Manuductions to the pallace of trueth by F.B. Obseruant

CHAP. XVII. THEIR PERPETVALL agreement in one poynt: with a spe∣ciall cause of their reuelte from the Church. (Book 17)

OF such men as these, RVPER∣TVS interprets those wordes of the Apocalyps:* 1.1 Manducauerunt linguas,

suas, &c. They haue chewed their owne tongues. Howe haue they chewed their owne tongues, saith he? By pronouncing sentence a∣gainst themselues. For against the Catholike Church, they fight with one accord, and with the selfe-same spirite of mallice; notwithstanding their perpetuall jarring and disagree∣ment with one an other. Nihil enim in∣terest illis, licet diuersa tractantibus, dum ad vnius veritatis expugnationem conspirent:* 1.2 as TERTVLLIAN noteth. They make no reckning, how euer they contradict one an other, so long as they stande close togeather, in the batterie of Trueth.

For which cause,* 1.3 S. AVGVSTINE compares them to SAMPSONS Foxes, which tyed fast by the tayles, did set a fyer the Philistians corne, and ha∣uing their heads loose,* 1.4 turned their teeth one against an other. For di∣uers other respects, doth S. BERNARD and other Fathers, resemble hereticks to Foxes, vnderstanding that place of the Canticles, to be meant of them, where it is said; Capite nobis vulpeculas, exterminantes vineas.

But aboue all, these of our time play the craftie Foxes most notably, in masking their Apostacy, and re∣uolt from the Church, with the guilded pretext of zeale, and colour of Reformation; which, how well they haue wrought, euery man sees, and some also of their owne, are a∣shamed thereof;* 1.5 in so much as one of them doeth tragicallie com∣plaine against Their horrible, Epicurian, and beastiall liues. And that euery man should know them (saith he) to be no Papists, nor to put any confidence in their good workes, they will be sure to doe none at all: In stead of fasting, they giue themselues to feasting and belly-cheare, night and daye. Praying, they haue turned into swearing... And this kinde of practise and course of life, it their E∣uangelical profession.

Which enormities, as well of the new Teachers, as of the people in∣structed by them, may worthely giue cause to doubt, whether our Euange∣licall flocke (to vse PAVLVS EBERVS an Euangelicall mans words) be the true Church or no.* 1.6 In quo tot & tam enormia vitia conspiciuntur. An other of them reports it to be growen

into a prouerbe amongst the Calui∣nists,* 1.7 when they are disposed to play the Epicures egregiously, they are wont to say, Hodie Lutheranicè viuamus. And SLEIDAN Writes that LVTHER himselfe confessed; Se non tam vitae ac morum probitatem, quam doctrinam profi∣teri: That hee did not stand so much vpon profession of vertue and hone∣sty of life, as vpon learning. And surely wee take it to bee a special note by the fruits to know the tree.

I require now but onely the judge∣ment of any reasonable person, who is not possest with a prejudicate willfull perswasion, how likely it is, that these men, men of such qualitie, should be sent from GOD to re∣forme the Church; and that Church, which had retained the true beleefe, (by their owne confession) for 600. yeares together; vnto which, was promised, Gods peculiar assistance for her stabilitie, and perseuerance therein, during all ages to come: And that nowe also, they should be sente in these very times, which, agree so fitly with the expresse warnings we haue in the scriptures, to take heede

of false Prophets, that should arise in the lat∣ter daies,* 1.8 and bring in sects of perdition, and thereby seduce and draw after them many others, to their eternal damna∣tion. To these, I adde last of all, the consideration of their maners, yet once againe;* 1.9 which are so liuely painted out by three sundrie Apo∣stles, as hee that will but frame the comparison, and examine them by those descriptions, shall neede no bet∣ter markes whereby to know them for such, as we are warned vpon our euerlasting perill to auoyde.

Wherefore to speake of a true rea∣son, why they departed from vs, it was not (as they pretend) any desire of Reformation; but rather a vitious Deformation and loosenesse of life, as their maners and behauiour, doe notably shewe. It was just a reason of that nature, as ARCESILAVS the Philosopher gaue to one, who demanded of him wherefore so ma∣ny forsooke the Academick Schooles, to follow the doctrine of EPICVRVS. It is no mastery (said he) to turne Men into Eunuches; but of Eunuches to make Men, it is vnpossible.

So long as they were with vs,* 1.10 (said S. AMBROSE, of their like) they fasted, they conteined themselues within their Monasteries, there was no place for lechery; liberty of vaine and trifling disputes, was not allowed them. Hoc delicati non potuerunt ferre. Abie∣runt. This being more then flesh and blood could indure, they sought a re∣medie by running out.

It is indeed the Catholike Churches discipline, and that straight way to heauen, which drew these wantons from vs, to imbrace a doctrine more sutable to their owne dispositions, as hauing no curbe to restraine their vnruely appetites, being lawfull for euery man with them to liue and do as he list himselfe. And it is a true AXIOME, which the Philosophers teach; that Facilis est transitus ab habitu ad priuationem; sed à priuatione ad habitum non datur regressus.

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Lib 9. in Apoc.
• * 1.2

  Tert. de Praescrip. cap. 40.
• * 1.3

  In Ps. 80
• * 1.4

  Ser. 56. in Cant. Chriso. in Ps. 69 D. Hie. in c. 20. Ezech. Orig. ho. 4. in Can.
• * 1.5

  Iacob. And. cōc. 4. in c. 21 Luc.
• * 1.6

  Praef. cō Phi∣lip. in ep. ad Cor.
• * 1.7

  Bened. Morgen∣ster in Tract. de Eccl. Lib 3.
• * 1.8

  Matt. 24.
• * 1.9

  2. Tim. 3. 2. Pet. 2. & 3. Ep. Iud.
• * 1.10

  Li. 3. de. 25.