. p. 668. The Scripture saith, God only forgiueth sinnes, Mark. 2. 7. it is no scripture, but the wicked Scribes and Pharisees so thought, whom our Sauiour reprehendeth. Lib. pag. 273.

The Correction.

1. OVr blessed Sauiour doth not reprehend the Scribes for so saying: who can forgiue sinnes but God onelyonly, but because they charged him with blasphemie for taking vponupon him to forgiue sinnes, not acknowledging the diuine power in him: our Sauiour rather by his silence approueth that sentence of theirs, as agreeable to Scripture.

2. This saying is called scripture, not because it was vttered by the Scribes and Pharisees, but because it is a principle taken out of the Scripture. Esay. 43. 25. I am hee that putteth away thine iniquitie for mine owne sake, &c. And Iob saith, Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthines, there is not one? Iob. 14. 4. If no man can make one cleane, then it is God only that can doe it.

3. Ambrose citeth this text as scripture: Quis potest dimittere peccata, nisi solus Deus, qui per eos quo que dimittit, quibus dimittendi tribuit p. 225potestatem: Who can forgiue sinnes, but God onelyonly; who also forgiueth by them, to whom he giueth that power? &c. lib. 5. in Luc. Goe now and charge Ambrose likewise to bee an abuser of scripture. But in trueth you your selfe are the man, that abuse your selfe and others with these childish and sottish cauils, that doe eueryevery where proclaime your ignorance, and bewray your euill heart: For as Basil saith, Lying is the very scope and end of impietie. foreign.But passing ouer his vnchristiā termes, and vnseemely scoffes, as not worthie the answere, I say with Augustine: In bona conscientia teneo, quisquis volens detrahit famae meae, nolens addit mercedi meae: In a good conscience I speake it, hee that willingly doth detract from my good name, vnwillingly doth adde to my reward.

The 9. Corruption.

SYnops. pag. 749. To speake simply, death is the wages of all sinne, Rom. 6. 23. he hath falsified S. Paul by foisting in the word all.

The Correction.

1. THe Apostles sense, not his sentence is there repeated: for in other places, where the text is cited, the words as they stand are repeated: as Synops. p. 747. lin. 17. pag. 656. lin. 31. pag. 775. lin. 50.

p. 2262. This word all, is added exegetic…s by way of exposition: for indefinit propositions in Scripture, though they want the note of vniuersalitie, yet are aequiualent vntounto them: as Ioh. 1. 29. Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world. Ye may as well say that Christ taketh not away all the sinnes of the world, because all is not expressed, as that all sinne deserueth not death: because the Apostle onelyonly saith, the wages of sinne is death.

3. S. Paul, Rom. 10. vers. 11. alleaging the Prophet Esay 28. 16. saith, Whosoeuer beleeueth in him, shall not be ashamed: where the Apostle putteth to these words, foreign, all, or whosoeuer, and foreign, in him, which words the Prophet hath not; will you say that the Apostle falsified the Prophet? Which is not alleaged, as though any man had now the like gift of interpreting Scripture as Paul had, but to shew that it is lawfull, in more words to expresse the sense and meaning of Scripture.

4. Neither was hee the first (whom you challenge specially for this) that thus collected vponupon this text: but a reuerend writer of our Church before him, thus inferreth vponupon this text, The wages and worthily deserued reward of all sinne in generall is death, Rom. 6. 23. Fulk Rom. 1. 1. sect. 11. whom I name not here, as though the aduersarie honoured the memorie of that excellent man, but to shew, that he neither is one alone or the first, p. 227that hath thus cited this Scripture.

5. This Scripture is not falsified at all, because it is the Apostles meaning, that al sinne of it selfe deserueth death: Galat. 3. 10. Cursed Death the wages of all sinne.is eueryevery one that continueth not in all things, which are written in the booke of the law to doe them: eueryevery transgression then of the law is vnderunder the curse, and so subiect to death: then consequently eueryevery sinne: for sin is the transgression of the law, 1. Ioh. 1. 3. 4. Hierome to this purpose saith: Contemptus cuiuscun que praecepti, praecipientis iniuria est: The contempt of eueryevery commandement, is an iniurie to the commaunder. And what is hee worthie of, that doth wrong to the euerlasting Creator and lawgiuer, but of death, without Gods mercy?

7. In this sense do the Fathers vnderstand S. Paul to hauehave spoken generally of all sinne: as Origen. hom. 5. in Leuitic. Inuenimus de peccato, quod sit ad mortem: We finde concerning sinne, that it is vntounto death, de delicto non legimus, of offences we do not reade, &c. though he make a difference betweene, peccatum & delictum, sinne and offence: the first in committing, the second in omission, which distinction hee saith is not alwaies found in Scripture: yet it appeareth by this comparison, that hee taketh the Apostle to speake of all sinne.

Augustine also saith: A Deo est quicquid pertinet ad naturam, ab illo non est; quicquid sit p. 228contra naturam: peccatum autem contra naturam est, de quo mors, &c. Whatsoeuer belongeth to nature is of God; whatsoeuer is against nature is not of God: but sinne is against nature, whereof death, and all things which are of death doe spring: ad articul. fals. imposit. art. 5. Here his meaning must be, that from all sinne death springeth, because all sinne is against nature, because no sinne is of God, &c.

7. That place Matth. 5. 22. 23. sheweth, that there are diuers degrees of euerlasting punishment, not that any of those sins there named are exempted from thence, but more or lesse punished there: as Origen doth gather vponupon the like place Matth. 23. 15. You make him twofold more the child of hell. Wee learne by this, that there is eorum qui in gehenna futuri sunt differentia tormentorum, a difference of torment of those, which shall bee in hell, because one is simply, another twofold the child of hell.

The 10. Corruption.

SYnops. p. 907. Iudas when he was in his holiest course, was but a theefe and an hypocrite, as the Scripture testifieth of him. S. Peter saith of Simon Magus, that his heart was not right in the sight of God: there is no Scripture for the first, and in the second place, was is thrust in, for is, Libel. 175.

p. 229The Correction.

FIrst, how Iudas is proued by the Scripture and exposition of some of the Fathers in his holiest course to hauehave been but an hypocrite, I hauehave shewed before, in the defence against Slaunder 11. whither I desire the reader curteously to looke backe. I will not vse needlesse repetitions of the same things to auoide prolixitie, as the Libeller doth often, as it should seeme, for lacke of matter: shewing his simplicitie.

2. The Cauiller doth here egregiouslie shew his follie: for the words of Peter are reported in the third person, what he said of Simon Magus, and therefore could not bee rehearsed otherwise, then by a verbe of the third person, that his heart was not right, &c. Neither is this vnusual in the new Testament in the alleaging of Scripture, to chaunge the person, & the tence or time; as Matth. 13. 15. that I might heale them, saith the Euangelist: and he heale them, saith the Prophet, Esay 6. 10. And againe, Saint Peter saith out of the 16. Psalme, Thou hast shewed me the waies of life, Act. 2. 28. hauing relation to the accomplishment of the prophesie. But the Psalmist saith, Thou wilt shew me the waies of life, Psal. 16. 9.

3. We ground not an argument vponupon the chaunge of the tence, but vponupon the true meaning of S. Peters words: whether, wee say his hart was not, or is not right, it sheweth he was p. 230but an hypocrite: for he saith, thou art in the bond, foreign, of iniquitie: which words shew, that hee was knotted and rooted in his hypocrisie, not then begun, but then shewed. Ambrose saith: Petrus Simoni, qui magicae artis Simon Magus neuer but an Hypocrite.consuetudine deprauatus putasset: Peter to Simon, that being corrupted with the custome of Magicall art thought, that hee might get the grace of the spirit with money, said, non est tibi pars neque pars in hac fide, thou hast no part nor fellowship in this faith, lib. 2. de poeniten. cap. 4. From hence I note two things, that Simon did not leaue his witchcraft, though baptized, and therfore was not an hypocrite now only, but before: and that seeing he had no part in the faith (as Ambrose readeth, and Gratiane reporteth his words Caus. 1. quaest. 1. c. 19.) hee was neuer in heart baptized, for then he must hauehave had part in the fellowship of the faith, whereof hee had receiued the signe. Wherefore by this that hath been said, I trust it appeareth, that he had little cause to say, Doth not silence in this case crie corruption? I may say of him, as Hippomachus of one, that had long armes being commended for a good wrestler: Yea (saith he) if the crowne were foreign.hanged aloft, and to be gotten by reaching and catching: so if the masterie were to be had by lying and ouerreaching, and catching at words and syllables, not by sound wrestling and grapling, this aduersarie would soone go p. 231away with it. But his silence would hauehave shewed his wisedome, whereas his brabling vttereth his follie: and he shall do well to make amends afterward by holding his peace: as Gennadius reporteth of one Seuerus seduced to be a Pelagian: Agnoscens loquacitatis culpam vsque ad mortem silentium tenuit, vt quod loquendo contraxerat tacendo emendaret: Acknowledging his loquacitie, he kept silence vntounto his death, that hee might recompence by his silence, what he had offended in speaking. Gennad. catalog.

The 11. Corruption.

SYnops. pag. 473. S. Paul concludeth that a man is iustified by faith onelyonly, without the workes of the law. Manifest corruption, saith he, by thrusting the word onelyonly into the text. Libel. pag. 277.

The Correction.

1. SAint Pauls words are not here repeated: first, for then the sentence should hauehave been vttered in the first person, we conclude, as it is in the text, not S. Paul concludeth. Secondly, elsewhere, when the text is alleaged, the words as they stand, are rehearsed, as Synops. pag. 598. lin. 43. p. 885. lin. 13. p. 887. lin. 9. Thirdly, neither should the sentence p. 232alleaged hauehave been expressed in other letters, but in the common character, as it standeth in the first edition. pag. 566. lin. 2.

2. The text onelyonly then is not here vrged, but an argument therefrom concluded, and therein included: that because a man is iustified without the workes of the law, it followeth, that he is iustified by faith alone. So Origen inferreth vponupon this place: Dicit sufficere solius fidei iustificationem, ita vt credens quis tantummodo iustificetur, etiamsi nihil ab eo operis fuerit expletum: He saith that the iustification of faith onelyonly sufficeth, that one beleeuing onelyonly may bee iustified, though hee hauehave fulfilled no worke: lib. 3. ad Roman. Say now that Origen also corrupteth S. Paul. So likewise Ambrose in 3. ad Rom. Iustificati sunt gratis, quia nihil operantes, neque fidem reddentes, sola fide iustificati sunt dono Dei: They are iustified freely, because working nothing,Iustification only by faith. nor rendring nothing, they are iustified by faith onelyonly by the gift of God. Againe, in 4. ad Roman. Cum videant Abramum, non ex operibus legis, sed sola fide iustificatum: When they see Abraham iustified not of the workes of the law, but by faith only. Ambrose thus concludeth only faith out of S. Paul, without any corruption at all: out of which Father I hauehave twentie like pregnant testimonies at the lest at hand for iustification, sola fide, by faith onelyonly.

p. 2333. Where you say there is no Scripture for onelyonly faith, though this place of the Apostle be equiualent to that speech: yet somewhat to satisfie your contentious spirit, I will name you such a Scripture: as Luk. 8. 50. foreign, beleeue onelyonly, &c. and she shall be saued.

4. Your euasion of workes that goe before grace, that the Apostle onelyonly speaketh of such, will not serue your turne: for euen such workes are excluded, which God hath prepared for vsus to walke in, Ephes. 2. 8. 10. This was the old shift of the Pelagians, as it should seeme, which Hierome remoueth thus writing vponupon these words, By the works of the law shall no flesh be iustified: Quod ne de lege Mosi tantum dictum putes; & non de omnibus mandatis, quae vno legis nomine continentur, idem Apostolus scribit dicens, consentio legi Dei secundum interiorem hominem: Which least you should thinke spoken only of the law of Moses, and not of all the commaundements, which are contained vnderunder this one name of the law, the same Apostle writeth, saying, I consent to the law of God in the inward man, &c. ad Ctesiphont.

5. Whereas S. Iames saith, that a man is iustified of workes, and not of faith onelyonly, 2. 24. hee speaketh not of that iustification, wherby we are made iust before God, but of the outward probation and testification thereof, as it may appeare out of the 22. verse, Was not Abraham p. 234our father iustified through workes, when he offered Isaac his sonne vponupon the altar? But Abraham was iustified before God by faith at the least thirtie yeeres before. Genes. 15. 6. Abraham beleeued God, and it was counted to him for righteousnes: therefore by this worke his faith was proued and made knowne: as the Angell saith, Now I know that thou fearest God, Gen. 22. 12. he was not thereby iustified before God. This distinction of iustification Thomas Aquinas alloweth: Iacobus hîc loquitur de operibus sequentibus fidem, quae dicuntur iustificare non secundum quod iustificare dicitur iustitiae infusio, sed secundum quod dicitur iustitiae exercitatio vel ostensio, vel consummatio: res enim fieri dicitur, quando perficitur, vel innotescit: Iames speaketh here of workes following faith, which are said to iustifie, not as the infusion of iustice is said to iustifie, but as it is said to be the exercise, shewing or perfecting of righteousnes: for a thing is said to be done, when it is perfected and made knowne: in epist. Iacob. 5. 5. And no otherwise Origen saith, that Abraham was iustified by workes: Quia certum est eum, qui verè credit opus fide… & iustitiae operari: Because it is certaine, that hee which truly beleeueth doth worke the worke of faith and righteousnes, lib. 4. ad Rom. Thus S. Paul and S. Iames are reconciled: the one speaketh of our iustification, that is the infusion of iustice before God, which is by faith; p. 235the other of the testification thereof by workes.

The 12. Corruption.

SYnops. pag. 532. I am the bread, Ioh. 6. 35. the text is corrupted by leauing out two words, of life, which if he had put to, his argument against transubstantiation had bin destitute of all force.

The Correction.

1. IF it bee corruption of Scripture, sometime for breuitie sake to leaue out a word: you had best charge our Sauiour with that corruption: who saith out of Esay, The spirit of the Lord is vponupon me, Luk. 4. 18. whereas the Prophet saith of the Lord Iehouah.

2. He might hauehave considered, that the argument taken out of this scripture, is set downe from Bellarmines report together with his answere, lib. 3. de Euchar. cap. 24. argum. 1. So that herein is no deceite nor corruption in rehearsing that, which is by others propounded: although it were graunted, that some ouersight might passe in the first propounders, which is not yet proued: otherwise, when this text is alleaged by himselfe, all the words are expressed: I am the bread of life. pag. 509. lin. 1.

p. 2363. It was not necessarie nor pertinent to adde the rest of the words: neither hauehave they any aduauntage in putting of them to: for where Christ saith, I am the liuing bread, or bread of life; so he likewise saith, this is my bodie (pointing to the bread) which is giuen for you: but he gaue his liuing, not his dead bodie for them: As then Christ is not chaunged into bread, when hee saith, I am the bread of life, but it is a figuratiue speech: so the bread is not chaunged into his liuing bodie, where he saith, this is my bodie giuen for you. But here of necessitie also a figure must be admitted; as Augustine saith: Corporis & sanguinis sui figuram discipulis commendauit & tradidit: Hee gaue and commended a figure of his bodie and bloud to his Disciples, Enarrat. in Psal. 3. So Tertullian before interpreted, this is my body, that is, a figure of my body, lib. 4. cont. Marcion. So then, as Christ is not materiall bread, but spiritually: so the bread is not his materiall body, but likewise spiritually. This comparison then standeth still, betweene these two speeches, though the word (of life) be supplied, that in both a figuratiue kind of locution must be admitted.

The 13. Corruption.

THe Scripture saith, that Christ was giuen onelyonly for those that are giuen to p. 237him, to whom he giueth eternall life, Iohn 17. 2. the word onelyonly is maliciously added Libell p. 278.

The Correction.

1. HEre not so much the sentence, as the sense of the Scripture is applied: doth the Scripture say nothing, but that which in so many words is expressed in Scripture? then should we want Scripture for the probation of many substantial poynts of our faith. That then is not only Scripture, which in so many words is there found, but that also which may be from thence necessarily collected: As our Sauiour maketh that Scripture, which is inferred out of Scripture: as Matth. 22. 31. Concerning the resurrection of the dead, hauehave you not heard what is spoken to you of God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Iacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the liuing: In these words our Sauiour saith, that God speaketh of the resurrection: whereof there is no expresse mention, but onelyonly a naturall and proper collection. That then is not onelyonly Scripture, which the words onelyonly betoken, but which the sense also truely collected, yeeldeth, as Hierome saith: Nec putemus Euangeliū in verbis esse, sed in sensu; nō in superficie, sed in medulla; non in sermonum folijs, sed in radice rationis: Let vsus not thinke the Gospell to bee in the words, but in the sense; not in the outward p. 238shew, but the marrowe; not in the leaues, but in the roote, in epist. ad Galat. c. 1.

2. The Scripture here alleaged, Ioh. 17. 2▪ is only produced to proue that the elect only are giuen vntounto Christ: the wordes stand thus, Who are not contented to say, as the Scripture saith, that Christ was giuen only for those which are giuen him, to whom he giueth eternall life, Iohn 17. 2. That is, the elect, for to them only is life euerlasting giuen: by the collection out of this text, it doth appeare wherefore it is quoted: that the elect onelyonly are giuen to Christ, because they onelyonly hauehave eternall life. The argument may be framed thus: Eternall life is giuen to all those that are giuen to Christ: none but the elect hauehave eternall life: Ergo, none but they are giuen to Christ. The proposition of this argument is grounded vponupon the very words of the text, Iohn 17. 2. But that Christ was giuen onelyonly for those, which are giuen him, is taken as graunted, for none that stand for vniuersall grace, that I knowe deny this assertion, but the question is, who are giuen vntounto Christ. Snecanus a patron of vniuersall grace, affirmeth that Iudas was giuen vntounto Christ, p. 724. wee affirme that the elect onelyonly are giuen. Therefore seeing this Scripture was not brought forth to fortifie this assertion out of these words, Christ was giuenly only for those, &c. he cannot proue any addition.

p. 239And yet further, this assertion, that Christ died only for the elect giuen vntounto him, is euident also out of this chapter, Ioh. 17. vers. 9. I pray for them, I pray not for the world; but for those which thou hast giuen me. From whence, this reason may be enforced: Christ prayed onelyonly for those which are giuen vntounto him; he gaue himselfe to death onelyonly for those whom hee prayed for: vers. 19. for their sakes doe I sanctifie my self, which was by sacrificing himselfe, Rhem. Ioh. 17. 19. Ergo, he gaue himselfe to death only for those, which are giuen vntounto him, that is, the elect. Wherefore both these assertions, that the elect are onelyonly giuen to Christ, and that Christ was giuen onelyonly for the elect, being so euidently deduced out of scripture, it is no corruption to affirme, that the Scripture saith, that Christ was onelyonly giuen for those, that are giuen him, that is, the elect.

3. Ambrose proueth out of the Scripture,Christ died onelyonly for the Elect. that Christ was not giuen, but only to those which beleeue: as vponupon these words of Esay 9. ver. 6. VntoUnto vsus a child is borne, a sonne is giuen: Puer natus est nobis, non Iudaeis; nobis, non Manichaeis; nobis, id est credentibus, non incredulis, &c. A childe is borne to vsus, not to the Iewes; to vsus, not to the Manichees; to vsus, that is beleeuers, not vnbeleeuers: Sic puer non omnibus natus est, sed fidelibus: So the child was not borne for all, but for the faithfull, lib. 3. de fid. cap. 4. Augustine also out of the Scripture p. 240proueth the same: Christ died for the children of God, which he sheweth by this scripture, Ioh. 11. 52. Iesus was to die for that nation, and not for that nation onelyonly, but that hee should gather together in one, the children of God, which were scattered. But the elect are these children, and none els: Tales filij filio Christo dati sunt, quemadmodum ad patrem dicit ipse (vt omne, quod dedisti mihi, non pereat, sed habeat vitam aeternam) hi ergo Christo intelliguntur dati, qui ordinati sunt ad vitam aeternam, ipsi sunt illi praedestinati: Such sonnes are giuen to the sonne Christ, as hee saith to his father (that all that thou hast giuen me should not perish, but hauehave eternal life) these are vnderstood to be giuen to Christ, which are ordained to eternal life, they are y^• predestinate, lib. de corrept. & grat. c. 8. 9. Then this must be the conclusion, that Christ died for the elect and predestinate, and none els. And here by the way let it bee noted, that where Augustine saith, Christ saith to his father (that all that thou hast giuen me should not perish, but hauehave eternall life) this sentence is neither found in these very words in the 17. of Iohn, where Christ prayeth to his father, nor in the 6. of Iohn, as the glosse noteth, dist. 4. de poenit. cap. 8. but is rather inferred vppon Christs words vttered in diuers places. Let him now crie out also against Augustine, that hee is a corrupter & falsifier of the words of Christ.

p. 2414. Christs death we graunt was sufficient to all, but effectuall onelyonly to the elect: and herein wee refuse not Peter Lombards distinction: that Christ offered the price of redemption, pro omnibus quantū ad sufficientiā, sed pro electis tantum quantum ad efficaciam, quia praedestinatis tantum salutem effecit: For all in respect of sufficiencie, but for the elect onelyonly in regarde of efficacie, because hee wrought saluation only to the predestinate, lib. 3. distinct. 20. C. Againe, he saith in another place: Christus electos tantum sicut se dilexit, eorum que salutem optauit: Christ only loued the elect as himselfe, and wished their saluation, libr. 3. distinct. 31. D. If Christ only wished the saluation of the elect, then he only to their benefit intended his death. Now aske your Master from whence he hath this tantum, onelyonly: if he adde it of his owne, why doe you not refuse him? if he hath his warrant from the Scripture, then is it no corruption to affirme, the Scripture saith, Christ gaue himselfe to death onelyonly for the elect, that were giuen him.

5. Concerning the addition, which Sixtus the 4. made vntounto the Aue Marie: and, blessed be Anna thy mother, of whom thy virgins flesh hath proceeded without blot of originall sinne: he would excuse it thus, that these words are not added to the text, neither do they proue p. 242out of them that our Ladie was conceaued without sinne.

Contra. 1. Why (Sir) as though any of these pretended corruptions of Scripture did adde to, or make any innouation in the standing text? your answere here if it were sufficient, may serue very well for all your owne obiections.

2. It shall be shewed euen now, if you will hauehave a little patience, that you make bolde with the originall text, by adding to, and taking from it, by chopping & changing of it.

3. What though this addition of Pope Sixtus be not in the text of your Bibles, yet is it in the text alleaged in your seruice for the Conception of the Virgin Marie: and the Pope graunted great indulgence to those which should say the (Aue Maria) with that clause: And seeing this annexed piece maketh but one sentence with the (Aue Maria) being distinguished by an imperfect point; and blessed is the fruit of thy wombe Iesus Christ, and blessed is Anna thy mother, &c. it cannot be but an addition to Scripture?

4. You say the conception of the Virgin Marie without sinne is not grounded vponupon this addition, or that we may pray to our Ladie: yet this new scripture, together with your new found feast of the Conception, is warranted by the authoritie of the Papal sea, p. 243which hath power to allow Scripture: As it standeth in the decree of Sixtus 4. De ipsius immaculata virginis mira conceptione gratias referant, &c. That they should giuegive thankes for the miraculous conception of the immaculate Virgin, and say Masses, &c. that they may thereby by the merits of the Virgin bee made more fit, &c. You imagin then, that her merits are greater because of her sinlesse conception, and so are ye more imboldened to pray to her: and therefore your inuocation vponupon the Virgin Marie is in part grounded vponupon her miraculous conception. And all this the Pope ordaineth, by the authoritie of almightie God, and of his blessed Apostles Peter and Paul: Extrau. cōmun. lib. 3. t. 12. c. 1. Wherfore seeing the Pope promiseth great indulgence to all those which shall celebrate this festiuall, and sing Masses in the honor of this miraculous conception, you must either say, that the Pope bringeth in a new seruice without warrant of Scripture, or that he maketh Scripture of his owne: now chuse which you will.

Now to keepe promise with you: it is an vsuall thing in your Church, both to adde to and take from Scripture, as may be seene eueryevery where in your vulgar Latin translation: It would fill a large volume to note all the places corrupted, but for a taste I will produce some.

Genes. 21. 9. playing with Isaac, saith the Latin, where Isaac is added: 28. 5. Rebeckah, the mother of Esau and Iacob, left out in the Latin: 31. 47. both according to the proprietie of his language: this clause added. Genes. 34. 1. which she bare vntounto Iacob, left out: 38. 12. the daughter of Suah Iudahs wife: daughter wanting in the Latin: 41. 22. awaking, and againe ouercome of sleepe, &c. added: 47. 22. they had their ordinarie of Pharaoh: out of the common barnes, saith the Latin. Exod. 2. 23. And she brought forth another sonne, and called his name Eleazar, saying, the God of my father is my helper, and hath deliuered me out of the hand of Pharaoh: all this is added in the Latin, being not extant in the originall. A thousand such places might be remembred, wherein their Latin translation, which they hauehave decreed to bee authenticall, corrupteth the Hebrue text. But wee neede not giuegive an instance of lines, seeing they hauehave added whole leaues and bookes to the Canonicall Scripture, as the Apocryphal stories of Iudith, Tobie, Macchabees, with the rest.

Now to returne vntounto my kind friend, that hath spied so many faults: what hath he gained, but the name of a false accuser? for there is not one of these deuised corruptiōs, which either by example of Scripture, or like deduction of the Fathers, or by conference with other places is not rectified and ratified.

p. 244It were an easie matter to requite him with the like, and to pay him home with his fellowes faults: as how Bellarmine, Dan. 11. 37. for, he shall not regard the desires of women, readeth, he shall. Tit. 3. 10. after once or twice admonition: once, saith he. Iudith 5. 18. these words: the temple of the Iewes had been cast downe to the grouud: he saith, are supposititia foisted in. Hosius, Rom. 6. 19. for sanctification, readeth satisfaction. Stapleton, Galath. 1. 8, 9. readeth, if an Angell should preach otherwise, then we hauehave receiued of the Church, &c. These and other such bold aduentures vponupon the Scripture are more at large set downe, Tetrastyl. pag. 59. 60. where the Reader shall be more fully satisfied for this matter.

Thus hath this vnfriendly neighbour taken vppon him to discouer the ouersights and scapes of these two books, which he hath sought by his wrestings, cauils and deprauations to mangle and deface: I hope I shall not neede to say as Iphicrates of Aristophon with whom he contended: That his aduersarie foreign.was strong, but his cause the better: for I feare not, but that the goodnes of the cause hath had in this conflict the best successe. And as he hath pried and searched into some corners of another mans house, I could wish with Drusus, who when a workman offered for fiue talents to make his house so close, that none should see into it, said, I will giuegive p. 246thee tenne, to make it so open that eueryevery part may foreign.be seene, that all men may see how I liue: that he also had taken a perfect view of the whole building: for by his contradictions the truth is more fortified: his darke eye onelyonly aimed at the blemishes, the light of the truth dazeled his eyes, that he could not endure to behold it and acknowledge it. I may therefore say vntounto him, as Augustine to Faustus: Vestrum oculum maleuolus error in solam pal…am nostrae segetis ducit: nam & triticum cit… ibivideretis, si & esse velletis: Malicious error leadeth your eye onelyonly to the chaffe of our corne: for you might espie good wheat there also, if ye were wheate your selues:cont. Faust. lib. 5. cap. 11.

Now concerning the aduersaries charge, who heapeth vp so many malicious and wilfull falsifications of authors, corruptions of Scripture, &c. I speak this in the feare of God and in the testimonie of a good conscience, that though in so large a volume, and long a piece of worke, some faults by oursight might scape and be passed ouer (for from errors of negligence, and inuoluntarie slippes, what humane writer can challenge to bee free?) and I say with Augustine: Scripta mea, sicut Dei data, sic etiam errata mea agnosco: My writings as I confesse they are Gods giuings, so mine own errings: ad Simplician. lib. 2. q. 5. Yet I doe cleere my selfe (and I trust by this p. 247true defence hauehave sufficiently declared the same) from all malicious corruptions, such or so many as are suggested: so that I nothing doubt in this case to say with S. Paul, As for …e, I passe very little to be iudged of you: I iudge …ot mine owne selfe, for I know nothing by my selfe, 1. Cor. 4. 4. And as Augustine …aith of the false accusations of Petilian: Nihil eorum quibus me criminatus est mihi conscius sum: I am not guiltie of any thing wherewith he accuseth mee. And so I conclude with the same Fathers sentence: Etiam me in mea causa, sicut inimicus existimari cupit, deficiente & oppresso, victrix erit causa cui seruio: Though I should faint and faile in mine owne cause, as the aduersarie would hauehave it imagined, yet the cause (of truth) which I serue, shall neuer be conquered: libr. 3. cont. Petilian. cap. 2.

Laus Deo: Vincat veritas.

Errata.

Pag. 3. line 19. Pref. for foreign, reade foreign. p. 5. l. 1. for cationem, r. rationem. p. 20. l. 15. anno 47. r. canon. 47. p. 28. l. 27. non talib. r. cum talib. p. 33. l. 23. fences, r. offences. p. 64. l. 19. general. 26. r. generat. 26. p. 97. l. 12. p. 18. r. p. 180. p. 137. l. 23. Caullers, r. Cauillers. p. 113. l. 23. foreign, r. foreign in the marg. p. 157. l. 13. no heretike, r. an heretike. p. 163. l. 9. foreign, r. foreign, in the marg. p. 167. l. 10. againe, r. agmina. p. 271. l. 17. piae chordae, r. pia corda. p. 183. l. 28. obseruation, r. obsecration. p. 202. l. 20. verissima, r. verissime. p. 205. l. 30. consorteth, r. consenteth. p. 209. l. 10. aith, r. faith. Pref. p. 21. l. 6. in the marg. foreign, r. foreign.

Places omitted, are thus to be supplied.

Pag. 99. l. 19. lib. 1. cont. Iouinian. p. 202. l. 20. lib. 2. cont. Crescon. c. 7. p. 203. l. 17. lib. 2. cont. Crescon. c. 2. p. 209. l. 10. ena…rat. in Psal. 26. p. 221. l. 10. lib. cont. Petilian. 3. 2. p. 228. l. 16. tract. 25. in Matth.

End of the text · Andrew Willet, Discovery of a False Detection (1603)