The first Chapter. The reasons of those, which do ex­toll the authoritie of the Church aboue the Scripture.

THE chiefest reuerence, after God, & God his woorde, is due to the Churche, Christe his spouse, whiche God so dearelie loued, that his will was, that his onely begotten sonne should be a sacrifice for the same, whome he endueth with his spirit, that the sayde Church may be the temple and image of God, wherein his will is to bee celebra­ted both heree, & in the euerlasting life.

Therfore it is godlinesse, diligently to collect & with thankful minde to cōsider [Page] all the giftes, & all the riches wherewith the Church is adorned & enriched. Shee hath the sōne of God for her head,The prayse of the Church of Christ. spouse and sauiour, vnto whom she is maried in faith: shee hath the ioyfull newes of the Gospel: she hath the holy Ghost for her gouernour: shee hath the ministerie pro­longed by the Fathers, the Prophetes, Christ, & the Apostles, which haue most plentifully bestowed vpon her, as vpon a riche treasure house, (as saith Irenaeus) all things apperteyning to trueth,Irenaeus aduersus haeres. lib. 3. ca. 4 that euerie one, which will, may drawe forth of her the drinke of life: shee hath Pa­stours, & authoritie to call Ministers for the setting forth and conseruing of the gospel, of whom it is writtē: How beau­tiful are the feete of thē, Rom. 10.15. which bring good tidings of peace, & bring good tidings of good things: Shee hath ex­cellent gifts, vnderstanding, & y^e inerpre­tation of doctrine giuen by diuine inspi­ration: shee hath also the administration of Sacramentes, & a certaine iurisdicti­on of her own, & lawes of her owne. The holy Scripture adorning her with mar­ueilous prayses, calleth her thoroughly [Page] [...]re, The paradise of the great worke­ [...]n, The citie of y^e holy king, cleare as [...]e dawning of the daye, bright as the [...]orning, beautifull as the Moone, elect the Sūne, who smelleth of ointments, [...]tandeth at the right hande of the king, [...]cked w^t imbrodered gardes of diuers [...]lours, who hath no obscure thing, and [...] through Christ altogither most white.

Therefore, because the sweete name of the Church is ful of worthinesse & re­ [...]erence, herevpon it cōmeth to passe, that [...]anie eloquent & learned men, doe with [...]ately, plentiful & gorgious speache, ex­ [...]ll, amplifie, & exaggerate the maiestie, [...]reheminence, authoritie & dignitie ther­ [...]f, so that they doe affirme, that she hath [...]orce and power aboue the written word [...]f God, & thinke that Christians ought [...]o giue place to her in all thinges.What the ad­uersaries ga­ther of the au­thoritie of the Church. For [...]herevpon the aduersaries of the trueth gather, that the Church is more ancient than the Scripture, & that the Scripture hath her authoritie from the Church, that the Church of the Fathers conti­nued 2449. yeares, before anie thing was written touching religion.

Also, that the Church of the new Testa­ment was gathered togither many yeres with the liuely voyce of the Gospell, be­fore any thing was written by the Apo­stles. And because the Church receiued the Scripture, & allowed it by her owne iudgement, that the authoritie of the Church, which receiued and allowed, is greater than the authoritie of the Scrip­tures, which were receiued and allowed: And therefore, that the authoritie of the Church is not only not inferiour, not on­ly equall, but rather superiour, and better knowen, than the authoritie of the scrip­ture. For the Church hath approued the chiefest scriptures, to be Canonical, whi­che approbation they neither had of thē ­selues, nor of their authours. Otherwise, what cause is there, why wee should re­ceiue the Gospell of S. Marke, whiche sawe not Christ, and yet not receiue the Gospell of Nicodemus, which nowe also is extant, who notwithstanding both saw Christ, and was his schollar? Moreouer, why is the Gospell of Luke the disciple admitted, & the gospel of Bartholomewe the Apostle reiected? Truelie they haue [Page 3] [...]r authoritie, not from the authours, [...]n whome they come, but from the [...]urch. No holy Scripture doth shewe [...] the rest of the Scriptures, which we [...]e, are canonical, and worthie credite: [...] cōsent of the Church hath made them [...]benticall. So that Augustine saieth [...]ll, I would not beleeue the Gospell, August. contra Epist. Manichaeo­rum fundament. cap. 5. [...]re it not that the authoritie of the [...]tholicall Church doeth moue mee [...]o. And especially because there were [...]e in times past, which both reiected [...]o written gospels, & the Euangelistes [...]o, which wrote them, sticking forsooth [...]ought false religion to Christ only, who [...]ither wrote him self, neither comman­ [...]d to be written, but to be preached, and [...]lled his doctrine, not scripture, that is [...] say writing, but the Gospell, that is to [...]y, ioyfull newes. But if wee giue place [...]rein to the Church, as by right wee [...]ght al to giue place vnto her: why then [...]ould we not also giue place vnto her in [...]e matter of the holy Sacramentes, & in [...]her pointes? That the Apostles did [...]rite certaine things, not that their wri­ [...]ngs shold rule our faith & religion, but [...]at their writings should rather serue our [Page] faith and religion. And that it is not to be thought, that the Apostles were able to comprehend in their Epistles al the pre­ceptes and mysteries of our faith, and of christian doctrine: that Christ and his A­postles in so many yeres preached much more, than could be cōprehended w^tin the narow roome of the bokes of the new te­stament. And that therefore so short an a­bridgemēt of the gospell was put in wri­ting: y^t the greatest part thereof, as a rich treasure, might be left to y^e traditions fa­stened in y^e inward bowels of the church.

That therefore many things are to be beleeued,Manie things say the aduersa­ries, are to be beleeued, which are not written which are not written: that the constant sentence of the church, ought to be accepted as the gospel: that therefore in matter of doubt, & in anie raised cōtro­uersie, the authoritie of the traditiō of the church, is more effectuall to cause credit to be giuen, & to proue certainly, then the scriptures, because the tradition is more euident and plaine, & altogether vnflexi­ble: when as contrarilie the Scriptures be oftentimes very obscure, and do suffer them selues to be wrested & applied to a diuers meaning: yea & to that meaning, which any shall presume with him selfe [Page 4] [...]efore hand, & easily to be shifted of with [...] craftie exposition. And that therefore the common sentence of the tradition of the church, is the certaine and inflexible [...]le of the Scriptures: And to be briefe, [...]hat the exactest squier, paterne, & rule of [...]ith is, not the scripture, but the iudge­ment of the Church: That the saying of Christe is:Mat. 18.17. If hee will not heare the church, let him be to thee as an heathē man & a Publicane. 1. Tim. 3.15. That the church is the piller & ground of trueth, and that [...]he can not erre,Io. 16.7. & 13. because Christ promi­sed to her the holy Ghost, which shoulde leade her into al truth. S. Paul exhorteth vs saying, Brethren stand fast, & holde the ordinances, which yee haue bene taught, &c. To be brief, they go about to proue by the testimonie of the Prophete Hieremie, Hierem. 31.33. that this is the propertie of the doctrine of the newe testamēt (which first was published by Christ, and after­ward by the instruction of the holy ghost, was preached by the Apostles, & spread abroad throughout y^e whole world) wher­by God would haue it to be knowen frō y^e doctrine of the olde testament, y^t it should neither bee ingraued in tables of stone, [Page] nor written with inke and paper. That the Apostles were commāded by Christ toMatth. 28.19. Mark. 16.15. preach, not to write. Finally they dispute much of the briefnesse, insuffici­encie, flexiblenesse, ambiguitie, and ob­scurenesse of the Scripture, and rolling in all their pointes of Rethoricke, do goe about to proue the necessitie, authoritie, perfection, certaintie, & plainnesse of vn­written Traditions: that is to say, That we should fetch the rule of faith, not from the worde of God, but from the Tradi­tions of the Church: and that there is so much force in the Scripture, as is gran­ted therevnto by the consentes & voyces of the Church.

The second Chapter. The deceitfulnes of them is reproued, which do diminish the authoritie of the Scripture, wherevpon the authoritie of the Church doth depend.

Against the persons of the aduersarie. I Do not denie that they, which make these reasons, are prompt, wittie, [Page 5] [...]arned, and eloquent: woulde to God [...]ey were all so vpright and gentle min­ [...]d, that they would put to their furthe­ [...]nce rather to buyld vp the kingdome [...] Christ, then to defend the kingdome of [...]e Pope: and that they woulde rather [...]llowe the sincere doctrine of the Gos­ [...]ell, then mainteine corruptions and ab­ [...]ses. But whilest they are willing to gratifie these antichristian rulers, they [...]un on so farre through the heate of their contention, that through their wicked, cursed, and prophane Rhetorike, they [...]laspheme and [...]pise the holy Ghost. For whē they do so beset and besiege the Scripture, that they call it a Labyrinth, in the which we may go out of the right way: A nose of waxe, which is apt to be bowed vnto either side: A matter of con­trouersies: A nourse garden of discenti­ons: obscure, doubtfull, intricate: What is this, if it be not a reproch agaynst the holy Ghost, the authour thereof?Why they do attribute so much to the Church, and derogate from the Scripture. But the marke whereat they shoote, is this, that whereas they may bee perceiued often­tymes to haue decreed, and ordeined farre otherwise in the Sacraments and [Page] doctrines, then holy scripture can beare, they are willing to mainteine, that it was lawfull for them so to doe, because the Church, which maketh the holy scrip­tures to be of authoritie and credite, can change therein whatsoeuer shall seeme good vnto her. Therefore least the maie­stie of the Scripture should let their lust, they are not afrayde to diminish the au­thoritie thereof:They do imi­tate herein the olde heretikes. wherein they do seeme to imitate the craftinesse and naughti­nesse of the auncient heretikes, who be­ing willing to eschew, least they being pressed with the authoritie of the Scrip­tures shoulde bee ouercome, presumed boldely to denie certaine bookes of the Bible to be canonicall, reiecting them and with great disdaine disallowing them.Irenaeus. lib. 3. cap. 2. For when as they are reproued by the Scriptures (sayth Irenaeus) they do accuse the Scriptures, as though they were not well handled, neither be of authoritie, and because they be di­uersly spoken, & because the truth can not be found forth in them, by those which know not the tradition. Carpo­crates, Seuerus, Cerdo, & Manes, reiec­ted [Page 6] as August. witnesseth,Augustin. de hae­risib. ad quod vult Deum. Tertul. lib. de hae­resib Philaster lib. 1. Euseb Historia Ecclesiae lib. 4. cap. 29. the bookes of the law: although Tertullian report of Cerdo, as also doth Irenaeus of Marcio, that they reiected al the Euangelists but Luke. Philaster reporteth, that Cerin­thus allowed Mathew onely. We reade in Eusebius, that the Seuerians disalow­ed Paul his Epistles, and the Acts of the Apostles. For they did suppose it to be an aduantage for the obteyning of victo­rie, if they did condition, that they, whose dartes they saw were to be feared, might bee throwne foorth of the campe of the Church, before they should come to the battell: Euen so also do these thinke, that they shall triumph, if they may most vn­worthely slander the Scripture of vncer­teintie, imperfectiō, ambiguitie, & obscu­ritie. And euen as those old heretikes did cōtentiously affirme, that the truth could not be founde by them, which knewe not the tradition deliuered not by writing, but by liuely voice: in like maner do these also mainteine, that the Apostles haue not comprehended in their writings all things, which wee ought to beleeue: and most obstinately contend, that all things [Page] apperteyning to godlinesse, are not con­teyned in the Scripture: that thou maist vnderstand, that both the one and the o­ther are inforced with the selfe same spi­rite of errour.

It is a pernici­ous errour to contend that the authoritie of the scripture must be suppor­ted by the de­termination of the Church.Wherefore we must withstand them by all meanes possible. For it is a most hurtfull, and perillous errour, to holde that the credite of Scripture, shoulde hang on the determinatiō of the Church: which being granted, Christ shall not be Christ, nor the Gospel the Gospel, nei­ther shal we take the Apostles for the A­postles, nor the writings of the Apostles for the Apostles writings, but so farre forth as they be allowed in their Coun­cels, by their owne consents and iudge­ments. Here truly must the seruāts needs be greater then the Lorde, that the Lord may not be beleeued, but onely so farre forth as his seruants will that he shall be belieued: as though forsooth God his eternall and inuiolable truth shoulde be grounded and staied vpon the iudgement of men. Neither is it lawfull nor sure to dallie in diuinitie, as shall please mens deuises. [...]. Cor. 2.14. For the naturall man percei­ueth [Page 7] not the things of the spirite of God, and all the thoughts, sayings,Psal. 62 9. and 116.10. & deedes of men doe more resemble lying then truth, forRom. 3.4. God onely is true. Neither [...]e the argumentes strong and sounde, [...]hich these patrones of superstitions take for the defence of their opinion, [...]ut rather feeble and weake (as in dis­cussing and examining them shall ap­peare) although the simple being delu­ [...]ed with the onely shew of truth, be hol­ [...]en still in errours and superstitions, and [...]lienated from the truth. But let not vs [...]uffer our selues to bee brought to this passe, that we graunt, that the holy scrip­ture hath receiued credite and authoritie from the Church, seeing that the matter [...]s farre otherwise. For what authoritie or estimation soeuer the Church hath, it [...]ommeth wholy from the worde of God, whereof also the Church hath the begin­ning: Euen as Peter saith:1. Pet. 1.23. Ye are borne [...]new, not of corruptible seede, but of [...]ncorruptible, by the worde of God, which liueth and lasteth for euer. And [...]aul saith:1. Cor. 14 15. In Christ Iesus I haue begot­ [...]en you through the Gospel. Therfore [Page] as is the daughter to the mother, so is the Church to the Scripture. And since we do all confesse, that the Church is sustei­ned by the foundation of the Prophets & Apostles, truly if the doctrine of the Pro­phets and the Apostles be the stay of the Church, it must necessarily follow, that the authoritie of the doctrine doeth excell the authoritie of the Church. Neither is there anie cause that they shoulde cauill, that the Church was 2449. yeres before Moses, & before the Scripture, because they make Moses his bookes most anci­ent: which in deede I do confesse, in re­spect of those bookes, which now are ex­tant. But how know they, whether that ancient Church, which was before Mo­ses had written hisMoses bookes are called the Pentatenche, because they are fiue in num­ber. Numer. 21.14. Pentatenche, had a­nie bookes of holy Scripture or none? Moses doth cite the booke of the warres of the Lord. And inIosu. 10. [...]3. Iosua is the booke of the Iust cited. And it may be that No­ah, Abraham, Isaac, & Iacob wrote those things, which did pertein to their times, as Moses did afterward gather them to­gither, and by the inspiration of the holie ghost set them in order. What say you to [Page 8] [...] moreouer, thatIudas. 1.14. Iudas in his Epi­ [...] alledgeth certaine things forth of the [...]ke of Enoch? Neither is there anie [...]e, why ye should say vnto me, that that [...]e isThese bookes are called Apo­chyphal, whose authours are not knowen. apochyphal. Peraduēture that [...] was apochyphal, which was caried [...]ut after that age, wherein the Apo­ [...]s liued: but those things which Iudas alledged, were firme & certaine. But be [...]or I wil not contend) that the word of [...] was not written before Moses, but [...] only vttered by the mouth, and as it [...]re deliuered frō hand to hand. What [...]keth this to the matter w^c we haue in [...]d? For the same word, whē afterward [...] was put in writing, must needes be so [...]erued and restrained, that nothing [...]ght be altered therin by mē. The word [...] God is inuiolable, & cleane w^tout cor­ [...]tion, whether it be deliuered by voice, [...]y writing, neither can it sound cōtra­ [...] things. I confesse that theIn Greeke [...]. vnwritten [...]de was more ancient thē that, which [...]r was put in writing. But I acknow­ [...]ge onely betweene these two the diffe­ [...]ce of time, & not of efficacy or authori­ [...] But in that the church is gathered by [Page] the worde of God, it must needes folow, that the Church is later then the woorde of God, and inferiour to it. Wherefore it is most euident, that the Church taketh her excellencie and dignitie from the worde of God.

The third Chapter. That the authoritie of Scripture is greatest, because it containeth the worde of God, which in the be­ginning was deliuered to the Church by liue­ly voyce.

THe authoritie of holie Scripture is farre greatest,The Scripture was reuealed from heauen by God. because it containeth the worde of God him self, and tooke her beginning of the holy Ghost. For the doctrine conteined in holie Scripture was not vttered, enlarged, and plainelie set foorth by Philosophers, which liued in Grece or Italie, but published by God him selfe, and reuealed from heauen to certaine chosen men. The heauenly Fa­ther did declare it with his owne voyce [Page 9] [...] the Patriarchs and Prophets. The [...]erlasting in heauen, and in the verie [...]ome of his father, I meane the onely [...]gotten sonne of God, our Lord and sa­ [...]ur Iesus Christ, comming downe to [...] shewed it. The holie Ghost in al ages [...]spired certaine excellent men, who de­ [...]ered the worde vncorruptly.2. Pet. 1.20.21. Knowe [...]s (sayth Peter) that no prophesie in t [...]e Scripture is of anie priuate inter­ [...]etation. For the prophecie came not [...]olde time by the will of man: but [...]ly men of God spake, as they were [...]oued by the holy Ghost. Wherefore [...]ul defineth this doctrine:1. Cor. 2.6.7.8 & 10. The wise­ [...]me not of this world, neither of the [...]nces of this worlde, which come to [...]ught, but the wisedome of God in a [...]ysterie, euen the hid wisedome, which [...]od had ordeined before the worlde, [...]ich God hath reuealed by his spi­ [...]e. The scriptures are the princi­ples of diuinitie Therefore all most excellent points [...]e to be attributed to the Scripture, the [...]cles and diuine sayings whereof, are [...]h in diuinitie, as are in euerie science [...] principles of the same, which must [...]edes be supposed and graunted.

The lawe and the Prophets.Moreouer, vntill Christ came into the worlde, the Scripture was conteined in the lawe, and prophesies. So do wee see that Moses and the Prophets are ci­ted by Christ and the Apostles as appro­ued witnesses, whose writings were re­ceiued amongst the people of God with­out controuersie, none otherwise then publike registers.The writings of the Euan­gelists and of the Apostles. The Apostles did first witnesse with liuely voice that, which was giuen them in commaunde­mēt. But after that the doctrine of Christ was spread wide and broade, and confir­med with innumerable miracles and wonders: and after that the Church was established, which tooke her beginning of the preaching of the worde by fayth, but yet so, that the worde went before, when as many false Apostles rose vp, who vnder the pretence of reuelations and traditions of the Apostles, brought monstrous toyes into the Churche, and corrupted the purenesse of God his worde, it seemed good to the holy ghost, that the summe of the Apostles prea­ching shoulde bee sette foorth in wri­ting, that it might bee left perfect for [Page 10] [...]em, which should come after. Where­ [...]e by the instinct of the holie Ghost, [...]wo of the Apostles wrote, as witnes­ses of thinges, which they had seene: and two of the Disciples and Aposto­ [...]e men wrote also, as witnesses of [...]ose thinges which they had hearde, [...] the Apostles, whome other doe af­firme to haue seene also the thinges that they wrote. Those writings make the foure Gospels, touching the which [...]renaeus debateth manie thinges in the [...]leuenth Chapter of his thirde Booke agaynst Heresies:Irenaeus. li. 3. ca. 1▪ where hee shew­ [...]th, that there must bee foure Gospels [...]nely, not because the Church hath recei­ [...]ed foure onely, but because God hath so appointed.

Touching the Gospel of Mat­ [...]hewe,The Gospel af­ter Matthew. Hieronymus. Saint Hierome writeth this Historie: Pantaenus, when hee was sent by Demetrius Bishop of Alex­andria into India, founde that Bar­ [...]holomew did preach there the com­ming of Christ according to the Gos­ [...]el of Matthew, the which being also written in Hebrue, he brought from [Page] thence with him to Alexandria. Here­vnto agree those things,Nicephor. lib. 4. cap. 32. & lib. 7. cap 36. which Nice­phorus sheweth in the 32. chapter of his 4. booke. The same Nicephorus repor­teth in the 36. Chapter of his 7. booke, that the Gospel of Matthew was founde in Barnabas his tombe, written with Barnabas his owne handes. Whereby may be gathered, how greatly Apostolik men did esteeme this Gospel.The Gospel after Marke. Euseb. lib. 1. cap. 5 Eusebius forth of Clement doth report, that Peter the Apostle did approue and confirme by his own iudgement the Gospel of Mark, and did ordeine, that it should be reade in the Churches.Nicepho. li. 2. ca. 1 Nicephorus sayth, that Peter indited the Gospel of Marke, and decreed, that it shoulde from thenceforth be read in the Congregations.Irenaeus. li. 3. ca. 1. Irenaeus sayeth: Marke the Disciple and inter­preter of Peter, hath deliuered vnto vs those precepts, which were preached by Peter.

The Gospel after Luke. Irenae li. 3. ca. 14.The same Irenaeus writeth of Luke thus: The Apostles deliuered to al men simplie, and enuying no man, those thinges, which they themselues had learned of the Lorde. And therefore [Page 11] [...]ke also enuying no man, deliuered to vs in like maner, those thinges which he had learned of thē. The Gospel after Iohn. Euseb. li. 3. ca. 24. Further­more Iohn perused ouer the writings o [...] [...]he three Euangelists, and witnessed t [...]t they were true. Finally, he finished [...] writing of the Gospel. Therefore he [...]cludeth the Historie written by him [...]is:Iohn. 20.30. & 31 And manie other things truely did Iesus before the eyes of his disci­ [...]l [...]s, which are not written in this [...]ke. These are written, that ye might [...]eeue, that Iesus is Christ the sonne [...] God, and that in beleuing, ye might [...]e life thorowe his name. Vnder [...]th wordes he comprehendeth not on­ [...] [...]is owne Gospel, but also the Gospels [...] [...]he rest of the Euangelistes, as also [...] olde writers haue vnderstoode this [...]ce. And then trulie was the truth of [...] Gospel acknowledged and receiued, [...]en as yet there remained aliue, which [...] both heard and seene the Lorde [...] selfe in his mortall fleshe: or had [...]rde the chosen Apostles and Disci­ [...]s, which were familiar and con­ [...]sant with him.

The writings of Paul.And because also counterfeite Epi­stles, as though they had come from Paul and from the other Apostles, were obtru­ded vnto the Churches, Paul did note his owne naturall Epistles with a pe­culiar signe of his owne hande, least false Epistles should be put in the place of those which were true. For this cause read we in the ende of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians: The salutation of me Paul, with mine owne hand, which is the token in euery Epistle. So I write. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all. 2. Thes. 3.17.18. Tertullianus lib. de praescrip­tione aduersus haereticos. Amen. What say you to this moreouer, that Tertullian reporteth, that the authentike and originall Epi­stles of the Apostles, that is to say, their owne hand writings, were kept euen in his time, in those Churches, to whome they were written? And the Epistles of Paul are approued by the expressed testi­monie of Peter. 2. Pet. 3 15. & 16. The Epistle of Iohn the Apo­stle. 1. Iohn. 5.13. And Iohn concludeth his Epistle thus: These things haue I writ­ten vnto you, that beleeue on the name of the Sonne of GOD, that you may knowe, that you haue eter­nall life, and that you may beleeue [Page 12] [...] the name of the Sonne of God. [...]d hee finisheth the Reuelation with [...]is most weightie calling to witnesse:Reuel. 22.18. & 19. [...] [...]estifie vnto euerie man that heareth t [...]e woordes of the prophecie of this [...]oke, if anie man shall adde vnto [...]ese sayings, God shall adde vnto him [...]e plagues that are written in this booke: And if anie man shall take a­way from the wordes of the booke of this prophesie, God shall take awaye [...]is part out of the booke of life, and [...]ut of the holie Citie, and from the [...]hings which are writtē in this booke. Therefore that is the Gospel of the Ca­ [...]olike Church, whiche being put in [...]riting, God hath sealed for his worde. And this is the cause, that the Churches [...]f all ages haue taken the bookes of the [...]ewe Testament for authentike, which [...]n these dayes we do with reuerence ac­ [...]nowledge for authentike, and which we doe most constantly affirme, ought to he beleeued.

There is a most euident testimonie touching this matter in Irenaeus: Irenaeus. lib 3. in praefacione. The Church (sayth he) learned the true and [Page] liuely faith of the Apostles, The Gospel preached by the liuely voice of the Apostles is put in writing. and distri­buted it to her children. For the Lorde of all gaue the power of the Gospel to his Apostles, through whom we haue also knowne the trueth, that is to say, the doctrine of the sōne of God, vnto whom also the Lord said. Luke. 10.16. He that hea­reth you, heareth me: & he that despi­seth you, despiseth me: & he that despi­seth me, Irenaeus. li. 3. ca. 1. &c. For we haue not knowne the setting in order of our saluation by any other, then by them, by whom the Gospel came to vs, which then they did preach, and afterwarde by the will of God, deliuered vnto vs in the Scrip­tures, to be the foundation and piller of our fayth. Thou hearest by the testi­monie of this most ancient and holy Bi­shop, that the Apostles did afterward by the will of God deliuer vnto vs in wri­ting, the same Gospell, which first they published with liuely voyce, that this written Gospell might be the foun­dation and piller of our fayth. And al­though hee doeth vrge this poynt: That all Churches taught and instructed by the Apostles, shoulde keepe the vnitie of [Page 13] [...] founded in the Scriptures: yet doth [...]twithstanding maintaine this also:Irenaeus lib. 2. cap. 47. & lib. 5. [...]at the Scripture is the schole of per­ [...] and absolute wisedome.

Moreouer, although all thinges that [...]ist did, be not written,All things in deede are not written, not­withstanding those things, which are suffi­cient for the Church, are written. nor all the ser­ [...]s, which he made, bee not set downe writing worde for word, least the num­ [...] of bookes should be infinite, yet hath [...] holy Ghost chosen forth those things [...]e written, which might suffise for the [...]ruction and confirmation of the faith [...]he elect, as Augustine plainelie tea­ [...]th forth of the word ofIohn 20.30. August. in Ioan. tract. 49. Iohn 20.30.31 & 21.25. Iohn the E­ [...]gelist? For whereas the Lord Iesus ( [...]eth he) did manie things, all are not [...]itten, as euen the selfe same holy E­ [...]ngelist him selfe witnesseth, That the [...]rde Christ, both did and spake ma­ [...]e things, which are not written. But [...]ose things were chosen foorth, and [...]ritten, which did seeme to be suffici­ [...]t for the faith of the faithful. There­ [...]re euen by the witnesse and consent of [...]ugustine, those things are plentifullie [...]ritten, which the holy Ghost iudged to [...] inough, for the obteyning of the true [Page] knowledge of Christe and of the blessed life.Cyril. in Io. lib. 12 Cyrillus in his 12. booke vpon Iohn doeth agree to Augustine: All thinges, (saith he) which the Lorde did, are notwritten, but the writers thought those thinges which are written suffi­cient, aswell for manners, as for doc­trine: that we shining in right faith & good workes, may come to the king­dome of heauen through Iesus Christ: Thus much hath he. Neither doth it fol­lowe herevpon, that those thinges which were not written were vaine, and to no purpose. They were then verie profita­ble for the confirming and erecting of the Church of Christe: Yet notwithstanding the whole Gospel was moste faithfully drawen into that summe, which might fully suffise them, that should come after.

The iiii. Chapter. The place of Ieremie his 31. Chapter is discussed: & also it is shewed, that the Apostles wrote the Gos­pel by the will of God.

[...]Ntichrist his garde setteth vpon vs [...] in this place, & wresteth a dart forth [...] Ieremie, The places of Ieremie chap. 31. verse 33. & 34. and of the 2. to the Cor. chap. 3. verse 2. and 3. doe not proue that the Apostles ought not to write. which wee must needes [...]e, howe weake it is, to proue that, [...]ch they goe about. Truely they abuse [...]oo shamefully the holie oracles of [...]d, who by wresting these woordes of [...] Prophete, vnto a cleane contrarie, [...]ishe, and absurde sense, goe about to [...]re the eyes of the simple, and to di­ [...]ishe the maiestie of the Scripture. [...]d as they, which in scholes geue them [...]ues to shew their fine witts, and which [...]ercise themselues in eloquence, do fight [...]ainst elequence, with the weapons of [...]oquence: euen so doe these by the coun­ [...]naunce of Scripture, endeuour to o­ [...]rthrowe the authoritie of Scripture. [...]ut they are cloudes, easie to be scatte­ [...]d with a verie smal blast of an answere. [...]ieremie doeth prophesie, that an other [...]ouenaunt must bee made in the name [...]f God, but not so as it was made in time [...]ast with the fathers. And amongst other [...]hinges he saith vnder the person of God: [...] will plante my lawe in the inwarde partes of them, Iere. 31.33.34. and write it in their [Page] heartes, and will bee their God, and they shalbe my people: And frō thence foorth shall no man teache his neigh­bour or his brother, and saye, Knowe the Lord: but they shall all knowe me from the lowest to the highest, saieth the Lorde: for I will forgiue their mis­deedes, and wil neuer remember their sinnes anie more. Vnto this prophesie do they ioyne the place of Paul, in the se­cond to the Corinthians, and third chap­ter: Ye are our Epistle written in our heartes, vnderstoode and read of all men: For as much as ye are manifestly declared, that yee are the Epistle of Christe ministred by vs, written not with ynke, but with the Spirit of the li­uing God: not in stonie tables, but in fleshlie tables of the heart. They would proue forth of these places, that the pro­pertie of the doctrine of the newe Testa­ment is so appointed by God him selfe, that it can neither be written in tables, nor in papers, nor with penne, nor with ynke, nor by any other meanes. What and if some Libertine with the Euthusi­astes make further exception, that the [Page 15] [...]rine of God cannot be deliuered by [...] voyce, forsomuch as God his will [...]to illuminate mennes mindes with [...]ledge, that they shall all know him [...] the least to the greatest, so that no [...] shal haue neede to teache his neigh­ [...] saying: Knowe the Lorde: Ierem. 31.34. What [...] they, I beseeche you, aunswere for [...] traditions? yet dare they goe fur­th [...] insomuch that they say, that it was [...] without his commaundement, in [...] the Euangelistes and Apostles did [...]mitte certeine things to writing, be­ [...]se the Lorde commaunded them to [...]eache, and not to write,Mat. 28.19. Mar. 16.15. and also be­ [...]se the worde of God conteyned in the [...]spell, is of such a nature, that it can [...] be expressed in writing. And yet the [...]hour of the Epistle to the Hebrues, Heb. 8.8. [...]he middest of his writing, whilest hee [...]eth downe the doctrine of the niewe [...]enant in writing, alledgeth the selfe [...]ne sentence of Hieremie. And Paule [...] nowe alreadie written, both the E­ [...]tle to the Thessalonians, and the first [...]pistle to the Corinthians, when hee [...]yed: Not with ynke, 2. Cor. 3.3. but with the spi­rite [Page] of God, yea he did deliuer the selfe same then not with liuely voice, but in writing, & did purpose to write more af­terwarde. It is therefore plaine, that nei­ther the Apostles did so vnderstande the sentence of Hieremie nor Paul his owne, saying, as these triflers faine: that is to say, that the doctrine of Christe and his Apostles cannot beare, to be comprehen­ded and deliuered in writing. Certainely if their sentence may preuaile, it will fol­lowe, that the Apostles and Euangelists did wickedly, beside, yea rather against the minde of the Lorde, blemishe the doc­trine of grace, in that they did committe that worde to writing and papers, which is vnapt to bee written, and vnto which suche a propertie is allotted by God, that by no meanes it ought to bee committed to writing. And hath hellish rage so blin­ded them, that they cannot consider this? These are they forsooth, which bring the professoures of the sincere doctrine into hatred, and accuse them of noueltie, when as they them selues doe mocke the Churche with niewe, foolishe, and [Page 16] [...] deuises. Who at anie time be­ [...] [...]hem, did so vnderstande or inter­ [...] Hieremie? Augustine a man of a [...] sharpe witte, in that booke, which [...]ote of the spirit and letter, handleth place of the Prophete at large, and [...]eaketh he not so much as one worde [...]is interpretation, neither doeth anie [...] olde writers agree with them there [...] Where is then this consent of the [...]rche, which they so greatly bragge [...]nd require? Are these Giauntes so [...]de, to thinke that they haue seene [...] which hath escaped the most excel­ [...] lights of the Church? Fie for shame, [...]e foolishe and friuolous is that diffe­ [...]ce of the olde and newe Testament, [...]ich they appoint? Truely this reward [...]e they for contemning the scripture, [...]t they may staine the maiestie thereof [...]h their wicked toyes: you may see [...]m (that I may vse the woordes of Ba­ [...]) weaue the lenowe webbe of the spi­ [...]t.Mat. 7.6. But let vs singularly reuerence the [...]earle troden vnder foote by hogges, [...]d keepe it most religiously.

Let vs therefore see the most sweete sentence of this excellent prophesie,The place of Hieremie the 31.33. is discussed. full of Euangelicall and heauenly comfort. Therefore shall it appeare, that the Pro­phetment nothing lesse than that, which these goe about to wreste forth of his wordes: yea rather that this place is di­rectly against them. Moreouer, no man will doubte, which shall heare Paule the Apostle, and the epistle to the Hebrues, who are the most certaine interpreters of this prophesie,2. Cor. 3.3. but that this prophesie doeth wholie appertaine to the kingdom and time of Christ,Heb. 8.8. and that the diuine Prophete did prophesie in this place, of the benefit of Christ. And God doth pro­mise by expresse wordes, That hee will make a newe couenant with his people, to heale the weakenesse of the first, and to correct the corruptions, whiche were crepte into it, by no faute of God, but thorowe the noughtinesse of the people, who as league breakers were departed from it, neither tooke him, according to the conditions of the league, for their God, in beleeuing him, worshipping him, and obeying his lawes. For they [Page 9] [...]ere weaker by meanes of their natu­ [...]ll vanitie, corruption and stubburnesse, [...]en that they coulde frame themselues [...]roughly to the folowing of GOD his [...]ill, and to perfect obedience. Where­ [...]ore that league was broken oftentimes [...]hrough their vnfaithfulnesse. What [...]houlde God therefore doe? if he had bin willing to haue dealt according to extre­mitie of lawe, and to haue punished them for breaking the league, he might forth­with haue forsaken the people, which brake the league, and, as they deserued, haue cast them of, and haue appointed them to suffer euerlasting torments. But the vsing his greate mercie, suche is his goodnesse and loue towardes mankinde, was rather willing to spare those misera­ble men, and their weakenesse, then with­out mercie, and with seueritie to reuenge the iniuries done vnto him. Therefore he shewed the remedie, when he promised that he woulde make a niewe couenaunt with his people, which once he chose vn­to himselfe. Which couenante, as tou­ching the matter and substance is moste niew. For his will was not, by changing [Page] his purpose after the manner of men, to backe and to make frustrate that, which once he had decreed: neither did he make a newe couenant cleane contrarie to the first. For God his purpose is vnchange­able: although as touching the proper­ties or qualities,Chrisost. In Haebraeos. Homilia. 14. it may be iudged after a sorte niewe. Which thing Chryso­stome hath expressed by a verie goodlie similitude: Beholde, saith he, this also is niew, when as some things thereof are taken away, and some things remaine, as if one alter an olde & ruinous house thorowly, and lay new foūdations: we say foorthwith, he hath made it niewe, when as he hath but taken away some thinges, and chaunged some thinges. Therefore GOD pitying the state of mankinde, hath dayly ioyned greater benefites, and hath more and more polished that, which as yet to his an­cient benefites was rude, and only be­gonne, and hath made it perfecte.

Three princi­pall pointes of the new renew­ed league.Of this new, or rather renewed league, there be chiefly three principall pointes, whereby GOD cureth all the inwarde diseases of mankinde, and re­ [...]oreth [Page 18] him to perfect health. And these [...]ointes are the inwarde reforming of [...]ens heartes, the lightening of their mindes to the knowledge of God, and [...]he free forgiuenesse of their sinnes, of the which inestimable benefites, to bee bestowed in the time of the Gospel, not onelie Hieremie, but also the rest of the prophetes haue prophecies. And of the reformation and correction of heartes, that is to say, of regeneration and newe birth, Ezechiel hath prophesied moste clearely of all:Ezech. 36.25.26. & 27. The reformati­on of heartes. I will sprinckle (saith he) cleane water vppon you, and ye shall be cleane, yea from all your vnclean­nesse, and from all your idol [...] shall I cleanse you: a newe hearte also will I geue you, and a newe spirite will I put into you: as for that stonie hearte, I will take it one of your fleshe, and geue you a fleshie hearte: I will geue my spirite amongst you, and cause you to walke in my commaun­dementes, and ye shal keepe my iudge­mentes, and doe them. Esaie. 11.9.2. The lighte­ning of the mindes. Of the lighte­ning of the minde, is this prophesie [Page] of Esaie: Iohn. 6.45. The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lorde, euen as the Sea floweth ouer with water: Esaie 54.13. Actes. 2.7. & 18. Ioel. 2.28. & 29. Also, And they shal be all taught of God: Againe this prophesie of Ioel which Saint Peter interpreteth: And it shal be in the last daies (saith God) of my spirite I will powre out vpō all flesh: & your sonnes, and your daughters shall prophesie, & your young men shall see visions, and your olde men shall dreame dreames: And on my seruants, and on my hand­maydens, I will powre out of my spi­rite. The remission of sinnes. Of the free remission of sinnesEsai. 53.4.5.6.8.11.12. Dan. 9.26. Miche. 7.18. & 19. E­saie hath reasoned most plainely in his liii. chapter: And Daniel in his 9. chap­ter: Micheas also in his last chapter, Who is such a God as thou (saith he,) that pardonest wickednesse, and forgi­uest the offences of the remnant of thy heritage? He keepeth not his wrath foreuer: for his delight is to haue cō ­passion. He shall turne againe, and be mercifull to vs, he shal put downe our wickednesses, & cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the sea,

But what: did the holy fathers of the [Page 11] [...]lde testament lacke these benifits? Not [...]: For in obeying the commaundements of GOD, and in belieuing rightly, they did worshippe God purely, which thing they did not performe by the strength of [...]ree will, nor by naturall power. For had it not beene that they had Gods lawes & promises written in their minde and vn­derstanding by the holie Ghost, and also a good wil to obey his commaundements through the grace of God, they had not bin able to haue done such things. There­fore they wanted not the diuine light,The difference of the olde and newe Testa­ment. which lightened them to beleeue & obey: And their sinnes also were forgeuē them through Christ. Therefore they also en­ioyed these good thinges. Why then did he promise, that he woulde geue these thinges in the new League? Truely be­cause the father shewed foorth the power of his spirit, much more plentifully vnder the kingdom of Christ, and poured foorth his mercie vpon men: This excellencie is the cause, that that small portion of grace, which he vouchesafed to bestowe vpon the fathers vnder the lawe, is not to be made accompt of. Therefore the diffe­rence [Page] consisted herein onely, euen in the largenesse and plainnesse. For at that time those giftes were restrained to verie fewe: but now are the Gentils also made partakers of them. They were in that age somewhat darke and intricate, but vnto vs are they made plaine and cleare, so that we neede not anie more the oldeGal. 3.24. schoolemaister like instruction. There­fore the difference of the olde and newe Testament doeth consiste in this large­nesse, playnnesse, putting away of the olde schoolemaister like instruction, and excellent clearnesse of the Gospel: and not in that colde and vnsauourie, (I will not say) wicked deuise, of not writing the doctrine of the Gospel, which these tri­flers doe feigne. For what? Hath GOD powred forth in the time of grace so great giftes by the meanes ofEnthusiastico modo. immediate in­spiration from GOD, or without anie meanes? That may not be. By what meanes therefore hath he brought it to passe? Euen by the ministerie of the Gos­pel. For by it hath Christ most effectu­ally shewed foorth the force of his spirit, & hath most clearly made himselfe know­ [...] [Page 20] to men, and hath moste plentifully [...]estowed all the treasures of his hea­ [...]enly riches vpon mankinde. So that [...]e ministerie of the lawe and of Moses [...]e Lawegiuer, in comparison of the mi­ [...]isterie of the Gospel, may seeme verie [...]arraine and drie,2. Cor. 3.6. and as Saint Paule [...]earmeth it, onely the deade letter desti­ [...]ute of the liuely iuyce of God his spi­ [...]ite. Wherefore the same Paule when he woulde commende the efficacie of his ministerie, alluded to the Prophesie of Ieremie, saying: Yee are our Epistle, The place of Paule 2. Cor. 3. ver. 2 & 3. is discussed. written in our heartes, vnderstoode and read of all men: Forasmuche as yee are manifestly declared that yee are the Epistle of Christ ministred by vs, written not with ynke, but with the Spirite of the liuing GOD, not in stonie tables, but in fleshie ta­bles of the heart. Here muste wee diligently note, that hee calleth them forthwith the Epistle of Christ, whom a litle before he called his Epistle: more­ouer, he doth straightway reconcile & ex­poūd those things, which at the first sight [Page] semed to be cōtrarie the one to the other, when as he addeth: Ministred by vs. It may be called his Epistle in this re­spect, that the holie Ghost seemeth to vse him in the writing thereof, as the writer and the penne: and it may also be called the Epistle of Christe, because he is the authour of the saide writing, and endited it to Paul by his spirite, and guided the hande and penne of the writer, and more­ouer ingraued with his finger, the health­full doctrine of the Gospel in the heartes of the Corinthians: by the force whereof, it is not nowe printed in stonie tables, as was the lawe before, but in the fleshly ta­bles of the hearte.

August. De spiritu & litte­ra cap. 26.This is therefore to pertaine to the newe Testament, (saith Augustine) to haue the lawe of God written, not in ta­bles, but in the heartes, that is to say, to conteine the righteousnesse of the lawe in the inwarde affection, where fayth woorketh through loue. This is that sweete goodnesse of the hearte, euen a2. Cor. 5.17. niewe creature in Christe: This is that pleasaunt goodnesse of the minde, euen lightenyng: And this happie and [Page 13] [...]ceiued goodnesse doeth not lead vs [...]y from the Lawe and testimonie, to know not what) vnsauerie traditions, doeth delight in the law of God, and [...]geth to passe, that our will is in the [...]we of the Lord,Psal. 1.2. and that we exercise [...] selues therin day and night, although otherRom. 7.23. law striue still in our members [...]inst the lawe of the minde, vntill the [...]wnesse, which from day to day is in­ [...]ased in the inwarde man, all oldnesse [...]ng chaunged, passe away, The grace God thorow Iesus Christ our Lorde [...]iuering vs from theRom. 7.24. bodie of this [...]ath.

Moreouer, who is he nowe,Against them which go about to obtrude mēs traditions to the Church. but hee [...]y see by the premisses, howe iustly the [...]rt may bee turned backe vpon our ad­ [...]rsaries, which they foolishly and rash­ [...] wrested forth of the Prophesie of Iere­ [...]ie? The Lorde giueth his lawe into [...]r heartes, and writeth it in our bowels [...]ith his finger, and bringeth to passe, [...]at we walke in his statutes, and keepe [...]s iudgements, and doe them, he light­eth our mindes with the knowledge of [...]m, he freely forgiueth our sinnes, and [Page] putteth away our iniquities. Therefore let vs sanctifie and glorifie him, and turne from these iuglers, which thrust vpon vs a doctrine defiled and corrupted with the deuises of men, in steade of the true doctrine of Christ and his Church, endeuouring to bring to passe, with fires, with flames, with water, with swoorde, and with halter, more cruel­ly than euer did Nero, or Dioclesian, that we shoulde receiue the sayde doc­trine as God his woorde, because it is approued and confirmed by the De­crees and Councels of men. So that wee being become the Disciples and scholers, not of Christ the chiefe and heauenly maister, but of men, shoulde hang, not of the authoritie of GOD, but of men, and worshippe him, not after that Religion, which was appoin­ted by his owne lawes, but after that Religion, which mans rashnesse and boldenesse hath deuised and counterfei­ted. With so great Religion forsooth is the fiercenesse of crueltie clothed. The Samaritanes being moued by a woman of their owne nation,Iohn. 4.24. after that they had [Page 22] [...] Christ themselues, answered, that did no longer beleue Christ, because [...]e womans wordes, but because they heard Christ themselues. But howe [...]h more rightly shal we answere these [...]cers of mindes, which goe about by [...]eanes possible, not to leade vs to [...]ist, as did that woman of Samaria, to turne vs from him, that wee doe beleeue them, but Christ: and that [...]e doe not for their sake imbrace the [...]spel, but because wee haue hearde [...]ist himselfe teache: and that wee doe [...] therefore approoue and receiue their [...]cked deuises, because they set them [...]ale vnder the pretence of the Churche [...] Councels, but that wee doe con­ [...]ntly refuse and detest them, because [...]y are manifestly agaynst GOD [...] trueth, and because they doe their [...]st endeuour to make the authoritie [...] GOD subiect to the authoritie of [...]n.

And what madnesse is this,The Apostles wrote by the cōmandement and will of God. in that [...]ey saye, that it was done without the [...]ill of GOD, that the Apostles [Page] and Euangelists write the Gospel: when as in the first writing of the newe Testa­mēt, y^t is to say, in the Epistle of the Sy­nod of the Apostles this gorgious flower is expressely read:Actes 15.28. 2. Tim. 3.16. It seemed good to the holy Ghost. Paule also witnesseth that all Scripture is geuen by inspirati­on of God. To be briefe,Reuel. 1.11. & 2.1, 8, 12.18. & 3 1, 7, 41. Mat. 10.20. Iohn in the Reuelation is cōmaunded often to write for the instruction of the Church. Yea, & the Lorde himselfe witnesseth: It is not yee that speake, but the spirite of your Father he it is which speaketh in you. And we place speaking & writing both in one degree:Marke. 16.15. so that he which said: God into all the worlde and preach, vnder­stoode that the Gospel was also spread abroade by writing, forsomuche as wri­ting is plainely contained vnder doc­trine. To conclude the Catholike Church with one consent doeth witnesse, that the bookes of the niewe Testament were written by the instinct of the ho­lie Ghoste. Doe these men, with whom▪ so ofte as they liste, it is a greate of­fence to departe euen a little from the consente of the Churche, not onelie [Page 15] [...]rt from it, but are directly contrarie [...] it? I meane in this place to repeate discusse the most beautifull sentence [...]enaeus lately cited. And this is it: [...]t is the onely true and liuely fayth, Irenaeus. li. 3. ca. 1 [...]ch the Church hath learned of the [...]ostles, and distributed to her chil­ [...]n. For the Lord of all gaue to his [...]ostles the power of the Gospel, [...]row whom we haue also knowne truth, that is to say, the doctrine of [...] sonne of God, to whom the Lord [...] also: he that heareth you, Luke. 10.16. heareth [...]: and he that despiseth you, despi­ [...] me, and him that sent me. For we [...]e not knowne the disposing of our [...]ation thorow anie other, but tho­ [...]w them, by whom the Gospel came [...]o vs: which then they preached, [...]d afterward thorow the will of God [...]iuered vnto vs in the Scriptures, to the foundation and piller of our [...]th. This sentence of Irenaeus spea­ [...]h generally of the Scripture of the [...] Testament: the authoritie, perfecti­ [...] and sufficiencie whereof, he sheweth [...] most strong demonstration. That is [Page] without controuersie the onely true and liuely faith, which the primitiue Church receiued from the Apostles, and distribu­ted to her children. This faith was in the beginning conceiued of that doctrine, which the Apostles receiued from the sonne of God. And this doctrine whereof the faith of the primitiue Church sprang, did the Apostles deliuer first without writing by liuely voice. Afterwarde they put the same doctrine in writing. By what aduise? Was it by the aduise of man? No, but by the will of God. But did they put the same doctrine in wri­ting? Euen the verie same, which being receiued from the sonne of God, they preached with liuely voyce, out of the which onely the Primitiue Church re­ceiued the true and liuely fayth from the Apostles, and distributed it to her children. Wherevnto tendeth this? That these particular Churches onely,Those things which are writ­ten by the Apo­stles, are writ­ten for vs also. vnto whom the Epistles of the Apostles were writtē, should vse those writings for thei [...] present necessitie onely? Not so: Vnto vs, say I, haue the Apostles deliuered in the Scriptures, the selfe same which they [Page 24] [...]ached. Remember that the Epi­ [...]s of the Apostles (sayth Augustine) [...] not written for them onely, August. contra Cresco Gram­mat. lib. 1. ca. 9. which [...]ard them in the same time when [...]ey were written, but for vs also: nei­ [...]er are they recited in the Churche [...] anie other purpose. And what [...] of the sayde Scripture woulde the A­ [...]stles shoulde bee in the Church?Irenaeus loco supra citato. Ire­ [...]us answereth: that that which they [...]iuered to vs in the Scriptures, might [...]e in time to come the foundation and [...]er of our faith, euen of that true and [...]ely fayth, which the Church receiued the Apostles, & distributed to her chil­ [...]en. Therefore we haue the foundation [...]d piller of fayth in the Scriptures, [...]iche the Apostles by the will of God [...]ue deliuered to vs. Therfore that faith, [...]ich is conceiued, proued, & confirmed, [...]th of any other, then of the Scriptures [...]iuered by the Apostles, is not the true [...]ely faith, y^e Apostolike faith, & the faith the Primitiue Church. These things most manifestly & firmly agre togither [...] Irenaeus his demōstration.For what pur­pose the Apo­stles wrote. Therefore [...]e▪ sheweth for what purpose y^e Apostles [Page] deliuered their doctrine to vs in the scriptures, and what they would the end of the sayde scripture should bee in the Church: euen that it might be the foundation and piller of our faith, which hau [...] not heard the liuely voice of y^e Apostles For wee will hereafter consider those thinges, whiche Irenaeus in the same place reporteth of the accusers of th [...] Scriptures.

Augustine refer­reth the wri­tings of the A­postles to the Lord the writer and authour thereof.And that yet there wicked vaniti [...] may more plainly appeare, which dar [...] affirme, that it was not done by the commandement of Christ, that the Euangelists and Apostles committed certain [...] things to writing, I will bring concerning this matter, the most cleare witne [...] of Saint Augustine. Hee, in the firs [...] booke of the consent of the Euangelist the last chapter,Augustinus de consensu Euange­listarum lib. 1. cap. vlt. sayeth thus: Through the manhoode, which he tooke vpon him, hee is the heade of all his Disciples, as of the members of his own bodie. Therefore when they wrote these thinges which hee shewed and spake: it may not be said that he him­selfe did not write: because his mēber [...] [Page 25] [...]ote that, which they knew, the head [...]structing them. Consider, For whatsoeuer hee [...]ould that we shoulde read touching [...]s deedes and wordes, that did hee [...]mmaūd them to write, as his owne [...]ndes. Whosoeuer shall vnderstande [...]is fellowship of vnitie, and ministerie [...]f members agreeing in diuerse offi­ [...]s vnder one head, he wil none other­wise take that, which he shall reade in [...]he Gospel by the report of the disci­ [...]les of Christ, then if he had beholden [...]he verie hand of the Lorde, which he [...]are in his own bodie, writing it. Loe, what can be more euident then this wit­ [...]esse of this most holie man? Christ wrote in his Disciples, inasmuch as [...]hey wrote that, which hee shewed and [...]pake: yea and whatsoeuer he would, that we should reade of his deedes & wordes, [...]hat did he commaund them to write, as [...]hough they had beene his owne hands, [...]o that we ought none otherwise to take [...]he report of the Euangelists, then if we had beholden the verie hand of the Lord writing it. Are not these most vaine men ashamed, to scatter cloudes in so cleare [Page] weather?Valerius Maxi­mus. lib. 6. cap. 3. Marcus Scaurus, when he was accused of treason openly before the people of Rome by one Varius, sayde thus: Varius Sucronensis sayeth, that Marcus Aemelius Scaurus hath com­mitted treason agaynst the common wealth: Marcus Aemilius Scaurus de­nieth it, whether will you beleeue? At this worde the people forthwith stopped the accion. Howe much more iustly may I in this controuersie, appeale to indiffe­rent iudges and say: Irenaeus and Au­gustine being most ancient and holy fa­thers, yea, and the consent of all the Ca­tholike Church, dee affirme that the A­postles and Euangelists haue compre­hended in writing the doctrine of Christ by the commaundement and will of the Lord. The Herinates, the Pighic [...], the Peresies, the Lindanes, the Andradies, denie it. I pray, you whether will you beleeue? Let them therefore lea [...] [...] to barke against so cleare truth, let them reasse to diminish the holy authoritie of Scripture: yea, rather let them repe [...]t them of their errour and madnesse.

The fifth Chapter. [...]hat all things, which concerne faith, godlinesse, and saluation, are ful­ly and sufficiently conteined in Scripture.

NOw our aduersaries are cast forth of their fortresse by the force of Truth, we shal haue more liberty to cope with them in the open field. It remaineth [...]herefore, that wee handle now more at [...]arge that, which lately we touched in [...]ewe woordes: that is to say, that wee proue, that all thinges which concerne [...]ayth and godlinesse, are fully and abso­lutely conteyned in the Scripture. And God hath giuen so perfect a law, that he hath straghtly forbid anie thing to be ad­ded therevnto. And howe seuerely the Lord hath reuenged this presumption, if any thing haue beene added in the rites, (much more in y^e doctrine) so many most graue sermons of the Prophetes, which are the interpreters of the lawe, made touching these matters, all the holie Hi­stories, yea and Christ himselfe doe most [Page] euidently witnesse. There must be the same iudgement touching the Gospel, forsomuch as it is much more excellent then the Lawe. Except we should per­aduenture thinke, that God, after hee had sent his Sonne into the worlde, had lesse care for his Church: or shoulde sup­pose, that the Apostles vsed lesse dili­gence in that poynt, then did the Pro­phetes.Tertullianus. de praescrip. haeret. Tertullian exclaimeth, saying: Happie is the Church, for whome the Apostles haue powred foorth all the doctrine of GOD euen with their bloud. Acts. 20.27. Ephes. 3.4. Paule witnesseth that he hath ex­pounded to the Ephesians all the coun­sell of God touching euerlasting salua­tion, without anie shifting dissimulation. Can it bee proued that Paul taught anie thing, which he did not write? Can it bee denied, that the full doctrine of the Gospell is plainely comprehended in his Epistles? But least I shoulde bee long, I will content my selfe to alledge one, but yet a verie plaine sentence of Paule: For that being thorowly hand­led, will plainely shewe the perfection and sufficiencie of the Scripture. Hee [Page 27] [...]refore aboute the ende of his life, [...]en as the bookes of the newe Testa­ [...]nt were written and set foorth, spea­ [...]th thus to Timothie the Bishoppe:The place of the Apostle 2. Tim. 3.14 15, 16, 17. is discussed. [...]t continue thou in the thinges, [...]hich thou hast learned, which also [...]ere committed vnto thee, knowing [...]f whome thou hast learned them. and that from an infante thou hast [...]nowne the Scriptures, which are a­ [...]le to make thee wise vnto saluation, [...]hrough fayth which is in Christ Ie­ [...]s. All Scripture is giuen by in­ [...]piration of GOD, and is profita­ [...]le to doctrine, to reproue, to correc­ [...]ion, to instruction which is in righ­ [...]eousnesse, that the man of God may [...]e perfect, throughly instructed vnto [...]ll good woorkes. Rom. 15.4. Herevnto agreeth [...]he place, Rom. 15. Whatsoeuer things haue beene written afore time, were written for our learning: that we tho­ [...]ough pacience and [...]. comfort of the Scriptures, might haue hope. Which two places being weyed, it will plain­ [...]y appeare, that the Scripture is in [...]ll poyntes most perfect. For in them [Page] doeth the Apostle comprehende all the vse of holye Scriptures, and deui­deth it into fiue pointes.1. Doctrine. 1. Doctrine, [...] signifieth the documentes of our Religion, as when we intreate of God, of Gods prouidence, of Predesti­nation, of the Iustification and glorifica­tion of men, of the Lawe, of sinne, of the Gospel, of Fayth, of charitie, of hope, of Christes incarnation, of his death and resurrection, of the resurrection of all the dead,2 Reproofe. and of such like matters. 2. Reprofe [...], is whereby we reproue and con­uince them, which do not reason rightly, and which commit faultes in gathering their arguments. Wherevpon Aristotle instituteth that part of Logike, wherein he sheweth the way to discouer the guiles and deceytes of Sophistes, [...], of Elenghkes, that is to say, of Reprofes. It is therefore Reproofe, whereby the errours of Heretikes, of Philosophers, or of anie other, whiche iudge euill of Religion, are vanquished and confuted.3. Instruction. 3. Instruction. [...], conteineth the teaching of godly life, [Page 28] [...] the informing of manners: as when [...]n of all degrees are put in minde of [...]ir duetie, that euerie man maye haue [...] care for that whiche belongeth vnto [...]m, as when wee teache what is seeme­ [...] for the ministers of the Church, what [...]r husbandes, what for wiues, what [...]r children, what for maisters, what for [...]ruantes, what for riche men, what for [...]oore men. It is also instruction, when [...]xhortations are made to moue men to [...]raye, to doe almes deedes, to fast, to o­ [...]ey the Magistrate, to repent, and to [...]mbrace all kinde of vertues. For those [...]hinges which perteine to this place are [...]erie large. For vnder instructions is [...]omprehended all doctrine of vertues [...]nd vices: is comprehended whatso­ [...]uer concerneth the gouernement of a man him selfe, of his house, of a state: [...]is comprehended whatsoeuer maye bee referred to the Churche, to the common wealth, to all kindes of life.Admonition. Admo­nition, [...], is of the same nature as is Instruction, whereof 1. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 10.11. All these things (saith Paule) hapned vnto [Page] them for ensample: but they are writ­ten for our admonition. This doeth perteine to the instruction and amend­ment of life: the which the examples ap­plied by the Apostle, and all the course of his speache doeth witnesse. For hee sayth,1. Cor. 10.2, 3, 4, 5. that the Fathers which came forth of Egypt were baptized, and that they were refreshed with the spirituall meate and drinke, as well as wee: notwith­standing, when they did not keepe them selues from sinnes, that they were grie­uously punished through God his iu­stice, and vtterly destroyed by death. Therefore doeth the Apostle admonishe all Christians by their examples, that although they bee baptized, and fedde with the spirituall foode of the bodie and bloud of Christ, yet may they not esteeme that sufficient to saluation, but desire moreouer to liue godly and inno­cently, whiche except they doe, that they shall perishe by the example of the old Fathers.4. Correction. 4. Correction, [...], is whereby men are reprooued, correc­ted, and reformed, if anie negligence or faults appeare in their liues & maners. [Page 29] [...]erefore by it are men reproued for de­ [...]ing the doctrine of religion, for hypo­ [...]e, pride, ambition, couetousnesse, [...] such like. And by it is also shewed [...]e they, which haue offended, both [...]ght, and may be amended.5. Consolation. Consola­ [...]n [...], is whereby their [...]ndes are comforted and confirmed, [...]ich either through errour in doctrine, through faulte in actions, or through [...]ne inconuenience either spirituall or [...]porall, were discomforted and discou­ [...]ged. To be briefe, doctrine and re­ [...]oofe are occupied in expounding docu­ [...]entes: instruction, admonition and cor­ [...]ction treate of life and manners, vnto [...]ose two are referred the chiefe pointes [...] fayth: and vnto the other two, the [...]eties of charitie: as vnto consolation [...]e pertaine properly those things wher­ [...]y hope is stirred vp. The first two con­ [...]ine speculation, & instruct the inwarde [...]an: the other two containe action, and [...]mploy all their labour in instructing the [...]utwarde man. The two first discerne [...]rue doctrine from false, when as the one [...]onfirmeth the trueth stoutely, the other [Page] confuteth falshood pithily: The two o­ther discerne godly and honest deedes, from wicked and dishonest deedes: for the one teacheth and persuadeth honest deedes, the other sharpely reproueth dishonest deedes, and doth labour and in­deuour to amende them.

And these pointes haue I written foorth of the most learned Hyperius, tou­ching al the which since y^e most plentiful fountaine of the scriptures doth yeelde a­boundantly most wholesome and sweete preceptes,Hyperius. doeth it not largely minister that, whereby the whole man, as wel the inward as the outwarde, may be rightly instructed in faith, charitie & hope? So that Paule did wholesomely admonishe Timothie to take heede to himselfe,1. Tim. 4.16. and vnto doctrine: for in doing this, he shall both saue himself & them that heare him.

The fathers al­so witnes, that the way of god­linesse is fully set foorth in the Scriptures.Therefore the Authours lastly cited and Augustine also, do teache right wel, that those thinges are written by the E­uangelistes & Apostles, which they iud­ged to be sufficient for the saluation of the beleeuers, as well for manners, as for doctrine: that they shining in right [Page 30] [...], in wordes and vertue might come [...]e kingdom of heauē through Christ, [...] whome Chrysostome agreeth dis­ [...]ing of the worthinesse of the Scrip­ [...]es:Chrysost. In Matt. 22. Homil. 1. Whatsoeuer (saith he) is requi­ [...] for saluation, the same is fully con­ [...]ned in the scriptures. Also:Chrysost. Institutum Homil. 1. The Gos­ [...] containeth all things, both things [...]esent and thinges to come, honour, [...]dlinesse, & faith, & comprehendeth [...] things together vnder the name of [...]dlinesse. Athanasius also accordeth [...]rein, contra gentes: Athanasius con­tra gentes. The holy scrip­ [...]res (saith he) geuen from God by 2. Tim. 3.16. in [...]iration are sufficient for all instructi­ [...]n of truth. I omit many testimonies, [...]hich I could alledge here foorth of the [...]oly fathers, which geue in plaine wit­ [...]es of the perfectiō, fulnes & sufficiency [...]f the Scripture. I doe therefore con­ [...]lude, that all things, which concerne the perfection of the man of God, are plenti­ [...]ully contained in the Scripture. So that Paule did moste wisely admonishe the Euangelicall pastour,2. Tim. 3.15. that it beho­ued him to bee wise foorth of the writ­ten woorde of GOD onelie, wherein are perfectly sette foorth, whatsoeuer [Page] to pertaine, as well to the knowledge & establishing of true doctrines, and to the ouerthrowing of false doctrines: as also to the correcting of euill manners, and instructing of good manners. Therefore do the aduersaries wrongfully complaine of the straitnesse and imperfection of the Scripture: and they doe also vainly con­tende, that all thinges, which concerne faith, are not contained in the bookes of holie Scripture. As by these thinges, which followe, more plainely shall ap­peare.

The vi. Chapter. That the Scripture was geuen by inspi­ration to correct euill manners, and to confute heresies: That foorth of it onelie controuersies must be iudged: And that it is neither darke nor doubtful.

Basilius Homilia in psalmum pri­mum. BAsill Archbishoppe of Caesaria in Cappadocia in the beginning of his Homilie vppon the first Psalme, say­ [...] [Page 31] All the Scripture, being geuen [...] God by Tim. 3.16. inspiration, and pro­ [...]ble, is constantly receiued as it is [...]ten by the holie Ghost, for this [...]ose onelie, that euerie one might [...]ose foorth of it, as foorth of a cer­ [...]e common shoppe, for the curing [...]oules, a medicine healthful and fitt [...]his disease. Well and wisely said Ba­ [...] forsomuch as all thinges, which per­ [...]e to the instruction of true godlinesse, [...] the framing of our life, are fully com­ [...]hended and set forth in the Scripture, doeth appeare by those things, which [...] haue alreadie spoken.2. Tim. 3.14.15.16. & 17. Scripture is [...]e to make the man of God wise vnto [...]uation, through faith, which is in [...]rist Iesus, which was therefore giuen [...] inspiration of God, that foorth of it, a and onelie foorth it, true doctrine [...]ght be confirmed, and false doctrine [...]nfuted:A worthie place of Saint Iohn Chrysostome tou­ching the scrip­ture. Chrysostomus In Matthaeum Homil [...]a 1. and good manners might bee [...]ught, and euill manners reformed. [...]s Chrysostome teacheth most finely [...] his first Homilie vppon Matthewe. It [...]ad bene meet (saith he) that we should [...]ot neede the helpe of writinges, but [Page] that wee shoulde leade so pure a life in all thinges, that wee mighte vse the grace of the spirit, in steed of bookes. But because wee haue put this grace from vs, let vs at the leaste sette our mindes on the seconde remedie. Euen so God spake to the Patriarches, not by writinges, but by himselfe, because he founde their heartes naked. But after that all the people of the Iewes were fallen into the sinke of sinnes, then were writinges necessarily geuen, and the ta­bles, and that admonition, which is ge­uen by them. And wee doe vnderstande playnely, that this did not onely happen to the holie men of the olde Testament, but also of the newe. For neither did Christe deliuer anie thing in writing to his Apostles, but promisedIo. 14.26. Ieremie. 31.33. & 34. 2. Cor. 3.2. & 3. to geue thē the grace of the holie Ghost in steede of writinges. And that this was muche better for them. Hieremie chapter 31. and Paule 2. Cor. 3. doe witnesse. But because in processe of time,16. & 17. some erred greatly in doctrine, & some in wickednes of manners: that admonition also, which is in writing, was needefull. And he ad­ [...]h: [Page 32] Consider how great madnesse it [...]n vs, which haue lost that firste dig­ [...]tie, not to bee willing to vse the se­ [...]nd remedie to saluation, but to de­ [...]ise the heauenly writinges, as geuen to no purpose and in vayne. This [...]ace of Chrysostom doth not only shewe [...] what cause, and to what ende GOD [...]ue vnto vs the Scripture, not onely in [...]e olde Testament, but also in the newe: [...]t also sheweth the vanitie of the main­ [...]yners of the Pope, which reasō foorth [...] Hieremie and Paule, that it is proper [...] the doctrine of the newe Testament [...]euen of God, to bee possible to be writ­ [...]n, neither in tables, nor in paper, nei­ [...]er w^t pen, nor with ynke, nor by any o­ [...]her meanes, but that it must be kept w^t ­ [...]ut writing, and deliuered from hande to [...]and. These bee toyes: Because by the [...]estimonie of Chrysostome we haue lost [...]hat first dignitie, when as the doctrine [...]f the Apostles was deliuered by liue­ly voyce onelie, so that now we haue need of admonitiō put in writing. But because [...] haue reasoned of this matter before, [Page] I will nowe spare to speake anie more hereof.

Testimonies of other Fa­thers touching the same mat­ter. Theophilactus.And that which Chrysostome spake at large, Theophilactus hath compre­hended, as he is woont, in fewe wordes: Because, saith he, There were heresies sprong vp, which might haue corrup­ted our manners, it seemed verie ex­pedient, that the Gospels shoulde be written: that we learning the trueth foorth of them, shoulde not bee de­ceiued by the lies of heresies. Hieronymus. Hie­ronymus also agreeth herevnto: For as it was necessary (saith he) that the Gos­pel should be preached for the confir­mation of faith, so was it also necessa­rie, that it shoulde be written against Heretikes. Augustinus in E­pistolam Iohan­nis Tractatu 2. Herevnto also doeth Augu­stine geue his consent, who vppon the se­conde Epistle of Iohn Tractatu 2. hath these wordes: You ought chiefly to cō ­sider, and to commit to your remem­braunce, that God his will was to put a chiefe stay in the Scriptures against deceiptful erroures: against the which no man dare speake, who in anie sorte is desirous to seeme to be a Christian. [Page 33] [...]or when he had offered himself to be [...]ndled, it suffised him not, but that [...] did confirme the hearts of the faith [...]ll out of the Luke. 24.44. Scriptures. For he did [...]rouide for vs, which were to come. [...]hat which we may handle, wee haue [...]ot: but that which wee may reade, [...]ee haue. Loe, God his wil was to put [...]rong defence against the deceiptes of [...]rroures in the Scriptures: Therefore [...]or [...]th of the Scriptures are all here­ [...]es to be confuted, and doctrines to be [...]dged with this shield, with this sworde, [...]ith these weapons must heresies be put [...]acke. For the Scripture is as it were a [...]peciall, singular and sure preseruatiue, [...]efending vs against the paysons of all kinde of errours.

Herevpon is it,In all contro­uersies we must haue re­course to the Scriptures, not to the au­thoritie of men Actes. 9.22. that the auncient fa­ [...]hers, so often as controuersies rose in re­ [...]igion, fled rather to the Scripture, then [...]o councels, or to anie authoritie of men, because the Scripture onelie can iudge firmely, soundely, and holily. Beholde Paule being furnished with the weapons of Scripture onelie, disputed against the Iewes, although they were roughe [Page] and ouerthwarte,Act. 17.11. if Luke reporte the trueth. And the holie Ghost commendeth the Iewes of Berrea, who, when they had receiued the woorde, with all readi­nesse of minde, searched the Scriptures, whether those thinges were so. Worthi­ly sayeth Augustine vnto Maximinus: Augustinus con­tra Maximinum Libro 3. cap. 14. Neither ought I to alledge the Coun­cell of Nice, nor thou, of Ariminum, as by preiudice to hurte one another his cause: Neither am I bounden to the authoritie of the one, nor thou, of the other. Let matter contende with matter, cause with cause, rea­son with reason, by the authorities of Scriptures, witnesses, not proper to anie, but common to either. Cresco­nius the Grammarian disputing with Augustine, obiected vnto him the au­thoritie of Cyprian. Augustinus. Contra Cresconi­um lib. 2. cap. 32 Augustine an­swereth: I am not bounden to the au­thoritie of this Epistle: for I esteeme not the writinges of Cyprian as Ca­nonicall, but I consider of them foorth of the writinges, which are Canonicall: and that, which in them agreeth with the authoritie of holie [Page 34] [...]criptures, I receiue with his praise, [...]ut that which doeth not agree, I [...]efuse by his leaue. Against Faustus [...]ib. 23. he sayeth:Augustinus con­tra Faustum Ma­nichaeum. That which Faustus [...]ath sette downe touching the gene­ [...]ation of Marie, which is not Cano­nicall, bindeth mee not. Augustinus in Psalmum 57. Also vpon [...]he 57. Psalme he hath these woordes: Let our owne wrytinges bee taken a­way, let GOD his booke be brought foorth emongest vs. Heare Christ spea­king, heare the trueth talking. And woorthely doeth Augustine the man of GOD write these thinges, forso­muche as it is meete to yeelde this ho­nour to the Scripture, that all things be tried by the examination thereof. What­soeuer is proued by the authoritie therof, may not anie more bee called in doubt. Againe, nothing but that which agreeth therewith, may be receiued: and what­soeuer is contrary therevnto, must bee accompted damnable, that all the de­finitions of faith may depende there­vppon, and consiste therein. So that they are found more vayne then vani­tie it selfe, whiche dare write, that the [Page] Apostles wrote certaine thinges, not that those their writinges shoulde rule our Faith and Religion, but that they shoulde be in subiection therevnto.Hist. Trip. lib. 2. cap. 2. ex So­zomeno. So­zomenus reporteth, that the senten­ces of them, which assembled at the Councell of Nice, were diuerse: Some giuing counsell to alter nothing from the fayth deliuered [...] from the beginning: some other affirming, that they ought not to sticke to olde opini­ons [...] rashely, with out search and examination: wherevppon the mat­ter was protracted through diuerse questions:Theodoritus lib. 1. cap. 7. Hist. Trip. lib. 2. cap. 5. ex Theodorit. therefore Constantine the Emperour, sitting amongest the Bi­shoppes, exhorted them to conferre quietly, and to searche foorth the trueth, setting Sophistrie aparte, and banni­shing the grudging of their mindes. There are (saith he) the bookes of the Apostles and the decrees of the Pro­phets, which doe instruct vs, what we ought to thinke of holy matters. Ther­fore setting enuious contention aside, let vs search the solution of questions foorth of the Scriptures, giuen by [Page 35]2. Tim. 3.16. Enagrius. lib. 2. cap. 16.inspiratiō from God. Enagrius wri­ting of the Councel of Ephesus & Chal­cedon, doth in like manner rehearse the sentence of Iohn Bishoppe of Antioche approoued by Cyrill: Wee doe knowe that holy men haue set downe their determinations touching the Lorde foorth of the woordes of the Euange­listes and of the Apostles. Cusanus. And Cusa­nus writeth that the forme of the olde generall Councelles was, to place the holie Gospels in the middest. And that the same was also obserued in priuate disputations touching religion: Augu­stine is a witnesse: Wheresoeuer (saith he) the place shall be appointed, let vs cause the bookes of Canonicall Scripture to bee readie: And if they can bring foorth anie proofes of ey­ther side, all the rest sette aparte, Epist. let vs make a full ende of so weightie a matter. Therefore the examination of Scripture is lawfull for the triall of doctrines.

Let vs therefore stande,Basilius. Epist. 80. that I may vse Basill his woordes to the arbitrament of Scripture geuen by [Page] inspiration from God,2. Tim. 3.16. and let the sen­tence of trueth be adiudged vnto them, a­mongest whom doctrines agreeing with God his worde are founde.

It liketh me to set downe in this place the most beautifull sentence of Cyprian, A worthie say­ing of Cyprian. Cyprianus in Epi. ad Pompeium contra Epist. Stephani. which Augustine affirmeth to bee with­out doubte moste excellent. It is a short way (saith he) with religious and sim­ple mindes, both to lay away errour, and to finde foorth and trie out the truth. For if we returne to the heade and fountaine of GOD his tradition, man his errour ceaseth: if the Conduit pipe of water, which before did runne plentifully and aboundantly, doe faile of a souddeine: doe they not goe to the fountayne, that the cause of the defecte may foorthwith bee know­en, whether it bee drie in the head, by meanes that the vaynes of the well are dried vp, or whether it runne sounde and full from thence, and stoppe in the middle of his passage? The which thing also the Priestes of GOD must doe: and if in anie thing [Page 36] the trueth shall totter and shake, lette vs returne to the fountayne and wel­spring of the Lorde, and of the Euan­listes, and to the tradition of the Apo­stles: and from thence, let the rea­son of our doing rise, from whence both the order and beginning sprang. These thinges are written in his E­pistle to Pompeius agaynst the Epistle of Stephanus. Therefore by the con­sente of al the olde writers, the writings of the Prophetes and Apostles are the rules of iudgementes in euerie proofe, examination and triall of doctrines.

I knowe,The place of Tertullian is handled de praescrip, Haereti. Tertullian writeth elsewhere, that wee must not appeale to the Scriptures, neither offer in them to contende, wherein the victorie is ey­ther none at all, or vncertaine, or at the least none verie certayne. But marke a­gainst whom hee reasoneth. For so hath hee a little before these woordes: This heresie doeth not receiue cer­tayne Scriptures: and if it receiue anie, it altereth and chaungeth them craftely by putting to, & taking from [Page] for the framing of their purpose. Al­though it doe receaue them, yet doeth it not receaue the whole. And though it doe receiue the whole after a sorte, yet doeth it notwirhstanding, peruerte them, deuising straunge ex­positions. As greately is an adulte­rous sense against the trueth, as is a corrupt maner of writing. Diuerse pre­sumptions will not acknowledge those thinges whereby they are ouerthro­wen &c. Therefore forsomuch as proofe foorth of the Scriptures coulde no­thing preuayle amongest suche, he dee­meth that controuersies touching faith, are to be discussed foorth of the Scrip­tures, because those which were of the right faith wearied themselues without fruite: and because the malapertnesse of Heretikes coulde not bee brideled, but that they woulde still contende, al­though they were an hundred times ouercommen. Hee woulde therefore haue an ende of vayne and vnprofita­ble strifes and contentions,Tit. 3.10. and especi­ally, seeing that the Apostle forbid­ [...]eth, [Page 37] after the first or second admonition, to reason anie more with him, that is [...]n Heretike. Otherwise what doeth he himselfe in so manie bookes? With what swoorde? with what weapons hath [...]e slaine Marcion, Praxeas, Hermoge­nes, and others, but with the simple woorde of God? Therefore when the matter so requireth, he proueth, not one­ly the wordes, but also by example, that we must both dispute and define, none otherwise, but onely forth of the worde of God it selfe. Neither haue all the profes­sours of the right fayth vsed anie other meane, when they defended the right [...]nd pure faith against Heretikes, as we [...]aue alreadie shewed. The bookes of God are open (sayth Augustine) let vs not turne away our eyes: Augustinus The Scrip­ [...]ure crieth, let vs hearken. For they would not haue the authoritie of man, [...]ut of God, to be able to ende controuer­ [...]ies, and to heale men.

Yet doe the Papistes reclaime,Heretikes must be confuted by the scriptures. af­ [...]irming that controuersies cannot be de­ [...]ermined forth of Scripture onely, or [...]hat iudgement can be giuen forth of it [Page] touching the matter of fayth. For they say, that the Scripture is subiect to the wicked and ambitious expositions of Heretikes, and that it may be wrested to diuerse meanings, and that it is doubt­full and darke. Therefore doe they call vs backe foorthwith to the definition of the Church:A false marime of Papists. which as it is without all falsehood, so may it be taken for the true and certaine rule of fayth. It is a so­lemne thing amongest these Sophistes, to declaime of the doubtfulnesse, hard­nesse, and darkenesse of the Scriptures, to turne mens mindes from the Scrip­ture to the traditions of their Church, that is to saye, from the authoritie of God, to the authoritie of men: neither is this shift of theirs newe.Irenaeus. li. 3. ca. 2 The old Here­tikes also vsed the same, who, when they were reproued by the Scriptures, vsed these cauillations: that the Scriptures are diuersely spoken, that is to saye, (ac­cording to the speech of our aduersaries) doubtfull, apt to be applied euerie way, vncertaine: moreouer, that the truth can not be founde forth by the Scriptures, if a man know not the tradition, that is to [Page 38] say, (as our aduersaries nowe vtter it) that the scriptures are not sufficient: and that the trueth was not deliuered by wri­tings, but by liuely voice. For the which cause (say they) Paule sayde:1. Cor. 2.6. Augustinus ad­uersus Iulia. lib. 5. cap. 1. We speake wisedome among them that are per­fect, not the wisedome of this world. Iulianus also the Pelagian, (with whom Augustine had so great conflictes, and whose wordes and argumentes these our aduersaries vse in their disputations ve­rie willingly) was wont to stande muche vppon this: that the knowledge of holie Scriptures is verie harde, and meete for a fewe of the learned sort. Neither are these fellowes ashamed to haue the saying of an Heretike in so great admi­ration. But Paule, when he affirmeth,Rom. 10.17. that faith commeth by hearing God his worde, doeth not onely make it the true and certaine rule of fayth, but the onely rule thereof. But when wee must con­tend with Heretikes (say the aduersaries of the truth) then doe the scriptures little preuaile,Ephesi. 6.17. because they can so easily shift thē off. Yet thought I y^t the word of God is that sword of y^t spirit, wherwith Satā [Page] might be thorowly ouerthrowne. But if it be the victorious & triumphant sworde agaynst the head Lorde, and maister of all Heretikes, how commeth it to passe, that it is a dull weapon, and as it were made of a reede, agaynst his members? To what purpose is this worthie testi­monie of Paule: 2. Tim. 3.16.17. All Scripture is giuē by inspiration of God, & is profitable to doctrine, to reproue, to correction, to instruction, which is in righteousnesse, that the man of God may be perfect? And although the slienesse of all Here­tikes and Sophistes be great, in wre­sting and deprauing of the Scriptures, yet doth not God his trueth lie so open to their mockes, but that it may stoutely be set at libertie by the sayde Scriptures. Clowdes may darken the Sunne for a season, but they can neither put out, nor choke vp the light thereof, but that it wil at the last shewe it selfe againe.

The scripture is plaine, not obscure. Psal. [...]9.7.8Nowe since Augustine teacheth, that in those things, which are plainly sette forth in Scriptures, may bee founde all things, that conteine faith and maners of liuing, that is to say, hope & charitie, [Page 39] [...]hat wickednesse is it, to accuse the [...]cripture of darkenesse? Hee did not [...], which sayde:Psal. 119. parte. 14. verse. 1. Thy worde is a Lan­ [...]erne vnto my feete: and a light vnto [...]ny pathes. Also:Psal. 19.7. The Testimonie of [...]he Lorde is sure, and giueth wisdome [...]o the simple. Againe.Psal. 119. parte. 13. verse. 3.4. I haue more [...]nderstanding than my teachers: for [...]hy testimonies are my studie. I am [...]iser than the aged: because I keepe [...]hy commandements. Also Peter say­ [...]th:2. Pet. 1.19. We haue also a right sure worde [...]f prophesie, wherevnto if you take [...]eede, as vnto a light, that shineth in [...] darke place, ye do well, vntill the day [...]awne, and the day starre arise in your [...]eartes. And will they call the Scrip­ [...]ures so obscure, intricate and harde, wherevnto Peter ascribeth clearenesse, [...]s vnto those, which are able to guide vs [...]ertainly, that we go not out of the way, [...]o not in the greatest darkenesse in the worlde? For that Gospel,Marke. 16.15. which the Lord commanded to be preached to eue­ [...]ie creature, hath hee also promised to make knowne to euerie creature,Iohn. 14.14. if one will aske it, Therefore those thinges, [Page] which concerne saluation, are so aptly plainly, and abundantly proposed, expoū ­ded, and repeated in the Scriptures euerie where, that for the vnderstanding thereof, the onely declaration of the E­uangelistes, and continuall reading of the rest of the bookes of Scripture may suffice a minde, lightened with the light of fayth, without the which no poynt of Religion can bee soundely vn­derstoode, and willing to obey GOD. Whiche two, namely fayth, and her companion the studie of obedience, are verie necessarie for the right vnderstan­ding of those thinges, whiche belong to Christ, as these woordes of the Lord doe well shewe:Iohn. 7.16, 17. My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent mee. If anie will doe his will, hee shall knowe of the doctrine, whether it be of GOD, or whether I speake of my selfe. Also: Howe can yee beleeue, Iohn. 5.44. 2. Cor. 4.3.4. whiche receiue honour one of another, and seeke not the honour that commeth of God on­ly? If our Gospel be hid, it is hidde in them that are lost: In whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes [Page 40] [...]f them, which beleeue not, least the [...]ight of the Gospel of the glorie of Christ should shine vnto them. 2. Cor. [...]. In deed I do confesse, that euery one [...]an not easily & aptly expound the scrip­ [...]ures, and I will, that the consente of Churches haue their place in determi­ [...]ing and ending the questions of fayth, [...]ut yet so, that it be not disioyned frō the Scripture, without the which the autho­ritie of the church hath litle strēgth. And [...]orsomuch as all points of religion must [...]e tried & proued by the testimonies of [...]cripture, as lately we haue declared, it must necessarily follow, that among all things which concerne religion, the said testimonies are most certaine & cleare.

Herevpō it resteth,The fathers al­so commende the scripture for the clearnes thereof. that the holy fathers cōmend the scripture vnto vs because of [...]he light, the clearnes, the certaintie, the plainnes therof: so farre off are they from complaining, that it is vncertaine, intri­cate, hard, apt to be applied both y^e ways. Very wel said August. August. de peccá­torum meritis & remiss. li. 2. ca. 36 When disputatiō [...]s had of an obscure matter, if the cer­taine and cleare instructions of holie Scriptures doe not further the cause, man his presumption ought to stay [Page] it selfe, doing nothing by declining to either part. What place, I beseech you, shall this sentence haue, if God his truth haue not firme and constant certaintie in the Scriptures, yea, and such certaintie, as cannot be battered with any engines? Therefore doeth he afterward conclude, that he doeth beleeue that nothing is ne­cessarie to be knowen for saluatiō, which hath not most cleare proofe in the scrip­tures. We will yet adde herevnto a few testimonies, concerning the plainnesse and easinesse of the Scripture.Cyrillus contra Iulianum. lib. 7. Cyrillus contra Iulianum libro septimo answe­ring this obiection, That the Scrip­ture hath a base and common stile and manner of speaking, saieth: That the thinges therein contayned might bee knowen to all, little & great, they are profitably vttered in familiar speach, so that they should not passe the capa­citie of anie. Vnto the which saying, Lactantius agreeth,Lactantius diui­narum institutio­num. lib. 6. cap. 21. who saith: What cannot God the framer of the minde, and of the voice, and of the tongue, speake eloquently? nay rather his will was of his singuler prouidence, that [Page 41] those thinges which be diuine shoulde want painted and fine speach, that all might vnderstande, what he spake to all. Basil. in Hexam. Homilia. 3. And Basilius in Hexameron Ho­mil. 3. saith: The doctrine of the truth is common in speache, but stable and firme in knowledge. Chrysost. Homil. 1 in Iohannem. Chrysostomus Homil. 1. in Iohannem, speaking of the Gospel written by saint Iohn, saith: His doctrine is clearer than the Sunne, and plainer. And Ambrose sayeth:Ambrosius. Paule in most points doth expound himselfe in his owne words, that he which intrea­teth of him can finde nothing of his owne, which hee may adde: or if hee would say anie thing, he shal rather vse the place of a Grammarian, than of a disputer.

I cease to recite more testimonies,Against the ad­uersaries. tou­ching the plainenesse and easinesse of the scriptures: for what needeth it? Truely it is an horrible blasphemie to say, that the holy ghost hath so doubtfully set forth this his doctrine, which is the onely and true wisdome, & vnderstanding of the church, that it must bee expounded by man his wisdome: and left it so obscure, that it [Page] must bee made plaine by man his cun­ning. This is no lesse absurde, then if a man shoulde goe aboute to mende the brightnesse of the Sunne, by lighting of Torches. Yea, holy scripture of it selfe, being set foorth of the perfectest doctour of all, were able to make a man wise vnto saluation,2. Tim. 3.15. as Paule preacheth. But that I may at the last come to the conclusion: Forsomuch as all doctrines of Religion are to bee examined and determined by the iudgement of Scripture, all questi­ons of faith are to be defined by the same, and all poyntes of Religion are to bee tried and proued by the testimonies thereof, Truely it cannot bee doubted, that the authoritie of the vniuersall Church, doeth stand and depende chiefly of the oracles and authoritie of holie Scripture: and that the testimonies of GOD his woorde are especiallie to be required in all things, which are set foorth in the name and authoritie of the Church.

The .vij. Chapter. Wherevpon the Scripture is called ca­nonicall. Also testimonies of the Fathers touching the most excellent authoritie thereof.

THe name of Canonicall Scripture is of great r [...]nowne,Canon and ca­nonicall wri­tings. Aristoteles. 2. Po­liti. cap. 8. which wel pro­ueth and confirmeth whatsoeuer we haue hitherto spoken of the authoritie, perfec­tion, and suffici [...]ncie thereof. Aristotle disputing in his Politikes, whether it be better to gouerne a common wealth ac­cording to the lawes written, or accor­ding to the will of the gouernours, vseth the woorde [...]. Therefore as the law written is the canon and rule of poli­tike iudgements: euen so is the scripture called Canonicall, That is to say, rule-like, because it is the certaine and infal­lible canon and rule of fayth. And the na­ming of it so, is taken forth of the Scrip­ture it selfe. In the 19. Psal.Psal. 19.4. Their sound is gone out into all landes. Here the Septuaginte interpreted it by y^e Greeke [Page] worde [...], but the Hebrue worde

Kau, signifieth a corde, a rule, a line. To the Galathians the 6. Gal. 6.16. And as manie as walke according to this rule, in Greeke, [...] Peace be on thē and mercie. Philip. 3.16. To the Philippians the 3. Let vs proceede by one rule in Greeke, [...] ▪ And wisely doeth Paule warne vs, to walke according to this rule, for such is the lightnesse and inconstancie of men on the one side, and their boldnes and desire of innouation & change on the other side, y^t they would of­tentimes desire a new forme of religion, were it not, that they are inclosed within certaine boundes of doctrine, as it were within certaine hedges. And therefore is the Scripture called Canonicall, be­cause the Church maye vse it as a Ca­non, that is to saye, as a squire, and rule, and as a perfecte touchestone, whereby euerie kinde of doctrine, which is proposed to the Church, may bee ex­actly tried.

Cyprian. in serm. de baptis. Christi.From the which meaning, Cyprian doth not dissent, whose wordes are these: Christian religion hath found, that the [Page 43] [...]ules of all doctrines flowe out of this [...]cripture, and that hence springeth, & [...]ither returneth whatsoeuer Ecclesi­ [...]stical discipline conteineth. Cyprian. in expo­sitione Symboli. The same Cyprian in the exposition of the Creede, [...]fter that he had rehearsed the canonicall [...]ookes added: These are they, Cyprian. loco praedicto. which the [...]athers placed within the canon, forth of the whiche they woulde that the [...]roofes of our fayth shoulde be made [...]nowen. Also: forth of these fountains of God his word must the cuppes be filled. And Irenaeus sayeth,Irenaeus li. 3. ca. 1. that the verie selfe [...]ame Gospel, which the Apostles deliue­ [...]ed vnto vs by the will of God in the Scriptures, is the foundation and piller [...]f our fayth.August. de ciuit. Dei. lib. 19. ca. 18. And Augustine teacheth [...]hat the canonicall Scripture is the [...]oundation of our fayth, when as hee [...]ayeth: The Citie of GOD hath be­ [...]eeued the holie Scriptures, the olde [...]nd the newe, which we cal canonical, [...]rom the which faith is receiued, by the which the iust liueth, throgh the which we walke without doubting, so long [...]s we are pilgrimes from God. Also:August de ciuit. Dei. lib. 11. cap. 5. He euen the sonne of God, hauing spoken [Page] first by the Prophets, then by himselfe, afterwarde by the Apostles, so much as he iudged sufficient, ordeined also the scripture, which is called Canoni­cal, being of most excellent authoritie, which we credite in things, wherin we may not be ignorant, and yet of our selues are not able to attain the know­ledge thereof. Again in an other place: The Canonicall authoritie of the olde and newe Testament, August. contra Faustum. li. 11. ca. 5 confirmed in the Apostles time, by the successions of Bi­shops, and increasing of Churches, is placed as it were aloft in a certain seat, wherevnto euerie faythfull and godly vnderstanding should submit it selfe. Therefore forsomuch as God hath esta­blished the Scripture to bee the founda­tion, piller, and rule of fayth, and hath therefore placed it in a seate of most ex­cellent authoritie, and hath aduaunced it, as the iudgement of the holie Ghost: ex­cept we will bee dispitefull against God himselfe, we must needes confesse, that it is so perfect in euery point, y^t there m [...]y neither be added to it, nor taken from it, without doing of iniury to the holy ghost. [Page 44] The rule and the squire (saith Basil) for­somuch as in them is no want, Basillius contra Ennonnium. li. 1. to re­taine their name, admit no addition. For addition agreeth therevnto, wher­in there is a defect: and these thinges, which bee vnperfect, shall neuer bee rightly called by the name of a squire or rule. And Theophilacte also sayeth: A rule and a squire can neither abide to haue any thing put vnto them, Theophilactus. nor taken from them. Therefore in the iudgement of Basil and Theophilacte, either the Scripture shalbe perfect and full: or else not to be iudged worthie the name of Canonicall. Yea, and the scrip­ture is the canon, the rule, and the squire, wherby the holy fathers woulde haue all doctrines proued, & all questions of faith defined. Neither haue they iudged any decrees or writings, either of coūcels, or of men, although learned & holy, to be re­ceiued by their owne authoritie. This ho­nour haue they yeelded to the canonicall scripture only, y^t they iudged al things, w^t the scripture hath set forth vnto vs, to be receiued simply & without reasoning, euē because they are so written: & haue ap­pointed [Page] the decrees and ordinances of all other men to be referred to the Scrip­ture of God, & forth of it to be discerned, as by their owne testimonies wee will forthwith more at large declare. There­fore doe wee worthily reuerence the ful­nesse and the authoritie of the Scrip­ture, whiche is, as it were, the highest lawe, and, as the Lawyers in their plea­dings tearme it, the definitiue sen­tence, wherewith all men must content them selues.

The .viij. Chapter. That the authoritie of the Canonicall Scripture is more excellent than the Councels, the Fathers, yea then the decrees, and ordinances of all men.

August. contra epist. Fūdamenti. AVgustine against the epistle, which they call Fundament. sayth: Those thinges which are defined in holye scripture, are preferred before al other things. And that of right, because the ca­tholike Church of Christ, that is to say, [Page 45] the vniuersall Churche, doeth acknow­ledge no booke as her owne, wherein [...]hee doeth certainely propose vnto the [...]onnes of GOD the traditions of Christ [...]nd of the Apostles, but onely the Ca­ [...]onicall Scripture. All other writings [...]re none otherwise receiued by the Churche of GOD, then so farre foorth [...]o be of authoritie in the Churches, [...]nd among all Christians, as the au­ [...]hours of them shall bee able to per­ [...]wade foorth of holie Scripture, and [...]y probable reasons. And those things [...]re probable, whiche like excellente men, and the brightnesse of woorthie [...]ames pearseth the vnderstanding, that [...]hey seeme good: but those thinges [...]nelie are esteemed certayne and appro­ [...]ed in the Churche of Christe, which [...]re plainely and vndoubtedly conclu­ [...]ed foorth of the Scripture. The Scrip­ [...]ure is as it were the Queene of all Coū ­ [...]els of all Churches, of all writers. Nei­ [...]her haue the holie Fathers iudged anie [...]hing more woorthie credite in the Churche, than the Scriptures: yea and whomsoeuer they tooke in hande to in­structe [Page] in religion, them did they al­wayes sende, after the example of Christ himselfe and of the Apostles, to the lawe, and to the writinges of the Pro­phetes and of the Apostles. And to this meaning serue manie godlie say­inges of the Fathers, whereof wee will noate some.Augustinus de Baptismo contra Donatist. lib. 2. cap. 3. Augustine in his seconde booke and third Chapter touching Bap­tisme agaynst the Donatistes saith: Who knoweth not that the holy canonicall Scripture, as well of the old, as the new Testament, is contayned within her certaine boundes, and that it is so muche preferred before all the later writinges of Byshoppes, that there may neyther doubte be made, nor disputation raysed touching it, whe­ther anie thing, whiche is well know­en to bee written in it, be true, or righte: And that the writinges of Byshoppes, which eyther haue beene written after the confirmation of the the Canon, or which shall bee writ­ten, may be lawfully reprooued both by the wyser speach of one peraduen­ture [Page 46] more skilfull in the Scripture, and by the grauer authoritie of other By­shoppes, and by the wisedome of the learned, and by Councels, if anie thing in the sayde writinges doe by chaunce varie from the trueth: And that the Councels themselues, which are holden by particuler countries or prouinces, doe geue place without all doubte, to the more generall Councels, which are assembled forth of the vniuersal Christian worlde: And that the latter generall Councels are oftētimes made better by the further, when as by some experimenr of mat­ters, that which was shutte vppe, is o­pened, and that which lay hidde is made knowen: without anie shewe of wicked pride, without anie arro­gancie of puffed vp flesh without any contention of spitefull enuie with ho­lie humilitie, with Catholike peace and with Christian Charitie? Hieronimus in Epistolam ad Galatas. Hie­rome vppon the Epistle to the Gala­thians sayeth: It is the doctrine of the holie Ghoste, which is set foorth in the Canonicall Scriptures agaynst [Page] the which if Councels shall determine any thing, The testimo­nies of Augu­stine touching this matter. Epist. 19. I esteeme it wickednesse. Again August. writing to Hierom, hath these wordes: For I confesse vnto your charitie, that I haue learned to yeeld this feare & honor to those bookes of the Scripture onely, which are nowe called Canonicall, that I beleeue most firmely, that none of the authours of them, haue committed any fault in writing them. And if I finde any thing in any of those bookes, which may seeme contrarie to the truth: I make none other doubt but this, that either there was a fault escaped in writing the booke, or that the interpreter did not attaine to that, which was spoken or that I doe not vnderstande it. But I reade others so, that although they doe excell in holinesse and learning, I doe not therefore thinke it true, be­cause they so thought, but because they were able to perswade me, either by those Canonicall authours, or by probable reason, that it differeth not from the truth. Neither doe I sup­pose, my brother, that thou dost think [Page 47] any otherwise. This I say, that I doe not take it, that thou wouldest thy bookes should be altogether so read, as the writings of the Prophets, or of the Apostles, touching whose writings, to doubt whether they want al errour, it is a great haynous offence. This be farre from godly humilitie &c. In like manner in the proeme to his third booke de Trinitate he saith:Augustinus in proemio in 3. lib. de Trinitate distinctione 9. As I wil not haue my reader addict to me, so will I not be his correctour. Let not him loue me more then the Catholike faith: and let him not loue himselfe more then the Catholike trueth. As I say to him: Be not addicted to my writinges, as to the Canonicall Scriptures: But when thou shalt finde in the Scriptures, euen that which thou didst not beleeue, be­leeue it without stackering. And when thou shalt find in my bookes, which thou diddest not esteeme certaine, ex­cept thou vnderstand it to be certaine, doe not firmely hold it: So say I to him also: Correct not my bookes by thine opinion or contention but by the holy Scripture or by firme reason. [Page] If thou shalt finde any trueth in them, in that it is so, it is not mine: but in that it is vnderstanded and beloued, let it be both thine and mine: But if thou shalt proue any falshood in them, in that there was an errour committed it shalbe mine: but in that it is nowe auoyded, let it neither bee mine, nor thine. Augustinus a [...] Fortunatianum. The writinges of sincere Catholikes hovv farre foorth to be receiued. Hee sayeth also to Fortunatia­nus: For wee ought not to make such accoumptes of the disputations of anie, although they be Catholike and laudable men, as of the Canonicall Scriptures▪ as though it were not law­full for vs, sauing, the honourable re­uerence, which is due to suche men, to improoue and refuse some thing in their bookes, if by chance we shall finde that they thought otherwise thē the truth is, being by God his helpe, vnderstanded either of other, or of vs, Suche am I in other mens woorkes, suche woulde I, that the vnderstanders of my woorkes shoulde be in mine. And againe to Paulina in the sixeteenth Chapter he saith:August. ad Pau­lina. [...] cap. 16. Neither doest thou so beleeue me, as thou doest Ambrose▪ [Page 48] touching whose bookes I haue giuen those so great testimonies. Or if thou thinke that thou shouldest beleeue vs both two alike, what wilt thou com­pare vs in any wise to the Gospel, or wilt thou matche our writinges with the Canonicall Scriptures? Truely if thou be a wise discerner, thou seest vs farre of frō that authoritie, & me much more. But although thou mayest be­ [...]eeue eyther of vs, yet mayst thou not compare either of vs to that excellēcy. Item against Cresconius in the se­conde booke and xxxi. Chapter he saith:Augustinus con­tra C [...]esconium lib. 2. cap. 31. For we doe Cyprian no iniurie, when we put differēce betwene his writings, whatsoeuer they be, & the canonicall authoritie of holy scriptures. Neither was the Ecclesiastical Canon without cause sette downe with so wholesome watchefulnesse, whervnto the certaine bookes of the Prophets & of the Apo­stles do pertaine, which we may not presume to iudge at all, and accor­ding to the which we may freely iudge of al other writings either of the faith­ful or of the vnfaithfull. In like maner to Vincentius the Donatist in his xlviii. [Page] Epistle hath these woordes: Shew not thy selfe willing to collect pillers forth of the writings of the Apostles, August. ad Vin­centium Epist. 48. against the testimonies of God. First because this kind of writings are distinguished from the authoritie of the Canon. For they are not so read, as though testi­monie might so be taken foorth of them, that it may not be lawfull to thinke otherwise, if perhaps they sa­uour otherwise. Sixe hundred suche testimonies are to be found euerie where in Augustine, which teach that the Ca­nonicall scripture is the rule, wherby all the writinges and decrees of all men are to be tried.

Testimonies of other Fathers touching this pointe. [...]asil. in Moral. Summa 72. cap. 1.Wherfore omitting him, let vs heare also the sentēces of the rest of the fathers agreeing all in one. Basill in moralibus summa 72. cap. 1. pronounceth, that hea­rers learned in the Scriptures, ought to trie those things, which are vttered by the teachers: and to receiue those things, which agree with the Scriptures, but to refuse whatsoeuer doth not agree ther­vnto. And hee applieth to that rule the [Page 41] saying of Paul Gal. 1.8. Gal. 1.8. Though an An­gel from heauen preache anie other Gospel vnto you, than that which we haue preached vnto you, let him bee accursed. Epiphanius haeresi. 65. saith:Epiphanius lib. 2. To. 2 haer. 65. We can shewe the inuention of euery question, not by reasons of our owne but by the consequence of the Scrip­tures. Cyrill de recta fide ad reginas saith: It is necessarie for vs, Cyrillus de recta fide ad reginas. to folowe the holie scriptures, and in nothing to depart from their determination. Ambrosius de of­ficiis lib. 1. Am­brose de officiis lib. 1. saith: We may vse, as we will, those things, which we finde not in holy scripture. Hieronimus in Psalmum 86. In the com­mentaries vpon the 86. Psalme, which are set foorth in Hierom his name, wee reade these wordes:This testimo­nie is alledged after the Sep­tuaginte, and not according to the Hebrue veritie. The Lorde shall re­hearse it in the scripture of his people, and of the Princes, which were in her. Howe shall the Lorde rehearse it? Not by woorde, but by writing. By whose writing? By the writing of his people: that is to say, by the holy scripture, which is read to all people: that is, that all may vnderstande it. Plato wrote not to the people, but to a few: [Page] for scantly three men vnderstand him. But these, that is to say, the princes of Christ wrote not for a few, but for all the people: not that a few might vnderstande, but that all might vn­derstande. And he sayth by the wri­ting of his Princes, that is to say, of the Apostles, and of the Euan­gelistes, of them which were in her: See what he sayth: which were not, which are: that, the Apostles onely excepted, what thing else soeuer shall be sayde afterward, might be cut off, and not haue authoritie. Therefore although any one be holy after the Apostles, although he be e­loquent, let him not haue authori­tie. Because the Lorde rehearseth it in the Scripture of his people, and of the Princes, Cyrillus in Leui­ticum cap. 5. Leuit. 7.16. & 17. which were in her. Cy­rill, or whether it be Origen, in Leuiti­cum cap. 5. sayeth: If thou canst not fi­nishe all the flesh of the sacrifice the se­cond day, thou shalte eate none of it the thirde day. &c. I (saith he,) doe suppose, This place is alledg [...]d accor­ [...] to the [...] that by this space of two dayes may be vnderstanded the two [Page 50] Testamentes, wherein euerie woorde, which pertayneth to GOD, may be sought for, and discussed, and all knowledge of thinges may be learned foorth of them: And if there be any thing ouer, the which holy Scripture cannot determine, that none other thirde Scripture ought to be brought in for authoritie of the knowledge. I coulde bring more suche like sayinges foorth of the Fathers, but I trust, I haue throughly satisfied the indifferent Reader with these.

Therefore all the sayinges,Al the writings of other men must be tried by the Canon of Scripture. and writinges of men, whatsoeuer they be, are to bee examined and tried by the lawe, and by the Prophetes, and by the Apostles writinges, as in the moste certayne balaunce: and so haue the moste holie Fathers iudged, one and all. For greater is the authoritie of Canonicall Scripture, then of anie man, of anie Byshoppes, of anie Sy­node, yea or of all the Churche. Neither can the authoritie of the vniuersall church, although it be gathered together [Page] whollye into one place, foorth of all her members, which euer were, or be, or in yeares to come shall bee, deserue cre­ [...]ite in anie thing without the testimo­nies of Scripture.Panormitanus. So that Panormi­tane sayde neither foolishely, nor false­ly: More credit is to be yeelded to one Laie man alledging the scriptures, then to a general Councell representing the vniuersall Church, if it bring no scrip­tures. Iohannes G [...]rson vnto whom Iohn Gerson agre­eth, when as he saith: That the consent and voice of one learned man, allead­ging the scripture fittly, is to be pre­ferred before a generall Councell. And it is prooued by the example of the Ni­cen Synode, which had receiued the su­perstitious law of y^e single life of priestes, had not Paphnutius onelie withstoode it.S [...]zomenus histo­riae ecclesiasticae lib. 1. cap. 22. Therefore if the disputations of the Fathers, or their sentences, or their expositions of the Scriptures, doe disagree with the Canonicall Scrip­ture and rule of fayth, there is no cause, why any shoulde obiecte their authoritie vnto vs. For if the contētion be touching learning, holinesse, and auncientnes: [Page 43] the Prophets,Learning, holi­nesse, antiqui­tie, and consent of many Chur­ches. of what credite they be ought to be in matters of faith. and the Apostles of Christ be more learned, more holie, and more auncient. Neither is there anie cause, why anie shoulde obiect vnto vs the con­sent of many Churches, in this or that o­pinion: For the consent of Christ, of the Prophetes, of the Apostles, yea, and of the Patriarches in sincere religion, and in the holy sense of religion, reuealed ma­nifestly to vs by the Scriptures, is more to bee esteemed, from whose godly and religious iudgement wee must neuer de­parte. But if anie reckon vp manie and whole kingdomes, whiche haue beene of this or that opinion, wee op­pose against him the laboures of Paule one holie Apostle,Rom. 15.1 [...]. who filled the grea­test partes of the worlde with the simple sense of the Gospel, euen from Hierusa­lem and the coastes rounde aboute vnto Illiricum. Aug. de Baptism contra Donati­stas lib. 2. cap. 3. And forsomuch as by Augu­stine his authoritie, generall Councels must be sometime corrected by the later: (and those assemblies, which are to bee corrected, muste needes bee in errour) it followeth that all the authoritie of the [Page] Churche and of Councels stayeth it selfe by the Canonicall Scripture, vnto the which onelie GOD his will is, that this happines is peculiar, that in it there is none errour.

The ix. Chapter. That the Canonicall Scripture hath the chiefe perfection of her authoritie from the holie Ghoste, and of herselfe: And contrarily that the Churche receiueth her authoritie from the Scrip­ture.

From whence the Scripture hath, or hath receiued so great authority.HEtherto we haue yeelded many rea­sons for the most excellent authori­tie of the Canonicall Scripture. Nowe the question is, from whence the scripture hath or receiueth this most excellent and perfecte authoritie, or by whom the Ca­non was made, whervnto the Canonical bookes pertayne? The Papistes saie that the Scripture hath her authoritie [Page 52] from the Churche, and that therefore the authoritie of the Churche is greater then the authoritie of the Scriptures. As though the worde of GOD,Esaie 40.8. which endureth for euer, were subiecte to mens decrees, or as though GOD his truth shoulde intreate men to authorize it: It is not so. The woorde of GOD is of it selfe moste sure, and needeth not the propping vppe of men, but holdeth vp all thinges.Mat. 2.4.35. Heauen and earth shall passe away, but my wordes shall in no wise passe away. The Scripture recei­ueth her strength or authoritie chiefely from GOD, from whom it was reuei­led: that is to say, that it came not by the will of men,2. Tim. 3.16. 2. Pet. 1.21. but that the men of GOD, beyng mooued by the holie Ghoste, both spake and wrote: whom beeyng chosen and elected for this office, GOD adorned with manye and sundrie myracles and diuine te­stimonies: So that there is no doubte at all, but that those thinges were geuen from GOD by inspiration whiche they wrote and sette downe. [Page] And the selfe same spirite, which hath caused these thinges to bee written, assu­reth vs, that they are not the inuentions of men. And when the spirite of GOD doeth herein witnesse to our spirit, & seale vp the Scripture in our heartes, the faythfull soule doeth marueilously re­ioyce, and is greatly confirmed. There­fore we being illuminated by the vertue of the spirit, doe not nowe beleeue, either through our own iudgement, or through the iudgement of other, that the Scrip­ture is of God: but doe most certainlie perswade our selues aboue mans iudge­ment, none otherwise then if wee did be­holde therein the power of God, that the Scriptures are come vnto vs, euen from the verie mouth of God by the admini­stration of men. Therefore the Spouse in the Ballets sayeth with marueilous ioy: My beloued sayd vnto me. I saye nothing of that,Cantic. 2.11. which euerie one, which is lightned with the light of true fayth, must needes finde by experience in him­selfe. By this experience wrote once Augustine the man of God,Confes. lib, 6. cap. 5. howe God by a little and a little tempered and dis­posed [Page 45] his heart with his most meeke and most mercifull hande, and at the last tho­rowly perswaded him, so that at the last he knew and beleeued, that those bookes were deliuered to mankinde by the spi­rite, and the onely true and most true God. Therefore the authoritie of the Scripture doth depend not of the iudge­ment of the Churche, but of the inwarde testifying of the holy Ghost. And Iohn witnesseth, that Christ sayd thus, concer­ning the spirite:Iohn. 8.42.43. If God were your fa­ther, why do ye not know my speach? For it is most certaine, that we are ad­opted to be the sonnes of GOD, by the meanes of the holie Ghost. Which when we haue obteined, Christ witnesseth in this place, that wee by the lightning of the same Spirite, may so discerne his speache from a strangers, that it may be manifest and certaine vnto vs. In the which selfe same sense, Christ sayth also in another place.Iohn. 10.2, 3, 4, 5. He that entereth in by the doore, is the shepheard of the sheepe: To him the porter openeth, and the sheepe heare his voyce, and he calleth his owne sheepe by name, and [Page] leadeth them out, & when he shall put forth his owne shepe, he goeth before thē, & the sheepe follow him: for they know his voice. A stranger will they in no wise follow, but flie from him, for they know not the voice of strangers. Neither is it to bee doubted, that we be­come Christs sheepe through the power of the holy Ghost, that we follow not fals­hood, errours, corruptions, and heresies, which are the voices of strangers: but heare the onely voice of Christ, that is to say, imbrace the true and naturall sence of the Scripture.Cor. 2.14, 15. And Paule saith to the Corinthians: The naturall man per­ceiueth not the things of the spirite of God, for they are foolishnes vnto him: neither cā he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spirituall, discerneth all things. And in the same place: [...]. Cor. 2.10. Ihon. 14.26. The spirit searcheth the deepe things of God. And Christ also saith: The comforter, which is the holy ghost, shal bring all things to your re­mēbrance, whatsoeuer I haue said vn­to you. 1. Iohn. 2.27. Also Iohn hath these wordes in his Epistle: The anointing teacheth [Page 54] you of al things. Againe:1. Iohn. 4.6. Confes. li. 6. ca. 5. He that know­eth God, heareth vs. To be briefe, Au­gust. in the place lately cited saith: Ther­fore when as we were weake to finde foorth the truth by cleare reason, and when as we had need of the authoritie of the holy Scriptures, for the same purpose, I began to beleue forthwith, that thou wouldest by no meanes giue [...]o excellent authoritie vnto that scrip­ture throughout al lands, but that thy will was, that thou wouldest be sought by it, and wouldest be beleeued by it. Behold it is God, I say, it is God, which hath established his holy bookes with so great authoritie in all nations. And Au­gust. addeth the cause why God will be sought through them, & why he wil be be­leued through them. I conclude therfore▪ that the scripture hath not her authoritie chiefly frō the Church. For the firmnes & strength thereof dependeth of God, & not of men. And the word being both firme & sure, was before the church. For y^e church was called by the word.Epesi. 2.26. And seeing the doctrine of the prophets & of the apostles is the foundation of the Church, it must [Page] needes bee, that the certaintie of the Church must consist in the said doctrine, as in her foundation and ground worke, before the said Church can take her be­ginning.Ephe. 2.20. For if the Church of Christ were founded in the beginning by the writings of the Prophetes, and with the preaching of the Apostles: wheresoeuer the saide doctrine bee founde, certainely the allowing of the doctrine went before the Church, without the which doctrine the Church could neuer haue beene. And because the spirit of God wrought in the heartes of them, which heard the word of God, & read it, that they might acknow­ledge that it was not the word of man, but of God: vndoubtedly the worde of God receiueth authoritie from the spirite, and not from the Church.

The .x. Chapter. How the canon of the new Testament was ordeined, and that it hath autho­ritie of it self, & from the authours thereof, & that the authoritie of the Church is main­teined thereby.

THey, which reason, that we haue re­ceiued manie things to be beleeued [...]f necessitie, by the authoritie of the Church, which are expressed in no part [...]f the Scriptures, make this, as a great [...]rgument, as they thinke:An obiection of the aduersaries. that there are [...]ut foure Gospels onely, which may not [...]e discredited without the perill of losse [...]f saluation: and that it appeareth by no Scripture, that the other Scriptures, which we haue, are Canonicall, & wor­ [...]hie credite. Neither are the titles there­ [...]f, the titles of the Scripture, but put to [...]y others. Therefore say they if we shall [...]eceiue nothing, but that which is in the Scriptures, then shall wee not receiue [...]he scriptures themselues. Nowe that I may disclose the deceitfulnesse of this ar­gumēt, the indifferent reader must know, [...]hat the Canonicall Scripture hath her [...]uthoritie chiefly from the holy Ghost,The canonicall scripture hath authoritie from the holy Ghost, and imparteth it vnto the au­thours there­of, &c. [...]y whose motion and inspiration it was [...]et forth, as lately wee did declare. And [...]fter that, from the writers, vnto whome God gaue certaine and peculiar testi­monies of the truth. Wherevnto is ad­ded the witnesse of the primitiue Church [Page] in whose time those bokes wer published & receiued. And they which haue the spi­rit of faith, do not dispute peeuishly of the receiuing of the said bookes, who recei­ued them, or who reiected them: but ac­knowledge in them the sweete sauouring force of the spirit, by whose instinct they were set forth. The canon of the new Te­stament was ordeined by the authoritie of God, and receiued by the Church of the Apostles. Neither can I sufficiently meruaile at their rashnesse, which saye, that the authoritie of the church, hath gi­uen canonical authoritie vnto certaine of the scriptures, yea, and those the chiefest, which otherwise neither of themselues, neither of their authours, they could haue had amongst vs. Words. Not the autho­ritie of euery one, but of the Apostles, is required, to make any writing in the new Testament Canonical, or giuen by inspi­ration from God.Tertul. contra Marcionem. li. 1. As well saith Tertul. when as he confuteth the counterfeit gos­pel of Marcion. First we do holde, that a true Gospel must haue the Apostles, for the authors thereof. Iohn sawe the writings of three Euangelists, & allowed [Page 56] [...]hem. And by writing his Gospel, hee [...]ade an ende of writing Gospels. And [...]herefore saieth hee:Iohn. 20.30.31. And many other [...]ignes truely did Iesus before the eyes [...]f his disciples, which are not written [...]n this boke. These are written that ye [...]ight beleeue, that Iesus is Christ the [...]onne of God, and that in beleuing, ye [...]ight haue life thorow his name. By [...]e which wordes, if we beleeue the Fa­ [...]hers, Iohn cōmended vnto the Church, [...]ot onely his owne Gospel, but also the Gospels of the other three Euangelists. Therfore by y^e euidēt testimony of Iohn, [...]hose things are written by the foure E­ [...]āgelists w^t holy choise, which might suf­ [...]se the saluatiō of men, & not satisfie their [...]uriositie. Paule hath signed his Epistles [...] a peculiar marke: so haue we: 2. Thes. [...]. The salutatiō of me Paul, 2. Thes. 3.17, 18. Ambrosius. with mine [...]wne hand, which is the tokē in euery [...]pistle. So I write. The grace of our [...]ord Iesus Christ be with you all. A­men. Vpon these words Ambrose saith: [...]ecause of corrupters of the scriptures [...]e witnesseth that he subscribeth the [...]alutation himselfe alwayes with his [...]wn hand in euery one of his Epistles, [Page] that the Epistle might not be receiue vnder his name, which was not sub­scribed with his hand. Theodoretus. And Theodoret sayth: This did he adde moreouer, be­cause of them, which presumed to ca­rie about coūterfeit Epistles, teaching them to looke for the subscription. For this, sayth he, is the signe of mine Epistles. For I write the salutation my selfe in euery Epistle. Therefore hereby we learne, Rom.. 16.22. that this, [The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all, A­men] is vsually writtē by him, in stead of fare well: Thus farre Theodorete. Herevpon is it, that in the ende of the E­pistle to the Romans, when as he had set downe his vsuall subscription, The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be with you all, Amen. And had added newe saluta­tions in the behalfe of other brethren, he repeateth the subscription the seconde time.Rom. 16.24. In the ende of the first Epistle to the Corinthians he subscribeth thus.1. Cor. 16.21.22.23. The salutation of me Paul, with mine owne hande. If any man loue not the Lord Iesus Christ, the same be Anathema maranatha. The grace of our Lorde [Page 57] Iesus Christ be with you. Ambrose vp­on the same woordes sheweth the cause: The vsuall subscription of his owne hand. Also Theodorete sayeth: I haue indited the Epistle my selfe, and put to the salutation with mine owne hande, shewing to all men by those letters, that those things, which are written, are mine. He subscribeth the Epistle to the Galathians with these wordes:Gal. 6.18. Bre­thren, the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be with your spirit, Amen. Vpō the which wordes Theodoretus sayeth:Theodoretus. He put vnto his letters his vsual blessing as a certaine seale, putting them in re­membrance of the gift giuē them, which they receiued not by the law, but by faith. Ambrose in the ende of the first to Ti­mothe sayeth:Ambrosius. He subscribed with his owne hand saying: Grace be with thee, 1. Tim. 6.21. Amen. And the Apostle subscribeth the second to Timothe after this maner:2. Tim. 4.22. The Lord Iesus Christ be with thy spirite: Grace be with you, Amen. Vpon the which words Ambr. noteth:Ambrosius. This is the subscriptiō of the Apostle, for he saith, it is his mark in euery Epist. Tertullianus de praescriptione▪ And Tert. [Page] sayth, that the verie hande writings of the Apostles were conserued, euen in his time, in the Apostolike Churches. To be briefe, Paule doth not onely confirme his Epistles with so great diligence by sub­scriptions, but also hath set them forth with much more riche and polished in­scriptions,The Epistle of Peter. 2. Pet. 3.15. than other writers are accu­stomed. The same hath Peter done also, who hath commended Paul his Epistles to the Churches in expressed woordes. Iohn concludeth his canonicall Epistle thus:1. Iohn. 5.13. The Epistle of Iohn. These things haue I written vnto you, that beleeue on the name of the sonne of God, that ye may know, that ye haue eternall life, and that ye maye beleeue on the name of the sonne of God. Why should not this Epistle bee canonical, which was written to this end by the instinct of the spirite of God, that the faythfull might be assured of their sal­uation in Christ through fayth? The E­pistle to the Hebrues, The Epistle of Paule to the Hebrewes. whether it bee Lukes, or Barnabasses, or Clements (the Church is vncertaine of the Authour, but most certaine of the spirit, and of the truth) sauoureth such a grace of the A­postles [Page 58] diuinitie, that it easily defendeth it selfe from being reiected. The Epistle of Iames, The Epistle of Iames. being filled full of most whol­some precepts, well sheweth, that the au­thour thereof was Iames, the seruant of God, and of our Lord Iesus Christ, whe­ther he were the sonne of Alphe, or that Oblias, the matter is not great. For they were both worthie men: The one an A­postle, the other a Disciple, & the Lords cousin, of great authoritie in the Church, and among the Iewes also. I would ther­fore, that they should tell mee, which bee those chiefe bookes of the newe Testa­ment, which haue authoritie from the church, which they could neither haue of themselues, nor of their authours. And it may be gathered forth of those thinges, which I haue alledged now forth of the newe Testament, how the Canon of the Scripture of the newe Testament was made, and from whence the Canonicall Scripture hath that excellent authori­tie. Therefore the Church receiued this Canon from the Apostles, confirmed by no Councell, and deliuered it, as it were from hande to hande, vnto the posteritie. [Page] Wherefore Iohn in the ende of his Gos­pel, addeth both his owne testimony, and also the witnesse of the Church, when as he saith:Iohn. 21.24. The same disciple is he, which testifieth of these things, & wrote these things, and we know that his testimo­nie is true. The testimonie of the Church concerning the scripture. And this testimonie of the Church is not the deuise of man, but ne­cessarie, & such a confession, as is expres­sed by the truth of the thing it selfe, wher­of we will intreate more at large in the place cōuenient. And since they do so pee­uishly contend, that the authoritie of the Scripture doeth depend of the Church, why do they not bring forth some canon, or decree of some councell, whereby holie scripture was approued, or confirmed? The primitiue Church of the Christians found the bookes of the olde Testament, authentical & firme: and by them appro­ued & confirmed the articles of our faith. Afterwards succeeded the bookes of the Apostles, written by the inspiratiō of the spirite of God, which no decree of man confirmed. For Gods word is not subiect to mans will and pleasure, but contrari­ly, whatsoeuer the Churches ordeyned, [Page 59] they alwayes were careful, to proue it by the word of God, as it may be proued by the Coūcels of best credite. So that well wrote blessed Siluianus Bishop of Mar­siles: All other things, that is to say, Siluianus de vero iudicio & proui­dentia Dei. lib. 3. the sayinges of men, haue neede of profes, and witnesses: but the word of God is a witnesse to it selfe: for it must needes bee an vncorrupt witnesse of truth, which vncorrupt truth speaketh In deede the Councels haue made a re­hearsall of the bookes of holy scripture written by inspiration from God, which some of the auncient fathers haue done also: as of the Greekes, Melito, Ori­gines, and Eusebius Bishop of Caesaria: and of the Latines, Cyprian Bishop and Martyr, and Hierome Priest. But long before their iudgement, the bookes of ho­lie Scripture had diuine authoritie a­mong christians, which they would haue had, although Councels had neuer bene celebrated. Notwithstanding the holy men of God thought good to giue foorth their sentēce also against thē, which were wickedly bēt against y^e canonical bokes.

If the Church were able to bring to [Page] passe, that the Scripture might be recei­ued, certainly she would haue perswaded long before this time, Epicures, Tal­mudikes, and Mahometistes to haue re­ceiued it.All the authori­tie, which the Church hath, hangeth on Gods worde. For the authoritie of the Gos­pel doeth not hang on the Church: but what authoritie soeuer the Church hath, it hangeth wholy on the worde of God. And if the authoritie of God his woorde decay, the authoritie of the Church must needes decay with it. For if thou de­maunde of them, howe they proue the au­thoritie of the Church, or howe they bee certaine, that it erreth not in the vnder­standing of holy Scriptures, and in dis­cerning them from others? They will say: because it is gouerned by the holie Ghost. And if thou saye: And howe knowe you this? They will answere: be­cause Christ hath promised,Matth. 28.20. that he will bee with the Church vnto the ende of the worlde. And because he hath sayde also: Where twoo or three are gathered in my name, Matth. 18.20. there am I in the middest of them. Iohn. 16.7. & 13. And: I will sende the com­forter vnto you, and hee will leade you into all trueth. These are the [Page 60] thinges, say they, which perswade the authoritie of the Church. But whence take you these thinges, good men, but foorth of holie Scripture? Where­fore we must rather conclude, that the Churche hath her authoritie from the Scripture. Therefore as no man dee­meth, but the testimonie of the Church is greatlye to bee weyed aboute the woorde of GOD: so euerie man well seeth, that the authoritie of the Church is of greate renowme therefore, because it is sette foorth by the cleare light of God his worde.

The .xi. Chapter. Howe vngodly and wicked it is, to preache without the warrant of holie Scripture.

BY those things, which we haue saide of the worthinesse of the scriptures, it is manifest, that that doctrine, whiche the Prophetes and Apostles [Page] haue deliuered to vs in writing, is the foundation of our faith. Wherefore the Ministers of the Churche,The Ministers of the Church must preach the worde of God onely. and Prea­chers, ought to learne hereby, what they shoulde preach: euen the worde of God onely set forth in the Scripture, and not mens traditions, although they presume to say, they bee God his worde, which by no meanes they can proue, because they be vncertaine, contrarie one to an other, sometime abolished, and sometime newly deuised, which by no meanes can agree to the worde of God. Neither be there any Apostolike Churches, wherin the traditions of the Apostles be sincere­ly kept. But wee will speake of tra­ditions more at large in place conueni­ent.Iohn. 10.3. Moreouer, Christ his sheepe are not quiet, vntill they heare the certaine voice of their shepheard. And the minde desiring to liue to God, is not certaine, vntill it vnderstande those things, which it heareth to bee grounded vppon this firste principle of Diuinitie:Exod. 7.17. Thus sayeth the Lorde. Christ his spouse can not be quiet in minde, vntill she may say:Cant. 2.9. I heare the voice of my beloued. [Page 61] Nowe his voice, according to the com­mon rule of God his disposition towards vs, doeth not sounde any where more cer­ [...]ainely vnto vs, then forth of holie Scrip­ [...]ure. Well saide Chrysostome: Chrysost. in Psal. 95. If anie [...]hing be spoken without Scripture, the [...]hought of the hearers halteth. But whēn the Testimonie of God his voice [...]s come forth of the scriptures, it con­ [...]irmeth both the speache of the spea­ker, and the minde of the hearer. And Esaie hauing admonished the people to [...]eeke after none, but God onelie, addeth [...]he meanes also, saying: Get thee to the [...]awe and testimonie. Esaie 8.20. August de vnitate ecclesiae cap. 6. Wherefore well [...]ayde Augustine: Let our bookes be [...]aken away from among vs, and let God his booke be brought foorth a­mong vs, Heare Christe telling, [...]eare the trueth speaking. Hee say­ [...]th also in an other place: Read vs this [...]oorth of the lawe, foorth of the Pro­phetes, foorth of the Psalmes, foorth of the Gospell, reade it foorth of the Apostles writings, and we will beleeue [...]t. Againe: Vrge them to shewe some [Page] manifest testimonies foorth of the Ca­nonicall bookes. Luke 16.19. Remember that this is the saying of the Lorde. They haue Moses, and the Prophetes, let them heare them. If an Angel from heauen preach any other Gospel, Galat. 1.8. Paul cōmaū ­deth, that he be accounted accursed. Now if the Angels ought also to be in subiection to God his worde, & to o­bey it, then are they worthely brought into this order, that if they doe other­wise, They are iudged Deuils. And al­though that cannot come to passe, yet such is the maiestie of the Gospel, that to sette foorth the dignitie thereof, it is not vnlawfull after a sorte to abuse the name & dignitie of Angels. Wher­fore their wicked and cursed rashenesse, which presume to preach in the church of GOD beside the Scripture, is as it were, stoned to death with the most graue sentences of most holy fathers. Let vs therefore recite some testimonies of the Fathers.Testimonies of the Fathers cō ­cerning this matter.

Tertullian against Hermogenes, sayeth: I reuerence the fulnesse of scrip­ture. [Page 62] Let Hermogenes his shoppe shewe that it is written: Tertullian. If it be not written, let him feare the curse pronounced against them, Apo. 22 18. & 19. which adde, and take away from GOD his worde.

Saint Augustine likewise against Petilian his letters in his thirde booke and sixth Chapter hath these woordes:August. co [...]a contra litteras Petil. an lib. 3. ca. 6. If anie, I will not say if wee, but which Paule added, Gal. 1.8. If an Angel from hea­uen, shall preache, either of Christ, or of his Churche, or of anie other thing, whiche pertayneth to faith, or to the leading of our life, other­wise then you haue receyued in the holie Scriptures of the lawe and of the Gospel, Let him bee accursed. Wherevnto agreeth that also, whiche hee writeth in an other place say­ing: Let him whiche preacheth a­ny other Gospel, bee accursed, August. de vnitate ecclesiae cap. 12. or let him reade it mee in the holie Scrip­tures, and not be accursed. He saith also in his treatise of Pastoures.August. in Tract. de pastoribus. Christ hath appointed the moūtaines of Israel the [Page] authours of the holie scriptures. Feede there that you may feede safely. What­soeuer you heare thence, let that sa­uour well vnto you: whatsoeuer you heare not thence, refuse: that you wan­der not in a cloude, gather your selues to the meaning of the scripture. There be the dainties of your heart: There is nothing venemous, nothing from the purpose: There be onely the most fuit­ful pastures. Augustinus de bono viduitatis cap. 1. Also in his boke of the good­nesse of widowehood, in the first Chapter he saieth: What shoulde I teach thee more, then that, which we reade in the Apostle? For the holy Scripture fashio­neth the rule of our doctrine, least we shoulde presume to be wiser, than wee ought. Therefore let it be to me no­thing else, to teache thee, but to ex­pounde to thee the wordes of the tea­chers.

In Gratian his xi. decree, and third question,Gratian. whiche beginneth, Is qui post, you shall finde these woordes: Let him be accompted as a false witnesse, and a committer of sacriledge, which saieth anie thing, or commaundeth a­ [...]ie [Page 63] thing, beside the will of God, or [...]eside that, which is euidētly cōmaun­ [...]ed in holie scriptures.

Iohn Gerson in the first parte of the [...]xamination of doctrines,Iohn Gerson. citeth a cer­ [...]aine glose vpon this place: There appea­ [...]ed vnto them Moses and Elias, Mat. 17.3. Mar. 9.4. Luke. 9.30. talking [...]ith him: which is this: Euerie reuela­ [...]ion is suspected, which the lawe, and [...]he Prophetes, and the Gospell doe [...]ot confirme.

Hierome vpon the Epistle to Titus [...]aieth:Hierom. Babling without the authori­ [...]ie of the scriptures hath no credite.

Basil in the sermon of the true and god­ [...]ie faith, saith thus:Basill. If the Lord be faith­ [...]ull in all his woordes, and if all his [...] commaundements be faithfull, Psal. 119. the 11 parte & 6. ver. then [...]s the falling from the faith (in Greeke [...]) and the crime of pride ma­nifest: namely either to refuse any of [...]hose thinges, which are written in the Scriptures, or to bring in anie thing, which is not written in the Scriptures, considering that our Lord Iesus Christ hath sayde: My sheepe heare my voice. Iohn 10 27. Iohn 10.5. And a little before he saide also: A stran­ger [Page] will they in no wise followe, but will flee from him, for they knowe not the voyce of straungers. And the Apostle by a humane example doeth vehemently forbidde, either to adde a­nie thing to the holy scriptures, Galat. 3.15. or to take any thing from them, when as he saith: Though it be but a mans Testa­ment, yet if it be allowed, no man re­iecteth it, or addeth thereto. The same Basil saieth also in his eighty rule of mo­rals,Basilius Morali­um Regula 80. cap. 21. and xxi. Chapter: What is the propertie of the faithful? Euen this, to be throughly persuaded in his minde, that those thinges are true and effectu­all, which are vttered in the Scripture, and to reiect nothing, or to presume to deuise any newe thing. Rom. 14.23. Rom. 10 17. For, if what­soeuer is not of faith be sinne, as saith the Apostle: and if faith commeth by hearing, and of hearing commeth the woorde of GOD, without doubte, when any thing is without the holie Scripture, which cannot bee of fayth, it is of sinne.

Theophilact. Theophilact vpon the Epistle to the Romanes the last Chapter saith: They [Page 64] which bring any thing beside the do­ctrine of the Apostles, bring in offēces, [...]nd heresies, and dissentions.

Chrysostome vppon the Epistle to the Romanes, the last Homilie saith:Chrysost. There­ [...]ore there will be none offences, there [...]ill be no discordes, except some do­ctrine shal be deuised, which is contra­ [...]y to the doctrine of the Apostles.

Origen vpon Mathew, Origen. the xxv. Ho­ [...]ilie faith: For the proofe of all the [...]oordes, which wee vtter in our do­ [...]trine, wee ought to bring foorth the [...]ense and meaning of the Scripture, to [...]onfirme that sense, which wee expoūd [...]or euen as all the golde, whatsoeuer [...]s without the temple, is not halow­ [...]d: so euery sense, which is without ho­ [...]ie scripture, although it seeme to some [...]oonderfull, is not holy, because it [...]s not contayned in the sense of the Scripture. Therefore we may not for the [...]onfirmation of our owne doctrine, take [...]ur owne interpretatiōs: except it may be shewed, that they are holy, because they [...]re contayned in the holy Scriptures, as in certaine temples of God.

Ambrose. Ambrose in his fourth booke of Vir­ginitie, sayeth: We doe rightly con­demne all newe thinges, which Christ hath not taught, Iohn. 14.6. because Christ is the way to the faithful. Therefore if Christ haue not taught that, which we haue, we our selues iudge it also detestable. It appeareth also by the most graue sen­tences of the Fathers, that it is a verie greate wickednesse, yea accursed and execrable vngodlines, to preach any thing in the Churche of God, beside the holie Scripture.An earnest and necessarie ad­moniton. Wherefore I exhorte you, (whose vsuall manner is, and that with great solemnitie, to preache beside the Scripture, and to abuse the simplicitie of Christian people, whom you make madde with your dutifulnesse and subtill reasoning, and whom you bewitch) be­ing wakened with so manie moste graue sentences of the men of God, to acknow­ledge your detestable boldenesse, vanitie, and rashenesse, and to leaue it of. For if we beleeue Tertullian, you ought to be a­frayd of that curse,A briefe collec­tion of the Fa­thers assertions alledged in this Chapter. which is pronounced against them, which adde to the Scrip­ture, or take from it. If we geue credite [Page 65] to Ambrose and Augustine, you are ac­cursed, you are detestable, you are wi­ser than you ought to be, and you walke in a cloude: If we credite Gratian his decree, you are the false witnesses of God and committers of sacriledge: If wee will geue eare to Basil, you are manifest­ly fallen from the fayth, you are stayned with the crime of pride, and you teache sinnes: If we hearken to Chrysostome, and Theophilact, you bring in offences, heresies, and dissentions: If wee be of O­rigens and Hieromes mind, you bee pro­phane and vaine bablers, which deserue no credite. Therefore either cast awaie and treade vnderfoote the authoritie and consente of the auncient Fathers, by your wicked impudencie, or else con­fesse your selues to be, as you are, euen wicked and cursed persons, and repent with the true sorowe of the hearte, and with true groninges.

The xii. Chapter. That the true Churche is to be sought in the Scripture, to be inclu­ded therein, and to be esteemed by the Scrip­tures.

Iohn 8.47. Iohn 10.4. & 5CHrist pronounceth in the Gospel, that they are of God, which heare God his words: that they are his sheepe, which confesse his voyce, to be the voice of the Shepheard, and esteeme the voice of euerie one else, to bee the voyce of a straunger. By the same reason the spi­rite by the mouth of Paule doeth pro­nounce,Ephe. 2.20. that the Churche is built vppon the foundation of the Prophetes, and A­postles.Ephe. 5.26. And that the Church is sanctified vnto the Lord, in the foūtaine of water in the word of life. He teacheth vs the same more plainely by the mouth of Peter also, whē as he instructeth vs,1. Pet. 1.23. that the people of God, are borne anew of incorruptible seede, by the word of God, which liueth & lasteth for euer. To be briefe, the prea­ching of the Gospel is calledMat. 3.2. & Luke 17.21. the king­dome of God, wherby the heauenly king [Page 66] gouerneth his people.God his worde is the chiefest marke, whereby the Church is knowen. August de vnitate ecclesiae cap. 3. Therfore God his word is the chiefest marke to knowe the church by, commended vnto vs, euen by the Lorde himselfe. For this cause Augu­stine disputing against Petilian, what the church is, and where it is, will not haue it sought & pointed forth in the wordes and rumours of men, nor in Councels, nor in signes, and wonders, but in the Canoni­call Scriptures. Let vs not heare (saith he) this say I, this saiest thou: But this sayth the Lord: There be the bookes of the Lorde, vnto whose authoritie both of vs do agree, both of vs yeeld credit. There let vs seeke the Church, there let vs discusse our cause. Againe: Let those [...]hings be takē away, which we recite one against an other, not forth of God his Canonicall bookes, but from some other places. Some man peraduenture will aske: And why wil you haue those things taken away? Because I will not haue the holy Churche pointed forth by mans doctrines, but by God his oracles. Also:Iohn. 10.4. & 5. Whatsoeuer they bring, or from whence soeuer they re­cite it, Let vs rather heare the voyce of his Shephearde, if wee be his sheepe. [Page] Therfore let vs search forth the church in the holie Canonicall scriptures. Augustinus de Pastoribus cap. 4. He sayeth moreouer in his booke of pastours the iiii. Chapter. I aske after the voyce of the Shepheard. Read me this forth of a Prophet: Reade me this foorth of a Psalme: Recite it foorth of the lawe: Recite it foorth of a Gospel: Recite it foorth of an Apostle. Forth of them doe I recite the Churche dispersed in all the worlde, and the Lorde saying: My sheepe heare my voyce, and folow me. Iohn. 10.27. Let mens writing be taken away, let the voyces of God sounde. Againe in the xvi.Note. Chapter he sayeth: Let them prooue their Church, if they can: not in the speaches and rumors of the Afri­canes, not in the Coūcels of their owne Byshops, not in the writings of certain disputers, not in signes and deceitfull woonders (for against these things we are prepared & warned in the word of the Lord) but in the appointment of the lawe, in the foretellings of the pro­phetes, in the songues of the Psalmes, in the voyces of the Shephearde him­selfe, in the preaching and labours of [Page 67] the Euangelists, that is to say, in all the Canonicall authorities of the holy bookes. Item, Let him not say: It is therefore true, because this man, or that man wrought these or those mira­cles: or because men doe pray, and are hearde at the memories of our dead: or because these things or those things happen there: or because this man, or that woman hath either seene watching, or dreamed sleeping such a vision. Let these things be taken away, beyng either the deuises of lying men, or the illusions of deceitful Spirits. For neither doe we say, that we ought to be beleued therfore, because innumerable Bishops of our felowship haue cōmen­ded that church, which we hold: or be­cause it is preched in the coūcels of our felowes: or because so strange miracles either of graunting of requestes, or of healinges be wrought, throughout al the worlde in holy places, which our communion & felowship do frequent. These be the documents, These be the foundations, these be stayes of our cause, sayeth Augustine.

Chrysost. Mat. 24.16.Vnto him agreeth Chrysostome vp­pon Mathew the fourtie nienth Homilie. Let them which be in Iurie, flee into the mountaynes: That is to say, Let them which be in the profession of Christ his Religion flee to the Scriptures. It followeth: And why doeth he commaunde all Christians at that time to resorte to the Scriptures? Because in that time, wherein He­resie possessed the Churches, there coulde bee no proofe of true Christian religion, neyther coulde there be a [...]y other refuge of Christians, beeyng de­sirous to knowe the trueth of fayth, but the diuine Scriptures. For before it was shewed many wayes, which was the Churche of Christ, and which Gen­tilitie. But nowe they which are desirous to know, which is the true Churche of Christ, can knowe it by no meanes, but onely by the Scriptures. VVhy? Because all those thinges, whiche bee proper to Christ in trueth, heresie haue also in Schisme Churches alike, and diuine Scriptures alike, Bishoppes alike, and all other orders of the Cleargie: Baptisme alike, the Or sacrament of thankesge­uing in the Lordes Sup­per. Euchariste alike, and all other things, and to be briefe Christ himselfe Theref [...]re if a man be willing to knowe which is the true Church of Christ, whe [...]ce shall he know it in so great a confusion of similitude, but onely by the Scriptures? He addeth more­ouer: The Churche of Christe was knowen be­foretime euen by the manners, when as the conuer­sation eyther of all Christians, or of many, was holie: whiche was not to bee founde among the wicked. But nowe are Christians become, ey [...]her suche, or woorse, as are Heretikes, and Infidels: Yea, and [Page 68] there is greater sobernes of life found among them, although they be in schisme, then among Christians. He then, that is desirous to knowe, which is the true Church, whence may he knowe it, but onely by the Scriptures? Therefore our Lorde knowing, that there should be so great a cōfusion of things in the last daies, doth therefore command, that they which be Christi­ans, being desirous to receiue the confirmation of the true faith in That is, in the true profes­sion of Christ his religion. Christianitie, should flee to none other thing, but to the Scriptures. Otherwise if they shal re­gard any other things, they shall fall into offence and perish, not vnderstanding which is the true Church. Hitherto Chrysostome.

It is therefore manifest, by these in­structions of these most worthie doctours of the Church, as also by the scripture it selfe, that the Church is to be sought and proued in the Canonicall Scripture, not in the speaches & rumours, or maners of men, whatsoeuer they bee: not in Coun­cels, not in the successions of Bishops, not in the writinges and disputations of men, not in miracles, not in visions, reuelations, or any other thing. Because wee are deceyued by likelyhoodes in so great a confusion of thinges, and be­cause wee can not knowe certainlie, by anye other meanes, but onely foorth of the Canonicall bookes of Scripture, which is the true Church. That is there­fore [Page] false, which the Papists dreame, that this or that ought therefore to be belee­ued, because that visible companie, which hath the title of the Churche, hath obser­ued it, and doeth obserue it, although it can be proued by no testimonie of Scrip­ture.Augustinus con­tra literas Petil. lib. 3. cap. 6. For the late cited sentence of Augu­stine is true. If any, either Apostle, or Church, yea, or Angel from Heauen, shal preach vnto vs of any thing, which pertaineth to our faith, or life, other­wise thā we haue receiued in the scrip­tures of the law and of the Gospel, let him be accursed. Therefore forsomuche as the Church is to be sought, & knowen, by the holie Scripture, considering, that, as wel by the testimony of the scriptures, as of the Catholike Church her selfe, shee ought to bee sought and tried no where else: Then must not the Scriptures bee esteemed and depend of the Churche, but the Churche rather of the Scriptures: & then truely shal not the Scriptures haue al her estimation & al her authoritie from the Church, but rather the Church from the Scriptures.

The .xiij. Chapter. Of the dueties of the Church about the Scriptures: and first of this, that she keepeth the holy bookes of the Scripture, as a witnesse.

WEe haue hitherto declared by many strong and firme argu­ments, that the authoritie of the Cano­nicall Scripture is pearlesse, and most excellent, from whence the authority and excellencie of the Church commeth, and wherevpon it stayeth it selfe. And the Church doeth not ouerrule our fayth, as they naughtely thinke. For although the duetie of the Church be, to preach, to ad­monish, to reproue, to witnesse, and to set forth the holy Scriptures plainely, yet doth she not require to be beleued, but be­cause she speaketh y^e words of God. And the church hath iiii. goodly offices about the Scriptures. First,The foure functions of the Church a­bout the scrip­ture. shee keepeth safe the bookes of holy Scripture as a wit­nesse. Secondly, she preacheth and publi­sheth them. Thirdly, she discerneth them [Page] from counterfeites. Fourthly, shee in­terpreteth them. And these functions proue not,The Church keepeth the Scripture as a witnesse. that the Church hath autho­ritie ouer the Scripture, as many foo­lishly suppose. For whereas the Church keepeth the scripture safe as a witnesse, it cannot bee inferred thereby, that it is lawfull for the Church, to peruert or change anie thing in the holye Scrip­tures. For so should she weaken the force of her testimonie, and shew her selfe to be an vntrustie witnesse: And this would be a corrupting, and not witnesse bea­ring: For the pure and simple fourme of the commandement,Ambrosius de Pa­radiso. cap. 12. (sayth Ambrose) is denounced by earnest testimonies to be kept. A witnesse, for the most part, when as he addeth any thing of his owne deuising, to the orderly report of things done, staineth the whole credite of his testimonie,A plaine and apt similitude. by the lying report of the part. Nothing must therefore be added, although it bee neuer so good. It is a common vse to committe publike and priuate euidences to recorders, whome commonly men call Notaries, to keepe and conserue with all diligence: and yet [Page 70] no wise man will say, that they may law­fully chaunge any thing, that is contei­ned in them. And it is not to be beleeued, that the authoritie of the sayd Notaries is of greater strength, than was their willes, which requested that those things might be so recorded. Neither is it any matter, that the Churche receiued the worde of God deliuered by liuely voyce, before it was committed to writing. In deede the worde ( [...] that is to say) vnwritten, in time is before the woorde, which afterwarde was written: yet both were bestowed vpon the Church, being of one authoritie, and of like efficacie. For the Scripture sayeth of the woorde written: They haue Moses and the Pro­phets, let them heare them. Luke. 16.23. And as it was then the duetie of the Churche, to heare GOD speaking in the wri­tinges of Moses and the Prophetes: so is it nowe the duetie of the Church, to heare Christ with all reuerence spea­king in the writings of the Euangelists and Apostles, & to imbrace the instructiō of the spirite. Although the honour of the [Page] Church be great, that shee is chosen of God, to be, as it were, the keeper and de­fender of this most excellent and worthie treasure, yet maye the Churche by no meanes either wreith, or change, or cor­rupt those writings, but ought as a faith­full keeper, with chiefe care and prouisi­on, to keepe the bookes of holy scripture vncorrupted, for them which shall come after.

The xiiij. Chapter. That the Church publisheth the worde of God.

The Church publisheth the scriptures.WE said, that the second dutie of the Church about the Scrip­ture is, to publish and preach the wordes committed to her by God. Wherein the Church is like to a crier, who although he doe proclaime the Edictes and com­mandements of Princes & Magistrates, yet is he not aboue them, or of equall au­thoritie with them: but all his indeuour is, to pronounce all things faithfully, as he hath receiued them from the Princes [Page 71] and the Magistrates: and if he doe other­wise, he may worthily bee holden for a traitour. Well sayeth Chrysostome: Chrysost. in Tit. Homilia. 1. For as the crier proclaimeth to all that are present in the stage, so do we (saith the Apostle) proclaime publikely, with this condition, that we adde nothing, but that we proclaime those thinges onely, which we haue heard. For this [...]s the vertue of a crier, to publish those [...]hings truly, which are committed to him, not to adde any thing, or to change, or to take away. Tertullian a­greeth with Chrysostome, saying:Tertul. de prae­script. Haeretic. Marke. We may not follow our owne appetite in deuising any thing of our selues, nei­ [...]her may we choose any thing, which [...]ny other hath deuised, wee haue the Apostles of the Lord for our authors, who chose not any thing of their own [...]udgement, which they might bring [...], but faythfully assigned to nations [...]he doctrine receiued of Christ. There­fore though an Angell from heauen preach otherwise, we may call him ac­cursed. Let vs therefore auoyde them, which intrude mens deuises and traditi­ons [Page] as necessarie to bee obserued and be­leeued, & let vs heare with all attentiue­nesse the sincere preaching of the Gospel in the Church, and reuerence it.

The .xv. Chapter. That the Church discerneth the bookes of holy Scripture from Aprocryphal, and counterfeit.

The Church discerneth the counterfeit bookes from the true.THirdly, forsomuch as the Church is indued with the spirite of God, we doe confesse, that it is her function, to discerne the sincere and true bookes of holy Scripture from the counterfeit, and Apocryphal. So hath the Church dis­allowed and reiected the Gospell of Thomas, of Bartholomewe, of Thad­dee, of the Nazarites, of Nicodemus as also the actes of Peter, the diuers re­uelations of the Apostles, the Booke of the Pastour, and such like. Contrarily, shee hath allowed and receiued the foure Gospels, which wee haue, and the wri­tings of the Apostles, which in these [Page 72] dayes we reade in our Churches. And although the conseruation of the assured bookes of the Prophetes and Apostles, as of a certaine diuine Treasure, be the singular worke and benefite of GOD, notwithstanding both the diligence and authoritie of the church is to be acknow­ledged herein, which hath partly giuen foorth her Testimoniall of the assured writinges, and hath partly by her spiri­tuall iudgement refused the writinges, which are vnworthie, and which agree not with the rest of the writinges of the Prophetes and Apostles. Which was so much the more easie, because (as saith Augustine, they wrote in suche a time,To discerne, is not to be of greater autho­ritie. wherein they were thought worthie to bee allowed, not onely of the Churche of Christ, but also euen of the Apo­stles, who then remayned aliue. But to discerne Bookes, is not to bee of greater authoritie, than are the sayde Bookes, as some foolishly dreame. For when as the King his letters be brought, some gouernours of Cities, and presidentes of Prouinces, are a­ble by vse and ciuill skill sufficientlie [Page] to iudge, whether they be true letters or forged, which are deliuered them in the Kinges name: and yet may they not at their owne pleasure, either change, or wrest them, when they shall perceiue, that they are not coūterfeited or feigned. And wee may not otherwise esteeme of the Church. Who although she haue gi­uen foorth her faythfull testimonie to the bookes of holy Scripture, and not to the workes of other, who peraduenture did not onely digresse from the truth of the historie, but also reported many things, which are cleane contrarie to the olde testament, and to the other Euangelists: yet may shee not otherwise vnderstande or ordaine any thing, then God hath defi­ned and taught in these bookes of holie Scripture. But if they, which being lighted by the holy Ghost, acknowled­ged the holy Scriptures to be the words of God, had beene asked whether they would haue preferred their owne autho­ritie before the scriptures? They would neuer haue done it. Nay contrarily, ha­uing acknowledged and receiued the said Scriptures, they submitted them­selues [Page 73] wholy vnto them, and esteemed them as the most certaine rule, guide, and direction of their faith & life. Wher­fore this is a weake and feble argument.A weake argu­ment. The Church accepted, and discerned the books of holy Scripture from other: Therefore the authoritie of the church is more excellēt. For we also acknowledge one true God, and allow Iesus Christ, and put difference betweene him and I­dols, and betweene him & the Diuel, and yet cannot inferre herevpon, that we are more excellent than Christ, or God. In like manner our minde alloweth and re­ceiueth the prouocations and motions of the holy Ghost, to reade, to pray, to liue chastly, and discerneth them from the wicked entisementes of the worlde, of the Diuell, and of the fleshe, and yet our minde may not therefore be called, either better, or more excellent than the holy Ghost. Againe when a man endu­ed with the perfect knowledge of Phi­losophie, shall receiue Plato or Aristotle or Galen, as noble Philosophers, and shall preferre them before Epicure, Ari­stippus, and Democritus, shall hee in [Page] consideration, of this his iudgement pre­sume to preferre his owne authoritie be­fore Galene, or Aristotle, or Plato? And there be many men of so perfecte iudge­ment, that they can discerne the counter­feite verses of Virgil or Ouid, from their true verses, & yet are they in know­ledge farre inferiour to Virgil and Ouid Euen so the Churche ought not for this cause to preferre her credite, or authori­tie, before the holy Scriptures. This ar­gument, as we saide, is weake, and the Maxime,A false Maxim. w^t they gather hereof, is false. Those thinges, which the Churche hath deliuered and proposed, euen without a­ny testimonie of Scripture, ought to haue the same authoritie, as hath the Ca­nonicall Scripture, vnto whō the church haue geuen authoritie. In deede the holy Scripture is allowed by the common cō ­sent of the Church, but this consent is not mans deuise, but a necessary confession, and an expressed testification proceding of the trueth of the matter. And yet the Churche, by meanes of this testification, hath not reputed her selfe greater, or more excellent then the Scripture, but hath re­uerently [Page 74] committed her selfe to the go­uernement of the Scripture.

It is therefore plaine by the premis­ses,The Summe. howe the Church standeth towarde the worde of God written. Shee is the faithfull keeper & defendour of the worde, she extolleth it, by witnessing with it, by setting it foorth, by preaching it, by defending it, by mainteining it. And yet doeth shee depend wholely of it, as of the rule of her fayth: shee changeth nothing, shee altereth nothing, shee addeth no­thing, shee taketh away nothing. Shee is as it were a Notarie, which keepeth safely testamentes, when as notwithstan­ding hee hath no authoritie aboue the last will of the testatour: for if hee shoulde chaunge or alter it, hee shoulde not bee taken for a faithfull Notarie, but for a falsifier and a forger of testa­mentes.

The .xvi. Chapter. Of this saying of Augustine: [I would not beleeue the Gospel, but that the authoritie of the Church mooueth mee also.]

BEcause the Pope his side doe see, that the Scripture maketh against them to diminish the authoritie thereof, they contende, that the authoritie of the Church, the title whereof they doe pre­tende by their deuises and decrees, is ra­ther to be esteemed, than of the Scrip­tures, because the Scriptures cannot retaine their credit without the Church. But how vaynely they dispute heereof, we haue alreadie shewed by manie most strong argumentes. But they obiect vnto vs the authoritie of the holy man of God Augustine, which wrote thus against the Epistle of a Manichee, Augustinus cont­tra Epistolam Manichaeorum Fundamenti cap. 5. which they call Fundamenti: I woulde not be­leeue the Gospel: but that the autho­ritie of the Church mooueth me also, Notwithstanding Augustine thinketh not, that the authoritie of the Church is [Page 75] greater than the authoritie of the woorde of GOD, neither doeth hee graunte vnto the Church authoritie, to ordeine a­nie thing against the woord of God, or to make newe articles of the faith, or to a­bolish the articles deliuered in the woord of God: he onely deemeth the Church to be a teacher and a witnesse. We could not beleeue the Gospel, were it not, that the Church taught vs, and witnessed that this doctrine was deliuered by the Apostles.Augustinus con. Faustum. lib. 28. cap. 2. The same Augustine in the xxviii. booke, the second chapter against Faustus writeth, that the Manichees ought so to beleeue the first Chapter of Matthewe which those heretikes recei­ued not, to be written by Matthew, as he did beleue the epistle, which they called Fundamentum, to be Manichees, be­cause it was so kept by their ancetours, and deliuered from hand to hande. Hee writeth that he was also mooued by a­greeable testimonies of the first Church, not to doubt, that these bookes were de­liuered by the Apostles,The primitiue Church moo­ueth vs also to beleeue. and by them which are worthie credit. Therfore here­vpon it is, that the Church mooueth vs [Page] also to beleeue the Gospel, because shee keepeth the holy Scriptures faithfully, preacheth them, and discerneth them from others. And he speaketh of the pri­mitiue and Apostolike Churche, as Gerson Chauncellour of Paris, Gerson. a man in his age most excellent, doeth in the same place most wisely say: Hee taketh the Church for the primitiue congre­gation of those faithfull, whiche hearde Christ, and sawe him, and were his witnesses. For whilest the Apostles, and Disciples of Christ were yet liuing, when as diuerse Gos­pels were sette foorth in the Churche, they, which had seene Christ, and hearde his Apostles, coulde witnesse, what was naturall, and what was Bastardlike. In like manner Tertullian and Irenaeus commende vnto vs the authoritie of the first Churche,Tertul. de prae­script. Heret. Irenae lib. 3. cap. 3. receiue the writinges ap­prooued by the Catholike consent of the first Churche, and did therefore sende he­retikes to the Apostolike Churches, be­cause they did not receiue the whole scriptures: Wherefore they woulde that they shoulde receiue the estimation of the [Page 76] Scriptures, from those churches, wher­in it was manifestly knowen, that the Apostles taught. For it was euident, that those Churches had bene continually the witnesses and keepers of the bookes of holy Scripture: and yet they did not for that cause ordeyne that the authoritie of the Churche ought to be preferred before the Scriptures. But if the Apostolike Churche bee not preferred before the Scripture, muche lesse ought this con­gregation of mitred men, whiche are not so aptly termed the Churche, as the cor­ruption and eating canker of the church, to bee preferred before the sayde Scrip­tures.

But they obiecte against vs this rule, which is commonly spoken of by Logici­ans: Whatsoeuer it is, A Marime in Logike. that is the cause that any thing else is indued with a qualitie, the same thing shall rather be iudged to bee indued with the same qualitie. Herevpon they reason in this maner.A deceitfull ar­gument. If the scripture haue her authori­tie because of the Churche, then doeth it followe, that the saide authoritie is ra­ther in the Church, then in y^e scriptures. [Page] But these felowes ought to knowe, that this sentence giuen foorth by the Logi­cians, hath place in finall causes. For if a man for healthes sake vse a medicine, he rather desireth health, than the medi­cine. But that manner of reasoning is not effectuall in efficient causes, excepte the whole and totall cause be conteined in the argument. For although men, which drinke wine vnmeasurably, be­come drunke, we cannot therevpon con­clude, that the wine is rather drunke than the men: because all the cause of drunkennesse is not in the wine, for it is required also, that it be concocted in the belly, and that the vapours be sent vp, which may trouble the brayne. Molo the Rhetoritian instructed Cicero in O­ratours arte: and yet is it not concluded thereby, that Molo was more skilfull in that science, than was Cicero, be­cause the maister is not the whole cause of learning, for witte, studie, and dili­gence is also required for the atteining thereof. Euen so the Church is not the totall and whole efficient cause of that credite and authoritie, which the holy [Page 77] Scriptures haue among the faithfull. God himselfe hath laide the foundation of them with so greate authoritie, that their certeintie is confirmed by the in­warde persuasion of the holy Ghost, as lately wee shewed. The Testimonies of men, which are set foorth for the con­firmation of Scriptures, shall not be in vaine, if they followe that chiefe and so­ueraigne Testimonie of the holy Ghost, as second helpes of our weakenes: wher­fore Augustine wrote wisely: Except the authoritie of the Churche moo­ued me also: For hee saide not simplie, Mooued me. And euen as Augustine among other things, mooued by the au­thoritie of the Church, witnesseth, that he chooseth rather to beleeue the Gospel, [...]han the Manichees: so ought wee al by good reason to be mooued by the authori­ [...]ie of the same Church, to beleeue the di­uine preaching of the doctrine of the Gospell, which shineth nowe againe a­mong vs, and of Christ, whom the church [...]ommaundeth vs alway to beleeue, ra­ther then the deuises and decrees of all Popes, and all their partakers. And [Page] thus you see plainely, that this saying of Augustine, w^t they wrōgfully wrest for themselues, maketh also against them as before we haue prooued.

The .xvij. Chapter. Of the gift of interpretation.

The true vn­derstanding and interpreta­tion of the scrip­ture belongeth to the ChurchFOurthly, the true vnderstanding or interpretation of the Scripture be­longeth to the Church. For she holdeth the foundation, and hath the gift of in­terpretation, but sometime purely, and some time vnpurely. According to this gift the Church in times past deter­mined & defined most chiefe, most graue, & moste harde controuersies of doctrines foorth of the Scriptures. For the church (as sayth Irenaeus doth alway preache y^e trueth,Irenaeus. lib. 5. & is the seauenfold lampe [...] bearing Christ his light.Apoc. 1.12. So much the lesse are those wanton wits to be born with, which doe despise the catholike vn­derstanding and consent of the Church, and al councels without difference, and deuise newe opinions wickedly wresting [Page 78] the Scriptures. Therfore for so much as the gift of interpretation is in the Church, it is necessarie to heare the Churche teaching, when shee doeth either interpret those thinges, which are set foorth in the Scriptures, and holdeth foorth the torch to put away the darknes, brought into holy Scriptures by here­tikes: or else proposeth those thinges, which although they be not set foorth in expressed woordes, are yet prooued by comparing of place with place. So doe the godly receiue most willingly all the determinations of the Councels of Nice, of Constantinople, of Ephesus, and of Chalcedon. But this gift is not bounde to certaine persons and pla­ces, being at somtimes in more, at sometimes in fewer, somtimes bet­ter knowen and more pure, sometimes lesse knowen and not so pure: Euen as saith Paule, 1. Cor. 3.12. that some builde on the foundation hay and stubble. And two thinges, namely the Testimonies of scripture truly agreeing & the Catholike consent, wil shew who they are, which [Page] haue this gift.The Catholike consent. And the Catholike con­sent is the agreement of the Fathers, of the Prophetes, of the Apostles, and of all, whosoeuer agree with their Testi­monies in iudgement and signification. But because this gift is not alway ma­nifest enough and pure in the church, ma­ny cautions are needefull.

The same also teacheth, that Pro­phecies,How interpre­tations must be tried. Rom. 12.6. that is to say, interpretations ought to be according to the proportion and measure of faith. Rom. xii. There­fore interpretations must be examined, whether they be of the proportiō of faith, whether they agreee with the rule of cha­ritie, whether they consent with the Scripture giuen from God. For if any thing be affirmed without god his word, the vaine names of the Church, of the fa­thers, & of Councels, are pretended to no purpose,Gal. 1.8. wherein the Angels may not be hearde. Neither is it the duetie of the Church to speake, but to heare her husbande speake, accordinge to this saying of the Psalme: Hearken (O daughter, Psal. 45.11. and consider, Incline thine eare. And the Fathers of the right [Page 79] faith would not haue their writings to be reade with anie other condition, but that they might be corrected in the bal­lance of God his written woorde, as in the apt place we haue taught. It is not the parte of Councels, to set foorth a new woorde or doctrine, but to mainteine the woorde or doctrine receiued from their auncetours, against Heretikes, which withstand it. The Synodes, which haue doone otherwise, be the councels of the vngodly, and the seates of the scorne­fullPsal. 1.1. which we are commaunded to a­uoyde, that we may be blessed. To be briefe, so farre foorth doeth the Church holde the true vnderstanding, as it doeth carie with her the light of Christ: with­out this light, it hath stubble and super­stitious constitutions.

And this may not be affirmed,The interpre­tation of the Scripture is not in subiec­tion to tyrants. that the true vnderstanding of Scripture is in subiection to them, which are willing to rule like tyrants, and not to submit them selues to the woorde of God, but to haue Gods woorde subiect to their decrees. For these fellowes carie not the light of Christ, but darken the cleare light, by [Page] their deuises, yea rather choke vp Gods trueth with their most grosse darkenesse. These stately men are the wicked depra­uers of the truth which doe not apply their minde to the Scriptures, but draw and peruert the minde of the Scriptures to their will. And what manner of inter­pretours they are,A Demonstra­tion of the false interpreting of the Scrip­ture. Matt. 26.27. Mat. 14.23. a man may easely per­ceiue by these thinges, which I will alledge. Christ reaching foorth the cuppe in the Supper sayeth: Drinke ye all of it. Marke addeth: And they all dranke of it. But they in their interpretatiō say, not al, but the Priestes onely. The E­pistle to the Hebrues pronounceth, that Wedlock is honorable among al men. They say:Heb. 13.4. Not in all men, but in Leie men onely: Paule sayeth: If they cannot absteine, 1. Cor. 7.9. let them marry: But these felowes by their ordinances and expositi­ons exclude a good part of the world frō mariage. Christ sayeth to his Apo­stles: The Kinges of nations be Lordes ouer them: Luke. 22.25. But ye shall not be so: But they woulde haue vs to de­parte from the most manifest meaning of [Page 90] the place, and to receiue I knowe not what maner of interpretations. The Lawe of God forbiddeth the setting vp of Images to be woorshipped: but they will haue Images to be,Exod. 20.4.5 and to be woorshipped in Temples and in O­ratories. Paule sayth:Deut. 5.8. &. 9. Let no man iudge you in meate or in drinke: And yet they brought in the superstitious choyse of meates,Col. 2.16. so that they accompt it an offence more haynous than adulte­rie, to eate fleshe on the Friday, or in Lent. The Scripture decreeth,Rom. 3.24. Gal. 2.16. Ephes. 2.8. et 9. that wee are iustified by fayth without woorkes: but they by their expositi­on contende that wee are iustified by woorkes. I beseech you, is this to in­ [...]erprete the Scriptures, or to shift them of? What man is there so blinde, which seeth and perceiueth not, that [...]heir gloses be altogether cleane con­ [...]rary to the text? They haue adiudged his power of interpreting y^e Scriptures [...]o be, as it were, their owne of right, and [...]o them onely appertaining, that they [...]ay at theire pleasure bring into the [Page] Church strange iudgementes and vn­knowen doctrines, and that they may, as shall seeme best vnto them, fight against the woord of God. For their right of au­thenticall interpretation will take awaie all scruple. Neither can there be anie testimonie obiected to the contrarie, be it neuer so cleare, be it neuer so strong, but they will by one meanes or by an other shift it of. For they will verie easely es­cape by one cauill or an other, because a­gainst all contrarie reasons this shalbe a brasen walle.The interpre­tation of the Church of Rome. Thus the church iudgeth. If anie man haue say they, the interpre­tation of the Church of Rome, touching any place of Scripture, although he nei­ther knowe, nor vnderstande whether it doe, or how it may agree with the words of Scripture, yet hath he the verie word of God. Nowe the interpretation of the Church of Rome shalbe:Luke. 22.38. Behold heere are two swoordes, that is to say the Bishoppe of Rome hath the administra­tion of either swoorde, both of the spiri­tuall, and politique. Elizeus by a miracle made bitter waters sweet,4. Reg. 2.21. by casting salt into them: that is, there must be in the [Page 89] Churche exorcised water, and hallowed salte, whose efficacie we must beleeue to be of great force against the Diuell and against sinnes.Luke. 22.19. 1. Cor. 11.24. This doe in the remem­brance of me, That is, Priests must of­fer in the Masse, the body and blood of the Lord for the quicke and the dead. If thou reclaime, that these be corruptions, not interpretations, thou shalt heare them say: The Church so vnderstādeth these places: And wilt thou reiect the interpretation of the Church? There­fore no man maie presume to gainesay this Dictatourlike & Pretorlike power of interpreting, which doubteth not thus to peruert the wordes of Scripture ac­cording to their owne opinions.

The Priests, Scribes,Examples of false interpre­ting forth of the Gospel. Exod. 20.12. Deut. 5.16. & Pharisies of the Iewes in times past dealt none o­therwise: but Christ that true Priest hath confuted their wicked and peruerse inter­pretations. God commāded in the Law: Honour thy father and thy mother: but the Priests moued through couetous­nesse, set this commandement at large, and weakned it, by absoluing the children from the burden of nourishing their Pa­rentes, [Page] perswading them to offer dain­tie and fatte oblations, which might profite their parentes more than foode. The Lorde hath gainsayde them, and witnessed that the commaundement of GOD is corrupted and made of none effect by this craftie interpretation.Matth. 15.6. Mat. 7.13. Mat. 23.16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. They did also dispense with oathes, and taught that some oathes were strong, & some weake: and here the Lorde oppo­sed himselfe also against their false expo­sitions, and confuted their interpretati­ons. They taught also, that the Lawe of God is fulfilled by outward discipline,Matth. 5. from the beginning to the ende. if men doe conforme them selues there­vnto by outwarde woorkes onely. But Christ laying away their peeuish gloses, hath declared, that the Lawe doeth not onelie require outwarde workes, but al­so godly and holy motions of the minde. Therefore let the Lawe of proouing in­terpretations remaine inuiolated, nei­ther muste wee yeelde to all maner in­terpretations without iudgement. For the Church hath the right and libertie to iudge,1. Cor. 14.29. Hieronymus in Apologia de lib. contra Iouinianū as sayeth Paule: Let the other iudge. My purpose was (saith Ierome) [Page 82] not to drawe the Scriptures to my wil: but to saye that which I vnderstoode the Scriptures would. For it is the due­tie of a Commentatour, to expound, not what hee will him selfe, but what he meaneth, whome hee doeth inter­prete. Otherwise, if he shall speake con­trarie things, he shall not be an inter­preter, but his aduersarie, whome hee taketh vpon him to expounde. Truely wheresoeuer I doe not interprete the Scriptures, but speake freely of mine owne iudgement, let him reprooue me, that will. Thus much hath Ierome. Certainly you shall neuer finde in the Fathers, that the Scriptures are here­by to be vnderstoode, because this or that Councell, did thus, or thus interprete them.August. in lib. de doctrina Christ. And Augustine in his bookes of Christian doctrine doeth sette foorth verie manie wayes of interpreting the Scriptures, and yet doeth he neuer bind vs, either to Councels, or to the Churche.

The .xviij. Chapter. Of the saying of Christ: [If he will not heare the Church,Mat. 17.18 let him be vnto thee, as an heathen man and a Publicane.]

THey, which seeke a certaine Lord­like gouernment of all religion vn­der the counterfeit colour of the Church, because they see little aide or none in the Scripture, holde forth before vs the mas­king visard of the Church, as a Gorgons heade, that wee being amased therewith, might rashly imbrace all manner of de­crees, all kinde of traditions, and inter­pretations, which please them onelye, without examination, without inquisiti­on, and without doubt. Therefore that they may call vs backe from the Scrip­ture, to the constitutions of the Church, they saye, That Christ sayde: If he will not heare the Church, let him be vnto thee as an heathen man, Christ speaketh not of interpre­ting the scrip­tures. and a Pub­licane. Although Christ in that place intreated not of the exposition of Scrip­tures, but onelie of brotherly correc­tion, [Page 91] yet wee graunt, that the Church is to be heard, so farre foorth as she iud­geth, answereth, and speaketh foorth of GOD his woorde. But if she vtter the deuises of men, and traditions onely, we ought to passe by her with deafe eares: especially when shee proposeth thinges contrarie to GOD his worde. For this saying of Paule standeth fast: Though an Angel from Heauē, Gal. 1.8. preach anie other Gospel, let him be accursed. Hieronym [...] And the saying of Ierome is: That is the doctrine of the holie Ghost, which is set foorth in the Canonicall Scrip­tures, against the which, if Councels decree anie thing, I count it wicked­nesse. To be briefe, we doe inclose the Church in the worde of the Lord, which ought to bee set before her eyes as a sure and certain rule. Neither can the church, in so greate varietie and multitude of sectes and Heresies condemning one an other, be declared by any other meanes, because men are euerie where, & because euerie one will sweare, that the Church is with them,Iohn. 14.23. as lately foorth of Au­gustine and Chrysostome wee haue de­clared. [Page] What saye you to this, that the same Christ the Lorde will hereby chief­ly haue his disciples, and so consequently and vndoubtedly his church also knowen and esteemed, if they keepe his sayings faythfully, and obserue them. And doeth plainly witnesse,Iohn. 14.24. that they are cast off, which will not keepe his doctrine and followe it. As for this power aboue the Scriptures, which these felowes claime vnto themselues by their subtile Sophi­strie, the auncient Fathers neuer knewe nor sought, as lately we haue shewed. Constantine the Emperour commaun­ded the Fathers,Theodor. Histor. Ecclesi. li. 1. ca. 7. when as they were as­sembled in the Nicene Councell, that they should define the controuersie of the one, and selfe same substaunce of the fa­ther and the sonne, foorth of the Pro­pheticall and Apostolicall Scriptures. And yet none withstoode him there, saying, that the Churche ought to dis­cusse the controuersie by her owne ab­solute authoritie, because shee was not subiect to the Scriptures, but had them rather in subiection vnto her. Neither did they complaine, that the Empe­rour [Page 84] did anie whitte at all debase the Churche, when as hee made her subiect to the rule of the Scriptures. And how will these men bring the Scriptures in subiection to the authoritie, iudgement, and censure of the Church, seeing Christ our Lorde doeth not saye, that the Churche is iudge of his Doctrine, but pronounceth rather, that his doctrine shall be iudged of all mankinde in gene­rall? And thus maye wee vnderstand, that Christe is not to bee iudged by men, with what title soeuer or prero­gatiue they bee adorned, but all man­kinde to beeIohn. 12.28. iudged by him, accor­ding to the Doctrine of his worde.

The .xix. Chapter. Of the saying of Paule:1. Tim. 3.15. (The Church is the piller and ground of the trueth.)

THey say, that the Church is the pil­ler and ground of truth,1. Tim. 3.15. How the church is the piller and ground of the trueth. and that it can not erre. The Apostle speaketh not of the Church of anie one time, or place, but of the Catholike Church of al times, and places, which also conteineth the Prophets, and all the Apostles, with all their doctrine, and Christ the Lorde himselfe, as the chiefe and euerlasting heade, and therefore her onely head. This Church is the piller and grounde woorke of the trueth of the Prophetes and Apostles doctrine. VVherefore we also following Augustine, doe confesse, that we are mooued by the testimonie of this Churche, (which also before wee sayde) rather to beleeue the Gospel, then the Popes, and their Decrees, and all their Councels. But the Church of anie one time, or place, (espe­cially after the Apostles) is not the pil­ler and grounde of the trueth, but so farre foorth as shee hath the word of God with her, preacheth it, reteineth it, & conserueth it: and not because she strengthneth it be­ing weak, or maketh it to be of authoritie being vnconstant: much lesse because she [Page 93] vsurpeth vnto her self a censours rod ouer it, or setteth downe any thing concerning it, after her owne iudgement.

Therefore as she speaketh foorth of God his worde, she erreth not,Howe the Chuch can­not erre. neither can she erre: but either speaking or doing without it, she not only can erre, but doth erre. But these men, whilst they cloke their tyranny with the beautifull title of the Church, faine vnto vs a Churche, which although it ordeine any thing be­side, or against God his worde, yet erreth not. And therefore would they, that shee should rather be beleeued, then the worde of God. But whilst they stay them selues vpon this opinion, they differ as much as may be from the olde fathers, and from the consent of the Catholike Church. For the fathers in their councels did alwayes confirme their decrees by the testimo­nyes of Scripture. And although they yeelded no small honour to councels, yet [...]n the greatest controuersies, they did not [...]o much appeale vnto councels, as to God [...]is oracles, which are the Scriptures.

Heereof Augustine is witnesse, which would not that the authoritie of the coun­cell [...]

Hilarius de Tri­tate. lib. 6.And this which Hilarie wrote long a­goe, may much more truely be applyed to our times: For the greeuous and pe­rilous errour in many, and the fall of many, although it doe vnderstande it selfe, yet through shame to rise, presu­meth authoritie to it selfe, hauing this impudencie of the number, that wher­as it erreth, it would haue it esteemed wisedome, and where as it erreth with many, it affirmeth it to bee the vnder­derstanding of the trueth, whilest lesse errour is supposed to be in the trueth.

The xx. Chapter, Of the saying of Paule [Brethren stand fast,2. Thes. 2.15. and holde the ordinaunces, which ye haue beene taught, whether it bee by our prea­ching, or by our Epistle.

I Had almoste passed ouer the place of Paule, whiche the defendours of su­perstitions obiect vnto vs as a moste strong and an vnanswearable argument, And it is thus.2. Thes. 2.15. 2. Thes. 2. vers. 15. Ther­fore [Page 95] brethren stand fast, and holde the ordinaunces, which yee haue beene taught, whether it be by our preaching, or by our Epistle. By this place it is manifest, say they, that all things, which are necessarily to be holden, are not com­prehended in the writinges of the Apo­stles: but that those thinges also which beeing deliuered by the Apostles with liuely voice, are come vnto vs by tradi­tions, are to bee receiued with like re­uerence and affection of godlines. But when as they can not prooue, that those traditions, which they defende, bee Paules, they are woorthy to be laughed at and very foolish, whilst they will holde vp their stinking piller of their superstitions by the testimonie of the Apostles. And when Paule wrote this Epistle,Paule in the 2. Thes. 2. spea­keth not of the traditions of the Papists. the Ca­non of the Scripture of the newe Testa­ment was not yet made. Which when it was once made by the authoritie of the holy Goost, as we haue lately taught, af­ter the making thereof, we make men the authours of thinges to bee beleeued, not without the great reproche of the same spirit. Wherfore in this matter we must [Page] consider with great heede that, which Paule wrote aboute the ende of his life, concerning the sufficiencie of the Scrip­tures,2. Tim. 16. and .17. when as hee sayth: All Scripture (is) giuen by inspiration of God, & is profitable to doctrine, to reproue, to correction, to instruction, which is in righteousnesse, that the man of God may be perfect, instructed to all good woorkes. For if the Scripture make the man of God instructed, perfecte, and throughlye furnished to euerye good work, than doth it not leaue him to be in­structed, to be made perfect, and to bee thorowly furnished by traditions in any good worke. Wherefore so ofte as they bring in a worke, which they contend to be good, or any thing necessary to be be­leeued, which can not be proued foorth of the holy Scriptures: I had rather say, that that, which they bring in, is not good or profitable, then to pronounce other­wise of the moste excellent authoritie of the Scripture, than the Apostle hath ap­pointed concerning the same. What saye you to this moreouer, that the doc­trine, which the Apostles taught, whe­ther [Page 88] it were by preaching or by Epistle, was not contrary, not diuerse, not an o­ther, but one and the selfe same? For al­though they wrote not all thinges, yet had they an especial care, that what they deliuered by tradition, might bee mani­festly inferred foorth of those thinges, which were written by them selues, or in other holy Bookes of Scripture. Other­wise diuers superstitions might be brag­ged off euery where, as receiued from ancient time, as deliuered by the Apo­stles, which can be knowen by none other meanes, but because they are not agreea­ble to the Scriptures, whereby, as by a rule and squire, all traditions, constituti­ons, and rites ought to be examined and tried: because the Churche doeth not binde the consciences of the faithful vnto her constitutions, but onely so farre foorth as they doe agree with the commaunde­ments of our Lord Iesus Christ.Psalme 119. the first parte, and 4. verse. For she knoweth that it is written: Thou haste charged, that we shall diligently keepe thy commaundements.

The xxi. Chapter. That the doctrine, which the Apostles taught by liuely voice, & which they deliuered in writing, is all one: & that this is the fourme of the traditions of the Apo­stles, if they agree with the holy Scriptures.

WWhereas I haue boldely af­firmed, that it is one, and the selfe same doctrine, which the Apostles taught, whether it were by liuely voice, or by Epistles, it may bee proued both foorth of the holy Scriptures, and by the testimonies of the Fathers, and is also manifest by the consent of the Church. It is a tradition of Paule, 1. Cor. 11.5. 2. Thef. 3.10. that a woman haue her head couered in the Church, and that Christians,The traditions of Paule. which are poore, laboure with their handes, and liue not idlely: But whereas he professeth these traditi­ons to be his owne, doeth he propose them nakedly and simply to the Churches, both without proofe, and iudgment onelie vn­der this title: he wil haue them receiued, [Page 89] bycause they be the traditions of the Apostles? Not so: but he goeth about to ap­proue and confirme them,1. Cor. 11.6. 1. Cor. 11.13. by effectuall reasons, yea and by proofes drawen forth of the Scripture, and giueth the Church leaue to iudge of them. The same Apo­stle writeth also in an other place,1. Cor▪ 4.140. that all things be doone honestly, and in order. We haue therefore the forme of the tra­ditions of the Apostles foorth of these: Namely, if they agree with the holye Scriptures, if they be confirmed by sub­stanciall reason, by aptnesse of edifying by the example of Churches, by comlines and order. And we also ought to examine the traditions of the Church by the very same proofes. But now a dayes, when as testimonie forth of the holy Scriptures is required touching any thing: or when a reason should be yeelded concerning a­buses and superstitions, Antichristes haue alwayes in their mouth:A common re­fuge of Papists It is a Tradition, You may not en­quire of it. It is a tra­dition, you may not inquire of it. But the traditions, which are proposed vnto vs, are to be examined by the rule of God his word, neither would Paule, that they should otherwise be beleeued. And let our [Page] aduersaries doe this also, if they woulde haue their traditions to take place. And it is the consent of the Catholike church, that the Apostles did not deliuer to the Church, such things as are straunge and disagreable to those thinges, which are contained in the Canonicall Scripture. Cōcerning the which thing, I wil allege some moste euident testimonyes of cer­taine olde writers.Irenaeus. lib. 31. cap. 1. Irenaeus declareth, that the very same Gospel, which the Apostles preached with liuely voice, they did afterwarde deliuer vnto the Church in the Scriptures by the will of God, that this written Gospell might be the ground and piller of our faith, euen of that true & liuely faith, which the Church learned of the Apostles, and distributed to the children. Therefore the Apostles taught nothing by liuely voice contrarie to those things, which they haue compre­hended in the Scripture of the new Te­stament. The saying of the same Irenaeus in Eusebius is worthy memory,Eusebius Eccle­siast [...]cae historiae lib. 3. cap. 20. where he sheweth that Polycarpe preached those thinges, which he had learned of them, [Page 90] who had seene the woorde of life them­selues [...], that is to saye, all agreable to the Scriptures.

This surely is a golden saying of Ire­naeus, which also declareth certaine sen­tences of olde writers touching tra­ditions, and doeth fully agree with that fourme of traditions, whiche wee haue taught foorth of Paule. Let the traditi­on agree with the Scripture. The Apostles taught many things with liuely voice: Apostolike men receaued them beeing so taught, which afterwarde they deliue­red ouer againe to their disciples: but I­renaeus saith, that those thinges were all [...], agreable to the Scriptures. Therefore by the testimony of Irenaeus, the Apostles deliuered no­thing to the church by liuely voice, which might dissent frō the Scriptures. Wherfore if y^e Papists wold haue vs to receaue and reuerence as Apostolike, the tradi­tions, which they haue vndertaken to de­fend, let thē shewe their [...] agre­ablenesse with the Canonicall Scrip­ture. And if they can not shew this, let thē with shame acknowledge their vanitie. [Page] For no traditions are to be esteemed ne­cessarie, for saluation, which are not pro­ued firmly and strongly forth of the scrip­ture. For Tertullian saith: We haue no neede of curiositie after Christ, Tertullianus lib. de praescrip. Haereticorum. nor of inquisition after the Gospel. When we beleeue, we desire nothing beyond our beliefe. For this wee beleeue first, that there is nothing, which we ought to beleue more. Wel saith Ierom: the sword of God, Hieronymus in primo cap. Aggaei. which is the liuely worde of God, striketh those things, which men of their owne accorde finde forth and faine, as it were by the tradition of the Apostles, without the authoritie & te­stimonies of the scriptures. And Augu­stine pronounceth a curse against all An­gels and men,Augustinus con­tra literas Peti­liani lib. 3. ca. 6. which shall preach vnto vs any thinge, either of Christe, or of his Church, or of any other thing, which per­taineth vnto faith, or to our life, besides that which we haue receiued in the scrip­tures of the lawe, and of the Gospel. We alleged lately more testimonyes of the Fathers, which the diligent Reader may consider in their place.The Apostles [...]eliuered no­thing but what agreed with the scriptures.

VVe haue therefore by the tradition [Page 91] of the Apostles preached none other Gospell, then that whiche is contained in the canonicall Scripture, and that by the saide Scripture wee may iudge, which be the traditions of the Apostles. If our aduersaries did reuerence the consent of the Church with al their heart, as in woordes they take vppon them, would they dispise it at their pleasure, with such impudencie? They brag of their tradition vnto the Churche, as though they came from the Apostles, which euen by their own witnesse, can be proued by no Scriptures. Are they so senselesse and blockishe, that they vnder­stand not, what the Catholike consent doth pronounce touching them? Wee lastely heard, that such like traditions, are to be stroken with the sword of God his worde, and that the preachers there­of are subiect to the curse, and to be sente into the tentes of Heretikes. O foolishe and miserable louers of darkenesse, O blasphemous corrupters of the Scrip­tures, when will you waxe wise, when will you acknowledge your errour? when will you examine your doctrines, and [Page] traditions by the Touchstone of the Scripture? Are you so mad and blinde, that you wil neuer confesse and reuerence with the Catholike Church of God, the fulnesse, the perfection, and sufficiencie of the Scripture? will you still be turned from the moste pure wheate of God his worde, to the chaffe and coddes of traditi­ons?

The xxij. Chapter. A perfect proofe of those traditions, which are in deede the Apostles, foorth of the moste auncient writers Irenaeus and Ter­tullian.

IRenaeus and Tertullian moste aun­cient writers, and neerest to the Apo­stles time, doe moste plainely proue vn­to vs, what traditions are moste aunci­ent, [Page 92] and the Apostles in deede. For they, when as they did contende with He­retikes about Doctrines, doe alledge the tradition of the Apostles and of the Church, that they might by the autho­ritie thereof confirme their cause, and doe with great honour make mention of the same.

But it is worth the while to consider, by what occasion, for what cause, in what sorte, and with what moderatenesse they doe it. For so shall it plainely appeare, that the Churche at that time, had no doctrines by traditions, no mysteries of Faith, but what were grounded in the Scripture.What kinde of aduersaries and enemies Saint Irenaeus had. Irenaeus had to deale with moste wicked Heretikes, whiche were neither mooued with the authoritie of the Scripture, nor with the consent of the vniuersall Churche. Therefore they did either slylye shifte off,Irenaeus. lib. 3. cap. 2. or impu­dently refuse, what so euer was ob­iected. If they were ouerthrowen and conuicted by the Scriptures, they did debase their authoritie, yea they did accuse them, as not Authenti­cal, [Page] or as hauing an obscure and an vn­certaine meaning, or as insufficient. But they bragged, that they had by tra­dition, wisedome more high then the A­postles, and more perfect. If they were called backe, to the consent of the Church they said, that it was no meruaile, if the Church doe not keepe the pure doctrine, which receiued it corrupted and sowered with leauen, not onely of the Disciples, but also of the Lorde himselfe. And there­fore they boasted, that they were the cor­rectours of the Apostles. And what say­eth Irenaeus herevnto?Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 1. We haue (saieth hee) the dispensation of our saluation by none other, then the Apostles, which what they published by preaching, af­terward they deliuered vnto vs in wri­ting, to bee the grounde and piller of our faith. Afterwarde he vrgeth this parte also, that all Churches, taught and instructed by the Apostles, did imbrace the vnitie of Faith, grounded in the Scriptures. And yet so, that hee con­futeth the doting opinions of Here­tikes by the Scriptures, as by the rule of perfect and absolute wisedome.

Tertullian also stroue with the like mon­sters.Tert. de praescrip. haeritic. Their vsuall maner was to escape by subtile shiftes. If they were pressed with the authoritie of the scriptures, they did either refuse them: or if they did re­ceiue them, they did peruert them, by putting to, and taking awaye, for the framing of their owne purpose: or else corrupted them by their peruerse inter­pretations. Therefore because Tertul­lian coulde not well goe forwarde a­gainst such mangling of the Scrip­tures, hee doeth his diligence, to con­firme the doctrine, certainly set foorth in the Scriptures, among the simple and weake, by this note also, that the Apostles deliuered it by liuely voyce from hande to hande. Wherefore be­cause in these disputations the Here­tikes refused the Scriptures, as not in all poyntes to bee receiued, and as though they were of an obscure and doubtfull meaning, by whome one­ly the trueth coulde not bee knowne, except one knewe the Tradition, both the sides appealed to the tradition. And because both the parties bragge of tradi­tions, [Page] this question was disputed of: Which was the true tradition of the Apostles? Which is the true tradition of the Apostles. Irenaeus and Tertullian, proue, that that is the true traditiō only, which Christ receiued of God, and deli­uered to the Apostles: and which the A­postles againe deliuered to the Chur­ches, and which was kept in the Chur­ches by the succession of Bishops. And doeth this tradition conteine a doctrine contrarie to that, which is sette foorth in the Canonicall Scripture? No. For, for this cause they did condemne those traditions, which the Heretikes brag­ged of, as erronious and forged. There­fore what doeth the Tradition, alled­ged in disputation againste the Here­tikes, conteine? No doctrine contrarie and disagreeable to that, which is taught in the Scripture, but the selfe same ar­ticles of fayth, which doe (as it were) comprehend the summe of all the Scrip­ture. For both of them doe shewe, what that Tradition is, whiche the Church receiued of the Apostles, and also kept sincere, and they bee the same poyntes of doctrine, whiche the Apo­stles [Page 94] Creede doeth conteine. And no man doubteth, but they are sette foorth in the Scripture by manie manifest te­stimonies. They doe not then proue any other doctrine of fayth, besides those, which are conteined in the Scripture, but they shewe, and proue by tradition, the verie same doctrines, which are comprehended in the Scripture. And what needeth that? Forsooth, that they might proue the consent of the true A­postolicall Tradition with the Scrip­ture: so that the doctrine, whiche the Scripture doeth teach, and that which the Primitiue Churche receiued by the preaching of the Apostles is all one. And this is diligently to bee conside­red, that our position of the authoritie, perfection, and sufficiencie of the scrip­tures, is most strongly mainteined, by this disputation of Irenaeus and Ter­tullian: and also that the disputations of the Papistes touching Traditions, which can bee prooued by no Testi­monie of Scripture, are refuted. For the Traditions of the Apostles, and the Scriptures, prooue the consente, [Page] so that the Tradition be not opposite a­gainst the Scripture, as though the Scripture were either false, or doubt­full, or vnperfect, as the Heretikes qua­reled: but the trueth, the authoritie, the certaintie, and absolute perfectnesse of the Scripture, is proued and confir­med by the tradition. Wherefore when as there bee traditions proposed, whiche doe not agree with the Scrip­ture, and which cannot bee shewed and prooued foorth of the Scripture: it is moste certaine, that those traditions are not the Apostles. These are sure and sounde reasons, which can not bee ouer­throwen with anie subtile shiftes of So­phisters.

Now if you aske, which that true, an­cient, and Apostolike tradition is: it is not needful to search it without the scrip­ture. For Irenaeus and Tertullian in that disputation, whereof wee spake, speake not onely generally: but declare special­ly, euidently, & in expressed wordes, what that tradition of the Apostles is. Let vs then heare Irenaeus expounding the tra­dition of the trueth, which the Church [Page 95] hauing receiued it from the Apostles,Iren. li. 1. ca. 2.3. Irenaeus sheweth what is the true Apostolike tradition. keepeth. The Church (sayth he) being sowed throughout the whole worlde vnto the endes of the earth, receiued both of the Apostles, and of their disci­ples, that faith, which is in one God, the father almightie, which made Hea­uen and earth, the sea, and all thinges which are in them: And in one Iesus Christ the sonne of GOD, incarnate for our saluation, & in the holy Ghost, which preached by the Prophetes the appointmentes of God, and the com­ming of his beloued Iesus Christ our Lorde, and that his generation which is of the virgin, and his passion, and his resurrection from the deade, and his ascention in the fleshe into Hea­uen, and his comming from Heauen in the glorie of the Father, to finishe all thinges, and to raise vp againe all fleshe of mankinde: that vnto Christ Iesus our Lorde, and GOD, and Sa­uiour, and King, according to the will of the inuisible Father, euerie knee may bee bowed, of thinges in heauen, in earth, and vnder the earth, and [Page] that euerie tongue may confesse him, and that he may doe iust iudgement in all: and that he may cast the Angels of spiritual wickednesse, hauing trans­gressed, and beeing become Aposta­taes, and also vngodly, and vniust, and wicked, and blasphemous men, into eternall fire. And that hee maye be­stowe as a gift incorruption vpon the iust and vpright, hauing kept his commandements, and continued in his loue, some frō the beginning, and some by repentance, giuing them life, and may cloth them with euerlasting clearenesse. Where as the Church hath receiued this preaching, and this faith, as wee haue before sayde, being dis­persed into the whole worlde, she doth diligently keepe, as dwelling in one house, and in like maner beleeueth these things, euen as hauing one soule, and one heart: & agreeably preacheth, and teacheth, and deliuereth the same, as possessing one mouth. For al­though there be vnlike speaches in the worlde, yet the vertue of the tradition is all one, and the verie same. Neither [Page 99] do those Churches, which are founded in Germanie, beleeue otherwise, or teach otherwise, nor those which are in Spain, nor those which are in Frāce, nor those which are in the East, nor those which are in Egypt, nor those which are in Lybia, nor those which are placed in the midst of the worlde: but as the Sunne being the creature of God, is all one, & the selfe same in the vniuersall world, euen so the light also, that is, the preaching of the truth, shi­neth euery where, & lighteneth all mē, which are willing to come to the knowledge of the truth. Neither doeth he, which excelleth in speach, among thē which gouerne the Church, say any o­ther things but these. For no man is a­boue his maister: neither hath hee, which is weak in speaking, lessened the tradition. For seeing that the faith is al one, & the selfe same, neither he which can say much, maketh it more: nor he whiche can saye lesse maketh it lesse. Thus farre Ire. This is therfore the tra­dition of the Apostles, this is the true an­tiquitie of y^e Church, this is the catholike [Page] consent. And this is worthie to bee con­sidered, that hee affirmeth, that those which were most eloquent among them, which gouerne the Churches, will say none other thinges, but these. There­fore so oft as the Papistes fable touching other trifles, they are to be iudged to de­part from the tradition of the Apostles, from the vnitie of fayth, and from the Ca­tholike consent.

What common places the Pa­stours of the Primitiue Church hande­led.And Irenaeus rehearseth in the next Chapter, as it were the common places, which the Pastours of the Primitiue Church were accustomed to handle. And of what matters did they then dispute? Of Purgatorie?Irenaeus. li. 1. ca. 4 Of the worshipping of Images? Of holie water, and of other Popishe trifles? Not so. Of what then? Of the Apostacie of the Angels, which transgressed, of the fall and disobedience of the first men, of the temporall, and heauenly, and earthly promises, of the diuerse appearinges of GOD, of the difference of the Testamentes, why GOD concluded all thinges vnder vn­beleefe, that hee might haue mercie vpon all, of the cause of the incarnati­on [Page 97] and passion of the woorde, why the Sonne of God came in the last times, and not in the beginning, of the calling of the Gentils, of the ende of the worlde, of the resurrection of the fleshe, and of o­ther questions of the like sorte drawen foorth of the middest of the Scripture. Whereby it is plaine, that nothing was accustomed to bee handled then in the Churche beside the Scriptures.

Againe the same Irenaeus sayth lib. 3. cap. 4. Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 4. Here is decla­red againe foorth of Irenae­us which is the true, auncient, Apostolike tra­dition. Forsomuch therefore as there be so great proofes, we must not still seeke this truth among other, which we may easily receiue from the church, considering that the Apostles most plentifully layed vp in her, as in a riche storehouse all thinges, which apper­tayne to the truth, that euery one that woulde, might take foorth of her the water of life. For she is the entraunce of life, and all others are theeues and robbers, for the which cause wee must auoyd them, and must loue with great diligence those things, which are the churches, and to holde fast the tra­dition of the trueth. For what and if [Page] any man reason of any small question, ought hee not to haue recourse to the most auncient Churche, where­in the Apostles were conuersant, and to take from them touching the present question, that which is cer­taine and verie playne? But what and if the Apostles had not left vnto vs the Scriptures, ought we not to folowe the order of the tradition, which they deliuered to them, vnto whom they committed the Churches, vnto the which ordinaunce many nations of those barbarous people, which be­leeue in Christ, doe assent, hauing sal­uation written in their heartes by the spirite without character or ynke, and keeping diligently the olde tradition, beleeuing in one God, the maker of heauen and earth, and of all thinges, which are in them, through Christ Ie­sus the Sonne of God▪ which for the most tender loue towarde his owne workemanshippe Man sustained that generation, which was of the Virgin, he himselfe of himselfe vniting the [Page 98] manhood to the Godhead, and suf­fering vnder Pontius Pilate, and rising againe, and in clearnesse receiued in glorie, to come the Sauiour of them, which are saued, and the iudge of them, which are iudged, and sending into eternall fire the counterfeiters of the trueth, and the dispisers of his Father, and of his comming. They which beleeued this fayth without writing, as touching their speache are barbarous: but as touching their iudgement, and custome, and con­uersation, throughe their fayth are most wise, and please GOD, wal­king in all vprightnesse, and chastitie, and wisedome. Heere hast thou a­gayne the true and auncient tradition of the Apostles described by Irenaeus, whiche deliuereth nothing without, and beside the Scripture, but con­taineth the summe of the whole Scrip­ture.

Nowe it remayneth likewise that wee heare Tertullian, bearing witnesse of the tradition of the Apostles also: [Page] The rule of faith, The testimonie of Tertul. tou­ching the tra­dition of the Apostles. lib. de praescript. Haeret. (saieth he,) is euen this, whereby wee beleeue that there is but one God, and none other but the maker of the worlde, which brought all thinges foorth of nothing by his worde, first of al sent foorth: that that woorde was called his sonne, in the name of the same God, was diuersely seene of the Patriarches, was alwayes hearde in the Prophetes, was lastly brought by the spirite and power of God into the Virgin Marie, was made fleshe in her wombe, and was borne man of her, and was Iesus Christ: and that afterwarde he preached the newe lawe, and the new promise of the king­dome of heauen, wrought miracles, was fastened to the crosse, rose a­gaine the thirde day: that he beyng taken vp to heauen sitteth at the right hande of the Father: that he hath sent the power of the holie Ghost in his steede, to gouerne the beleeuers: that he shall come in brightnes to take the Saintes into the fruition of euerlasting life, and of the heauenly promises, and to iudge the prophane with perpetu­all [Page 99] fire, the resurrection of both partes beyng wrought with the restoring of the fleshe. This rule ordained by Christ, as it shall be proued, hath no questions among vs, but what heresies bring in, and which make heretikes. Thus farre Tertullian, who thorowly agreeth with Irenaeus in describing the tradition of the Apostles.

And the testimonies of these most aun­cient writers doe shewe, from whence the briefe summe of our beleefe commeth, which commonly they call the Apostles Creede,The Apostles Creede. whiche certainely is the most auncient tradition, which being receiued from Apostolike men, the Churche kee­peth still. And Tertullian addeth in the same booke of prescriptions:Tertul. li. de prae­scripti. Haeretico. The Church hath knowen one GOD the crea­tour of all thinges, and Christ Iesus of the Virgin Marie, the Sonne of God the Creatour, and the resurrection of the fleshe. She intermedleth the lawe and the Prophetes, with the writings of the Euangelists and the Apostles, & frō thence doth shee drinke the same faith, she signeth with water, clotheth [Page] with the holy Ghost, feedeth with the The Sacra­ment of thankesgiuing. Euchariste, exhorteth with martyrdome: and so doeth she receiue none against this institution. By the which woordes it is cleare that the primi­tiue Churche acknowledged no traditi­ons, which were not founded in the Scripture.

Although I haue handled these things at large: yet, because the Papistes often­times hold foorth as Aiax his shielde, the place of Paule 2. Thes. 2.15. against the Scripture for their traditions,2. Thes. 2.5. whereas he sayeth: Stande fast, and holde the or­dinaunces, which ye haue bene taught, whether it were by our preaching, or by our Epistle: can I not omitte, but must euidently shewe foorth of the same Irenaeus, that Paule preached to the Gentiles with liuely voyce, the same and none other doctrine, which hee taught them also by his Epistles. For Ire­naeus doeth most plainely describe Paule his tradition in two places, in the fifth Chapter of the thirde booke, and also in the fourtie one Chapter of the fourth booke. These are the chiefe pointes [Page 90] of his description:Irenaeus tou­ching Paule his tradition. lib. 3. cap. 5. & lib, 4. cap. 41. that the Gods of the Gentiles are not onely Gods, but the I­dols of Deuils. And that there is one true God, which is ouer all, and aboue euery name that is named, and that hee onely is to be woorshipped. That they woulde therefore departe from the super­stition of idols, leaue their vaine wood and stones, which they supposed to bee Gods, and woulde woorshippe one true God the maker of heauen and earth, and the framer of euery thing that is made. Which ordayned & made all mankinde. and by his framing of them, nourished & increased them, & stedfastly gaue them, beyng. And that his word is his Sonne, by whom hee made all thinges. And that he in the last times, (although hee were naturally the inuisible worde) was made visible and palpable man, among men, & humbled him selfe to death, euē to the death of the crosse, refourmed man­kinde, destroyed and ouercame man his enemie, and gaue vnto man, whom he made, victorie against his aduersarie: that they, which beleeue in him, shall bee incorruptible, and impassible.

That they shoulde therefore sette before themselues this lawe, as the rule of life. Not to committe adulterie, not to steale, not to deceiue, and that al thinges, which are done to the hurt of our neighboures, are euill, and hated of God. The trueth sheweth that these deedes are euill, and hurtfull, and vnprofitable, and damnable to them that doe them. That they shoulde therefore liue blamelesse, and looke for the Sonne of God Iesus Christ, which re­deemed vs from Apostacie and going astray by his blood, to this ende, that we might be also a sanctified people, to ascende to heauen in the vertue of the Fa­ther, which shall iudge all men, and shal giue vnto them which haue kept his com­maundements, those good thinges, which are from GOD. Beholde Paule his tradition deliuered to the posteritie by Irenaeus a most auncient writer of the Churche. And doeth he not euerie where teach with al diligence the very self same things in his Epistles? So that the doc­trine is all one, which hee taught with liuely voice, & which he cōmitted to wri­ting: Yea the tradition described by Ire­naeus may seeme to be the brief summe of [Page 101] those things which he wrote. So that hee wrote most truely, that those thinges, which the Apostles taught, were all [...] agreeable to the Scriptures. Therefore all traditi­ons which are giuen foorth, as the Apo­stles, haue beene, are, and ought to be such. And for this cause they are alwaies to be examined, whether they haue this Irenaeus his [...] agreemēt with the Canonicall Scriptures.

The .xxiii Chapter. Of the subtiltie and deceitfulnesse of Sophisters, which vse guileful­ly the woorde [Tradition] which is diuersly ta­ken.

WE haue hitherto shewed, that it is all one doctrine, which y^e Apostles published with liuely voyce, and which the Canonicall Scripture set­teth foorth. Wee haue also declared, howe vaynely the Papistes reason, that many thinges, which are necessarie for [Page] the instruction of faith and ordering of manners, although they can be prooued by no testimonie of Scripture, are neuer­thelesse to be receiued and beleeued forth of the naked tradition. Wherefore this is alwaies to be holden, which we cited lately foorth of Augustine. Augustinus cont. l [...]teras Petiliani. lib. 3. cap. 6. That faith is learned foorth of the Scriptures. There is often times mention made of traditi­ons by the auncient Writers, but not to this end, that our fayth shoulde runne out of the Scriptures, wherein they al­waies inclosed it. And where as this woord Tradition is diuersly vsed among the olde writers, and all Traditions are not of one kinde it is a detestable sophi­strie, by the mixture of them all to de­ceiue. Therefore it is to be considered, what testimonies of olde writers doe pertaine vnto what kinde of Traditions, and what is to be thought of euerie one of them, least all without difference bee applied to the defense of corruptions, abuses and superstitions. Let vs there­fore distinguish Traditions into certaine kindes.

First,There be di­uers kindes of Traditions. The Scrip­ture is a tradi­on. Cyprianus ad Pompeium. Iohn. 1.8. the fathers by this word Traditi­on oftentimes vnderstand the Canonicall Scripture of the newe Testament: as when Cyprian to Pompeius saith: From whence is this Tradition? Whether descending from the authoritie of the Lorde and of the Euangelistes, or com­ming from the commaundementes and Epistles of the Apostles? For that those thinges ought to be doone, which are written, GOD witnesseth and proposeth to Iosuah, saying: Let not the booke of this Lawe departe out of thy mouth, that thou maiste ob­serue and doe according to all that is written therein. Therefore if it be eyther commaunded in the Gospel, or conteined in the Epistles and Actes of the Apostles, let this holy tradition be also obserued. Basilius contra Eunomium. lib. 3. Matth. 28.19. Also Ba­sill in his third booke against Eunomi­us hath: Our Baptisme is accor­ding to the very tradition of the Lord, in the name of the father, and of the Sonne & of the holy Ghoste. And it is a pointe of diligence to marke [Page] where the olde Writers vse the woorde Tradition in this sense. For wheresoe­uer the Papistes finde this woorde, they wrest it foorthwith to their traditions, w^t they cannot prooue foorth of the Scrip­ture.

The articles of our [...]aith are a Tradition.Secondly the olde writers by this woord Tradition vnderstand the articles of our fayth, which are conteined in the Apostles Creede, as we haue lately de­clared more clerely than the light it selfe, forth of Irenaeus and Tertullian. Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 4. Tertullianus. lib. de praescrip. Hae­ret. Which writers propose the saide badge or Creed as a perfect rule of faith, whervnto there may nothing be added, and from the which there may nothing be takē, which remaining whole, men may safely in­quire of all thinges.

That which is deriued foorth of God his woorde, is a Tradition.Thirdly, by the woorde Tradition the fathers vnderstand a sentence or mea­ning, not expressed woorde for woorde in the holy Scriptures, but gathered by the true interpretation thereof, which the Apostles preached with liuely voyce, and their auditours and successours deliuered vnto vs, and conserued, as for example that [...] signifieth a person, that there [Page 103] are in the diuine nature three persons, and yet one, and the selfe same substance: that the Sonne is coequall with the Fa­ther, and of one substance with him: that there be two natures in Christ the Lord, and yet but one person: that the holy Ghost is to be woorshipped and glorified together with the father and the Sonne, that the flesh of Christ is of one substance with vs: that infantes ought of right to be baptized, & others of this kinde, which although we reade not expressed in the o­racular scripture, yet haue we learned by the authoritie of the auncient Fathers, and most graue Councels, that they are to be vnderstode by the meaning and vn­derstanding of the Scriptures. And this vnderstanding is not to be separated from the scripture it selfe, forsomuch as it may be conteined therein, either as the definition in the definitiue, or as the conclusiō in the premisses. And although the tradition of the Church haue shewed vnto vs the scripture and vnderstanding thereof, yet hath it not bestowed authori­tie vpon it, which it hath greffed in it frō God. For they, frō whō we haue receiued [Page] this tradition, are onely witnesses of the heauenly doctrine, and not authours ther­of. VVhereof we haue reasoned plenti­fully in the place belonging therevnto.

Olde rites are Traditions.Lastly, where the olde writers make mention of traditions, they doe not en­treate of the doctrine of faith, to be recei­ued without and beside the Scripture, al­though it can be prooued by no testimonie of Scripture, but they speake of certaine olde rites, which for their antiquitie, they ascribed to the Apostles: Part of the rites seeme to take their beginning from the A­postles, and parte of them are vnwoorthie such authours. But we haue declared al­readie, by what rule such manner of rites are to be prooued and examined. Nowe since that this woorde Tradition is so di­uersly vsed of the fathers, truely it is wic­ked sophistrie, to intermeddle all these thinges without difference, that supersti­tions, being deriued partly frō the Iewes, & partly frō the Ethniks may haue their defence & maintenance without the scrip­ture, vnder the cloke & title of traditions.

The xxiiii. Chapter. [Page 94] Of the vncertaintie, repugnancie and varietie of traditions

AND their madnesse is to be noted and auoyded, which will haue the [...]ertaintie of doctrine to depend rather of [...]e authority of traditiōs, & of those things [...]hich they call [...] vnwritten, thā of [...]e scriptures, this especially cōsidered, y^t [...]ey cānot prooue vnto vs the traditiōs of [...] apostles gathered & described any where [...]se but in the scriptures, neither can they [...]ooue, that the traditions, which by this [...]tle they commend, come frō the Apostles [...]eir authours. There be traditions reci­ [...]d by the fathers in diuers places, as re­ [...]iued frō the Apostles, but those traditi­ [...]s w^c they gather are partly abolished, partly do not wel agree one w^t an other: [...]hervpon it commeth to passe, that al tra­ [...]tions are not to be esteemed Apostolike, [...]ither can the faith of christians be hol­ [...] vp with so weake & feble a foūdation,What traditi­ons were in olde time. Ter­tullianus contra Marcione lib. 1. &. lib. de coron [...] militis. as [...]e traditions, which faith must stand vn­ [...]nquered against al the engines of hell. [...]here was a tradition in Tertulliās time, [...]t milke & honie should be giuen foorth [...]th them which were baptized, where [Page] with, as he saieth, they might bee fedde like infantes. It was a tradition in the time of Cyprian and Augustine, that theThat is, the Sacrament of thankesgiuing Hieronymus in Matthaeum cap. 25. Euchariste, and that vnder both kinds shoulde be geuen to infantes, and shoulde be so giuen as necessarie to saluation. Hierom in his Commentaries vppon Matthewe, Chapter 25. sayeth, that the tradition of the Apostles remained, That in the day of the vigiles of Easter, it was not lawfull to let the people goe looking for the comming of Christe, before mid­night. Although these and other like bee read in olde writers vnder the title of the traditions of the Apostles, yet are they a bolished & are obserued now in no nation, so that Tertullian wrote well in his book Of couering virgins: Tertullianus. lib. de velandis vir­ginibus. There is altogea­ther one rule of faith, onely vnmouea­ble, & irreformable, to beleeue in one God almightie, maker of the worlde, and in his Sonne Iesus Christ, borne of the Virgin Marie, crucified vn­der Pontius Pilate, raysed againe the thirde day from the dead, receiued in heauen, sitting now at the right hande of the Father, to come to iudge the [Page 105] quicke and the dead, euen by the re­surrection of the flesh. This Lawe of faith remaining, al other points of dis­cipline & conuersatiō admit the new­nesse of correction, the grace of God working and profiting euen vnto the ende. Thus much hath that flourishing Septimius Tertullian. Therfore y^e onely rule of faith grounded in the Scripture, hath runne on, euen from the beginning of the Gospell, vnchangeable, vnmoue­able, and vnreformeable, when as in the meane season rites and traditions be mutable, variable, and such as may som­times be taken away, and sometimes re­stored againe. The west churches in pro­gresse of time inioyned the Lawe of sin­gle life to the ministers of Churches: cō ­trarily the east Church euen vnto this day will haue mariage to be lawfull for them. Wherevpon Stephanus Bi­shoppe of Rome saith:Distin. 31. cap. Aliter. The mariage of Priestes. The Tradition of the east Churches is after one sorte: and of this holy Church of Rome af­ter an other sorte: For their Priestes Deacons, and Subdeacons are maried: but none of the Priestes of this Church [Page] or of the west churches, frō the Subdea­con to the Blshop hath licence to marie. It was an Apostolical traditiō at Ephesus and in Asia, that Easter should be kept af­ter the maner of the Iewes. Again the A­postolicall traditiō in the church of Rome was saide to be otherwise. The place of S. Augustine is worthie memorie in his. 76. Epist.Augustinus ad Casulanum. Epist. 76. to Casulanus, where he intreateth of fasting, & sayth: If it be answered that Iames taught this at Ierusalē, Iohn at E­phesus, & the rest in other places, which Peter taught at Rome, to wit that men should fast on the sabboth day: but that other countries were departed frō this doctrine, & that Rome continued in it still, & it is replied to the contrarie that rather certaine places of the west, wher­in Rome is, kept not that which the A­postles deliuered, but that the coūtries of the East, from whence the Gospel began to be preached, haue remained without anie varietie in that, which was deliuered by all the Apostles with Peter himselfe, that men should not fast vpon the Sabboth day: this is an endles con­tention ingendering strifes, not ending [Page 106] questions. Therefore since there is so great varietie and diuersity of Traditions, al cannot be iudged to be Apostolike. Cer­tainly Paule witnesseth, that he taught e­uerie where, and in euerie Church the self same.1. Cor. 4.17. Cyprianus ad Pompeium Therefore Cyprian wrote wisely to Pompeius, that he would not allow tradi­tions, but what were conteined in the gos­pels, the Epistles of the Apostles, or in the Actes of the Apostles. VVherevnto thou maiste adde those which are necessa­rilily inferred foorth of the holy Scrip­tures. VVhatsoeuer else are brought in are vncertaine, and not euerie where re­ceiued: yea if the matter be well wayed, we shal confesse, that traditions haue mini­stred occasion of verie manie superstitions in the Church, of errours and controuer­sies. Therefore neither the rule of faith, nor the certaintie of doctrine doth depend of the custome of the Church, but if a iust consent ought to be kept in the Church, it is necessarie, that we sticke firmely and constantly in the oracular Scripture onely.

The xxv. Chapter. That the Church hath beene deceiued euen from the Apostles time, vn­der the pretence of Tra­ditions.

NOw forsomuch as the name of Tra­ditions hath alwayes beene a Pa­trone of superstitions in the Church, and because now adayes all kinde of abuses, corruptions, and superstitions is defen­ded vnder their title, wee had neede to vse heerein verie greate attentiuenesse, and warinesse. And in very deede whi­lest the Apostles yet liued, false prophets fayned many corruptions, which they obtruded to the Churches, and extolled for this consideration, as though they had beene deliuered by liuely voyce from the Apostles, the which thing the Epi­stles of Paul do manifestly shew. VVhich was the cause, that the Apostles beganne to comprehend their doctrine in writing. And Paule, when he began first to write, gaue a verie wholesome admonition say­ing:2. Thes. 2.2. That ye be not sodenly mooued [Page 107] from your minde, nor be troubled, nei­ther by spirit, nor by woorde, nor yet by letter, as from vs. A caution in deede most woorthie consideration, fore­shewing three manner of craftie deceites whereby counterfeiters were woonte for the most parte to deceiue.Three kinde of guiles, wherby forgers are woont to de­ceiue.. Col. 2.81.2.3. 2. Pet. 2. The first is a spirit, that is to say a reuelation or a prophecie: the second is a woorde, that is to say, a reason or mans coniecture: the third is an Epistle, that is to say a forged writing, and counterfeite Tradi­tions. Of w^t kinde of leigerdemain ex­cept the churches take very diligēt heed, they cannot choose but be deceiued verie perilously and dangerously. Yea and he warneth the Church of the Colosians foorth of bandes, that they take heede, least they be spoyled through vaine deceit after the tradition of men. And Peter, whē as now the end of his life approched, whē he wrote his last epistle, forewarneth that there should come false teachers, which with feigned woords should make marchandise in the Church. And expe­rience sheweth that those forewarninges of the Apostles were not vaine. For when [Page] as the doctrine of the Apostles was yet in so fresh memorie, that the purenesse ther­of might be prooued euen by the succession of Bishops, yet did heretikes, that not­withstanding, beginne to obtrude pestife­rous doctrines vnto the Churches vnder the pretence of traditions. [...]enaeus lib. 3. [...]p. 5. If there were obiected vnto them the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles, [...]he shift of he­ [...]tikes. deliuered to y^e Churches by the succession of bishops, they did cauil, or, that I may speake more truely, they falsely accused the Apostles, saying, that they vsed the room of teachers in hypocri­sie and dissimulation, not as the truth it selfe was, but after the capacity of the hea­rers, and that they so framed their doc­trine and answeres, as euerie one was af­fected: teaching blinde things to the blind according to their blindnesse: to the fee­ble according to their feeblenesse: to those which were in errours, according to their errours, & that they opened the misteries to them only, which were worthie, & could vnderstand them, [...]enaeus. lib. 3. [...]p. 2. than the which what can be deuised more vnwoorthie and more im­pudent against the most holy and moste faythfull Ambassadours of Christ? But if [Page 108] they were vrged with the scriptures, they accused the scriptures, as not being well, as spoken diuersly, and as such, forth of the which the truth cannot be found by them, which are ignorant of the tradition, euen of the tradition, not deliuered by writing, but by liuely voice, whereof Paule saith: We speake wisdome among them that are perfect. 1. Cor. 2.6. Irenaeus. lib. 1. cap 24. The heretikes called Carpocra­tians. Tertullianus de praescrip. Haereti­corum. Eusebius. 5. cap. 28. Clemen. Stromat 7. Yea and the Carpocratians did defend their errours by this colour, af­firming that Iesus spake such thinges pri­uately to his Apostles in a mysterie: and that the Apostles deliuered the same se­cretly, not to all, but to them onely which were worthie, and agreed therevnto. The like pretenses of heretikes doth Tertulli­an also make mention of. And so did the heretikes folowing take the impostumes of their corruptions with this galand co­lour of tradition. Artemon referred his doctrine to the foregoers, yea euen to the Apostles themselues, Basilides bragged that his maister was one Glaucias, w^t had beene the interpreter of Peter. Valentinus bosteth that he was one Theodatus scholar who was of Paules familiar acquaintance. [Page] The Marcionites gloried that they had to their maisters the disciples of Matthi­as, and that they held the doctrine deli­uered by them.

How say you by this, that not onely heretikes seduced men by this pretence, but this cloke of traditions deceiued A­postolicall men also, and ministred occa­sion of errour? Let Papias Bishoppe of Hieropolis, Iohn his scholer be an exam­ple,Papias Eusebius. lib. 3. cap. 39. whose woordes in Eusebius are these: I thought that I should not re­ceiue so much profite by bookes as by liuely voyce. You see that Papias preferred traditions before the Scrip­ture, wherefore he made inquirie chiefely of the traditions of Andrew, Philip, Thomas, and of other Apo­stles, of whome there are no wri­tinges extant. But marke whither so greate admiration of traditions drewe him. Papias addeth (saith Eusebius) manie Paradoxes, and certaine other thinges, as brought to him by Tra­dition not written: and certeine straunge Parables and doctrines of our [Page 109] Sauiour, with some other fabulous matters, The Chiliastes helde this er­ronious opini­on, that the Sonne of God should raigne in the earth as a king a thousand yeeres after the generall iudge­ment, with his elect in the ho­lie citie, which he should build Lactantius insti­tutionum lib. 7. cap. 24. Papias seduced many worthie men by traditi­ons. among the which also is the opinion of the Chiliastes. Therefore Papias beyng blinded with ouer muche search and estimation of vnwritten tradi­tions, brought doting and fabulous deui­ses into the Churche, and did not erre himselfe onely from the sinceritie and purenes of the faith, but gaue occasion of erring to many woorthie men also. For Irenaeus, Tertullian, Apollinarius, Vi­ctorinus, Lactantius, and many other fa­mous and woorthie men, as Hierome witnesseth, imbraced this doting toy of the thousande yeares, as a tradition of the Apostles. Good God, what men be­came companions of this errour, preten­ding, as Eusebius saieth, the antiqui­tie of the errour of so woorthie a man, euen of Papias their guide. Beholde whe­ther the authority of traditions not writ­ten once receiued, may leade vs out of the way. O laudable agreement of tradi­tions with the Scripture, spoken of by Policarpe, an Apostolicall man also, whiche kepte him in the kinges highe way.

Therefore this deceite and guile of vnwrittē traditions stuck in the church, which gaue occasion of going out of the right way, euen to them which seeme to defende the Churche, which may be pro­ued by many examples, whereof I will recite one or two, which are plaine. The fame of Clement of Alexādria is great in all antiquitie.Clement of Alex­andria a fauou­rer of traditi­ons. And hee was a man which both most diligētly searched forth, and greatly reuerenced vnwritten tradi­tions. Wherefore he sayeth, that the labourer, which is sent foorth into the Lordes haruest, hath a double husban­drie, [...] vnwritten & written: And hee yeeldeth this reason, why hee searched other traditions tou­ching the doctrines of faith beside the Scripture: because forsooth the Lorde did not reueale to manie those thinges, which did not belong to manie. [...] Secretes, (saieth hee,) are committed to woorde, not to wri­ting. Clemens lib. Stroma. 5 Also, Mysteries are deliuered mystically. And in his fifth booke of Stromates hee disputeth at large, that [Page 110] euen as the Philosophers did so hide cer­tayne secretes touching their doctrines, that they shoulde not bee knowen to all men, so doeth the Apostle also reteining that auncient conceyling say:1. Cor. 2.6. Wee speake wisedome among them that [...]re perfect. Hee citeth also foorth of a [...]ertaine Apocriphall Gospell this pre­ [...]ept of the Lorde: My mysterie is mine owne, and the Sonnes of mine house. But if it may please you to compare the one with the other, you [...]hall finde that these are the very selfe same thinges,Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 2. Tertul. de prae­scrip. Haeretic. whiche in Irenaeus and Tertullian, the Valentinians, Carpo­cratians, and other Heretikes alledge for the defence and confirmation of their doctrines. Therefore although this iudgement in Heretikes were then grauely repressed by Irenaeus and Tertullian, Clemens lib. Strom. 6. yet Clement his talke doeth shewe, that the infection stucke in the Churche to the posteritie. And Clement doeth extoll in many woordes a certayne kinde of Gnostikes, whom in these woordes hee describeth: [Page] That is the knowledge which maketh a true Gnostike, which commeth deli­uered without writing, by succession to a few from the Apostles. This descrip­tion of Clement is to be noted. For al­though the heresie of the Gnostikes were condemned in the Church, yet cer­taine seedes of this plague remained in the Churche, and that in greate men. Therefore Clement doeth magnifie vn­written traditions,Whether Cle­ment is throw­en downe headlong through tradi­tions Clemens li. 1. Strom. and doeth not onely make them equall with the Scriptures: but see whither this rule of traditions doeth lead him out of the way, yea casteth him downe headlong. I wil report of ma­nie thinges a fewe, whereby it shall ap­peare howe perilous a thing it is, to fol­lowe [...] thinges vnwritten. He in­termedleth the Gospel with the decrees of Philosophie, and maketh it equal with the lawe of God. For (saith he) as the law was an instruction for the Iewes to Christ, so was philosophie for the Greekes also. lib. 2. Strom. And he attributeth pow­er to iustifie to both, as well to the lawe as to Philosophie, which is most ma­nifestly against the doctrine of Paule. He [Page 111] [...]enieth,lib. 3. Strom. that men committing sinne after [...]aptism ought to be receiued into grace, [...]hich also is contrary to the doctrine of [...]e Gospel, and the consent of the Catho­ [...]ke Churche. Hee yeeldeth place to re­ [...]entance after this life in his sixth booke.lib. 6. Strom. [...]e contendeth in manie wordes, that the [...]reekes were saued through Philoso­ [...]hie, which iudgement if we do imbrace, [...] not Christ dead in vaine,Galat. 2.21. according to [...]e doctrine of Paule? Is not Christ be­ [...]me vnto vs of none effect, and doe wee [...]t fal from grace: to make short he reue­ [...]ceth many doting toyes as traditions [...] the Apostles. Loe whither they fall, [...]hich wil be wise beyond the scripture.

Origen his witte,Origen depra­ued by traditi­ons. than the which [...]here was skant any other among the fa­ [...]hers of the Church, either more fine, or [...]ore excellēt, was depraued by this Cle­ment, who had vnwritten traditions in so [...]reat admiratiō. For he hath stuffed full his bookes euerie where with straunge [...]octrines, which hee had receiued from Clement vnder the title of the traditions of the Apostles, wherevppon he is so of­ten noted, reprooued, and nipped, both [Page] of the olde writers and of the newe Hierom calleth Origen his doctrines impoysoned.Hieronymus ad A­uitum, Pamma­chum, Ocoeanum, &c. But from whence sup­ped he his poyson, but from the in­struction of Clement? And by whom was Clement deceiued, but by the ad­miration, studie, and reuerence of suche traditions?The allegoriza­tion of the scrip­ture commeth from traditions. In deede the Apocriphall booke of Hormas the Pastour doeth teache, that in the interpretation o [...] Scripture wee must departe from the letter, and searche foorth the allego­rie. Clement receiued this as a tradi­tion of the Apostles, and deliuered it to Origen vnder the same title. Here­vppon was kindled an incredible de­sire in this man, to transforme the Scrip­tures into allegories: with the infection of the which disease, it is woonderfull, howe hee corrupted afterwarde the mindes of all doctours. For after they had once tasted the sweetnesse of allego­ries, as of a more loftie vnderstanding, they vaunted themselues immoderately, and brought euery thing to allegories, so that euerie one thought, that he might lawfully say what he woulde herein. And [Page 112] this euill did not stay it selfe within the East, but inuaded Afrike, Italie,Diuinitie trans­formed into Philosophie. France, and Spayne also. So by a little and a little the purenesse of Christi­an Theologie was transformed into a certaine Philosophie. And wee may thanke suche traditions for this fruite:

And Epiphanius was a great boaster of such traditions,Epi. geuen to traditions. who sometime alled­geth thinges vnder this title, which are taken foorth of Apocriphall writers. What neede many woordes? Whosoe­uer haue beene bewitched with the ad­miration of suche like traditions, they haue all turned from the purenes of the Apostles doctrine, vnto strange opinions & vnsauorie follies.A verie apte si­militude. So that these traditi­ons seme vnto me, to be like the meteoro­logicall fire, which will burne nothing, which naturall Philosophers call leaping goates. For as that fire appeareth in the night ouer moist & fēnie places & leadeth trauellers in the night out of their way, if they meruayle at it, and bee afrayde to beholde it, vppon the which fraude it is called in Duitche Droechliecht, deceitfull lighte: euen so the Ghost or [Page] phantasticall appearance of Tradition leadeth them, which haue it in admirati­on, out of the way from trueth, and thro­weth thē into errours And this is y^t wor­thie wisedome, which hitherto hath filled the mindes of the blinde Iewes with most foolish knowledges, and hath cau­sed worthie men otherwise in the Church and a great multitude folowing them, to departe from the truth, and to goe out of the way. So that it is a most sure way, to examine all traditions, by what title so euer they be commended, according to the rule of Scripture, that that, which hath not authoritie by the Scriptures, may be by the same facilitie contemned: whereby it is prooued,Hieronymus as Hierome his saying well warneth vs.

Chrysost. in Matt. cap. 23.For the counsell of Chrysostome is wise, which sayth. Therefore the Lord knowing that there would come such a confusion in the last dayes, doth commaund that the Christians which are in Christianitie willing to receiue the strength of the true faith shoulde runne to nothing, but to the Scrip­tures, otherwise if they shall regarde a­nie [Page 113] thing else, they shall be offended and perish. Againe Ierome sayeth: The sworde of GOD striketh other things, Hieronymus in 1. Cap. Aggaei. which men finde and deuise of their owne accorde without the au­thoritie and testimonies of the Scrip­tures, as though they came by the tra­dition of the Apostles. Therefore at all times, and in euerie doubtfull matter, we must flie to the Scripture, which execu­teth the office of the chiefe Iudge in eue­rie controuersie of Diuinitie, to whose sentence all traditions, all Churches, all Councels, all deuises of men ought to stand, and from the which it is not law­full to appeale to anie other, nor to de­part from the worde of God, and to giue our selues greedily to the traditions of men. For he which heareth the scripture, heareth the holy Ghost the authour of the Scriptures, and reuerenceth him: and contrarily, he, which despiseth the iudge­ment seate of the Scriptures, and the iudgements giuen in the Scriptures, & will not quiet himselfe therewith, despi­seth the spirite of God, and vseth himselfe more reprochfully against him, than can [Page] be vttered. And he, which will not suffer himselfe to be led as it were by the hand, by the guiding of the Scripture, foorth of the thornes and briers of doubtes, er­rours, superstitions, corruptions, abuses, is verie well worthie to wander out of the way, he knoweth not whether, & to stray perpetually.