which is meere we owe in this case obedience to that law of reason which teacheth mediocritie in meates and drinkes The same things diuine lawe teacheth also as at large we haue shewed it doth all partes of morall dutie whereunto we all of necessitie stand bound in regard of the life to come But of certaine kindes of foode the Iewes sometime had and we our selues likewise haue a mysticall reliâ—ious and supernaturall vse they of their Pasâ— all lambe and oblations wee of our bread and wine in the Eucharist which vse none but diuine law could institute Now as we liue in ciuill societie the state of the common wealth wherein we liue both may and doth require certaine lawes concerning foode which lawes sauing onely that we are members of the common wealth where they are of force we should not neede to respect aâ— rules of action whereas now in their place and kinde they must be respected and obeyed Yea the selfe same matter is also a subiect wherein sometime Ecclesiasticall lawes haue place so that vnlesse wee will bee authors of confusion in the Church our priuate discretion which otherwise might guide vs a contrary way must here submit it selfe to bee that way guided which the publike iudgement of the Church hath thought better In which case that of Zonaras concerning fâ—stes may be remembred Fastinges are good but let good things be done in good and conueniâ—nt maner He that transgresseth in his fasting the orders of the holy fathers the positiue lawes of the Church of Christ must be plainely tolde that good thinges doe loose the grace of their goodnesse when in good sort they are not performed And as here mens priuate phansies must giue place to the higher iudgement of that Church which is in authoritie a mother ouer them so the very actions of whole Churches haue in regard of commerce and fellowship with other Churches bene subiect to lawes concerning foode the contrarie vnto which lawes had else bene thought more conuenient for them to obserue as by that order of abstinence from strangled and bloud may appeare an order grounded vpon that fellowship which the Churches of the Gentiles had with the Iewes Thus we see how euen one and the selfe same thing is vnder diuers considerations conueyed through many lawes and that to measure by any one kind of law all the action of men were to confound the admirable order wherein God hath disposed all lawes each as in nature so in degree distinct from other Wherefore that here we may briefly ende of lawe there can be no lesse acknowledged then that her seate is the bosome of God her voyce the harmony of the world all things in heauen and earth doe her homage the very least as feeling her care and the greatest as not exempted from her power both Angels and men and creatures of what condition so euer though each in different sort and manner yet all with vniforme consent admiring her as the mother of their peace and ioy The second Booke Concerning their first position who vrge reformation in the Church of England Namely That Scripture is the onely rule of all things which in this life may be done by men The matter contained in this second Boooke 1 AN answere to their first proofe brought out of scripture Prou. 2.9 2 To their second 1 Cor. 10.31 3 To their third 1. Tim. 4.5 4 To their fourth Rom. 14.23 5 To their proofes out of Fathers who dispute negatiuely from the authoritie of holy scripture 6 To their proofe by the scriptures custome of disputing from diuine authoritie negatiuely 7 An examination of their opinion concerning the force of arguments taken from humane authoritie for the ordering of mens actions and perswasions 8 A declaration what the truth is in this matter AS that which in the title hath bene proposed for the matter whereof we treat is onely the Ecclesiasticall lawe whereby we are gouerned So neither is it my purpose to maintaine any other thing then that which therein truth and reason shall approue For concerning the dealings of men who administer gouernment and vnto whom the execution of that law belongeth they haue their iudge who sitteth in heauen and before whose tribunall seate they are accomptable for whatsoeuer abuse or corruption which being worthily misliked in this Church the want eyther of care or of conscience in them hath bred We are no Patrones of those things therfore the best defence whereof is speedie redresse amendment That which is of God we defend to the vttermost of that habilitie which he hath giuen that which is otherwise let it wither euen in the roote from whence it hath sprung Wherefore all these abuses being seuered and set apart which rise from the corruption of men and not from the lawes themselues come we to those things which in the very whole intier forme of our Church-politie haue bene as wee perswade our selues iniuriously blamed by them who endeuour to ouerthrow the same and in stead therof to establish a much worse onely through a strong misconceipt they haue that the same is grounded on diuine authoritie Now whether it be that through an earnest longing desire to see things brought to a peaceable end I do but imagine the matters whereof we contend to be fewer then indeed they are or else for that in truth they are fewer when they come to be discust by reason then otherwise they seeme when by heate of contention they are deuided into many slippes and of euery branch an heape is made surely as now wee haue drawne them together choosing out those things which are requisite to bee seuerally all discust and omitting such meane specialties as are likely without any great labour to fall afterwardes of themselues I knowe no cause why either the number or the length of these controuersies should diminish our hope of seeing them end with concord and loue on all sides which of his infinite loue and goodnes the father of all peace and vnitie graunt Vnto which scope that our endeuour may the more directly tend it seemeth fittest that first those thinges be examined which are as seedes from whence the rest that ensue haue growne And of such the most generall is that wherewith we are here to make our entrance a question not mooued I thinke any where in other Churches and therefore in ours the more likely to be soone I trust determined The rather for that it hath grown from no other roote then only a desire to enlarge the necessarie vse of the word of God which desire hath begotten an error enlarging it further then as we are perswaded soundnesse of truth will beare For whereas God hath left sundry kindes of lawes vnto men and by all those lawes the actions of men are in some sort directed they hold that one onely lawe the scripture must be the rule to direct in all thinges euen so farre as to the taking vp of a rush or strawe About which
Agrippa beleeuest thou the Prophets I know thou dost The questiō is how the bookes of the Prophets came to be credited of king Agrippa For what with him did authorize the Prophets the like with vs doth cause the rest of the scripture of God to be of credit Because we maintain that in scripture we are taught all things necessary vnto saluation hereupon very childishly it is by some demanded what scripture can teach vs the sacred authoritie of the scripture vpō the knowledge wherof our whole faith saluation dependeth As though there were any kind of science in the world which leadeth men into knowledge without presupposing a number of thinges alreadie knowne No science doth make knowne the first principles whereon it buildeth but they are alwaies either taken as plaine and manifest in themselues or as proued and granted already some former knowledge hauing made them euident Scripture teacheth al supernaturally reuealed truth without the knowledge wherof saluatiō cannot be attained The maine principle wherupon our beliefe of al things therin contained dependeth is that the scriptures are the oracles of God himselfe This in it selfe wee cannot say is euident For thē all men that heare it would acknowledge it in hart as they do when they heare that euery whole is more then any part of that whole because this in it selfe is euident The other we know that all do not acknowledge when they heare it There must be therefore some former knowledge presupposed which doth herein assure the hearts of all beleeuers Scripture teacheth vs that sauing truth which God hath discouered vnto the world by reuelation it presumeth vs taught otherwise that it self is diuine sacred The questiō thē being by what meanes we are taught this some answere that to learne it we haue no other way then only traditiō as namely that so we beleeue because both we from our predecessors they from theirs haue so receiued But is this inough That which al mens experience teacheth them may not in any wise be denied And by experience we all know that the first outward motiue leading men so to esteeme of the scripture is the authority of Gods church For whē we know the whole church of God hath that opiniō of the scripture we iudge it euen at the first an impudēt thing for any man bredde and brought vp in the Church to bee of a contrary mind without cause Afterwards the more we bestow our labor in reading or hearing the misteries thereof the more we find that the thing it selfe doth answer our receiued opinion concerning it So that the former inducement preuailing somwhat with vs before doth now much more preuaile when the very thing hath ministred farther reason If Infidels or Atheists chance at any time to call it in question this giueth vs occasion to sift what reason there is whereby the testimony of the church cōcerning scripture our own perswasiō which scripture it selfe hath confirmed may be proued a truth infallible In which case the ancient fathers being often constrained to shew what warrant they had so much to relie vpō the scriptures endeuored still to maintain the authority of the books of God by arguments such as vnbeleeuers thēselues must needs think reasonable if they iudged therof as they shuld Neither is it a thing impossible or greatly hard euen by such kind of proofes so to manifest cleere that point that no mā liuing shal be able to deny it without denying some apparent principle such as al men acknowledge to be true Wherefore if I beleeue the gospell yet is reason of singular vse for that it confirmeth me in this my beleefe the more If I do not as yet beleeue neuertheles to bring me to the number of beleeuers except reasō did somwhat helpe were an instrument which God doth vse vnto such purposes what should it boote to dispute with Infidels or godles persons for their conuersion perswasion in that point Neither can I thinke that when graue learned men do sometime hold that of this principle there is no proofe but by the testimony of the spirit which assureth our harts therin it is their meaning to exclude vtterly all force which any kind of reason may haue in that behalfe but I rather iucline to interpret such their speeches as if they had more expresly set downe that other motiues inducemēts be they neuer so strong consonāt vnto reason are notwithstanding vneffectual of thēselues to worke faith concerning this principle if the special grace of the holy ghost concur not to the inlightning of our minds For otherwise I doubt not but mē of wisdom iudgemēt wil grant that the Church in this point especially is furnished with reason to stop the mouthes of her impious aduersaries and that as it were altogether bootles to alleage against thē what the spirit hath taught vs so likewise that euen to our owne selues it needeth caution and explicatiō how the testimony of the spirit may be discerned by what meanes it may be known least mē think that the spirit of God doth testifie those things which the spirit of error suggesteth The operations of the spirit especially these ordinary which be cōmon vnto all true christian men are as we know things secret vndiscernable euen to the very soule where they are because their nature is of an other an higher kind thē that they cā be by vs perceiued in this life Wherfore albeit the spirit lead vs into all truth direct vs in all goodnes yet because these workings of the spirit in vs are so priuy secret we therfore stand on a plainer ground when we gather by reason frō the quality of things beleeued or done that the spirit of God hath directed vs in both then if we settle our selues to beleeue or to do any certaine particular thing as being moued thereto by the spirit But of this enough To go frō the books of scripture to the sense meaning therof because the sentēces which are by the Apostles recited out of the Psalms to proue the resurrectiō of Iesus Christ did not proue it if so be the prophet Dauid meant thē of himsef this expositiō therfore they plainly disproue shew by manifest reason that of Dauid the words of Dauid could not possibly be meant Exclude the vse of naturall reasoning about the sense of holy scripture concerning the articles of our faith then that the scripture doth concerne the articles of our faith who can assure vs That which by right exposition buildeth vp Christian faith being misconstrued breedeth error between true and false construction the difference reason must shew Can Christian men perform that which Peter requireth at their hands is it possible they should both beleeue be able without the vse of reason to render a reason of their beleefe a reason sound and sufficient to answer them that demaund it be they of the same faith with vs or enemies
to the contrary as in the former there was Leuit. 18.21 20.3 Deut. 17.16 In Iosua the children of Israel are charged by the Prophet that they asked not counsell of theâ— mouth of the Lord when they entered into couenant with the Gabeonites Iosh. 9.14 And yet that couenant was not made contrarie vnto anie commaundement of God Moreouer we reade that when Dauid had taken this counsell to build a temple vnto the Lord albeit the Lord had reuealed before in his word that there should be such a standing place where the Arke of the couenant and the seruice should haue a certaine abiding and albeit there was no word of God which â—orbad Dauid to build the Temple yet the Lord with commendation of his good affection and zeale hee had to the aduancement of his glorie concludeth against Dauidâ— resolution to build the Temple with this reason namely that he had giuen no commandement of this who should build it 1. Chr. 17.6 Leuit. 18.21 20.3 Deut. 28.10 1. Chro. 17 â— Esay 30.1 Iosh. 9.14 Num. 27.21 1. Chron. 17. T. C. l. â— p. 50. M. Harding reprocheth the B. of Salisbury with this kind of reasoning vnto whom the B. answereth The argument of authority negatiuely is taken to be good whensoeuer proofe is taken of Gods word and is vsed not onely by vs but also by many of the Catholique Fathers A litle after he sheweth the reason why the argument of authority of the scripture negatiuely is good namely for that the word of God is perfect In another place vnto M. Harding casting him in the teeth with negatiue arguments be alleageth places out of Irenâ—â—us Chrysostom Leo which reasoned negatiuely of the authoritie of the Scriptures The places which he alleageth be very full and plaine in generality without any such restraint as the Answerer imagineth as they are there to be seene â— Vell. Patere Iugurtha as Marius sub codem Africano militantes in ijsdem castris didicere qua postea in contrarijs facereâ—t Art 1. Diuis 29. Gal. 3. Orig. in Leuitho 5. Math. 23. Math. 17. Desen par 5. ca. 15. diuis â— Lib. 1. cap. 1â— De incomp nat Dei hom 3. Epist. 9â— ca. 12 Epist. 97. ca. 3. Epist. 16â— Lib. 4. ep 32. Their opinion coÌ„cerning the force of arguments taken from humane authority for the ordering of mens actioÌ„â— or perswasioÌ„s T. C. l. 1. p. 25. When the question is of the authority of a man it holdeth neither affirmatiuely nor negatiuely The reason is because the infirmitie of man can neither attaine to the perfection of any thing whereby he might speake all things that are to be spoken of it neither yet be free from error in those things which he speaketh or giueth out And therefore this argument neither affirmatiuely nor negatiuely compelleth the hearer but only induceth him to some liking or disliking of that for which it is brought and is rather for an Orator to perswade the simpler sort then for a disputer to enforce him that is learned 1. Cor. 1.11 Iohn 4.35 Deut. 19.15 Mat. 18.16 T. C. l. 1. p. 10. Although that kind of argument of authoritie of men is good neither in humaine nor diuine sciences yet it hath some small force in humaine sciences for as much as naturally in that he is a man he may come to some ripenes of iudgement in those sciences which in diuine matters hath no force at all as of him which naturally and as he is a man can no more iudge of them shew a blind man of colours Yea so farre is it from drawing credit if it be barely spoken without reason and testimony of scripture that it carieth also a suspition of vntruth whatsoeuer proceedeth from him which the Apostle did well note when to signifie a thing corruptly spoken and against the truth he saith that it is spoken according vnto man Rom. 3. He saith not as a wicked and lying man but simply as a man And although this corruption be reformed in many yet for so much as in whome the knowledge of the truth is most aduanced there remaineth both ignorance and disordered affections whereof either of them turneth him from speaking of the truth no mans authority with the Church especially and those that are called and perswaded of the authority of the word of God can bring any assurance vnto the conscience T. C. l. 2. p. 21. Of diuers sentences of the fathers themselues wherby some haue likened them to brute beastes without reason which suffer themselues to be led by the iudgement and authority of others some haue preferred the iudgemeÌ„t of ouâ— simple rude man alleaging reason vnto companies of learned men I will content my selfe at this time with two or three sentences Irenaeus saith whatsoeuer is to be shewed in the scripture canne bee shewed but out of the scriptures themselues lib. 3â— cap. 12. Ierome saith No man be he neuer so holy or eloquent hath any authoritie after the Apostles in Ps. 86. Augustine saith that he will beleeue none how godly and learned soeuer he be vnlesse he confirme his sentence by the scriptures or by some reason not contrary to them Epist. 18. And in another place Heare this the Lord saith heare not this Donatus saith Rogatus saith Vincentius saith Hylarius saith Ambrose saith Augustine saith but hearken to this the Lord saith Epist. 48. And againe hauing to do with an Arrian he affirmeth that neither he ought to bring forth the councell of Nice nor the other the councell of Arimine thereby to bring preiudice each to other neither ought the Arrian to be holden by the authoritie of the one nor himselfe by the authoritie of the other but by the scriptures which are witnesses proper to neither but common to both matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason ought to be debated contra Maxim Arian 3.14 ca. And in an other place against Petilian the Donatist he saith Let not these wordes be heard betweene vs I say you say let vs heare this Thus saith the Lord. And by and by speaking of the scriptures he saith There let vs seeke the Church there let vs try the cause De vnita Eccles. cap. 3. Hereby it is manifest that the argument of the authoritie of man affirmatiuely is nothing worth Matth. 17.10 T. C. l. 2.21 If at any time it happened vnto Augustine as it did against the Donatists and others to alleage the authority of the auncient Fathers which had bin before him yet this was not done before he had laid a sure foundation of his cause in the scriptures and that also being prouoked by the aduersaries of the truth who bare themselues high of some counsell or of some man of name that had fauoured that part A declaration what the truth is in this maâ—ter Math. 26.40 Ephes. 5.29 Matth. 5.46 1. Tim. 5.8 Matth. 10.42 Act. 4.31 1. Thes. 2.7.9 T. C. l. 2. p. 6. Where this doctrine is accused of bringing men to despaire it
whereunto reasonable creatures are bound but as hath bene shewed we restraine it to those onely duties which all men by force of naturall wit either do or might vnderstand to be such duties as concerne all men Certaine half waking men there are as Saint Augustine noteth who neither altogether asleepe in folly nor yet throughly awake in the light of true vnderstanding haue thought that there is not at all any thing iust and righteous in it selfe but looke wherwith nations are inured the same they take to be right and iust Wherupon their conclusion is that seeing each sort of people hath a different kind of right from other and that which is right of it owne nature must be euery where one and the same therefore in it selfe there is nothing right These good folke saith he that I may not trouble their wits with rehearsal of too many things haue not looked so far into the world as to perceiue that Do as thou wouldest be done vnto is a sentence which all nations vnder heauen are agreed vpon Refer this sentence to the loue of God it extinguisheth all heinous crimes referre it to the loue of thy neighbor and all grieuous wrongs it banisheth out of the world Wherefore as touching the law of reason this was it seemeth Saint Augustines iudgement namely that there are in it some things which stand as principles vniuersally agreed vpon and that out of those principles which are in themselues euident the greatest morall duties we owe towards God or man may without any great difficultie be concluded If then it be here demaunded by what meanes it should come to passe the greatest part of the law morall being so easie for all men to know that so many thousands of men notwithstanding haue bene ignorant euen of principall morall duties not imagining the breach of them to be sinne I deny not but lewd and wicked custome beginning perhaps at the first amongst few afterwards spreading into greater multitudes and so continuing from time to time may be of force euen in plaine things to smother the light of naturall vnderstanding because men will not bend their wits to examine whether things wherewith they haue bene accustomed be good or euill For examples sake that grosser kind of heathenish idolatrie wherby they worshipped the very workes of their owne hands was an absurdity to reason so palpable that the Prophet Dauid comparing idols and idolaters together maketh almost no ods betweene them but the one in a maner as much without wit and sense as the other They that make them are like vnto them and so are all that trust in them That wherein an idolater doth seeme so absurb and foolish is by the Wiseman thus exprest He is not ashamed to speake vnto that which hath no life he calleth on him that is weake for health he prayeth for life vnto him which is dead of him which hath no experience he requireth helpe for his iourney be sâ—â—th to him which is not able to go for gaine and worke and successe in his affaires he seeketh furtherance of him that hath no maner of power The cause of which senselesse stupidity is afterwards imputed to custome When a father mourned grieuosly for his son that was taken away suddenly he made an image for him that was once dead whom now he worshipped as a God ordeining to his seruants ceremonies sacrifices Thus by processe of time this wicked custome preuailed was kept as a law the authority of Rulers the ambition of craftsmen and such like meanes thrusting forward the ignorant and increasing their superstition Vnto this which the Wiseman hath spoken somwhat besides may be added For whatsoeuer we haue hitherto taught or shal hereafter coÌ„cerning the force of mans naturall vnderstanding this we alwayes desire withall to be vnderstood that there is no kind of faculty or power in man or any other creature which can rightly performe the functions alotted to it without perpetuall aide concurrence of that supreme cause of all things The benefit whereof as oft as we cause God in his iustice to withdraw there can no other thing follow then that which the Apostle noteth euen men indued with the light of reason to walke notwithstanding in the vanity of their mind hauing their cogitations darkned being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance which is in them because of the hardnes of their harts And this cause is meÌ„tioned by the Prophet Esay speaking of the ignorance idolaters who see not how the manifest reason condemneth their grosse iniquity and sinne They haue not in them saith he so much wit as to thinke shall I bow to the stocke of a tree All knowledge and vnderstanding is taken from them For God hath shut their eyes that they cannot see That which we say in this case of idolatry serueth for all other things wherein the like kind of generall blindnes hath preuailed against the manifest lawes of reason Within the compasse of which lawes we do not onely comprehend whatsoeuer may be easily knowne to belong to the duty of all men but euen whatsoeuer may possibly be known to be of that quality so that the same be by necessary consequence deduced out of cleere and manifest principles For if once we descend vnto probable collections what is conuenient for men we are then in the territory where free and arbitrarie determinations the territory where humane lawes take place which lawes are after to be considered 9 Now the due obseruation of this law which reason teacheth vs cannot but be effectuall vnto their great good that obserue the same For we see the whole world and each part thereof so compacted that as long as each thing performeth onely that worke which is naturall vnto it it thereby preserueth both other things and also it selfe Contrariwise let any principall thing as the Sun the Moone any one of the heaueÌ„s or elemeÌ„ts but once cease or faile or swarue and who doth not easily conceiue that the sequele thereof would be ruine both to it selfe whatsoeuer dependeth on it And is it possible that man being not only the noblest creature in the world but euen a very world in himselfe his transgressing the law of his nature should draw no maner of harme after it Yes tribulation and anguish vnto euerie soule that doth euill Good doth followe vnto all things by obseruing the course of their nature and on the contrarie side euill by not obseruing it but not vnto naturall agents that good which wee call Reward not that euill which wee properly tearme Punishment The reason whereof is because amongst creatures in this world onely mans obseruation of the lawe of his nature is Righteousnesse onely mans transgression Sinne. And the reason of this is the difference in his maner of obseruing or transgressing the lawe of his nature Hee doth not otherwise then voluntarily the one or the other What we do against our
those things which are for direction of all the parts of our life needfull and not impossible to be discerned by the light of nature it selfe are there not many which few mens naturall capacitie and some which no mans hath bene able to find out They are sayth Saint Augustine but a few and they indued with great ripenes of wit and iudgement free from all such affaires as might trouble their meditations instructed in the sharpest and the subtlest points of learning who haue and that very hardly bene able to find out but onely the immortality of the soule The resurrection of the flesh what man did euer at any time dreame of hauing not heard it otherwise then from the schoole of nature Whereby it appeareth how much we are bound to yeeld vnto our creator the father of all mercy eternall thankes for that he hath deliuered his law vnto the world a law wherein so many things are laid open cleere and manifest as a light which otherwise would haue bene buried in darknesse not without the hazard or rather not with the hazard but with the certaine losse of infinite thousands of soules most vndoubtedly now saued We see therefore that our soueraigne good is desired naturally that God the author of that naturall desire had appointed naturall meanes whereby to fulfill it that man hauing vtterly disabled his nature vnto those meanes hath had other reuealed from God and hath receaued from heauen a law to teach him how that which is desired naturally must now supernaturally be attained finally we see that because those later exclude not the former quite and cleane as vnnecessary therefore together with such supernaturall duties as could not possibly haue beene otherwise knowne to the world the same lawe that teacheth them teacheth also with them such naturall duties as could not by light of nature easily haue bene knowne 13. In the first age of the world God gaue lawes vnto our fathers and by reason of the number of their daies their memories serued in steed of books wherof the manifold imperfections and defects being knowne to God he mercifully relieued the same by often putting them in mind of that whereof it behoued them to be specially mindfull In which respect we see how many times one thing hath bene iterated vnto sundry euen of the best and wisest amongst them After that the liues of men were shortned meanes more durable to preserue the lawes of God from obliuion and corruption grew in vse not without precise direction from God himselfe First therefore of Moyses it is sayd that he wrote all the words of God not by his owne priuate motion and deuise for God taketh this act to himselfe I haue written Furthermore were not the Prophets following commanded also to do the like Vnto the holy Euangelist Saint Iohn how often expresse charge is giuen Scribe write these things Concerning the rest of our Lords Disciples the words of Saint Augustine are Quic quid ille de suis factis dictis nos legere voluit hoc scribenduÌ„ illis tanquaÌ„ suis manibus imperauit Now although we do not deny it to be a matter meerely accidentall vnto the law of God to be written although writing be not that which addeth authority and strength thereunto finally though his lawes do require at our hands the same obedience howsoeuer they be deliuered his prouideÌ„ce notwithstanding which hath made principall choice of this way to deliuer them who seeth not what cause we haue to admire and magnifie The singular benefit that hath growne vnto the world by receiuing the lawes of God euen by his owne appointment committed vnto writing we are not able to esteeme as the value thereof deserueth When the question therefore is whether we be now to seeke for any reuealed law of God other where then onely in the sacred Scripture whether we do now stand bound in the sight of God to yeeld to traditions-vrged by the Church of Rome the same obedience and reuerence we do to his written lawe honouring equally and adoring both as Diuine our answer is no. They that so earnestly pleade for the authority of Tradition as if nothing were more safely conueyed then that which spreadeth it selfe by report and descendeth by relation of former generations vnto the ages that succeed are not all of the them surely a miracle it were if they should be so simple as thus to perswade themselues howsoeuer if the simple were so perswaded they could be content perhaps very well to enioy the benefit as they accompt it of that common error What hazard the truth is in when it passeth through the hands of report how maymed and deformed it becommeth they are not they cannot possibly be ignorant Let them that are indeed of this mind consider but onely that litle of things Diuine which the Heathen haue in such sort receiued How miserable had the state of the Church of God beene long ere this if wanting the sacred Scripture we had no record of his lawes but onely the memory of man receiuing the same by report and relation from his predecessors By Scripture it hath in the wisedome of God seemed meete to deliuer vnto the world much but personally expedient to be practised of certaine men many deepe and profound points of doctrine as being the maine originall ground whereupon the precepts of duty depend many prophecies the cleere performance whereof might confirme the world in beliefe of things vnseene many histories to serue as looking glasses to behold the mercy the truth the righteousnesse of God towards all that faithfully serue obey and honor him yea many intire meditations of pietie to be as patternes and presidents in cases of like nature many things needfull for â—â—plication many for applicatioÌ„ vnto particular occasions such as the prouidence of God from time to time hath taken to haue the seuerall bookes of his holy ordinance written Be it them that together with the principall necessary lawes of God there are sundry other things written whereof we might happily be ignorant and yet be saued VVhat shall we hereupon thinke them needlesse shall we esteeme them as riotous branches wherewith we sometimes behold most pleasant vines ouergrown Surely no more then we iudge our hands on our eies â—â—perfluouâ— or what part soeuer which if our bodies did want we might notwithstaÌ„ding any such defect reteine still the complete being of men As therfore a complete man is neither destitute of any part necessary and hath some partes wherof though the want could not depriue him of his essence yet to haue â—hem standeth him in singular stead in respect of the special vses for which they serues in 〈…〉 all those writings which conteine in them the law of God all those â—â—nâ—râ—ble bookes of Scripture all those sacred tomes and volumes of holy wriâ— â—â—ey are with such absolute perfection framed that in them there neither 〈◊〉 any thing the lacke whereof might depriue vs of life