To return to your unprofitable excursions / how oftentimes in your book / do you pull at the magistrates sword / and what sword you would have I leave to the consideration of all men / seeing you are not satisfied with their imprisonment / whereupon also doth ensue the expense of that which they have. What matter is in all these / that bringeth any help / to the decision of these causes / that are in question between us? how many leaves have you wasted / in confuting of the quotations / which (you say) are vain / foolish / unlearned / and to no purpose of that / for which they are alleged? And if they be so / where learned you / to spend so much time / about them? Did you never learn / that spoude, ta me spoudes axia, elegchein, tôn atopôn esti? to confute trifling things seriously / is a point of those / which have no judgement / to know what is meet for the time and place / and other such circumstances? If I should of the other side now go about to maintain every place / to be not unfitly quoted / unto that end wherefore it is alleged / and show how unjust your reprehensions are / and how small cause you have / to lead them oftentimes / so gloriously in triumph (as you do) which I assure you / I could do in the most places. (As / what could be more fitly alleged / to induce to read the book / then that they should * try all things? what more fitly / to hold men from 1rash condemning of things / then that they should be * slow to speak? what more fitly / to move that they should not mislike of the goodness of the cause for the simplicity or base degree of them that defend it / then / that we * should not have 2the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ / in respect of persons? and what more unjustly done / then that you should whip them / for the printers fault / in putting one place for an other). If I say / I should thus go about / to make good every place / how evil should I deserve / either of learning / or of the truth it self / in blotting of much paper / whereby no profit would come to the reader? And if the days of a man / were as many / as the days of an Oak / I would neither willingly trouble / nor be troubled / with such strife of words. Seeing therefore / God hath shut us in so narrow terms / me think / men should have conscience of pestering the world / with such unprofitable treatises.
To returne to your vnprofitable excursions / how oftentimes in your boke / do you pull at the magistrates sworde / and what sworde you would haue I leaue to the consideration of all men / seing you are not satisfied with their imprisonment / whereuppon also doth ensue the expence of that which they haue. What matter is in all these / that bringeth any helpe / to the decision of these causes / that are in question betwene vs? how many leaues haue you wasted / in confuting of the quotations / which (you say) are vaine / foolish / vnlearned / and to no purpose of that / for which they are alleaged? And if they be so / where learned you / to spend so much time / about them? Dyd you neuer learne / that spoude, ta me spoudes axia, elegchein, tôn atopôn esti? to confute trifeling things seriously / is a poynt of those / which haue no iudgement / to know what is meete for the tyme and place / and other such circumstances? If I should of the other side nowe go aboute to maintayne euery place / to be not vnfitly quoted / vnto that ende wherefore it is alleadged / and shew how vniust your reprehensions are / and how small cause you haue / to leade them oftentimes / so gloriously in triumph (as you do) which I assure you / I could do in the most places. (As / what could be more fitly alleaged / to induce to reade the booke / then that they should * try all things? what more fitly / to holde men from 1rashe condemning of things / then that they shuld be * slow to speake? what more fitly / to moue that they should not misselike of the goodnes of the cause for the simplicitie or base degree of them that defend it / then / that we * should not haue 2the fayth of our Lord Iesus Christ / in respect of persons? and what more vniustly done / then that you should whippe them / for the printers faulte / in putting one place for an other). If I say / I should thus go about / to make good euery place / how euill should I deserue / either of learning / or of the truth it selfe / in blotting of much paper / whereby no profit would come to the reader? And if the dayes of a man / were as many / as the dayes of an Oke / I would neither willingly trouble / nor be troubled / with such strife of wordes. Seeing therefore / God hath shut vs in so narow termes / me thinke / men should haue conscience of pestoring the world / with such vnprofitable treatises.
- 11. Thes. 5. 21. Ja. 1. 19. 20.1. Thes. 5. 21. Ia. 1. 19. 20.
- 2Ja. 2. 1.Ia. 2. 1.
