M. Hardinge.
Who would not thinke, these defenders were true men, that in the beginninge of their Apo∣logie speake so muche of the truthe? Yet who knoweth not, that oftentimes euil meaninge is hidde vnder good woordes? Who hath not hearde, that filthy queanes in time and place vse the honest talke of chaste matrones? The theefe commendeth iuste dealinges, and many times shewithe a stomake a∣gainst false harlottes,* 1.1 noman more. Amonge al none pretende truthe in wordes so muche as Heretiques. I feare me, saithe S. Paule, lest, as the Serpente beguiled Eue by his sutteltie, so your wittes be cor∣rupted, and fallen away from that plainenes. Whiche is in Christe. The Apostle feared because of the craftie Iewes: who the rather to deceiue, mingled scriptures with their owne traditions, and truthe with fals head. So bringeth the Heretique his hearer to errour in faithe by coloure and pre∣tence of truthe.
They are muche like to the Manicheis,* 1.2 who promised their hearers to discusse, and set forthe the truthe moste euidently vnto them, and to deliuer them from all maner of errours. By whiche faire promises S. Augustine was allured to be a diligent scholar of theirs for the space of nine yeres.
Christe gaue vs a lesson howe to discerne them. By their fruites ye shall knowe them, saithe he. And nowe to you Sirs. Euen in the beginninge, and as I may saie, in the foreheade of your Apo∣logie, whiles I examine it diligently, I finde two foule faultes: the one in your Rhetorike, the other in your Logike. By whiche two faultes bothe the vns kil of your secretarie, and the weakenes of your mater maie be espied, as the Asse, I spake of right nowe, was by his two eares staringe out vn∣der the Lions skinne. Your diuinitie is nothinge els in grosse, but a lumpe of lies, errours and Heresies.
First touching your Rhetorike, emongst many faultie proemes, one of the woorst is that, which is suche, as the aduersary may vse: whiche by them is called Exordium commune, that is to wite, suche a beginninge, as will serue the defendant, no lesse then the Plaintife, or contrariwise. Of that sorte is the beginninge of your Apologie. For declaringe at large, that truthe hath euer beene persecuted, what saithe it therein (the faultes amended) that we may not saie the same? That ship∣maister is accoumpted very bad, who at the settinge out of the hauen driueth the Ship on the rockes.
Alleaginge Tertullian to healpe your cause, ye iniurie the Doctor by alteringe his wordes. Ye were not wise, by falsifiyng the first sentence, so muche to impaire your credite. Tertullian saith not, that truthe readily findeth enimies and sclaunderers amongst those, that knowe her not: but that truthe sone findeth enimies inter extraneos, amongst aliantes and strangers. Now the Christian Catholikes, whom ye call Papistes, be not in respecte of the truthe aliantes, and strangers. For your selues in sun∣dry