wrote, Paulinus ad. Augustinum, the saide Epistle of Paulinus beinge mingled
with a whole Booke of the Epistles of S. Augustine: Or, if vpon any other like
〈◊〉〈◊〉, I haue alleged either Liberius for Athanasius, or the Arians for the Eu∣ty
〈◊〉〈◊〉, or any one Father, or Doctoure, for an other, sutche errours, beinge
bolde of malice, were neuer hitherto accoumpted damnable. The beste Learned
haue oftentimes fallen into them.
For prouse whereof, it were easy to saie, yt Cicero, notwithstanding otherwise
a great Learned man, alleged Aiax in stéede of Hector, Agamemnon in stéede of
Vlysses, Eupolis in stéede of Aristophanes: That Aristotle alleged Calypso in
stéede of Circe: That Gratian allegeth Aniceus for Anicetus, Ambrosius for Au∣gustinus,
Calixtus for Anacletus, Greeke for Latine, Nevve for Olde: That
Hippolytus allegeth the Apocalyps of S. Iohn in stéede of Daniel: That S.
Chrysostome nameth Abacuk for Sophonias, and Agar for Sara. If thou be desi∣rous
to sée these seueral errours further proued, it maie please thee to sée mine An∣sweare
to this s, Fol. 362.
That in the alleginge of Liberatus I leaste out this woorde, Quodammodò,
it was onely an Erroure. For why I should of pourpose doo it, there was no cause:
specially that woorde bearinge in that place no greatter weight. But M. Hardinge
alleginge these woordes of S. Augustine, Christus quodammodò ferebatur in
manibus suis, not of erroure, but, as it maie be thought, of set pourpose, leafte out,
Quodammodò, as knowinge, that in that one woorde reasted the meaninge of
the whole.
Briefely, what so euer other like erroure shalbe found in any my writinges, I
wil discharge bothe my Clerke, and the Compositoure, & the Printer of the same,
& take the whole vpon mée self. I speake not this for that I thinke, my Booke can
be printed without erroure: for that, in sutche a number & varietie of allegations,
were scarcely possible. But if any erroure, what so euer, shal escape, as I doubte
not but there wil many, I proteste before him, that séeth the harte, it walbe wholy
againste my wil.
And yet maie not these menne so charge others, as if they them selues onely
were priuileged, and exempted from al sutche dangers. M. Hardinge maie re∣member,
that he him selfe in stéede of the Prophete Osee, hath alleged vs the No∣ble
Iosua: and, that by an other like ouersight, he hath alleged the Eighth Booke
of Socrates Scholasticus, whereas Socrates neuer wrote but Seuen: As like∣wise
also M. Dorman allegeth the Seuenth Booke of the Storie of Theodoretus,
whereas Theodoretus him selfe neuer wrote but Fiue. And againe, he fraieth al
Christian Princes with the horrible Examples of the Tvvoo Kinges, as he saith,
Ozias, and Oza. Yet he might easily haue learned, that Oza was a poore Priuate
man, and neuer knowen to be a Kinge. Notwithstandinge, in one of his late litle∣woorthe
Pamflettes, confessinge his ouersight herein, he stumbleth into an other
Erroure, as fowle, as the first, and bewraieth his ignorance more then before. For
nowe he telleth vs, he hath better remembred him selfe, that the saide Oza was
not a Kinge, but onely a Prophete. And yet yewis, a childe could haue tolde him,
that the same Oza was neither King, nor Prophete, but onely a Leuite. Let him
looke better on his bookes, and he shal finde it.
Howe be it, I woulde not, that either M. Hardinge, or M. Dorman shoulde
thinke, that therefore they are here charged with ignorance. Errours wil créepe
bitwéene theire fingers, be thei neuer so watcheful. In the heate, and drifte of wri∣tinge,
when the minde is wholy occupied, and fully bente to the substance of the
cause, it is an easy mater, by somme confusion, one waie, or other, to disorder a
woorde, or to displace a number, as to write either 9. for 6. or, 24. for 42. or somme