The Four Principal Pillars of Papistry, Pillar 3 · Part 2

The Four Principal Pillars of Papistry · Pillar 3 · Part 2

p. 109The second part of this Piller, conteining the insufficient answers and solutions of our aduersaries.

AS most of the arguments, which our aduersaries vse against the common cause of the Gospell and the truth, do verie feebly and weakely conclude any thing against vsus: so their aunswers likewise which they shape vntounto such arguments, as they are pressed withall, are verie simple, and do bewraie the weaknesse of their cause. Some particulars for examples fake wee will see.

Beeing vrged concerning prayers in an vnknowen tongue, with that 1place of S. Paul: If I pray in a strange tongue, my spirite prayeth, but mine vnderstanding is without fruite, 1. Corinth. 14. 14. That is, such prayers are vnprofitable to the Church which it vnderstandeth not. They answer, that publike prayer is made vntounto God, not to the people: and it is inough, if God vnderstand, though the people vnderstand not, Bellarmine, de verbo Dei, lib. 2. cap. 16. obiect. 2. A verie absurd aunswer: for if it were sufficient, that God vnderstandeth publique praiers, they need not be vttered with the voice, but conceiued onelyonly in the heart, the thoughts whereof are as well vnderstoode of God, as the wordes of the mouth. And the Apostle reasoneth cleane contrarie, shewing that the vnlearned cannot say Amen to prayer not vnderstood, v. 16. Ergo, the vnderstanding also of the people is necessarie.

Whereas we alledge that place, Apocal. 22. 18. If any man shall adde vntounto 2these things, God shall adde, &c. To proue the Scriptures to be sufficient, and to conteine all necessarie matter to saluation, and that nothing ought to be added to them to supply their wants. Their answere is, that p. 108duplicate page p. 109duplicate page p. 110Iohn doth onelyonly forbid any addition to be made to that booke, Bellarmine de verb. ▪Dei, lib. 4. cap. 10. resp▪ ad secund. obiect. whereas notwithstanding the same sentence is pronounced els where, generally of the whole word of God, that nothing must bee added to it, Deuteronom. 4. 2. 12. 32. Prouerb. 30. 6.

We againe reason thus, The whole Scripture is profitable to teach, to improue, 3&c. as S. Paul saith, 2. Timoth. 3. 16. therfore the Scriptures conteine all things necessarie to saluation, we neede no other helpes. Their aunswere is, that S. Paul saith not the Scriptures onelyonly are sufficient to these purposes, but that they do, ad haec omnia prodesse & iuuare, they do profite and help towards these purposes, Bellarmine ibid. As though it followeth not in the same place, that the man of God may be absolute, being made perfect to all good workes, v. 17. If the Scriptures then work an absolute perfection in men touching the former duties, then are they not onelyonly profitable, but sufficient.

To proue, that although Christ, in the verie first moment of his conception, 4was perfect God, & perfect man, yet as man receiued not at once the fulnes of wisedome, but grew vp & encreased therein daily, we vrge that place in Luke: And Iesus increased in wisedome, and stature, cap. 2. 52. They aunswere, he did encrease opinione hominum, onelyonly in the opinion of men: whereas it followeth in plaine and direct wordes in the text, He encreased in the forenamed graces, both with God & men, Bellarm. de Christi anima, lib. 4. cap. 5. resp. ad 3. loc.

To that place, Mark. 13. 32. of that day and houre knoweth no man, no not 5the Angels which are in heauen, neither the sonne him-selfe saue the father: which words plainly shewe, that Christ as man onelyonly, knoweth not the time of his comming to iudgement: They frame this aunswere, Non scit addicendum alijs: The sonne of man is said not to knowe it, that is, to declare it to others, but to keepe it secrete to himself, Bellarm. ibid. This answere is verie insufficient: for as the sonne knoweth it not, so neither doe the Angels: if the sonne be said, not to know it to tel others, & yet knoweth it in himselfe: so likewise the Angels should know it to themselues, though not for others: but I thinke, they will not saye, that the houre of Christs comming is reuealed to the Angels. Againe, as the sonne is said not to know it, so the Father is said to know it, if the Sonne onelyonly know it not, to reueale it to others, then the Father knoweth it, to the intent he should declare it to others: but neuer yet was it declared to any creature nor euer shall, till Christ suddenly appeare in the cloudes.

Wheras S. Peter saith, whom God raised vp, loosing the sorrows of hell (as the 6Rhemists translate) Christ, they say, loosed other men frō those dolours ofAct. 2▪ 29.Acts 2:29 hell: Rhemist in eum locum, Bellarm. de Christ. lib. 4. cap. 8. yet it followeth, because it was impossible for him to be holden of it: these sorrowes therefore p. 111were loosed, which Christ was in for awhile, but could not be long kept there; namely, the sorrowes of death, as wee doe read agreeable to the Greeke text, not the sorrowes of hell: It is therefore but a childish shift which they vse, & contrarie to the sence & words of the text.

Being vrged, with that scape that Peter made, Galath. 2. for the which 7he was reproued of Paul, they shoote out these words, Sine dubiopeccatum illud aut veniale, ac leuissimum fuit, Either it was a veniall and most light offence, or he offended onelyonly materially: that is, erratum quoddam fuit, sed absque Petri culpa: an error was committed, but without any fault at all of Peters, Bellarm, de Pontif. lib. 1. 28. A most grosse and absurd aunswere. First, Saint Paul saith, he withstoode Peter to the face, that is, openly and plainly rebuked him, and not without iust cause, for hee was to bee blamed, Galath. 2. 11. Secondly, Peters fault was, that he constrained the Gentiles to doc like the Iewes, v. 14. And by his example he caused the Iewes and Barnabas to dissemble: Is dissimulation then so small an offence? or was it so light a fault, to constraine the Gentiles Iudaizare, to play the Iewes? or was Paul so vndiscreete, so sharply to reproue so worthie an Apostle for so small a fault? Thirdly, And what doctrine is this, that a man may sinne, and not be guiltie of sinne? may do a fault, and not be faultie? as though sinnes committed ignorantly and vn wittingly, doe not bring a guilt with them; albeit not so great and heynous, as sinnes willingly done: For to what end els were sacrifices appointed in the law for sinnes of ignorance? Leuitic. 4.

Where we alleadge the example of Saint Paul, that appealed vntounto 8Caesar saying thus, I stand at Caesars iudgement seat, where I ought to be iudged, Act. 25. 10. to proue that as Paul, so Peter and his successours were subiect to the terrene and secular power of the Emperours. Their aunswere is, that there is not the like reason of Heathen and Christian gouours: for vntounto them, euen the chiefe Bishop was subiect in ciuile causes: But when Princes became Christians, they then were to submit themselues to the Pope, as sheepe to the shepheard, Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. lib. 2. cap. 29. A worthie aunswere: as though the Gospell did abridge the lawful authoritie of Princes: for if it were the right of heathen Emperours to be supreme Iudges of all persons: (otherwise the Apostle would not voluntarily hauehave appealed to an vnlawful and vsurped power:) Much more may Christian Princes challenge the same right. They cannot aunswere, that Caesar had this power by vsurpation: for the Apostle was not compelled thereunto, but made free choyce of Caesar to be his Iudge.

To proue that it is not lawful nor conuenient for one & the same man 9to be both an Ecclesiasticall & temporal Prince: We bring forth these & such like places of Scripture, It is not meete we should leaue the worde of God p. 112and serue tables, Act. 6. 2. No man that goeth a warfare, entangleth himselfe with secular busines, 2. Timoth. 2. They answere vsus, that it is not meete an Ecclesiasticall person should attend vponupon base offices, as to be a Cator or prouider of victuals, to be occupied in buying and selling, and such like, Bellarm▪ de pontif. lib. 5. cap. 10. But they hauehave saide iust nothing: for who seeth not that these secular affaires are forbidden, not so much because of their basenes or vilenes, as because they are lettes and impediments vntounto the pastorall function? Now it is most plaine and euident, that the charge and care of ciuil gouernement, are as great, nay a greater distraction of the minde, than the executing of smaller and baser offices, and require greater studie and industrie, and therefore do as well, nay much rather hinder and let the progresse of spirituall matters. And yet further to shewe what a friuolous and feeble aunswere they hauehave made, our Sauiour Christ saith, to put all out of doubt, Who made mee a iudge, or deuider ouer you? Luk. 12. 14. They will not say (I trow) that these are base and vile offices, to be a Iudge of controuersies, and a deuider of lands and hereditaments, & to giuegive vntounto euerie man his owne: yet euen these principall prerogatiues of ciuil gouernement our Sauiour doth refuse, as vnfit to be matched with the preaching of the Gospell.

Whereas wee inferre vponupon Peters example, Act. 10. 26. who forbad 10Cornelius to worship him, that Saints and holy men are not therefore to be adored with any religious worship: It is aunswered, that Cornelius did well, and as he ought, in worshipping Peter: but Peter of modestie refused to take it at his hands, Bellarmine, de sanct. lib. 1. cap. 14. Yea, but Peter rendereth a reason: For I am also a man, v. 26. insinuating, that such religious worship belonged vntounto God, not vntounto man. If it be then a point of modestie onelyonly for the creature to refuse that homage which is due to the creator, then was this modestie in Peter.

That there was and is, one and the selfe same substance both of the sacraments 11of the olde Testament, and of ours, wee proue it by Saint Paules wordes, They all did eate of the same spirituall meate, and did all drink the same spirituall drinke, 1. Corinth. 10. 4. Answere is made, that they did eate and drinke the same spirituall meate and drinke amongst themselues, not the same with vsus, Bellarmine de Sacram. lib. 2. cap. 17. which is but a vaine shift: for the Apostle addeth, They dranke of the spirituall rocke that followed them, and the rocke was Christ, v. 4. Now Christ is the same spirituall rocke both vntounto vsus, and vntounto them: not vntounto them onelyonly among themselues, or to vsus onelyonly, but both vntounto them and vntounto vsus.

That the baptisme of Iohn, and the baptisme of Christ, was one and the 12same in substance, and of the same efficacie and force, we proue it thus: Iohns baptisme was the baptisme of repentance for remission of sinnes: Luk. 3. 3. So also was the baptisme of Christ: repent and be baptized euerie p. 113one of you, in the name of Iesus Christ, for the remission of sinnes: Act. 2. 38, Ergo, there was the same fruite and effect of each baptisme. They doe aunswere vsus thus, No sayth the Iesuite, there is not the like reason of both, for repentance went before Christes baptisme as a necessarie preparation thereunto, but it followed Iohns Baptisme, as an effect thereof: Bellarm. de baptis. lib. 1. cap. 23. This answere is too vayne and friuolous, for in repentance are two things, the purpose of hart, Act. 11. 23. and the amendement of life, which consisteth in beeing buried and dead vntounto sinne, and rising vp to the newnesse of life, Rom. 6. 4. This purpose and vow of heart with confession of sinnes, went as well before Iohns baptisme as Christes: for the people first came and confessed their sins, and then were baptized of Iohn: Math. 3. 6. Luke 3. 12. And as for amendement of life, which is the accomplishment and fruites of repentaunce, it neither went before Iohns baptisme, nor Christes: not Iohns by their owne confession, not Christs: for in the same instant, that the Apostle said, Repent & be baptized: Act. 2. They were baptized, so that the time serued them not to shew the fruites of repentance, and by baptisme wee are buried vntounto sinne, and raysed vp to newnesse of life, Rom. 6. 4. But the fruites and efficacie of baptisme goeth not before, but followeth after, thus the vanitie of their answeare is vanished and blowen away.

Whereas wee obiect that saying of Christ, Except yee eate my fleshe, and 13drinke my blood, yee hauehave no life in you, Iohn 6. 53. That it can not bee vnderstood of the Eucharist, as our aduersaries doe expound all such places in that chapter, for then no man could be saued without this sacrament, which were an absurde and hard saying: And so both infantes, which are not fit to receyue it, and all such, as are preuented by some remedilesse necessitie, should be cut off from the hope of saluation. They answere thus: first, that the place is to bee vnderstood onelyonly of those that are Adulti, of yeares of discretion, not of infantes. And agayne, all men are bound evther to communicate, reipsa, aut desiderio, either in verie deade, or else in vowe and desire, Bellarm▪ de sacram. Eucharist. lib. 1. cap. 7. resp. ad argum. 3. This answere is like vntounto the rest, verie insufficient, and may bee turned vppon themselues, for whereas they vrge the necessitie of baptisme out of these words of our Sauiour, Except a man bee borne of water and the spirite, he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen, Iohn 3. 5. May it not aswell bee answered that children also are excluded here, as in the other place? for the words are in both places generallie spoken without exception. Agayne, Christ sayth, except yee eate: if this may be done in vow and defire, that is spiritually, which wee affirme and graunt, then is it not meant of the sacramentall eating onelyonly, as the Papistes beare vsus in hande, and so they are contrary to themselues: Lastly, if it bee necessarie to receiue the Eucharist eyther actually and indeede, or in vow and desire (which is most p. 114true) There is the like necessitie thereof, as of baptisme: For the Rhemistes confesse as much, that they before God are accepted as baptized that depart this life with vowe and desire to hauehave this sacrament, but by some remediles necessitie could not obtaine it, Annot. Iohn. 3. Sect. 2. Thus baptisme by their owne confession is prooued to be no more necessarie than the other Sacrament: and so are they taken with their owne wiles.

Against the reall presence in the Eucharist, amongst other arguments, 14wee do bring foorth this: S. Paul in diuers places calleth the Sacrament bread after consecration: as 1. Corinth. 10. 16. The bread which we breake, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? And chap. 11. 26. As often as ye shall eate this bread, & drinke this cup, ye shewe the Lords death till hee come. The Apostle calleth it bread, Ergo it is bread, not the bodie, flesh or bloud of Christ. To this argument, they make vsus this aunswere: The Apostle calleth it bread, because it was bread before, or because it appeareth to be bread, not that it is bread, Bellarm. de Eucharist. lib. 1. cap. 14. res. ad loc. 13. Yea, but the Apostle maketh mention together both of the bread and cup: If it be called bread, because of the appearance onelyonly; then by the like reason so is the cup: and as there is no bread in deede, so there shalbe no cup. Againe, saith hee, The bread which wee breake; but the shape or forme of bread cannot be broken, but the substance. Neither will they say, that Christes bodie is diuided or broken: therefore it is true bread which the Apostle so calleth. Lastly, if they like this speech of the Apostle, that hee should call it bread after consecration, how cōmeth it to passe, that they are afraide to call it bread in the Canon of the Masse, but the bodie of Christ only? It should seem therfore by their practise, that they mislike the apostles phrase & maner of speech.

That the Eucharist ought to be ministred in both kindes, we confirme 13it out of that place, Iohn. 6. 53. Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man, and drinke his bloud, ye hauehave no life in you: which our aduersaries expound of the Eucharist. Their answere is this: that here the coniunction or particle, &, and, must be taken after the phrase of Scripture, for the Distinctiue, vel, either: as if the sense were this: except you either eate or drink, Bellarm. de Eucharist. lib. 4. cap. 25. By this reason, they make it a thing indifferent, either to eate or to drinke, to doe any one of them: and so, as the people doe onelyonly eate in the Sacrament amongst them, & not drink; the contrarie custome also may be brought in, for the people to drinke onelyonly, and not to eate, which I thinke they wil be loath to graunt.

Againe, where they presse vsus for the necessitie of baptisme with that place, Iohn. 3. 5. Except a man be borne of water and the Spirite: wee can aunswer them with their owne words: And in this place, &, is taken for either, vel, as if it were said, EueryEvery man must be borne either of water or of the spirit. Although we hauehave better answer, & are not driuen to vse any p. 115such shift: yet thus they do make rods for themselues to be whipt withall.

Whereas we thus reason, that the Eucharist ought to bee ministred in 16both kindes, because the death of Christ cannot otherwise be liuely shewed foorth, but both by eating and drinking in remembrance of Christ: The Iesuite boldly aunswereth, that a sufficient commemoration may be made by receiuing onelyonly in one kinde, Bellarm. de Sacramen. Eucharist. lib. 4 cap. 27. cleane contrarie to Saint Paul, who saith: As often as ye shall eate this bread, and drinke this cup, ye shewe the Lords death till he come, 1. Corin. 11. 26. To remember and shewe foorth the death of Christ, hee requireth receiuing in both kindes.

That the marriage of Ministers, is authorized by the word of God, wee 17proue out of S. Paul. 1. Timoth. 3. 11. who hauing first described the office of Bishops & Pastors of the Church, and what maner of men they ought to be, commeth afterward to set foorth the qualities and conditions that should be in their wiues: That they should be honest, sober, and faithfull. The Iesuite here celleth vsus, that the Apostle meaneth such, as had beene their wiues before they were ordained, lib. 1. de Clericis. cap. 20. Ans. I wil aske them then one question: Their former wiues maried before, did they renoūce them afterward, or retaine thē? If they renounced them, what need had the Apostle to be so carefull in setting downe rules and precepts for their wiues? for it was no more to them, how they demeaned themselues than other women. If they retained them in the name of their wiues, they either liued together, or apart: not apart, for the Apostle prescribeth an order for the Ministers house & children, v. 4. But there is no reason that the mother should want the comfort of her children, though shee enioyd not the companie of her husband: It is therefore most like the mother liued with her children, and the children with their father: and where els then should their mother liue, but with their father? If then they liued in one house together, how then is shee not now his wife as freely, & for all honest purposes and ends of mariage, as before? Who seeth not now, how weakely these things hang together?

And that it is as lawful for the Ministers of Gods worde to marrie a…ter 18their calling to the Ministerie, as before, we shew it by these words of the Apostle: HaueHave we not power to lead about a sister awife? 1. Cor. 9. 5. Their answer is, that it must be read thus, a sister a womā: for certain deuout womē folowed the Apostles, which ministred vntounto them of their substance, Rhemist. Annot. in hunc locum. Ans. But this were a superfluous speech, to say, a sister a woman, whereas it had been enough to say, sister, which word also expresseth the sexe. And seeing the Apostles had wiues of their own, it is an absurd thing to imagine, that they would choose rather to go in the companie of strange women, their owne wiues being more necessarie to attend on them, & more fit for auoiding of offence.

p. 116That the hearing & preaching of the word of God is a necessarie note 19of the Church, we conclude out of our Sauiour Christs words: Iohn. 10. My sheepe heare my voice. Bellarmine aunswereth, it is a note whereby a man may gesse of his election, to heare the word of God, but not a visible note to know the Church by, Bellarm. de notis eccle. lib. 4. cap. 2. A grosse aunswer, as though whereby a man is knowne to be a true member of the Church, the Church it selfe also is not knowen to be a true Church. If one man be knowen to be of the Church, because hee obeyeth the voice of Christ, why shal not a congregation of many men be knowen to bee the Church of God likewise by embracing the worde of God?

Againe, our Sauiour Christ saith, Wheresoeuer two or three are gathered 20together in my name, there am I in the middest, Math. 18. Hence we conclude that to assemble togither in the name Christ, that is, to heare his worde, & receiue the sacraments, is a most manifest note of the true Church. Bellarmine aunswereth: this place sheweth not where the Church is, but where Christis, Bellarm. ibid. A most ridiculous and vnskilful answere: as though where Christ is knowen to be present, there is not necessarily the church: for where els is he to be found, but in his Church?

Christ said to Peter, dic Ecclesiae, Tel it to the Church, an obstinate sinner 21must be referred to the censure of the Church: Ergo, Peter & his successors are not the supreame iudges: for here he is referred to the Church. Bellar. So the Pope doth, dicere Ecclesiae, tel it to the Church, id est, sibi ipsi, that is, he telleth it to himselfe, lib. de Concil. 2. ca. 19. Ans. Is not here good stuffe? the Pope is now become the whole Church: contrarie to the sense of this place: for in censuring of offendors wee must proceede by degrees: first one must rebuke him that sinneth, the 2 or 3. last of all it must be declared to the Church: so then, as two or three are more than one, so the Church is more than 2 or 3. But the Pope is not 2 nor 3, much lesse can hee stande for the whole Church.

That the Apostles were al equal in authoritie, we shewe it out of Saint 23Paul, Ephes. 2. 20. where the Church is said to be built vponupon the foundation of the Apostles indifferently. Bellarmine answereth: that they had allBellarm. de Pontif. l…. 1. cap. 11 chiefe authoritie committed vntounto them as Apostles, but Peter as ordinarie Pastor. Ans. But the Apostleship was the highest office in the Church. A pastor or Bishop was inferior to an Apostle: first Apostles, faith S. Paul, 1. Corinth. 12. 28. If then they were equall as Apostles, there could be no superioritie amongst them: but such are their fond & childish aunswers.

Whereas we reason thus against reliques: that therefore the Lord buried 24the bodie of Moses, lest the Israelites should hauehave worshipped his bodie, and so committed Idolatrie. Bellarm. telleth vsus, that men are not so prone to Idolatrie nowe as the Israelites were, and therefore may more safelie be admitted to worship reliques, de Reliqu. Sanctorum, lib. 2. cap. 4. p. 117Whereas daily experience of Popish idolatrie sheweth the contrarie: for there was neuer, no not in the most corrupt times of that Church, such grosse idolatrie and superstition, and with such boldnes committed, & so vsually, as is now among Papistes.

And these with such like are their aunswers to such places of scripture, as we bring against them. The like aunswers also they giuegive vsus in other matters.

Whereas wee tell them, that this name Latinus in Greeke letters thus, 25foreign doth conteine the mysticall number of 666. Apocal. 13. The Iefuit maketh this simple aunswere, that Lateinus with e. i. maketh that number, not with single i. lib. 3. de Pontif. cap. 10. Ans. Herein first hee sheweth his ignorance, as though the Greeke dipthong, ei, be not vsually expressed by a single i. in Latine. And what if e. be left out? wee want but 5 of the number. But what a poore shift is this, we hauehave founde out the name of Antichrist in Latinus, sauing one small letter.

Where wee tell them, that Rome is the citie built vponupon seuen hilles: 26they aunswere vsus, that it now standeth in a plaine, in Campo Martio. Sander. A sillie shift. But it is certaine at that time, when Saint Iohn wrote the Apocalypse, that it stoode vponupon seuen hilles, and to this daye, there are auncient monuments, and goodly buildings, Churches, chappels, Abbeyes, or such like vponupon euerie one of those hilles.

It were too long particularly to set downe all their absurde, and aunswerlesse 27aunswers, their sillie shifts and starting holes. As whereas Gregorie maketh one Scholasticus author of the Canon of the Masse, they aunswere, S. Petrus Scholasticus dicipotest, that S. Peter may well be termed a schooleman, Bellar. de Miss. li. …. ca. 19. which is in deede to set the spirite of God to schoole; to say, that the Apostles were brought vp in schooles.

Thus in another place he is constrained to graunt, that marriage betweene 28Infidels ought to be, after they are baptized, the second time contracted & solemnized, Bellarm. de Matrim. li. 1. 5. as though they had liued in adulterie before: for if the first contract were firme, what neede a second? and if the first contract be dissolued by baptisme, then are the parties free to marrie where they wil. See what an absurd answere this is.

Whereas we tell them that Syl…ester the second, was a great coni…rer & 29Necromancer, as it is recorded in authenticall stories: The Iesuite thus pretily would excuse the matter, that because he was well seene in Geometrie & in the Mathematikes, therefore that rude & vnlearned age iudged him to be a Sorcerer, Bellarm. de Pontif. lib. 4. cap. 13.

So another telleth vsus, whereas wee worthily▪ vpbraid them with that 30whore Pope of theirs dame Ioane, that sate 2 yeares in the Papacie: that the Pope might be an Hermaphrodite, or Herkinalson, that is both a man & a woman: or being first a man might afterward be turned into a woman: p. 118Corpus, dialog. 1. p. 47. And all this might be more likely in their opinion, than that a woman should step into the Popes chaire. What now will these men be ashamed to speake or write, that dare vtter such follies?

It were too long to declare all their shiftes of descant, as wee saye: as 31when they are pressed with the authoritie of auncient writers, whome in words they will seeme to make great account of: if they cannot readily finde some cauil or other to shift it off, they wil not stick boldly to refuse and denie them: as where wee report the storie out of Sozomene, vponupon what occasion Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople abolished the custome of auricular confession: Bellarmine steppeth in boldly and saith, Non ignoramus Sozomenum in historia multa esse mentitū: We are not ignorant, that Sozomene hath told many lies in his historie, de poenitent. lib. 3. cap. 14.

Likewise in another place the Iesuite refuseth Platina, non publica authoritate 32vitas illas Pontificum scripsit, He was not by publike authoritie allowed, to write the liues of the Popes, de poenitent. lib. 3. cap. 13.

Benno a Cardinal refused, that wrote the storie of Gregorie the 7. And 33the Iesuites loose coniecture is, that the booke was made by some Lutherane: whereas it is manifest that the booke is more auncient by almost fiue hundred yeares, than the name of Luther. Bellarm. de sum. Pontif. lib. 4. cap. 13.

But thus they deale not onelyonly with these latter writers, but euen with 34the most auncient: If Tertullian be alleadged against them not to their liking, they crie out, that he was an heretike, and wrote this or that in defence of heresie, Harding, detect. 238. In deede Tertullian had his errors, but yet all that he wrote contrarie to them, is not heresie.

Where wee cite that saying of Cyprian: If the truth faint or faile in any 35point, wee ought to returne to the originall of our Lorde, and to the traditions of the Gospell. Wee receiue this aunswere: S. Cyprian vsed that saying in an euill case: and therefore hee defending a falshood, was driuen to the verie same shiftes, whereunto all heretikes are driuen, Defens. Apolog. pag. 172. Harding. See the boldnes of this man: The counsell and commaundement of Christ, Search the Scriptures, is no better with him, than an hereticall shift.

When wee affirme by Saint Hieromes testimonie, that Pope Liberius 36subscribed to the Arrians, wee are sent away with this scornefull aunswere: that Hierome was deceiued by a rumour dwelling in the East. Harding. pag. 661.

But that famous learned father Augustine, is most vncourteously vsed 37at their hands of all the rest. The Rhemistes refuse Augustines exposition of these wordes in the Gospel: vponupon this rocke, &c. Math. 16. which he expoundeth not of Peters person, but of Peters faith, Annot. Math. 16. Sect. ….

p. 119They likewise refuse his reading, Hebr. 11. Iacob worshipped leaning vponupon his staffe: but they will needs hauehave it, Iacob worshipped the top of his staffe: as though Iacob made an idol of his staffe, Annot. Heb. 11. v. 21.

Bellarmine also taketh the same libertie to reiect Augustines iudgemēt: as where Augustine interpreteth that place of S. Paul. 1. Cor. 3. He shalbe saued as through fire, of the afflictions or tribulations of this life. But the Iesuite wresteth the words to signifie Purgatorie, de Purgator. lib. 1. ca. 4.

And in another place he doth not only refuse, but confute at large Augustines interpretation of that place of Peter, epist. 1. cap. 3. of the spirites now in prison, which were sometime disobedient, de Christo, lib. 4. cap. 13.

Yea, he doth not onelyonly reiect this learned father, and by argument confute him, but hee proceedeth yet further to father a lie vponupon him, thus writing: Augustinus absurdissimum censuit, quod haeresis Donatistarum post annum Domini 300 ex Carthagine esset propaganda in omnem terram: Augustine thought most absurdly, that the Donatistes heresie, three hundred yeares expired after Christ, should out of Carthage spring foorth, and bee propagated or spread abroad into all the earth. And the Iesuite quoteth the place in Augustine, lib. de vnitat. Eccles. cap. 14. 15. Bellarm. de notis Eccles. lib. 4. cap. 7. But in Augustine, read the place who will, there is no such matter to be founde. The Donatistes assertion was this, that the Church was perished from the whole worlde, and onelyonly remained in Africa. Augustine thus confuteth them: How can the faith be perished from the worlde, when the faith of the Gentiles is not yet fulfilled? how can it be lost, which they hauehave not yet receiued? Nisi fortè dicatis earum reparationem ex Africa per partem Donati expectandam, Vnlesse you will say, that the faith of the Nations being decayed, is like to be by the Donatistes sect repaired: and then it followeth: Puto, quod ipsi etiam rideant cum hoc audiunt, & tamen nisi hoc dicunt, quod erubescant si dicant, non habent omnino, quod dicant: I thinke that they themselues will laugh, when they heare this, and yet vnlesse they affirme this, which they may be ashamed to affirme, they hauehave nothing at all to say. See then Augustine is so farre from saying or thinking, as the Iesuite chargeth him, that he taketh it rather to be folly to be laughed at, or an absurditie to be blushed at. Who will not rather iudge the Iesuite most absurd, in blemishing so falsly Augustines name, with such an absurditie? By this wee may coniecture, that the Iesuite both in this place, and in many other, trusted to other mens readings, rather than to his owne.

Doth not also Albertus Pigghius most vnreuerently saye of Augustine, that he erred & lied, & vsed false Logique, in affirming matrimonie after a vow made to be perfite, & not to be vndone againe? Distinct. 27. Quidam.

And as they deale with the auncient writers, so they spare not their 38owne friends. Harding sayth, Wee take not vponupon vsus all that the Canonists or p. 120Schoole-men say or write: Defens. apol. pag. 385. The like they say of others: Wee binde not our selues to maintayne whatsoeuer Albertus Pigghins hath written, Cardinall Caietanus hath his errours: Erasmus and Agrippa be men of small credite, Alphonsus de castro, Beatus Rhenanus, Platina, appendix Concilij Basiliens. are stuffe little worth. Harding detection. 307. b. a.

Bellarmine also is so bolde as to checke Aeneas Sylvius, who afterwarde was Pope of Rome called Pius 2. for whereas we alleadge that saying of his, Ante Nicenum Concilium ad Romanam Ecclesiam paruus habebatur respectus, Before the first Nicene Councell there was small regarde had to the Church of Rome. The Iesuite aunsweareth: Quae sententia Aenea Syluij partim est vera, partem non est vera, which sentence of Aeneas Syluius is partly true, partlie false, Bellar. de Rom. pontif. lib. 2. cap. 17. Thus in their mood, they neither spare old nor new writer, neither Cardinall nor Pope, friend or foe: And no maruel, for as Augustine wel saith, Si diuina l…x persuadere non possit, humana authoritas ad veritatem reuocare nequit, If the word of God cannot perswade them, it is not straunge, that they are not mooued with humane authoritie, Cont. Crescon. lib. 1. cap. 3. and indeed, they make as bold with the holy. Scriptures, as with the writings of men, wresting & mangling them, altering & changing the text at their pleasures.

As Bellarmine citing a text out of S. Luke. 22. 19. addeth these wordes of 39his owne, C…nantibus eis, While they supped, he tooke bread: whereas the text is, And when hee had taken bread: because he would proue (very fondly) that the bread was distributed in supper while, and the cup after supper, not both together, Bellarm. desacram. Eucharist. lib. 4. cap. 24.

In an other place he quoteth Apocal. 14. v. 1. For the signe of the crosse: and whereas the originall onelyonly hath, Hauing his fathers name written in their fore-heads, they put in this clause, Hauing his name, and his fathers name, after the vulgare latine. So in the canon of the masse, they adde these words vntounto the Gospel: Mandueate ex hoc omnes, Eat ye all of this: whereas Christ said onelyonly, after the cup, Bibite ex hoc omnes, drinke ye all of this. Bellarmine faith it is supplied by …adition, de sacram. Eucharist. lib. 4. ca. 25.

So 1. Ioh. 4. 3. where the authentical Greeke hath, EueryEvery spirit which confesseth not Iesus, they read after their corrupt latine text, EueryEvery spirit which dissolueth Iesus: Without any senso, whereas the text approueth the former reading, for the 2. verse speaketh of spirits confessing Iesus, so that consequently this verse must treat ofspirits not confessing Iesus. VntoUnto this place may be added al the corruptions of the vulgar latine translation, which are maintayned by the Church of Rome, disagreeing from the true originall in Greeke.

Lastly, they do not onelyonly alter and chaung scripture, but make scripture 40of their owne, as one of their side prooueth the Pope to bee Dommus rerū temporalium, Lord ofall worldly goods, por illud dictum Patri, dabo tibi omnia p. 121regna mundi, by those words of Peter, I wil giuegive thee al the kingdoms of the world. These wordes notwithstāding Peter neuer spake, but they were spoken by the deuill: a fit text sure to ground the popes Lordlike dominion vponupon, Archidiacon. Florentin. ex citation. Iuel. pag. 615. defens. apolog.

More who list to see of our aduersaries maner of corrupting scripture: I referre them to that which hath beene before said of this matter: 1. Piller part. 3. a loc. 46. ad 5…. I say vntounto them now, as Augustine to certaine heretikes in his time: Mortuus fine sensuiacet, & valent verba ipsius: sedet Christus in coelo & contradicitur testamento eius: A man lieth deede without sense and his will remaineth in force: Christ sitteth in heauen, and dieth not, yet his testament is gainsaid: in Psal. 21. Thus wee see the weake answeres, and beggerlie shiftes, which our aduersaries through the weakenesse of their cause, are driuen vntounto. Who may fitly be compared, to vse Augustines comparison, vntounto subtle & crafty foxes: Vulpes solent habere tales foueas, vt ex vnaparte intrent, ex alia exeant: Foxes are wont to hauehave such holes, that they may goe in one way, and goe out another: Euen so doe our aduersaries seeke starting holes, playing fast and loose with vsus, sometime denying the fathers, sometime affirming with them, sometime appealing to scripture, otherwhile running from scripture to tradition: & so going in and out at their pleasure. Sed ad vtrung foramen, as Augustine saith, captor vulpium retia posuit: But the fox-taker (seeing their craft) hath laid his nettes in both holes, that comming in and going out they are sure to be taken, in Psal. 80. So God be thanked our Sauiour Christ this wise taker of foxes, hath so armed the defenders of his trueth, that whether these wilely foxes goe in or goe out, pretend scriptures, fathers, or goe against them, we doubt not buttheir feete shalbe caught with the snare of trueth.