An apologie to my Lorde Treasorer touching a speach vttered vnto His Lordship by my Lord of C.

An Apologie to my Lorde Treasorer: touching a speach vttered vnto his Lordship by my Lord of C.

MY duetie remembred to your Lordship. I receyued your Lordships aunswere: why your Lordships per∣formed not your promise sent vnto me, by Maister D. Caesar: for that the Archbishop saide: that I had written a booke slaunderous and erroneous. I must needes con∣fesse, that your exception is sage: whyle the Archbishop is not forced to alter his wordes. And I might be holden dull, if demaunding recompence of twentie yeares tra∣uels, with the principall approbatiō of the best, & the best learned in the Realme, I would take my Lordes Graces speaches for a gracious recompence, and full rewarde: or thinke such dealings honorable: or my Lord to be such a scholler, that one of my leasure in studie, should yeeld vn∣to. Wherefore I must craue leaue to call his Grace into iudgement. And your Honours shalbe my iudges: I will seeke no better. Thus I pleade: His Grace denyed to my agent, that he saide, I had written erroneous: but said, that he sayde, I had written to the Queene vntruely. So, if his Grace doeth not stande to his wordes, his testimonie cannot in anie honour be my hinderance. Iudge, I pray your Lord∣ship, whether I say true: or not. Nowe it remayneth, I aunswere for my writing to the Queene of his Graces de∣termination, whether I can defende my selfe or not. First,

this I hope will appeare by writing: that I sent vnto his Lordship (by Maister Mulcaster) a full declaration of the controuersie betwixt D.R. and my self: that determining vpon so much, the strife he should end. I layd downe the controversies in three sequeles. The first was: Whether Iudah was vnder Persia but an hundred and thirtie yeares, or two hundred yeares. Now therein seeing D. R. and I agreed that after Zerobabel built the temple: the time to A∣lexander was not an hundred yeares: so the time betwixt Babels fall and the Temple building, was to be tried: whe∣ther it were two and thirtie yeares, or 107. yeares, by both falling to newe particulars: That, I cleare by nyne and fortie thousand argumentes at once. For, 49000. thousand returned, Esr. 2. and in Esra 6. the returned buylt vp the Temple. D. R. must proue howe manie died: and if the greater halfe wholly had died, or almost all, yet two, only Zorobabel and Iosuah had bene enough for me: both na∣med returners & aliue all the while. Thus much his Grace (I trowe) could not chuse but see. And all Oxford will graunt that thus much ouerturneth my aduersarie. So reason would warrant me to write of his Grace, that whi∣che he could not omit without eternal shame. I hope her Maiesty will not be angry with me, for speaking the best of her Archb. that which common entendement would require anie man to holde true. By this your temporall Honours will see, that his spirituall Grace disgraceth not me: but his owne grace, the Queenes Maiesty, & the ma∣iesty of Gods grace: not acknowledging his goodnes: which in 49000. Iewes liues, in fewe wordes burnes all Heathen Libraries. Although his Grace hauing recey∣ued 50000. poundes of the Church, at the least, knew not of him selfe, howe the onely life of Zorobabel, or the only

of Iosuah, of Nehemiah, of Ezra, of Mardochai, of Aggai, of Zachari, ouerthrewe all Heathen study-glory: yet when he sawe that D.R. marked the sequell schollerlike: & was driuen to invent newe opinions against all the world and reason: I hope his Grace will not pleade that he sawe not which way the determination must passe: or seeing con∣temned his duetie. And if he doe, I trust her Maiestie will tell him what it is to holde the place of an Archb. vnable to perform that which is easie: that a Bachler of art would confidently iudge. And thus I hope your Lordships will not thinke it reason that I should lose all that recōpence, which for twentie yeares paynes by the Queenes honour of Gouernement should befal me: for commending one of your owne ordre, and neare the Church: that he was not farre from God herein: but sharp-eyed, true, learned, and honorable. Truely, Syr, I thought it no great paynes to affoord a man of high place good wordes, with all ad∣uantage of warrant: for honoring such as her Maiestie preferred, tendering the quietnes of the Church. Al∣though in my conscience I knewe that his Grace had but small skill in difficulties about the Bible: as hee sheweth in complayning that he was commended. To counte∣nance our common weale, I spoke that which his bodily eyes sawe: though not the eyes of this minde: and had three reporters from him, to speake that commendation, which of humanitie I would affoord him. My aduersarie D. R. affoordeth me as good wordes as anie can bestowe on anie scholler. And if I did not confesse that he was the first, that hazarded his fame to trye: whether the millions of christians, that folowed Iewes on the captiuitie bookes all sauing Daniel: and on him followed Heathen vnrecon¦ciliable: must burne all their agreement, either with the

Iewes, or all their innumerable writings after the Heathē, if I giue not him this high commendation, I should doe him iniurie. All must confesse that hee shewed learning that carried an whole Vniuersitie sixe yeares after him: & an Archb. to deny his owne decree: and to be guiltie of denying all ancient grauntes: and cōmon reason, for the space of the Temples building, a most famous diuinitie storie: & such as, of which a Church man could not with any honour be ignorant. The Pericles that so could ligh∣ten, thunder, & mingle Graecia, as D. R. did, must needes be holden pericles and full of glorie. As I must affoorde him all good speach: so I would haue affoorded vnto his Grace: but that he doeth plague me for commending his learning, care of trueth, and regard of his honour.

The second sequel, which followed vpon the first: or, as the vser will, the first vpon it, was for Daniels Chronicle of foure hundred and ninetie yeres. Thus it fasteneth vn∣to the other:

If it be but foure hundred and ninetie yeares from Daniels prayer vnto our Lordes death,

Iudah was but an hundred and thirtie yeares vnder Persia: for we both agree vpon three hundred & sixtie yeares following, vnto the eighteenth yere of Tiberius.

But, Onely foure hundred & ninetie yeres are from Daniels prayer at the Euening offring vnto our Lords death: Therefore

Iuda was vnder Persia but hundred & thirtie yeares.

My aduersarie denied the assumption: for which I will tell a storie howe he was brought to graunt it. A mo∣dest learned man of Oxford came to me, with one Edward Phynees, a seruant of my honorable Patrone, whose reast is

in Paradise, Henry the late Earle of Huntingdon: whom my pen must honour, for that he was so deepe for iudgement in the chiefe heads of all the Bible, so syncere for affection in the hart of Religion, that he is not like euer to be soone ouermatched by any. But for my syllogisme. A good scholer of Oxford came to be resolued in our cōtrouersie: telling that he marked howe I vsed mine aduersarie reue∣rentlie, and was no worse vsed by him. But sayde to the matter: Our D. hath turned all against you: all of all de∣grees. Then sayde I, Your selfe shall turne to me against them presently: if you will speake your conscience. God forbid (quoth he) that I should striue against the light. Then I: Marke the narration whence my demaunde shall arise. Daniel prayeth at three a clocke: or Euening offering the nineth houre by Iewes, Act. 4. when Gabriel fleeth to him: and promiseth to teach him wisedome: and sayth: Seauentie seauens of yeares are pared out to bring in Eternall redemption. Herevpon follow∣eth my demaunde: Speake before God and his Angels, whence must the beginning be taken: Doubtles, sayeth he, from Daniels prayer: And where endeth it? Doubtles at our Lordes death. Then saide I: Commende me to your D. and tell him from me, that when he hath weyghed all, he will iudge that hee may as well denie all Religion, as make any other limites. Vpon his speach the learned man sayth in his lecture booke: That by all argumentes of Scripture, the time should begin from the first of Darius or Cyrus, as I taught: and Septuaginta septima∣nis cōpletis excisus est Christus. So your Lordship seeth that he graunteth my assumption: and the whole controuer∣sie. My Lords Grace hath seene his wordes in print: and may not pleade ignorance. Nowe the D. consydering what an infinite cōpanie of bookes he should condemne, all the West for two thousand yeares recordes: and not

seeing the millions of Iewes, and all Heathen in particu∣lars to be with me, & all the Bibles frame: sought a kinde of cure, and sayde: Restat confirmandum per septuaginta septi∣manas non posse intelligi annos quadringentos nonaginta: sed ali∣um aliquem numerum incertum per certum. Vpon this com∣meth a third sequell, which I was to fall into by the pro∣uocation of D. R. his deniall. A chayning of yeares is from Adam to Cyrus: which sheweth that thence it must be propre: as no wise goldsmith beginneth a chaine but to make it vp: and breaking off in any one place, disan∣nulleth the vse of all. Then saide he: The time is not chay∣ned thither, from Adams fall to Babels. Vpon that I wrote a booke, prouing this proposition: He that denieth the Scrip∣ture to haue a certen recorde of times from the creation to the re∣demption, may as well denie that the sunne hath brightnes. And that booke I sent vnto his Grace, which he sawe, and sent me great thankes: with a promise that what so euer his worde could further me, I should haue it. Nowe your Lordship knoweth that duetie required him to deter∣mine, whether I was deceyued or not: and to haue taught me better, if I had bene deceyued. And his Grace knoweth that I stande resolute to defende this: that if he saye it is erroneous, in an Epistle to the Queene, he sawe alreadie a sharpe replie. In which Epistle I write these wordes: If it please your Maiestie to cause both your Archbishops and both Vniuersities to determine: I dare assure your Highnes, that, while the sunne shineth they will not denie (seeing what profe is brought) that God hath recorded the time certeinlie from the creation to the redemption. Here had bene a place for his Grace to haue foyled me, for euer: if by learning hee could shewe that I was deceyued. But he sawe that D.R. whom Oxford men thinke to be not his Graces inferi∣our, (further comparison I will relinquish) would full

quicklie haue tryed, if learning could ouermatch the po∣sition set down. Thus by the matter your Lordship seeth what his Grace must buckle with. And whether he for∣gate his determination, or three commenders of his lear∣ned censure, & honorable speaches towards me, mistoke him: that little forceth, for the Queene to knowe: ney∣ther is it trauersable, or matteriall for our state. This must be holdē the substāce of the matter: whether if his Grace deny that God hath recorded in scripture the worldes age from the creation to the redemption. I may iustly ac∣cuse him, for concluding against Christ his Religion. For euery mans hart can tell, it is good that the recorde were in scripture. And seeing nothing is omitted in the perfect booke which is good to be there: his Grace should think that there it was: though he can not tell where. And al∣though it is made easie nowe to see, and soone learned: yet to cleare euery parcell, it was not an easie matter. And I knowe a King, to whom if I had dedicated such a trauel, I should haue had thankes: and so I should haue had of the Queene: but that the L. Chauncelour and his Grace both disgraced the worke whiche neither vnderstoode. Your Lordship promised me that you would cause his Grace to determine the controuersie, betwixt D. R. and my selfe. But I was sure that you would be deceyued. Likewise my Lord Keeper hauing seene the marrowe of all that which cōcerneth the bones of this strife, brought into an easie view and tast, promised that he also would cause his Grace to determine. And I knew that he should be no lesse deceyued. The matter was brought past all colour of strife: and cōfirmed for euery ioint by ancient vnbeleeuing Iewes testimonie, which vnvincible trueth forced to affoord. And nowe if it please your Lordships both to vrge his Grace to laye downe in writing the con∣tradictorie

to anie position of mine: then, if I make it not as easie for him to reackon all the tyles in Lambeth, euery one, as the erroures which will followe his Graces asser∣tion: your Lordshippes may affirme, that I haue not dew regard of trueth: and, but small grace in study to marke sequelles and appendances in absurdities. This kinde of speach his G. must warrant: by a narration whiche may here be fitt. M. Mulcaster, who caryed the declaration of D.R. his cause and mine, with a full anatomy of the mat∣ter: returned to the right worshipful M. Peter Osborne this message: how his G. had determined: with what hono∣rable speaches: how he said: that he knew my studies ear∣nest, then twentie yeares, in a path vntroden since the A∣postles time: to cleare the narratiōs of scripture: by time, place, & person: wherin he that crossed me once, would be caught in a thousand absurdities. They liue yet in the familie who heard him speake and doe all this well remē∣ber. Thus I thought good to defende his Graces censure euen against him selfe: as in my Epistle to the Queene I wrote as fearing no replier: That I refused not to abide al disgrace, if my paynes were not found true for the story, and profitable for the quietnes of the Realme. And thus your Honour may see, that I haue not written of his G. slaunderous, nor of the trueth erroneous. Neither did I commend him to countenance my cause, by his authori∣tie in learning: but to countenaunce her Maiesties high preferred scholler: and to shew that I envied not his lot, though he hath receyued fiftie thousande pounde more then one, whom fiftie thousand thinke to haue honored the originall trueth more then he with bare latin studies could doe possiblie.

Your Lordships to commaund, HVGH BROVGHTON.