An explanation or enlarging of the ten articles in the supplication of Doctor Iames, lately exhibited to the clergy of England. Or A manifest proofe that they are both reasonable and faisible within the time mentioned.

Theses or Rules concerning the Art Criticke.

1 A Criticke is a man naturally inclined to those kinde of studies, of a sincere iudgement, approued ho∣nesty, versed in all kinde of good literature, as a man would a say, a most exquisite and absolute Grammarian.

2. The Art Criticke, is an Art of inquiring into the truth,b and faith of such as haue written and put foorth bookes, according to certaine rules, examining and rea∣ding all maner of bookes, in what faculty soeuer: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Critically,c vpon Coniecture, or vpon Iudgement.

3. Our Coniectures are vncertaine, for the most part grounded onely vpon circumstances: Iudgement proceeds from the MSS, and is for the most part solide and cer∣taine.

4. There are certaine rules and precepts to be obserued in both.

5. Our Coniectures must be made sparingly, discreetly, and warily,d and fortified with as many reasons as may be well brought together.

6. And this is a most certaine rule, that we e must neuer change a reading vpon a bare coniecture onely, against the constant and receiued reading of all the MSS.

f7. In defect and want of MSS▪ (which happeneth too often, God knoweth, and the Criticks know it to their griefe) The next and best helpe we haue, is from coniecture, it hath the second roome; but the g first place doth by droict du Canon in the iudgement of our most approued Criticks, beginne, proceed, and end with the MSS, more or lesse.

h8. It is a rule in Criticisme, that caeteris paribus, the older the copy is, the better it is.

i9. There is another rule, that if the copie be old, it hath seldome its explicit, or time noted wherein it was writ∣ten.

10. Neuerthelesse, there are meanes and wayes left vnto vs, to difference and discerne old copies from new, former from latter, by the Character.

11. Bookes written in the Longobard Character,k are e∣steemed to be of great antiquity, and so are bookes writ∣ten with a bigger letter, or (as our Antiquaries call it) Lirera formata, w••th a set hand, and both these as it hath beene iudiciously obserued, lhaue few or no abbreuiati∣ons.

12. Bookes that haue beene transcribed within these 500 or 900 yeares, haue come into our hands very corrupt and false, as rightly obserued Lud. Viues, and others: the corruptions came in, partly by the vnskilfulnesse and mul∣tiplied abbreuiations of those that vsually copied out bookes; partly by the boldnesse and presumption of cer∣taine scioli; or lastly by the carelesnesse of Writers.

13. All which must be vnderstood with this one excep∣tion, vnlesse the said bookes were diligently copied out and collated with the old and best MSS; for so being carefully done, they may be well nigh of as good credit, and stand vs in as good stead as the old MSS. themselues, whereout they were transcribed.

14. This is to be knowne by these few markes: First, you haue it in some bookes in expresse tearmes, explicit such or such a booke, copied out such a yeare, and colla∣tioned the same yeare, or another.

Secondly, you shall finde it blotted and blu••red in cer∣taine places, where the wrong wordes are put forth, and the right set downe, most commonly in the Margent, or written ouer head.

Thirdly and lastly, by certaine prickes or points vnder so many letters or words as are to be expunged: a quaint deuise to preserue the beauty of their bookes, but very sub∣iect to errour and mis-interpretation.

15. Bookes that were printed long since, or at the first, when printing came in (such as Cyprian 1471. or 1478.) are sometime in stead, and aequalled with some MSS.

16. In collationing and comparing of old bookes with new, printed with the MSS, (a worke onely of industry, and properly belonging to our Criticks) as the antiquitie of the bookes must be regarded, so the number of the co∣pies is to be well considered, and weighed in the libration of bookes.

17. As it is a sure and receiued rule, that there m lieth a kinde of impossibility to mend a booke without any MSS: so to attempt to doe the same, without the aide of two co∣pies at the least, may perchance proue but a fruitlesse, or bootlesse labour.

18. As the elder copies are to be preferred before the latter, so are the more to be regarded before the fewer.

19. If we finde a currant and constant reading in all the MSS, without any varying, no man may be so bold as to change the same, be it neuer so contrary to sense, or repug∣nant to reason: All that we can doe in such a case, i•• to glosse or expound it in the side of the booke, or in the end of the same, by way of Annotation.

20. In variety of MSS, n the Reader is left free to choose what copy or reading liketh him best; no one mans iudge∣ment must preiudice another mans opinion, because nei∣ther one man alone, nor all iointly together, doe know all things.

21. There is ono assurance or infallibility in the Art Cri∣ticke: who dares absolutely to take vpon him to mend a booke, so as there shall be no fault or wrinckle in him? we cannot, we dare not say it: it is sufficient for a Criticke, to doe all that he may, or can, according vnto the rules of his Art, and to vse his best industry, that is to say, if he haue good MSS, to vse them; if he haue them not (because they also doe faile vs sometimes) to vse the best that can be got∣ten, and when they cannot be gotten, to follow the thred of Coniectures and likelihoods, which sometimes, and in some cases, (though seldome) are p as good as some MSS.

22. The readings in the MSS,q whether right or wrong, sound or vnsound, must be needfully, and heedfully pre∣serued, and obserued.

24. Sometimes the r inuersion or peruersion of a let∣ter, the mis-pointing, false colon, or comma in a sentence, may ouerthrow the true meaning thereof, and draw it to a cleane contrary sense.

25. There is no fault so small, but must be mended, if it may, but noted it must be howsoeuer: these are but see∣ming trifles I must confesse,s yet such as with draw men from the true reading, and draw great consequences with them.

26. Therefore our Criticke must approue his honest and faithfull dealing vnto the world, dealing with the MSS, as the MSS dealt with him; making choise of some good rea∣dings rather then other, t but noting both vnto the Reader; for a false reading many times, hath some footsteps of a truer lection, and what one cannot, another may obserue: These are the Rules which wee intend to follow, till wee know any cause to the contrary.

And for the practise of them, I will exemplifie them in two places, taken from one of the profoundest Schollers, and of deepest iudgement that euer England yeelded. The first consisteth vpon iudgement, the other vpon coniecture, the two legs whereupon the Art Criticke standeth: My Author is the famous Bilson Bishop of Winton, whose learning was too great, and himselfe too good, (as foolishly Norrice said of him) to be a Protestant, and therefore hee praied for his conuersion after the time of his dissolution, I know not how he will answere this, he is not wont to be so charitable to others. My place (as I said) the one out of Aug. de Gen. ad lit. lib. 10. cap. 23. the other taken out of Chrysostomes Ep. ad Innocent. The Papists proue Tradition out of the one, and Norrice following Bellarmine, the Su∣premacy out of the other, but the Papists faile in both: the Bishops coniectures in neither, and my confirmations (if any be needfull, or possible after him) are partly out of the MSS, and partly out of coniecture. Touching the first place, thus we reade, Consuetudo matris Ecclesiae in bap∣tizandis parvulis non credenda, nisi Ecclesiae traditio

esset: Whereupon the iudicious Bishop hath these wordes following, they being obiected to him in the person of the Papists by his Philander. The meaning of the Speaker in this place, and the likenesse of the same speech in other places, makes me thinke that a letter too much is crept into these words, as through the iniurie of times, and variety of Scribes, many thousand deprauations, and diuers Le••tions were, and yet are in the works of Saint-Augustine and other Fathers, not only by the iudgment of the learned, but by the very sight of the Man∣gines: Nifi Apostolica traditio esset for esse, is a scape in wri∣ting soone committed, but a matter of some moment in altering of the sense. I take not vpon me to correct it, but leaue it to the indifferent Reader. See here an euident Argument of the learned Bishops iudgement, and modestie: iudgement, or rather coniecture in ghessing it to be corrupted, modestie in not presuming to alter the reading vpon his owne con∣iecture, without furthet warrant from the MSS: for then he is bold to say, as he doth else where; Know ye that there are sixe MSS. in the New College that reade thus. This place was (that I may ingeniously professe a truth) it that drew my studies to the contemplations of the MSS, and made me take a wearisome iourney to Cambridge, and else∣where, to compile my Ecloga: this fiue and twenty yeeres at the least, I haue beene conuersant more or lesse in these kinde of studies, and some small proficient I haue beene, nothing repenting me of my paines bestowed, if they may profit my selfe and others, to the purpose. Answerable to the Bishops coniectures are most, if not all of our English MSS: Quos Catholici maiores nostri reliquerunt, (saith Posse∣uine) & thought to be as good as any are in the world be∣sides.

The second place suspected by the Bishop of corrupti∣on, is taken out of Chrysostomes Ep. ad Innocentium, in these words: The word is printed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, obscre vt scribas, which the wordes precedent and consequent import should bee 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 obscro vt scri∣batis, and so the other part of the sentence doth plainely con∣uince

where he saith: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: i fore is easily ouer-seene, and yet in the matter the difference is much, though not so much, that it should either helpe them, or hurt vs. And else-where obsecro vt scribas, the print or copie distrusted, the whole lettter goeth on with verbes of the plurall number— the whole petition made to them all. Now whether obsecro ut scribas, can stand with these wordes, libris vestris▪ firms concedite, or rather obsecro vt scri∣batis. A verbe of the singular number thrust in amongst verbes of the plurall to claw the Bishop of Rome.

This selfe-same place I sent vnto a friend of mine, a Bat∣chelor learned in Diuinity, to be farther considered of mee, who returned me this note thereupon. Bell. de Rom. Pon∣tif l. 2. c. 15. § Septimo Bellarmines obseruation out of these words is this. Chrysostome was vniuslly deposed by Theophi∣lus Antiochenus, and hereupon writeth to the Bishop of Rome, that he would be pleased by his authoritie to nullifie Theo∣philus sentence, & to proceed both against him and his fellowes. Therefore (saith he) Chrysostome did acknowledge the Bi∣shop of Rome to be chiefe Iudge of Controuersies amongst the Graecians. Thus farre he Baronious is ready to daunce for ioy, that he hath found so pregnant a place for the Popes suprema∣cie, and is of opinion, that God in his Diuine prouidence suffered this breach to happen betweene these two famous Bishops, be∣cause there should a Constat as it were remaine vpon record whether we ought to go vpon the like occasions: but by their leaues, both our Cardinals, haue committed many fraudu∣lent deportements in the carrying of this busisinesse.

1 First S. Chysostome wrote not to Innnocentius alone, but ioyntly to him and to his Collegues: This is proued by the tenour of the whole Epistle, which neuer speakes but in the plurall number. Domini maxime, venerandi & pij quam haec ita se habere didiceritis, studium vestrū ad hibete, quo retundatur haec impietas] Againe, in the very same place aboue mentioned, obsecro vt scribatis, non vt scribas] This reading is also well warranted by Binius, in both his Editi∣ons of the Councels, as well of Anno 1••06. as the other of

the yeare 1618. and in the Greeke Text set forth by Sir Henry Sauill, not without deserued thankes and commen∣dations of Papists. to. 7. p. 157. We read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (non 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉:) Although some Printed Co∣pies, read corruptly scribas, and some Greeke (if the Iesuite deale with vs fide optima & Romana) which the learned Knight doth not dissemble, and once more still in the plu∣rall number literis vestris frui concedite]

2 I was haled and pulled & carried away by maine force, the reason was because forsooth I had appealed vnto the Synode] vnto the Synode, not vnto the Bishop of Rome.

3 He desireth the charity and fauour of the Easterne Bishops almost in euery place, and wisheth that he might haue the happinesse to come to their goodnesses, and enioy the benefit thereof:] we haue therefore no acknowledge∣ment of the Popes power of omnipotency.

4 If it shall be lawfull for euery one to breake or rush into another mans Diocesse, though from parts neuer so farre di∣stant, & to determine what they list of their owne authorities, in short time all things will come to nothing] He doth plainly allude vnto the Canon of the Councell of Nice, wherein each Patriarch (the Roman and all) haue certaine bounds and limits, which all men were bound expresly to keepe. Therefore without all peraduenture Innocents authority alone (which he well knew) reached no further then his owne Diocesse: Further he could not goe extra regiones suburbicarias: that was not the thing sought after, but the aide of an oecumenicall vniuersall Synode, to determine this Controuersie.

5 Besides, Innocentius himselfe else-where doth plainly shew, and as it were demonstrate vnto vs a way for the composing of such like Controuersies, in his Epistle to the Cleargie of Constantinople, as we may read it in Sozomen, l. 8. cap. 26. Necessaria est inquit, &c.] It is not onely expedi∣ent but necessary, that the Bishops should meet in a Synode, about the determining of these Controuersies—, for these stormes cannot be quieted, nor these tempests allaide, but onely

by a sober and temperate meeting of Bishops in a Synode] by a Synode onely, and not onely by the Sea of Rome.

6 In his 2. Ep. to Innocent, thus writeth S. Chrysostome else where, — I must needs acknowledge, that your Father∣hood hath piously, (as much as in you lay) composed all differences, and remoued all scandals.— But they notwithstan∣ding cease not to goe on in their obstinate and wicked courses.] Therefore Theophilus and his Complices or Copesmates, nothing cared for Innocentius attempts in this very Con∣trouersie: but obstinately went on, and fomented this Schisme; Nathlesse hee did intercede and mediate to the contrary.

7 The most and the vtmost indeed that Innocent could doe, was (which was common to him with other Bishops according to the ancient custome of that age) to deny all manner of Communion and fellowship with Theophilus or his Theophilines: this was not to pronounce him banished from the Catholike Church, or to inualidate, or make his Acts of none effect by his bare authority and onely com∣mand. So here you haue a small taste of that fruit in both kindes of Criticisme, which the world is to expect at our hands, if God giue grace and the Bishops leaue: and I should not thinke it much amisse or farre out of the way, if we did presently goe in hand with this eighth and ninth Articles: of all others they are the most important, else in comparing the Fathers workes, wee may happily mistake one for the other, or sonnes for Fathers: And againe, who knoweth not but the worke of comparing the Latine Fa∣thers works, the Greekes Translation, are in some sort in∣uolued and included in one of these two points, and these (to my seeming) may be well acted and peracted by, or not long after Michaelmas, only with the helpe of these twelue and some few voluntaries: prouided that we begin before the next, Easter as motus est in instanti, but I submit and pray.

Notes

• a

  Non. Steph. l. 1. dissert. de Cri∣ticis p. 24.
• b

  Ib. p. 43.
• c

  H. Steph. dis∣sert. de Criticis p. 247.
• d

  Parc•• Pru∣denter, Puden∣ter.
• e

  Mar. Victor. Annot. in Hie∣ron. Ep. p. 593.
• f

  Lucas Frute∣rus lib. verisi∣•••• l. p. ••0.
• g

  H. Steph l 1. dissert de Criti∣•••• p. 22.
• h

  Lucas Brugen. Nouantiq. lect. p. 171.
• i

  Fr. Luc. Brug. Nouantiq. lect p. 304.
• k

  Mar. Victor. Annot. in Com. p. 1.
• l

  Angel. Posit. p. 69.
• m

  Goulart. An∣not. in Cypr. p. 582. Fr. Brug. No∣uant. lect. p. 124
• n

  Mer Victor. Annot in Com. p. 1.
• o

  Hen. Steph. lib. schediasm. p. 147.
• p

  Lu••as Frute∣ru••verisimilium, l. 7. p. 44.
• q

  Luc. Fruter. verisimil. p. 127.
• r

  H. Steph. dis∣sert. de Ca••i••. p. 53: & 65.
• s

  H. Steph. dis∣sert. de Criticis p, 71. Luc. Fru∣ter veris. l. 7. p. 20.23.
• t

  Angel. Poli••. p. 69.
• Bilson of obedi∣ence p. 583. whereupon D^or. Norrice giueth vs this wise note. Master Bilson and Master Field in append. 2 §. ••7. haue no other shift to trauerse the euidence of this place, then by accu∣sing it of some secret corruption. D.N. p. 47. How truly, the Reader may iudge by that which followeth.
• Cited by him about the place Deu. 17. where the Pa∣pists in their vulgar Bible read ex for et. My Ecolga Oxo∣nio-Cantabrig. printed at London 1600 to the benefit of most Prote∣stant writers, and some Pa∣pists, as Poss••uin and Pitsius, that haue part∣ly mangled & curtalled my booke. I won∣der how they durst keepe it being vtterly forbidden by Io. Maria Ma∣ster of the sa∣cred Palace. So Costerius & others.

  See Bilson. de o∣••••d. p. 53. Iun. to. 2. p. 730.
• By Pitsius.
• Reasons why we should vn∣dertake the 8^th. or 9^th. Articles first.