able to defend it that he hadde preached whye shoulde he feare to wryte to the defence of the same Wherfore seinge he hath receyued my letter kepeth it and wyl not write agayne and yet blameth and fyndeth diuers fautes in it why shoulde he be greued wyth me for spreadeynge a broode myne owne doynges to vtter myne owne secretes And where as he was offēded wyth me although I haue not nor wyll laye anye such priuate communicacion to anye mans charge specially of myne owne seekynge yet I saye I muste declare my meaneinge more playnely in those thynges whyche he is so muche offended wythall to thentente that no stublynge stocke be purposely layed in my brothers waye that he shoulde not vnderstande the trueth and prayse God For although I found mayster Chrispyne verye gentle and charitable to talke wythal for y t which thynge I haue and wyll gyue him prayse yet disputeth he subtlelye and especially when he thynketh to haue yonge scholars in handelynge as he dyd wyth me For in thys he put me to my trumpe because I asked him in my letter what difference was betwene scripture wrytten and scripture spoken Nowe truth it is that accordyng to the Etimologie of the word which cometh of Scribo and so to Scriptura it can not be called Scripture vnlesse it be written And so euerye thynge written maye be called scripture And in that sentence we shall fynde no difference betwene the bible and Robyn hod by this name scripture for both maye be called scripture I saye after the verie nature of y e word Lo heare haue you an exāple of sophistri Let yong scholars take hede by me howe they meddell wyth thē For whereas I mente symply after the commone vsage and phrase of ourespeache meaneinge by Scripture written and spokē the prophecie of y e olde and newe testament the doctrine of Christe euen the verie worde of God as well beynge opened by the mouth of the Apostles vnto the heares in those dayes as written wyth theyr owne handes and reade vnto vs nowe in our time he nowe takeinge hys aduauntage at y e nature of y e latine word Scriptura out of whiche this englishe worde scripture is diriued denieth that it maye be called scripture vnlesse it be written What other thynge is thys then a mere sophisticall cauillacion The scribes and pharises in Christes tyme by lyke had not learned their sophistrie or els thei wer not so curiouse as our mē be For if thei had thei mought haue asked Christ whē he bad thē serch the scriptures what scripture he mēt But Paule therfore preuēting such subtile disputīg calleth it holy scriptur geuen by inspiracion Thus you se a mā had nede as the prouerbe goeth to haue a long spone y t shal eate w t y e deuill It is no maruaile though master Chrispin in his lessō not long sēce dyd so much cōmēd distinctions proued thē so necessarie y t we could not be wtout thē For he that shal haue to do w t such sophisters had nede to make diffiniciōs premeditat his words before pretacion For the prophecie was neuer brought in by the wyll of man but y e holy mē of god spake as they were moued of the holye gost Nowe if I shoulde aske S. Peter what he meaneth by scripture here I thynke he woulde say the word of god But it is the word of god writtine would you say yet doth s Peter say it of the same written worde y e the holye men of God spake as they were moued by y e holy goste But trulye I thinke it but a vaine thing and euen a losse of tyme to trifle in suche questians which can no waye edifye especially seynge S. Paule doth so often diswade Timoth frome such foleishe questians exhorteth him to cleaue faste to the word of God If anye man sayth he teache other wyse and agreeth not to the holesome wordes of our lord Iesus Christ and to the doctrine of godlinesse he is puffed vp and knoweth no-nothing but wasteth his braines about questians and striueing of words wherof sprīgeth enuie c. After a like maner also he toke me vp how be it more ernestlye for that I sayde the worde was in the beginning and for alledging Christes wordes I am that I say vnto you Or euen y e same thinge that I speake vnto you As thoughe I wente aboute to proue y t Christe was but a voice only or a writtē letter in paper Thus he dalyed w t me was in w t his distīctiōs whether I mēt bi y e word y e voice y e breath or the writtē word with manie double doubtes For mi words he saied as they stode in my letter were heresie But I told him y t I mēt it by y e same word y t the lord Iesus christ taught as Christ hym selfe wittnesseth I am euen the very same thinge y t I speake vnto you He saied that the words were not as I alledged them them For the latyne hath saied he Ego sum qui loquor vobis Now as for the alledgeinge of those wordes I folow the English translatours whose lerneynge I can not correcte If he can amende theyr doinges he shal haue good leaue for me Notwythstanding seinge that he maketh my wordes to dayngerouse I cānot but say more in it although they can not be spokē in my cōceyt more playne to be vnderstād thē they be alredi writtē For. s ▪ Iohn sayeth The worde was in y e beginning the word was w t god and God was the worde Nowe to denye that Christe is the worde of God by whiche all thinges were made I say is anheresie in dead Therfore it must nedes be graūted that Christe was and is the worde of God Thy worde Lorde sayeth the prophete is a lanterne to my fet and a light to my pathes Again he sayeth When thy worde goeth forth it geueth lyght and vnderstandeynge euen to babes Nowe what meaneth he by this worde that geueth thys lyghte Christe sayth I am come a light into y e world that who so euer be leueth in me should not abyd in darknes By these many other it wyll appeare Christe to be the true worde of God But nowe wyll they graunte that Christe is the worde that came from the father the lyghte of the worlde the life of the worlde as Moyses saith set your hertes on y e words that I testifie sayeth he for it is no vayne worde but your lyfe I am sure I say they wyl graūt Christe to be the worde but not the worde wryttyn whyche we reade in the boke In dede to say that Christe maye be written in paper or that the letters whiche be made of incke paper should be Christe were a fonde opinion and suche as I neuer harde of But the wordes written in the boke which we cal the scripture As the prophetes from Moyses to Christ and the doctrine of the apostles which is written we cal it the Gospel we call it the scriptures we cal it y e newe testament and the olde these wordes written in a boke beinge
reade vnto the people to enstruction edifying of y e cōgregatiō is the word of god yea Christ y e breade of life which came frō heauē so y e whoso eateth therof shal liue euer The words that Moyses dyd testifie vnto the children of Israell and sayed vnto them it is no vayne word but your life be they not writtē And be they not our life as wel as theyrs But what life cā thei be vnto vs if thei be kept frō vs so that we know thē not Dyd Moyses hyde them away and say they would make mē heretykes But all suche as do euil hate the lyght and come not to it that theyr dedes should not be reproued but he that doeth the trueth cometh to the lyght that his workes maye be knowen for they be done in God Agayne I am the lyghte of the world sayeth Christe Whye shoulde these men refuse goddes word to be their light if they wer of god whie should they feare to saye y e Christes worde is Christe the worde of the father the light that lyghneth al men that come vnto hym Esaye sayth If anye man want light let him loke vpon the lawe and testimonies What meaneth he by the lawe and testimonies meaneth he not the scripture or written word of God shall we not ther fynde the lighte I woulde aske these disputers of the worlde Whether the Gospell be written or no I thyncke they wyll graunte that it is written Well Saynct Paulle sayth he is not a shamed of y e Gospell of Christe for it is the powre of God whiche saueth all that beleue Nowe is this gospel written for our learneing saueth as many as beleue Marke wel the beleuers are not saued because it is writtē but they be saued because they beleue y e which is writē I aske these philosophers whether y e wordes that Christe speake be written or no I trowe the Euangelistes haue written the moste necessarye thynges yea the verie secretes hyd thynges If Christes wordes which he spake be writtē then the word y t is written shal iudge these vnbeleauers in the laste daye For thus sayth Christe He y t refuseth me and receyueth not my wordes hath one alredye y t iudgeth hym The word sayth he that I haue spoken shal iudge him in the last day Vnderstād nowe gentle reader y t these fathers would vnder colours plucke a waye the great authoritie of the scriptures and diminishe thorowe subtyle disputinge y e efficatie and strength of the gospell Whether they do of hatred to gods word or blindnes and ignoraunce in the same or else for lucers sake I can not tell But to far wander they out of the waye But I exhorte the though they be to far on the left hand rune not y u to far on y e rigt hande Enter in at the strayte gate for wyde is the gate and brode is the way that leadeth to destructiō many ther be y e go in ther at But strayte is y e gate and narrowe is the waye that leadeth vnto lyfe and fewe therbe y e fynd it Thys is therfore the sume of thys disputaciō y t Christ is the word and wisedome of the father in whom who so beleueth hath euerlasteinge lyfe Thys same word did he him self preach and sayeth If you abyde in me any my wordes abyde in you ye shall axe what you wyll and it shal be done vnto you Beholde wheras he sayde before If you continue in my wordes nowe he sayeth If you byd in me and my wordes abid in you By this it is euident that Christe is the worde euen that worde whiche was preached frō the beginning is preached nowe and shal be to the ende And although Christe be not as is sayde incke and paper or a worde closed in a boke as thought we mought saye looe here in thys boke is Christe or in that boke is Christe yet was it the wyll of God that thys heauenly doctrine shoulde be written and that it shoulde remaine wyth vs and also that these wordes written beinge reade vnto vs shoulde be vnto vs euē that same worde that Christe spake when he sayed He that is of god heareth gods worde And euen the verie same to them that beleue that he speaketh of sayeing If anye man kepe my worde he shal neuer se death And to them that beleue not the same that he sayeth shall iudge the vnbeleuers in the last daye Now marke well I besech the and consider wyth thy selfe the mischiefe of these subtyle sophisters They make it wounderfull dayngerouse to call the scriptur Christe They be verye carefull to haue the true worship of god preserued and kepte And they feeare leaste we wyll fall to worshipynge of the verie boke wherin the testimonies of Christe be wrytten And therfore do they withdrawe all men from readeinge and heareing it as much as they can But alas why be they not so ware and dayngerous in theyr laye mens bokes as they cal them whiche al the scripturs crie out vpon euen from the begininge of the olde testament to the later ende of the new By the which bokes or rather abominable Idoles it is open and manifest that muche Idolatrie hath ben cōmitted yea wil be stil so longe as ther is one left standing in the temples The word of god the doctrine of Christe whiche he and his Aposteles so ernestlye taught exhorted cōmaunded to harken vnto to beleaue and folowe almost al the bible is nothing else this I say they cānot suffer any man to haue to do with al. Thei haue burned it frō tyme to tyme they burned the readars of it as al the worlde can testifie It is manifeste that they beare little good wyll to it vnto thys daye But these mahomets puppetes veri Idolles which haue not one word in al scriptur for them but contrarie to the vtter abolishinge of them these they can suffer to be called Christe saynte sauioure saynte Sundaye the holye trinitie oure ladye of Pitye our ladye of grace oure ladye I can not tell wherof Alhallowes wyth a thousād like names Yea they can abyde that the people should worship those stil for they neuer preach agaynste them but rather defende them to kepe the vnlerned in their blindnesse styl Alas to open is your doynge nowe O you catholyke fathers euerye chylde maye perceyue your blinde doctrine Yet wyl not you cease to exalt this false church cōgregaciō of deceyceyuers euē aboue god him selfe For God was the worde and aboue the rule of thys worde sete ye your owne tradicions in the name of Christes church Thus dyd Christe prophecie that you shoulde come that you shoulde dooe miracles and wonders In so
muche that euen the verie elect if it were possible should be brought into errowre And saint Paule sayth you shal come with lieinge signes and wonders and wyth al deceyueablenesse of vnrightuousnesse And to Timoth he sayeth you shall forbyde mariage and meates So playne is it in al the scripture that thei that read it must neades vnderstand it Most euident and playne it is that ye be euen of the same sinful sinagoge For trulye the spouse of Christe is obedient to hir bridgrome The disciples of Christe herken to theyr Maister And doubtles we can not be Christes verie disciples vnlesse we continue in his doctrine He y t is of God heareth goddes worde and he that kepeeth thys worde shall neuer se deathe Moyses sayeth You shall put nothinge to the worde whiche I commaunde you neyther take ought ther from etc. Agayne You shall turne neyther to the ryght hande neither to the lefte but in the waye which your lord god cōmaundeth shal ye walke What more playne cōmaundemēt can ther before the establishment of the authoritie of y e word of god Moises had the childrē of Israel shoulde write them vpon the postes of ther dores bynde them vpon theyr hādes to teach their children He sayeth they be oure lyfe And Christe sayth his wordes be spirit and life Saint Peter saith we haue a sure word of prophecie ye do well to take hede ther vnto as vnto the light that shineth in a darcke place c If this worde were not wrytten that we myght knowe whyther to resorte for al thys what should it auaile al these wordes What were we the nere for all these testimonies if the sume of Christes doctrine were not writtē and the certaynetie vnkowē Whoe should be certayne of hys fayeth if we had not a prescripte and certayne doctryne whereunto wee moughte resorte to haue thys in fallible veritye Howe shoulde we knowe these false prophetes to come in shipes clothing outwardly inwardly be rauenynge woulfes if we had not a sure touche stone to trye theyr doctrine wyth all If anye man preache vnto you sayeth Paul other then y e which is preached alredye althoughe it were an angell frome heauen let it be accurssed What be we y e nere of these wordes if we be in doubte wher to fynde this Gospell But I testifie vnto euerie man sayth saynte Iohn that heareth the wordes of prophesie of thys boke If any man shal adde vnto these thynges God shall ad vnto hym the plages that are wrytten in thys boke And if anye man shal mynishe of y e wordes of the boke of thys prophesie God shall take a waye his parte out of the boke of lyfe etc. To conclude therfore I saye playnelye that to denye the scripture the Prophetes and Apostles whose prophesies are wrytten in the Byble to be a sufficiente doctryne and enstruction necessarye for oure saluacion or to saye that it oughte not to be the touche stonne and trial of al other doctrines aboue all other doctrines of anye other men aboue theyr lawes decres and customes or ceremonies beside thys boke whether it be of men or angelles it is not only heresie but also a diuellishe and damnable doctrine Nowe to our bulwarcke ¶ The bulwarke for defence THis is chiefly to be noted y t gods worde is neuer spred abrode wythout contencion strife and much troble as Christe himselfe affirmeth sayeynge Thinke you not that I come to sende peace but a sworde For I am come to set variance betwene the father and the sonne the mothere and the daughter etc. For what agrement can there be betwene a beleuinge sonne and vnbeleueinge father and so contrarye Nowe sayeth Christ He that loueth father and mother more then me is not mete for me etc. He y t findeth his lyfe shall lose it And he y t loseth his life for my sake shall find it Marcke thys also y t by no thyng do these false deceiuers be gilde y e simplicite of y e multitude so muche as by the name of our fathers by custome longe continuaunce of tyme by whyche thynges they confirme their church For loke what hath bene done of our elders and forfathers that is theyr gospell To breake these tradicions and customes is to breake theyr whole religion The scribes and phariseis axed Christe why walke not thy disciples after the tradicions of the elders but eate breade wyth vnwashen handes c. Lykewyse these Hypocrites when they se anye man breake an olde custom thoughe it be but eateyng of an egge vpon a frydaye howe greouslye take they the mattier But euen as Christe answered the phariseis and scribes so may I ryghte well answere these fathers sayinge Full wel hath Esai prophecied of you Hypocrites as it is written marke here that Christe goeth to the scripture Thys people drawe nere me with theyr lippes but theyr herte is fare frome me But in vayne do they serue me whylse they teache suche doctrines as are nothynge but the commaundementes of men Ye leaue the commaundement of god kepe the tradiciōs of men In the stead of washing of cuppes cruses what a sort of ceremonies haue we what is holye breade what is holye water What be holye candeles What are holye bowes Touche not the water in the fonte handle not the chalise nor the corporace Good lorde what a sorte of suche commaundementes haue we of oure fore fatheres Oh howe goodlye haue you caste asyde the commaundementes of God to maynetayne your owne tradicions I besech the good christiā reader marke how vehemente the Lorde Iesus is hym selfe agaynste the beggarly tradicions of men to bringe vs to the wyll and commaundemente of God What can the grateste doctour of thē all say vnto this Is it not open and manifeste to all the worlde that for breakeing of these triflinge and foleishe tradicions thei haue punished men greuouselye euen wyth death And haue we not sene the breakars of goodes commaundementes vnpunished at all As swerars drunckardes whoredome and auoutrie with all the reste Beholde all christendome knoweth that thys is no lye My truste is therfore that the magistrates wyll nowe loke vpon this gear For these felowes neuer go about any suche thynge But because they blinde the ignoraunt soules wyth holye doctours holy fathers and holye churche from Christes tyme hytherto you shal se what the holye doctours say euē such as be most auncient and best learned as they them selues will graunte Augustine in an epistle to Fortunatus hath these wordes We ought not to regarde and esteme the disputacions of any thoughe they be neuer so catholyke and well praysed as cannonicall scripture but that we may saueing the reuerēce that ought to be geuen vnto suche men reproue and spue out agayne any thynge in theyr wryttynges if perchaunce we fynde that they vnderstande ought in theyr writinges otherwyse then the truth hath whiche is
perceyued by the helpe of God nether by oure selues or other c. Suche a one am I in other mens writtinges as I would other men should be in myne If we had no moe sayeinges of the doctours but thys one consideringe the estimacion Augustine is in it were inoughe to ouerthrowe all the confidence that they woulde teach vs to haue in mens writinges besyde gods worde But heare an other He writeth vnto Hierome and sayeth I haue learned to geue this feare and honoure onlye vnto the writters whiche be called canonicall y t I stedfastly beleue that none of them haue erred in writtinge For if I finde anye thinge in those letters y t semeth contrary to the trueth either I thinke the boke not to be true or the translater hath not truelye folowed his copie or else I think verilye I do not vnderstande it But I read al other writers saieth he after this maner that I thinke be they neuer so holy and well learned that it whiche they haue written is not strayte way true because they haue thought so but because they coulde make me beleue it either by those canonical authoures or else by some probable and sure reasone which dissenteth not frō the trueth He writeth agaynste one Cresonius the grāmariā sayinge I am not boūd by the authoritie of this Epistle because I do not cōpt and esteme Ciprians letters as canonicall of lyke authoritie w t the scripturs but I way thē pōder thē by the scripture If I finde any thing in thē agreinge w t the authoritie of holy scripture I receyue it with his praise But if it agre not bi his leaue fauour I refuse for sake it Againe in his treatise of shepherdes He hath ordeined y e hilles of Israel sayth he y e authours of holy scripturs There feade ye that you maye feade salfelye What so euer ye heare of that let it sauoure well wyth you whatsoeuer is besides that spite it out agayne leste ye erre in the clowde Addict youre selues to the meaneynge of the scripture There is the deyntie of y e hert there is no poysen no straynge thynge ther onelye is the moste holesome feadeyng Beholde the mynde of this great doctour named to be one of the greateste clarkes that wrot sence the aposteles tyme. He woulde haue no mans doctryne what soeuer he be to be compared to the holye scriptures In hys owne wryttynges he warneth vs that we shoulde not geue ouer much credence in the thynges sayeth he that you thynke yourselfe suer vnles ye surely vnderstande it beleue it not so stidfastely And writyng to Vincentius he graūteth that he hath wryten some thynges worthye to be blamed and therefore sayth that he hath made a boke of retractacions reuoking and casting agayne that which he had made before that the readers thereby maye learne that al his writinges in al points dyd not please hym Thys diffidence had Augustine in his writynges that in no case he would compare them wyth the scripture And loke what opinion he had of his owne writinges euen the same had he in al other mens besides the canonicall scriptures For he sayth in his boke of retractaciōs I cā not nor ought to denie sayth he but lyke as in myne elders so are many thynges in so many seuerall workes y t I haue made whyche maye be blamed wythout rayshnes with good iudgment If Austen wyl haue no credence geuen to mens writinges whether they be byshops or what so euer they be onlesse they bringe the authorite of scripture w t thē as he writteth to Vincentius We must make a differēce sayth he betwene mens wryttinges He nameth Hilarie Ciprian and Agrippie which be lyke were byshopes and the canonicall scriptures For they ought not so to be reade sayth he as though we might geuefurth suche testimonies of them that it shoulde not be lawefull to thinke other wyse then they affirme For peraduenture they vnderstande it otherwyse thē y e truth requireth He y t lusteth to searche Austēs workes shal find many thinges cōtrarie to their proud doctrine kycking against y e scriptures yea cōtrarie almost to al theyr blind erroures In so muche that I haue meruayled that they haue had him so longe in such estimacion and had not rather condemned hym for an heretike As for the authoritie of mens doctrine besyde the scripture he can not abyd But in all thynges he wylleth vs to haue respect to the scripture euē in prayseing god sayeth he let it be done as he hath appoynted lest in steppinge a syde we offend him that we would prayse And agaynste fanstus be writeth euē the same we must not tourne either to the right hand neither to y e lifte no not in y e prayse that we geue to god But euen the same praises sayeth he must we frame according to y e wil of y e scriptur And in y e xvi Cha. he sayth that they which would teach y e people any other thing thē y e canonical scriptures are not only false prophets but theaues robbars euē of our sauioure How cā our olde catholike fathers abyde thys felowe He calleth thē false prophetes theaues and robbars It is tyme the popes excommunication were out for hym He writeth agaynste the Maniches and sayeth Dispise you the scriptures whiche are commaunded and established with so great authoritye You do no miracles whiche if you dyd yet we would be ware of them in you because the Lorde teacheth vs to beware of suche saynge Ther shall aryse many false Christes etc. Many mo places maye there be founde in this mans workes which thei maye be a shamed to heare if it were nedfull But because they shall not conceyue al ther malise against Austen and parauēture haue hym in examinacion for slanderinge these holye fathers ye shal heare what Hierome sayeth He declareth y t Christ speaketh in Peter in Paule and that of the people and princes y e scripture is to be vnderstanded of the doctrine of the Apostls Of those sayeth he which were in it not of those which we beholde nowe And marke what he sayeth Those that were and not those that be that ye moughte vnderstande that what so euer shal be sayed after the Apostles tyme let it be cut a way sayth he for it hath none authoritie afterward Therfore if ther be any S. after the Apostles tyme he hath none authorite for thei come to late to be alowed quia nō fuerūt in ea sayeth he If y e saints must geue place to the holie scripture and haue none authoritye besydes that than what are they that make articles of our fayth or at least condemne thē for heretikes that wyl not receyue that doctrine that hath none authoritie of y e scripture but rather against the scripture The same Ierome vpon Ieremie sayth And they haue gone after straing gods as theyr fathers taught them
doctours saye they and beleue the catholyke churche whiche hath continued frome Christes tyme hitherto we can shewe say they bi auncient writers from tyme to tyme sence Christs ascention But what can these men shewe Be not these writters whiche I haue rehersed of the chieffest of theÌ„ And al thes agre that their wrytinges must be tried by the scripture and if that allowe theÌ„ not they would not in any wise that we should beleue them This is a wonderfull thynge y t they would haue vs geue such credite to the doctours whiche thynge the docters them selues forbyd But they haue alwayes this sayeinge of Augustine in their mouthes I would not beleue the gospel except the authoritie of the câ—urch did moue me Nowe as sone as they haue caught thys in theyr sermons thei triumph Lo say they what authorite did this gâ—eat doctour attribute to y e church in so much that y e gospel is and must be iudged by y e church For wtout the church he would not beleue christes gospel manye wordes haue they which I caÌ„ not remembre But me think these meÌ„ mought be answered out of Augustines owne wordes before rehersed For he wil geue no such credit to any mans writtinges what so euer he be as he doth to the scripture neither would he y t any maÌ„ woulde he that any man should so esteme his writtynges For al hys wryttynges dooe not please hym Therefore if they wil haue me beleue Augustines wordes they muste proue them true bye the scripture or else by some other probable and sure reasone that dissenteth not frome the truethe else maye not I beleue Austens wordes For thys he counselleth hym selfe But admytte Austens wordes to be true wythout anye contradicion What moughte then be sayed to it These be Augustines wordes I shoulde not beleue the Gospell onlesse the authoritye of the churche moued me Nowe I aske you what the authority of the churche is What cal you y e authorite of y e church Is it long continuance of time TheÌ„ was christes doctrine doubtful For the scribes and phariseis had that on theyr syde Or is it the greater number With lyke reasone we maye refuse Christes Gospell For many be called sayeth he and fewe elected Or else was it the consent of learned wise men All thys had the great byshopes and high pristes in christes time For they were great learned and wyse men But saynt Paule axeth wher be the wyse Wher are the scribes where are the disputers of the worlde Hath not god made the wysdome of the worlde foleishenesse Therfore let them declare vnto me the verie true authoritye of the churche And I make heare distinctioÌ„ of churches For Christe and the Apostles haue prophicied that theyr shal come false prophetes in Christes name and shal rise euen froÌ„ amonge our selues shall speake peruerse doctryne These men come in Christes name and saye they be christes chruch But I am assured they be not Christes true spouse For Lira writinge vpon Mathe sayth The church standeth not in men by the reason of spirituall powre or secular dignitie For many princes and many popes and other inferiour persones haue swarued frome the fayth Wherfore the church doth stande in those persones in whom is y e true knowledge and coÌ„fession of fayth and veritie Therefore it must nedes by Lira his wordes consiste in the scriptures For the gyfte of fayeth and vnderstandeynge the veritye is the worckeynge of the holye spirite that confortour which the Lorde promised to those that beleue hys worde But because they alledge me Austens wordes I wyl answere theÌ„ with Austen him selfe wrytinge vpon the .lvii. Psal Wee speake true thynges sayth he which haue heard true thinges that the lorde sayth not that maÌ„ sayth It may be that man may lie it can not be that god should lye By the worde of trueth do I knowe Christe the same verie trueth By the worde of trueth do I knowe the church to be partaker of the trueth Nowe lette them scan these wordes and tell me where the true touchestonne is Then alledge they these wordes of Christe I haue yet muche to saye vnto you but you can not nowe beare it a waye Nowe be it when the spirite of the trueth commeth he shall leade you into all trueth etc. And agayne Manye other tokens dyd Iesus before hys his disciples Which are not writen in this boke Here staye they and go no farder for it foloweth But these are written that you shoulde beleue etc. But seynge we haue begone wyth Saynte Augustine we wyll ende wyth him He wryteth vpon this same place of Iohn and sayeth They were chosen and pycked out as many as were thought necessarie and sufficient for the saluacion of the faythfull Cirillus also affirmeth the same and sayeth more ouer that althynges that the wrytters thought sufficient boeth for the fayeth and beleue and also for y e coÌ„uersacioÌ„ of men that wee myghte shyne wyth a ryghte and perfecte fayeth and wyth true workes and vertues and so come to the Kyngdome of heauen thorowe oure Lorde Christe be wryten sayeth he and therefore it is a newelye inuented in y e diuilles shop to saye that all the articles of oure christian fayeth can not be proued by scripture and mens tradicions bysyde the scripture be goode workes and please God These be Cyrillus workes And therefore sayeth Saynte Ambros in hys fourth boke of virgines All newe thynges that Christe hath not tought we lawfully condemne For vnto faythful men sayeth he Christe is the waye If Christe therefore haue not taught that we teache sayeth he we iudge it to be detestable Nowe let these holye fathers turne and tosse these olde holye doctours and let them fynde me out a touchston some other wher For these doctours say playnely the worde of God the holy scripture the word of truth is y e rule wherby Christes true church is ordered gouerned enstructed For whosoeuer sercheth findeth The holy gost faileth not such as seke him ther but to seke him in anye other place is no promise made As for theyr general counsayles that they sticke so muche vnto is but a weake foundacion For saynt Austine writtynge agaynst the donatistes sayeth Who is it that knoweth not the holy canonical scriptures boeth of the olde and newe testamente to be conteined within certayne limettes and bouÌ„des And that they be so put before al the wrytinges of bishopes y t shal come afterward that it can not be doubted at all neyther can we be deceyued of the whether it be true or whether it be ryght and good or not what soeuer is knowen to be writen in them But al other wrytynges of byshopes or else which either haue writteÌ„ or shal write after the confirmacion of the cananicall wrytynges maye be reprehended both by the wordes or wyse senteÌ„ce of some more knoweynge man in that matter as well as by the sage authorite