A replie to Iesuit Fishers answere to certain questions propou[n]ded by his most gratious Matie: King Iames By Francis White D: of Div· deane of Carlile, chaplaine to his Matie. Hereunto is annexed, a conference of the right: R:B: of St Dauids wth the same Iesuit*

ANSVVER. [ D]

The Minister whom you depraue, was no otherwise esteemed in the Church of England than 〈◊〉〈◊〉 an ordinarie Student, and professour of Theologie, neither was his authoritie in handling of controuersies greater than the waight of his argument and disputation should deserue. And your Hyperbole, saying, That he bringeth nothing, but manifest falshoods, is rather an vndi∣gested cruditie of rayling words, than a true censure of him, against whom you are better able to declame, then dispute.

But your threadbare argument, whereby you labour to [ E] prooue, That worship of Images hath continued without change, euer since the Apostles, because it would haue beene most euident, when, and by whom, so great a noueltie was in∣troduced, hath at the least three lame feet.

First, The Antecedent is false, for it is euident to iudicious [ A] men, when, and by whom this noueltie was brought in; as for those which are blinded with superstition, and haue a feared conscience, nothing is euident to such a.

Secondly, This Argument presupposeth, that Worship of [ B] Images was generally practised among Christians, in the dayes of the Apostles, and in the Primatiue Church; for otherwise, why shall Protestants be bound explicitely to assigne the time of Alteration? If this practise was not Apostolicall and Pri∣matiue, the succeeding practise, whensoeuer it began, and whe∣ther we can assigne or not assigne, when and by whom, maketh not the same lawfull.

Thirdly, Ab ignoratione rei ad negationem non sequitur: It is inconsequent to argue, Protestants cannot out of humane Hi∣storie [ C] assigne the moment of time when worship of Images first began to be practised in the Church, Ergo, This practise is not an Innouation. For Papists cannot assigne the moment of time when Heathens first began to worship Baal and Ashtaroth, or when the Progenitors of Abraham began to serue other Gods, Iosh. 24. 2. And yet they will iudge the consequence to be ab∣surd, which should inferre, because Papists cannot assigne, when and by whom such Innouations began, therefore they were perpetuall. Wee expect diuine Reuelation to warrant Ado∣ration of Images, for vnlesse that appeare, the same cannot bee [ D] a necessarie dutie in Religion. But the Iesuit would ambush himselfe in the Laborinth of Historicall Discourse, which can produce onely humane beleefe b, when it is plaine and certaine, but being also vncertaine and not faithfully kept, it may per∣plex and deceiue, and beget contention, whereas on the con∣trarie, Diuine Reuelation settles the conscience, and makes the Truth manifest.

Notes

• 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. li. 2. Ne 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Stomachi 〈◊〉〈◊〉 indigesta ma∣ledictorum 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉.
• a

  Theoph. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. lib. 1. ad Auto∣lic. Omnibus quidem sunt oculi, at quotundam adeo sunt obscurati, vt solis lucem intueri nequeunt, caeterum non propterea solares radij fulgore carent, quod 〈◊〉〈◊〉 caeteris non videntur. Imo 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & suos oculos potius culpent. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Serm. 2. d. Resur. Quam difficile est accedere ad cor eius, quod lapidea quaedam obsti∣natio & impudentia clausit. Seneca Epist. 15. Haupastes vxoris 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fatua vetula subito desijt videre, in∣credibilem tibi narro rem sed veram, nescit se esse caecam, subinde ducem suam rogat, vt foras exeat, ait 〈◊〉〈◊〉 tenebrosam esse.
• b

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. d. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. l. 2. c. 25. Quod Hi∣storici 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉, non potest 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉 humanā cui 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉.