Certain Questions, Answer 2 – Reply 2
Mr Ainſvvorths Anſvver. To Mr Broughton, Grace & truth.
IF my writing, Mr Br. ſeemed ſo tedious & found ſo litle favor in your eyes, I marveil not: that which is read with ill will & prejudice, both of cauſe & perſon, is ever vngratefull. Good cauſe I had to doe as I did: for wheras heretofore when I opened the book of Exodus, & ſpake of the ſtuff of the curtaines, & high prieſts garments, I ſhewed the Sheſh or Byſſe to be a thing they had in Aegypt (frō whence Iſrael came) finer then our linē, which we might cal ſilk or fine linen as our tranſlations goe: And finding no cauſe to alter the name, I folowed ſtil our wonted Engliſh▪ This now of late hath been imputed to me for error, & it was bruited far and neer that I had taught falſe doctrine, touching this matter of ſilk. Neyther was the reproch vponupon me alone (which I could hav borne in ſilence,) but vponupon al this poor church of Chriſt with me. Further when I met you at the printers, & had by occaſiō ſome litle ſpeech hereof, it was after reported I had yielded & revoked mine error. Herevpon I thought it needful (for ſtaying of falſe tumors) to giv out that writing. In it, I onelyonly ſought after the truth, minding what might be both objected & anſwered. I found the ſtate of the queſtion to conſiſt of two branches, 1. That it might not be ſilk, becauſe that was vnclean by ceremonie. 2. That it was linen & wollen, becauſe the Iewiſh Rabbines ſay ſo. Of theſe points I wrote what I ſaw, not inveighing againſt any mans perſon, though I vvas not ignorant from what fountanie thoſe vvaters flowed. For this writing you reproch me, who rather ſhould hav inſtructed me with 2 Tim. … 25.meeknes if I had miſſed. Touching the controverſie, notwithſtanding that which yow hav vvritten, this now I ſay.
1. That I am ſtil of judgement, it is neyther error nor corruptiō in religion, to keep the cōmune name of ſilk: ſeing that we in Engliſh, name linen of linum flaxe, and ſilk of ſeri…um; and Aegyptian byſſe, (for which we hav no proper name) we cal both fine linen and ſilk, & hav ſo been taught from our infancie in ſcholes & dictionaries; and therfore whither we folow the old tranſlation white ſilk, or the later Geneua, fine linen, it ſkilleth not. And to conclude becauſe it was ſilk that it was ſilk of wormes, hath no better ground then their aſſertion which ſay the fathers were in Hell, becauſe they wer in Hudes, ſeing ſilk is a general name as wel for that which naturally groweth, as for that which the wormes make.
2. Moreover▪ that worm-wrought ſilk was vnclean, or might not be in the tabernacle, I yet ſee not, for the reaſons alleged: if by the law of God it can be ſhewed, I am willing to yield.
3. Or that the high prieſts garments wer of linen & wollen (taking theſe names properly as we Engliſh mē vnderſtand them) I dare not yet aſſent; vntil it be proved God did diſpenſe with his law, as you in ſpeech ſaid he might doe, which we al graunt, if he would. And I choſe rather to rel… vpō foreign Linſey-…ſey. …ut. 22. ….or any one word of God, then a thowſand of men: & hope I hav choſen the better part, which ſhal not be taken from me.
Length of time, wil not preuaile againſt truth, yet that theſe things wer ſo holden & vſed of the Iewiſh nation 1400. yeres in their common weal, I wil beleev when I ſee it proued; and vntounto any juſt proof I am▪ willing to yeeld, but by great words wil not be moved.
The text yow grant, nameth 3 colours onelyonly, not the ſtuff. So then wool is not in the text. But linen yow ſay is named as an other kind; and white is an addition more of our ſelves then of the ſtyle. But that white is a neceſſary additiō is very probable vntounto me, ſeing that the ſame word Sheſh is the name alſo of white Parius or Alabaſter, which agreeth nothing with Byſſe ſave in colour onelyonly; and it is thought they both had the name of white ſhining brightnes, ſuch as the ſcripture Rev. 19. …ith cha. 18. & 6.….ſheweth byſſe to have.
And in the firſt place that God ſpecifieth the things to be made herof, he cōmandeth ten curtaines of [foreign] ſheſh [that is, fine white-linen] twined, & blew & purple & ſcarlet. wher that one ſtuff Sheſh is firſt named, which was naturally white, and three died colours after, which though they be ſubſtātives at vſed for adiectives, as elſwhere …xo. 26.1. He…t. 1. & 8.15.whitenes is put for white, & may wel be referred to the firſt named ſtuff. Neyther herein take I vponupon me to teach al Ebrewes Ebrew, but do learne of a learned Ebrevv Tremellius, of whom others (if they wil) may learn alſo. But about ſuch matters and names of things to vsus not wel knowen, men vvil alway differ in iudgemēt, neither vvil I contend.
Though I named not Munſter, vvhichwhich ſet forth that Iewes book of the cōmandements, yet ſeing you perceiv I folowed him, you might as vvel have medled with the matter, as with ſuch a circumſtance.
The anſwer of your book belongs not to me; with the thing which concerneth me, I deal as is meet, according to my meaſure. As for printing, you may publiſh what you ſee cauſe, & ſo ſhal I. Shew my writing to as many as you will, I fear no indifferent reader, and others I regard not. Your cenſure both of it & me, I ſhal ſuffer vvith patience. This comfort I have in my ſelf, that in this & al other things I ſeek after truth and peace, vvhichwhich God graunt me to find.
He that vviſheth yovv vvel Henr: Ainſworth.
Mr Brough. his Reply.
YF you were miſtaken for the Equivocation of ſilk, wit would you ſhould hauehave opened your ſelf: ſeing our Copes imitating Aharōs ephod, have the ſilk of the worme.
Touching the wormes ſilk, & for vncleanes in Ceremonies, and yet the ſame lefull in civil life: as Muſk, for vvhichwhich Rambam is taxed in handling Aarons oinctment▪ I would adviſe you rather to read Ebrew treatiſes, then to hope for men of leaſure to ſhew your vvandringes. Specially being ſo vnthankfill as you are▪ and ſo far from hope of truth. Your Iudaiſme, that condemne all our Chriſtian churches as godles buildings, hath loſt al right of diſputing. So your befooling of ſaying the Lords prayer, according to the expreſſe commaundement: and making phraſes of wordes: to meane matter of ſuch effect: and your excōmunicating for Baptizing in the Dutch church: theſe deſperate Athean partes tell others, that you are not a church but a ſynagoge of Satan.
The 1400. yeres experience you vvould have proved. O wiſe Chronicler. Yf you can proue any one yere to have divers thred in the Ephod: then M. Ainſwoorth ſhalbe the man, and vviſdome ſhall dye with him. Rabbines ſynce Ezra have recordes vniforme. Your threatning what you vvill not beleve, is a ridiculous confuting. I knovv you beleve litle aright.
Your diſtinction for foreign the ſtone, argueth a ſtony vnderſtanding who vvould think of the marble here.
For the Curtine ſtuff, Tremellius would not refuſe the Rabbines. He knew Moſes ſpake ſhort: as being preſent to open his mind: and the recordes in a lerned cōmon wealth ſhould ſtill continue. But he that cannot examin Tremellius when he miſſeth, or hitteth, ſhould be quick to hear and ſlow to ſpeak. Rancorous biting beſemeth none but the ſynagoge of Satan.
In the end you will not contend. Why began you then? How idle are you?
Seing I had not Munſter by me, how ſenſeles are you that think I might hitte rightly with eaſe, vponupon the matter: or ſoone teach one as you are: or honour a wicked excommunicatour, and blaſphemer of the Chriſtians, and their Church? And your thankles hart that knoweth that the beſt glory of your ſtudies hath ben a theft frō my bookes: without mentioning the auctour, ſhould not ſeke my help.
Yf you ſought truth you had long agoe folowed a better ſtudy. Your owne hart can tell you that in differing copies you cannot tell vvhat the Bible is. And for Tremel. whom Iunius checketh, thriſe, and himſelf, & would have yet once, but for prevention by death, you that vvil ſend others to him, ſhew your ſimplicity. The LXX allowed by the Apoſtles for much as for Ex. 28. are better. For Greek, tell why Beza 7. times or thereaboutes checketh himſelf, and then adventure to diſpute. Now your blyndnes bredeth ſaucy malepertſhip.
Peace you hate moſt deadly: that revile our holy buildinges: and befoole all Chriſtendome for 1500. yeres. and ſo for the Lordes prayer: and give your ſelf over to Satan: by vvicked excommunication.