Certain Questions, Answer 5
Mr Henry Ainſvvorth his *See before, in Pag. 18.other anſvver concerning the vvritings aforeſaid. An Anſwer to the Articles of vnlernedſhip obiected to me by Mr Broughton.
ALthough the conſcience of mine own infirmities and ignorāce, who knovv nothing yet as I ought to know, but come far ſhort of the vviſdom of the learned both before time and in theſe my dayes, vvould ſtay me from making any anſwer to theſe Articles, whoſe title pretend want of learning only, and are to no other end penned or ſpred but for my reproch, which I can be cōtent to bear in my boſome: yet becauſe I ſee many of them to conteyn beſides malice, moſt manifeſt lies and forgeries; & to tend vntounto the diſgrace of Gods truth & diſcredit of his Church vntounto vvhom they vver ſent, & vvhom the author vvould vrge to force my direct anſwer, vvhichwhich he preſumeth I cannot make, yea dareth me, & vvill he ſayth adventure his fame I will ſhew my ſelf as a giddy man, and not knowing what to ſpeak; I have thought it needfull to ſhevv the vanitie and falſhood of theſe his obiections; vvhichwhich if my accuſer himſelf vvill not lay to hart, yet others of diſcretion may eaſily perceiv.
Of the question about ſilk.
In opening Exodus, I followed our common tranſlations of ſilk, to expreſſe that Aegyptian ſtuff which is now not vſed nor known amongſt vsus. For this word, a clamour of error was rayſed, and I charged with falſe doctrine. Mr Broughton affirmed ſilk to be vnclean & vnlawfull in ceremonie; and ſayd the matter was linen and woollen threed. Of this, ſome writings paſſed between him and me, vntounto which I refer the Reader. His Articles collected from my writings, are:
1. That I think white ſilk & white linen is all one: ſo blew ſilk & blew linen &c. Anſw. I think not ſilk and linen to be one, but very different things: yet that the Ebrew foreign Sheſh, and the Greek byſſe, may be caled eyther of both without danger of error. This I proved by ſundry reaſons yet vnanſwered.
2. That becauſe in private garments, Levit. 19. divers ſtuff is forbidden, I dream Aarons Ephod had not divers ſtuff, and will beleev the ſcripture rather then all Iewes conſent &c. Anſw. I obiected againſt linen and woollen, Gods law Deut. 22.11. where ſuch garments were in expreſſe wordes forbidden all men; ther Moſes explaneth the former place of Levit. and I will in deed beleev the ſcripture, & Moſes own expoſition, befo…e all Iewiſh Rabbines that ſhall teach otherwiſe.
3. That I might as well ſay, Aarons Ephod had no golden threed, becauſe Lev. 19. divers ſtuff in garments is forbidden. Anſw. I doubt not of golden threed, the ſcripture is playn, Exod. 39.3. But wooll Mr Broughton granteth is not in the text: why then ſhould I be charged with error for not admitting wooll. I ſhewed expreſſe wordes in Ezekiel, wher the Prieſtes might not wear wooll in their adminiſtration, Ezek. 44.17. I granted alſo God might diſpenſe with that law, Deut. 22.11. if hee would; let his will be ſhewed, & I yeild. Further let Mr Br. affirme & prove that by that law, Lev. 19. gold with linen is forbidden as woollen with linen. His Rabbines ”VVhichWhich, hold foreign that nothing foreign is forbidden but woollen & linen. Munſter. praecep. prohib. foreignhere will fayl him.
4. That for an Ebrew word I dare take againſt all Ebrewes. Anſw. Not ſo, but I ioyne with the beſt that I hav yet ſeen, & ar moſt conſonant to the ſcriptures.
5. That for a Iewes law, and open ſtorie, I prefer mine own pate againſt all Iewes that ever handled Moſes. Anſw. A Iewes law and open ſtorie to prove ſilk vnclean, and proper linen and woollen in Aarons attire, hath not yet ben ſhewed. Tremellius a learned Iew I prefer before his inferiors.
6. That I deſpiſe this Law, The Scribes and Phariſees ſit in the chayr of Moſes: ſo hear them. Anſw. The Scribes and Phariſees of whom Chriſt ſpake, I have not yet heard ſpeak againſt me: much leſſe deſpiſed Chriſtes law. Let it be proved that they taught ſuch things as Mr Broughton affirmeth, and that they did it according to Moſes Law. Let it alſo be proved that Chriſt ſendeth vsus for inſtructiō to ſuch Rabbines as ſhould come after.
7. That the Apoſtles never in termes force do leave the Rabbines ſkill; but I wil be wiſer &c. Anſw. The Apoſtles left the Lxx. interpretors ſkill in the termes & names of ſome ſtones, Rev. 21. as Mr Br. himſelf confeſſeth▪ much leſſe did they follow the Thalmud and later Rabbines which have riſen vp ſince the Apoſtles left this world.
8. That the Lxx. Exod: 28. have byſſon foreign, & the Apoc: alloweth it; yet I …bble of Tremelius &c. & the Apoſtles d…mne me. Anſw. The Lxx. hav byſſon for foreign Sheſh, Exo. 28. they have alſo byſſon for foreign buts ▪ 1. Chro. 15.27. 2. Chro: 2, 14. & 3, 14. & 5, 12. &c. & of Buts the Greek & Latin names of byſſe ar derived: We may well think the Apocalyps alloweth this latter; & alſo Tremelius to ſay true. So the Apoſtles yet damne me not. Neyther have I ever denyed that foreign Sheſh may be caled byſſe. Wherin then am I dāned?
9. That I can teach all men Engliſh, that white linen and white ſilk is all one. Anſw: This Article ſerveth to encreaſe the number, what differeth it from the firſt? I teach no other Engliſh then I have learned, & others, I think, with me; namely that byſſe may be caled fine linen or ſilk; yet not that theſe two are all one. Let Scholes & Dictionaries ſpeak for Engliſh; and Strabo Geogr. …ib. 15.for Greek.
10 That by me, ſilk conteyneth linen and the wormes threed, as hades heaven and hell. Anſw. A falſe collection. I ſayd not ſo, but that ſilk is a general name as wel for that which naturally groweth, as for that which the worm worketh. Let my former writing be looked vponupon.
11. That See before Pag 31.the vniverſal conſent of the Iewes, wherof ſome recordes were 500 yeres old &c were alleged, but I care not for ſuch a teſtimonie. Anſw: Such things I have heard ſpoken of, but their teſtimonie is yet to allege; let Mr Broughtons former writings & proofs bee viewed.
12. That * Arias Montanus & his fellowes who dealt in the great Bible &c. we…e cited againſt me; but with my ſelf myne own authoritie is more. Anſw. I know not where Arias condemneth ſilk to be vnclean. He ſpeaketh of In appar. …acr. in Be…kel,wooll following the Rabbines, but nameth not what maner wooll: neyther yet doth Mr Broughton himſelf, that the ſtrife might be ended. Beſides, he ſendeth me to Arias about the queſtion of ſilk; but blames me for following him in the ſtones names. Thus vſeth he learned men for his own advantage; if they bee with him, they are more then mountaines, if againſt him, they are leſſe then molhills. I would the Bible might decide all controverſies of religion.
Of Iſraels ſoiourning in Aegypt.
A falſe report Mr Br. received againſt me, that I ſhould teach that Iſrael was in Aegypt 430. yeres. They that heard me on Exod. 12. & remember my doctrine, can reprove this his vntruth; and ſome have already to his face witneſſed the contrarie; yet doth he not retract or call back his ſlanderous writing. Let him name my accuſers touching this, except he will have men think himſelf feighned it. A large confutation he maketh of this error, that he may bee ſeen to build caſtles in the aire. But why doth the man ſo ſkirmiſh with ſhadowes, and fight where he hath no adverſarie? hee hath poyntes of doctrine vnderunder my own hand, which he firſt reproved & I have iuſtified; why dealeth he not with them, but foloweth after leaſings?
Of a new diſcipline.
Mr Br. ſayth, I think the Goſpel hath a new diſcipline &c. and all my ſtudie here tottereth. I anſwer, what I hold of the diſcipline, as he caleth it, is to be ſeen in the Confeſsion of our faith & our dayly practiſe. Againſt this he hath yet proved nothing, And I doubt not, through Gods grace, but out building will ſtand, when all Babels towres ſhall totter and fall.
Of overthrowing this ſtate.
Hee ſayth my labour tendeth to overthrow this ſtate, holding no true church to be here, & that this dealing is ſtark bad. I anſwer, Mr Br. dealeth like Sanballat, Neh. 6. We have ever ſought the good of this ſtate & country, and no way the overthrow or hurt thereof. We hold here to be many true Churches, Dutch & French; which yet have their corruptions, from which we deſire they were purged. Mr Br. can neyther iuſtifie their corruptions, nor yet would have them amended. This dealing is ſtark bad; and his belying of me is no better.
Of the 12 ſtones.
1. He chargeth me with infinit errors, for following the Geneva tranſlation of the ſtones names &c. Anſw. I followed not that tranſlation in all; neyther can he prove that I followed it in any one amiſſe: ſo his ſuppoſed errors vaniſh into lies.
2. In another place he ſayth, I followed the interlineal tranſlation of Arias Montanus. Anſw. This vntruth croſſeth the former: Arias differeth from the Genevah, if I followed him, how then followed I the other? neyther yet followed I Arias in them all.
3 Again he ſayth, My owne h…r… & my hourers can tell how far I have been from fitting the names. Anſw. Thus when he can prove nothing, he would have ſomwhat from my ſelf. My hart knoweth not that I gav any name vnfit: yet am I not hereby iuſtified: for in many things wee fayl all: and who am I, that I may not myſſe in ſuch things? neyther hath any of my hearers reproved me for miſnaming the ſtones; nor this my inquiſitive adverſarie himſelf yet convinced me of any one. And now to put him out of doubt, that he ſhall not need hereafter to fiſh any more from others, I will ſhew him whoſe tranſlation I followed, namely the Apoſtle Iohns, Rev. 21. of whom I was perſwaded in generall, before I knew the particulars that he tranſlated all the ſtones from Aarons breſt to the heavenly Ieruſalem. That I followed him, they that heard me comparing Moſes & him together, can yet remember & witneſſe. That I might moſt ſafely follow him, none of grace will deny; yea mine adverſarie himſelf approveth it, & ſo condemneth his own malicious hart & ſlanderous pen.
4. One particular name he chargeth me with, as that I had the Onyx, never vſed of God. Anſw. This alſo is vntrue. I gave not the name of Onyx vntounto foreign Shoham for theſe reaſons. 1. becauſe no Onyx is mentioned in Rev. 21. wher 12. ſtones are reckned. 2. Becauſe I found the Greek of the Lxx. on Exod. 28.20. to tranſlate foreign or foreign the Beryll for foreign Shoham. 3. Becauſe I ſaw the Chaldie paraphraſe to have alſo foreign burla, the Beryll. 4. Becauſe in the laſt edition of Pagnine Theſaurus, I found for foreign Shoham, the Arabick to be foreign Al belór, which ſeemeth by tranſpoſing of letters to be the beryll. Wherfore I taught it to be moſt probable that the Onyx in our Engliſh Exod. 28. was the Beryll, in Rev. 21.
Theſe charges I found in his papers, and do now openly deny them; let him prove the contrarie againſt me if he can; or els be aſhamed ſo to traduce me without cauſe. His other things about the ſtones names & applications are but preſumptions & ſurmiſes of his own head, thinking that I did not or could not open them aright. How I applied them he cannot tell, neyther ſhall he be told for me, vntill I ſee in him more Chriſtian affection: though I care not if he knew every particular. When he hath quitted himſelf of theſe vntruthes, or repented them; let him proceed to other matters, ſo as he will directly affirme & bring due proof of his words. The like I anſwer for his other inſinuations of the Badgers ſkin, Candleſtick &c. They are but wiles, wherby he would withdraw me and his reader from the other controverſies of Prayer, Excommunication, & Idoll temples, which himſelf began, but would now ſhift of with theſe new matters. Some things he hath which concerne me no more then any other men, yet coming in his way he ſends them out againſt me, that the ſhew of them may delude the ſimple. He run̄eth into the genealogie Mat. 1. & cauſleſſe blameth me, who never opened that ſcripture in the church. He ſpeaketh of a diſcourſe, that I ſhould run into of Mr Bezaes fame, wheras I never mentioned ſo much as his name in any of my writings, nor wilbe drawen to medle with other mens controverſies which belong not vntounto me. OnelyOnly this I ſay, Mr Broughton might get himſelf grace better otherwiſe, then by ſeeking to diſgrace other learned men for their infirmities, that the beſt ar ſubject vntounto.
As for my vnlernedſhip, as he caleth it, be it never ſo great, yet is it no preiudice to the truth, which the moſt …. 9.4. …. 1.27vnlerned may through Gods grace profeſſe & walk in. Learning I have none to boaſt of; it is ynough for me if I may know Chriſt & him crucified. Notwithſtanding let the reader mind that though he ſhooteth his arrowes at me by name, yet his reaſon reacheth vntounto al other men whom I acknowledge to be far my ſuperiors in learning, as Tremellius, Iunius, the 70. Greek interpreters, Arias, Pagnin, Vatablus, all tranſlations, Latin, Engliſh, Dutch, French, all Dictionaries, &c. ſeing none of theſe agree in the ſtones names with Mr Broughton, & therfore are by him indicted of vnlernedſhip, that himſelf alone may be Doctor of the world, when as he hath not yet taught his own tongue to ſpeak truth and abſteyn from lies, as theſe reprochfull papers given out againſt me do witneſſe, Vnthankfulnes I never ſhewed to him or any; but have ſpoken and thought better of him then now I find he deſerveth. If he have publiſhed his workes to be prayſed of men. Chriſt hath told him ‡…he hath his reward. I wiſh he may repent of his evils intended againſt me & others without cauſe. And that we all who profeſſe the Lord Ieſus, may add vertue vntounto faith, and remember what God hath ſayd vntounto man, Behold the fear of the Lord is wiſdome, & to depart from evil is vnderſtanding. Iob. 28.28.
Henr. Ainſworth.
End of the text · Hugh Broughton, Certain Questions (1605)