A counter-snarle for Ishmael Rabshacheh, a Cecropidan Lycaonite. By Sr. Edward Hoby, Knight, one of the gentlemen of his Maiesties Priuie-Chamber.

§. 10.

THus you well see (ingenuous Gentlemen) how I haue quit my hands of the first false∣hood, my scope being not then to prooue that booke de mirabilibus to be Saint Augustines, but first to euince them of forgerie, and then to shevve vvhat their ovvne Antiquitie did manie hundred yeeres agoe thinke, of those Apocriphall books. Had I bin in∣deed perswaded, that it had bin S. Augu∣stines owne off-spring, I should haue held it needles to cumber the breuity of a letter with more then one other proofe of the

same Father▪ But because I foresaw, that by this baite I should bring the opposite partie, to one of those ineuitable disad∣uantages formerly mentioned; I there∣fore added tvvo seuerall testimonies, (vvhich he cannot disauow) to confirme the same truth; in the alleaging vvhere∣of, hee cries out, c 1.1 that I am a notorious falsefier. For triall vvherof my pen pro∣strates it selfe to your censure.

The vvords by mee cited are these; d 1.2 Machabaeorum Scriptura recepta est ab Ec∣clesia, non inutiliter, si sobriè legatur, vel auditatur, maxime propter istos Martyres: vvhereupon my inference was this, Er∣go ob hanc causam in Canone morum, non fi∣dei censeri posset. Which last clause I won∣der how it should so passe my sight in the re-vievv: For, perusing my first draught, I finde ^go vvritten short in another let∣ter, to distinguish my inference from his proofe; It seemeth either my Manua∣ties haste, or the e 1.3 Printers misprision, hath turned go into (sed) as if the same

had beene continued, vvhereas my Eng∣lish reddition was plaine. And that (conse∣quently) they are in the Canon of Manners, &c. vvhich Aduerbe, their former error caused them vtterly to omit. f 1.4 Such scapes oftentimes happen, when the Au∣thor himselfe cannot attend the presse. Now that you may perceiue there is no such Trophey in this casuall addition, which no man of sence vvould willingly haue suffered, when the Authors are ob∣uious to euery eye; you shall see, I had S. Hieroms authority for that inference, though I then did not quote him, whose words are these:

g 1.5Iudith, Tobiae, et Machabaeorum libros le∣git quidem Ecclesia, sed eos inter Canonicas Scriptur as non recepit: and hee explaines himselfe how this should be vnderstood, Legat Ecclesia, (sayth hee) ad aedificati∣onem plebis, non ad authoritatem dogma∣tum Ecclesiasticorum confirmandam; rec∣kon all these together you shall find them amount to no lesse summe, then that

the bookes of Machabees are in Canone morum, non fidei, censendi. Might it haue pleased him to haue sifted Lyra, Brito, Rabanus, and Caietan, vvhom I there cited, this matter would not haue beene such a beame in his eye.

How will he looke when M^r. Crashaw shal make him fly to his Printer for Sanc∣tuarie in greater extremities, then the mistaking of a word? Will you giue me leaue to praesage vvhat he will say? Ad∣mit this clause annexed be true in it selfe; yet how can it bee collected out of these former words, when as S. Augustine, shewing that the Iewes doe not admit the booke of Machabees, as they do the Law, Prophets, and Psalmes, addeth Sed re∣cepta est ab Ecclesia non inutiliter, si sobriè legatur, vel audiatur, maximè propter istos Martyres Machabaeos; How can you then conclude, ergo, it is not Canonicall?

Nay rather, the consequence will be this, ergo the Christian Church doth ad∣mit the booke of Machabees, as Canoni∣call

in that sense, that the Iewes did refuse them, to wit as the Lawe, Prophets, and Psalmes, any of h 1.6 which may more hurt then profit, if the same bee read in a drunken fit of a wanton wit.

This inference I grant is in another letter indeed, his Printer hath done him right to set it in his owne Character; for neither did Saint Augustine dreame, nei∣ther would any sober setled braine stum∣ble vpon such a sense. Doth not hee make Saint Augustine speake that which hee neuer meant, vvhen hee rackes his words, inforcing him to say that Canoni∣call Scripture is receiued of the Church, with a Si, which is necessarily to bee acknow∣ledged, though it fall out by default to bee Sapor mortis ad mortem? or did hee dreame of such a drunken Church, as theirs seems to be by their cloyning of the Scriptures from the common people, least it should hurt them? Had his purpose bin to set these books in the same throne imperiall vvith the sacred Scriptures,

to vvhat end dooth he instance in, those Machabees Martyrs? This specificati∣on (maximè propter istos Martyres Ma∣chabaeos) declares vvhere the daunger lies: implying, if vvee sayle vvell by these rocks, there is (though no necessity) some vse of the rest. So that the words, rightly poysed vvill beare that distincti∣on, vvhich Saint Hierome, vvho was better acquainted vvith Saint Augustines meaning, and the Churches custome, dooth resolutely maintaine, that Ca∣nonicall Scripture must necessarilie bee receiued: as for other vncertaine wri∣tings, they may not vnprofitablie bee read:

And whereas hee confesseth that the Iewes, vvho were the best Surueyors of the authority of their ovvne Histories, did reiect them; You may well thinke, hee held it small reason for after ages to intertaine them in the highest esteeme, as Iudges of their faiths: though hee saw many good things, for which the

Church, with a little caution, did approue them.

Notes

• c 1.1

  P. 134.
• d 1.2

  M^r. T. H. P. 60.
• e 1.3

  Dominum De um••n••strum Papam, not his Phrase but ouer-sight in print. P. 149.
• f 1.4

  Verstij Para∣sceue.
• g 1.5

  Jn praf. lib. Salomonis.
• h 1.6

  P. 135.