Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	church_n	doctrine_n	tradition_n	2,974	5	9.2119	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14436	The waie home to Christ and truth leadinge from Antichrist and errour, made and set furth in the Latine tongue, by that famous and great clearke Vincent, French man borne, aboue .xi. hundred yeres paste, for the comforte of all true Christian men, against the most pernitious and detestable crafte of heretikes, which in his tyme by all subtell wayes, deuised to obscure and deface the doctrine and religion of the vniuersall churche. And now the same worke is englished, and by the Quenes highnes authorised to be sette furthe for the reliefe fo diuers Englishe menne, which yet stande in doubte, whether they may goe to heauen in the peace and vnitie of Christes vniuersall churche, or to hell in the dissention and confusion of heretikes; Pro catholicae fidei antiquitate libellus. English	Vincent, of Lérins, Saint, d. ca. 450.; Proctor, John, 1521?-1584.	1554 (1554)	STC 24754; ESTC S104650	58,039	228

whiche coulde quickly deprehende the humaine errour myghte not yet sodeinlye contempne the diuine testimonies And therefore they practise as they dooe whiche wyllynge too gyue vnto chyldren some bytter drynke dooe fyrste anoynte the lippe or brimme of the cuppe with hony or some other pleasaunt thinge that the simple and vnwarie age should not feare the bitternes hauing afore tasted the swetenes Euen so doe these Heretikes whiche doe colour and paynte before hand their euil sedes and pestilent syruppes with the termes and titles of singular medicines to the ende that none shoulde suspecte poyson when he hath readde afore wrytren remedye or medicine Of these heretikes our Sauiour warneth vs to take hede Attendite á falsis prophetis Beware from false Prophetes which come vnto you in shepes clothynge but within they be rauenyng wolues What is ment by shepes apparell or clothinge but the sentences of the Prophetes and Apostles Who be the rauenyng wolues but madde and furious heretikes whiche alwayes vexe and inuade the foldes of the church and to the vttermoste of their might rent and deuour the innocent flocke of Christ But to the ende they maye more craftelye stele vpon the vnwarye shepe they putte of the countenaunce and vesture of wolues and shroude them selues all in phrases and sentences of the scriptures as with flices of wolle inwardlye notwithstanding they continewe most cruel and rauening wolues They do thus that the simple sheepe might not feare the cruell dent of their bloudie teethe when they shal afore feele and see the soft wollye flice But what sayeth our Sauiour Exfructibus corum cognoscetis eos Ye shall knowe them by their workes That is when they beginne to expound and interpretate the sentences and textes of holye scripture whiche tofore they broughte then that bitternesse that fylthy stenche sauoreth then that rauening woddenes is felt thē that new poisō droppeth furth then doe these prophane nouelties shew thē selues then mayst thou see the hedge broken the boundes and limites of the fathers ouerrun then mayst thou see the catholike faythe mangled and cutte the ecclesiasticall doctrine rent and torne These be they whiche the Apostle Paule speaketh of in the seconde to the Corinthians saying Nam eiusmodi Pseudoapostoli operarij suhdoli transfigurant se in apostolos Christi For suche false Apostles sayeth S. Paule subtel and craftye workers doe transsigure them selues into the Apostles of Christ What dyd S. Paule meane thereby Nothinges els but as the. Apostles of Christe dyd bring furthe the testimonies of holye scripture euen so do these false Apostles And as they alleged the authorities of the Psalmes the same doe these allege as they vsed the sentences of the Prophetes so doe these false Apostles There is no part of Gods scripture but these false Apostles doe allege and brynge furthe euen as the true Apostles of Christ dyd And in thys sorte they transfigure them selues into the Apostles of Christ But when they come vnto the diuers and vnlike expositions of these sentences whiche they alyke brynge furth and allege then is it manifest whiche be the true Apostles and whiche be the false Apostles Then doeth it appere who be the simple and who be the craftye who be the godlye and who be the wycked Then are the true Prophetes discerned from the false Prophetes And no meruayle sayeth the Apostle for the Deuyll him selfe doeth transforme him selfe into an angell of light No great matter is it then yf hys ministers be transfourmed lyke the ministers of ryghteousnes Therefore accordynge to S. Paule hys doctrine as often as eyther false Apostles or false Prophetes or false teachers do brynge the sentences of diuine lawe therewith falselye vnderstanded to mayntayne theyr errors there is no doubte but that they folow the craftye and subtil wayes of their head Satan For he knoweth that there is no way to that As when he would stablish an errour to present the same wyth thauthoritie of holye Scripture O but some wyl saye Howe canne ye proue that the Deuyll is wont to vse the testimonies of holye scriptures It is proued sufficientlye to hym that readeth the Ghospell where it is writen Then the Deuyll toke our Lorde our Sauiour and sette hym vpon the pinnacle of the temple and sayde vnto hym If thou be the sonne of God caste thy selfe downe from thys pinnacle For it is written that he hathe geuen in commaundement to his Angelles of the that they kepe thee in all thy wayes they shall beare the vp in their handes that thy foote tryppe not at anye stone What woulde he stycke to doe to other selye poore creatures that thus assaulted the Creatour hym selfe the Lorde of Maiestie with the testimonies of the scripture If thou be the sonne of God sayeth he tumble thy selfe downe for it is written c. O surelye the doctrine of thys place is diligentlye to be noted and be marked of vs which letteth vs to vnderstande that as often as we shall see anye to allege and produce the testimonies of the scriptures agaynste the fayth and religion beleued and receyued in the vniuersall Churche that then we neede not doubt but that the Deuyll by them worketh his olde feite For as the head spake to the head so nowe the membres speake vnto the membres that is the membres of the Deuyll to the membres of GOD the wycked to the godlye the false periured to the faythfull the heretikes to the catholike But what sayeth the Deuyll If thou be the sonne of GOD tumble thy selfe downe That is to say Wilt thou be the chylde of God Wylte thou possesse the inheritaunce of the kyngdome of god Then tumble thy selfe downe that is dispatche the from the tradition and doctrine of thys hyghe set churche tumble thy selfe headlong downe from the pinnacle of the vniuersall faith And if ye aske any of the heretikes thus perswadinge howe he proueth by what authoritie he teacheth that ye oughte to tumble your selues from the vniuersall and auncient faieth of the catholike Churche scriptum est enim for it is writen saith he and by by ye shal heare him power out a thowsande testimonies examples authorities embeseled out of the lawe psalmes Apostles and Prophetes by whiche authorities after a new and wicked maner expounded the sely soule is tumbled headlonge from the towre of catho like trueth downe into the dungeon of blasphemous heresie And hereto all heretikes adde wonderfull promises whereby they intrap the simple and vnwary after a merueious fashion For they dare promisse and teache that in theire Churche that is in the cōuenticle of their cōmunion a great and speciall yea plainely a certaine parciall grace of God is in somuch that as manye as be of their congregation do flowe with all necessaries and are plentuously prouided for by the onely dispensation of God although they seke not knocke not and aske not for it And that they be borne vp by the Angelles of heauen that theire foote ones stumble

S. Paule shall not be knowen That is to saye whosoeuer eyther doeth not learne whyche he knoweth not or beyng knowen doeth contemne the same man shal not be knowen That is he shal be counted vnworthy on whome amongest other vnited in fay the and knitte in christian humilitie the heauenlye mercye maye be extended And what thynge worsse What euyll more bytter canne be deuysed then thys And yet accordynge to thys Apostolycke commination we see the same hathe chaunced vnto Iulian Pelagian who eyther neglected to incorporate hym selfe to the mynde and sentence of other fathers or presumed to excorporate hym selfe that tofore was one of them But nowe time it is that accordinge to my promise I declare by example when and how the sentences of the holy fathers may be gathered together that by them the rule of Ecclesiasticall faythe myghte be assured and confirmed accordynge as by decree and authoritie of counsayle is sette furthe And to doe thys fytte and necessarye it is that I doe eftsoones reuoke what tofore was sayde I sayde at the begynnynge that thys euermore was and styl is the custome of Catholike and true beleuers to approue the true faythe by two wayes First by the authoritie of diuine Scripture Secondlye by tradition of the catholyke Churche Not because the Scripture sufficeth not or plentuously contayneth not all thinges necessarye but because euery man expounding the same accordynge to theyr owne fantasies do often times conceyue dyuers errours and straunge opinions centrary to the intent of the holy scriptures And therefore it is necessarye that the intelligence vnderstandinge of the heaueuly scripture be directed according to one vniforme rule of the ecclesiastical iudgement especiallye in those questions on whiche the foundacion of the whole catholike doctrine doeth staye We sayde moreouer that we ought to consider in the churche the consent aswel of the vniuersalitie as also of antiquitie Least we be broken of from the integritie of vnitie into some prophane error or least we be tumbled from the religion of auncientie headlong into nouelties of vnknowen heresie I haue sayde also that in the same antiquitie of the churche we ought vehementlye and studiously to obserue two thinges vnto which eche man must cleue fast that will not be an heretike The first is if any thinge in the antiquitie of the churche hathe been decreed by all catholike teachers and holy fathers and hathe been setfurth by authoritie of vniuersall counsell Next if there hap to arise any newe question whiche is not decided by generall counsell that then euery good man ought to haue recourse vnto the auncient writers which are knowē to haue stedfastly perseuered in the vnitie of the catholike communion and faieth And whatsoeuer they in one minde and consente haue receyued and taught the same we ought to iudge and accept as moost syncere pure and catholike doctrine And that this myght not seeme to be spoken rather of my owne head then by authoritie ecclesiastical I haue drawen to example the godly counsell kepte in Afia at Ephesus Bassus and Antiochus two noble persones then beinge consulles In which counsell a motion beinge made for orders and rules to be deuised for the stablishinge of the faieth it semed vnto all the fathers there assembled whiche were aboute C C. in numbre a thinge verye catholike right faiethfull and moste beest to be done lest any prophane noueltie shoulde by chaunce crepe in contrarye to their godly purpose as to fore in the counsell kepte at Arimine in Italy to bringe furthe the sentences censures opinions of the holye fathers of whiche some were Martyrs some wer Confessors and al were constātly remained catholike priestes true faiethful teachers And according to their minde consente and decree well and deuoutly considered the religion of christian faieth might be confirmed and the blasphemie of prophan noueltie condempned This thus done of righte that wicked Nestorius was condempned as an heretike iniurious to the catholike auncientye and blessed Cyrillus was pronoūced catholike consenting and agreable vnto the holye antiquitie And for the better warrant of the matter I learned the names of the same fathers although I haue forgotten their order accordinge to whose censure and iudgement both suche sentences as then were cōtrouerted were expounded and also the rule of the diuine doctrine stablished Whiche fathers here to reherse by name I thinke it not superfluous For thereby shal my memorie be confirmed Wherefore these were they whose wrytinges are recited beinge either iudges or witnesses in that coūsell S. Peter Byshop of Alexandria a verie excellente teacher mooste blessed Martyr Holy Athanasius highe prelate of the same citie a right faithful preacher and moost worthie confessor Holy Theophilus Byshoppe also of the same citie a man for his faieth lyfe and knowledge very famous Whom succeded Cyrill a father of muche reuerence To these holy fathers and godlye Byshoppes of our Citie and prouince adde those shining beames of Cappadocia as saint Gregorie Byshoppe and confessor of Nazianse S. Basil Byshop cōfessor of Caesarea Cappadocia other S. Gregorie also byshop of Nice a man for his faith conuersation integritie and wisedome most worthie to be as he was brother to holye Basill All these were Greekes Amongest the Latines also were manye that by their iudgemēt allowed the matters passed in that counsel as S. Felix martyr and S. Iulie Byshoppes of Rome Lykewise blessed S. Cyprian Byshop of Carthage martyr Holye sainte Ambrose Byshop of Mediolanū These were they whiche were in the counsell of Ephesus as iudges witnesses Maisters and Counsellers whose doctrine that blessed Synode faiethfullye imbraced and folowinge theire counsell beleuinge their testimonie obeinge their iudgement haue syncerely truely and faiethfullye pronounced of matters concerning faieth These fathers were but tenne in numbre A greater numbre mought haue been called thereto but there was noo necessitie because as the tyme serued the matters consisted not in the multitude of witnesses and noman doubted but all other catholike men thoughte and beleued as these tenne did After all these thinges I also added S. Cyrill his sentence Whiche is conteined in the eccle siasticall gestes For what tyme the Epistle of holye Capreolus Byshoppe of Carthage was readen who intended and desired nothinge els but that the holye antiquitie mought be defēded and wicked noueltie anulled and vtterlye refused then S. Cyrill pronounced defined in fourme as followeth And this Epistle saied he of the reuerend and most godly father Capreolus Bisshop of Carthage shal be regestred in the boke of our gestes and decrees concerninge the faieth whose sentence is so playne For he will that the sentences and decrees of the auncient faieth be confirmed and stablished and that newe founde fansies and inuentions be reproued and condēpned as bothe superfluous and wicked Hereto all the Byshoppes gaue their consent al wholly agreed therupon all together with one voyce wished the same Wherto gaue they their consent What was it that they in one

it God forbyd that we shoulde so thinke of S. Paule For it foloweth and the same he eftsones doeth inculcate verye earnestlye with this iteration As I haue said tofore sayeth he I saye nowe agayne if any shal preache any other Ghospell vnto you then that whiche ye haue receiued accursed be he He sayde not yf any shal teach other doctrine thē such as ye haue receiued blessed be he let him be allowed receyued but let hi be sayth he Anathema that is to say let him be seperated segregated excluded as one accursed lest the daūgerous inffection of one corrupt shepe maye poyson and infect the sound flocke of Christ with his venemous permixtion company But some may say that these S. Paules preceptes wer only geuē to the Galathians and to none other Then also it shuld folow that other thinges set furth in the same epistle were commaunded vnto the Galathians onely and to none other As that Si uiuimus spiritu spíritu ambus lemus c. that is if we liue by the spirite let vs walke in the spirite Let vs not be made desierous of vayne glory prouoking one an other enuiyng one an other And so furth as foloweth But if this be absurde to graūt if al thinges ther expressed by sainct Paule were commaunded vnto all indifferentlye then aswel the counseil warning concerning fayth as those preceptes of maners in like sort perteyne vnto al. And as it is not lawfull for anye person to prouoke or enuye one an other so it maye not be lawfull for any to allowe and folowe anye other doctrine then suche as the Catholike churche doth vniuersallye preache And yf that which then was commaunded as if anye teache you other doctrine then suche as hath been taughte you let him be accursed be not now commaunded which ther he sayeth in like sorte Dico autem spiritu ambulate et desiderium carnis non perficietis I saye walke in the spirite and fulfill not the luste and desire of the fleashe But yf it be wycked and also pernicious so to beleue then necessarely it foloweth that as these rules touchinge maners ought to be obserued of all ages euen so the other preceptes concerning the holye fay the are commaunded vnto all men of all ages as that nothyuge ought to be innouated or altered Wherfore neither hath it ben lawful neither is it lawful at any time to teache other doctrine vnto the catholike christians then hath already been allowed receyued Shal it thē be lawful or no to accurse them which presume to inayntayne or teache any other doctrine then that which hath been receyued taughte and beleued Verely it hath been euer lawfull it is alwayes lawfull it shall euermore be necessarye and lawfull Then for asmuche as it is so is there any of suche boldnes that dare teache any contrary doctrine to that which the vniuersall Churche hathe taught Is there anye of suche lightnes that is so madde to receyue any other then that whiche the churche hath receyued Yea although S. Paule crye and crye agayne Although I sai that blessed vessel of electiō that heauenly maister of gentiles that soundinge trompet of apostles that noble crier of the earthe and skylfull of the heauens althoughe I saye he do crye to al at all tymes and euerie where neuer somuch neuer so oft neuer so vehementlye accursed be he that teacheth anye newe opinion yet beholde howe these frogges these wretched gnattes the Pelagians Anabaptistes and other like heretikes reclame stil to the contrarie and that to the catholikes sayinge We being your authours leaders and teachers condemne that whiche ye haue allowed and allowe that which ye haue condemned Away with your olde faith with your elders institutions your auncetours decrees awaye with them all and for them receiue and imbrace wotte ye what Verelye suche gere as not only may not be auouched but neither yet also refelled or named weout daūger Me thike I here some say Sir if no innouations maye be admitted howe is it that many times many excellent persones constituted and appointed in the churche are permitted by the wil of God to setfurth newe matters vnto the people This is a good questiō and worthye with muche diligence and at large to be considered Wherunto I shal not shape anye aunswere of myne owne witte but vse the authoritie of the heauenly scripture cleaue to the counsel and censure of the holy church Let vs heare therfore godly Moyses let hym declare vnto vs why learned men suche as for the gift of knowledge were called Prophetes by the Apostle are permitted now and then to bringe furth newe opinions and sectes whiche the olde testament calleth vnder allegorie straunge Gods because suche newe sectes are no otherwyse obserued and fauoured of heretikes thē the Gentiles did obserue and fauor their Gods This blessed Moyses therfore writeth in the Deuteronomie in this wise Moyses Yf a Prophet shal rise among you or any shal saye that he hath sene a dreme that is to wit a maister constitute in the churche whom the hearers beleue to teach by some reuelation what then And shall saieth Moyses foresaie asigne or portent and it shall happen as he hath spoken This is meaned no doubt by a maister of so great knowledge as might seeme to his disciples and hearers not onely to foreknow mean humain thinges but also suche matters as are aboue man much lyke were as their disciples bragge of them Valentinus Donatus Apollinaris and other of the same heere It foloweth in Moyses And shall saye vnto you go we and let vs folowe straunge Goddes whiche you knowe not and let vs serue them what be these straunge Gods but onely straunge errours Whiche thou knowest not that are newe not hearde of afore Let vs serue them What is that Let vs beleue and folow them What then Thou shalt not heare saieth Moyses The wordes of that Prophet or dreamer And wherefore I praye you Is not that forbidden to be taughte which is forbidden to be heard May not the hearing therof be suffered the teachinge whereof is not forbidden Because saieth Moyses the lorde your GOD tempteth you that it maye be manifest whether ye loue him or not with all your harte and with all your soule It is manifest and cleare as the daye to what ende the prouidēce of God doth some times permit certaine maisters and cēsors of his chucrh to erre and in their erringe to imagine and teache freshe ware newe toyes contrarie to the auncient custome of the catholike church It is saieth Moyses that thereby the Lorde youre GOD maye tempte you And doubtlesse this is a greate temptation when he whom thou iudgest a Prophet whom thou estemest a disciple of Prophetes whom thou thinkest a true and faiethfull teacher of veritie whom thou doest imbrace with all reuerence dothe sodeinlye slippe into daungerous errour and priuily teacheth falshood whiche thou canst not easelye deprehende that arte ledde with

humayne letters then he Whose breste was farced vp with a most plenteous varietie of all maner of knowledge There was no sect of Philosophers no part of theyr studies whiche he had not sought and faithfully placed in the treasurye of remembraunce He so far excelled in grauitie and vehemencie of witte that he hath not at anye time almoste purposed to withstande or ouerthrow anye controuersie which either by finesse of witte or by wayghte of argumentes he archiued not The prayse of whose oration who can expresse Whiche was interlased wyth so greate necessitie of reason that it did impell and inforce to his opinion such as otherwyse he could not induce and perswade In which almost howe manye wordes so manye sentences be And howe many sentences so many victories A great many can recorde this and speciallye Marciones Apelles Praxee Hermogenes the Iewes the Gentiles the detestable heretikes called Gnostici Whose blasphemies he hath in great large volumes defaced and as it were with the violent stroke of percinge lightninge clene ouerthrowen And yet euē this Tertulliā after al these godly practises not stedfastlye cleuing vnto the faithful shore of the catholik trueth the vniuersal and auncient faith beinge more eloquēt then happy more pregnāt in wit then cōstant in faith forgetting as it wer him self his former profession did at length as the blessed confessor Hillary in a certaine place dothe wryte of him saiyng Tertulliā tracing and folowing error hath pluckte awaie authoritie from his probable writinges And he also hathe ben in the Churche a greate tempracion But I shall spare to speake any more of this man Onely thys shall I remembre that forasmuche as he mainteined the newfangled furies of Montanus beinge raysed in the Churche contrarie to Moyses precepte affirmed those mad dreames of newe doctrine deuised by worse then mad women to be true prophesies he therefore hath deserued that of him and his writynges it shoulde be said If a Prophet shal rise among you you shal not herkē to the wordes of that prophet Wherefore Because saieth Moyses the lorde your god tēpteth you whether you loue him or not By these other the lyke so many and so greate examples we maye euidentlye perceiue and by the lawes of Deuteronomie more clearly see and vnderstande that if at any tyme any ecclesiasticall prelate orlearned man shall erre from the catholike faith in any point that then the heauenlye prouidence dothe suffre the same to tempte and proue vs thereby whether we loue God or not in all our harte and in all our soule Wherfore seyng it is so he then is a true and perfecte catholike man whiche loueth the trueth of god which loueth the church the mysticall bodye of Christe whiche estemeth no singular mans authoritie witte or iudgemēt knowlege or eloquence aboue the true religiō of Christ whiche preferreth not the affection loue or frendeship of anye singular person before the vniuersall and catholike faith But despising all those thinges doth abide permanent and stable in faith and resolueth with him selfe to receiue hold and beleue which he knoweth the catholike Churche vniuersally and continually to haue receiued holdē beliued And what euer new doctrine at any time after he shall perceiue to be brought in by any one either besides or aboue or contrarie and repugnant to that whiche the catholike fathers haue in consente agreid vpon he adiudgeth the same to pertaine not to religion but vnto temptation onely accordinge to the holesome doctrine of blessed S. Paule expressed in the firste epistle vnto the Corrinthians Oportet hęreses esse ut probatimanifesti fíant in uobis That is to saie Heresies must be to th ende that the proued may be made manifest amonge you As if he had saied the authors of heresies be not by by rooted oute but permitted for the time by God that euery man beinge proued maye be made manifest and euidentlye to appeare howe stedfaste faithful and sure louer he is of the catholike faith And in dede as oft as any noueltie riseth vp thē esely is the good corne tried by his weighte and the chaffe by his lightnes Then the good corn abideth within the floore notwithstandinge any puffe of noueltie And the chaffe is therwith lightly pufte out hauinge not the substaūce of good corne to keepe it within the floore of the catholike vnitie For thē we see howe some take their leaue shake handes for euer some other hange houerynge in the ayre and kepe them aloufe both fearing to depart and ashamed to retourne beynge wounded halfe dead and half aliue For why They haue receiued suche quantitie of the poyson as neither killeth ne can be digested neither forceth to dye ne suffereth to lyue Ah moost wretched and miserable condition In what restles cares are their hartes broyled trowe ye Now thei will nowe they nil one whyle they are violently plucked with the raised error where the wind of noueltie dryueth another while reuersed vpon them selues as contrarie waues they do relide and beate against the walles of theire owne conscience Nowe with foule hardie presūption they approue that whiche semeth vncertaine now throughe causelesse feare they dreade and feare to cōfesse such thinges as are moost certaine being al vncertaine which way to god or come what to desire and what to auoide what to hold or what to let passe Which affliction of so doubtfull wauering hart is no doubt the remedie and medicine of Goddes mercie towardes them if they be wise For beinge without the moost surest porte of the catholike faieth they are shaken beaten and almost slayne with the violente stormes of sondrye thoughtes to th ende that they put downe the sayles of proude minde whiche they had hoyssed alofte and vnaduisedlye had spreed to the windes of noueltie and that they ariue againe home warde into the quiet and calme hauen of their good and peaceable mother the churche where they myghte drinke the streemes of lyuelye and springing waters that thei vnlearne well whiche they learned not well and to prouoke them to forget with speede that whiche they receiued in ouer great hast And of the whole doctrine of the churche what can be comprehended in their vnderstandynge and reason to vnderstand the same and learne it by reason and what is aboue their capacitee of reason that same firmelye to beleue Thys beinge thus reuoluynge and many times recordynge the same with my selfe I cannot sufficientlye wondre at the greate madnes of certayne menne the greate impietie of blinded mindes and finallye the greate luste and desyre to erre that some haue that they cannot be contented with the auncient beleife taughte and receyued vniuersally in the churche but muste seke daylye newe gere Euermore couetynge to alter and innouate the religion eyther by adding some thing that is newe or by pullinge awaye parte of that whiche was olde As thoughe the religion of the churche were not an heauenlye decree but an earthly institucion whiche

otherwise can not be perfect without dayly emendation yea rather reprehēsion of the same the diuine Oracles criyng to the contrarye Ne transferas terminos quos posuerunt patres tui that is to sai beware thou go not beyonde the bondes whiche thy auncetours haue set Agayne Super iudicātem ne iudices That is to say Iudge not thou of or vpō him that hath iudged Likwise Scindentēsepem mordebít eū serpēs Whiche is in our tonge The serpent wil stinge him that breaketh or cutteth the hedge Whereby is ment that the deuyl which is figured by the serpent in the scripture wil poison stinge him to deathe that presumeth to breake the hedge of the catholike faythe and contemneth the vnitie of Christ his vniuersall churche Hereto belongeth the worthye counsail of S. Paul wherwith as with a certayne spirituall sworde all detestable nouelties of cursed heresies are and at all times haue been cut of and shal be to the worldes ende O Timothe sayeth he kepe that doctrine whiche was lefte vnto thee and auoyde all prophane nouelties of wordes and termes Beware of oppositions and obiectiōs of false named science whiche certayne promisyng haue erred cōcerning the faith What can be more vehemētly spoken against new innouations contrary to the auncient order of the vniuersall church thē this yet behold the indurate hartes the shamelesse impudēcie the stiffe outragious pertinacie of diuers whom neyther the great weight of so manifest scriptures can moue to yelde nor the weyghtie importaunce of so highe authorities canne force to retyre ne yet so terrible threatenynges of high vengeaunce can persuade to repent O Timothe sayeth S. Paule auoyde prophane nouelties of wordes and voyces He sayth not antiquities and auncienties But therby sheweth what on the other syde he shoulde folowe For he sayeth not Auoide the olde auncient receiued termes phrases and sentences but newfangled gere and prophane nouelties Then if noueltie is to be auoyded antiquitie oughte to be admitted if noueltie be prophane then is auncientie holye and diuine Auoide also sayeth he and resist oppositions and obiections of knowledge falselye so called That is obiections made by heretikes agaynst the receyued order of the catholike churche vpon knowledge as they wold lyghtlye perswade But it is not so sayeth S. Paule It is falsely called knowledge The knowledge of Heretikes is grosse ignoraunce their brightnesse is mere dymnesse Theyr light is hellishe darkenesse Yet woulde they so disgyse and colour them that in apparaunce they might seeme the selfe same thinges whiche promisyng sayeth S. Paule they haue fallen from the faithe What haue they promised Surelye I wote not what newe and vnknowen doctrine For ye shall here some say vnto you The verie fourme of wordesth heretikes vse O ye fooles and selye poore soules whiche commonly are called catholike come ye vnto vs saye they and learne of vs the true faythe which none knoweth besides vs whiche hath ben hidden from you this many hundred yeres and is nowe of late reueled and shewen vnto a fewe of vs. But learne it of vs priuelye and secretlye and you shall finde great pleasure therin And whē ye haue learned it at our handes teache it other also but priuelye in corners that the worlde heare it not and that the Churche knowe it not For thei can not beare it because it is geuen but to a fewe to vnderstande and receiue the secrete of so great mysterie I praye you be not theise the very wordes of that abhominable and deceytefull harlot spoken of in the pronerbes of Salomon Which doth allure to come vnto her suche as passe by the waye goynge in theyr iourneye sayinge He that is vnwisest of you al let him come to me And the simple she intiseth also saying Panes occultos libenter attingite et aquam dulcemfurtim bibite That is to saye Come and eate gladlye the loues whiche are hidden and drinke priuely a swete pleasaunt water These are the flattering and deceyuable wordes of that false wicked harlot the churche of Antichrist But it is worthe the labour to trauerse more at large the wordes of S. Paule O Timothe saith he kepe that which is left vnto the auoyding prophane nouelties of wordes O is an exclamation aswell of prescience as also of charitie For he aforesawe the errours to come and afore hande was careful howe to auoyde them He speaketh vnto Timothe Who is now Timothe But eyther the vniuersal churche generally or the whole bodye of the rulers speciallye For bothe them selues oughte to haue the sounde and perfect knowledge of Gods religion and also to teache the same to other What is meaned by that Deposita custodi Kepe that whiche is lefte vnto the. Kepe sayeth saynct Paule because of fylchynge theues and enuyous aduersaries Least thei when men be at rest shoulde sowe theyr zizan and Cocle vpon that good seede of Wheate whiche the sonne of man hadde sowen before in his feelde Kepe that whiche was lefte vnto thee sayeth the Apostle What was that Forsothe that whiche was credited and committed vnto thee and not that whyche was deuised by thee The religion whiche thou haste receyued and not whiche thou of thy selfe haste imagined a matter not of wyt but of doctrine not of priuate vsurpation but of publike traditiō brought vnto the from thyne auncetours not brought fnrthe by the for thy successors Wherof thou oughtest not to be an authour but keper not an institutour but folower Hold assuredly saieth S. Paule saue kepe the inuiolate and pure talent of the catholike faieth committed vnto the. Exchaunge not but what thou hast receiued holde that still and delyuer that same vnto other Thou hast receiued golde yeld golde againe I will not that thou rendre either impudentlye leade or craftely coper for good golde restore in value and substaunce gold in deed and not that whiche glistereth and hath a showe lyke to golde and yet is none O Timothe O thou priest thou doctour preacher or expoūder of scriptures if the gift of God hath made the a fitte instrument thereunto in witte doctrine and exercise bee thou Beselehel the workeman of the spirituall tabernacle Cut and graue workemanly the pretious Gemmes of the heauenly doctrine Coapt set and applye them faithfully Adorne decke set thē furth wisely Adde with the vttermost of thy power shyning grace bewtie Through the and thyne expositions let it be perceiued more clearelye whiche before was darke and yet beleued faithfully Through the and thy frauel let the posteritie reioyce in the vnderstandinge of that whiche tofore the antiquitie did worship and not vnderstande But yet teach the same thinges whiche thou hast learned and none other that when thou speakest newely yet thou speake not newe matters Here some wil saye What shal there be no increase had of religion in the churche of Christe-Yes what els Who is so iniurious bothe to God and man that would not so But increase I would should be not