The orthodox faith and vvay to the Church explaned and iustified in answer to a popish treatise, entituled, White died blacke; wherein T.W. p. in his triple accusation of D. White for impostures, vntruths, and absurd illations, is proued a trifler: and the present controuersies betweene vs and the Romanists are more fully deliuered and cleared. By Francis White Bachelour in Diuinitie, and elder brother of Doctor Iohn White.

Paragraph. I. Whether Synesius be abused concerning his owne marriage.

T. W. MAister White, pag. 343. produceth a testimonie from Synesius Bishop of Ptolemais, who in an Epistle to his friend Euopius, writeth thus: The sacred hand of Theophilus hath giuen me a Wife, and hereupon I testi∣fie to all men, that I will neither forsake her, neither pri∣uily as an adulterer keepe her company, but I will pray to God to send me by her many and good children. Here our Ministers incredible deceipt (of which he is to himselfe most conscious) lyeth, in applying the words, spoken by Syne∣sius when he was a lay man, to him as he was afterward a Bi∣shop and Priest, &c. Synesius after he was created Bishop of Ptolemais, liued for all the time after separated from the company of his wife: and he acknowledgeth in this very Epi∣stle, that marriage, with a determination, not to leaue the

company of his wife, is a sufficient barre or let to Priesthood.

Now what doe you say Maister White? doe you not thinke that this your perfidious dealing being once made knowne, will become odious, &c?

Answ. Maister White saith, you haue a brasse visage, and are able to outface euen impudencie it selfe.

1. It is true, that Synesius whiles he was a lay man, penned this Epistle to Euopius: and being sollicited by Theophilus and others, to become the Bishop of Ptole∣mais, excuseth himselfe as vnfit for so great a function: and among other impediments alledgeth his marriage, professing that he would by no meanes forsake his wife. But Theophilus and the rest vrge him notwithstanding to vndertake the Episcopall function: And touching his marriage and all other demands proposed by him, they leaue him to his owne choise, to do as seemed good vn∣to him. And it appeareth by diuers arguments, that hee forsooke not his wife: 1. he saith expresly, he would not forsake herc, &c. 2. Nicephorus affirmeth, that it was committed vnto him, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, by fauour or dispen∣sation to receiue the priestly dignityd: whereby it is ma∣nifest, that the Church condescended vnto him, and gaue him libertie to keepe his wife. 3. It is affirmed by no ancient Writere, nor by Baroniusf himselfe, relating this Storie, that Synesius forsooke his marriage. 4. Langusg a Papist, in his marginall annotation, vpon this place of Nicephorus, saith; that Synesius would not put away his wife. 5. It was not simply vnlawfull in those daies for Bishops to liue in marriageh, and therefore Synesius be∣ing

otherwise minded, there was no absolute necessitie for him to forsake his wife.

To the abusiue conclusion of this Popish Priest, I an∣swer with Seneca, Vt quisque est contemptissimus, ita est lin∣guae solutissimae, The more vnworthy any one is, the more slipperie and riotous is his tongue.

Notes

• Niceph. hist. eccles. l. 14. c. 55.
• c

  Niceph. hist. eccles. l. 14. c. 55. Omnibus prae∣dico, me illam prorsus desertu∣ram non esse.
• d

  De quibusdā rebus, illi ambi∣genti, per com∣modam dispen∣sationem sacer∣dotij dignitatē suscipere per∣missum est.
• e

  Euagr. hist. l. 1. c. 15. Suidas.
• f

  Baron. to. 5. an. 410. n. 72.
• g

  Langus annot. Niceph. l. 14. c. 55. Index expurg. Belg. in Lango pa. 77. hath not expurged it.
• h

  Socrat. hist. l. 5. c. 21. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Niceph. l. 12. c. 34. Concil. Constantinop. 6. in Trullo. c. 13.