all Sects I cannot se how I ought to swarne from them in anye one poynt essentiall what heresy is there in these days whose grounds they then ouerturnd not Our English Brownisme is but flat Donatisme he that knoes the Son may fetch the Father out by his face in the Arguments off Parmeneanus Petilianus Cresconius the Grammarian and such other Vermine strangled longe synce by holy Augustine Large Anabaptisme grewe also out off Donatus for makinge all other ministry voyde besides theyrs it must then folowe that only themselues could administer Baptisme The holy Father then tels Parmenean lib. 2. cap. 12. that they ought aswell make voyde the Sacrament off ministeriall ordination for iff thâ—one was good both stood good iff the one voyd the other also and so Donatus and his sectary Ministry who had and could haue no other Ordination then first they from them that also shold be voyde and so themselues deliuer no baptisme rightly Our Donatistes must learne also iff theyr Ordination in the English church be fully frustrate then also theyr Baptisme If Baptisme remaine good then also the Ordination And iff the Ordination be fully nothinge then they are like for euer to minister without Ordination except priuate laynien may impose hands which is flatly false as I haue shewed in Our booke off In Conclusions As for Artianisme Iudaisme and other our Factions theyr doctrines not only Augustine but many others haue cut the stringe off theyr bowe that iff the Deuel were not on men theyr Bowe shold haue bene burnt or euer it had bene stroong againe But not to digresse farre from the purpose of my Proeme the holy Reader must not be offended though in this Matter off Matters I consult with those Auncient my Betters who haue so valiantly fought the Lord Battels and sealed the sanctifying truth with theyr latest breathinge There is not A Sectary in these days but he reionceth in the writinges off his owne faction and why shold not the faith full be as carefull to vphold the Menâ—ornall off the just Let vs be faithles hereyn yet God will haue his owne Captaynes though dead theyr Ensignes displayd in his temple when the memoriall off the wicked shall rotte Shewe me One off Arrius or Donatus or Pelagins or any off the sophisticall auncient Heretikes theyr Bookes iff now can No God hath cased them from the fate off the earth that were it not the holy Fathers do mention them and theyr stuffe as the sacred scriptures remember Achan Iudas and theyr stealth we shold not haue knowen somuch as theyr rotten Names This Argument iff there were no more it vrgeth me to celebrate the Memoriall of the anncient â—ighteous verily here withall beleiuinge that my writings though off thowsands most vnworthy they shall ourline the Fartions and be as an Aegles fether to other fethers A finall consumption For euery plant our heauenly father hath not plained it shal be pulled vp by the â—ootes Whereas somtimes I alleadg som Iewe or prophane writer it is but in such A case as the parti may without prejudice be a fit witnes Hierom or serom all is one beinge off Ruffâ—nus vnto Magnus charged with the like as with â—â—ryme he vnto the Romayne Grator alleadgeth Pauls practise there withall sainge that he first according to the lawe pareth theyr nailes washeth them â—â—â— and then why may he not matry with the captine of the Gentiles and also by occasion take by Goliahs sword for cuttinge off the vncircumcised head off the Owner what he might say I also for my selfe may say whereunto I adde vnto the pure are all things pure but vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleuinge nothing is pure but euen theyr myndes and consciences are defiled The Scriptures I here alleadge for Canonicall they are thes off the Old and new testament which are vsually off Protestant Churches receiued for the Only Canon or Rule off Faith For the Olde testaments bookes there is cheifest coÌ„trouersie and disconteÌ„tment Som off the Bookes called Apocrypha are by Rome and som others made regular for Faith off vs not and good reason why Iosephus in his first booke againstte Appion hath this There are not vvih vs thovvsands of bookes discrepant and fightinge in themselues but only bare tvvo and tvventy And then A litle after he tels the Atheist Appion that the writings from Arrayezxes tyme till then these vvere our Apocrypha there was not like faith to be giuen vnto them as vnto the former 22 because with them there was not like certaine successioÌ„ of Prophets Origen on ps 1. and Eusebius from him do witnes that the Hebrues only acknowledged 22. Hierom not inferiour to any for Hebrues iudments he in his Prologo Galeato doth tell vs the same sainge that the 22. bookes answeringe the 22. letters they were thus called and into thre Orders disposed 1. Breshith Eenesâ—s 2. Velleshemoth Erod 3. Vaijkta â—euit 4. Vaidabber Nomb. 5. Elleh haddebarim Dent. 6. Iehoshuagâ—â—en-Nuâ— Ios 7. Shophtim Iudges 8. Shemuel Ruth 9. Melacim Sam. 1. and 2. 10. Ieshagniah Kings 1. and 2. 11. Iirmiah Isa 12. Iechezekel Ier. 13. Tere-gnasar Ezek. 14. Iob. the 12. 15. Dauid lesse proph 16. Mishle Psal 17. Koheleth Prou. 18. Shir hasharim Eccl. 19. Daniel Cant. 20. Dibre haiamim Chro. 21. Gnezra Esrah 22. Ester Nehem. Vnder the which he suffireth Quicquid extra hos est c. whatsoeuer is besides these bookes they are to be â—ut amongst the Apocrypha And touchinge the Apocryphal writinges Augustine thus writeth in his 15. booke off the City off ap God and ch 23. Omittamus igitur earum scripturatum fabulas quae Apocryphae noninantur c. Let vs passe by the fables of those Scriptures vvhich are called Apocryphal because that theyr hidde begininge appeared not to the Fathers from vvhome vnto vs the Authority of the true-speaking Scriptures by most sure and euident succession hath com For in the Apocrypha although there be found som verity yet by reason of many vntruthes they are not of Canonical Authority Ruffinus in his exposition off the Symbole affirmeth the former bookes to be the Canon off the old testament from whose fountaine we were to drawe the drinck of God Som off thy rest he saith were Ecclasiasticall but not Canomicall But touching this poynt I neede say no more seinge our vvhitakres in his first off the six Questions controuerted with Bellaâ—mine hath set such A fyre in theyr Coate as I troe they shall neuerin Englande but smell off the smoke hereafter But had neither late nor auncient Christian writers euer disclamed them it is sufficient that Zion mother church off the Gentiles she neuer Named them Heâ—ers tongue they knewe not Iudah nor Israel euer cirâ—â—mâ—cised them nor had the Apostles euer comaundement tâ— baptise them Som off them as Ecclesiasticus VVisdome Baruch Machabees they may be vsed well prouided not for rule off faith but for Esdras Tobit Susanna Bel ludeth I knoe not iff
cary at in me For Doctrine mysticall more reasonable sprites it may be will say somthinge and the rather because som late holy writers haue disliked off Mysticall interpretation Theyr reason is Bapistes vse it much for establishing theyr matters This reason indeed is no reason for the Papists vse asmuch the Letter for theyr purposes and neither Donatist Anabaptist Arrian c. but they call to the Bible and the letter of the Bible for only discussinge theyr matters Shold we therefore reject the Bibles Such slender reason hath caused late factions Spirits to reject the auntient holy writers because â—omanistes vse them and such insufficient collection hath caused the Svvenkfeldians to cast the Bible vnderfonte and to lissen to the priuate motions off theyr owne fleshly sprite An t is damgerous medlinge with mysticall expositions true â—s so T is damgerous medlinge with two edged instruments and the word off God is â— two edged sword and damgerous to meddle with the Bibles bare letter 〈◊〉 or yongones caÌ„ hardly medle with the letter but with perill Learne that off the Iues and our ages Donatistes And I wold with Pithagoras his scholers they wold at first be fiue yeares silent more redy to heare and slower to speak Euery one shold knoe â—eyr measure off faith and keepe themselues within theyr limits not medlinge with things to hy for them Yet him that hath som knowledge how to handle A two edged sword this is no barre to his medlinge with it One and the same spirit administreth diuersly to som aboundance in the sence Grammatical or literall vnto others A rauishment ut the sence mysticall nor ought the One to despise the other Yet this always vnderstood the Mysterie can neuer be builded safely except the Grammer sence be first rightly laid for the Letter is the Ground and foundation to the Mysterie Which is greene heads did well looke into they wold not easly wade in Allegoricall Tropological and anagogicall constructions surder then first is by sad discreet sprites administred vnto them For Mysticall sences necessarily lyinge hid vnder the letter or Historie I wold men wold not only read Greek and Latin Fathers who herein solaced theyr sowles but also word go heare what reasons Moses Bar-kepha Syrian Bishop off Bethrawan in his Commentary off paradise hath concluded for repulsinge such Calumnie where amoÌ„gst the rest he writes so Except therein lay mysticall senses from vvhence coulde the auncieÌ„t Fathers Prophets other holy men off old knoe Christ to com therein be so solaced Finally iff yre shold vvith these heretikes be so mynded off a troth vve fall into Iudaisme for the lues vvho are voyd off the holy sprite they embrace no senses but vvhat is corporall grosse And indeede to vnderstand the scripture only literally it is but grosse Iudaisme and â—â— not liftinge it vp hyer then A humaine Cronicle that containes no further wisdom then bare letter affordeth Paul drawinge Sarah and Hagar Ismael and Isaac into Allegorn he vnderstood otherwise and the Author to the Hebrues who calls the Lavv A shadovve off good thinges to com Iohn in his Apocalâ—ps the Prophets on Moses and the Apostles on All they conceiued off scripture otherwise Somuch for Aduerse Spirits As for Freindly Spirits som off them it may be wil be makinge question touchinge Manner and Matter but not as the former with purpose to abuse the work A godly Ma 〈◊〉 Scotland hearinge that my foresaid Breif-booke had english Verses in it she for â—â— season refused to read it â—n som such like inough will here be stumblinge at the Chapters Arguments because they are verse For the proud Donatist that termed them â—ymes aÌ„d Trumyeries though I could justly twite such to the iudgment off theyr owne faction etc. and for the english Anabaptist that called them Playeclike thinges I will not answer the foole accordinge to his foolishnes least I be like vnto him but to the holy spirited I speak thus The learned do knoe that sondry bookes off scripture are off Poeticall shape consistinge off apt Nomber and som off Kythmed forme But where our language admitteth the Kythme in the end off A Measure that holy tongue giues it in the begininge One Instance do take in the 119 psalme First it is diuided into 22. parts according to the nomber off the Hebrue Alphaâ—et euery part answeringe to one Letter secondly euery part consisteth off 8. verses and euery verse with the same Letter with which that Octouary beginneth So that herein as also in other places there is not only verse but also Kythme and that with admirable elegancy These therfore that condemne Poetry because som prophane it they may for like abuse aswell reject other excellent guiftes off the Spirit â—t my forme off Diuision the Learned may say som thinge because it vttereth no Art butas the Diuision it self is homely so the braunches thereoff not vttered in Logicall termes These must knoe that I write specially for the erudition off vnlearned Christians by whome I haue somtimes bene sâ—â—â—bd for speakinge so darkly Nor do I expect otherwise to be intreated off som such though godly to whome I must also say though I writ specially for them yet not only for them And therefore what vnto them semeth difficill at first that shal be made vnto them more easy by more readinge As for wordes in anotherr language let them leap ouer such and iff they be vnenglished after the thing concerneth them not much Touchinge the Matter it is but an vnbowellinge off the sacred booke off Elohim and that is don first by comparinge scripture with scripture secondly by introducinge the Auncient holy writers for confirmatioÌ„ off my iudgment in thinges of most waighte that so it may not be demed myne owne priuate fancy And least I shold play the Theyfe to wisdome for so Clemens Alexandrinus 1. Stromatôn calleth such I haue ordinarily put downe his name from whome I borowed it I could with Others haue passed by them vnmentioned and so haue flowen abroad with other mens feathers as iff they had bene my owne but I detest that payde to be thought to walk alone Our Ages heretikes that are vnto me contrary mynded they for theyr alone walkinge do commonly alleadge Elijah sayinge he was somtymes alone But iff the lyers wold serch the scriptures they shold knoe that notwithstandinge he se himselff alone in Israel yet he could not be ignorant that the state was otherwise in Iudah for then good Iosaphat raigned Nor yet in Israel was the hali seede extinguisht as the Lord doth teach the Prophet but many there were that did neither inward nor outwarde homage vnto Baal To say that the Church off God many age hath bene holy invisible it is A dayngerous introduction to all heresy The Auncient Fathers Greeke and Latine for the first 600. Years but specially for the first 400. they are vnto me so deare as after all the tryall and knowledge I haue taken off
so they be dreames and for the fragmentes â—rep in vnder the name off Manasseâ— Ester and Daniel they openly shoe themselues to be straingers in Israel The AuncieÌ„t Church neuer Acknowledged the New testaments Church hath lesse cawse to receiue them As for the Newe testaments bookes there is betwixt Protestant and Papist no controuersie Both then and we receiue as the holy Fathers receiued the 4. Euangels Acts Paul his 13. Epistles to the Hebr. 1. Iames one Ep two off Peter 3. off Iohn one off Iude and the booke off Apocalyps which is the seale off the whole Our vnity for the bookes one god graunt that his spirit may once for the senre thereoff cawse both off vs therein to be One. For Arrians Eâ—tychians Anabaptistes and the residue off those dregges and most filthy off washinges off the Church off the Gentiles they reiect som off the lynks off God his golden chayne or else trample both the sacred bracelets vnderfoote The Papists adde vnto the Canon A more tollerable transgression these detract or vtterly destroy the Booke off Elohim A transgression intollerable fitter to be scourged with that lash wherewithall Iesus whipped the theiues out off his fathers howse then to be reasoned about pro and coir as our sauiour did with the Temples Doctors at another season To answer such accordinge to theyr foolishnes it doth first make them proud secondly it rawseth vs seme foolish They will heare no Auncient Christian writer speake what hope haue we they will heare vs. They can turne all Auntients by in sayinge yovv propound vnto vs the iudgments of men I answer them But of such men as had the spirit of God Do not they propound to vs the iudgments of Men Yea off hereticall Arrius Manes Donatus Serueitus c. The Svvenkfeldians ran say All is but the indgements off men aÌ„d so they will heare no man but listen to the suggestion off theyr owne spirit We set no mans iudgment aboue the scripture but reuerrnce theyr interpretations who haue the Spirit off the scripentes We knoe that the best Man hath his Ignorance and errour but hauinge the spirit off Iesus he holds A true foundation and finally conquers whereas the Heretiâ—â—â— slip from the Corner stone Iesus and are ground vnto powder Such we must answer in Sword The spirit of the Prophets must be subiect to the prophets and that is semelynes and Order if any vvilbe contentious the Church of God hath no such Custome but he that is ignorant let him be more ignorant 1. Cor. 14. A yeare and A halfes labour I haue taken about the 5. bookes off Moses That I haue to communicate vnto God his Church here and there dispersed iff Such be the good pleasure off God About the residue I am not idle but Moses wil be sufficient for one reasonable volume I haue laboured because it sholde passe the presse for publike vtility but I smell now at the very begining off the bookes outgate that not only Sectaries but Sectarie Favourits wil be no furtherance herein What then My God he knoweth that I herein seck the Glory off his name in the edifiyng his poore people by propounding to them what first he hath manifested to me And he knoes that I wold haue euery work off myne to perish as an vntimely byrth the continuance whereoff might prejudice his Church the yssue therefore off all I referre to his will his fatherly will I labour to discharge duty imposed vpon me iff others not only neglect duty enjoyned on them but also shall oppose to duty in others I say no more but this the Lord rebuke Satan If any good Christian except at the work for ouer weak and vnworthy so excellent A subicet I answer Euery one off Israel cannot cast at an puch with Beniamin Dauid had thre worthies beyond the rest and 30. more excellent then the multitude but inferiour to the 3 iff I bringe but som what with the meanest off the lower rank god will accept off it as worthy though in my selfe vnworthy Som offred to the Tabernacles work Gold som Gemnies and othersom but Badgers skynnes and Goates haire so my offringe serue to any Holy vse though not to the most Holy I shal be glad for I had leuer to stand on that howse his threshold then to dwell in the Tabernacle off vngodlines This I knoe that sad discreet and humbled sprites they will value the Labour by the mynd off the Labourer who more wold iff more he coulde as for our Britanick sectaries I only yet knoe that whatsoeuer they snarle at secretly they dare controuert nothinge openly So my trauels may be approued off the Lord his people I haue that I wold though wherein it is possible I couet peace with the worlde Let the Righteous smite me it shal be A benefit let him rebuke me and it shal be as Sontraygne oyle not lost on my head Not but I haue else learned that Shimeyes railinges shal be turned vnto the best of such as are called according to God his purpose But in the heele off my proeme let me vnto the yong Christian Student exhibit som Direction for profitinge by readinge myne aÌ„d others theyr writinges 1. It is ordinarie with People to giue them selâ—eâ— after Nouelty in writinges humayne â—â— diuine but without any great paynes takinge in the holy booke of God or else through a proud disdayne of vsinge other holy men theyr hands and helpes they only cast ey vnto the holy CanoÌ„ The first errour procedeth of Prophanenesse the second off proud superstition Betwene these two vices coÌ„sisteth Vertue A right vse of Both. And this is doÌ„ first by hauinge a recourse to the holy Bible secoÌ„dly by reading other mens writinges humaine for humanity diuine for Diuinity And off writers diuyne first to se what o holy friend writeth secondly what an vnholy aduersary concludeth for without readinge the Aduersary thow shalt want much assurance what and how to think and speak off such 2. But thus readinge all shal be but a gatheringe of falshood and a loosinge off Truth iff first in humility thow ron not by Prayer vnto the God off truth Ad Light The poore aÌ„d humble spirited he will fill theyr haÌ„d and hart with euery good thing but the proud aÌ„d rich he will seÌ„d empty away The lack of this orderly course is cawse that euery Heretike thinketh his heresy in the Bible whereas the blessed word is without shadowe off chainge as God himself is Yet most off that hellish broode cry scripture scripture and nothinge but scripture although it is far inough froÌ„ purposinge to play the Baude to proud harlot heresy Others sekinge themselues in Ecclesiasticall writers they neyther haue better successe for Rome against Luther He against them aÌ„d others against them both they thinke the godly Fathers make for them If men can bend God his golden reed no maruell though they can bowe aÌ„d break the Leaden squâ—â—e of men CoÌ„sideringe the dainger so many