A Case for the Spectacles, Chapter 13
Concerning Razing of Records and clipping Authors tongues; Spectacles, Chap. 13. a page 435. us{que} ad 446.
BECAVSE there have beene many bookes published this last age, by occasion of Haeresie, and liberty which came therewith to the great prejudice of the Catholike faith: there hath beene a course taken for the restraint of all such, not onelyonly writings of Haeretikes, but even of Catholikes which have any tang of haeresie: and this kinde of care hath beene ever used in the Catholike Church. So wee see in Scripture it selfe some that followed curiosities becomming Christians, confessed their deedes and burnt their bookes.
Gelasius in the yeare 490. maketh a Catalogue of haereticall bookes, which he forbiddeth: and I would know of the Knight, or any man else that cryeth so bitterly against our Index Expurgatorius, what he can say against it, that he may not say against this Decree, and Councell of Gelasius, and against which we may not defend our selves by opposing it as a buckler against all their darts?
Sith all swarving from the rule of faith is a declining to haeresie, it appertaineth to the Catholike Roman Church, which as Gelasius saith, hath neither spot, nor wrinkle, to prevent the danger that may come by such bookes forbidding the use of them.
It were a more dangerous and unnaturall part in the Church not to use this care, then it were in a mother that should see sugar and rats-bane lie together, and seeing her child going to taste thereof, should forbeare to warne it.
I will not stand particularly to examine every Author, and justifie the inquisition: onelyonly I cannot omit one Author called Bertram, whom of all men living me thinkes the Knight should never so much as have named, considering how much disgrace he hath sustained by translating that booke, and ventring his owne credit, and the credit of his Church, upon the faith thereof.
Another thing I am to note concerning his quoting the Canon of the Councell of Laodicea, wherein first is to be noted his error in Chronologie concerning the time of this Councell, which he maketh to be in the yeare 368. forty three yeares after the first Councell at Nice; whereas it was celebrated before that Councell. Secondly his corruption in the translation and cutting off the Canon, which is thus; non oportet relictâ ecclesiâ ad angelos abominandae idolatriae congregationes facere, quicunque autem inventus fuerit occultè huic idololatriae vacans anathema sit. Now where in this Canon doth the Knight finde the word invocation of Angells, which is the thing he pretendeth, to be forbidden.
Whereas the Knight objecteth to us the recantation of Henry Buxhorne, who was sometime appointed to put in execution the tyrannicall Decree of the inquisitors, and had noted 600. severall passages to be spunged and blotted out; which animadversions of his he wished he could have washed away with his teares and blood, his heart being smitten, and his eyes open by the mercy of God: I answere, if such matter will serve the Knights turne he may have enough: neither neede I search corners to finde out such obscure fellowes, as this Buxhorne; he might bring the Fathers of the Knights religion: for example, Luther, Calvine, Zuinglius, Beza, Carolstadius, and who not? for though they might pretend severall causes, yet there was one principall one, which consisted indeede in the smiting of their hearts with a fiery dart of carnall love, and when they found an Eve to give them an Apple, then their eyes were opened, and so it proved also with their friend Buxhorne, as I shall shew by a briefe story of his life, most authentically related by that grave and Holy man Oliverius, of the society of Jesus. Henry Buxhorne, a licentiate of Divinity, &c. It was not the razing then of evidences that made Buxhorne fall from his faith, but there were certaine Lutheran baites wherewith many of them were catched, which were aurum, gloria, delitiae, veneres, gold, glory, delights and Venus, of which some are catched with one, and some with another.
The Hammer.
IN the former Section, the Iesuit shewed himselfe a prevaricatour, but in this a cowardly runnagate. For to the mangling of authors, and razing out of Records objected against him, namely, this marginall note out of Stephanus his Bible, Deus prohibet sculptilia fieri. This Glosse upon Gratian the Priest, cannot say significatively of the bread, This is my Body, without telling a lie, Cassanders observation upon the same words, that setting aside the authoritie of the Church, they prove not sufficiently Transubstantiation, Cassanders whole Tract concerning the Communion in both kinds, Vdalricus his Epistle touching the lawfulnesse of Priests marriage, Anselmes Treatise concerning the visitation of the sicke, together with divers passages in Cassander against merit, in Polydor Virgil against Images, in Langus against Transubstantiation, in Ferus against the Popes supremacie. The Iesuit answereth nothing at all in particular, but onelyonly applies Salves in generall, which no way heale the wounds given by the Knight to the Inquisitors, as the Reader shall see by taking them off one after another, and viewing the Sores.
To the first. The Iesuits instance is wide from the purpose. For those Books were not burnt by any decree of the Church, much lesse the Church of Rome, which was not then in being: but by the owners of them, to testifie their unfeined Repentance; for so wee reade, Acts 19.19. Many also of them, brought their Bookes together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it 50000 pieces of silver. Secondly, these Bookes which the owners burnt of their owne accord, were Bookes of such as used curious Arts; that is, Books of Art-magick, Necromancie, Sorcerie, and the like. Whereas, the Bookes which the Romish Inquisitours either mangle or utterly deface are Christian Treatises, written for the most part by them, that lived and died in the bosome and peace of the Church of Rome.
To the second. This Decree of Gelasius which the Iesuit opposeth, as a Buckler against all our darts, is not altogether approved by the present Romane Church; for in reckoning the Canonicall bookes of Scripture, the Pope there excludeth the booke of Baruch, and the second booke of the Macchabees, and the booke of Nehemiah, which the present Romane Church receiveth for Canonicall. Secondly, Gelasius with his Roman Councell, freely give their censure of all Theologicall bookes then extant, but they clip not the tongues of any Authors, nor burne their bookes. If the Romish Inquisitors had done no more, if they had let the Records and Evidences remaine, and onelyonly censured them at their pleasure; wee would not so much have blamed them, for using the freedome of their judgements: wee would only freely have censured their Censures, Lips. Epist. Critica nostra non effugêre foreign.and left all to the judicious and intelligent Readers judgement. An errour in Criticisme is pardonable, but the making away of the evidence of Truth,Advers. Gentes, l. 3. Intercipere scripta, & publicatam velle submergere lectionem, non est Deos defendere sed veritatis testificationem timere. and defacing authenticall Records, is a damnable practise, and an undoubted Argument, both of an evill conscience, and a desperate cause; as Arnobius layeth the Law to the Gentiles.
To the third. Gelasius his testimonie of the Romane Church, whereof hee was then Bishop, can be of no great moment. It seemeth at that time, the Church of Rome wanted good neighbours, that the Pope was faine to blazon his owne armes, and guild his owne Diocese; not thinking of the old Proverbe, Laus propria sordet in ore. Howbeit, wee grant in Gelasius his time, the Romane Church had not many spots and wrinkles, for then shee was young in comparison; now she is old and decrepit, and all full of wrinkles: and after the manner of crooked old age, boweth downe, to wit, to rood-lofts, Images, and Pictures. But neither then nor now, hath shee any power to forbid the use of any Books through the whole Church: but onelyonly within her owne jurisdiction.
To the fourth. This Plaister is a great deale too narrow for the Sore of the Romane Church, to which the Iesuit applieth it. For it is not their admonitions to the Children of their owne Church, which we here complaine of; but their cutting out of the tongues of learned Authors, when they witnesse the truth: not the censuring their own Writers, but the mangling of some of them, and utterly abolishing others. VnderUnder colour of taking away Rats-bane out of the way, they take away Sugar from their Children; and which is worse, debarre them from the sincere Milke of the Word, I meane, the Scriptures in the vulgar language. Yet were there Rats-bane, in some of the Writers with whom the Inquisitours have to deale, they should have onelyonly given notice thereof, or prescribed some Antidote against it, considering that Physitians, and Apothecaries, and Housholders also, make good use of Rats-bane sometimes.
To the fift. The Iesuit doth well, not to undertake justifying of the Inquisition, which hee well knoweth hee is not able: onelyonly here and there hee nibleth at some Author or other that hath falne into their hands, as Bertram in this place: whom the Knight long agoe rescued, and gave unto him the wings of the Presse to flie abroad; whereby hee hath received no disgrace, but many thankes from all that love the Truth in sinceritie. For the translation thereof, which the Iesuit imputeth to the Knight, as a great disparagement to him; the truth is, the Knight translated not Bertram, but published the translation of another, by re-printing it, and gracing it with a learned and elegant Preface of his owne. Which, I marvell not that the Iesuit kicketh at, because hee and his fellow Iesuits are sore Galled with it. When the Iesuit shall prove any falsification in the translated Copie, or any errour inserted into it, hee shall receive a further answer. Till then, let the brand remaine upon the Romane Index, for damning the originall; and upon the Iesuit, for defaming the true translated Copie of so learned and orthodox a Writer as Bertram was.
To the sixt. In citing the Councell of Laodicea, and detecting the Inquisitours foule dealing with it, by turning Angels into Angles, to gaine a starting hole for their Idolatrie: the Iesuit by recrimination objecteth to the Knight, errour in Chronology, and corruption of the Councell. To the first I answer, that the …imate of Armath, and other learned Antiquaries have set this Councell about the yeare mentioned by the Knight; your Binius ingeniously confesseth, quo anno celebratum fuit incertum est; It is uncertaine in what yeare of our Lord this Councell was held; hee saith, it was celebrated before the Councell of Nice, but hee brings no proofe of it. If wee should grant him that this Councell were elder by 40 or 50 yeares, than the Knight accounteth it, it would be more for our advantage, and against him; sith Councels, the more ancient they are, caeteris paribus, the more authority they carrie with them. To the second I answer, that the translation which the Knight followed, agreeth verbatim with the originall, foreign: which words, two of the Romish Translators set in Columnes one against the other by Binius, render, as followeth. The first thus, Quod non oporteat Christianos relictâ dei ecclesiâ abire, & Angelos nominare. The other thus, Quod non oporteàt ecclesiam dei relinquere atque Angelos nominare. That is, that Christians ought not to leave the Church of God, and goe their wayes, and name Angels: that is, mention them in our Prayers, or take their names in our lips, as the Psalmist speaketh of Idoll-worshippers;Psal. 16.4. Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take their name in my lips. And thus Theodoret in his Comment upon the second Chapter of St. Paul to the Colossians, vers. 18. alleageth the Canon of this Councell: Because, saith hee, they commanded men to worship Angels; Saint Paul enjoyneth on the contrarie, that they should send up Thanksgiving to God the Father by him that is Christ, and not by the Angels. The Synod of Laodicea also following this rule (of the Apostle) and desiring to heale that old disease, made a Law, that they should not pray unto Angels, foreign. Here the Iesuit hath both the Canon, and the Report; the Canon of the ancient Councell held at Laodicea, thundring against their Invocation of Angels: and the learned and ancient Father Theodoret his Report of it.
To the seventh. Those men whom the Iesuit nameth, were not Fathers of our Religion, but Brethren onelyonly of our profession; neither was their motive for the change of their Religion carnall love as the Iesuit, like impure Nero, judging others by himselfe, conceiveth; but a voyce from Heaven saying unto them, goe out of Babylon my people, Apoc. 18.4.lest you partake of her Plagues. It is true, those instruments of Gods glory were married as the Apostles St. Peter and St. Phillip, and many of the chiefe Bishops and Pastours in the Primitive Church were, of whom it may be said as Sozomen spake of Spiridion that famous Bishop of Cyprus: Eccles. Hist. l. 1. foreign.they lived in wedlocke, and had many children, without any disparagement at all to their Sacred function. As the Rod of Aaron in these brought sorth fruit in Holy Matrimony: so it budded also in others in our Church, who followed virginall chastity, and lead a single life, as Iewell, Reinolds, Andrewes, Lakes, and many other reverend Prelates and Doctors, who for eminent learning and examplary life, may compare with any of the Romish Mitred Prelates, or late Canonized Saints. Neither can they pretend that any Eve gave these an Apple, whereby their eyes were opened: but on the contrary we can produce many a Lucretia who have given Apples to their Popes, Lucretia nomine, sed re Thais, Alexandri filia, sponsa nurus.whereby their eyes have beene blinded, and their reputation for ever blasted. See Picus Mirandula his oration extant in Fasciculus rerum expetendum & fugiendum, and Mantuan his Poem.
Sanctus ager scurris, venerabilis ara cinaedis
Servit honorandae Divûm Gany medibus aedes.
As for Olivereus Manareus his Legend of Buxhorne, if the Reader will be pleased to peruse an apologie for this Buxhorne, written to the Chancellor of Lovan, wherein the true cause is related, for which this licentiate Divine abandoned the Papacy, he shall finde in that treatise printed in the yeare of our Lord, 1625, a Rowland for his Oliver, or Oliverius Manareus the Iesuit, to whose relation as much credit is to be given as to Cocleus his History of Luther, and Bolsecs of Calvin. The Devill, the grand Calumniator hath suborned in all ages men of prostituted consciences, and corrupt mindes and mouthes, to staine with their impure breath, the golden and the silver vessells of the Sanctuarie: but Illi linguarum, nos aurium domini sumus, their tongues are their owne, they may speake what malice dictateth; our eares are our owne, and we will hearken unto, and assent onelyonly to what truth confirmeth. As for their Lutheran baits, he mentioneth, aurum, gloria, dilitiae, veneres; gold, glory, delights and Venus, if these things abound any where, it is in the Roman Church, where the Pope who pretends himselfe to be the successor of Peter the fisher; fisheth with a golden hooke, and baits it with fleshly lusts; what so pompeous and glorious as his Holinesse triple Crowne, and his Cardinals Hats, and his Bishops Miters and Croziours; for what sence hath not the Romish Religion baits? for the eyes they have gawdie shewes; for the eares, most melodious musicke; for the smell, sweetest incense and perfumes; for the taste, feasts without number; for the touch, whole streets of Curtezans, not onelyonly in Rome it selfe, but in all the Popes Townes which are commonly knowne by this fowle Cognizance.