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 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 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 〈◊〉 the name of the Sonne of God. â—â—d hee finisheth the Reuelation with â—â—is most weightie calling to witnesse â—â—estifie vnto euerie man that heareth tâ—e woordes of the prophecie of this â—â—oke if anie man shall adde vnto â—â—ese sayings God shall adde vnto him â—â—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 â—is part out of the booke of life and â—ut of the holie Citie and from the â—hings which are writteÌ„ in this booke Therefore that is the Gospel of the Caâ—â—olike Church whiche being put in â—riting God hath sealed for his worde And this is the cause that the Churches â—f all ages haue taken the bookes of the â—ewe Testament for authentike which â—n these dayes we do with reuerence acâ—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 The Church sayth he learned the true and liuely faith of the Apostles 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 soÌ„ne of God vnto whom also the Lord said He that heareth you heareth me he that despiseth you despiseth me he that despiseth me 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 〈◊〉 founded in the Scriptures yet doth â—â—twithstanding maintaine this also â—â—at the Scripture is the schole of perâ— and absolute wisedome Moreouer although all thinges that â—â—ist did be not written nor all the serâ—â—s which he made bee not set downe writing worde for word least the numâ—â—â— of bookes should be infinite yet hath 〈◊〉 holy Ghost chosen forth those things â—e written which might suffise for the â—â—â—â—ruction and confirmation of the faith â—he elect as Augustine plainelie teaâ—â—th forth of the word of Iohn the Eâ—â—â—gelist For whereas the Lord Iesus â—eth he did manie things all are not â—â—itten as euen the selfe same holy Eâ—â—ngelist him selfe witnesseth That the â—â—rde Christ both did and spake maâ—e things which are not written But â—â—ose things were chosen foorth and â—ritten which did seeme to be sufficiâ—â—t for the faith of the faithful Thereâ—â—re euen by the witnesse and consent of â—ugustine those things are plentifullie â—ritten which the holy Ghost iudged to 〈◊〉 inough for the obteyning of the true knowledge of Christe and of the blessed life 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. â—Ntichrist his garde setteth vpon vs 〈◊〉 in this place wresteth a dart forth 〈◊〉 Ieremie which wee must needes â—e howe weake it is to proue that â—â—â—ch they goe about Truely they abuse â—oo shamefully the holie oracles of â—â—d who by wresting these woordes of 〈◊〉 Prophete vnto a cleane contrarie â—ishe and absurde sense goe about to â—â—â—re the eyes of the simple and to diâ—ishe the maiestie of the Scripture â—â—d as they which in scholes geue them â—â—â—ues to shew their fine witts and which â—â—ercise themselues in eloquence do fight â—â—ainst elequence with the weapons of â—â—oquence euen so doe these by the counâ—â—naunce of Scripture endeuour to oâ—â—rthrowe the authoritie of Scripture â—ut they are cloudes easie to be scatteâ—â—d with a verie smal blast of an answere â—ieremie doeth prophesie that an other â—ouenaunt must bee made in the name â—f God but not so as it was made in time â—ast with the fathers And amongst other â—hinges he saith vnder the person of God â— will plante my lawe in the inwarde partes of them and write it in their heartes and will bee their God and they shal be my people And froÌ„ 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
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 senteÌ„ce also against theÌ„ which were wickedly beÌ„t against the canonical bokes If the Church were able to bring to passe that the Scripture might be receiued certainly she would haue perswaded long before this time Epicures Talmudikes and Mahometistes to haue receiued it 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 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 there am I in the middest of them And I will sende the comforter vnto you and hee will leade you into all trueth These are the 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 haue deliuered to vs in writing is the foundation of our faith Wherefore the Ministers of the Churche 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 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 Thus sayeth the Lorde Christ his spouse can not be quiet in minde vntill she may say I heare the voice of my beloued Nowe his voice according to the common rule of God his disposition towards vs doeth not sounde any where more cerâ—ainely vnto vs then forth of holie Scripâ—ure Well saide Chrysostome If anie â—hing be spoken without Scripture the â—hought of the hearers halteth But wheÌ„n the Testimonie of God his voice â—s come forth of the scriptures it conâ—irmeth both the speache of the speaker and the minde of the hearer And Esaie hauing admonished the people to â—eeke after none but God onelie addeth â—he meanes also saying Get thee to the â—awe and testimonie Wherefore well â—ayde Augustine Let our bookes be â—aken away from among vs and let God his booke be brought foorth among vs Heare Christe telling â—eare the trueth speaking Hee sayâ—th also in an other place Read vs this â—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 â—t Againe Vrge them to shewe some manifest testimonies foorth of the Canonicall bookes 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 Paul coÌ„mauÌ„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 Tertullian against Hermogenes sayeth I reuerence the fulnesse of scripture Let Hermogenes his shoppe shewe that it is written If it be not written let him feare the curse pronounced against them 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 If anie I will not say if wee but which Paule added 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 or let him reade it mee in the holie Scriptures and not be accursed He saith also in his treatise of Pastoures Christ hath appointed the mouÌ„taines of Israel the 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 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
And many other â—ignes truely did Iesus before the eyes â—f his disciples which are not written â—n this boke These are written that ye â—ight beleeue that Iesus is Christ the â—onne of God and that in beleuing ye â—ight haue life thorow his name By â—e which wordes if we beleeue the Faâ—hers Iohn coÌ„mended vnto the Church â—ot onely his owne Gospel but also the Gospels of the other three Euangelists Therfore by the euideÌ„t testimony of Iohn â—hose things are written by the foure Eâ—aÌ„gelists with holy choise which might sufâ—se the saluatioÌ„ of men not satisfie their â—uriositie Paule hath signed his Epistles 〈◊〉 a peculiar marke so haue we 2. Thes â— The salutatioÌ„ of me Paul with mine â—wne hand which is the tokeÌ„ in euery â—pistle So I write The grace of our â—ord Iesus Christ be with you all Amen Vpon these words Ambrose saith â—ecause of corrupters of the scriptures â—e witnesseth that he subscribeth the â—alutation himselfe alwayes with his â—wn hand in euery one of his Epistles that the Epistle might not be receiue vnder his name which was not subscribed with his hand And Theodoret sayth This did he adde moreouer because of them which presumed to carie about couÌ„terfeit 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 that this The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all Amen is vsually writteÌ„ 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 In the ende of the first Epistle to the Corinthians he subscribeth thus 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 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 Brethren the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be with your spirit Amen VpoÌ„ the which wordes Theodoretus sayeth He put vnto his letters his vsual blessing as a certaine seale putting them in remembrance of the gift giueÌ„ them which they receiued not by the law but by faith Ambrose in the ende of the first to Timothe sayeth He subscribed with his owne hand saying Grace be with thee Amen And the Apostle subscribeth the second to Timothe after this maner The Lord Iesus Christ be with thy spirite Grace be with you Amen Vpon the which words Ambr. noteth This is the subscriptioÌ„ of the Apostle for he saith it is his mark in euery epist. And Tert. 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 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 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 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 diuinitie that it easily defendeth it selfe from being reiected 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 Wherefore Iohn in the ende of his Gospel addeth both his owne testimony and also the witnesse of the Church when as he saith The same disciple is he which testifieth of these things wrote these things and we know that his testimonie is true 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 coÌ„uenient 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 inspiratioÌ„ 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 they alwayes were careful to proue it by the word of God as it may be proued by the CouÌ„cels of best credite So that well wrote blessed Siluianus Bishop of Marsiles All other things that is to say 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
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 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 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 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 with the holy Ghost feedeth with the 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 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 of his description 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 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 the 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 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 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 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
will is to bee celebrated both heree in the euerlasting life Therfore it is godlinesse diligently to collect with thankful minde to coÌ„sider all the giftes all the riches wherewith the Church is adorned enriched Shee hath the soÌ„ne of God for her head 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 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 writteÌ„ How beautiful are the feete of theÌ„ which bring good tidings of peace bring good tidings of good things Shee hath excellent gifts vnderstanding the 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 â—re The paradise of the great workeâ—n The citie of the holy king cleare as â—e dawning of the daye bright as the â—orning beautifull as the Moone elect the SuÌ„ne who smelleth of ointments â—tandeth at the right hande of the king â—cked with imbrodered gardes of diuers â—â—lours who hath no obscure thing and 〈◊〉 through Christ altogither most white Therefore because the sweete name of the Church is ful of worthinesse reâ—erence herevpon it coÌ„meth to passe that â—anie eloquent learned men doe with â—ately plentiful gorgious speache exâ—ll amplifie exaggerate the maiestie â—reheminence authoritie dignitie therâ—f so that they doe affirme that she hath â—orce and power aboue the written word â—f God thinke that Christians ought â—o giue place to her in all thinges For â—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 theÌ„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 â—r authoritie not from the authours â—n whome they come but from the â—â—urch No holy Scripture doth shewe 〈◊〉 the rest of the Scriptures which we â—e are canonical and worthie credite 〈◊〉 coÌ„sent of the Church hath made them â—benticall So that Augustine saieth â—ll I would not beleeue the Gospell â—re it not that the authoritie of the â—tholicall Church doeth moue mee â—o And especially because there were â—e in times past which both reiected â—o written gospels the Euangelistes â—o which wrote them sticking forsooth â—ought false religion to Christ only who â—ither wrote him self neither commanâ—â—d to be written but to be preached and â—â—lled his doctrine not scripture that is 〈◊〉 say writing but the Gospell that is to â—y ioyfull newes But if wee giue place â—rein to the Church as by right wee â—â—ght al to giue place vnto her why then â—ould we not also giue place vnto her in â—e matter of the holy Sacramentes in â—â—her pointes That the Apostles did â—rite certaine things not that their wriâ—â—ngs shold rule our faith religion but â—at their writings should rather serue our 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 coÌ„prehended within the narow roome of the bokes of the new testament And that therefore so short an abridgemeÌ„t of the gospell was put in writing that the greatest part thereof as a rich treasure might be left to the traditions fastened in the inward bowels of the church That therefore many things are to be beleeued 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 coÌ„trouersie the authoritie of the traditioÌ„ 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 â—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 â—â—le of the Scriptures And to be briefe â—hat the exactest squier paterne rule of â—â—ith is not the scripture but the iudgement of the Church That the saying of Christe is If hee will not heare the church let him be to thee as an heatheÌ„ man a Publicane That the church is the piller ground of trueth and that â—he can not erre 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 that this is the propertie of the doctrine of the newe testameÌ„t which first was published by Christ and afterward by the instruction of the holy ghost was preached by the Apostles spread abroad throughout the whole world wherby God would haue it to be knowen froÌ„ the doctrine of the olde testament that it should neither bee ingraued in tables of stone nor written with inke and paper That the Apostles were commaÌ„ded by Christ to 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 I Do not denie that they which make these reasons are prompt wittie â—â—arned and eloquent woulde to God â—â—ey were all so vpright and gentle minâ—â—d that they would put to their furtheâ—â—nce rather to buyld vp the kingdome 〈◊〉 Christ then to defend the kingdome of â—â—e Pope and that they woulde rather â—llowe the sincere doctrine of the Gosâ—ell then mainteine corruptions and abâ—ses But whilest they are willing to gratifie these antichristian rulers they â—un on so farre through the heate of their contention that through their wicked cursed and prophane Rhetorike they â—laspheme and â—pise the holy Ghost For wheÌ„ 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 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 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 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 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 as August witnesseth 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 imperfectioÌ„ ambiguitie obscuritie And euen as those old heretikes did coÌ„tentiously 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 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 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 determinatioÌ„ 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 seruaÌ„ts 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 For the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirite of God and all the thoughts sayings deedes of men doe more resemble lying then truth for God onely is true Neither â—â—e the argumentes strong and sounde â—hich these patrones of superstitions take for the defence of their opinion â—ut rather feeble and weake as in discussing and examining them shall appeare although the simple being deluâ—ed with the onely shew of truth be holâ—en still in errours and superstitions and â—lienated from the truth But let not vs â—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 â—s farre otherwise For what authoritie or estimation soeuer the Church hath it â—ommeth wholy from the worde of God whereof also the Church hath the beginning Euen as Peter saith Ye are borne â—new not of corruptible seede but of â—ncorruptible by the worde of God which liueth and lasteth for euer And â—aul saith In Christ Iesus I haue begotâ—en you through the Gospel Therfore 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 his Pentatenche had anie bookes of holy Scripture or none Moses doth cite the booke of the warres of the lord And in 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 〈◊〉 moreouer that Iudas in his Epiâ—… alledgeth certaine things forth of the â—…ke of Enoch Neither is there anie â—…e why ye should say vnto me that that â—…e is apochyphal PeradueÌ„ture that 〈◊〉 was apochyphal which was caried â—…ut after that age wherein the Apoâ—…s liued but those things which Iudas alledged were firme certaine But be â—…or I wil not contend that the word of 〈◊〉 was not written before Moses but 〈◊〉 only vttered by the mouth and as it â—…re deliuered froÌ„ hand to hand What â—…keth this to the matter w we haue in â—…d For the same word wheÌ„ afterward 〈◊〉 was put in writing must needes be so â—…erued and restrained that nothing â—…ght be altered therin by meÌ„ The word 〈◊〉 God is inuiolable cleane without corâ—…tion whether it be deliuered by voice â—…y writing neither can it sound coÌ„traâ—… things I confesse that the vnwritten â—…de was more ancient theÌ„ that which â—…r was put in writing But I acknowâ—…ge onely betweene these two the diffeâ—…ce of time not of efficacy or authoriâ—… But in that the church is gathered by 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 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 〈◊〉 the Patriarchs and Prophets The â—â—erlasting in heauen and in the verie â—ome of his father I meane the onely â—â—gotten sonne of God our Lord and saâ—â—ur Iesus Christ comming downe to 〈◊〉 shewed it The holie Ghost in al ages â—â—spired certaine excellent men who deâ—ered the worde vncorruptly Knowe â—s sayth Peter that no prophesie in tâ—e Scripture is of anie priuate interâ—â—etation For the prophecie came not â—olde time by the will of man but â—â—ly men of God spake as they were â—oued by the holy Ghost Wherefore â—ul defineth this doctrine The wiseâ—â—me not of this world neither of the â—â—nces of this worlde which come to â—ught but the wisedome of God in a â—ysterie euen the hid wisedome which â—od had ordeined before the worlde â—â—ich God hath reuealed by his spiâ—e Therefore all most excellent points â—e to be attributed to the Scripture the â—cles and diuine sayings whereof are â—h in diuinitie as are in euerie science 〈◊〉 principles of the same which must â—edes be supposed and graunted 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 Apostles did first witnesse with liuely voice that which was giuen them in commaundemeÌ„t 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 â—â—em which should come after Whereâ—â—â—e by the instinct of the holie Ghost â—wo of the Apostles wrote as witnesses of thinges which they had seene and two of the Disciples and Apostoâ—â—e men wrote also as witnesses of â—â—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 â—renaeus debateth manie thinges in the â—leuenth Chapter of his thirde Booke agaynst Heresies where hee shewâ—th that there must bee foure Gospels â—nely not because the Church hath receiâ—ed foure onely but because God hath so appointed Touching the Gospel of Matâ—hewe Saint Hierome writeth this Historie Pantaenus when hee was sent by Demetrius Bishop of Alexandria into India founde that Barâ—holomew did preach there the comming of Christ according to the Gosâ—el of Matthew the which being also written in Hebrue he brought from thence with him to Alexandria Herevnto agree those things 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 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 Nicephorus sayth that Peter indited the Gospel of Marke and decreed that it shoulde from thenceforth be read in the Congregations Irenaeus sayeth Marke the Disciple and interpreter of Peter hath deliuered vnto vs those precepts which were preached by Peter 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 â—â—ke also enuying no man deliuered to vs in like maner those thinges which he had learned of theÌ„ Furthermore Iohn perused ouer the writings oâ—â—he three Euangelists and witnessed tâ—â—t they were true Finally he finished 〈◊〉 writing of the Gospel Therefore he â—cludeth the Historie written by him â—â—is And manie other things truely did Iesus before the eyes of his disciâ—lâ—s which are not written in this â—â—ke These are written that ye might â—â—â—eeue that Iesus is Christ the sonne 〈◊〉 God and that in beleuing ye might â—e life thorowe his name Vnder â—â—th wordes he comprehendeth not onâ—â—is owne Gospel but also the Gospels 〈◊〉 â—he rest of the Euangelistes as also 〈◊〉 olde writers haue vnderstoode this â—ce And then trulie was the truth of 〈◊〉 Gospel acknowledged and receiued â—â—en as yet there remained aliue which 〈◊〉 both heard and seene the Lorde 〈◊〉 selfe in his mortall fleshe or had â—rde the chosen Apostles and Disciâ—â—â—s which were familiar and conâ—sant with him And because also
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 after that they had 〈◊〉 Christ themselues answered that did no longer beleue Christ because â—e womans wordes but because they heard Christ themselues But howe â—h more rightly shal we answere these â—cers of mindes which goe about by â—eanes possible not to leade vs to â—ist as did that woman of Samaria to turne vs from him that wee doe beleeue them but Christ and that â—e doe not for their sake imbrace the â—â—spel but because wee haue hearde â—ist himselfe teache and that wee doe 〈◊〉 therefore approoue and receiue their â—â—cked deuises because they set them â—ale vnder the pretence of the Churche 〈◊〉 Councels but that wee doe conâ—ntly refuse and detest them because â—y are manifestly agaynst GOD 〈◊〉 trueth and because they doe their â—st endeuour to make the authoritie 〈◊〉 GOD subiect to the authoritie of â—n And what madnesse is this in that â—â—ey saye that it was done without the â—ill of GOD that the Apostles and Euangelists write the Gospel when as in the first writing of the newe TestameÌ„t that is to say in the Epistle of the Synod of the Apostles this gorgious flower is expressely read It seemed good to the holy Ghost Paule also witnesseth that all Scripture is geuen by inspiration of god To be briefe Iohn in the Reuelation is coÌ„maunded 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 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 â–ª so ofte as they liste it is a greate offence to departe euen a little from the consente of the Churche not onelie â—â—â—â—rt from it but are directly contrarie 〈◊〉 it I meane in this place to repeate discusse the most beautifull sentence â—â—enaeus lately cited And this is it â—t is the onely true and liuely fayth â—â—â—ch the Church hath learned of the â—â—ostles and distributed to her chilâ—â—â—n For the Lord of all gaue to his â—â—ostles the power of the Gospel â—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 heareth 〈◊〉 and he that despiseth you despiâ— me and him that sent me For we â—e not knowne the disposing of our â—ation thorow anie other but thoâ—â—w them by whom the Gospel came â—o vs which then they preached â—d afterward thorow the will of God â—iuered vnto vs in the Scriptures to the foundation and piller of our â—th This sentence of Irenaeus speaâ—h generally of the Scripture of the 〈◊〉 Testament the authoritie perfectiâ—â— and sufficiencie whereof he sheweth 〈◊〉 most strong demonstration That is 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 vnto whom the Epistles of the Apostles were writteÌ„ should vse those writings for theiâ— present necessitie onely Not so Vnto vs say I haue the Apostles deliuered in the Scriptures the selfe same which they â—â—â—ached Remember that the Epiâ—s of the Apostles sayth Augustine 〈◊〉 not written for them onely which â—ard them in the same time when â—â—ey were written but for vs also neiâ—â—er are they recited in the Churche 〈◊〉 anie other purpose And what 〈◊〉 of the sayde Scripture woulde the Aâ—â—stles shoulde bee in the Church Ireâ—us answereth that that which they â—iuered to vs in the Scriptures might â—e in time to come the foundation and â—er of our faith euen of that true and â—ely fayth which the Church receiued the Apostles distributed to her chilâ—â—en Therefore we haue the foundation â—d piller of fayth in the Scriptures â—iche the Apostles by the will of God â—â—ue deliuered to vs Therfore that faith â—â—ich is conceiued proued confirmed â—â—th of any other then of the Scriptures â—iuered by the Apostles is not the true â—ely faith the Apostolike faith the faith the Primitiue Church These things most manifestly firmly agre togither 〈◊〉 Irenaeus his demoÌ„stration Therefore â—e â–ª sheweth for what purpose the Apostles 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 hauâ— not heard the liuely voice of the Apostles For wee will hereafter consider those thinges whiche Irenaeus in the same place reporteth of the accusers of thâ— Scriptures And that yet there wicked vanitiâ— may more plainly appeare which darâ— affirme that it was not done by the commandement of Christ that the Euangelists and Apostles committed certainâ— things to writing I will bring concerning this matter the most cleare witneâ— of Saint Augustine Hee in the firsâ— booke of the consent of the Euangelist the last chapter 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 meÌ„berâ— â—…ote that which they knew the head â—…structing them For whatsoeuer hee â—…ould that we shoulde read touching â—…s deedes and wordes that did hee â—â—mmauÌ„d them to write as his owne â—…ndes Whosoeuer shall vnderstande â—…is fellowship of vnitie and ministerie â—f members agreeing in diuerse offiâ—…s vnder one head he wil none otherwise take that which he shall reade in â—he Gospel by the report of the disciâ—les of Christ then if he had beholden â—he verie hand of the Lorde which he â—are in his own bodie writing it Loe what can be more euident then this witâ—esse of this most holie man Christ wrote in his Disciples inasmuch as â—hey wrote that which hee shewed and â—pake yea and whatsoeuer he would that we should reade of his deedes wordes â—hat did he commaund them to write as â—hough they had beene his owne hands â—o that we ought none otherwise to take â—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 weather 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 d ee 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 Pighicâ— the Peresies the Lindanes the Andradies denie it I pray you whether will you beleeue Let them therefore leaâ—◠〈◊〉 to barke against so cleare truth let them reasse to diminish the holy authoritie of Scripture yea rather let them repeâ—t them of their errour and madnesse The fifth Chapter â—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 â—herefore that wee handle now more at â—arge that which lately we touched in â—ewe woordes that is to say that wee proue that all thinges which concerne â—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 the 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 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 Tertullian exclaimeth saying Happie is the Church for whome the Apostles haue powred foorth all the doctrine of GOD euen with their bloud 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 â—â—refore aboute the ende of his life â—â—en as the bookes of the newe Testaâ—â—nt were written and set foorth speaâ—â—th thus to Timothie the Bishoppe â—t continue thou in the thinges â—hich thou hast learned which also â—ere committed vnto thee knowing â—f whome thou hast learned them and that from an infante thou hast â—nowne the Scriptures which are aâ—le to make thee wise vnto saluation â—hrough fayth which is in Christ Ieâ—â—s All Scripture is giuen by inâ—piration of GOD and is profitaâ—le to doctrine to reproue to correcâ—ion to instruction which is in righâ—eousnesse that the man of God may â—e perfect throughly instructed vnto â—ll good woorkes Herevnto agreeth â—he place Rom. 15. Whatsoeuer things haue beene written afore time were written for our learning that we thoâ—ough pacience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope Which two places being weyed it will plainâ—y appeare that the Scripture is in â—ll poyntes most perfect For in them doeth the Apostle comprehende all the vse of holye Scriptures and deuideth it into fiue pointes 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 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conteineth the teaching of godly life 〈◊〉 the informing of manners as when â—n of all degrees are put in minde of â—ir duetie that euerie man maye haue â— care for that whiche belongeth vnto â—m as when wee teache what is seemeâ— for the ministers of the Church what â—r husbandes what for wiues what â—r children what for maisters what for â—â—ruantes what for riche men what for â—oore men It is also instruction when â—xhortations are made to moue men to â—raye to doe almes deedes to fast to oâ—ey the Magistrate to repent and to â—mbrace all kinde of vertues For those â—hinges which perteine to this place are â—erie large For vnder instructions is â—omprehended all doctrine of vertues â—nd vices is comprehended whatsoâ—uer concerneth the gouernement of a man him selfe of his house of a state â—is comprehended whatsoeuer maye bee referred to the Churche to the common wealth to all kindes of life Admonition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
greatly in doctrine some in wickednes of manners that admonition also which is in writing was needefull And he adâ—â—â—h Consider how great madnesse it â—n vs which haue lost that firste digâ—â—tie not to bee willing to vse the seâ—â—nd remedie to saluation but to deâ—ise the heauenly writinges as geuen to no purpose and in vayne This â—ace of Chrysostom doth not only shewe 〈◊〉 what cause and to what ende GOD â—â—ue vnto vs the Scripture not onely in â—e olde Testament but also in the newe â—t also sheweth the vanitie of the mainâ—yners of the Pope which reasoÌ„ foorth 〈◊〉 Hieremie and Paule that it is proper 〈◊〉 the doctrine of the newe Testament â—euen of God to bee possible to be writâ—â—n neither in tables nor in paper neiâ—â—er with pen nor with ynke nor by any oâ—her meanes but that it must be kept with â—ut writing and deliuered from hande to â—and These bee toyes Because by the â—estimonie of Chrysostome we haue lost â—hat first dignitie when as the doctrine â—f the Apostles was deliuered by liuely voyce onelie so that now we haue need of admonitioÌ„ put in writing But because â— haue reasoned of this matter before I will nowe spare to speake anie more hereof 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 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 Herevnto also doeth Augustine geue his consent who vppon the seconde Epistle of Iohn Tractatu 2. hath these wordes You ought chiefly to coÌ„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 â—or when he had offered himself to be â—â—ndled it suffised him not but that 〈◊〉 did confirme the hearts of the faith â—ll out of the Scriptures For he did â—rouide for vs which were to come â—hat which we may handle wee haue â—ot but that which wee may reade â—ee haue Loe God his wil was to put â—rong defence against the deceiptes of â—rroures in the Scriptures Therefore â—orâ—th of the Scriptures are all hereâ—es to be confuted and doctrines to be â—â—dged with this shield with this sworde â—ith these weapons must heresies be put â—acke For the Scripture is as it were a â—peciall singular and sure preseruatiue â—efending vs against the paysons of all kinde of errours Herevpon is it that the auncient faâ—hers so often as controuersies rose in reâ—igion fled rather to the Scripture then â—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 and ouerthwarte 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 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 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 â—criptures I receiue with his praise â—ut that which doeth not agree I â—efuse by his leaue Against Faustus â—ib 23. he sayeth That which Faustus â—ath sette downe touching the geneâ—ation of Marie which is not Canonicall bindeth mee not Also vpon â—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 Apostles wrote certaine thinges not that those their writinges shoulde rule our Faith and Religion but that they shoulde be in subiection therevnto 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 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 inspiratioÌ„ 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 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 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
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 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 ofteÌ„times 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 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 the which if Councels shall determine any thing 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 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 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 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 shal be mine but in that it is nowe auoyded let it neither bee mine nor thine 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 â–ª 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 theÌ„ 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 Neither doest thou so beleeue me as thou doest Ambrose â–ª 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 froÌ„ that authoritie me much more But although thou mayest beâ—eeue eyther of vs yet mayst thou not compare either of vs to that excelleÌ„cy Item against Cresconius in the seconde booke and xxxi Chapter he saith For we doe Cyprian no iniurie when we put differeÌ„ce 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 Epistle hath these woordes Shew not thy selfe willing to collect pillers forth of the writings of the Apostles 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 Wherfore omitting him let vs heare also the senteÌ„ces 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 saying of Paul 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 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
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 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 howe God by a little and a little tempered and disposed 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 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 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 leadeth them out when he shall put forth his owne shepe he goeth before theÌ„ 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 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 caÌ„ he know them because they are spiritually discerned But he that is spirituall discerneth all things And in the same place 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 remeÌ„brance whatsoeuer I haue said vnto you Also Iohn hath these wordes in his Epistle The anointing teacheth you of al things Againe 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 â—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 â–ª that the scripture hath not her authoritie chiefly froÌ„ 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 the church was called by the word And seeing the doctrine of the prophets of the apostles is the foundation of the Church it must 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 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 â—f necessitie by the authoritie of the Church which are expressed in no part â—f the Scriptures make this as a great â—rgument as they thinke that there are â—ut foure Gospels onely which may not â—e discredited without the perill of losse â—f saluation and that it appeareth by no Scripture that the other Scriptures which we haue are Canonicall worâ—hie credite Neither are the titles thereâ—f the titles of the Scripture but put to â—y others Therefore say they if we shall â—eceiue nothing but that which is in the Scriptures then shall wee not receiue â—he scriptures themselues Nowe that I may disclose the deceitfulnesse of this argumeÌ„t the indifferent reader must know â—hat the Canonicall Scripture hath her â—uthoritie chiefly from the holy Ghost â—y whose motion and inspiration it was â—et forth as lately wee did declare And â—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 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. 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 â—hem And by writing his Gospel hee â—ade an ende of writing Gospels And â—herefore saieth hee
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 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 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 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 with 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 cōsent 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 committed her selfe to the gouernement of the Scripture It is therefore plaine by the premisses 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 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 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 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 and by them which are worthie credit Therfore herevpon it is that the Church mooueth vs 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 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 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 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 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 If the scripture haue her authoritie because of the Churche then doeth it followe that the saide authoritie is rather in the Church then