§. 1.

THe Naturalistes, amongst ma­nie other obseruable relati­ons, record this of the Struthio ca­melus. Pere­rius in Genes. cap. 6. p. 329. n. 71. Bercor. Redus. moral. 7. cap. 69. vide Plin. Stru­thio, that hauing once put her head into the bush, albeit her whole bo­die bee out, yet shee thinketh her selfe, close and safe, as if she were cleane out of sight. The like perswasion, as it seemes, hath bred the same witlesse con­fidence in you. The cause of your reuolt is couered ouer with such glorious pre­tences, weightie considerations, appa­rant detections of falshoods in our lear­ned Protestants, that forsooth Pag. 96. & 97 Morall reason must assure vs, you were not trans­ported by any light or sudden motion; that you would not striue vnwisely a­gainst the benefits of fortune; or vn­kindly against the dutie of nature, vn­lesse some superiour and more excellent Consideration, did obtaine a powerable authority in your soule. These furze are, in your conceit, a sufficient shelter to [Page 9] keepe your hypocrisie from being de­scried. But, alas, howsoeuer you thrust your first Motiue into this thicket, the bushes, God wot, are too bare to couer so vast & monstrous vntrueths, which lie open to the view of the world. Such is the waight of that lumpish masse, that it is vnpossible for your Struthio's wings to soare out of our reach. It is no new fallacie to come in, with a non causa vt causa; it was of yore a logicall axiome, Quaedam videntur & non sunt: you haue now made it practicall: wherein you iumpe with your predecessors the glo­zing Pharises, as in opening of this your painted sepulchre will more fully ap­peare. It standeth not with my nature, I confesse, to blase your shame, neither is my profession to be an historian to per­sons of your ranke, yet rather than the integritie of so well founded a Religion, (then which none better) should receiue the least blemish by your forged calum­nies, it is fit the world should be better acquainted with that malignant humor [Page 10] which hath driuen you into these fran­ticke fits. All diseases, by the verdite of the best Physitions, arise vel ex repletio­ne, vel ex inanitione, either from fulnesse, or emptinesse: to the like originall we may also refer the distemperature of the minde. Plentie breedeth sensualitie, and luxurious affections: want is the mother of heresie, and schismaticall defections. And no maruell, for they that fast much are vsually troubled with Ʋertigo, the swimming and giddinesse of the braine. This was Aërius his disease: whose emp­tie stomacke being disappointed of the fat Aug. de heres. n. 53. Bishopricke, after which he did long gape, sent vp such foggie mysts of dis­contentment into his daseled head, that like the Mat 17.15. Demoniake in the Gospell, hee fell sometimes into the water, some­times into the fire, neuer ceasing to tum­ble downe the hill of faith, vntill he fell flat Arrian. Aspiring spirits, hauing their hopes defeated, growe turbulent, and that, either to bee reuenged of those, whose fauours haue been more nigard­ly, [Page 11] then their prodigall desires, or to raise a new fabricke for their better for­tunes vpon the vantage of Haec non suc­cessit, aliam in­grea [...]an ur viam. opposition. It much grieueth mee to reade of any spice of this disease in men of our na­tion, but more to see it in men of the Church, and most of all, that they who are thus tainted, do rather lay the fault vpon the infallible groundes of a spot­les religion, than vpon the boundlesse appetite of their owne endlesse desires, making conscience the ladder of their climing ambition.

Doe you aske me Quorsum haec? I will tell you, Mutato nomine de te narratur fabula. When I speake of Aërius, I thinke of him whom indeed I am loth to name, euen of M. Theomisus: I might call you M. Plautus. [...]surio: for so do the A [...]g. de heres. n. 69. symptomes bewray your malladie, Si saturio fuisses, non Circumcellio fuisses. Faine would I plucke back my pen, but that my eye tel­leth me how you haue plaide the coun­terfeit, in ascribing your reuolt to the insoliditie of our religion, which was [Page 12] wholly hammered by your owne ill ba­lanced discretion. It is twentie to one, but some of your Ladies will be pearing into this letter, therefore will I write no more, then I am able to iustifie, nor will I put you in mind of anything, wherun­to your owne knowledge shall not rea­dily subscribe. If any thing be omitted, it is not my ignorance, but my charitie that concealeth it. These things were not done in a Act. 26.26. corner.

That famous Colledge of Christs Church in Oxford, which you haue ill re­paied, for the sweete milke which you haue sucked out of her breasts, hath not yet forgotten how you were euer stai­ned with Puritanisme, how violently ad­uerse you were to all such, as were suspe­cted to fauour the Romish Sea. She doth yet smile to think, what paine you took, being Censor of the house, in putting your hand to the sawing downe of a poore harmelesse May-pole, because you thought it came out of a Romish forrest. When you were Lecturer at S. Dunstons, [Page 13] your contributorie auditors thought your long prayer, and spitting pawles too short, because the reuerend Bishops (yea euen your own Lord and Master) were euer left out for wranglers and Antichristian Hierarchies, not worthie to be named in the same day, with your holy Pastors and sanctisted Ministers. Thus haue you euer affected singula­ritie.

But how commeth it to passe, you should now fall into the opposite con­trarietie? Dum vitant stulti vitia, in contraria cur­runt. Incidit in Scil­lam &c. Jn vitium ducit Culpae fuga, si caret arte. Is there no meanes betweene Nicenesse and Nastinesse? was the faith wherein you were so long trained, so weake as that one Dissuendae non disc [...]candae sunt ami [...]itiae. Omnis subita mutatio peri­ [...]. blast hath ouer-throwne it all? haue you bin thus trans­ported, by the In the title. detectiō of falshoods in our learned Protestants? Did you con­uerse with them for satisfaction, and they not able to resolue you? then would your Apologie passe more currant.

You mention onely their writings, wherein you play Canis ad Nilum, cat­ching [Page 14] and snatching heere and there, for fragmēts of sentences, which, like Artic. 12. sect. 6. applied by you, pag. 122. Iew­els Procustes, you stretch out to the length of your owne fancie: plainly be­wraying your selfe, that either you were not so well grounded, or so throughly affected to your Religion, as it became an instructer of others, or that to mag­nifie your selfe, and gaine the more cre­dēce with those, vnto whose harber you were driuen by the tempestuous storme of your extremities, you did picke these imaginarie cauillations; which had they been reall doubts indeed, might with your greater credit and charitie, haue been decided in a more priuate sceane. Hee that hath but halfe an eye may see there is a Pad in the straw: happily you haue done this, either wholly to escape, or to agree the better with your credi­tors, that seeing your sudden alienation, their desperate debts may be more easily compounded: happily hauing missed a former preferment, you thinke by this meanes to be wooed by the State to re­turne [Page 15] to your first loue: happily the yoke of wedlocke being somewhat burthen­some to your shoulders, was an induce­ment to make you cast off the Luk 9.62. You haue plai­ed Ananias, fortune be­held you not with a be­nigne and comfortable aspect, as you pretend. pag. 97. Plough. Surely not only some, but euen all of these were the cords, that haled on your First motiue. Your debts were (the world knoweth) very clamorous: the misse of your preferment was grieuous: and the mariage-god Himenaeus was none of your best friends. To ease your selfe of all these, which Atlas himselfe could hardly vndergo, you thought good to cast anchor in a new sea, and to fish in troubled waters.

And for as much as you could not be well rid of your wife, creditors, and o­ther grieuances, as long as you held your profession, you chose rather with 1. Tim. 1.20. Himenaeus and Alexander, to make ship­wracke of this, then to haue your ship o­uercharged with those. The Iesuites, you knew, were no ordinary guls, and ther­fore, if you ment to be Sanctuarised by them, it lay you in hand first, Auaere ali­quid [Page 16] carcere dignum, to ascertaine them by some audacious proiect, of your fu­ture fidelitie: as you haue now done, by making your owne pen a crosse-barre of restraint, for any welcome returne vnto your old home. Into what a pitifull straight (poore soule) were you then driuen? was there no other way to re­paire your ruinous fortunes, but by gi­uing a bill of diuorce vnto that faith, whereunto you were first vnited? it can­not, it cannot, howsoeuer you pretend, but Coelum non animum mu­tant qui trans mare currunt. grieue you to the heart, that you haue with Esau, sold your birth-right for a messe of pottage, which many teares will hardly redeeme. I cannot blame you, Richard Etkins houshold Chaplaine vnto the now Lord Bishop of London. if at the sight of M ^r. R. E. your old fellow Chaplaine and friend, you had Peters teares in your eyes, for the denial of your Master. I do easily belieue, vpon his credible report, that at such time as he desired your companie to Bruxels, or to England, you smote your hand vpon your heart, and in great passion vttered these words, O that I might safely returne, [Page 17] for that is my desire. The small liking you haue to the Romish Religion, you suffici­entlie manifested, when as being recon­ciled to that Synagogue, by one Flud a Priest, you did yet after your returne out of Yorkeshire, write a little Pamphlet of veniall and mortall sinnes, flat against the principles of that profession. And were you not now in Hucksters hands, whose vigilent eies haue mewed you fast vp, in their idolatrous cage, I dare say you had been in England long since, for so did you protest, as you hoped to haue any part in the passion of our Sa­uiour Christ, that within three weeks at the furthest, (if you liued so long) you would bee heere after your fathers re­turne: who, good man, tooke a tedious iourney to seeke out his lost sonne, who neuer opened his mouth to aske him blessing for his paines.

Was it not griefe enough, trow you, to the old man, to see his sonne Theophi­lus Higgons, turned into Thomas Foster, as if you had been ashamed to answere to [Page 18] your fathers name? to see you so strange­lie habited, so barely arrayed, so gast­lie visaged, whom he had so carefullie tendred? Was not this griefe enough, I say, but that you must depriue him also of that priuate dutie, which was due vn­to him? and contrarie to his expresse commandement, and request, and your owne solemne promise made to him, make his presence knowne to your Con­fessor, wherby he might haue bin in dan­ger, as much as in you lay, to haue lost, not only his vnnaturall son, but euen his dearest life in a strange Land? and that which is worst, make him a sorrowfull witnesse of your periurous vow? The like solemne oath did you take in the presence of him, by whom your father was accompanied, that vpon the Fides Jesui­tica, fides Puni­ca. Faith of a Romane Catholike, and, as you hoped to be saued, this booke of yours, which you then shewed him, should not be printed. This albeit it be no strange newes to your afflicted wife, and some of your de­ceiued creditors, who are throughly ac­quainted [Page 19] with many such your volunta­rie & intended periuries, (as vpon your next replie shall bee more particularlie specified, vnder whose name soeuer you meane to couer it); yet is it a sufficient testimonie, that not the approbation of your Romish Religion, but the grimme aspect of your owne estate, hath driuen you to this exigent. It is not long since you haue complained, through impati­ent emulation & ambition, (both which do distract the mind, and turne it ouer to hellish discontent) that if you might haue been then preferred, and not adui­sed rather to returne to the Vniuersitie, to repaire your wings; you would not haue changed your copie so soone, nor made so sorie a flight from vs to Rome. This you know to be well knowne, and vpon further occasion may bee better specified vnto the world. Hinc illae la­chrymae. And yet as if D. Humfrey had made you fall out with your wife, coun­trey, creditors and all, you are so im­pudently shamelesse, as to say, Pag. 172. He that [Page 20] "was the snare of death vnto many, began to "loose the snare wherein I was intangled. Whereas you should more truelie and tolerablie haue said, of your expected preferment, Quod alteri beneficium, mihi fuit maleficium, that which was another mans blisse, was my Bane.

Let any man now iudge, whether you be not infected with Aërius his disease. Doe you not now stand vpon the like tearmes with our religion, as mony-mongers do with their courted mistres­ses? Auge Dotem wil make vp the match. She that hath no portion, hath little pro­portion in your eies. Well may you li­ken your selfe to the young Pag. 99. Partridge, you are so Pragmaticall, that you would faine flie to aduancement, the shell yet vpon your head. Had you loued our re­ligion as well as Iacob did his Rachel, you would not haue thought much, to haue serued seuen, and seuen yeeres, for her sake. Put as if the Lord had no more blessings, then one, you are like a reed shaken in the wind, impatient of delaies, [Page 21] storming to waite the good pleasure of his will:

If there be not a golden mine in hea­uen, you will trie what you can finde by digging into the suburbs of hell. But be you well assured, Denarij sepulchrales, Pluto's, (I should haue said S. Peters) Pence, will neuer paie your debts, nor make vp the remainder of your wiues portion, the losse wherof hath made her misse of your loue. You shall be kept, I dare warrant, as hungrie as a hauke, that they may haue you still at their lure. Those golden mountaines, that Flud promised, will prooue no better then mole-hils of drosse: which in the end your compulsarie imploiments must be faine to purchase, with the expence of your best blood. What can your tongue or pen refuse to do for thē, vpon whom you must whollie depend? You haue alreadie, being but a Punie in their Schoole, made so desperate an assault, not only against our Church, but euen [Page 22] gouernment of our State, that you can­not but be soone set a work, about some more desperate and dangerous attempt. What wil they not expect frō you, whose pen hath already broched this traiterous and seditious assertion? Pag. 163. and 164. ‘ That in your se­cret thoughts you could not but acquit the Papists from the crime of disobedience, and vndutifulnes to the State: for as much as they made not themselues contrarie to it, but it is made contrarie to them; the Non tellus cymbam, tel­lurem cym­ba relinquit. change be­ing in the State, which propoundeth a new faith, and not in them who conserue the old.’ A graue and religious sentence. Hell it selfe could not haue belched out anie more pestilent. But why should we take it vnkindlie at your hands? You vse our State no worse, then you did your fa­ther, nor our Church more vnkindlie, then your owne wife: hauing withheld your naturall dutie from the one, and your loyall affection from the other. If these be the fruits of your religion, I am so farre from enuying it, that my verie soule abhorreth it.

If anie man now say of you, Pag. 98. as you put the case, ‘ He did run well, who did let him, that he obeyed not the truth?’ He shall not need to run to Saint Omers for satis­faction, he may thus resolue his owne doubt, that you were a louer of your selfe, more then a 2. Tim. 3.4. Louer of God: that you were a Iames 1.8. wauering minded man, and vncon­stant in al your waies: that you were in the Act. 8.23. gall of bitternesse, and in the bond of ini­quitie; and that, to returne your owne Pag. 99. ‘ phrase, you maske intolerable falshood, dis­guised vnder the shape of sinceritie & truth.’

For my owne part, (and herein haue I been seconded, with better and more noble iudgements) I could neuer per­swade my selfe, that the multiplicitie of Schools, needlesse Lecturers, and trencher Schoole-masters, would sort to any better effect. For the first it is a naturall experi­ment, that too many siences weaken the state of the Tree: & some haue thought, that the parochial endowments, and col­legiate preferment of this Land, are by the tenth part too little, to afford suffici­ent [Page 24] ioyce, to those infinite superficiall students, who, were it not for this vbi­quitie of schooles, might much more profitablie be brought vp in some other professions and trades. For the two o­ther: Maxima hae­reticorum pars nimis maturè ex scholis ad pulpita aliosuè gradus euoca­tur. Alan. A­pol. pag. 106. were those men, continued in the Ʋniuersities, till they had some compe­tent setled liuings void for thē abroad, they would no doubt be better groun­ded, and more firmelie minded. But when euerie nice dame must haue a Pe­dante at home, who must vanish at her frowne, if my yong master be somewhat, as shee thinketh, ouer disciplined; and when euerie iching-eared congregati­on will, besides their learned Nemo Pro­pheta in patria sua. Pastor, be serued with an humorizing Discour­ser, whose diuinitie must spout, as oft as they turne the cocke; as being more then seruillie obliged to their voluntarie ex­hibition, then are these distracted minds compelled to bethinke themselues what course they shall take, for their liueli­hood, when either my mistresses displea­sure, or the approach of some new and [Page 25] more zealous Orator, telleth them that they must bee put out of their steward­ships: then will they be glad to be enter­tained in forren houses: they are for eue­rie coast, vpon which the wind driueth them; or if they sit idle (nihil turbarum machinantes,) it is because Nemo condux­it: No man hired them. This conside­ration, was that motiue which made you sit downe and write, Like the vn­iust steward. thirtie for sixtie, and fiftie for an hundred, making what reckoning you pleased of our religion, as if it were to bee rated according to the valuation of your partiall pen: which, to currie fauour for a new seruice, was now ready to deli­uer whatsoeuer was sugge­sted of the old.

§. 2.

HAuing thus dismasked your hy­pocrisie, & vncased your ma­stership of your Lions skin, I know no reason but that I may take hart of grace, and venture vp­on your Maine reason for the proofe of Purgatorie. What said I? your Maine rea­son? admit it were as Maine as it is Mai­med, yet, I must deale truly with you, had euerie bird his owne Moueret cor­nicula risum. feather, your Pea­cockes plumes would soone vanish. For indeed, it doth rather both for matter and manner appertaine to Vpon the same Scrip­ture, Mat 12. and Marke 3. Maldonat, Vpon the same Scrip­ture, Mat 12. and Marke 3. Iansenius, and Bellarm. de Purg. lib. 1. c. 4. Bellarmine,

So is it by them propounded, so pro­secuted. Wherein you secretlie bewray the inualiditie thereof: For why should you be so saucie, as to wrest this weapon out of their hands, vnlesse you meant to handle it better then they? indeed, Mul­tum refert quid à Dauus nè an herus? quoque dicatur, and for ought I see, your thrust is as short as [Page 27] theirs; wherefore you must be conten­ted to haue your old Venie put off, with an old ward.

‘ Sic disputas egregie Magister: VVho­soeuer shall speake a word against the holy Ghost, it shall not bee forgiuen him in this world, nor in the world to come. Ergo, Some sins are forgiuen in the world to come. Ergo, Purgatorie. Ergo, Each im­plying o­ther, this per modum sig­ni, that per modum cau­sae. pag. 19. Prayer for the Dead.’ This is your Lactea Ʋia, your Aurea Ca­tena, with which you are so fettered to the Romish sect. Well, be as proud of it as you will, I dare auerre, it hath but one good linke, as for the rest, the test shall proue them not so good as Ʋirginian oare: affording not so much as a S. Ni­cholas penie towards your Purgatorie, nor a taper for your Dirge.

It was an old prouerb when I went to schoole, Ʋeritas non quaerit angulos: How commeth it to passe, that S. Marke his exposition is such a mote in your eie, that it galleth you to the quicke to haue him decide this controuersie? Did hee not write of the same matter? Was hee [Page 28] not indued with the same spirit? it may be trulie said of them both, as the Psal­mist Psal. 41.8. prophetically foretold, one Deepe an­swereth another. They were both prefi­gured by the two Exod. 25.20. Cherubins, one behol­ding the other. Matthew is excellently se­conded by Marke, Marke notablie sam­pled by Matthew. Let the question be this: ‘ VVhen shall he that sinneth against the holy Ghost be forgiuen? S. Marke maketh answere, [...] Ergo no simple glosse. pag. 2. Neuer. Which is all one, as if he had said with S. Matthew, more figuratiuelie, [...]: Neither in this world, nor in the world to come.’ Implying nothing else, but the perpetuitie of the punishment, and in­cluding no specificall distribution of sinnes, whereof some are to be remitted in this world, and some in the world to come, as you suppose. For so S. Marke explaineth himselfe, & his fellow Euan­gelist, altogether as largely as S. Mat­thew in these words, Mark. 3.29. [...]: is culpable of eternal damnation: So that Mat­thewes partatiue, and Markes collectiue [Page 29] doe note one thing, viz. Eternitie.

Were you, as you pretend, a true child of Antiquitie, you would not bee more curious then Athanasius, Jerom, Hilarie, and Ambrose, who were con­tent, as often as they examined these words, to render them by Aeternum, not seeking any further. Pag. 2. This was no simple glosse in those daies. The Greeke Fathers dreamed not of temporall punishment after death, but of eternall. And this ac­cordeth with the opinion of Caluin. Harm. Euang. in eum locum. Caluin, who holdeth that the scope of the text concerneth onely the last iudgement, where there is no place for the remission of any sinne, which was not formerlie pardoned in this life. Now then, whe­ther wee ought to attribute more faith to your affirmitiue collection, or to Saint Markes Identicall narration, iudge you. The syllogisticall examination of your argument, wil make the folly ther­of more euident. VVhosoeuer, &c. it shall not be forgiuen him in this world, nor in the world to come: Ergo (say you) Some sinnes [Page 30] are pardoned in the world to come. That you may see how willing I am to giue Sea-roome, for feare of splitting your tender sided Foyst, I will grant all, and yet, Nè canas ante victoriam. For your Purgatorie should notwithstanding bee verie impudent to intrude it selfe. ‘What You may wel say, what is this to Purgatorie? pag. 19. incōuenience should follow, if I should yeeld that some sins are pardoned in the world to come?’ I dare auouch it, with­out any preiudice to the cause. Our Sa­uiour speaking of the vnbeleeuer, saith, Ioh. 3.18. He is condemned alreadie, and yet you cannot denie, but that he must come to a second 2. Cor. 5.10. Doome. So is it with the belie­uer: albeit he haue full 1. Ioh. 2.12. Remission gran­ted, and his pardon sealed in this life, yet he must haue the same proclaimed at the Generall Gayole deliuerie in the world to come. In which sense he may as truly be said, to haue his sinnes then pardoned, as the other his then condemned.

The words of your ground import as much, Non remittetur eis in hoc seculo: viz. per Remissionis applicationem, nec in fu­turo, [Page 31] viz. per Remissionis promulgationem. That is, they shall not haue the spiritu­all assurance of remission in this world, wherewith the elect of God haue their consciences Ephes. 1.13. sealed, neither shall they haue the fruition thereof in the world to come, into which the children of God are to be inducted. Nec hîc Spem: Nec ibi Rem. Neither present expectation, nor future possession. So that as some sins are there punished, so also there are some there pardoned, & yet your Purgatory cleane excluded. If you say this expositiō doth either disagree with the scope of the place, or analogie of faith, I would glad­lie bee better informed, by soliditie of reason, not superfluitie of words. For as yet I cannot see, but that it rather fol­loweth à contrario, thus: This remissible sin shall neither be forgiuen in this world, nor in the world to come, Ergo, This or that remis­sible sin shall be forgiuen, both in this world, and in the world to come: the two latter be­ing added as inseparable adherents to the former. And so the sinne is heere exagge­rated, [Page 32] by opposition to other sins, in the depriuatiō of that double benefit, wher­of other sinners, that are penitent, are ca­pable: vnto both which, hee that sin­neth against the holy Ghost can lay no claime.

I will not vie too fast, it may be you keepe the Fiue-finger in your hand for the last tricke; when you come in with your, Ergo, some sinnes remissible, are par­doned in the world to come, happilie you haue this mentall reseruation, viz. which are not formerly forgiuen in this world. I protest I thought as much. You haue turned vp. Quae ligata manent in ter­ris, ea posteà non soluuntur. Matth. 16.19.18.18. Ioh. 20.22. In the place that the tree falleth, there it shall be. Eccles. 11.3. Nodie. But dic sodes, deale plainlie with your friends. Came this card out of the stocke? Is there any such clause in the text? or any other expresse Scripture, to iustifie this insertion? A yong gamester may see that this is but a bad sequele, The sin against the holy Ghost, shall neither be forgiuen in this world, nor in the world to come: Ergo, Some sins are par­doned in the world to come, which are not forgiuen in this world. Heere is old pac­king, [Page 33] but I will discouer you. A Kentish Gentleman, not purposing to make his heire a great Clerke, saith thus: My eldest son shal neuer be student in Oxford, nor Cam­bridge: were he not an excellent Artist, trow you, that should hence infer, Ergo, some of his other sons shall go to Cam­bridge. In this there is no necessitie, the Gentlemans scope being, by this Nega­tiue distribution of the English Acade­mies, to shew he meant to set his sonne in some other course, and not particu­larly to determine, what he would doe with the rest. Or if he should say, (as he may well without Pag. 3. ridiculous absurditie) My son shall neither be scholar of Eton, nor fellow of Kings Colledge: were he not out of his wits that would hence conclude, Ergo, A man may be Being a­gainst the first foundation. fellow of Kings Col­ledge, that was neuer scholar of Eton? In this there is no Possibilitie. I am sure it was a rule, when I first haunted An exercise in Oxford Schoole-streets for yong scholars, Logicians. Paruies, Quod de vno negatur, non semper de diuersis affir­matur, & è contra. My reason is this, Po­test idem Praedicatum, de diuersis subiectis [Page 34] rectè Praedicari: as thus: This proposition is true, Eos qui foris sunt Deus iudicabit: and this as true, Eos qui intùs sunt iudica­bit Deus, where Subiectum doth differ, the Praedicatum being all one: Neither may wee argue thus, They are to bee iudged by God, Ergo, not by the Magistrate: This were an Anabaptistical heresie. Common sense will disproue it, and yet you sticke not to conclude, The sinne against the ho­ly Ghost shal neuer be forgiuen in this world, "nor in the world to come, Ergo, Pag. 2. Some sins "shall be forgiuen in the world to come. It will put you to a foule plunge, if I shall re­tort your owne Paralogisme vpon you: Thus, The sin against the holy Ghost, shall neither be remitted, Quoad culpam, aut quoad poenam, in this world, nor in the world to come; Ergo, Some sinne shall be remitted, & quoad culpam, & quoad poe­nam, in the world to come; which is repug­nant to the position of your owne sect, recorded Tom. 4. dist. 45. §. 1. p. 557. by Suares, Contingit peccata mortalia remitti in seculo futuro, quod non potest intelligi de Remissione quoad culpam, [Page 35] Ergo necessariò intelligendum est quoad poe­nam. It happeneth that mortall sinnes be forgiuen in the world to come, which cannot be vnderstood of the forgiuenes of guilt, therefore necessarily to be vn­derstood of punishmēt. Which you dare not allow in respect of Guilt, and yet the text doth as equallie intend Remission of guilt, as of punishment. Which your Caietan confesseth, saying, Caietan. in cum locum. De peccato asseritur, non remittetur in hoc seculo, vt in­telligamus comprehendi non solum remissio­nem poenae sed culpae: Peccatum enim nomen est culpae. Thus are you hampered in your owne snare; Miserè perit, qui suis ar­mis perit.

But I feare I am somewhat too quick with Turpe est vr­gere iacentem. you: it seemeth by this your wre­sted collection, you are yet to learne the rule of Nazianzen, Jn Con. de fil. In certis quibusdam generibus negationum, vbi quid de vna qua­dam re negatur, non mox diuersum affirma­tur, et si talem quandam speciem prae seferat. You must not alwaies gather an affirma­tiue out of a Negatiue, though at the [Page 36] first sight it may seeme to bee implied. As if I should say, Christ was deliuered to death, not for his owne, but our sinnes, were hee now any better then a cauelling So­phister, who would hence gather, Ergo Christus habuit peccata? Therefore Christ had sins of his owne, because it was said, not for his owne? The Apostle writing to Titus, saith, Chap. 3. v. 3. Not by the workes of righte­ousnes, which we had done, but according to his owne mercie he saued vs: neither doth he intimate, howsoeuer the phrase may seeme to beare it, that wee of our selues had done any workes of righteousnesse at all. And so heere, Simpliciter negat: Ni­hil ponit; by a figuratiue, and distributiue partition of the two parts of Eternitie, he exaggerateth their punishment, who sin against the holy Ghost, saying, That they shal not be forgiuen in this world, nor in the world to come: and doth not, as appea­reth by the rule of Nazianzen, affirma­tiuely determine the contrarie of other mortall sinnes.

But alas poore soule, how can I [Page 37] blame your weaknes, when your learned master, Bellarm. is grauelled in the same sands? When Peter Martyr obiecteth, it is no good Logicke to argue affirmatiue­lie from a Negatiue, as thus: Philip King of Spaine, is not King of the Venetians, Ergo, there is a King of the Ʋenetians, he is driuen to this shamefull shift, Bellar. lib. 1. de Purg. cap. 4. §. Respon­d [...], non. &c. Re­spondeo, non sequi secundùm Regulas Diale­cticorum, & tamen sequi secundùm Regulas Prudentiae, quià alioquin faceremus Domi­num ineptissimè loquutum: It followeth not (saith he) according to the rules of Lo­gicke, but according to the rules of You would faine be Bel­larmines Ape. pag. 3. Pru­dencie, for otherwise there must needs be an absurditie in the Lords speech. As if that could by any wise man be allowed for Necessarie, which by Logicall conse­quence is not Necessarily deducted out of the Premisses.

And why should the speech, vttered by way of exaggeration, seeme so ab­surde and vnprobable as you terme it? Shall your owne Maldonat bee an arbi­trator between vs? Scholying vpon these [Page 38] words of Matth. 19.14. Jt shall be easier for a Camel to go thorow the eye of a needle, then for a rich man, &c. Maldonat. super Matth. 19.14. Haec oratio homi­nibus absurda videtur qui non intelligunt, &c. This speech seemeth absurde to those which vnderstand it not, &c. so that the absurdity in the popular vnder­standing, doth not diminish the truth, or authority thereof. Why then should this prouerbiall amplification sound so vn­couthly in your eares? You would bee loath I should serue you with a Non in­telligis, vnder Maldonats seale. What if I should say, I would not allow Theomisus to be my schoole-master, either quicke or dead? Do I therefore intend that you can reade me a schismaticall lecture, whē I am in my graue? No, but my meaning by this hyperbolicall exaggeration is, that I would neuer admit you to that of­fice, albeit, it were possible that I could be capable of your Romish charmes. So that it is now needlesse to debate, whe­ther your owne instance of the Pag. 2. barren woman, (which may emphatically be spo­ken, [Page 39] secundùm morem vulgi) be more ri­diculous, or the idle author thereof fri­uolous.

This one thing I will yet adde, if the like coniecturall collections should be vrged against you, wee should surely heare of iniurious dealing. There is no one place more familiar among you, then this of Joseph, Matth. 1.25. But hee knew her not vntill she had brought forth her first borne Sonne. If out of this we should come vp­on Non ouum ouo similius. you, Ergo, hee knew her after shee had borne him, or, Ergo, she had more sonnes, you would thinke that blessed and holy Virgin to bee most irrecom­pensably Vt Antidico­maritanae. E­lench. haer. p. 133. 6. vel Hel­uidij blasphe­mia. Aug. de Ecclesiast. dog­mat. ca. 68. disparaged: and yet [...], vntil, seemeth to imply the first, and [...] the first borne, to import the second. To o­pen my selfe, I confesse freely my reue­rend esteem of that sacred Virgin is such, that I should stop my eares, if such dispu­tants would not stop their mouthes. A­mong other things, this seemeth to mee very strange, that glorying so much in the authoritie, and Pag. 4. commending the [Page 40] indifferencie of the Fathers, you haue omitted Origens opinion, whose anti­quitie would haue greatly steaded you in this case. Then had you strucken the naile on the head, there had been no fur­ther question: we should haue bin glad to compound. I confesse freely, he ga­thereth the same note out of these words of your ground, Esse in altero seculo Hoc est con­tra Origenem, qui dicit om­nes veniam consequuturos post vniuersale iudicium, trās­actis multis se­culis. Hug. Cardin. in Mat. fol. 42. b. re­missionem, &c. And that this might bee thought a veniall encrochment vpon the text, hee goeth further, breaking downe all the Lords fences, that the Di­uels and damned spirits might enter com­mon in this after-pardon, entituling them to that Remission, which shall be gran­ted in the world to come. Heere is good stuffe. Qui semel verecundiae fines transie­rit, eum gnauiter esse impudentem oportet. Ouer shooes ouer bootes. If the Christi­an world should giue you Origens inch, a whole ell of absurdities would not serue your turne. We should euerie day haue Postes out of Purgatorie, and such store of Graue-miracles, that it would [Page 41] make a Yea Bellar­mines deuout mare. Lib. 3. Eucha. cap. 8. horse to breake his halter to see them.

Far more Analogicall is Saint Chry­sostoms exposition, Jt shall not be forgiuen in this world, nor in the world to come, that is, saith he, In Matth. 12. Non effugient poenam: They shall bee surely punished in this world, and in the world to come. And this stan­deth with verie good Non remit­tetur hîc vel alibi, sed & hîc & alibi pu­nietur. Theoph. in Matth. reason: as him­selfe proueth by this induction: Some sinners are punished only in this life, as that incestuous 1. Cor. 5.5. Corinthian, that his spirit might be saued in the day of our Lord Jesus: some only in the life to come, as the rich Luk. 16.19. Glutton, who while hee was aliue had the world at will: and some were sinners in graine, (as I may tearme them,) & are both tortured in this life, and tormented in the life to come, as the Sodomites who had heere ignem Gen. 19.24. sulfureum, and haue there ignem infernalem. So that when our Sauiour heere, denouncing against these Capitall malefactors, telleth them that their sinnes shall neither be forgiuen in this world, nor in the world to come, it [Page 42] is as much as if he should say, they shall both smart for it in this world, and rue it in the world to come. Whereof, (not to speake of Judas, patronised by De Justif. lib. 3. cap. 14. Bellar­mine) we haue a liuely, though fearefull, president in the miserable end of that cursed Apostata Vicisti Ga­lilae. Julianus.

I would now gladlie see, what fault you can find with this holsome expositi­on: it tendeth to godlines, in setting out the horror of that fearefull sinne, which our Sauiour heere laboureth to beate downe in the blasphemous Pharasaicall Scribes, and the truth thereof is euident by the former instance: wheras your illa­tiue setteth open a wide gap to carnall libertie, our Maxima pec­candi illecebra impunitatis spes. nature being so prone to defer the time of our conuersion, vpon the least hope of future remedy. Neither is it backed by any expresse testimonie of holy writ, nor any exemplary proofe, besides your Hobgoblins, Rawheads, Bloo­die-bones, and Night-ghosts, which the world hath now for many yeares since forgotten to beleeue.

You will be tride by the Fathers, you say. A good motion. My reason teach­eth me to reuerence them, my religion forbiddeth me to adore them: my lea­sure will not serue to search or cite them all. Can you except against Athanasius? Let him be the Vmpire, he hath written a whole Tract of this subiect, which will put all out of doubt. If you can find one line in him for this your exposition, My eye shall enter an action against my vnder­standing. Nay I will yet go further, there is not one of the ancient Fathers, Vbi benè ne­mo melius, vbi malè nemo pe­ius. ( Ori­gen excepted) vnto Augustines time, who euer made any such glosse. As for Hila­rie, Jerom, Chrysostome, Theophylact, and my arbitrator Athanasius, they will not I am sure, lend you one such syllable to saue your life. No maruell then, if by the validitie of this text, you were so pow­erfully led to the Pag. 11. approbation of this doctrine. These you will say are but my words, and therefore for your better in­formation peruse them.

By this you may see, (if the muffler of [Page 44] Superstition, hath not cleane hoodwin­ked your eyes) the weaknes of your first ground: Well, when you haue spent all your forces in the maintenance of this fort, it will proue but [...], strife about words, which the 1. Tim. 6.4. Apostle appropria­teth to such as account gaine (I will not say Purgatorie) to bee godlinesse. No doubt, your talent and time might much more profitablie be spent, [...]; in doctrine according to godlines.

§. 3.

THat you may perceiue how willing I am to satisfie you to the full, I will doe my best endeuour to remoue that scruple, which the authoritie of that great Father, and worthie Diuine S. Au­gustine seemeth to haue first fastned in your wauering thoughts: wherein I shal finde the lesse difficultie, for as much as your selfe confesse of all those of his ranke, ‘that Pag. 6. Though they were men of ad­mirable valew, yet they were not exempt [Page 45] from the errors of infirmitie Spero te minimè mo­riturum E­piscopum. Epiph. Chry­sostomo. Spero te in pa­triam minimè rediturum. Chrysost. E­piphanio. Socrat. lib. 6. cap. 13. attending vp­on the condition of mankinde: and, That they may erre Pag. 4. Secundùm Analogiam loci.’ Which, were I captious, might bring this with the rest of your testimonies, being meere expositions vpon your former ground, into some doubt. For when hee said, Pag. 4. ‘ The prayer of the Church is heard for some men deceased out of the world;’ lest hee might be vrged with a Proba, he giueth this reason, ‘ For it could not be said truly of some men, that their sinnes should not be for­giuen in this world, nor in the world to come, vnlesse there should be some men, who though they are not pardoned in this world, yet they should bee pardoned in the world to come.’ What is this with those other of Gregory, Jsidore, Beda, and Bernard, by you cited, but expositions vpon the same place? wherein you confesse they may erre. And indeede I wonder you will bee so friendly, as to grant that they may misse the cushion in the Analogie of the place. Little do you think what may be thence inferred. I would faine know what is the [Page 46] ground of faith? Is it not the word? This word hath diuers parcels: now if they mistake in the Analogie of one place, (as you grant) why not then as well in another? and so you couertly contra­dict your self by implying, They may erre, Secundùm Analogiam Fidei, in the Analo­gie of faith. Thus haue you made those blessed Fathers much beholding vnto you.

But that I may merit to be kalendred "by you among those that are of a Pag. 22. more "candide and honorable disposition, I wil not presse you so neere. God knoweth, I haue no pleasure to diminish the vene­rable esteeme of their sacred pens. Wherfore for the place cited out of the Pag. 28. incomparable worke, of that holy S. Au­gustine, with whom you first consulted, giue me leaue, I pray you, to put you in minde of what your owne Viues hath formerly told you, writing vpon these words, which you haue heere alleaged, he saith thus: Super Aug. de ciuitat. Dei. lib. 21. cap. 24. In antiquis libris Brugensi, & Coloniensi, non leguntur isti decem aut [Page 47] duodecim qui sequuntur versus, neque in exemplaribus Friburgi excusis. And it is true hee saith, They are not in any our knowne Copies to be found. Thus hath your owne man Viues tripped vp the heeles of your grand authoritie, and laid your first Motiue in the dust. But I must doe you no wrong, he goeth a step fur­ther, and saith, Forsan non desunt in alijs: Perhaps other impressions haue them. And so your Ponderous resolution, both for this interpretation of S. Augustine, as al­so for the said Fathers iudgement con­cerning Purgatory, hangeth vpon a weak thred, vpon a Forsan, Perhaps, which is as good as a new nothing to hang vpon your sleeue. Thus as you haue but one Ground, and that wrested, so it appea­reth your Prime father may be supposed to be forged. Which may giue vs iust cause to mistrust the like double dea­ling with the rest.

Hauing hitherto busied my pen, in sounding the depth of your hypocrisie: in cleering your first scripture from your [Page 48] Sophistrie: in defending your Prime Fa­ther from your forgerie: I must now shew my selfe a dead-mans Champion, in freeing your Prime Protestant Doctor from your Calumnie.

§. 4.

EGregiam vero laudem, & spolia amplatulisti, Tu (que) liber (que) tuus. Alas what will become of our Religion? our poore Church must needs totter, the Pag. 168. and 140. Pillars thereof being so miserablie shaken. Had you the Jaw-bone of an Asse in your hand, who were able to stand before you, our best worthies being so deadly wounded with your Goose-quill? Amongst the rest, Bar­bam vellis Leoni Mortuo. You trample vp­on dead D. Humfrey, as if you would crush him to peeces. They that suruiue had need to looke to themselues, your furie is so enraged toward the dead. And is it possible, that that holy man should spend so many yeeres, diue into so many learned Authors, read so many memo­rable [Page 49] Lectures, and now come to bee taxed by an obscure ‘ Neoterique of Vide ad Le­ctor. & pag. 38 82. 168. 169. 172. ¹ ma­lignitie,2 artificiall collusion, ³ insolent mad­nes, ⁴ egregious falshoods, ⁵ Rhetoricall flo­rishes, ⁶ vnprofitable Rhetorique, ⁷ vnfaith­full courses, ⁸ obscure and vncertaine ora­cles, for ⁹ delusion in his ambiguities, ¹⁰ vn­faithfulnesse in his relations, ¹¹ digressions from his matter, ¹² and generall imbecillitie in his discourse. Bona verba quaeso.’ You must not thinke to carrie it away with your big lookes. If your currish pen be so shamelesse as to dare Mingere in pa­trios cineres, be you assured the good fa­thers demerits will not permit any true Oxonian to leaue his Orphane works to the wild world. Let others do as they shal see cause. Far is it from my thoughts, that this my short & rude Letter should sup­presse anie other more solid supplie. As he did benefit many being aliue, so is it fit he should bee defended by manie being dead. It is fit, I say, that the debt, which the Church oweth to his reuerend memorie, should be paid by men of the [Page 50] Church. Neither yet are priuate men to burie his particular fauours, with his breathlesse corps in one same Graue. It is vsuallie seene amongst base minds, Cum quis Domo effertur, aufertur Gratia. But still shall he lie intombed in my best thoughts, who ripened the buds of my yonger studies, with the gladsome raies of his best encouragements. Or shall I be so meale-mouthed, as to suffer anie railing Rabshekah to sooth himselfe in his disgrace? Then might my worthie, lear­ned, and religious Elizab. La. Russell Dowa­ger. [...]. Euripid. Mother thinke my time and her cost altogether mispent, if in all that time I did not learne to main­taine his repute, by whom shee under­stood I was so much honored. And if your superstition teach you to pray for the dead, you cannot, I hope, blame my generous disposition, to patronize the Eccle. 7.37. Mortuo non prohibeas gra­tiam. Dead. Full well may I vndertake this combate, without any feare of the foile. I haue perused his booke, examined his assertions, and weighed his arguments, vpon which view I find you must be dri­uen [Page 51] to offer a paire of golden eies to the Ladie of Sichem, or Hal is nearer S. Omers. Loretto, that you may recouer your sight, which you haue so weakened with ouerstudying your selfe, in the see­king out of Purgatorie, that you cannot see the VVood for trees. You crie out, let him be condemned for delusion, depraua­tion, &c. yea but first, by your leaue, M ^r. Theomisus, there must be enquirie, Quid mali fecit? VVhat euil hath he done? Vpon this triall, I doubt not but this sentence will be giuen by an indifferent Iudge, J find no fault in the man, of these things wher­of he is heere accused.

The first grieuance taken against this worthie Doctor (which is made your first warrant, for the triall of your cause by the Fathers) is this, that he draweth his answere to Campian, to a conclusion with this sentence, Pag. 12. Trasilaus in a mad humour, tooke all the ships which he beheld in the Attique hauen to be his owne, though hee possessed not any vessell: Such is the frencie of the Romanists, yea greater also, because they see, and yet seeing they dissemble, that they [Page 52] are destitute of all defence from the Fathers. This you terme a vast and a notable vn­truth. If your words might passe for ora­cles, it were so indeed. But is it possible you should so soone forget, what issued from your owne pen, not foure leaues before? How did you there plaie Trasi­laus, vaunting like a second Thraso, of S. Aug. authority in the exposition of your groūd? Wel, what was the issue? Did not D. Humfrey prophesie right? your own Viues, as I shewed you, bloweth all away with a Non leguntur. Where is now the ship you challenged for your owne? It hath but a Forsan, a verie thinne planke to keepe you from sinking. If you a No­uice haue learned this tricke alreadie, what shall we thinke of those, that haue been seuen, nay twice seuen yeares ap­prentises to the trade? By that time you haue been so long a Practitioner, you will haue twentie such iugling trickes at your fingers ends. It is vnpleasing to you, I dare saie, to see your selfe taken in the manner, wherfore I will returne in a [Page 53] word to the iustifying of D. H. asser­tion.

It will bee verie tedious to set before you, the whole summe of that pithie an­swere, to Campians fifth reason De patri­bus, Ab ouo vs (que) ad mala. Which if you iudiciallie peruse, you shall see he had good reason, after so great promises, and small performances on his aduersa­ries part, to conclude as he did. In the en­trance of that subiect, Campian would faine make the world beleeue, that our Church had quite deposed the most an­cient Fathers, and doctors, and that if we would make triall by them, our cause were instantlie gone. Omnes nostri sunt, (saith he in effect) All the ships on the At­tique shore, all the Fathers are ours: The day is ours. Vnto this challenge, our D. re­turneth this answere, Nos horum patrum auctoritatem solummodò veneramur, nos ad horum Synedrion sacro sanctum prouocamus. They alone shall bee our Iudges, wee will ap­peale to them. And againe, Ʋerè ac propriè nostros patres in terris vocamus Prophe­tas, [Page 54] & Apostolos, patres non à patre pa­trato, sed à patre patrum delectos. Wee account them our fathers, whom the Father of heauen hath set ouer vs. All the exception he maketh against the chal­lenge is this: Jncipit (saith hee) ab au­reae aetatis heroibus, & à patribus maiorum gentium, sed mox ad alios vel aenei vel ferrei seculi homines descendit, quos in vnum quasi globum sine vllo discrimine coniungit. This is our D. resolution; hee is willing to stand to the iudgement of the Prophets, Apostles, and Primitiue fathers, adding only this, that hee maketh a difference betweene those of the Jnter patres. & paterculos. golden age, and those which succeed in the brasen and iron age of the world, which the lea­uen and leprosie of Romish superstition hath sowred and infected. Now how farre your Challengers right commeth short of his claime, the conference of both their writings will more fullie de­clare, then the breuitie of a letter will permit. And in this behalfe I had rather referre you to a knowne Printed at London 1608. Sermon, (yet [Page 55] so farre as I can learne vnanswered) that was preached at Pauls Crosse, Febr. 13. 1607: wherein it will appeare, at least in twentie points, how little countenance you haue from those holy fathers, with whose names your frothie discourses are so stuffed, and your controuersies bombasted. I am not now an opponent, to vrge the particulars, wherein you proue destitute of those Fathers, who are still at your pens end: I shall hold it sufficient, if I can at this time assoile that worthie father from your wrongfull im­putations.

First for his euasion: Campian had ob­iected, The inuisibilitie of our Church, and that we stood only at the reuersion of Aë­rius, Ʋigilantius, &c. for some pestiferous fragments: Now D. H. not knowing how to winde himselfe out of this diffi­cultie, is driuen (as you say) to slip col­lar thus. VVherein Aerius did erre, we re­iect it; wherin he held any thing agreeable to the Scripture, we receiue it. And consequent­ly in this point of prayer for the dead, we and [Page 56] our Church will not digresse from Aërius. I would wish none of my friends to open his mouth against the least Retainer to Purgatorie. Belzebub himselfe shall finde more fauour at your hands then such a man. What? Because the Diuels Mark. 3.13. confes­sed, that Iesus was the Sonne of God, will you therefore abiure it, and blot it out of your Creed? If Aërius (howsoeuer o­therwise erroneous) doe ioyne with the Primitiue Church, in nullifying obla­tions for the dead, will you therefore haue our Church so nice, as in a stomack to maintaine the contrarie? Had D. H. said Aërius disliked them, Ergo, wee will not entertaine them: then had he giuen the question to his aduersarie, in the de­bate of our Churches Antiquitie, this had bin indeed to picke the crums that had fallen from his table. But because Aërius an Heretique was of this opinion, that therfore it is a new coined doctrine, and a disgrace for our church to hold it, our D. thought it no good consequēce. In matters of this kind wee are not to [Page 57] consider Quis, but Quid: not VVho, it is, or by whom, this or that point is pro­fessed, but Quid, what it is that is held. If the person be an Galath. 1.8. Angell, we haue our warrant to refuse him, if he bring [...] or [...], any thing besides that which the word warranteth: on the contrarie, if the doctrine be, [...], that which is written, or [...], agreeable to that which we haue re­ceiued, though the person be an infernall spirit that vttereth it, yet he is not to be refused. What were this, but with the Pag. 76. Anabaptists, and Brownists (as you say) to frequent no Church, because there is some blemish in euerie Church? were he not a wise minter that refuseth gold, be­cause there is much drosse? though there be much chaffe in the heape, yet will not the husbandman forsake his wheate; shall the Arian heresie of Aëri­us make those other truthes which hee held, to be of lesse esteeme? By this rea­son, we should not haue had one article of our faith left many hundred yeares a­go, if, because of mens errors in some [Page 58] points, we should therfore dissent from them in all. What cause is there then, why I should not highly extol this wor­thie saying of that Ʋenerable man? VVee are not ashamed to ioyne with Aërius, (saith he) where Aërius ioyneth with the Scrip­tures. Obserue this, I pray you, hee be­leeueth it, not because Aërius saith it is true, but because that is true which Aë­rius saith, therefore he beleeueth it. Yea should a hūdred Councels of Romish Pha­rasaicall Scribes condemne him as an He­retique, yet were he no whit lesse to bee followed, in that wherein he followeth the VVord. Call you this an Euasion, to hold that which is agreeable to the writ­ten word? Indeed whatsoeuer distasteth your quaint humors, is an euasion. Wel, all the aduantage you get by such euasi­ons, you may put into your eie, and see neuer a whit the worse.

Neither is the Collusion, with which he is charged, of any more moment then the former: the words of our D. are these: Non improbamus nos quod sensit Aë­rius [Page 59] & Augustinus retulit, non oportere nos orare, vel oblationem offerre pro mortuis, quia nullo Scripturae dicto continetur: quod & Aug. significare videtur quando hanc commendationem mortuorum dicit, veterem esse ecclesiae consuetudinem: We do not dis­proue that which Aërius taught, and Au­gustine hath related, that we ought not to pray nor offer oblation for the dead, because this is not contained in any pre­cept of the Scripture: which Augustine al­so doth seeme to signifie, when he saith that this commendation of the dead was an ancient custome of the Church. This you take to bee a subtill Collusion. For whereas our D. pretendeth, that S. Au­gustine had only Custome to maintaine it, yet you find that he alledgeth Scripture in defence thereof, For we reade (saith he) in the booke of the Machabes, that Sacrifice was offred for the dead. If this be the Scrip­ture you build vpon, our D. may say a­gaine, Nullo Scripturae dicto continetur: it is not contained in any precept of Scrip­ture. As hauing formerly proued out of [Page 60] Rat. pr. pag. 28. Aquinas, Antoninus, and Jerome, that those bookes of Machabees are not Ca­nonicall. Neither is it our D. surmise, that August. seemeth to signifie as much, who elsewhere doth plainly and deter­minablie conclude, that they are not Diuini Canonis. Aug. de mi­rab. lib. 2. c. 34. Jn Machabaeorum libris, etsi aliquid mirabilium numero inserendum conuenientiùs ordini fuisse inueniatur, de hoc tamen nulla cura fatigabimur, quia tantùm agere proposuimus, vt de diuini Canonis mi­rabilibus exiguam historicam expositionem tangeremus. Where he confesseth, that al­beit he might wel haue produced some­what for his purpose out of the Macha­bees, yet because he meant to deale only with such mirables as were of the Diuine Canon, hee would not trouble himselfe with those, as thinking them vnfit to stand cheeke by ioule with the other.

The same Father writing against Gau­dent. Epist. saith thus, Contra Gaud. Epist. lib. 2. cap. 23. Machabaeorum Scriptura recepta est ab ecclesia non inutili­ter, si sobriè legatur, vel audiatur, maximè propter istos Martyres; sed ob hanc causam [Page 61] in Canone morum, non Fidei censeri posset. Shewing that there must great sobrietie be vsed, in the hearing and reading of those bookes, and that they are in the Canon of Manners, and not of faith. And againe, Jn sanctis Canonicis libris, nusquam nobis diuinitus praeceptum, permis­sumue reperiri potest, vt velipsius adipiscen­dae immortalitatis, vel vllius carendi cauen­diue mali, causa, vt 2. Machab. 14.42. Razis seipsum occidens laudatur. In the holie Canonicall books, there is no diuine precept, or permission to be found, that we may, either to gaine immortalitie, or to escape any perill, make away with our selues, as Razis did, and is therefore commended in the Machabees. Where is now the Collusion? Doth not S. Augustine seeme to signifie as much? Lyra is as liable to the censure of Collusion, who auerreth Praefat. in Tob. as he is cited by our Lubbertus, lib. 1. cap. 13. de Princip. dogm. that they are receiued of the Church, to be read for the information of manners. Brito is al­so of the same mind, Jn prolog. Machab. cited by Lubbert. ibid. Libri Machabaeo­rum non sunt in Canone, & tamen leguntur in Ecclesia, per constitutionem Romanae ec­clesiae. [Page 62] The bookes of Machabees are not in the Canon, and yet they are read by the constitution of the Romane Church. I might cite Ad reg. Lu­douicum. Lub­bert. ibid. Rabanus, & diuers others, but Jn fine Com­ment. ad hist. vet. Test. as he is cited by our Lubbertus quo supra. lib. 1. cap. 4. Caietan shall serue for all: Ne turbe­ris, Nouitie, si alicubi reperias libros istos inter Canonicos supputari, vel in sacris Concilijs, vel in sacris Doctoribus: Non autem sunt Canonici, id est, Regulares ad firmandum ea quae sunt Fidei. Possunt tamen Canonici, id est, Regulares dici, ad aedificationem fidelium, vtpote in Canone Bibliae ad hoc recepti. Cum hac distin­ctione poteris discernere dicta Augustini, & scripta in Concilio prouinciali Carthaginen­si. Trouble not thy selfe, if thou find those books, either in the sacred Coun­cels, or holy Fathers, to be reckoned a­mong those that are Canonicall, for they are not Canonicall, that is, Regular, to ground those things that appertaine to faith, albeit they may be tearmed Regu­lar and Canonicall, for the edification of the faithfull, for which end they are re­ceiued into the Canon of the Bible. With [Page 63] this Distinction, that which is spoken by Saint Augustine, and written by the Pro­uinciall Councell of Carthage must bee vnderstood.

The Councell of Carthage, Pag. 170. where­upon you so much relie, no doubt will now stand you in great stead. Caietan taketh away your obiection with this distinction. Besides, by your leaue, it may seeme, these books were not so ac­knowledged by that Councell. For how then could 19. Mor. 13. S. Gregorie long after haue doubted of these bookes, calling them Libros non Canonicos, Books that were not Canonicall? Your owne Locis Theol. lib. 2. cap. 11. §. Ad quartum. Canus confes­seth, that if they had been so ratified, it had been neither for Gregorie, nor any other to haue afterward made any doubt of them. Why should you then stile it an Pag. 169. Artificiall Collusion, if our D. say that S. Augustine seemeth to signifie, that there is no place of Scripture for prayer for the dead, when besides the Cu­stome of the Church, hee alledgeth only that one out of the Machabees, which [Page 64] bookes are not properly Canonicall?

You take all things, I see, with the left hand; you would faine find a mote in D. H. his eie, and yet you will not see the beame in your owne illatiue. Higgons. pag. 170. S. Au­gustine, you say, makes mention of the old Scripture, Ergo, he intimateth that in the new Testament, some reliefe for the dead, is either plainly expressed, or suffi­ciently deduced from thence. In sadnes I should be glad to see a Logique of your making: you haue such passing skill to conclude, Quid libet ex Quolibet. S. Au­gustines words are these, De cura pro mort. cap. 1. If this were read no where in the old Scripture, yet there is no small authoritie of the vniuersall Church, &c. He maketh a negatiue supposition of the old testament, from whence you infer an affirmatiue position, that there is proofe in the new Testamēt. Fallacia ab insufficiente diuisione. A good Consequent: all one, as if a man should say, M. Theomisus is not in the Church­yard: Ergo, he is in the Church. Had there been any such place there to be found, S. Augustine was not such a stranger vnto [Page 65] it, but that hee could haue produced it Doctus scri­ba prosert de thesauro suo noua & vete­ra. with a wet finger. Neither was he tàm imperitus rerum aestimator, as to thinke that the custome of the Church would passe more currant, then that protecti­on, vnto which the Lord hath set his hand and seale. Wherfore wi [...]h far more probabilitie, might you haue argued thus; S. Augustine mentioneth only the old, which is not vndoubtedly Scripture: Ergo, hee did not find any Canonicall Scripture to confirme it. Yea, but Plus vident oculi quàm oculus: happily your Jesuiticall societie (as hauing the aduan­tage of a later, more learned, and expe­rienced age) hath digged so far into that sacred mine, that they haue now found the Gemme, which S. Augustines age ne­uer saw. And why not? Were there no more simples then Galen discouered, we should haue but simple Physitians. Time hath bred more maturitie in all Arts, which did but blossome in the former age: and well might it be as heauie an imputation to our vnthriftie daies, as it [Page 66] was to that seruant, who returned his Talent without increase, if wee should purchase no more then our fathers be­queathed vs. Well, if you haue it, what need you be so daintie, to keepe it vn­der locke and key from the view of the world? If this proofe out of the new Te­stament were once knowne, it would make your Purgatory-boxe richer by many thousands. I know no man so re­spectlesse of himselfe, but would willing­lie part with one moytie of his meanes, for his future reliefe. Empti estis pretio. But vntill you bring Scripture affirmatiuelie to proue it, you must giue D. Hum. leaue, (espe­ciallie in the answerers place) to pretend, nay to plead Jn lege quid scriptum est? quomodo legis? Luk. 10.26. Scripture negatiuely a­gainst it, your former ground being for­merlie answered.

It were well, you would say, if wee could plead so to the authoritie of our Church, Pag. 170. Her Soueraigntie is impeacha­able, without any other proof forceable, from whence it is not only insolencie, but madnesse to decline. Pulchrè dictum: This is your [Page 67] Ladies first A. B. C. The Church is as much beholding to you, for maintaining her right, as S. Bernard, Pag. 6. for your secret and peculiar affection. Nay, as Pythagoras was to his scholars, insteed of ipse dixit, you will haue ipsa dixit. Me thinks I see you playing Demetrius, your craft is go­ing to decay, and therfore you are faine to crie, Act. 19.34. Magna Diana Ephesiorum, or (which is in effect as much) Magna Eccle­sia Romanorum. For when you speake of the Church, I take it, you haue reference to your former Pag. 14. assertion, That your Ro­mane Church is of more powerfull principali­tie, then the rest. Indeed had the Scriptures, Creeds, and foure first generall Councels been deriued from thence, it might haue been more tolerablie auerred: But wee should do the Greek Church much wrōg, to decke your Romish, with her Plumes, hauing receiued no foundation of faith from you at all. Of the true Church, who is he that saith not with S. Augustine, Non parua ecclesiae auctoritas? Well doth her Modestie, well doth her Fidelitie deserue [Page 68] honorable esteeme. Shee taketh not vp­on her to controule the holy Scripture her mother, from whom shee drew her first breath: she openeth not her mouth, til her mother haue deliuered her mind; she commeth not of her owne head with any sleeuelesse arrend: No other mes­sage doth she bring, to the seruants of the Lords house, then that which her mother hath giuen her in charge. But of the place of her former residence, and how many painted Antichristian Har­lots, haue ietted vp and downe in her at­tire, and vsurped her Apocal. 17.3. Chaire of State; it would aske a long treatise to declare. And indeed my patience can hardly en­dure, that our dead Doctor should lie so long at the mercie of your mercilesse pen. As I haue disburthened him of the imposed Collusion, so will I now bestow a few lines to shroud him from the suppo­sed Pag. 171. Delusion.

The Delusion with which he is char­ged, is ambiguitie of speech: for Pag. 171. whereas the commendation, whereof S. Augustine [Page 69] speaketh, is referred to the soules of the Dead, D. Humfrey, in his Rhetoricall flo­rishes, doth pretend, that we in our Col­ledges retaine the ancient commendation of the Dead; by which he would make the credulous Reader belieue, that Saint Augustine himselfe doth conuell the vse of prayer for the dead, maintaining it no o­therwise, then we now do. Pag. 172. The Credu­lous Reader? Nay he were a sottish Rea­der, that should gather any such beliefe out of D. Humfreies words, who hath not any one sentence to that purpose. Where doth he deny that S. Augustine did not allow praier for the Dead? this had been a Delusion, a notable Figment, an eminent Deprauation; nay he plainlie confesseth it, citing S. Aug. owne words, That this commendation of the dead, is an ancient custome of the Church, in that place which you haue formerly mentioned. And yet by the way it is not amisse, to put you in mind, what S. Augustine else­where doth confesse, viz. many to haue erred in their deuotion towards the [Page 70] dead August. En­chirid. ad Lau­rent. cap. 67. Ex humana beneuolentia: and so wee find also that the entire loue of his mother Monica, and other his deare friends made him somwhat too forward in this point. And why may not this be one of those things of which hee spea­keth ad Januarium? Aug. ad Ia­nuarium. Multa huiusmodi, propter nonnullarum vel sanctarum vel tur­bulentarum personarum scandala deuitanda, liberiùs improbare non audeo. There are many things, which, because I would not offend, the consciences of those that are otherwise well minded, nor prooue thē that are turbulentlie affected, I dare not reproue as I would. Not to diuert you with these oppositions, that which our doctor concludes out of S. Aug. is, that he hath no Scripture for prayer for the dead. Cont. Camp. pag. 262. pars 2. Nō oportere nos orare pro mortu­is si Scripturae praecepta respiciamus, which is as much he asketh. Nay hee alleageth S. Augustinus owne words, Veteremesse con­suetudinem: that the commendation of the dead is ratified by custome. Now because commendation of the dead signifieth both [Page 71] the prayer of supplication (as you super­stitiouslie abuse it) and of thankesgiuing, (as it is now in our colleges for the libe­ralitie of the founders respectiuely vsed) D. Hum. assuming this part saith, VVe re­taine the commendation, &c. and doth not therefore absolutely denie the other, that S. Augustins Humana beneuolentia was somewhat inclined to that part. Nei­ther see I any reason, why hee should striue to make the world beleeue that S. Augustine doth Pag. 172. conuel the vse of prayer" for the dead, as if our faith were to bee" pinned vpon S. Augustines sleeue.

And yet let mee tell you this, for ought that euer I could reade, there is no such great difference, betweene our practise, and S. Augustines custome, as you surmise. For besides the pious custome of our Colleges, which celebrate the memorie of the dead, with commemo­ration of their liberalitie, besides their Christian buriall, and the dole bestow­ed vpon the poore, (which are rather solatia Ʋiuorum quam subsidia mortuor.) we [Page 72] pray euen in our Churches, for the faith­full departed, that God would hasten their ioyfull [...]. Apocal. 23.20. resurrection, and the full accom­plishment of their happinesse, both for the bodie and the soule, by which they are not a little relieued. This is as much as the Scripture will warrant: and fur­ther, bare custome backed onely with that place of the Machabees must not lead vs.

This is that which D. Humfrey with­out any delusion professeth, when hee saith, Cont. Camp. pars 2. p. 262. Quae haec stupida impietas, vt homi­nes defuncti à viuentium meritis, à mona­chorum cucullis & ocreis, à sacerdotum mis­sis & precibus, ab amicorum teiunijs alijsque operibus dependeant? What blockish im­pietie is it, that men departed should de­pend vpon the merits of those that are aliue, vpon the cowles and buskins of Monkes, vpon the Masses and praiers of the Priests, vpon the fasts, Dirges, and such like workes of their friends? What Delusion can there be in so plaine words? Augustine (saith he) pleades custome, but [Page 73] he implieth that there is no Scripture to maintaine this oblation. So that, that which he looked for from his aduersa­ries was this, not that they should Pag. 38. pro­pound the difference between our com­mendation and theirs, but that they should produce Scripture, to iustifie their Altar, their holy Sacrifice, their supersti­tious intention, wherin they dissent from vs: and wherein S. Augustine bids them trust to their owne proofe, as hauing no other shelter, but Custome for them at all.

How can you recompence this wor­thie Saint, for those many cauils, where­with you haue sought to blast his repu­tation, blazing indeed your own shame? I hope you will now giue him leaue to borrow the saying of S. Paul, Galath. 6.17. De caetero nemo sit mihi molestus: he now resteth in peace, hauing left behind him, not only the happie memorie of a blessed life, but also so many obliged friends, who will neuer suffer any of his elaborate lines to be blurred with wrongfull disgrace, [Page 74] especially by those, who with a Cata­logue of great names, with Ponderations, and Considerations thinke to beard the truth. 1. Esd. 4.41. Magna est veritas & praeualet. It is not one strained Scripture that can sup­port the declining waight of decayed Purgatorie; it will aske more reparati­ons, then the book of God will willing­lie bestow vpon it. Purgatorie, you say, is the issue vnto which your thoughts do finallie incline, and therefore hauing alreadie laid flat your weaker defences, I will plant my batterie to your strongest Bulwarke.

§. 5.

ANd for as much as M. Caluins censure of Purgatorie, is held by you as Pag. 53. a specious venditati­on, though I will giue you leaue to make your best of his Eldership, which whilome was your adored Saint, yet will I (maugre your colourable me­ditations) make good the truth of this his assertion. That Purgatory is a pernicious [Page 75] fiction of Satan: disgracefull vnto the great mercy of God: euacuating the crosse of Christ: dissipating and peruerting our faith. You think to blow him vp with a Pag. 131. Syllogisme: Now then haue at your Pag. 154. Point-deuice. Purgatory is a Satanical figment: I proue it thus: ¹ That place which neither God made; ² nor Christ mentioned; ³ nor the A­postles beleeued; ⁴ nor the Primitiue Church embraced; ⁵ nor the first foure general Coun­cels confirmed; is a meere figment of Satan: But such a place is purgatorie: Ergo, A meere figment of Satan. For the first, God made nothing in vaine nor superfluous: But Purgatorie is vaine and superfluous: Ergo. My Minor is proued thus: VVhatsoeuer is in the Lords field, is either Matth. 13.8. and 25. Corne or Tares; But Purgatorie serueth for neither of these: (there being a Barne prouided for the one, and an vnquenchable fire for the other) Ergo, Maior vis in negatione, quā in affirmatione. There being no third sort of Persons, this third imaginarie place is superfluous.

For the second, Had Christ deliuered a Doctrine so materiall, it would haue been ex­presly [Page 76] Accepi à D [...] ­mino. 1. Cor. 11.23. recorded: But there is no such re­cord, either registred by the Euangelists, or alledged by your selues. Ergo, neuer men­tioned.

For the third: Had the Apostles belee­ued it, they had been iniurious to the distres­sed soules, to haue continued their paines by their vncharitable Concealement, especially giuing written instructions of Praeceptum domini non ha­beo, consilium autem do. 1. Cor. 7.25. lesse momēt: But in all their aduertisements, touching those that sleepe, it is suppressed: Ergo, not beleeued.

For the fourth: Jf Purgatorie were em­braced by the Primitiue Church, then was it, as an Apostolicall Tradition: (there be­ing no expresse Scripture to ratifie it,) But not as an Apostolicall tradition: Ergo, Not at all embraced. That it was not held by them as an Apostolicall Tradition, I proue thus: As it was held by the Primitiue Church, so was it deriued to posteritie: But it was not deriued to posteritie, as an Aposto­licall tradition: Ergo, not so embraced by the Primitiue Church. The Minor I proue thus: Euery Apostolicall tradition is knowne [Page 77] by these two Aug. cont. Donat. lib. 4. cap. 24. markes; First it must be held ab vniuersa Ecclesia, there is the Generali­tie; Secondly, Semper, there is the Perpe­tuitie: But neither had Purgatorie generall approbation, nor perpetuall succession: Ergo, no Apostolicall tradition. The Minor is confirmed by the testimony of Polydore, De inuent. lib. 8. cap. 1. Aliquandiu incognitum fuit, & serò cogni­tum vniuersae ecclesiae. It was a great while before Purgatorie was heard of, and but of late knowne to the vniuersal Church. Serò cutteth off the Perpetuitie, and the emphasis of Ʋniuersae, intimateth no Ge­neralitie.

If successiuely it was deriued from the Primitiue Church, then vndoubtedlie it could be no stranger to the Greeke Church: But, to put you out of all hope of this, your Articulo 18. cont. Luth. Roffensis is cōtent to bring you this heauie newes: Ʋsque ad hunc di­em Graecis non est cognitum Purgatorium: The Greekes know not Purgatorie vnto this day Nay he further explaineth him­selfe, propounding this challenge, Legat qui velit Grecorum veterum cōmentarios, & [Page 78] nullum, quantum opinor, aut quam rarissi­mum de Purgatorio sermonem inueniet: Reade he that list the ancient Greeke Commentaries, & he shal find either lit­tle, or no mention at all of Purgatorie. Where is now your continued Perpetui­tie? He serueth your Generalitie with the same sauce: Sed neque Latini simul omnes, at sensim huius rei veritatem conceperunt: Neither did all of the Latine Church re­ceiue it at once, (there was some strug­ling in Rebeccaes wombe) and by degrees they receiued this truth. So that it was long before they receiued it, Ergo, no Perpetuitie: they receiued it not all at once; (there was belike some oppositi­on) Ergo no Generalitie: and then the lat­ter must yeeld vnto the former, by your owne Pag. 3. rule.

Now for the fifth and last member of my proposition, If it were confirmed by the first foure generall Councels, or any of them, then it will appeare by their Canons: But Jnsta. no one Canon can be thence produced: Er­go not all confirmed. And so cōsequently a [Page 79] mere Satanicall figment. Thus doth your Page 39. Dagon fal downe before the Arke. Had it not been for your grand Patri­archs, S. Homer, S. Plato, and S. Virgil, you would neuer haue knowne how to haue set your compasse, for the discouerie of this new found world. And yet, if a man should aske the best nauigator of you all, in what degree, & how many leagues Purgatorie is from the Jnfernall Cape, I thinke he would be put to his trumpes. Only Beda his ghost commeth somewhat neere the marke in his Carde (which pla­ceth Purgatorie vnder the earth in the suburbs of Hell) by which whosoeuer is led, may happily make but a sorrie voiage. Neither see I any reason, why you should not as well beleeue Alcui­nus, who peremtorilie maintaineth, that it is situate in the Somnium Scipioner. aire. But if one bee sent vnto you from the As true as S. Bernards miracle. pag. 71. dead, (wherein you are more happy then Diues his bre­thren,) I cannot much blame you, if you heare him. Well, Quod vbique est, nullibi est, it is in so many places, that indeed it [Page 80] is in no place. But it proceedeth from a iust iudgement of God, that such Gen. 11.9. Ba­bylonians should haue their language di­uided: the world is now growne wea­rie of such Alcumists, who haue exhau­sted our treasures with long expectati­on of this Philosophers stone, which yet could neuer be found.

The next point, wherein I am to in­sist, is, that it disgraceth the mercie of God, euacuateth the crosse of Christ, and (conse­quentlie) peruerteth our faith. The truth whereof is so euidently apparant, that I shall not make any long demonstrati­on. S. Augustine giueth vs an infallible rule, how to order our opinions in this case; Cont. Cres­con. lib. 20. ca. 31. Secundùm libros certos prophetarum & Apostolorum, de caeteris libris, vel fideli­um, vel infidelium liberè iudicemus: wee may freelie iudge of all other wri­tings, and consequently of al traditions, according to their agreements, or disa­greements, with the certaine Propheticall and Apostolicall writ. So that if I can now prooue that Purgatorie in the fore­named [Page 81] respects, is repugnant to the written word, I shall also with one & the same labor, proue it no Apostolicall tra­dition, vpon which you wholly Page 11. relie. There is no one point, which the Scrip­ture more vrgeth, then that the Lord will haue no partner to rob him of his glorie; Apoc. 4.11. 5.12. Tibi honor & gloria, say the el­ders. This glorie, as it did shine in the creation of man, so is the lustre thereof as bright in his redemption. As we lay no claime to haue been any helper in the creation, so can wee not part stakes in our redemption. 1. Iohn 1.7. The blood of Christ purgeth vs from all sinnes: if sinnes be pur­ged, then the punishment is remitted: the cause being taken away, the effect cea­seth: if from all sinnes, then as well mor­tall, as veniall, as you terme them. Nei­ther doth the Lord say, He that is so ma­nie yeeres in Purgatorie, but Rom. 10.9. he that be­leeueth shall bee saued. My argument thē standeth thus: The soules in Purgato­rie, are either punished for those sinnes, which Christs blood hath wholly purged; or for those [Page 82] which he hath not whollie purged: if for those which Christ hath wholly purged, then must there needs be iniustice in God to imprison them whose debts are fully dis­charged: if for sinnes that hee hath not wholly purged, then it followeth, either that he is not Iohn 1.29. the lamb of God, that taketh away the sinnes of the world, leauing some part behind, or that the workes of God, nay his mercy, Psal. 144.9. which passeth al his works, is imperfect: or that mans satisfaction must goe hand in hand with Christs me­rit, by making that good which wan­teth in his passion; with which surmise the Lord will not suffer his glorie to be ecclipsed.

And surelie if Apelles leaue his picture vnperfect, it is in vaine for any other of his craft to take it in hand; Neither can I vnderstand, why the blood of Christ, apprehended by faith in this life, should be of lesse force, then when it is applied by Baals priest, when we are dead, to free vs from that doome. Your owne wri­ters are not ashamed to say, that a Reuelat. Bri­gittae. lib. 4. cap. 13. Bishop [Page 83] of Rome his prayers did deliuer Traian a Heathen Emperour from hell, who had been dead many hundred of yeares be­fore: and yet you thinke much, nay you say that we insist in the steps of the Pag. 53. No­uatians, Nestorians, and the like, when we professe that the Col. 2.14. handwriting, which was against vs, being fastened to the crosse of Christ, and the bond being cancelled, we are no longer liable to the penaltie thereof; albeit the Scripture saith, that Heb. 9.26. he appeared once to put away sin: how? by meriting, that the penall satis­faction of Purgatorie might make vs cleane? No such matter, but by the sa­crifice of himselfe.

And againe, Heb. 1.3. Christ hath purged our sinnes, not by vs, as making vs our owne Sauiors, but by himselfe. Frustra fit per plura, quod fieri potest per pauciora. If the Leprosie of 4. King. 5.12. Naaman be clensed by the water of Iordan, what standeth hee in need of Abanah, or Pharphar? Christ was offered for the sinnes of many, and yet, as if he had but taken a longer day [Page 84] of paiment, the vnbloodie sacrifice must be dailie renewed; as if the sheading of his pretious blood vpon the crosse, were lesse effectuall then your breaden idoll in a shauelings hand, whom blind supersti­tion holdeth to be able to rid them from that dolefull place; wherein, notwith­standing that one Heb. 7.27. oblation of himselfe once offered, they are for further purga­tion to bee enthralled. If the Lord hath assigned them that place, how can your Romish indulgences set them at libertie? where is your commission? if you will loose thē at all, it must be while they are on the earth: it is appointed to all men, Heb. 9.27. That they must die, and after death commeth iudgement: Eccles. 9.5. Mortui nihil no­uerunt amplius, nec habent vltra mercedem: The dead know nothing at all: As the Jbid. cap. 11.3. Tree falleth, so must it lie: Cyprian. de mortal. Qualem te in­uenit Deus cùm de hoc mundo euocat, talem te iudicat: As God findeth thee at thy death, so will he iudge thee. If the Lord haue assigned no such place to them, as is plaine by the premisses, then are you [Page 85] cruell comforters, who for your owne gaine do terrifie the departing soule of him, whom Christ hath dearely bought, with such spectricall delusions, and in­duce those that are carnallie minded, to trust to that after-reliefe, which they shall neuer find. If this be not, I cannot con­ceiue what is, a Doctrine of diuels.

Saint Paul describeth faith to be Hebr. 11.1. Re­rum sperandarum [...], the ground of things that are to bee hoped for from Christ: but you will haue it thus, Fides est rerum ferendarum [...], making it the ground of those things that are to bee suffered by our selues. For without your Purgatorie paines, you take little hold of any hope of future ioy. No men talke more of the Crosse of Christ then you, none derogate from it so much as you, by ioyning your own pains as a sup­plemēt to his sufferings. S. Paul thought it enough to 1. Cor. 2.2. know Christ, and him cruci­fied: but he is a dullard in your schoole, that knoweth not Purgatorie, and how he must be there purged. Is this any better [Page 86] then to lessen the measurelesse mercie of God, to pare the crosse of Christ, and alter the nature of faith? As if the Lords sommer-liuerie of euerlasting life were giuen vs onlie in the broad-cloth, in the generall merit of Christ, with this pro­uiso, that vnlesse we plaie the Tailors our selues, & make it vp by our owne purga­tions, it must neuer come on our backs. Whereas hee giueth it vnto vs, readie made with his owne hands: for as the A­postle saith, Rom. 6.23. The gift of God is eternall life. How do you then say, that we must be first infernallie purged? What, Matth. 16.18. shall not the gates of Hell preuaile against vs, and shall the muddie wall of Purgatorie hedge vs in? Hath his Ephes. 4.9. soule gone downe to the nethermost hell, and yet made no passage thorow the suburbs of hel? Hath he bound the Matt. 12.29 strong man, that he should not harme vs, and will he now torment vs himselfe, or set we know not whom to do it?

Let vs argue the case a little more se­riouslie. You all grant with one consent, [Page 87] that the soules of those, that are in Pur­gatorie, are such as haue died in the faith, howsoeuer otherwise tainted with sinne: Now they that died in the faith, died in the Lord: They that died in the Lord, rest from their Apoc. 14.13. Labours: They that rest from their labours, are so far from being worse, that they are in much better plight then they were. Ioh. 6.47. Hee that beleeueth in him that sent mee, (saith our Sauiour) doth passe from death, (not to Purgatorie, but) to life. Againe, they that die in the faith, haue Rom. 5.1. peace towards God; They that haue peace towards God, are iustified by Christ; They that are iustifi­ed by Christ are free from the Law, and being free from the Law, Rom. 8.33. Quis accusa­bit? Who shall lay any thing to their charge? Yea but they haue some drosse to be purged. Indeed S. Paul saith, 1. Cor. 6.11. Haec fuistis: but he addeth, sed abluti estis, &c. But you are washed, but you are sancti­fied, but you are iustified in the name of our Lord Iesus, and by the Spirit of our God. And being so, the Wise mans sen­tence [Page 88] must be applied, Wisd. 3.1. Iustorum animae in manu Dei sunt: The soules of the righ­teous are in the hand of God. What tor­ment can then touch them?

Hath not the Lord heere the fire of afflictions, to melt our hearts, and cast them into a new mould? Hath hee not heere the fire of his Spirit, to purge our consciences from dead workes? If these will do no good, what purification can we expect from your temporall fire of Purgatorie? Without doubt, said Jn Leuit. lib. 9. apud Cyril. Ori­gen, we shal feele the vnquenchable fire, vnlesse we now intreat the Lord to send downe from heauen a Purgatorie fire, whereby worldlie desires may be vtter­lie consumed in our minds. They which are dead (saith Lib. 3. in Es. Cyril) can adde nothing to the things which they haue done, but shall remaine as they were left, and wait for the time of the last iudgement. The reason is assigned by the Spirit, Apoc. 14.13. Opera eorum sequuntur eos: Their workes fol­low them, euen at the heeles. Why would you then haue vs now liue in greater [Page 89] darknes, then they which liued vnder the Leuiticall law? Who, albeit they offe­red sundrie sacrifices, for sundrie sorts of persons, and different sins, yet reade wee not, that euer they offered any for the dead. So that this doctrine of Pur­gatorie cannot more trulie be fathered vpon any, then such Pagans, who being conuerted to the faith, were of opinion, Can. pars 3. fol. 103. a. that Christian religion should not de­rogate any thing from their wonted kindnes to their deceased friends.

But alas what boone can wee expect from such sacrifices? Chrysost. de Lazaro. Qui in praesenti vita peccata non abluit, postea nullam consolatio­nem inueniet. Our sinnes must bee heere purged, else shal not our soules be here­after comforted. Cyprian. cont. Demet. Quando istinc excessum fuerit, nullus iam poenitentiae locus, nullus satisfactionis effectus; hîc vita aut amittitur aut tenetur. When we are once hence de­parted, there is no place left for repen­tance, no roome for satisfaction; saluati­on is won or lost while wee are heere. Were there any one precept, practise or [Page 90] promise in the Scripture (which Petrus à Soto vtterly denieth) to giue but some shadow of allowāce to such Paganisme, your defence were far more colourable. Besides, if I bee not deceiued, it were worth the while to debate, what shall be done with those of the middle ranke of offenders, who shall suruiue at the com­ming of Christ; when Purgatorie shal be cleane extinct. If you say, they shall bee saued without further purgation, then either there must bee partialitie in the Iudge, to afford them more fauour, then those who daily depart this life; or else you must grant, that there is no such ne­cessitie of Purgatorie, as you pretend: if you say they shall bee damned, then doe you taxe the Lord of vniustice, in deny­ing that meanes of Purgation to them, which he hath alwaies afforded to those that were of their ranke. Thus doth one absurditie draw on another.

I haue been somewhat the more co­pious in this point of Purgatorie, for as much as I wel perceiue, it is the ground­worke [Page 91] of most of your Schismatical Lema malo­rum. All these I am prepared to proue vsed, practised and iustified by the Antichristian Bishops of Rome. po­sitions, ¹ your merits, ² satisfactions, ³ per­fections, ⁴ supererogations, ⁵ Masses, ⁶ Vi­gils, ⁷ superaltaries, ⁸ noone-day lampes, ⁹ Dirges, ¹⁰ Christning and buriall tapers, ¹¹ oblations, ¹² Roods, ¹³ Jmages, ¹⁴ cros­creepings, ¹⁵ Beads, ¹⁶ Crucifixes, ¹⁷ pictures, ¹⁸ graines, ¹⁹ Jncense, ²⁰ hallowed Cemete­ries, ²¹ Holy water, ²² oyle, ²³ salt, ²⁴ spit­tle, ²⁵ Couents, ²⁶ Processions, ²⁷ Pilgri­mages, ²⁸ Reliques, ²⁹ Stewish Pardons, ³⁰ Jndulgences, and such rifraffe, iugling trash, and Babies sports, haue not onlie mutuall reference, but fundamental de­pendance vpon this. Which being thus shaken, will, I hope, no longer Si caecus cae­cum ducat, am­bo in foueam. Luk. 6.39. support and patronage the rest. But why should I hope to satisfie you in this? as if I could vrge that, which hath not been long since propounded to this purpose. What is it that can gaine assent in those, who are wilfully peruerse?

To giue you one instance for all, how often hath it been demonstratiuely pro­ued, that setting some friuolous Cere­monies [Page 92] aside, our Countrie of Britanie was no whit beholding to proud and in­solent Beda. Ec. hist. lib. 2. ca. 2. Augustine, your great Gregories delegat, for any matter of faith? Anno 580. Polyd. praefat. ad Ton stal. praefixa Gildae. Aug. came in Anno 597. Gildas his testimonie hath been vrged, (who liued before Augustines comming) that the Britons receiued the Christian faith frō the beginning: An 58. n 51. Baronius hath told you, that S. Peter was here: De curand. Graec. affect. l. 9. Theodoret, that S. Paul: L. 2. c. 40. Nicephorus, that Simon Ze­lotes: and some, Baron. an. 39. n. 5. that Joseph de Arima­thea did plant the faith amongst vs. Ma­nie forceable inducements haue been produced, that euen in the Primitiue Church, Christianitie harbored in this Isle. These instances, and many more, haue been againe and againe renewed, without any verified contradiction: and yet, as if it had been a matter which you neuer heard of afore, you would (as in all your other points,) make vs in this follow you vp and downe, wearying the world with a circular discusse, bobbing your credulous Ladies with these Syre­nicall insinuations. As long as you are [Page 93] thus partially minded, arguments will bee no inducements: the world will bee sooner ended then this matter de­cided: your Romish practise being no­thing else, but to guild old weather-beaten obiections with new gliste­ring words. Let vs bring neuer so manie writs of errour, you will still reduce your selfe to your old plaint. From a new Conuert, I expected new proofes.

§. 6.

THat you may know from what affection these my former lines haue issued, I haue reser­ued yet one corner of my let­ter for a more friendlie conference, whereby you shall perceiue, that as you are Romish, I haue bent those forces that were next at hand to supplant your error: as you are my Countriman, in whom I resolue there is some hope, my best meanes shall not bee wanting for your behoofe. Let me then say to M. [Page 94] Theophilus Hyggons, as he that sat in the midst of the seauen goldē Candlesticks, said vnto the Angell of Ephesus, Apoc. 2.5. Re­member from whence thou art fallen, and re­pent, and doe the first workes. The coun­trie wherein you were borne, is not vn­naturallie to be despised: the friends, by whom you were bred, are not vnkindlie to bee contemned: neither is the faith, whereinto you were baptised, if you rightlie iudge, so inconsideratelie to be forsaken. Psal. 44.14. The Kings daughter is all glo­rious within; howsoeuer the Babylonian harlot may bee more gaudie without. Why should you thinke our written word of lesse value, then your headge-creeping traditions? why should Christs merits be lessened by your owne satis­factions? why should the debt be again exacted, which Christs blood hath once for al fully paid? Had we ¹ an idolatrous, heathenish, or superstitious religion; were we ² worshippers of images; ³ im­pugners of holie marriage; ⁴ rebellious­lie affected to the higher powers; ⁵ con­cealers [Page 95] of the word, imprisoning it in an vnknowne tongue; ⁶ maintainers of stewes; ⁷ did wee keepe backe the cup from the Laitie, which the Lord hath allotted them; ⁸ did wee hearten men in their sinnes, by granting future indul­gences; or ⁹ by putting them in hope, to haue that done for them by others after they are dead, which they haue not done for themselues whilest they were aliue; if wee sought to seduce poore soules by lying ¹⁰ Legends, and deceiue­ble ¹¹ wonders: then might you mi­strust that we belong to the kingdome of Antichrist, and so leaue vs, hauing an Apoc. 18.4. Exite vnder the Lords seale. But if wee preach Christ Jesus, and him crucified, if our faith be wholly directed to his me­rits, our hope to his mercies, our charity to his deputies, the Saints vpon earth, if we maintaine that word, and retaine on­lie those Sacraments, which Christs holie institution hath warranted, then, Quis vos fascinauit? O ye bransicke and foo­lish fugitiues, who hath bewitched you, [Page 96] that you should not obey the truth? Are you so foolish, that after you haue be­gun in the spirit, you will now end in the flesh?

What hath withdrawne you? is it our noueltie that disliketh you? Can you desire any greater Antiquitie, then a iust conformitie of all our Principles with the first originall? Would you haue any better president, then the paterne of Christ, his Apostles, and the Primitiue Church? What if our sunne were for a while eclipsed by the interposition of Antichristian policie? was it therefore no sunne? What if the good seede were ouertopped with tares, that it could hardlie be discerned, as in the daies of Elias and our Sauiour Christ? (the grea­ter number discountenācing the better part) yet can you not hence inferre, that there was no corne. It is a meere sophi­sticall Paralogisme, to argue à non videri, ad non esse: as thus; Eucleo hath no gold, because no man doth see his gold. Man oft taketh his marke amisse; it is God [Page 97] that knoweth who are his. He that hath the fan in his hand, hath now in the ful­nesse of time purged his floore, blowne away the chaffe of idolatrous supersti­tion, and laid the wholesome graine of his truth on heapes, in the garner of his Church.

But such hath been his prouidence, in all times, that no age hath been desti­tute of some faithfull witnesse of this faith which we now professe, as doth ap­peare by those manie answers of our learned Protestants, to your false and friuolous calumniations. I cal them false, as being contradicted, euen by the testi­monie of the Ecclesiasticall historians: I terme them also friuolous; for what con­sequence is it; their names are not regi­stred, therefore there were none vntill Luthers time thus affected? Surely most absurd; as if their being did depend vp­on other mens writing. Multi Papae inuenti sunt apostatae. Ni­co. Lyra in 16. cap. Mat. Had not Syl­uester been a Necromanticke; Honorius an hereticall Monothelite; and Marcellinus, an open Idolater; albeit they had scaped [Page 98] the records, and been let slip, without the brand of any mans pen? had they not been thus detected to posteritie, would you therefore say, they were not all infected with these or those crimes? That which is written may (according to the credit of the author) be supposed to bee done, but there are manie things done, which (through the iniurie and partialitie of times) are not written at al, which yet a man cannot, without pre­sumptuous follie, peremtorilie denie. I shall not neede to harpe any longer vp­on this string, there are so many instan­ces to be alleaged, as some affirme, for Vide, The way to the true Church. digr 48. pag. 336. yet vnan­swered. 800. yeeres after Christ, which may put those that are indifferent, cleane out of doubt, euen of the visible succession of our Church; which, were it lesse appa­rant, were yet no such aduantage to your cause as you suppose.

Yea but we come short of you in your Miracles. Herein alone we yeeld you the bucklers: our whole Church is not able to cōpare (not with When hee made his ora­tion to the Earle of Lece­ster. Leydens, but) with [Page 99] Louans Lipsius his little Virgo Hal. Antuerp. 1604. excus. pāphlet. He lai­eth on such load of our Lady of Hal, who hath done so many miracles (if her chā ­pion may be credited) that she hath left none in store for them that come after Cap. 8. p. 25. O quàm variè, & quàm multis in animo, in corpore, in periculis, in calamitatibus, in languoribus, in ipsa morte? O how manie waies (saith he) & to how many persons hath our Ladie of Hal stood close at a pinch? Once vpon a time Cap. 8. p. 25. a Noblemans falknor had either by chance or negli­gence let goe his Lords falcon, which for her extraordinarie high pitch, was a Iewel of high esteeme. No sooner was shee missed, but the poore falkenor is charged to haue made monie of her: with which suspition his Lord was so enraged, that he swore by no beggars, vnlesse she were found by such a day, he would make him looke through a hal­ter. Well, the day came; he could heare no tidings of his hawke: and therefore he heares (that which his masters intem­perate choler gaue him cause to feare) [Page 100] euen his owne doome. As he was going to his geare, the executioner being ad­uanced, his eies muffled, and now ready to bee turned off the ladder, he remem­breth what a kind wench our feined Ladie of Hal was, how good she had e­uer been at a dead lift; and therefore with heartie sighes implores her helpe. No sooner did hee thinke of this blessed Ladie, but (marke you me now) the noise of a haukes bells began to gingle in the aire; a sweet melodie, you must thinke, to a drooping heart: hee is an earnest sutor to haue his face vnco­uered, that he might yet once, in his last oraisons, lift vp his eies to heauen: this being accordingly granted, hee dou­bleth his prayers to the same Ladies shrine, and behold that which is most strange, notwithstanding the multitude of the standers by, the falcon came sow­sing out of the aire, and without any lure, did in the sight of them al, light vp­on his shoulder, who for her escape was now tied to a new perch.

Heere is a miracle of the maker. Do you stand amazed? tush, this is nothing to what that Ladie hath done: she hath Cap. 11. p. 29. driuen out euill spirits; Cap. 13. p. 31. asswaged ter­rible tempests; Cap. 10. p. 28. fetched a child, that was found starke dead, with his heeles vpwards in a muddie ditch: Cap. 16. p. 33. another that was drowned: Cap. 17. p. 34. another that was strangled: Cap. 19. p. 37. nay a stil-borne child, three daies buried, to life againe. I cannot stand to tell you how she made Cap. 7. p. 23. John Swickius lose the best nose in his face: nor how Cap. 30. p. 60. Philip Cluuius filed his chaines asunder with an oxe-bone. I cannot re­cite the particular miracles, wherewith Lipsius hath canonised this saint; hee would be angry if you should say, he de­serues the whetstone: yet cā you not de­nie, but that he is summus simulādi Artifex. Now if euery one of your Saints had a Lipsius, the world would not containe the numberlesse miracles, that should be then written. But the truth is, we haue too many of these alreadie, vnlesse they were better; and yet I will not say, but [Page 102] that Lipsius is worth the reading by the fire-side, when men roste crabs, to driue a man out of a melancholie fit. For I thinke sobrietie it selfe could not chuse but change countenance to heare him tell these ridiculous iests so seriouslie, as if he did verilie beleeue them to be true. For our parts, wee are not ashamed to confesse, that wee haue no other mira­cles, then those which were wrought by Christ, the Prophets, and Apostles: of these we say, as the Apostle speaketh in another sense, Omnia nostra sunt: they are all ours, being eiusdem fidei signacula, seals of the verie same faith which wee hold. Let those, who haue no other warrāt for their doctrines, seeke to countenance themselues by imposition of miracles; it can be no disparagement to our religi­on, that wee come behind you in these, wherein we would think it our greatest shame to come neere you.

We will willinglie giue you leaue to brag of your specious and speculatiue wonders; it is enough for vs to wonder, [Page 103] that so many of our late bookes are yet vnanswered. I do not meane the royall writings of Monarches, too transcēdent for any traiterous fugitiues, or malapert Chaplanes to snarle at. I find there are verie many other, which either your pride scorneth, or your partialitie spa­reth, or your policie feareth to encoun­ter: albeit the Bishop of Romes slipper hath been lately so rent, as it hath no sound sole, whereon his triple crowned supremacie may tread. This your delay is not without iust cause: for besides the distrust you haue in your selues, groun­ded vpon an impossibility of long with­standing the truth, it doth more neerely concerne you to bestow some time in ending your Watsons Quodlibets. Domestique differences, and reconciling your Bellum Jesui­ticum. obiected contra­dictions, then to betake your selues vn­to forren controuersies. As for our For­malists, and Presbyterians, (as you terme them) howsoeuer they be somewhat dif­ferent in habite, yet are they vnited in heart, readie at all times to ioyne in bat­tel [Page 104] against any vncircumcised Philistine, that dares contest against the Ʋniformi­tie of their faith. And yet little should they need to set their pens about this taske, so palpable is the grosenesse of your Theatricall religion, that, had the eies of all my countrie-men been parta­kers of my little experience, the verie sight of your absurd mummeries would, without any learned mans confutation, breed a perpetual and loathing detesta­tion in their minds. It is an old saying, Malum non vitatur, nisi cognitum.

Had I not been an eie-witnes of your idolatrous trumperies, I should not so cōpassionatelie bewaile the estate wher­unto you are now fallen. I was, I wel re­member, in my yonger yeares a neere seruant vnto a mightie Francis only brother to Henrie 3. of France. Records of the Parl. of Paris, about Salcedo, &c. Prince, (of wor­thie memorie) whose Diademe (had not the Leaguers practises immaturely pre­uented our hope) would haue been in­ferior to none. During which my atten­dance, I was often, vpon 4. King. 5.19 necessarie duties, both in field and in Court, a pre­sent [Page 105] spectator of those Romish Rites, to which he was then formerly addicted. Yet, whether it were my parents educa­tion, or the gouernment of our State, or the wandring humor of youth, I cannot well tell, but well I wot, my considerati­ons did more superficiallie slide ouer those toies, then of late yeers they haue done. When as being commanded by the King my Master, to wait vpon a most Noble Edward Earle of Hert­ford. 1605. Personage, (whose religious, worthie, and bountiful cariage hath en­riched our countrie with his eternall fame) in his embassie, to a most puissant, prudent, & pious Arch D.D. Princesse, (Cuius idaea Ʋalesia mihi semper sacra) I was careful to make that iournie as beneficiall to my experience, as the time would permit. A­mongst many other occurrences, as the view of the bleeding VVafer-cake, &c. I did not omit to informe my iudgement with sight of many your Masses, both priuat and publicke, wherein my eies discouered more anticke and iugling trickes, then my eares had euer heard, or [Page 106] my heart could otherwise haue belee­ued. In so much that (as two of my se­lected Antony Bright, Ed­mond Lank­sion. people, still present can yet wit­nesse) my eares glowed. Such hallow­ed perfumes, as if the Priest or his idol had been scarce sweete, such Leaue your ducks & your tuckes, & your apish to [...]es, and serue God in spirit and truth. facings, such knockings, such adorings, yea and such eleuating, as neuer was, nor yet is in the Greeke mother Church, vntil this day.

I am bold to make my owne experi­ence an inducement to bring you (vn­fortunate Countriman) to the conside­ration of that, which otherwise, by rea­son of your corrupted affection, you would happilie not so carefullie ob­serue. I will yet goe one step further, that you may the better perceiue what comfort you are like to find, at your last gaspe, by that religion. That deare Prince my first Master, (of whom I am glad to make so worthie mention) ha­uing been trained from his infancie in the tract of his forefathers, though in some For, Viue la Messe. temerarie enterprises in his [Page 107] young yeares (that neuer told thirty) by trust of his enough aged, but humorous, counsellours, seduced, did yet, through the whole course of his life, find such weakenesse in those grounds, which you now hold, that at his death at Chater­thyerrie, when there was no longer dally­ing, he would admit neither Priest, nor Confessor into his presence, making publicke profession before those that were then present, that he had sufficientlie confessed to God, and that he had placed the whole hope of his saluation vpon Jesus Christ the Redeemer and Sauiour of the world. The like did that thrice-excellent and renowned Princesse, (now in glo­rie) Marie Queene of Scotland, and Do­wager of France, make at her last end, that She hoped to be saued by the merits of Christ alone. And if present Agents of Princes may be credited, it was euen so with that ouer-blindly deuout Hen. 3. whom your diabolicall Friar, for the poore Kings loue to Friars, massacred, I will not say, martyrized. This was also the acknow­ledgement [Page 108] of Stephen Gardener (a man of Nephew to a Queene of England, and Cosin Ger­man to a King à latre. higher descent, then commonlie re­puted) whē a reuerend Bishop told him that he must look to be saued by Christ alone: Yea my Lord, quoth he, it is so in­deede; but if you open that gap to the people, it will goe wrong with the Church. Long were the three forena­med Worthies grounded in the Romish schoole, and of as deepe iudgement, as most of their Ancestors; and yet you see when they had cast vp all their ac­counts, there was neither Purgatorie, nor works of supererogation would doe any good; the summa totalis in their bookes was Christ Jesus. As for all other your superstitious trash, it will be as the morning deaw, in the heate of that last conflict; all your other helpes and hopes will bee blowne away like a spiders webbe.

Now, were it not an indecorum to descend from a consideration of so great moment; which (if your heart bee not sealed, I should say, seared, with a [Page 109] hot iron, out of Satans forge) cannot but bee very forceable in your relenting thoughts? I would also willinglie ac­quaint you, what small encouragemēts are like to attend your temporall life. And the rather, because it was this ignis fatuus, which led you into those bogs, wherein you are now bemired. What your entertainment hath hitherto been, I find Pag. 96. you haue no great cause to make any great boast. What it will be in these daies of peace, your grand Superinten­dents wanting worke for themselues, you may easilie iudge. Policie will teach thē, not to repose too much trust in him, who Proditionem, non Proditorē. hath defiled his owne nest: Common sense will informe them, that he, whom miserie hath drawne to them, will serue them the like slipperie tricke, and by equiualent discontents be soone driuen from them: Reason likewise may tell you, they will neuer hold him a fit Churchman, whom they know to bee a Vir vxorius. womans mā. Were there no other rub but this, yet mee thinks your mariage [Page 110] should lay an impossibilitie to the charge of your groundlesse hopes. Did I say your marriage? nay your experi­ence, which can informe you of few or none of your Apostaticall forerunners, whose age did reape the haruest, which their youthfull yeeres had sowne. After they had once serued Spem pretio non emas. Antichrists turne, to stop their mouthes, from any cofer-demaunds, they were set in the forefront of the battell, as mercenarie souldiers, and kept at such a bay, as that Tyrants vassals, who, at euery beck, tumbled thē ­selues downe from the top of a tower, to shew their obedience. You must haue more skil then your predecessors, if you will fetch sweet water out of so salt a sea, or grapes from thornes, or figges from such thistles. You may flatter your selfe as you please, but Res tibi ad Restim redi­bit planissimè: In stead of a Prelate of their Church, they will make you a martyr in their red Non equi­dem inuideo. Kalender. Thus shall you be faine to close vp a miserable life, with a despicable and dismall end.

My earnest and hearty desire of your recouery, from this your Lethargie, hath made me somewhat more prolixe, then the bounds of a letter will well endure The short is, I haue cast my pen as Pro­togenes did his pencell: If it hath fallen right, it is well; howsoeuer, I am Inuitum qui seruat, idem facit occidenti reso­lute. My scope hath been to put you in remembrance, from ¹ whence, ² whither, and ³ how you are fallen: so that you may repent, and doe the first workes. Your er­rour in time reclaimed will be veniall: your obstinacie will not onely bee dan­gerous, but damnable, if Errare hu­manum, perse­uerare diabo­licum. perpetuall. That you haue fallen, the truth attri­butes it to your outward grieuances: That you returne, it will be acknowled­ged to come from your inward, and more deliberate iudgement. Neither will we doubt, but that the broken bone being well set, will bee much stronger then before. It is now in your owne choice, whether you will be Si quis curet opem ferre, & dimittere fu­uem, non vis seruari? healed or no. Now is the time either to raise, or ruinate not onelie your fortunes, but [Page 112] euen the finall estate, both of bodie and soule. The benefit you may (perhaps) bring to your Countrie, by the discoue­rie of that which your trauel hath made knowne vnto you, may make some sa­tisfaction for your former reuolt: vp­on your true and loyall submission, I am in good hope his Maiestie will reach out the scepter of his mercy, vnto which his roiall nature is so inclinable, that his Court of Parliament hath (in my owne knowledge) bin sundrie times an hum­ble and earnest Petitioner, to his High­nesse, for the actuall execution of those necessarie lawes, which were enacted long before he was inuested in this im­periall Crowne, against malefactors of this nature.

You thinke, I am sure, your pen was very prodigall, in wishing him the hap­pinesse of Pag. 51. Constantine: but let me speak it without flatterie, (from which I was euer knowne to be naturally estranged) whether you respect the gifts of nature or grace; the quicknes of apprehension; [Page 113] the deepenesse of iudgement; the mode­ration of affections; the weight of well seasoned speech, in common discourse, and scholasticall dispute; the gouern­mēt of State; or the fatherly care in pro­moting the good of the Church; he is, if not many degrees before, yet not one iot behind that worthie Constantine: whose either politike neglect, or fatall misfortune was such, that he was not i [...]i­tiated in that Euseb. de vit. Const. lib. 4. ca. 62. Theo­dor. Eccl. hist. lib. 2. ca. 32. holy Sacrament of Bap­tisme, vntil a very little before his death. And I am verily perswaded, that in the matter of faith, wherein you desire a pa­rallel imitation, he is so farre from lear­ning of Constantine, that he is able in single conference to grauell his best B B. were they now aliue to be his op­posites; and therefore not to take pre­sident of any of the weaker sex, with whom you couertlie vpbraide him. It is not my meaning to enlarge the lists of this comparison any further: that which I would haue you know is this, that as he is the vicegerent of the great King, [Page 114] so is his throne supported as well by the pillar of Dolet, quo­ties cogitur es­se serox. Mercy, as of Iustice. I speake not this to hire your returne, (God bee thanked) our land hauing great plentie of more skilfull warriers, who dailie fight the Lords battell; nor that we feare the venome of your poisonous pen, which will bee soone beaten backe into your owne bowels; but that your soule may not perish in the day of the Lord: when (if you thus persist) the inexpia­ble crimes of blaspheming the true faith, and drawing others into the same snare of death, will be more heauie, then millions of milstones about your neck. Which fearefull iudgement, that by timelie reconciliation you may escape, these hastie lines shall bee seconded with my hearty Prayers. From Queeneburrow Castle, Festo S. Philip. & Jacobi. 1609.