EloquioruÌ„ Dei. Tolet. coment in Rom. 3.2 according to Saint Pauls testimonie Vnto the Iewes were committed the Oracles of God these Oracles as Gods pledges were preserued by them saith Cardinall Tolet and according to the number of the Hebrew letters they were diuided into two and twentie Bookes which is the Canon of Scripture now taught and receiued by the reformed Churches The other Bookes which wee terme Apocryphall were neuer receiued of the Iewes for Canonicall Bell de verbo Dei lib. 1. cap. 10. as Bellarmine himselfe doth testifie This Canon of the Iewes was so true and perfect at Christs comming that neither Christ nor any of his Apostles complained of it nay more they cited many things out of the Canonicall Bookes of Scripture for proofe of their doctrine with this speciall character As it is written when as in all the Gospell of Christ there is not so much as one authoritie cited by Christ or his Apostles out of the Bookes which we terme Apocryphall This Canon of the Iewes as it was intirely preserued by them and is now receiued by vs so it is likewise warranted by Christ himselfe for Saint Luke tells vs that our Sauiour after his Resurrection beginning at Moses and all the Prophets Luk. 24.27 expounded in all the Scriptures the things concerning himselfe and what hee meant by all the Scriptures hee afterwards expounds in the 44. verse of the same chapter Ibid. ver 44. These are the words which I speake vnto you which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes concerning mee and hee giues the reason in Saint Luke Luk. 24.44 That all things must bee fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes concerning me Here then is the true Canon of Scripture deliuered and rightly diuided by Christ himselfe into three seuerall rankes into the Law the Prophets and the Psalmes vnder all or any of which rankes the Books which we terme Apocryphall neither are nor euer were conteined And this was the constant Tenet of the Primitiue Church touching the true Canon of the Scriptures in the first Age. In the second Age An. 100. to 200. Euseb hist Eccles. li. 4 c. 25. Melito Bishop of Sardis In an Epistle to Onesimus numbreth the Bookes of the Old Testament wherein hee maketh no mention of Iudith Tobit Ecclesiasticus nor the Maccabees and this is likewise confessed by Bellarmine Bell de verbo Dei li. 1. cap. 20. Many Ancients saith he as namely Melito did follow the Hebrew Canon of the Iewes Cum diligeÌ„ter de omnibus explorauerat omni inuestigatione comperit hos libros esse à veteris TestameÌ„ti Canone reticiendos Eus li. 4. ca. 26. And Eusebius more plainely tells vs that when hee had made diligent search of all the Bookes of Scripture hee accounted those bookes which wee terme Apocryphall to bee reiected from the Canon In the third Age. An. 200. to 300. Origen in his Exposition vpon the first Psalme saith We may not be ignorant there are two and twentie books of the Old Testament after the Hebrewes which is the number of the letters among them This is likewise witnessed by Eusebius that as Origen receiued the Canon of the Iewes Euseb lib. 6 cap. 18. so likewise he reiected those sixe bookes which wee terme Apocryphall with the Iewes In the fourth Age An. 300. to 400. Hilary Bishop of Poictiers tells vs The Law of the Olde Testament is contained in two and twentie bookes In viginti duos libros lex TestameÌ„ti veteris deputetur vt cum literaruÌ„ numero conuenirent qui ita secunduÌ„ Traditiones veteruÌ„ depâ—tantur vt Mosi sint libri quinque Iesu Naue sextus Iudicum Ruth septimus c. Hilar. in Prolog in Psal explanationem according to the number of the Hebrew letters And there he tells vs further how they are disposed and put in order according to the tradition of the Ancients in this manner There are fiue bookes of Moses Iosuah is the sixt the Iudges and Ruth the seuenth the first and second of Kings the eight the third and fourth of Kings the ninth the two bookes of Chronicles the tenth Esdras the eleuenth Psalmes the twelfth Solomons Prouerbes Ecclesiastes Canticles 13. 14. 15. the twelâ—e Prophets the sixteenth Esay Ieremy with the Lamentations Daniel Ezechiel Iob and Hester doe make vp the number of 22. bookes Cyril of Hierusalem giues the like lesson to the Reader Veteris Testamenti libros meditare duos et viginti Tu itaque cum sis filius Ecclesia non transgredi eris illius terminos Cyril Catech 4. Peruse the two and twentie bookes but meddle not with the Apocrypha meditate diligently vpon those Scriptures which the Church doth confidently reade and vse no other Athanasius tells vs Sunt itaque Canonici veteris Testamentilibri 22. literis Hebraicis numero pares praetèr istos autem sunt adhuc alii etusdem veteris instrumenti libri noÌ„ sunt Canonici qui Catechumenis tantum leguntur Sapientia Solomonis c. Athanas in Synops Nec ab hâc sententia alienus fuit Damascenê° et Athanasius quos Theologi multi secuti sunt Canus loc Theol. lib. 2. ca. 10. Euse Chro. li. 2. ex Hier. versione Eusebio atque reliquis licuit aliquando dubitare Can. lib. 2. ca. 10. The Christians had at that time a definite number of bookes comprehended in a Canon and of that Canon touching the Olde Testament they were twentie two bookes equall to the number of the Hebrew letters and as touching the Apocryphall books as namely the book of Wisedome Maccabees and the rest libri non sunt Canonici they are read onely to the Catechumens but are not Canonicall This testimony is so true that Canus confesseth hee was not onely of our opinion but also drew many Diuines after him to this opinion Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea saith The Hebrew Historie of the Maccabees reckons from thence the raigne of the Grecians but those bookes are not receiued among the diuine Scriptures This Authour is likewise acknowledged in this Tenet to be ours Haec suÌ„t quae Patres intra CanoneÌ„ concluseruÌ„t ex quibus fidei nostrae assertiones constare volueruut scienduÌ„ tamen est qd et alii libri suÌ„t qui noÌ„ sunt Canonici sed Ecclesiastici à maioribus appellati suÌ„t vt sapientia Solomonis et alia Sapientia quae dicitur filii Syrach eiusdem ordinis est liber Tobiae et Iudith et Machabaeorum libri qua omnia legi quideÌ„ in Ecclesiis voluerunt noÌ„ tameÌ„ proferri ad authoritatem ex his fidei confirmandam Ruff. siue Cypt. in explic Symb. Bell. de verbo Dei lib. 1. cap. 20. Quod verò Ruffinê° asserit ex patruÌ„ Traditione eos libros à canone reiiciendos pace Lectoris dictum sit patruÌ„ traditiones ignorauit Can. lib. 2. c. 11. Sicut
Africa excludeth from the Canonicall bookes Iudith the Maccabees and the booke of Wisedome and concerning them he puts this question and resolues it Why are not these books inserted amongst the Canonicall Scriptures Because saith he the Iewes did make a difference of them as S. Hierom and others doe testifie Isidore is a witnes that our doctrine was professed in the church in his daies there are other bookes as namely the Wisdom of Solomon the book of Iesus the son of Syrach the books of Iudith and Tobias and the Maccabees which are read but not written in the Canon In the seuenth Age An. 600. to 700. Gregory the Great did account the bookes of Maccabees Apocryphall De qua re non inordinate agimus si ex libris licet noÌ„ Canonicis sed tameÌ„ ad aedificationeÌ„ ecclesiae editis testimonium proferimus In Iob. lib. 19. cap. 13. B. Gregoriê° authoritate vt opinor Hier motuâ— videtur coÌ„cedere illos non esse Canonicos cum tamen de tis producat testimonia Cathat opusc de lib. Canonicis Secundum Greg. in Moralibus liber Iudith Tob. et MachabeoruÌ„ Ecclas atque lib. Sapientiae non suÌ„t recipieÌ„di ad coÌ„firmaÌ„duÌ„ aliquid de fide Occ. Dial. part 3 tract 1. l. 3. c. 16. Wee doe not amisse saith hee if wee produce a testimony out of the bookes of Maccabees though not Canonicall yet published for the instruction of the Church This is witnessed also by Catharinus their own Scholeman Gregory saith hee led as I conceiue by the authoritie of Saint Hierome did seeme to graunt that those bookes were not Canonicall although hee produced testimonies out of them But learned Occham more plainely declares his opinion touching Gregorie According to Gregories doctrine saith hee the booke of Iudith Tobias the Maccabees Ecclesiasticus and the booke of Wisedome are not to bee receiued for the confirmation of any doctrine of faith In the eighth Age An. 700. to 800. Damascene who was canonized a Saint for his seruice at the 2.d. Councell of Nice tells vs it is operae pretiâ—m c worth our paines to search and know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc Orth. fid l. 4. c. 18. that there are two and twentie bookes of Canonicall Scripture and as touching the Apocryphall hee termes them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are full of vertuous instructions but are not numbred amongst the Prophets neither were they layd vp in the Arke Nec ab hâc sententia alienus fuit Damascenê° quos Theologi multi secuti sunt Canus loc Theol. lib. 2. cap. 10. This Author is confessed to bee ours in this poynt insomuch as Canus professeth that Damascene and Athanasius were of his opinion and were followed in this by many Diuines In the ninth Age An. 800 to 900. Nicephorus Patriarch of Constantinople giues vs to vnderstand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Niceph. Patr C.P. Canon Script in operibus Pithei In libro Iesu filii Syrach hac praefata senteÌ„tia legitur queÌ„ libruÌ„ B. Hier. atque Isidorê° inter Apochry id est dubias scripturas deputatuÌ„ esse abque dubita tione testaÌ„tur Qui etiaÌ„ liber non teÌ„pore ProphetaruÌ„ sed sacerdotum sub Simone Pont. Max. regnaÌ„te Pto lemao Euergete coÌ„scriptus est Alâ— aduers Elip l. 1. col 941 that the bookes of the Old Testament were twenty and two And in treating of the Apocryphall bookes hee mentioneth in particular the books of Maccabees the Wisdome of Solomon Ester Iudith Susanna Tobit Alcuinus Abbot of Saint Martins at Tours in France writing against Elipantus Bishop of Tolledo tells him that hee vrged authorities out of the booke of Iesus the sonne of Syrach but saith hee Saint Hierome did testifie that without question it was to bee reputed amongst the Apocryphall and doubtfull bookes and withall addeth This booke was not written in the time of the Prophets but vnder the â—â—igne of Ptolomey and Simon the high Priest In the tenth Age An 900. to 1000. Aelfrick Abbâ—t of Malmsbury in his Saxon treatie of the old Testament Aelfrick of the old Testament pa. 17. 22. 23. tells vs There are two bookes more placed with Solomons workes as if he had made them which for likenesse of stile and profitable vse haue gone for his but Iesus the sonne of Syrach composed them one is called Liber Sapientiae the booke of Wisedome and the other Ecclesiasticus very large bookes and read in the Church of long custome for much good instruction amongst these bookes the Church hath accustomed to place two other tending to the glory of God and intituled Maccabeorum I haue turned them into English and so reade them you may if you please for your owne instruction In the eleuenth Age An. 1000. to 1100. Petrus Cluniacensis after the recitall of the Canonicall bookes saith There are besides the authenticall bookes sixe others not to be rejected as namely Iudith Tobias Wisedome Ecclesiasticus and the two bookes of Maccabees which though they attaine not to the high dignitie of the former yet they are receiued of the Church De author veter Test Epist contr Petro Busâ—â—nos as containing necessary and profitable doctrine In the twelfth Age Omnes ergo fiunt numero 22 sunt praterea alit quideÌ„ libri vt Sapientia Soloâ—monis liber Iesu filis Syrach et liber Iudith et Tob. et libri Machab qui leguÌ„turqui dem sed non scribuntur in Canone Hugo de S. Vict. Praeno Elucid de scrip et scrip sacris ca. 6. cap 7. Omnes sunt numero 22 suÌ„t pratereà et alii libri vt sapientia c. Rich. Except li. 2. cap. 9. An. 1100. to 1200. Hugo de Sancto Victore All the Canonicall bookes of the Olde Testament are twentie two there are other bookes also as namely the Wisedome of Solomon the booke of Iesus the sonne of Syrach the bookes of Iudith Tobias and the Maccabees which are read but not written in the Canon Richardus de S. Victore was liuing at this time and hath the same words All the bookes are twenty two there are other bookes also as namely the booke of Wisedome and Maccabees and which are read in the Church but not written in the Canon In the thirteenth Age An. 1200. to 1300. Hugo Cardinalis speaking of the bookes reiected by vs Hugo in Prologum Galeatum saith These bookes are not receiued by the Church for proofe of doctrine but for information of manners And in his Preface to Tobias hee saith they are not accounted amongst the Canonicall Scriptures Prolog in Tobiam Bonauenture in his Preface before the Exposition of the Psalter sheweth which are the Canonicall bookes of Scripture and passing by the bookes of the New Testament hee reckoneth all those and those onely that Hierome doth sorting them into their seuerall rankes and orders as the Hebrewes doe In the fourteenth Age An. 1300. to 1400. Gul. Occham saith According to Hierome in his
Prologue before the booke of Proverbs and Gregory in his Moralls the bookes of Iudith Tobias and the Maccabees Ecclesiasticus and the booke of Wisdome are not to bee receiued for confirmation of any matter of faith Occham Dial. part 3 Pract. 1. li. 3. cap. 16. so also it readeth those two volumes of Ecclesiasticus and Wisedome for the edification of the people but not for confirmation of poynts of faith and religion Postquam auxiliante Deo scripsi super libros sacrae scripturae Canonicos alios inteÌ„do scribere qui non sunt de Canone scil liber Sapientiae Ecclus. Iudith Tobias et libri Machabaorum In Praefat. Tobiae Nicholas Lyra After that by the assistance of God I haue handled the Canonicall bookes of Scripture beginning from Genesis and proceeding to the end of the Apocalypse being confident of the same ayde and assistance I purpose to write of those bookes which are not in the Canon as namely the booke of Wisedome Ecclesiasticus Iudith Tobias and the bookes of Maccabees This Author is so truely ours in this poynt Nicholas Lyra in prafatione in libruÌ„ Tobia dicit neque eum neque Iudith neque Machabaorum neque Sapientiae neque EcclesiasticuÌ„ neque Baruch neque vltimos Esdrae in Canone haberi recipi tamen in Ecclesia legique ad mores informandos quanquaem eorum authoritas ad probanda ea quae in contentionem veniunt minus idonea reputetur Ioh. Fr. Pic. Mirand Theorem 5. that Picus Mirandula professeth Lyra saith Neither the bookes of Tobit nor Iudith nor the Maccabees nor Wisedome nor Ecclesiasticus nor Baruch nor the last bookes of Esdras are to bee reckoned in the Canon but notwithstanding they are receiued of the Church and are read for rectifying of manners although their authoritie is of lesse account for proofe of those things which are in controuersie In the fifteenth Age An. 1400. to 1500. Alphonsus Tostatus giues his voyce with the reformed Churches Quanquam isti libri ab Ecclesia recipiantur nullius authóritatis solidae sunt ideò ad confirmanduÌ„ et probanduÌ„ ea quae in dubium venerint inutiles sunt c Tost praef in lib. Paralip q. 2. Denique liber iste non est de Canone id est inter Scripturas Canonicas coÌ„putandus quamuis de eius veritate non dubitatur Dyonis Carth. prolog in Ecclesiast Perer. in Dan. lib. 16. p. 742. Although saith hee the bookes in question bee receiued of the Church yet are they not of any solid authoritie and therefore they are improfitable to prooue and confirme those things which are called in question according to Saint Hierom. Dionysius Carthusianus in writing vpon Ecclesiasticus saith That booke is not of the Canon that is amongst the Canonicall Scriptures although there bee no doubt made of the trueth of that booke This is confessed likewise by our aduersaries Dyonisius Carthusianus and Lyra doe not denie the Historie of Susanna to bee true but they denie the bookes of Iudith Tobit and the Maccabees do appertaine to the canonicall Scriptures Ita 22 volumina supputaÌ„tur quibê° quasi literis et exordiis in Dei doctrina c. Wald. doct fidei lib 2. art 2. circa initium Anton. par 3. tit 18. ca. 6. juxt fineÌ„ Thomas Waldensis cites out of Hierome the Canon of the olde Testament in these words As there are twentie two letters by which we write in Hebrew all that wee speake so there are accounted twentie two bookes by which as letters wee are instructed in the doctrine of God and withall addeth Dicit Thomas 2.2 Nichol de Lyra super Tobiam scil isti non sunt tanta authoritatis quòd ex dictis eorum posset efficaciter argumentari in his quae sunt fidei sicut ex aliis libris sacrae scripturae vndè fortè habent authoritateÌ„ talem qualeÌ„ habent dicta sanctorum Doctorum approbato ab Eccâ—esia that the whole Canonicall Scripture is conteined in the two and twentie bookes Antoninus tells vs that Aquinas and Nicholas de Lyra say the Apocryphall bookes reiected by the Hebrewes are not of that authoritie that a man may argue from their sayings as efficaciously touching poynts of faith as from other writings of the sacred Scriptures and therefore happily they haue such authoritie as the sayings of holy Fathers which are approued by the Church but not as the Canonical Scriptures themselues In the sixteenth Age An. 1500. to 1600. Reliqui viz. Iudith Tobiae MachabeoruÌ„ libri cuÌ„ Sapientia et Ecclesiastico à Diuo Hier. inter Apocrypha locaÌ„tur Nec turberis Nouitie si alicubi reperias libros istos inter Canonicos supputari vel in sacris CoÌ„ciliis vel in sacris doctoribus NaÌ„ ad Hieronymi lineam reducenda sunt taÌ„verba Conciliorum quam DoctoruÌ„ sic vt libri isti non sint Canonici id est regulares ad firmandâ—m ea quae sunt fidei possunt tamen dici Canonici id est regulares ad aedificationeÌ„ FideliuÌ„ Caiet in finecom Hist veter Testament Cardinall Cajetan tells vs The bookes in question betwixt vs as namely Iudith Tobit the Maccabees the books of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus are reckoned by Hierome amongst the Apocryphall books neither be thou troubled saith hee O Nouice if elsewhere you finde these bookes reckoned amongst the Canonicall Scriptures both by sacred Councells or by the holy Doctors of the Church for they are to bee reduced to the rule of Hierome that those bookes may not bee accounted Canonicall that is to regulate our faith but they may bee termed Canonicall for the edification of the faithfull This testimony of Cajetan against the Tenet of the Church of Rome fully agrees with vs in so much that Ambrosius Catharinus a Romanist professeth that Cajetan in this poynt committed almost as many sinnes as hee deliuered words And his fellow Canus protesteth that hee is ashamed that a man otherwise ingenious and learned and a godly pillar of their Church In huius vero confirmatione argumenti Ambrosius Cathâ—rinus Caietanum affirmat tot peccata admisisse quot verba penè effudit Can lib. 2. cap. 11. should so much degenerate from the learned professors of the Romane Faith that when all Writers agree that the name of Canonicall is sacred and diuine onely Cajetan should say the Bishops and Councels did otherwise vnderstand it And for a conclusion Arias Montanus in his Edition of the Bible Accesserunt et huic Editioni libri Graecè scripti quos Ecclesia Orthodoxa Hebraorum Canonem secuta inte Apochryphos receÌ„set Arias Mon. in the Frontispice of the Bible Edit Antwerp ex Offic. Plant. Ann. 1584. tells vs there are added to that Edition bookes writen in Greeke as namely Toby Iudith Hester the Booke of Wisedome Ecclesiasticus Baruch the Additions to Daniel and the two bookes of Maccabees the which bookes saieth hee the Orthodoxe Church following the Hebrew Canon reckons amongst the Apocrypha And thus by
Iudith et Tobiae MacabaeoruÌ„ libros legit Ecclesia sed eos inter Canonicas scripturas non recipit sic et haec duo volumina sapientia Solomonis et Syrach legit ad adificationeÌ„ plebis non authoritateÌ„ dogmatum coÌ„firmandum In Praefat. lib Solom Admitto HieronymuÌ„ ea fuisse opinione quia nonduÌ„ generale CoÌ„ciliuÌ„ de his libris aliquid statuerat c. Bell de verbo Dei lib. 1. cap. 10. Ipso ergo sacra Codicis 〈◊〉 pandam tibi Omnes libellos c. vltimuÌ„ nomen duplex cui est Angelum Malachiam Greg. Naz. Car. Iamb ad SeleucuÌ„ Iamb 3. De quibê° tamen nunc dubitare nefaâ— est antequam auteÌ„ ab Ecclesiâ coÌ„muni coÌ„sensu recepti essent nihil piaculi fuit eos in CanonicoruÌ„ numeruÌ„ ac sedeÌ„ minimè admittere Iacob Bill in Iam. 3. Nazian Non oportet libros qui sunt extrà Canonem legere nisi solos Canonicos Noui et Veteris Testamenti Concil Laod Can. 59. Ruffinus as some say Cyprian in reciting the Canon of the Scripture testifies the like in this age These be the bookes which our Fathers haue included within the Canon out of which they would haue the assertions of our faith to appeare but yet wee must know that there bee also other bookes which are not Canonicall but are called of our Ancestors Ecclesiasticall as is the Wisedome of Solomon Ecclesiasticus Tobias Iudith and the bookes of Maccabees all which they will indeed haue to bee read in the Church but not to bee alledged for confirmation of faith Bellarmine confesseth with vs that Ruffinus did follow the Hebrewe Canon but his fellow Canus is not contented with such a moderate confession but returnes this answere Although Ruffinus did affirme that the bookes of Maccabees were to bee rejected by the tradition of the Fathers yet by the Readers leaue hee was ignorant of that Tradition Saint Hierome is our witnesse As the Church readeth Iudith Tobias and the Maccabees but receiueth them not for Canonicall Scriptures so these two bookes namely the Wisedome of Solomon and Iesus the sonne of Syrach doth the Church reade for the edification of the people not to confirme thereby the authoritie of any doctrine in the Church This is likewise confessed by Bellarmine I admit saith hee that Hierome was of that opinion because as yet in those dayes a generall Councell had decreed nothing touching those bookes except the booke of Iudith which Hierom afterwards receiued Gregory Nazianzen writing to Seleucus promiseth him that he will shew him a catalogue of the Canonicall bookes and accordingly beginning from Genesis cites the bookes in order to Malachie the last of the Prophets This authoritie in our behalfe is likewise confessed by Iacobus Billius a Romanist in his Commentary vpon those verses but hee excuseth him in this manner That hee omitted other bookes as namely Iudith the Maccabees c. of which notwithstanding to make a doubt in these dayes would bee accounted a wicked thing but before they were generally receiued of the Church it was no sinne not to admit them amongst the number of Canonicall Scriptures The Councell of Laodicea Wee ought to reade onely the bookes of the Old and New Testament and in that 59. Canon the Councell recites onely those Canonicall Bookes of Scripture which we allowe and the Canons of this Councell are confirmed by the sixt Generall Councell in Trullo and Binius himselfe confesseth that the booke of Iudith by the authoritie of this Councell is rejected amongst the Apocrypha And this was the constant opinion of the Primitiue Church Can. 2. Liber Iudith authoritate huius Prouincialis Concilii inter Apocrhyphos reiicitur Binius in Concil Rom. sub Syluest Not. touching the intire rule of Scripture in the fourth Age. In the fifth Age An. 400. to 500. Epiphanius after he had reckoned vp the Canon of two and twentie Bookes Vtiles quidem sunt et coÌ„modi sed in numeruÌ„ receptorum non referuÌ„tur quare neque in Aaron neque in Testamenti Arcam repositi sunt Epiph. li. de Mens Ponder censureth the Bookes of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus in these words They are fit and profitable but not reckoned amongst those bookes which are receiued by our Church and therefore were neither layd vp with Aaron nor in the Arke of the new Testament In MachabaeoruÌ„ libris etsi aliquid Mirabilium numero inserenduÌ„ conveniens fuisse ordini inueniatur de hâc tameÌ„ nullá curâ fatigabimur quiae tantuÌ„ agere proposuimus vt de Diuini Canonis Mirabilibus exiguaÌ„ expositionem taÌ„geremus Aug. de Mirab sacrae Scrip. l. 2. c. 34. Has supputatio non in Scripturis sanctis quae appellantur Canonica sed in aliis inuenitur in quibê° sunt et MachabaeoruÌ„ libri De civ Dei l. 18. c. 36. Saint Austen Although there may something bee found in the books of Maccabees meet for this order of writing and worthy to bee ioyned with the number of Miracles yet we will not weâ—ry our selues with any care thereof for that we haue intended onely to touch a short rehearsall of the miracles conteined in the diuine Canon And for a further explanation of the true Canon different from the Apocryphall Scriptures he tells vs This reckoning is not found in the holy Scriptures that are called Canonicall but in certaine other bookes amongst which are the bookes of the Maccabees And as concerning the authoritie of these bookes when it was obiected against him that Razis killed himselfe and therefore it was lawfull by the Scripture for a man to kill himselfe amongst other answeres hee returnes this for one The Iewes doe not esteeme this Scripture called the Maccabees in such sort Scriptura quae appellâ— tur Machabaorum recepta est ab Ecclesia non inâ—tilitè◠si sobrie legatur vel audiatur maximè propter illos Machabaeos qui pro Dei lege indigna perpess sunt Aug. contra SecunduÌ„ Ep. Gaud. li. 2. c. 23. as the Law the Prophets and the Psalmes to which Christ giueth testimony as to them that beare that witnesse of him saying It behoued that all these things should be fulfilled that are written of mee in the Law the Prophets and the Psalmes but it is receiued of the Church not vnprofitably so that it bee read and heard with sobrietie especially because of these Maccabees which indured grieuous persecutions for the Lawe of God In the sixth Age An. 500. to 600. Quarehi libri noÌ„ inter Canonicas Scripturas currunt M. Quoniam apud Haebreos quoque super hac differentia recipiebantur sicut Hier. caterique testaÌ„tur Iun. de part diuinae legis lib. 1. cap. 3. SuÌ„tpratereà alii quidem libri vt Sapientia Solo monis liber Iesu filii Syrach et lib. Iudith et Tobiae et libri Machabaeorqui leguÌ„tur quideÌ„ sed noÌ„ scribuÌ„tur in canone Isid Praenot Elucid de script Scripturis sac c. 6 7. Iunilius Bishop of
that Pygmeis being put vpon Gyants shoulders doe see further then the Gyants themselues But Bishop Fisher doth more warily excuse it and with plausible reasons assure vs that Many things Nec cuiquaÌ„ obscuruÌ„ est quin posterioribê° inge niis multa sint tam ex Euangeliis quaÌ„ ex scripturis c. Roffeas Consur Assert Luther Art 18. as well in Gospells as in the rest of the Scriptures are now more exquisitely discussed by later wits and more clearely vnderstood then they haue been heretofore eyther by reason that the yee was not as then broken vnto the Ancients neither did their age suffice to weigh exactly that whole sea of Scriptures or because in this most large field of Scriptures euen after the most diligent reapers some eares will remaine to bee gathered as yet vntouched How forcible motiues these reasons may seeme to other men I will not heere dispute sure I am they are vaine excuses for Romane Bishops and Cardinals who are bound by their generall Councell and the Popes Bull to obey the Exposition of Fathers as an Article of their faith But admit these opinions should bee excused for the particular Tenets of some priuate men let vs see how faithfully the Popes Pastors of these latter times haue interpreted the Scriptures with the vniforme consent of Fathers Moses saith Whit. Durae â—s in Camp 9. Reason pag. 269. God made man after his Image Pope Adrian interpreteth therefore Images must bee set vp in Churches Saint Peter saith Behold De obed maior vnaÌ„ sanctaÌ„ c. here are two swoâ—ds Pope Boniface concludes Therefore the Pope hath power ouer the spirituall and the temporall Saint Matthew saith Giue not that which is holy vnto dogs Iewels Defence p â—2 Mr. Harding expounds it Fiet vnum ouile et vnê° Pastor quod quidem de Christo intelligi non potest sâ—d dâ—â—liquo alio Ministroqâ—â— bresâ—t loco eius Ioh de Par sâ—de pot Reg Papati c. 30. therfore it is not lawfull for the vulgar people to reade the Scriptures Saint Iohn saith There shall bee one Fold and one Sheepherd Iohannes de Parisijs tels vs This place cannot bee expounded of Christ but must bee taken for some Minister ruling in his stead The Prophet Dauid saith Thou hast put all things vnder his feet Antoninus expounds it Anton. in sum part 3. tit 22. c. 5. Haebr 2. Thou hast made all things subiect to the Pope the cattle of the field that is to say men liuing in the earth the fishes of the sea that is to say the soules in Purgatory the fowles of the ayre that is to say the soules of the blessed in heauen And lastly whereas our Sauiour Christ witnesseth of himselfe In Concil Later sub Leo 10. p. 671. All power is giuen to me both in heauen and earth Stephen Archbishop of Patraca applyed it to Pope Leo the tenth in the Councell of Lateran in the audience of the Pope himselfe who thankfully accepted it and suffered it to bee published and printed and as it is rightly obserued by learned Du Moulin Pope Innocent the third in his Booke of the Mysteries of the Masse Buckler of faith pa. 30. the booke of sacred Ceremonies Durants Rationalls Tolet and Titleman and others do most ridiculously wrest the Scriptures altogether different from their right meaning and the Expositions of the Fathers as for instance The Scripture saith The Rocke was Christ therefore say they the Altar must bee of stone It is written I am the light of the world therfore Tapers must be set vpon the Altar It is written Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth therefore the Priest must kisse the Altar It is written Thou shalt see my back parts Exod. 33.23 therefore the Priest must turne his backe to the people It is written Laua me ampliús Psal 51. Wash mee againe therefore the Priest must wash his hands twise It is written Exod. 3.5 Put off thy shooes for this place is holy therefore the Bishop at Masse changeth his hose and shooes And lastly the Pope himselfe at the time of his coronation casteth certain copper money amongst the people vsing the words of Peter Siluer and gold haue I none but that which I haue I giue thee These and the like Expositions doe much resemble the strict order of Monkes who reading the words in Matthew Districtissimi MonachoruÌ„ simplicitèr intelligentes fecerunt sibi cruces ligneas easque sibi iugiter humeru circuÌ„ferentes c Ioh. de Polemar orat in CoÌ„cil Basil pag. 385. Hee that taketh not vp his crosse and followeth me is not worthy of mee made themselues woodden crosses and so carried them on their backes continually causing all the world to laugh at them for howsoeuer they may seeme to bee the expositions of some priuate spirits yet hee that makes oath in verbo Sacerdotis to receiue expound the Scriptures with the vniforme consent of Fathers and shall render such Expositions of the Text can bee no true Catholique Hieron 24. q 3. cap. Haeresis For whosoeuer doeth otherwise vnderstand the Scripture saith Hierome then the sense of the holy Ghost who is the Penman of the Scripture requires although hee hath not departed from the Church yet hee may bee tearmed an heretique But as the Fryar said wittily in his Sermon the trueth which hee preached was like holy water which euery one called for apace yet when the Sexton cast it on them they let it fall on their backs in like manner the Romanists seemingly call for the Scriptures they commonly vaunt that they expound and receiue them according to the vniforme consent of Fathers but as Vincentius Lyrinensis said of the heretiques of his time When they shall begin not onely to vtter those sayings Vbi caeperuÌ„t illas voces noÌ„ iam proferre sedetiam exponere non ad c. VinceÌ„t Lyrin c. 36. but also to expound them then the bitternesse then the sowernesse and madnesse is perceiued then a new deuised poyson will be breathed out then are prophane Nouelties disclosed then may you see the bounds of the ancient Fathers to bee remooued the Catholique Faith to bee then butchered and the doctrine of the Church torne in pieces Pope Pius the fourth who first published the Articles of the Creed was not ignorant that the Scriptures must be farre fetched and hardly strayned to make them speake for the Trent doctrine hee well vnderstood that it was too generall and strict a tye vpon euery Masse Priest to receiue and interpret the Scriptures with the vniforme consent of Fathers knowing well that many Masse Priestes were vtterly ignorant of the Fathers and therefore to qualifie the rigour of that oath adioyned these words to the aforesaid Article Artic. 2. Also that sacred Scripture according to that sense which the Mother Church hath holden whose right is to iudge of the true sense and
Bell de verbo Dei lib. 4. c 2. do signifie that doctrine which is not written by the first Author in any Apostolique Booke either for want of a continued succession in their Traditions or to make the ignorant beleeue the Scripture makes in all poynts for them I say for those very points which they terme Traditions vnwritten they produce the Word written See the Gag of the Gospell as for instance Purgatory is termed an vnwritten Tradition and therefore by Bellarmines testimony is not to bee found in any Apostolike Author yet the Cardinall Bel. de Purgatorio for this very poynt cites twentie seuerall places in the written Word to prooue it Invocation of Saints is a Tradition vnwritten and therefore not to bee found in Scripture yet the Cardinall prooues it out of the Word written Bell. de sancta Bâ—at l. 1. c. 20. Goe to my seruant Iob and he will pray for thee The Communion in one kind is a Tradition vnwritten and therefore not to be found in any Apostolique Author yet Fisher Bishop of Rochester proues it out of the Word written Roffen advers Luth. Aâ—t 16. Giue vs this day our daily bread Prayer and Seruice in an vnknowne tongue is a Tradition vnwritten and therefore not to bee found in Scripture Ledes de diuin scrip quauis linâ—uâ non legendâ c. 22. yet Ledesma the Iesuite prooues it strongly out of the Word written Our Sauiour opened the booke of the Prophet Esay and afterwards closed it How poore and weake are these and the like authorities deduced from the Scriptures I leaue to euery mans iudgement but sure I am the number of their Traditions is vncertaine and the nature of them is destroyed by their owne Tenets when they confound the written word with their vnwritten Doctrines It was the ancient rule of Vincentius Lyrinensis In ipsâ Catholicâ Ecclesia magnopere curandum est vt id teneamus qd vbique qd semper quod ab omnibê° credituÌ„ hóc est enim verè proprieque Catholicum qd ipsa vis nominis raticque declarat VinceÌ„t Lyrin c. 3. In the Catholique Church we ought to bee carefull to hold that which hath been beleeued in all places at all times and of all persons for that is truely and properly Catholique which the force and reason of the name doth declare Those men therefore which assume the name of Catholique and accurse all those who receiue not Traditions with equall reuerence and authoritie with the Scriptures let them proue that their doctrinall Traditions before named haue been euer held and beleeued at all times in all places and of all persons let them proue they were receiued with the vniforme consent of Fathers let them proue they were decreed in a constant succession from age to age from Christians to Christians throughout the whol vniuersal Church These are requisite conditions and ancient characters of Apostolique Traditions But that there are any such or euer were in the Chuch of Rome excepting those onely which are expressely or by necessary consequence deduced from the word of God although they are daily pretended by them yet to this day were neuer proued And hence it is that for want of sure footing and foundation in the Scriptures many Rituall Traditions and Obseruations of the ancient Church are changed and many doctrinall Traditions and Constitutions of the Roman Church are newly brought in which are pretended to be ancient Touching Rituall Traditions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bass de Spirit sanct ca. 27. Saint Basil tels vs It was not lawfull for any man to kneele in the Church vpon the Sunday and this Traditionn saith he was giuen vnto vs in secret charge by the Apostles of Christ Yet this Tradition is altered St. Austen saith Betweene Easter and Whitsuntide it was not lawfull for any man to fast Aug. ad Casulanum by the Tradition of the Apostles yet this Tradition is abrogated Sententiae haec infantibê° Eucharistiam esse necessariam cercitèr sexentos annos viguit in Ecclesia Mald. Com. in Iohn 6. The giuing of the Eucharist to Infants was an ancient Tradition continued in the Church six hundred yeeres after Christ saith Maldonat yet this Tradition is abolished And as touching the doctrinall Traditions and Constitutions of their Church which are made of equall authoritie with the Scripture you shall scarcely find any of them I say confidently you shall finde none of them to haue been receiued de Fide as Articles of faith with the Vniuersalitie of Churches the consent of Fathers and continued succession of the now receiued doctrine in all ages That this may the more plainely apeare I will examine the Tenets of the Papall Traditions ab Initio and see what the Romane Church in generall and the Greeke Church in particular which for many hundred yeeres communicated in the same Faith with the Romane hath taught and beleeued concerning their doctrine SECT VIII The most generall pretended Traditions of the Romane Church were vtterly vnknown to the Greeke Church and want Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession the proper markes of true Traditions in the Roman Church TO examin the foundation of the Greek Church let vs look vp to the time of the Apostles where wee shall finde S. Iohn writing to the seuen Churches in Asia Reuel 1 11 and Saint Paul sending his Epistles to the Corinthians to the Ephesians to the Thessalonians all principall members of the Greeke Church In these Churches according to the doctrine of the Apostles there is nothing that makes for the now Romane Faith and Doctrine but rather against it and that the Romanists may not vainely arrogate to themselues the title of Catholike and Vniuersall Church as if the whole Christian Faith were confined to the Bishop of Rome and his Diocesse it is plaine and euident that Saint Peter taught the word at Antioch Saint Andrew in Greece and Muscouie Saint Iames in Iudea Saint Iohn in Asia Saint Philip in Assyria Saint Thomas in India Saint Matthew in Aethiopia Saint Thaddeus in Armenia Saint Paul in all the countreyes from Arabia to Slauonia St. Bartholomew in Scythia Saint Simon in Persia Ioseph of Arimathea in Great Britaine and all these published the same Faith for substance which wee at this day professe in the Church of England Looke vpon the Greeke Church in generall Terra Graecorum vndique destinata est fides Aug. Ep. 178. Ep. 170. Saint Austen tells vs From the land of Grecia the faith into all places was spread abroad and in particular Saint Chrysostome tells vs The name of Christians beginning first from the citie of Antioch as from a spring hath flowed ouer the whole world And without doubt that famous Citie in Greece gaue the first name and title to the Christians and therefore was called Theopolis Antioch the Citie of God It cannot bee denyed that the Easterne Church is before Rome in time shee hath larger bounds and multitudes
scrip Eccles. ann 290. Gregorie Nyssen his eight Bookes De Philosophia are cited by Bellarmine for Free-will yet in his Catalogue aforesaid he confesseth they seeme not to be the bookes of Gregory Nyssen Lactantius Verses are cited by Bellarmine for Adoration of the Crosse and yet he confesseth elsewhere that it is doubted whether Lactantius were the Author Bell. li 1. de ver Dei ca. 14. Nec librum illum esse Augustini vt erudit fatentur Bell. de Mis lib. 2. c. 12. Ad locum Saint Austen is cited ad Orosium by Bellarmine to prooue Ecclesiasticus Canonicall Scripture but elsewhere when he is obiected in our behalfe in that Tract hee answeres it is not Saint Austens worke as learned men confesse Iustin Martyr Bell lib de Bap c. 25. Idem lib. de Confir c. 5. Idem lib. de Euch. c. 2. Idem lib. 1. de Sanct. 1. 4 § 3. his Questions are alleadged by Bellarmine for Vnction in baptisme for the Sacrament of Confirmation for Transubstantiation but elsewhere hee declareth them to be the work of some new Authour and not the workes of Iustin Martyr Origen in his Homilies on the Gospels Lib. 2. de Euch. c. 8. lib 3. de paenit ca 7. is cited by Bellarmine for the Reall presence and his Homilies on the Psalmes he cites for Auricular confession In lib. de Script Eccles yet the one he disclaimeth as none of Origens the other he freely confesseth it is doubted of who is the Author Cassianus is cited by Bellarmine for an ancient Author Bell de Iustif l. 1. c. 13 for the poynt of Iustification Idē de bon oper cap. 2. lib. 2. and set times of fasting yet elsewhere hee acknowledgeth the booke for Apocryphall and counterfet Bell li. 6. de lib. arb ca. 4 § accedat and condemned in a Roman Councell vnder Pope Gelasius Bell li. 2. de Pont. c. 14. Eusebius his third Epistle is cited by Bellarmine for the Supremacie yet he professeth elsewhere Idem de Confirm lib. 2. c. 7. it is not certaine who is the Author thereof Hee that shall reade these and many such like authorities of pretended Fathers in behalfe of the Roman Religion might at first sight happily bee induced to beleeue that all or most of the ancient Doctors of the Church belong to them when as in truth our aduersaries vse them but as Merchants vse their Counters sometimes they stand with them for pence sometimes for pounds as they bee next and readiest at hand to make vp their account Thus one while they muster vp their forces by multitudes of authorities as if they would make that good by number which they want in weight Sometimes they condemne them as counterfet sometimes they purge them as if they were full of corruptions according to seuerall occasions they haue their seuerall deuices to produce them or auoyd them at their pleasure Si conficta historia non est vllius authoritatis Bell. lib. 2. de Pont. cap. 9. whereas if they bee counterfeit as they are confessed to bee they are of no authoritie if Catholique and Orthodoxe they make nothing for the points in Controuersie as shall bee presented in the next place SECT XI The most substantiall poynts of Roman Faith and Doctrine as they are now taught and receiued in the Church of Rome were neuer taught by the Primitiue Church nor receiued by the ancient Fathers NEither are these men content to challenge a right to all the Fathers although they confesse they are not all orthodox and true Fathers but they likewise charge vs that Sebast Flash in profess Cath. we make no more account of them then wee doe of the Turkes Alcaron or Aesops Fables Nay saith Bristow it is well known to such as heare the Protestants Sermons Bristow Mot. 14. or bee in place to heare them talke boldly and familiarly among themselues are not afrayd to confesse plainely that the Fathers are all Papists A strange and senselesse fiction deuised by these men when not onely our learned Diuines but the vulgar people are all eye-witnesses that the Booke written by the Iewel of our age is published in all the Churches of our kingdom whose challenge for the principall points of our Religion is made good and will euer remaine vnanswerable out of the Writings and Authorities of the ancient Fathers But admit some Protestants were so ignorant or senselesse as to say priuately All the Fathers were Papists what stupiditie then may we think it in the chiefe Pastors of the Romane Church which by their publike writings and open confession acknowledge the principall poynts of Controuersie yea their chiefe Articles of Faith were vnknowne to the ancient Fathers We confesse it for a truth that the ancient Fathers St. Austen S. Ambrose St. Hierome and the rest were learned men they were Instruments of Grace and Mercy we read them we reuerence them we giue God thankes for them but withall wee learne this lesson frō them Wee weigh not the writings of men August ad Fortunat. Epist 111. bee they neuer so worthy and Catholique as wee weigh the Canonicall Scriptures but yeelding that reuerence that is due vnto them Wee may mislike and refuse something in their writings if we find they haue thought otherwise then the trueth may beare and such saith Austen am I in the writings of others and such I would wish others to be in mine Saint Austen thought it no preiudice to the Romane Church nor disparagement to his own learning to haue his writings examined by the rule of Scripture Nay more saith he that which in my bookes thou thinkest to bee vndoubtedly true Quod certū non habebis nisi certum intellexeris noli firmè retinere Aug in Proae lib 3. de Trinit vnlesse thou perceiue it to bee true indeed hold it not resolutely St. Ambrose was so farre from wishing Prince or people to rely vpon his doctrine that by way of preuention hee writes to Gratian the Emperour Nolo argumento eredas sancte Imperator nostrae disputationi Scripturas interrogemus c. Ambros de Fide ad Grat l 1 c. 4 Beleeue not O Emperour our Arguments and our Disputations let vs aske the Apostles let vs aske the Prophets let vs aske Christ. Now admit a doubtfull Recusant at this day repaire for instruction to a Romish Priest or Bishop will he answer him with Austen Examine my doctrine by the rule of Scripture and if you find it not agreeable to that Word hold it not resolutely or will he answer him with Ambrose Heare not my arguments beleeue not vs that are the professed Priests and Pastors of the Church but read the Scriptures consult with the Oracles of God let Christ the Head of the Church resolue the doubts and controuersies of Religion Surely nothing is more to bee wished for by vs nothing is lesse to be hoped for from them True it is that St.
de Imag c. 16. whom the Church condemneth Bellarmine answers This booke was written in the beginning of his first conuersion to the Catholike Faith Aug. de corrept gra cap 1. D. Augustinus duÌ„ toto spiritus ac verboruÌ„ ardore pro defensione diuinae gratiae pugnat aduersus Pelagianos liberuÌ„ arbitriuÌ„ cuÌ„ iniuria diuinae gratiae exâ—olleÌ„tes in alteraÌ„ quasi foueam delaâ—s vtdetur minusque interdum iribuere quam par sit liberae hominis volâ—tati Sixt. Seneâ—â— in Bib. sanct l. 5 in Prefat Nos noÌ„ moueat Augustinus vel tantillum c. Episc Bitont comment in Ep. ad Rom. ca. 5. p. 270. 10. Saint Austen saith In doing good none can bee free in will and act vnlesse hee be free by him that said If the Sonne free you you are truely freed Sixtus Senensis saith Whilst Saint Austen doth contend earnestly against the Pelagians for the defence of diuine Grace hee doth seeme to fall into an other pit and sometimes attribute too little to Freewill But saith the Bishop of Bitonto Let not Saint Austen mooue vs at all for it is proper ana peculiar to him that when he opposetth any errour hee doeth it with that vehemencie that hee seemes to fauour an other errour euen so when hee prosecutes Arrius hee seemes to fauour Sabellius when Sabellius Arrius when Pelagius the Maniches when the Maniches Pelagius and this is very considerable and ought especially to be noted in him Lastly Saint Austen vpon the words of Christ saith Thou art Peter August de verb. Dom. Serm. 13. and vpon this Rocke which thou hast confessed vpon this Rock which thou hast knowne saying Thou art Christ the Son of the liuing God will I build my Church for the Rocke was Christ. Stapl. princip doct lib. 6. c. 3. Stapleton answers It was lapsus humanus an humane errour caused by the diuersitie of the Greek and Latin tongue which either hee was ignorant of or marked not Bell. li 1. de Pont. ca. 10. Bellarmine replies Saint Austen was deceiued by the ignorance onely of the Hebrew tongue But Albertus Pigghius concludes with a witnes against him Nusquam hanet nusquam figit sed vbique explorat vbique tentat et suberatur omnia et quicquid probabile occcurrit alicubi amplectitur qd coÌ„tinuò post displicet retractatur Ociose secum inquireÌ„tu et tentaÌ„tis omnia Alb. Piggh. Hier. Eccles lib. 3. c. 5. Nusquam haeret nusquam figit He neuer resolues certainly vpon any thing but as if he were idle-headed giuen to crotchets hee fetcheth about this way and that way and at length lighting vpon some probabilitie layeth hold on it and then dislikes it and presently retracts it Thus if wee may credit their best learned Romanists St. Austen did not agree constantly with himselfe nor others his doctrine is opposed by the consent of Fathers in the Trent Councell hee vsed not his owne meaning in fighting against heretiques If hee had been liuing in these dayes he would haue been of an other mind He is inconstant and fixeth in certaine vpon nothing but as an idle-headed man full of crotchets one while hee resolues an other while he retracts it You haue heard Saint Austens confession and our aduersaries solution touching the chiefe poynts in question betwixt vs wherby as yet I see no cause why the Romanists should brag of the ancient Fathers in generall nor of St. Austen in particular I proceed in the next place to examine the faith of Austen the Monke that it may appeare whether that doctrine which hee published heere in England aboue a thousand yeeres since bee consonant to our Religion or the doctrine of the Roman Church SECT XIII Saint Gregory pretended to bee the Founder of the Romane Religion in England by sending Austen the Monke for conuersion of this Nation in his vndoubted writings directly opposeth the Romish faith in the maine poynts thereof AVsten the Monke was sent into England by Gregorie the Great about the yeere 600 and is tearmed by the Romanists of this latter age Englands Apostle To say nothing of the haughtinesse of his person through whose pride and contempt twelue hundred poor Christians and holy men of Bangor were murdered as it is related by Venerable Bede Bede Hist Ang l. 2. c. 2 let vs obserue the doctrine of that age and because we haue no Records of the Monkes doctrine let vs reflect vpon Gregory the Great whose writings are extant and who without doubt professed the substance of that Faith which by his Warrant and Commission was then published in England by Austen the Monke It is the generall vote of the Romanists in this latter age that the Faith which Gregorie deliuered in his dayes was so true and Catholike that If an Angell from heauen should teach other doctrine then that we haue receiued from Gregorie wee are not to heare him Canus the Bishop of Canaries well vnderstood that this Assumpsit was of too large an extent and therfore wisely by way of preuention giues this caueat to the Reader Canus li. 11 loc Theol. c. 6. p. 540. It is fitting for a Diuine to bee admonished and not suddenly to bee perswaded that all things are perfect which great and learned Authors haue written as for example Gregorie and Bede the one in his Historie of England the other in his Bookes of Dialogues haue published such miracles commonly receiued and beleeued which the censurers of this age will thinke to be doubtfull and vncertaine I speake not this to decline the doctrine of Gregorie Quid est hoc quaeso te qd in hiâ— extremis temporibus tâ—m multa de animabus c Greg. Dial lib 4. cap. 40. for howsoeuer many ceremonies and strange opinions through visions and apparitions of dead men which Gregorie in his Dialogues complained of sprung vp in his dayes yet the principall poynts of doctrine did as yet remaine sound and stable so that setting aside his Dialogues which are but Aniles fabulae no way fit to prooue Articles of Faith In his vndoubted Writings there will bee found few or no substantiall points which are not agreeable to the Tenets of our Church and altogether different froÌ„ the Roman and that this may become more manifest to the Reader I haue compared the Trent Doctrine and ours with Gregorie that by parallelling the Articles on both sides the Antiquitie of the true Church may visibly appeare by the faith of Gregory The Canonicall Bookes of Scripture Gregorie We doe not amisse Non inordinatè agimê° si ex libris licet noÌ„ Canonicis sed tamen ad edificationeÌ„ Ecclesia editis testimonium proferamê° Greg. Moral lib. 19. ca 13. Artic 6. if wee bring forth a testimony out of the bookes of Maccabees which though they are not Canonicall yet are they set forth for the edification and instruction of the Church Church of England The books of Maccabees the Church doeth reade for
doctrina cum nostra consonat Ecclesia Patr. resp 2. in init resp 1. p. 148. We giue thankes to God the Authour of all grace and wee reioyce with many others but especially in this that in many things your doctrine is agreeable to our Church And certainly we likewise haue great cause to reioyce in our owne behalfe and theirs that the Greeke Church hath continued the truth of our doctrine in all ages which plainely shewes the Antiquitie and Visibilitie of our Church in the affirmatiue poynts which we maintaine and the Noueltie of the Romane in those Negatiue opinions which we condemne If we looke beyond Luther we shall easily discerne that the Muscouites Armenians Egyptians Aethiopians and diuers other countreys and Nations all members of the Greeke Church taught our Doctrine from the Apostles time to ours This is so true an Euidence in our behalfe that Bellarmine as it were in disdaine of the Churches Bell. de ver Dei l 2. ca. vlt. in fine makes this answere We are no more moued with the examples of Muscouites Armenians Egyptians and Aethiopians then with the examples of Lutherans or Anabaptists and Caluinists for they are either heretiques or Schismatiques So that all Churches be they neuer so Catholique and ancient if they subscribe not to the now Romane Faith are eyther schismaticall or hereticall But let these men obserue what Rules they list let them brag of Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession let them reiect the confessions of all Christian Churches but their owne yet shal they neuer be able to proue those vnwritten Traditions Apostolique and of equall authority with the Scriptures which contrary the doctrine of the Apostles or by consequence ouerthrowe the foundation of the written Word If the Apostle teach vs to pray with the spirit 1. Cor. 14. and to pray with the vnderstanding also how can prayer in an vnknowne tongue without vnderstanding be prooued a Tradition Apostolicall If the Apostle teach vs by the written Word that the Communion in both kinds extend to all beleeuers by the general words of Christ Drinke yee all of this How can the Communion in one kinde bee tearmed a Tradition Apostolical which imposeth the contrary on the Non Conficient Priest and the lay people Drinke ye none of this If the holy Spirit dictate by the mouth of an Apostle Search the Scriptures how can that doctrine be said to bee Apostolicall which inioynes the contrary to the lay people Search not the Scriptures If the written Word proclaime it for an Apostolike doctrine Vtrumque est maluÌ„ et nubere et vri imò â—eius est nubere quic quid reclameÌ„t aduersarii c. Bell. de Monach l. 2. c. 30. It is better marrie then burne how can that vnwritten Word bee tearmed a Tradition Apostolicall which teacheth the contrary It is better for a Priest to burne then marry If an Angel from heauen proclaime of the reall presence of Christs body He is risen he is not heere and the Apostle declares it for an Article of beliefe The Heauens containe him till his second comming How can the corporall and reall presence of Christ in the Sacrament be a Tradition Apostolicall which affirmeth that Christs body is conteined in the heauens and in a Pix at one and the same time If the Communion of the body and bloud of Christ be a common vnion of Priest and people and by the Apostles written Word Wee are all partakers of one Bread and one Cup how can Priuate Masse bee tearmed a Tradition Apostolicall wherein the Priest receiues the Bread and Cup alone without the people If God himselfe forbid by his Morall Law the worshipping of Images and the same Lawe stood in force with Christ and his Apostles how can that doctrine be made a poynt of Faith and termed a Tradition Apostolicall which on the contrary giues adoration to Images Lastly if an Angel from heauen forbids the worshipping of Angels by a particular instance in himselfe Worship not mee for I am thy fellow seruant How can it be reputed a Tradition Apostolicall and an Article of Faith Art 8. that the Saints reigning with Christ are to bee worshipped and prayed vnto These Papal Traditions vnwritten are different if not flatly opposite to the Word written and therefore I will say with Tertullian who answered the heretiques in his dayes Tert. praesc advers haeres c. 32. Their very doctrine it selfe being compared with the Apostolike by the diuersity and contrarietie thereof will pronounce that it had neither any Apostle for an Authour nor any man Apostolique Now if any Romanist shall take that poore exception and say their Tenets are not flat contrary to the Scriptures let him take his answere from Saint Chrysostome Non dixit si contraria annutiauerint aut si totuÌ„ Euangelium sub verterint sed si vel pauluÌ„ EuaÌ„gelizauerint prarer EuangeliuÌ„ qd accepistis etiaÌ„si quidvis labefactauerint Anathema sint Chrys in Galat. c. 1 Aug. in Ioh. Tra. 98 Saint Paul teacheth not saith hee if any man preach contrary to the Gospell or ouerthrow the whole Gospell but if they preach any little thing besides the Gospell hee hath receiued if hee ouerthrow any thing whatsoeuer it be let him be accursed I say therefore if this or the like vnwritten Traditions bee found praeterquà m or contraquà m either besides or contrary to the Scriptures as certainly most of their Traditions are I say it is impossible to reconcile them for Apostolike Traditions and consequently more absurd to equall them with the Scriptures and make them a partiall rule of faith for Although saith Tertullian Tertul. de praescâ— c. 26. the Apostles did deliuer some things vnto their domesticall friends as I may call them yet wee must not beleeue that they deliuered any such things as should bring in another rule of Faith different and repugnant to that which they generally propounded in publique as though they had preached one Lord in the Church another in their lodging To leaue therefore a certainty for an vncertaintie to forsake the written Word which is the safest and surest rule of beliefe for vnwritten Traditions which haue neither Antiquitie for their leader nor Vniuersality for their assurance nor Succession for their euidence this I say is Via dubia a doubtfull and vncertaine way this is Via Deuia a wandring and By-way SECT IX The Scriptures are a certaine safe and euident direction to the right way of Saluation and consequently to ground Faith vpon vnwritten Traditions is an obscure vncertaine and dangerous By-way I Confesse it for a trueth that in the first ages of the world the Ancients had the knowledge of God without writing and their memories by reason of their long liues were Registers instead of Bookes but afterwards when God had taken the posteritie of Iacob to bee his peculiar people the liues of men were shortned and therefore hee gaue them their lawes in writing which
writing was so true and perfect Non desunt aliqui Catholicorum qui negant nullū fuisse Traditionē non scriptā apud Iudaeos Bell. de verbo Dei non scrip l. 4. c. 8 that some Romanists confesse the Iewes had nothing pertaining to the knowledge and seruice of God that was not written And as in the creation of the world before the Sun was made the light was sustained and spread abroad by the incomprehensible power of God yet after the Sun was created God conueied the whole light of the world into the body of the Sun so that though the Moone and Starres should giue light yet they should shine with no other light but what they receiued from the Sunne Euen so in the constituti-of the Church howsoeuer God at first preserued and continued the knowledge of his truth by immediate reuelation from himselfe to some chosen men by whose ministerie hee would haue the same communicated to the rest yet when hee gaue his word in writing he conueyed into the bodie of the Scriptures the whole light of his Church so that albeit there should be Pastors Teachers therin to shine as starres to giue light to others yet they should giue no other light but what by the beames of the written Law was cast vpon them And that wee might haue good warranty for the written Word God himselfe shewed the first way by his owne example who with his owne finger wrote the Decalogue in tables of stone and saith Moses The Tables was the worke of God Exod. 32.16 and the writing was the writing of God vpon the Tables And as God was the first Author of writing in the old Law so our Sauiour Christ God and Man taught the same lesson by his owne example and direction in the New For when the Disciples wrote saith Austen what Christ shewed and said vnto them Cum illi scripserunt qua ille ostendit et dixit nequaquā dicendum est quod ipse nō scripserit c. Aug. de consens Euangel lib. 1. c. 35. it is not to be said that he did not write because the members wrought that which they learned by the inditing of the Head For whatsoeuer he would haue vs to reade of the things which he did and said he gaue in charge to them as his hands to write the same And thus one and the same Spirit that prescribed the old Law to Moses gaue also expresse charge to the Evangelist Saint Iohn Scribe Reuel 1.11.19 write these things And lastly the reason of this writing Saint Luke renders to Theophilus Luke 1.4 That thou mightst know the certaintie of those things wherein thou hast beene instructed Now as things written are of longer continuance and better assurance whereby we haue the certaintie of our faith and doctrine so likewise by that certainty we inioy the more safetie and for that cause the Apostle Saint Paul tells the Philippians that which hee deliuered by word of mouth being present Phil. 3.1 To write the same things saith he to me it is not grieuous but for you it is safe And this may be a good comfort for all beleeuing Protestants that wee haue these two benefits of the written Word by the doctrine of two Apostles Certaintie and Saftie Scriptura Regula credendi certissima tutissimaque est Bell. de verbo Dei lib. 1. cap. 2 Euseb li. 2. cap. 14. This doctrine was rightly obserued and earnestly pursued by the true beleeuers in the Primitiue Church in so much as it is obserued by Eusebius that the faithfull who had heard the preaching of Saint Peter not thinking that sufficient nor contented with the doctrine of that diuine preaching vnwritten most earnestly intreated Marke that hee would leaue them in writing the Commentaries or records of the doctrine which they had deliuered vnto them br word and ceased not till they had perswaded him thereto Now it is reported saith hee when the Apostle vnderstood this to haue beene done by the reuelation of the holy Ghost he ioyed much in the desire of those men by his authority warranted this Gospel in writing to the reading of the Church Here was a memorable example both for the Certaintie and Safetie of the Christian Faith the faithfull heare the Word of God yet fearing the vncertaintie of that which might bee deliuered vpon report from hand to hand they intreat Marke the Scholler and follower of Peter that hee would commit the same to writing this was performed accordingly and Saint Peter ioyed in the performance of it and withall testified by his approbation that their good motion proceeded from the Holy Ghost In like manner you shall obserue as the Apostle St. Paul wrote those things which he deliuerd by word of mouth to the Philippians so likewise hee deliuers the same things to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 15.3 which hee receiued according to the Scriptures And from hence wil arise a third benefit which is the grand point in question The Scriptures are alone sufficient without the helpe of Traditions for that which Saint Paul hath testified of the Church at Corinth and Philippi the same Nicephorus expresseth more particularly in these words Niceph. Eccles Hist lib. 2. ca. 34. What Saint Paul being present taught by word of mouth amongst the Corinthians Ephesians Galathians Colossians Philippians Thessalonians Iewes Romans and many other persons whereunto the holy Ghost sent him and whom hee begate in the faith of Christ the same things in his absence bee compendiously reuoketh into their memory by his Epistles written vnto them If therefore St. Paul set downe in his Epistles all that doctrine which hee deliuered by word of mouth to those seuerall Churches withall taught that doctrine which he receiued according to the Scriptures it will follow of necessitie that all things necessary to saluation are contained in the Scriptures for hee witnessed of himselfe I haue not shunned to declare all the Councell of God Acts 20.27 Let vs appeale to him touching the sufficiencie of the Scriptures First hee exhorts Timothy 2. Tim. 3.14 to continue in those things which hee had learned and had been assured of neither doth he tell him hee was assured of Traditions but plainly expresseth in that place his meaning of the Holy Scriptures and that it might appeare the Scriptures were not denyed by the Apostles to children and ignorant persons as it is now vsed in the Church of Rome hee testifieth in his behalfe that from a child hee had knowen the holy Scriptures Verse 15. and that it might yet further appeare the Scriptures were sufficient for his sauing knowledge without the helpe of Traditions he protesteth to him Ibidem that they were able to make him wise vnto saluation And lastly lest it might bee thought a particular instruction to Timothie alone and not to the rest of the faithfull he proclaimes the written Word as a generall rule and conclusion for all beleeuers