vnderstanding of the scriptures is promysed of almighty God So as there can be no surer argument that a man speaketh his owne that is a lye then when he departeth from the sence exposition and consent of the Churche For thē althowgh he bring neuer so many texts of the scripture hee may vtter in dede the expresse word of the diuell but neuer can he in that sorte bring foorth the expresse and pure worde of God For it is as certayn that the diuel openeth the mowth of them which teache Gods word being owt of the Churche as that God him self openeth the mowthes of them which beyng of and with in the churche doo vtter the same And this is the cause that when so euer ther is in the Church memory made of an Euāgelist or any other notable doctour that both in the entry of the Masse and in the Canonicall howres this text of Ecclesiasticus is read In the midle of the Churche he opened his mowth VVherby is signifyed that God openeth the mowth to no mā vnlesse he be with in the Churche From the true sence and vnderstanding wherof who so euer differeth his mowth not God but the diuell doth open How famous so euer any doctour of the Churche bee yet yf he be not with in the Churche if he consent not with the sence of the Churche it is certayn that God opened not his mowth But yf any man speake cōtrary to the sence and consent therof wee need not doubt to saye that the diuell opened his mowth VVho so euer therfore vttereth his owne vttereth a lye and he that speaketh of God speaketh the truth but he speaketh of God which vttereth the scriptures not at aduenture or by his owne priuat sence but with the sence that is common to all that is with the sence of the catholyke Churche And that is it which is truly and properly caullyd the word of God when to the wordes of the scripture not our owr owne sence but the commō sence that is the sence of the Catholike Churche is applyed which to be the very trewe sence and meaning of God is not to bee doubted For thus wee reade noted by Socrates that the Emperour Constantine calleth the sentence of all them which were assembled in the councell of Nice the sentence of God For the voyce of the Church is the voyce of God speaking by her He therfore is a Catholike and a right beleuer and syche as can by no meanes vtter vntruth which being mindfull of that is written woo be vnto foolishe prophetts which followe their owne spirite and see nothing followeth not his owne but the spirit of the Churche not his owne imagination or conceyte but the sence and consent of the Churche Yea thowgh the wordes of the scripture should seeme not very open and playne which syche a one bryngeth foorth yet because he produceth them with the sentence of the Churche he vttereth the very worde of God But if a man will applye therunto his owne proper conceyte if he will temper the scriptures with his owne imagination for he ioineth his owne sence to the scriptures which contendeth so earnestly not for the true vnderstanding of the diuine scriptures but for his owne that he will haue that to bee the scriptures which is his when he owght rather to make that his which is the scriptures yf I saye he obstinatly defend syche his sentence against the common sence and cōsent of the whole Churche he is an heretike and a schismatike And bring he neuer so many testimonies of the scriptures yet he vttereth not the pure word of God but the expresse worde of the diuell Ther is therfore no authoritee taken from the scriptures when it is sayd that heresies spring not so myche of them as of the lewde and faulse vnderstanding of them This is an owld complaynte made by S. Basill that the deprauers of the truth doo not applye their vnderstanding to the scripture but violentlye drawe the mynd of the scriptures to their owne will But notable is the counsell of S. Clement that when the lawe of God is read it bee not read or tawght according to the vnderstanding of a mans owne brayne for there are many thinges in the diuine scriptures which may with force bee drawen to syche sence as eche man shall fancye to him self And therfore sayth he must we learne the vnderstanding of the scriptures of him which keepeth them being orderly deliured vnto him by his forefathers according to the truth VVhich counsell Rufinus writeth those ij lights of Grece Basill the Great and Gregory Naziāzene to haue followed VVho whē they gaue them selues to the only study of the scriptures remouing from them al other secular bookes of Greke writers they followed not in seeking the true vnderstanding therof their owne fanceys but the writings and authoritee of the fathers whom they allso knewe to haue learnyd that rule of trewe vnderstanding from the Apostolike succession But how farre do they differ frō the dealing of these fathers who rashly faull them selues to the wayghing of euery scripture and beleeue it according to their owne iudgement not passing at al vpon the sence exposition of the fathers to wbom they thinke it iniurious to be put ouer But what may bee sayd more rightly to these men by vs then that which wee reade to haue been sayde to the Manichees by S. Augustin Yow see sayth he your dealing tendith to this end that all auctoritee bee takē from the scriptures and that euery mans priuat mynde should tell him what were in eche scripture to be allowed and what to be disallowed That is in effect that the mynde should not by faith bee subiect to the auctoritee of the scriptures but should make the scriptures subiect to the fancye of the mynd So as nothing pleaseth him because it is found written and receiued with high and great auctoritee but therfore it seemeth well written because in some respect it pleaseth his fancye VVherunto doest thow committe thy self thow wretched and frayle sowle all wrapped in cloudes of the fleshe VVherunto doest thow committe thy self Maye wee not well saye also to these men where bestowest thow thy self thow miserable and wretchyd sowlle wrapped in cloudes of fleshe VVhere bestowest thow thy self VVilt thow haue that what so euer pleaseth thee wee should take for scripture and howld that for the pure and expresse word of God And why not that which hath semed good to al that is to the vniuersal Churche VVhat an intollerable pryde is this VVhat an arrogancy and swelling of the mynde VVilt thow so challenge to thy self alone the spirit of God and so pull it from all others that what so euer sense thow wilt bring owt of the scriptures wee showld bee bound to beleue that neglecting the sence and vnderstanding of the whole churche can there be a greater arrogancy or a greater tiranny then this It
proffitteth nothing As S. Pawll him self also teacheth VVho defyneth not euery faith wherby wee beleeue yn God but that only to be the helthsome and true euāgelical fayth which workyth by loue VVherby how litle or nothing that fayth auayleth which some thinke sufficient to saluation he so farre foorth shewyth that hee sayth If I haue neuer so myche fayth so as I be able to remoue mountaynes owt of their places and yet haue not charitee I am nothing But wher this faith full charitee worketh ther no doubt is good life For the fulnes of the lawe is Charitee Thus farre S. Augustyn Behould I pray yow how owld this heresie is which sayth Only faith is sufficient to saluation For it sprang euen whill Pawll yet leeuyd and was sought to be prouyd and mayntened euē by the expresse word of God vtteryd by that his elect vessell Pawll the Apostle when yett this was neuer the mynde of S. Pawll but as Saint Peter writeth some vnlernyd and vnconstant heades peruertyd the meanyng of his wordes And what for Gods loue dooth Sathan ells now allso more earnestly seeke by his members to beate into the eares and myndes of men but that they should hold for suertye that only fayth suffiseth both to iustification and to saluacion If Peter then at that tyme complaynyd of the peruertyng of Pawl his wordes How myche more would he now complayne when this most pestilent doctrine is with syche vehemencye sett foorth when it is obtruded to the eares and eyes of men with these most pernicious wordes That the Gospell may not suffer to heare any preaching of good workes That the sheepe of Christ quakyth when he hearyth them namyd of the preacher That faythe may not abyde any good workes to stand nere her That they which are coueryd as it were with good workes can hardly enter into heauen for that workes following after iustification are vncleane Yea and the best good worke is very synne That they are pestylent teachers and that it is a Roote budding nowght but Gawll owt of the newe Testament to vexe consciences with workes and that there can not be together in the Churche a teacher of fayth and of workes This so vnpure and wicked doctrine yf Peter should heare cloked with the name of the Gospel yf Pawl should heare these wicked men vawnt them selues that they had drawen this doctryne owt of his Epistles wherin it appearyth he did so carefully recommend vnto vs good workes and stirre vp all faithfull mē to vse and embrace them what thinke wee would they bothe saye and doo therunto But herofinowgh For in this place wee mynded no more but to shewe that euen in the Apostles tyme allso ther wanted not some which shrowded their lewde deceytes vnder the name of the Ghospell and which of the very wordes of S. Pawll by peruerting the sense therof fearyd not to professe and sett forward a contrary doctrine So that if first against Christ the very auctor of the scriptures Sathan feared not to bring the scriptures and agaīst Pawl him self to bring by his members Pawll his owne wordes wrestyd into a reprobat sense who can myche merueil if in thies latter dayes he hathwith more impudence attemptyd the same Tertullian is a very owld writer not lōg after the Apostles tyme. He wrote a notable booke of prescriptions against heretikes wherin he shewyth that this was a great word in their mouthe Seeke and yee shall fynd Searche the Scriptures And therin he exhorteth the faythfull that they would yet make some end of their seeking and therwith all preferryth fayth before trauail in the scriptures In the end he vseth these wordes Of the scriptures doo heretikes taulk very myche To the scriptures they counsell vs as though they could not otherwise geue aduyse touching matters of fayth but owt of the lettres and wordes of faith Now therfore come wee to the purpose For to this end did we direct and bend the entree of our taulke that euen here wee may Ioyne vpon that poynt wher vnto our aduersaryes so earnestly call vs. Scripture they pretend and with this their bowld countenaunce they moue some very muche But in the very conflict they wery the strong they take the weake and the indifferent they send awaye with scruple of mynd Then by and by he addeth what is to be done to them whē they shrowd them selues vnder the scriptures Thus sayth he do wee at the first encownter stoppe them that in dede they are not to be admitted to any disputatiō at all of the scriptures That if their force lie in scripture we must knowe howe they come by it Therefore must wee see to whom of right apperteyneth the possession of the scriptures to the end he be not allowed therunto to whom in no sorte it belongeth And lest any should thinke he wrote thus as hauing mistrust in his cause he foorthwith goeth forward in this sort This would I not haue browght foorth for geuing suspicion of diffidence or of desier to haue any other the state of the cause if the case stood not so as heerin we owght obedience to the Apostle ▪ who forbiddeth to enter into questions or to lend our eares to newe and straunge voyces For an heretike sayeth the Apostle must be taulked with after one Reprehension not after disputation For in this did the Apostle forbid disputation in that he apoynted an heretike to be rebuked and in that respect only to be taulked with and that but once because he is not to be esteemed as a Christiā Nor should be rebuked after the manner of a Christian once or twyse or by testimony of ij or iij. witnesses but is a man therfore and in that respect to be rebuked for that he is suche a person as owght not to be disputed with And because allso conference of scriptures with suche a one profitteth nothing but only stirreth choler and troubleth the brayne Agayne this heresie admitteth not some scriptures and if it allowe some yet doth it peruert the same by some addition or detraction to the defending of that it would proue or yf it receyue some scriptures yet will it not receyue them full and whol And if it doo yet will it turne them by inuēting some newe and contrary exposition No lesse ouerthwarteth the Truthe a bastarde Glose then a corrupted text Variable preiudices must nedes refuse to acknowledge those things wherby they are ouerthrowen To those things they leane which either faulsly they haue patched together or haue bene occasioned of ambiguous wordes and doubtfull texts VVhat shalt thow profit thowe that art best excersised in the scriptures when what so euer thow defendyst he shall denye and what so euer thow denyest he shall defend Thow losest but thy voyce in contending with him and gainest nowght but vnquyetnes of mynd in hearing his blasphemyes The partye if any suche be for whos
great and especiall grace of God is personally present yea so as without any labor studye or industrie although they neuer aske seeke or knocke yf they be of their number and sect it is so from God him self dispēsed vnto them that they being holden vp with the handes of Aungells that is kept with angelicall protection can neuer hurt their foote against any stone can neuer offend or fall into any errour Thus farre Vincentius And coulde he possibly with more notable markes haue painted foorth the heretikes of our age thē in this place wee see he hath done For what doth Sathā more earnestly attempt by thē then to persuade mē to throwe thēselues downe to let thēselues fawll from the doctrine and tradition of this high Churche which Christ callyth the Citee builded on a hyll VVhich thing so soone as he hath once perswaded thē hath he atteynid the vndoubted victorye For vntill a man throwe him self from that high Cite yn vayn are all the attemptes of Sathan But so soone as he letteth him self fawll downe from thence so soone as he is departyd from the fowld and seuerith him self from the rest of the flocke then is he immediatly becoome a praye to the wolf To this one end therfore doth the diuell bend all his force that he may leade men to throwe them selues downe from the high and infallible doctrine of the church To sett nowght by the traditions therof to followe and esteme rather the priuatt spiritt of them selues or of any one man then the interpretatiō and consent of the Catholike and vniuersall Churche wher vnto is promysed the spiritt of truth Neither is he without scripture wherby he indeuoureth to persuade the same For it is written sayth he walke not in the precepts of your fathers In vayne doo they worship me teaching the doctrines and cōmaundements of men That yf in any one thing he may persuade a mā to throwe him self downe to departe from the precepts and ordonaūces of his forefathers and from the doctrine and traditiōs of the Churche then hath he wonne him within his reache then doth he easely fynd the meanes that he shal daily throwe him self downe deeper Neither is there any doctrine thē so farre wyde from all pietye or godlynes wherin he doth not easely stayne and infect his mynd In this one thing therfore doth he spend his whole studye and trauaill to accustome men to throwe them selues downe and not to make any accompt of the sence and generall cōsent of the whole churche but especyally to resist and withstand the ordonaunces therof VVhich thing as of all other heretikes so Martiu Luther their capitaine and standard bearer in this our age wee see dilligētly and very handsomly practysed For what other thing soundeth he in all his wrytings but that men should throwe them selues downe That they should cutt them selues from the churche resist the decrees therof and what so euer shee commaundeth in despight to doo the contrary As for example The Churche cōmaundeth thee to fast in the lent and toward the feast of Easter to confesse thy sinnes and to come to the receauing of the sacramēt But what sayth Luther to this Thus he sayeth Because it is so appoynted by the churche for the self same cause will I not doo it and yf it had not commaunded me I would haue doon it but I will now doo it at some other tyme which the Churche hath not appoynted at what tyme and in what sorte so euer myne owne free will shall moue me Likewyse The eleuation of the Saeramēt he thinketh a thing indifferent But bicause the Churche hath thowght good it should be lift vp therfore in despite of the Churche he teacheth it must be forborne Ageyn to receyue the sacramēt in one or bothe kyndes in many places he writeth to be indifferent for that nothing is commaunded therof by any precept of God as of necessitee yet in his booke which he intituled of the foorme of the masse he sayeth Yf by chawnce the councell should so decree then would wee not receyue yt in bothe kyndes but in despight of the coūcell vse only the one kynd or neither of bothe and not bothe and holde them for accursed that by the auctoritee of the councell should vse bothe But what doth a Councell represent but the Churche Sathan therfore by this his not obscure member commaundeth to do all thinges contrary to the decrees therof yea and that yn despight of the same and by that his worthy lymme yet cryeth Throwe thy self downe And doth not he throwe him self downe who followeth not that which is vniuersall catholyke receiued and allowed by generall consent of the whole world which professeth the name of Christ but more willingly reposeth him self in that which some one fantastycall man hath better leekyd VVho albeit he be perhapps reputed circumspect and discrete yett when he speakyth of hī self vttereth nowght ells as the Truthe it self bearyth witnes but a very lye For maye a man more throwe him self downe then to slippe from that sence and vnderstānding which is vniuersall and common to all vnto that which is but priuatt that is from trowth to fashed which man vtterith whē so euer he speaketh of himself The very same song therfore which the diuell himself songe vnto Christ in the desert the same doth he euen now sing by his members to Christians Neither doth he vrge any thing more then that they should throwe themselues downe and lett goe the vniuersall and auncient faith of the catholyke Churche He promyseth by his membres and yet still teacheth that in the congregations of his communion there is a certain great peculiar and personall grace of God He persuadeth the vnlerned yf a man imbrace the priuatt and especyall faith of his members that he though he be not only vtterly voyde of good workes but allso drowned in all kynd of wickednes must yett be well assured he is in state of grace and that the Aungells shall one daye take him vp in their handes and leade him straight to heauen That beyng preserued by their protection he shall not once hurt his foote against any stone but standeth highly in Gods fauour yf he continewe to the end This he will haue his mēbers to make so full and assured accompt of that they must thinke there can be no greater synne or wickednes committed then once to doubt neuer so litle therof which persuasion is cōmon to all heretikes For the Lutherans doo no lesse carnestly exact this of their followers then do the Zwinglians and Anabaptistes of theirs when in the meane tyme fyer and water do not more disagree then the doctrines of these men do one from an other so as it cānot be by any reason but some of them are leekly rather by the handes of diuells to be throwen into the bottomles pyt of hell ▪ then that the
sake thow entrest into disputation by the scriptures to the end thow mayest confirme him in the trowthe hāging yet doubtfull is leeke inowgh to faull deeper in to heresies when he shall see thow hast profitted nothing the matter remayning in euē termes of defence and denyall Surely of this arguing to and fro he shall departe more vncertayn then he was before not knowing whether of the two is the heresie But this argument may they also agayn retourne vnto vs. For it is necessary for them allso to saye that by vs the scripture is falsefyed that wee do wrongely expounde them and they therefore will nedes take vpō them to defend the trowth VVe must not therfore appeale to the scriptures wherin the victory is none at all or ells vncertayn or not very manifest For albeit we supposed the conference of scriptures should not so faull owt betwene Catholikes and heretikes that it should set vp both sydes a leeke yet the order of thinges required that this pointe should first be propownded which now lyeth only in question As to whom the very fayth belongeth whose be the scriptures frō whom by whom when and to what teachers that doctrine was deliuered wherby wee are made Christians After the same sorte writeth Clemens Alexandrinus one that liued aboute that time also If sayth he they which followe heresies dare at any time vse the scriptures first they will neuer vse them all nor wholle nor as the very body and text of the scripture speaketh but choosing foorth those things which are ambiguous and doubtfull they turne them into their owne priuat opinion gathering here and ther a fewe wordes as it were flowers and not considering what is signified by them but only abusing the bare and naked termes In euery word almost which they bring foorth you shal fynd them stickyng in the only names and termes and quyte swaruyng frō the significatiō therof VVhat could be written better or what more aptly to the matter now in hand then that which we fynd writtē by that most lernyd mā Tertulliā He sheweth vs that the vsage of heretikes was to talke mych of the scripture to persuade by scripture and to holde foorth the scripture But in the meane tyme he admonissheth vs to stop them at that step and that they bee not admitted to any disputation of the scriptures for that they haue no interest or possession theryn sins the Catholikes do prescribe in the possession therof He allso bringeth for proofe herof the testimony of S. Pawll who forbiddeth vs to wast tyme in cōtending with heretikes For that allwayes debate breedyth debate and of argumēt groweth argumēt so as ther is lyke to be no end of brauling and cōtētiō wher a mā hopeth to ouercome obstinat persons by disputatiō For neither wāt they wordes at any tyme and their frowardnesse geueth thē courage neuer to be tyered with cōtention So as it is farre better to auoyde all occasiōs of cōtending with them which is the thing they seeke and to refrayne brawlyng with them by disputation for so myche as therby is that owld prouerb often verefyed By to myche altercation the trowth is lost But see whether those wordes written by Tertullian that this heresie admitteth not some scriptures and so foorth as before be not very truly spoken of the heretikes of our tyme The first fownder wher of did he not I praye you opēly vse the same hatchet to cut of the scriptures which were contrary to his purpose which Tertullian sayth Marciō the heretike did at that time vse He taught only fayth to suffise both to our saluation and iustification And seing that this his doctrine could not stand if the canonicall Epistle of Saint Iames remayned in forse straight waye taking his hatchet in his hand he cut the same of from his booke saying This shall haue no place in my Bibles Loe the imperious auctoritee of the man He caullyth them his Bibles wherby he shewyth they haue no fellowship with the Bibles of the Catholyke Churche Hee tawght also prayers and sacrifice for the dead to be superfluous and herunto seing that parte of the scriptures to be directly contrary which for the more parte all the owld catholyke writers bring foorth of the Machabees he katcheth ageyne his hatchet and cutetth of also that booke He tawght farther that all things came to passe by a certayne absolute necessitee and that wee owght to be certayn and sure of grace and saluation Against this his opinion maketh that which is written in the booke of wisedom and in Ecclesiasticus He therfore with his hatchet cutt of also these bookes So wee see that those scriptures which serued not his purpose he receiued not but taking his hatchet in hand cut them out of his Bibles Nowe those scriptures which he did receyue and allowe did he not by his additiōs and detractions peruert them to his owne priuat purposes making of good Latyne lewd high Dutche VVhich is layd to his charge not only by the Catholikes but allso by the sectaryes them selues And yf he did receyue any scriptures whole and sound did he not deuise therunto strange or rather mere contrary expositions which thing we allso see doon by the rest of the heretikes who be no lesse diuers among them selues then contrary to the catholikes in expounding the scriptures which thing to haue lykewyse been doon by the heretikes of his tyme Tertullian remembreth From their owne rules sayth he them selues do varye whilest euery of them do pype after his owne volūtary those things which he hath receiued euen as he that first deliuered thē framed the same by his owne fancye VVith such therfore as receiue no scriptures but suche as they leeke and those which they doo receyue wreast by addition and detraction to their owne purpose or ells deuyse therunto newe and straunge expositions Tertullian willeth vs in no wyse to enter into disputation of the scriptures but commaundeth them to be sett ouer to the Ecclesiasticall tradition VVhich his mynde euē Luther him self semeth to allowe when he hath to do with sacramētaries and Anabaptistes But you shal heare his owne wordes he sayeth VVee haue read what the holy fathers did in the councell of Nice so sone as they heard the heresie of Arius read they hissed it owt with one voyce and would not vouchesase to heare them that presented it nor suffer them to defend it but presently condemned them withowt any disputation as manifest blasphemers Moyses allso in his lawe commaunded that suche false teachers should be stoned to death Euen so in this case ther is no disputatiō to be vsed but suche manifest blasphemers are to be condemned withowt pleading their cause As Pawle allso commaundeth in the third chapiter of his Epistle to Titus that an heretike should be auoyded after one or two warnings He allso forbiddeth to Timothee all contentions and disputations as things which do nothing ells but
weyght Doo wee not heare MelancthoÌ„ complayne that where hee wrote the confession of Augspurg they now goo about to take from him the name and honour therof For the Illyricans doo gredely challenge that to them selues and labour to exclude from the same the MelaÌ„cthonists with their maister whom as in diuers other things they shewe to haue gone froÌ„ the mynd of his maister Luther so doo they lowdly charge him in the doctryn of the sacrament to haue ioyned him self to Caluin his lore Of which thing Caluin him self also dooth not a lytle glory Now yn that matter which they will haue to bee the summe of the Gospell which is os Iustification Lord how sore Melancthon and BreÌ„tius dissent the one from the other while Brentius defendeth Osianders opinion which the Melancthonistes thinke most execrable So amoÌ„g the disciples of Luther there is litle agreement of the principal doctrines of our religion wherof very contenciously they quarrell emong them selues and be as it were heretikes one to an other so as they neede not to be better blasoned then them selues blasone one an other VVherfore of right Luther must suffer by the lawe which him self gaue to others that there be no disputation allowed to the followers of his doctrine but that so sone as it apperith they be of that sort they bee presently coÌ„demned vnheard For it is no more trewe of the Zuinglians then of the Lutherans which is sayd by the disciples of Luther that they are to be restrayned not by writing but by the Mace and power of the magistrate especially synce neither these bringe almost any thing that was not more then a thousand yeres past condemned for heresie But wee may seeme to haue wandered somwhat from our purpose VVherfore let vs returne to the matter froÌ„ whence wee haue by occasion a litle declyned VVee haue shewyd you before that eueÌ„ at that tyme when that most auncient doctor Tertullian floorisshed heretikes vsed to vauÌ„t to talke and to holde foorth before them the scriptures and that Tertullian doth vtterly forbid all disputation with them or triall of the controuersies to be referred to the scriptures but would haue theÌ„ putt ouer to the tradition of the Churche But dooth not S. Cyprian allso complayne of the deceyts of the diuell who transfigureth him self as it were in to an aungell of light and suborneth his ministers leeke vnto the ministers of iustice teaching night for daye damnation for saluation desperation vnder the veyll of hoape infidellite vnder pretence of fayth and finally Antechrist vnder the name of Christ that while they falsly report thinges not all together vnleekly they may by their subteltie chase and driue awaye the very truth it self Nothing could be sayd more trewly then that which wee fynd to be written by Cyrill All heretikes gather the occasions of their errour owt of the scripture inspired by God corrupting those thinges by their owne malice which by the holy Ghost were well geuen and vttered and so kendling vpon their owne heddes an vnquenchable fier S. Augustin allso sayeth that heresies and peruers doctrine intangling and throwing downe headlong the sowles of men in to hâ—â—â— cometh of none other grownd but wheÌ„ thinges well written in the scriptures are not well vnderstanded and when that which is not well vnderstaÌ„ded is rashely and bouldly vtteryd for a truth And therfore S. Ambrose did thinke good in this sort to describe heretikes Heretikes sayth he are they which by the very wordes of the lawe do impugne the lawe for they adde vnto the wordes of the lawe their owne sence and vnderstanding that by the authorite of the lawe they may sett foorth the shrowdnes and malice of their owne mynd For wickedness knowing authorite to weygh muche worketh her snares vnder the name therof to the end that sythens an yll thing by it self can not be acceptable it may be commended to the world vnder the name of a good thing VVhen they which in the Councell of Carthage were by Agrippinus assembled sayd it was no trewe baptisme which was geuen by Schismatikes and heretikes did they not saye they so found it in the holy scriptures and seemed to coÌ„firme that their sentence by the expresse word of God This councell yet afterward by the auctoritte of the Churche was disanulled But let vs heare Vincentius Lirinensis talke of that matter So great excellency of witte sayth he was in those fathers suche flowing vaynes of eloquence suche a number of them that affirmed it so great leeklyhood of truthe in so many texts of the scripture but after a newe and yll sort vnderstanded that me thinke all their great agreement conspiring in one could neuer haue been ouerthrowen yf only the profession of nouelty which was the only cause of all that great styrre so much then mayntayned defended and extolled had not discredyted the whole matter They therfore were destitute not of textes and authoritees of scripture but of the trewe vnderstanding of them VVherfore S. Hilary doth very well warne vs. Remember sayth he that ther is no heretike but faulsly affirmeth that all the blasphemyes he vttereth are warrantyd by the auctoritee of scripture For hereof Marcion when he readeth the word of God vnderstandeth it not Hereof Photinus could not fynd by his doctrine Iesus Christ to be a man Herof Sabellius when he could not vnderstand this text My father and I be all one could not fynd God the father nor God the sonne Herof Montanus by his madde weemen went about to maynteyn a newe holy Ghost Herof Maniche and Marcion hated the lawe because they found it written the letter kylleth and the Prince of the world is the diuell They vtter all the scriptures without sence and pretend fayth withowt faith For the scriptures consist not in reading but in vnderstanding not in thwarting but in charitable consent and vnitee VVhom S. Hierom following in his booke against the Luciferians sayeth Let not heretikes flatter them selues if they seeme to fynd somwhat in some chapiters of the scripture which they thinke coÌ„firmeth their heresies since the diuell him self hath allso alleaged places owt of the scripture and the scriptures coÌ„sist not in reading but in vnderstaÌ„ding In leeke sort wryteth allso Athanasius of the ArriaÌ„s If sayth he meÌ„ reading some goodwordes of the holy scripture written in these fellowes bookes will therfore by and by take blasphemies for blessinges it will allso come to passe that wheÌ„ they see Iues of this our tyme diligeÌ„tly to read the lawe and the prophetes they will also with the Iues denye Christ Perhapps also hearing the Maniches vouche certayne places of the Gospells they will with them denye the lawe and the prophetes But if throwgh ignorauÌ„ce they do so boyll and babble let them learne out of the scriptures how the diuell him self the inuentour and deuiser of heresies for feare of
as we haue read talked vnto the heauēly father in this sort Certainly I can not herin be deceiued Thy word o heauenly father haue I beleued that receyued I of the holy Ghost as the sure word of truth And a litle after I knowe assuredly sayd he that this my doctrine which is the word of God in the daye of vpright iudgemēt shall not only iudge lordes kinges and the whole world but allso the Angells them selues Doth not this honest man thinke him selfe as sure that his doctrine is the expresse woord of God as Luther or Caluin and yett for all that both his Luthers and Caluines are in deed the expresse worde of the diuell But whereto in the end cometh this geare Strawnge and wonderfull it is For lo whyle in this sort euery sect seeketh to vsurpe vnto it self alone the word of God and the true vnderstanding therof there is sprong vp a certayne newe kind of prophets which feare not euē by the auctoritee of the scriptures to withdraw all auctoritee from the scriptures Lo wher to at last Sathan hath brought this reckening Forsooth to this that he hath drawē wretched men to that passe that looke what doctrine euery of thē hath by chaunce imbracyd the same should he firmly persuade him selfe to be the expresse worde of God and not suffer him self by any reasons to be drawen from it Now therfore this is apparant that neuer almost was ther any heretike which did not cōfirme his errour by the scripture and which affirmed not his opinion to be the very word of God The thing it self so she wyth this that farther demonstration needith not but yet the chief of all heretikes of this our age doth also testifie the same who writeth That the holy scripture hath now at the last obteynid this name to be caullyd the heretikes booke because all heresies deryue their course and origi nal spring frō thence But to what end is this will some man saye Doo you go about to extenuat the word of God and to withdrawe auctoritee from it Haue you browght vs foorth so many thinges to the end to shewe that who so euer vseth the testimony of the scripture is an heretike No God forbid that wee should so myche as thinke a thing so straunge and vnsitting for any Christian man No wee rather saye as S. Hillary whilom did Heresye is in the vnderstanding not in the scripture The sence not the text is blamed Nothing is more holy then the scripture nothing of more auctorite nothing next God more worthy of all honour But what thing cā be so holy which the enemie of man kind abuseth not to the destruction of man VVee must not thinke that God alwayes openeth their mowthes whō wee heare talke of the word of God and alleage the words of the scripture The most learned Origen did well note to vs that not seldō the diuel also openeth the mowth of syche as vtter the word of god who speaketh alye sayth he it is cer tayne the diuel openeth his mowth to vtter a lye But thow wilt saye how may he lye that bringeth foorth the testimony of the scriptures which no good man doubteth to haue proceded frō the holy Ghost the spirit of truth and from whom floweth all truthe Short and redy is the aunswer hereunto In the scriptures themselues which we knowe to haue ben inspired from God aboue ther can in deed be no lye But in the sence which man bringeth of whom it is written euery man is a lyar hee that will saye there can not be a lye what doth he ells but denye the saying of God and as it were charge the holy Ghost of Vntruth VVhat then will soome man saye yf euery man bee a lyar dooth it therfore followe that what so euer a man speaketh what so euer hee bryngeth owt of the holy scripture should therfore be a lye God forbidd I saye not so How shall I then knowe when hee vtteryth a lye This will the very Truth teache vs which can not lye For that sayeth whoo so euer vtteryth a lye vtteryth of his owne No man hath of his owne but synne and vntrouth But yf a mā haue any point of trouth or righteousnes that hath hee of God Hee therfore speakyth the truth which vtteryth not that is of him self but of God But thow wilt saye agayne Speakyth he not frō God which recyteth the very words of God and the testimonies of the scriptures Yow haue heard now not only once but often opened vnto yow by me that the diuel also alleageth testimonies of the scriptures and yet doth he not therfore speake the truth because he speaketh of his owne VVhat is this speaking of his owne It is when he bryngeth his owne sence of the scripture and not the sence and meaning of God For this is to bean heretike as before we taught out of S. Ambrose to buyld his owne sence vpon the wordes of the lawe and so by the wordes of the lawe to impugne the lawe But how shall I discerne when a man bryngeth his owne sence and when the true sence and meaning of God This will that notable doctour of the Church S. Augustine teache vs who in this sort speaketh vnto God Thy truthe lorde is neither myne nor his or his but common to vs all whom thow doost openly call to the communion therof terribly warning vs that we presume not to make the same priuat lest wee be depriued therof For who so euer doth challenge as proper to him self that which thow hast geeuen foorth to bee enioyed of all and will make that his owne peculiar which is common to all hee is throwen downe from that which is common to his owne that is to saye from truth to vntruth for hee that maketh a lye speaketh of his owne Doest thow now vnderstand whoo speaketh of his owne that is to saye whoo speaketh vntrought Truth thow seest is not his or his but is common to all All hath God caullyd publikely to the communion therof VVho so euer therfore maketh priuatt that is publyke whoo so euer challengith to him self and cōtenciously will make his owne proper that which by charitee is commō to all hee speakith of him self hee speakith an vntrouth For truth is not any wher ells but among all that is to saye in the Catholike or vniuersall Churche Therfore whoo so euer seekith owt any singular vnderstanding or inuenteth any strange and vnknowen expositions or bringeth to the world any newe and singuler opinions though hee shewe six hundreth testimonyes of the scriptures because hee vnderstādeth them not with that sence wich is receiued of the Catholike Churche but ioyneth therunto his owne proper and priuat exposition he speaketh of him self and therfore speaketh an vntrouth for the truth is not with any one but with all that is to saye in the Catholike Churche wherunto the light of sownd and true
any moderation or concorde namely syche as they would haue synce it is so truly written of the blessed martyr S. Cyprian There can be no socyetee between faith and infidelitee He that is not with Christ is agaynst Christ He that is enemy to his vnitee and peace can not ioyne with vs If they come with submission and satisfaction lett them be heard If they come with curses and threates let them be refused But where that lewde fellowe Vergerius writeth there is none other meane or hope of concord except the vniuersall papacy be suppressed see for Gods sake what sleyghtes these be of Sathan and to what end he tendeth in seeking so earnestly to ouerthrowe the papacy But that our saying may be the better beleeued wee wil rather bryng foorth his testimony of the papacy who so long as he liued held mortall warre against the same and whose word Vergerius adoreth as the very word of God then vse our owne wordes For thus writeth Luther in a certayne Epistle to ij parish priestes of the Anabaptisme I heare sayth he and see rebaptising taken in hand of some vpon this grownd that they would doo it in the despight of the Pope as men that will haue nothing of Antechrist Euen as the sacramentaries will haue in the sacrament but meer bread and wyne in despight of the Pope thinkyng them selues able by this meanes to suppresse the papacy Verely this foūdatiō is friuolous and vayne wherupon they can build no good thing For by that reason wee must denye al the holy scriptures and the office of preaching For all this haue wee from the Pope And then must wee make allso a newe scripture Then must wee forsake also the ould Testamēt lest we should seeme to haue any thing frō the infidell Iues. All this is but foolishnes For Christ allso found in the Iuishe nation abuse emong the Scribes and Pharisees yet did he not therfore reiect al things which they held and tawght But wee confesse that vnder the papacy is myche good Christianitee yea and all good Christianitee And that from thence it hath come vnto vs. Yea truly wee graunt that vnder the papacy is the true scripture the true baptisme the true sacrament of the aultar the true keyes of remission of synnes the true office of preaching the true Cathechisme which is the lords prayer the x. Commaundementes and the Articles of the Crede I say farther that vnder the papacy is the true Christianitee yea and the very true kernell of Christianitee And lest any man should thinke that Luther wrote this when as yet the light of the Euangelicall veritee wherof he so myche vaunteth had not shyned vpon him let him knowe that this Epistle was written by him the x. yere after he had cut him self of from the Churche of God at what tyme his name was very farre spred by the fame of his heresies Thus ye see how the truthe brake foorth from him against his will euen as it did thorowgh the throte of Balaam the prophet all be it he were an enemy of the truth See you now most vertuous kyng wherunto the deuyses of Sathan tend when by his sowldyar Vergerius and by others of that kynd he seeketh to haue the vniuersall papacy taken away For he seeketh therin by the verdit of Luther to haue taken away the true scripture true Baptisme the true Sacrament of the Aultar the true keyes of remission of synnes the true office of preaching the true Catechisme true Christianitee yea and the very true kernell of Christianitee And haue not these his deuises succeded as he would haue them First Luther sowght to take away the papacy and therunto he layd certayne foundations as we haue before shewed For first in despight of the Pope and the councell he graunted the cuppe to the laye people Then he abrogated aunciēt rytes and ceremonies and instituted newe Not long after of the number of the vy sacramentes he tooke away v. And last of all he ouerthrew together both sacrifice and priesthood But what came herof VVith in a short tyme after vp sprang Sacramētaryes and Anaptistes who tooke from vs those ij sacramentes allso of the aultar and baptisme which ij Luther had yet of his curtesy left vnto vs And that did they not more in hatred or desspight of the Pope then of Luther him self if wee may beleue Philip Melancthon For they seing Luther thus to play the Pope yea and more then a Pope could not broke this intollerable tyranny of the man After this foorth came the heauēly prophetes which tooke from vs both the scriptures and all externe ministery of preaching At the last owt of what darke caues I know not issued Campanus and Seruetus which sowght to pull from vs our Sauiour Christ speaking very blasphemously of his diuinitee This end at the last they attayned which laboured to ouerthrow the papacy and to do all thinges in despight of the Pope I vse somtyme most vertuous kyng to reade the triffles of those heretikes which are of no great name that I may knowe the better how things goe amongest them My happe was emong others to hyt vpon a certaine Germayne Luther an named Erasmus and not only by syr name but in deed rightly caulled All beere who wrote a booke against Carolstadius and other Sacramentaries Anabaptistes and image breakers Therein he telleth of one Iames Schēck how when at Berlin he preached to the people the word of Luther for the word of God he could not by any meanes be induced vpon the solemne feast day of Easter to preache of the Resurrection of our Lord but vpon Easter daye he would nedes preache of the Passion And of an other at Francfort that would in no wyse kepe the feast of Christmas daye And why I pray you Forsooth in despight of the Pope lest they should seeme in any thing to impart with the papacy that is to say with Christianitee they had rather all the memory of Christ his benefits were extinguisshed then they would celebrat the same with those Christians that acknowledge the Pope You see most vertuous Kyng what thinges haue followed wher the papacy hath been taken away And this very state of thinges Vergerius or rather the diuell by Vergerius his solliciter seeketh now to bring allso into your kingdom For this hath allwayes been an owld practyse of Sathan as wee reade written by the holy martyr S. Cyprian to infest and persecute in all he may the head ruler of the churche to the end that hauing taken away the master he might with the more violence and owtrage spoyle and ransacke the churche Neither haue heresies or schismes saith S. Cyprian risen of any other occasion then of that the priest of God is not obeyed and that one Priest for the tyme in the churche and one iudge for the tyme in stead of Christ is not thought vpon To
owne doctrine that they frame to the wordes of the scripture their owne priuat sence And that they contend not with vs about the sence and mynd of the scripture but about their owne sence vnderstādīg therof which rather thē we would adore as the pure word of God against the cōuiō sence and cōsent of the whole church we are redy to do and suffer all thinges For wee are persuaded that so to do were right idolatry Synce therfore wee haue at large shewed why wee can not agree with the enemyes of the Gospell which by the wordes of the Gospell assault the same and contend with vs about their owne mynd and not the mynd of the scripture wee will brieffly discourse the cause why we can not so do First the most seuere commaundements of God forbid vs to geue eare or consent vnto them according to these wordes If any man preache vnto you any other Gospel then that which ye haue receyued let him be accursed If any man speake blasphemie against the holy Ghost it shall not be remitted vnto him Flee from idoles Seeing therfore these men be syche as preache vnto vs a Gospell which wee haue not receyued and syche as speake blasphemy against the holy Ghost and seeke to be adored of vs as certayne idolls wee obeying the commaundements of God are iustly feared frō consenting with them And lest any man thinke wee applye these scriptures to our owne proper sence we will in fewe shewe how the auncient catholyke fathers haue expoūded them to the end euery man may plainly perceiue that wee doo very truly vse them against these enemyes of the Gospell And first who is ther to whō the name of Athanasius is not knowē and wel thowght of VVho as S. Cyrill writeth adorned heauen it self with the workes he wrote as it were with a most fragrant oyntment This father therfore in his booke which he intituled of the incarnation of Christ as it is by Cyrill cited vseth these wordes VVho so euer besyde these thinges teacheth out of the holy scripture that there is one sonne of God and an other sonne borne of the virgin Mary and adopted for a sonne only in suche sorte as wee men be so that there be two sonnes etc. Or yf any mā saye that the fleshe of our lord came from aboue and not of the virgin Mary or the whole diuinitee to haue been cōfounded or chaunged into the fleshe or the deitie of our lord to be passible or that the fleshe of our lord as of man is not to be adored this man dooth the holy and Catholyke churche accurse following therin the holy Apostles saying If any man preache vnto you any other Gospel thē that which ye haue receiued let him be accursed Behould this good Father whose memory in the churche is holy and immortal sayth he is accursed of the catholyke churche who so euer should go about to teache yea though it were owt of the holy scriptures any of these poyntes But o holy father by what auctoritee thinkest thou that may be done yf he teache the same owt of the scriptures For sooth sayth he by the auctoritee of S. Pawll who sayd If any man preache vnto you any other Gospell then that which ye haue receiued let him be accursed A marueilous matter The same sentence which the heretikes of our age haue allwayes in their mowthe wherby they thinke as with a ramme of Iron to assault and ouerthrow the whole auctoritee of the fathers and coūcells thou bringest foorth on the cōtrary syde To wyt yf any man shal goe about to saye yea though it be out of the scriptures the cōtrary of that which hath bene defyned in lawfull councells of the fathers especially generall and by them deliuered to vs from hand to hād thou thinkest him not only not to be harkened vnto but allso to be accursed and that wee must firmly remayne in that which wee haue receiued though a man bring neuer so many textes of scripture in apparence to the contrary Athanasius will not that the children should iudge of the decrees of the fathers He will not that syche thinges as hath once been tryed by the rule of the scriptures should agayne be caulled back to the same vnlesse they will shewe them selues not to be laufull children but the seed of the harlot and adulteresse which if they dare do let them crye tyll they be hoarse For it is writtē as the father of heretikes attempting Christ once did yet maketh he no doubt by the doctrine of S. Pawll to hould them accursed because they preache a contrary Gospell to that which they receiued But did holy Athanasius when he wrote thus teache vs to contemne and holde for nawght the expresse word of God No God forbid It was neuer any part of his thought but he would haue taken for the pure and expresse word of God that which the Catholikes and not which the heretikes browght foorth that sense I saye which the Catholikes not which the heretikes drewe foorth of the scriptures VVe fynd notably written by S. Hierome that the Gospell standeth not in the wordes of the scripture but in the sense not in the superficiall face or shewe but in the marye not in the leaues full of wordes but in the roote of reason You see now how the most earnest defender of the Catholyke and ryght faith produced these wordes of S. Pawl with whose only auctoritee namely synce he standeth in place of many we will for this tyme be content lest we seeme to long But yet agayne though perhapps wee maye herein doe otherwyse then becometh vs to the end the truth may the more plainly appere wee thinke it not amysse to bringe foorth euen an heretikes exposition of these wordes of S. Pawl and of that heretike whose mynd touching the sacramēt Melancthon is sayd to haue followed He therfore speaketh in this sort intreating vpon those very wordes of S. Pawll Note this worde of the Apostle Accepistis Ye haue receyued For styl the Apostle laboureth to this end that they should not hange as it were in the ayre vpon an vnknowen Gospell only by way of imagination but should hould for a certayne and sure definition therof that that was the true Gospell of Christ which was deliuered vnto them and which they had receyued He commaundeth therfore that they should be reputed for diuells which would presUme to bryng any other Gospell differing from his calling that another Gospell wherunto other mēs inuentions are ioyned And surely this his sentence though he were an heretike we can not but in this poynt very well allowe For he will not haue any vnknowen Gospell receyued but that which hath been deliuered vnto vs and which we haue allready before receyued But nowe that which is of these men termed the Gospell and the expresse word of God came to light in manner but yesterday and was to our fathers