about the true and lawfull sense of Scripture But now letting passe all those which haue beene set abroach in the tyme of Arius Macedonius Donatus and other auncient heretikes Infinite they are that occur in this present tyme of which I will set downe some as for example there is a controuersy 1. In what sense those words of Christ are to be vnderstood This is my body The Lutherans vnderstand it so this bread is my body The Caluinists this bread signifieth my body The Catholikes agree with neither of them 2. How that of S. Iohn is to be vnderstood Ioan. 3. 5â— Vnlesse a man be borne againe of the water and the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God The Catholikes and the Lutherans do vnderstand thereby the necessity of baptisme with water and also out of it do gather that infants without baptisme can in no wise be saued The Caluinists deny all this 3. What Christs meaning was when he spake these words to the young man of whom mention is made in S. Matthew If thou will enter into life keepe the comaundments Caluin interpreteth it to be spoken in iest the Catholikes hould it to haue beene sayd in earnest 4. Whether out of these words Iesus came the doores being shut and stood in the Ioan. 20. 26. midst of them may be gathered that Christ pierced the doores shut The Catholikes affirme it Others deny it And surely Oecolampadius he thinketh that whilest the doores were shut Christ crept in at the window others imagin I know not what chinkes by the which they say he entred in 5. Whether Christ spake of the Sacrament of the Eucharist when he sayd Vnlesse you eate the flesh of the sonne of Ioan. 6. 53. man and drinke his bloud you shall not haue life in you The Catholikes affirme it the Lutherans deny it 6. Whether Christ bindeth all lay men to receaue the Chalice when he saith Drinke yea all of this Caluin Cal. lib. 4. Instit c. 17. §. 47. §. 48. holdeth he doth There is a decree sayth he from the eternall God that all drinke And a little after They are wordes of him commaunding Drinke yee all of this Chalice But the Catholikes teach that these words only belonged to the Apostles as S. Marck declareth when he sayth Mark 14. 24. and they all dranke of it 7. Whether sinne he taken properly Rom. 6. 12. of the Apostle Let not sinne therefore raigne in your mortall body The Lutherans and the Caluinists hould that it is and from thence they gather that concupiscense of the which the Apostle there speaketh is originall sinne but the Catholikes teach that the word sinne is there improperly taken to wit for the cause of sinne because concupiscense though it be not properly a sinne yet it doth prouoke to sinne 8. Whether out of that place of S. Paul we account a man to be iustified by Rom. 3 28. fayth without the workes of the law may be gathered that only fayth iustifieth The Lutherans affirme it The Catholikes deny it 9. Whether that place of the Apostle But he shal be saued yet so as by fier be vnderstood of Purgatory fier The Catholikes do affirme it with S. Aug. vpon the 37. Psalme and other more ancient Fathers The Lutherans and the Caluinists deny it 10. Whether it may be gathered out of S. Paul that the Apostles had wiues where he sayth Haue we not 1. Cor. 9. 5. power to lead about a woman a sister as also the rest of the Apostles The Lutherans affirme it out of Luthers Glosse which is this of leading about a woman wiâ—e But truly the Catholikes will not admit this glosse 11. Of what fayth Christ speaketh when he sayth belieue only and she Luc. 8. 50. shal be safe The Lutherans interpret it to be iustifying fayth whose effect is the remission of sinne But the Catholikes vnderstand it of that fayth which Iarus Prince of the Sinagogue did beleeue that his daughter then dead could be raised againe by Christ 12. And what the sense of that place is Do good or euill if you can Out of Isay 41. 23. which Luther proueth that men haue not free will because they cannot do good and ill as they list The Catholikes laugh at this their argument because those words are not spoken to men but to the Idols of the Gentills which although they be worshiped of the Gentills as Gods yet they be not Gods because they can neyther profit their worshippers nor hurt their contemners 13. Whether out of that which is written of S. Iohn Baptist The infant in Luc. 1. 44. my wombe did leape for ioy may be gathered that all infants when they are baptized haue actuall fayth The Lutherans say yea the Catholikes no. 14. Whether God commaunded all to be maried when he sayd Increase Gen. 1. 28â— and multiply The Lutherans hould that in those words are implied a precept to marry But the Catholikes take it as Gen. 9. 1. a blessing giuen to mariage already contracted as appeareth in the text it selfe 15. Whether this place of S. Paul 1. Tim. 2. 5. There is one mediatour of God and men man Christ Iesus doth exclude the inuocation and intercession of Saints as the aduersaries affirme Or do not as we Catholikes maintaine and proue because it doth not exclude the inuocation of Saints vpon earth otherwise the Apostle world not haue sayd Brethren pray for vs. 1. Thess 3. 25. 16. Who are these two witnesses of whom is made mention in the 11. of the Apocalips And I will giue to my two wittnesses and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred sixty daies clothed with sack-clothes Some of our aduersaries say that Luther and Caluin are meant thereby Others the old and the new testament but the Catholikes say Henoch and Helias or Moyses and Helias 17. What that signifieth which is written of Antichrist in the Apocalips And he did great signes so that he also made fier to come downe from heauen Our aduesaries do vnderstand by fier descending Pow. lib. 1. de Ant. cap. 26. Bald. in dispu de Antiâ—h cap. 6. from heauen the Pope his excommunication as Powell the Caluinist and Balduinus the Lutheran do hould and hereby they proue that the Pope is Antichrist The Catholikes contemne these follies The Scripture cannot be the Iudge of these and the like Controuersies IT is certaine that in these and such like Controuersies which are about the sense of the Scripture some certaine iudge is needfull who may decide the same and plainly pronounce that this is true and not the other But now I will proue with two arguments that the Scripture it selfe cannot be this iudge The first is drawne out of that which I sayd before in this manner The Iudge so ought to pronounce sentence that both parties at variance may well vnderstand it otherwise he should pronounce it to no purpose But the Scripture when
the hairy crowne of them that walke in their sinnes Likewise when the Apostle sayth Epist 4. 11. Ibid. He gaue some Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastours Doctours His Question was how these names might be distinguished and also what office and function was due to each one What office for the Apostles what for the Prophets what for the Euangelists and what for Pastours and Doctours Moreouer he asked him this that Ibidem 1. Tim. 2. 1. seing the Apostle writeth I desire therefore first of all that obsecrations prayers postulations thanksgiuings be made for all men what difference could be made in these wordes Also what that signified that the Ibid. Rom. 11. 28. Apostle sayth of the Iewes According to the Ghospell indeed enemies for you but according to the election most deare for the Fathers Againe What that other place of S. Paul Ibid. Colo. 2. 18. meant Let no man seduce you willing in the humility and religion of Angells walking in the things which he hath not seene in vaine puffed vp by the sense of his flesh and not holding the head Euodius the Bishop asked of him Epist 98. 99. 1. Pet. 3. 19. what spirit it was of whom S. Peter spake in his first Canonicall Epist In the which spirit comming he preached to them also that were in prison Epist 120. Psal 120. Honoratus also what that speach of our Lord signified Deus Deus meus quare me dereliquisti Moreouer how that other place of Ibid. Eph. 3. 17. S. Paul was interpreted Rooted and founded in Charity that you may be able to comprehend withall the Saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth Who were also the fiue foolish Virgins and who were the wise Mat. 25. 2. Againe what was the outward Ibid. darknesse Matth. 22. 13. And how that place of S. Iohn was vnderstood the word was made flesh Ioan. 1. 14. Simplicianus asked him what that lib 1. ad Simpli quaest â— Rom. 7. 7. place of the Apostle meant where he sayth VVhat shall we say then is the law sinne God forbid and to that vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Ibid. quaest â—â— Rom. 9. 10â— lib. 2. quaest â— 1. Reg. 10. 10. 1. Reg. 16. 24. What was the meaning of that in S. Paul But Rebecca conceiuing of one copulation of Isaac our Father and all the rest forward to that Vnlesse the Lord of Saboath had left vs seed And how it is sayd in one place that the spirit of our Lord seized vpon Saul seing in another place it is written that a wicked spirit vexed him Ibid. quest 2. 1 Reg. 15. 21. Ibid. quaest 3. And in what sense it is sayd by God in the booke of Kings it repenteth me that I haue made Saul King And againe Whether that vncleane spirit which was in Pythonissa could make Samuel who was dead before come to see Saul and speake with him Also he asked him as concerning Ibid. quaest 5. 3. Reg. 17. 20. that speach of Elias O my Lord what euen the VVidow also by whom I am after a sort susteyned hast thou afflicted that thou would st kill her sonne Now by these questions it appeareth manifestly that the Scripture in many places is obscure and hard to be vnderstood And that many most learned men of whom we haue here made mention confessed themselues not to vnderstand many things without being instructed by more learned then themselues Now therefore let vs go forward in explicating what may be the causes of so great obscurity What are the causes why the Scripture is obscure I find two causes especially The one is drawne from the things themselues which are treated of in the Scripture The other from the manner of treating of them The things of the which the Scripture treateth are of foure kindes 1. Histories as in the booke of Genesis Exodus Numeri Deuteronomi Iosue the bookes of Iudges of Kings Paralipomenon Esdras Iudith Tobias Hester the Machabees also the Ghospel and the Acts of the Apostles Secondly Prophesies such as for the most part are contained in the psalmes in the greater and lesser Prophets and in the Apocalips of S. Iohn Thirdly misteries of our faith especially about the blessed Trinity the Incarnation of Christ about predestination and reprobation about the force and efficacy of the holy Sacraments about the presence of Christ in the Eucharist about iustifying fayth about the Resurection of the dead such like other poynts Fourthly Precepts and morall documents as concerning vertues and vices For albeit that neyther in these nor in histories there is perchance any great obscurity in regard of the things treated of yet notwithstanding there is great obscurity in the prophesies and misteries of fayth For these are aboue mans capacity and vnderstanding so that we 1. Cor. 13. 12. cannot perceiue them but after a darke manner as the Apostle sayth Now the manner of treating of these things oftentymes is obscure for these causes First because there be many improper speaches in the Scripture as figures allegories and parables vnder the whichly hidden many truthes the which are not presently vnderstood of the reader Also the obscurity thereof is increased by some word which is taken sometymes in the same sentence one while properly and another while figuratiuely as in this place for example Euery one that drinketh of this water shall Ioan. 4. 13. thirst againe but he that shall drinke of the water that I will giue him shall not thirst for euer Where to drinke of water and to thirst in the former part of the sentence is taken corporally and in the latter part spiritually And againe in the very same Chapter Do not you say that yet there are Ibid. v. 35. foure monthes and haruest cometh Behould I say to you lift vp your eyes and see the countries that they are white already to haruest For heare in the first place the word haruest is taken in it proper signification but in the latter figuratiuely And againe in the same Apostle Ioan. 9. 39â— For iudgment came I into this word that they that see not may see and they that see may become blind where the former part is taken for corporall sight and the latter for spirituall And in S. Paul Him who knew no sinne 2. Cor. 5. 21. for vs he hath made sinne Where sinne in one place is taken properly for sinne but in the other place figuratiuely for a sacrifice offered for sinne for the sense Vide. Orig 3. com in Epist ad Rom. Augu. lib. 2. de consen Euangelist cap. 30. of that place is that it was Gods will that Christ who neuer had sinned should be a sacrifice for the sinne of mankind Secondly not only figures are found in the words as I haue already shewed but also in the very things themselues For one
you their iudgments 13. Answere not a foole according Pro. 26. 4. Ibid. Sap. 1. 13. to his folly least thou be made like to him contrary to that Answere a foole according to his folly least he esteeme himselfe to be wise 14. God hath not made death contrary Eccles 11. 14. to that Good things and euill life and death pouerty and honesty are of God Sap. 11. 25. 15. Thou louest all things that are hatest nothing of those which thou hast made contrary to that Iacob I loued Rom. 9. 13. Eccl. 10. 15. 1. Tim. 6. but Esau I hated 16. The beginning of all sinne is prvde contrary to that the roote of all euill is couetousnesse 17. Do good to the humble giue Eccl. 12. 6. Luc. 6. 30. not to the impious prohibite to giue him bread contrary to that giue to euery one that asketh thee 18. They that eate me shall yet Eccl. 24. 28. Ioan. 4. 13. hunger and they that drinke me shall yet thirst contrary to that he who shall drinke of the water which I will giue him shall not thirst for euer 19. As yet fourty dayes and Niniue Ioan. 3 4. Ioan. 4. 11. shal be subuerted contrary to that shall not I spare Niniue the great Citty 20. Gratis you haue receiued Gratis Mat. 10. 8. Luc. 10. 7. giue you contrary to that the workman is worthy of his wages 21. Take nothing in the way neyther skrip shooes nor rod contrary to Math. 10. 10. Marc. 6. 8. that and he hath commaunded them that they should take nothing in the way but a rod only 22. After 6. daies Iesus tooke Peter Mat. 17. 1. Luc. 9. 28. Iames and Iohn contrary to that It came to passe after these words almost eight dayes and he tooke Peter c. 23. But if thy brother shall offend Mat. 18. 15. against thee go and rebuke him betweene thee and him alone contrary to 1. Tim 5. 20. that Them that sinne rebuke before all that the rest also may haue feare 24. None is good but one God Mar. â—0 19. Luc. 6. 45. contrary to that The goodman of the good treasure of his hart bringeth forth good 25. Go preach the Ghospell to euery Mar. 16. 15. Math. 10. 5. creature contrary to that Into the way of the Gentiles do not go and into citties of the Samaritans enter yee not But go to the sheepe that are perished of the house of Israell 26. You are they that haue remained Luc. 22. 28. Math. 26. 31. with me in my temptations contrary to that you shall all suffer scandall in me 27. If I giue testimony of my selfe Ioan. 5. 31. my testimony is not true contrary to Ioan. 8. 14. this Although I giue testimony of my selfe my testimony is true 28. I do not receaue testimony of Ioan. 5. 34. Ioan. 15. 27. man contrary to this And you shall giue testimony of me 29. He that eateth my flesh and Ioan. 6. 55. Ibidem v. 63. drinketh my bloud hath life euerlasting contrary to that It is the spirit that quickneththe flesh profitteth nothing 30. All things whatsoeuer I haue Ioan. 15. 15. Ioan. 16. 1â— heard of my Father I haue notified vnto you contrary to this I haue yet many things to tell you 31. Mary Magdalen came earely to Ioan. 20. 1. Mar. 16. 2. the monument when it was yet darke contrary to that she came to the monument the sunne being now risen 32. Circumcision indeed profiteth Rom. 2. 25. if thou obserue the Law contrary to that Behould I Paul tell you that if you be circumcised Galat. 5. 2. Christ will profit you nothing 33. VVe account a man to be iustified by Rom. 3. 28. Iames 2. 20. 24. Rom. â— v. 19. Act. 7. v. 51. Rom. 11. v. 34â— 1. Cor. 2. v. 16. 1. Cor. 13. v. 3. faith without works Contrary to that of S. Iames Fayth if it haue not workes is dead in it selfe And againe you see that man is iustified by workes and not by fayth alone 34. For who resisteth his will contrary to that you alwaies haue resisted the holy Ghost as also your Fathers 35. VVho hath knowne the mind of our Lord contrary to that But we haue the sense of Christ. 36. If I shall distribute all my goods to be meate for the poore and haue not charity it doth Luc. 11. v. 41. profit me nothing contrary to that giue almes and all things are cleane to you 37. And as in Adam all dy so also in Christ 1. Cor. 13. v. 32. Ioan. 5. v. 21. Galat. 1. v. 10. 1 Cor. 10. v. 33. all shal be made aliue contrary to that The Sonne quickneth whom he will 38. Do I seeke to please men If I yet did please men I should not be the seruant of Christ contrary to that be without offence euen as I in all things do please all men 39. Beare ye one anothers burden Galat. 6. 2. Ibid. v. 5. contrary to this Euery one shall beare his owne burden 40. God inhabiteth light not accessible contrary to that Come to him 1. Tim. 6. 16. Psal 33. 6. 1. Iohn 1. 8. 1. Ioan. 3. 9. and you may be illuminated 41. If we shall say that we haue no sinne we seduce our selues contrary to that Euery one that is borne of God commiteth not sinne These and such like apparent contradictions which are found in many places of the Scripture oftentimes do trouble the reader and cause excessiue paines and labour euen to the most learned of all The auncient Fathers do giue testimony of this who spent much tyme in the according of these and such like contradictions as S. Augustine for example wrote certaine bookes of the agreement amongst the Euangelists and diuers others also who tooke great paines in interpreting the Scripture whose labours if we had not beene partaker of we should haue yet beene ignorant and blind in many matters of great importance And thus far about the third cause of obscurity in Scripture The fourth ariseth vpon this that often tymes the words of Scripture make a doubtfull sense by reason of the want of some distinction For sometymes where a distinction is needfull there is none at all Which most commonly happeneth in these cases 1. When it maketh mention of God 2. When of Christ 3. When it insinuateth the coming of Christ 4. When it speaketh of the Church For there belongeth vnto God eyther Vnity of essence or Trinity of persons To Christ eyther the humane nature or diuine Moreouer Christs comming is twofould the one in his natâ—uity the other in the day of IudgmeÌ„t Also the Church is eyther militant vpon earth or triumphant in heauen Therefore when the Scripture maketh mention eyther of God or of Christ or of the Church it is doubtfull and obscure in what sense there they are to be taken as if it speake of God whether it
and the other Phacee King of Israel passage is made presently to the B. Virgin Behould sayth he a virgin shall conceaue and shall bring forth a sonne and his name shal be called Emanuel And in the 14. Chapter where the Prophet passeth from the king of Babilon vnto Lucifer and in the 71. Psalme passage is made from Salomon vnto Christ All the kings of earth shall adore him Vide D. Hieron l. 5. in psal cap. 16. and in the sixt Chapter of S. Iohn the Euangelist passeth from barly loaues to the Eucharistical or Sacramental bread And so often tymes in other places The sixt obscurity ariseth from this that in the Histories of Scripture things are not set downe in that order in which they were done In like manner that the computation of yeares doth not appeare plaine and manifest Lastly that certaine bookes often tymes are cited which if they were extant they would help the reader very much but seeing they are not to be found they leaue him doubtfull in suspence as are these which follow 1. The booke of the warres of our Numer 21. v. 14. Iosue 10. v. 13. 3. Reg. 11. v. 41. 3. Reg. 14. c. Lord. 2. The booke of the Iust 3. The booke of the words concerning the daies of Salomon 4. The booke of the speaches concerning the dayes of the kings of Iuda and the kings of Israel 5. The booke of Samuel the Prophet 1. Paral. 29. v. 29. Ibidem concerning the acts of Dauid 6. The booke of Nathan the Prophet concerning the same things 7. The volume of Gad the Prophet Ibid. 2. Paral. 9. v. 19. Ibid. Ibid. 8. The booke of Nathan the Prophet concerning the acts of Salomon 9. The booke of Achias the Silonite of the same 10. The vision of Addo the Prophet 2. Paral. 20. v. â—4 against Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat 11. The history of the kings of Israel written by Iehu the sonne of Hanan â— Paral. 26. v. 22. 12. The history of king Ozias written by Isay the sonne of Amos. 13. The sermons of Ose concerning 2. Paral 33. v. 19. 2. Paral. 35. v. 25 Iere. â—6 v. 6. the deedes of Manasses 14. The lamentation of Ieremy in the funerall of king Iosias 15. The volume of Ieremy concerning the ruine of the Citty and the captiuity of the people 16. The booke of Ieremy concerning Iere. 51. v. 61. 1. Machab. 16. v. 24. 2. Macha 2. 1. the destruction of Babilon 17. The booke of the tyme of the preisthood of Iohn Hircanus 18. Descriptions of Ieremy the Prophet 19. The booke of Henoch Epist Iâ—dâ— Apostoli Besides these causes there are many others the which I will touch in passing For first somtymes there are many sentences couched together betweene the which eyther there is no connexion or at least the connexion doth not appeare 2. Hebrew words occur the which of few are vnderstood 3 Oftentymes the answere which is made seemeth not to be so fit to the purpose of the question propounded 4. Very often words are doubtfull so that it cannot be discerned in what sense they are to be taken as in this place of the first to the Corinthians For other foundation no 1. Cor. â— v 11. man can lay besides that which is layd which is Christ Iesus And if any man build vpon this foundation gould siluer precious stones wood hay stubble the worke of euery one shal be manifest for the day of our Lord will declare because it shal be reuealed in fier and the worke of euery one of what kind it is the fier shall try If any mans worke abide which he built thereupon he shall receaue reward if any mans worke he shall suffer detryment but himselfe shal be saued yet so as by fier This place without doubt is most hard 1. Because it is hard to vnderstand what is meant by gould siluer hay and stubble 2. What is meant by the day of our Lord. 3. What by fier 4. What it is to burne and to suffer detriment Lastly what it is to be saued so as by fier Whereupon S. Augustine writeth Aug. in l. dâ—â—iâ—e oper c. 15 plainly that this is one of these places of which S. Peter spake in his last epistle when he sayd there are some things in the epistles of S. Paul hard to be vnderstood Petr. â—ost epist 3. 16. That other place of S. Paul is as hard VVhat shall they do that are baptized 1. Cor. 15. â—â— for the dead if the dead rise not againe at all why also are they baptized for them for it is not easy to explicate what to be baptized signifieth in this place and what to be baptized for the dead As concerning the which six diuers opinions are extant in Bellarmine Bel. lib. 1. dâ— Purg. c. 4. Likewise in the same Apostle this sentence is found It is impossible for them that were once illuminated haue tasted also of the heauenly guift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost haue moreouer tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come and are fallen to be renewed againe to pennance crucifying againe to themselues the sonne of God Which wordes are most obscure and by the ill vnderstanding of them the heresy of the Nouatians arose in S. Cyprians tyme who sayd that neyther penance nor pardon was to be giuen to them that fell and therefore they called themselues Catharos that is pure and cleane And this is sufficient about the causes whereby the Scripture according to the true and lawfull sense therof is very hard and obscure There remayneth yet another question which shal be briefly examined Wherefore is it Gods will that the Scripture should be obscure THIS truly is a great question and worthy to be sought out wherefore the Scripture being by reason of the things themselues and the misteries therein conteined very obscure is made yet more obscure by reason of the manner of treating thereof and this according vnto the will and disposition of God And wherefore rather by his will and disposition are not those mysteries which seeme obscure by themselues so clearely propounded that there may be no difficulty to any in the vnderstanding of them Truely there be diuers reasons of this of the which I will here set downe some few The first reason is Because God as he is willing that an order be kept in al other things euen so also in his Church to wit that there should be some who might teach and some who might be taught which order could not be kept if the Scripture were so plaine that it might easily be vnderstood of all to the which that place of S. Paul doth belong He gaue some Apostles and some Prophets and Eph 4. 11. other some Euangelists and other som pastours and Doctours to the consumation of the Saints vnto the worke of the ministery vnto the edifying of the body of
naturall water For in another place it is called fier as in S. Luke He shall baptize Lue. 3. v. 1â— you in spirit and fier and yet it is not vnderstood of true fire Therefore how can it appeare that in the former place true water is to be vnderstood or how will the Lutherans proue it against the Caluinists Not by any other meanes then by the practise order and tradition of the Church Another Christ in his last supper did not only institute the blessed Sacrament but also he adioyned the washing of feete and in the institution of the blessed Sacrament he sayd Eate and drinke but in the washing of eete and you ought one to wash the feete of another Here the Aduersaries say that in the first words there is a precept but not in the last And so the faythfull by Gods commaundment are obliged to receaue the blessed Sacrament in both kindes but not so to the washing of feete Now I aske how they are certaine of this or by what pretence do they thinke themselues bound to the receauing of both kyndes and yet free from the washing of feet Certainly they cannot pretend the words of Scripture For they seeme rather to shew the contrary For these words Eate and drinke seeme to signify no more of themselues then if a hous-keeper should say to his guests eate and drinke and be merry And if the hous-keeper should say so it would not be thought that be meant thereby to bynd them by a precept Therefore seing Christ spake in the same manner how is it certaine that he intended by that manner of speaking to oblige all the faythfull to the receauing of both kinds But these wordes You ought to wash the feete of one another seeme to signify a precept no lesse then if the maister should say to the seruant Thou must couer the table How therefore know they that by these words they are not obliged to wash the feete of one another seing the words themselues do shew plainly an obligation Only by the practise and Tradition of the Church For the Church neuer hath vsed this washing as necessary which notwithstanding she would haue done if shee had thought that she had beene obliged to it and that by Christs commaundment I omit many like examples which are easy to be found And out of these I conclude thus The Scripture may be considered two waies 1. According to the bare and outward letter 2. According to the inward sense which is intended of the holy Ghost But neyther of these two waies can it be iudge of Controuersies Not the former way as we haue proued in the first part of this second argument Neither as it is taken in the second way because the sense of the Scripture often tymes is so obscure and doubtfull that there is need of some other iudge who may define this to be the true meaning which is intended of the holy Ghost and not any other contrary And this is sufficient about the second Argument drawne from the Scripture THE III. ARGVMENT Which is drawne out of the Controuersies them selues THIS argument thus I propound There are many Controuersyes about fayth and Religion of the which in the Scripture there is no mention made at all or at least not so much as is sufficient so that the Scripture may giue sentence of them therefore in deciding of them some other iudge is to be sought Such Controuersyes be these The first whether the Bookes of Toby Iudith VVisedome Ecclesiasticus the Machabees be Canonicall land diuine The Lutherans and the Caluinists say no. But the Catholikes say the contrary Now who must be iudge to decide this contention The Scripture cannot be Neither the Lutherans nor the Caluinists which is well to be noted do appeale to the Scripture but to the Canon and tradition of the Iewes They say therefore that those Bookes cannot be found in the Canon of the Iewes which is extant in S. Hierome and therefore they are not to be accouÌ„ted Canonicall and Diuine Hence they confesse that in this case there ought to be some other iudge besides the Scripture And who is that The tradition of the Iewes say they But is not this strang to see our Aduersaries make more reckoning of Iewes then of Christians For although they be desirous to be accounted Christians they are deadly enemyes to the traditions of Christ and his Apostles and yet notwithstanding make great accompt of the Iewes traditions Wherefore say they not rather with S. Augustine Not August l. â—8 de ciuit Dei c. 36. the Iewes but the Church holdeth the Bookes of the Machabees for Canonicall or with Isidorus The Iewes do not receaue the bookes of Toby Iudith and the Machabees but the Church doth number them among the Canonicall Scriptures Ifidor in l. Proâ—m de lib. vet noâ— Test And in the same place The Booke of VVisedome and Ecclesiasticus are knowne to haue the like authority that other Canonicall Bookes haue The second is how many Sacraments there be of the new Law Our aduersaries say but two Baptisme and the Lords supper The Catholiks beleeue seauen But what sayth the Scripture Nothing as concerning any certaine number and therefore it cannot be the Iudge in this Controuersy From whence therefore receaue the Catholikes the number of seauen if not out of Scripture From the tradition and consent of the Church From whence the aduersaryes the nuÌ„ber of 2. Let them looke from whence Truly they haue it not from the Scripture but if they thinke they haue let them performe these three things First let them shew out of Scripture that the name of a Sacrament is attributed to Baptisme and to the Eucharist and not as well to Confirmation Order Pennance Matrimony and Extreme Vnction Secondly out of Scripture let them define a Sacrament Thirdly let them shew that the definition agreeth fitly with Baptisme and the Eucharist and not as well to the rest If they can do this they do something but that they neither wil nor euer can do this I am most certaine For first where will they find in Scripture that the name of a SacrameÌ„t is attributed to Baptisme and the Eucharist Truly in no place But I will find where it is applyed to Matrimony For so writeth the Apostle For this cause shall man leaue his Father and Mother Eph. 5. 31. shall cleaue to his wife and they shall be two in one flesh This is a great Sacrament But I speak in Christ in the Church As though he had sayd That a man shall leaue his parents and cleaue to his wife This is a great Sacrament because it is a signe of the vnioÌ„ of Christ with his Church that is the mariage of Christ and his Church Secondly where will they find Luth. in l. de captiu Bab â— vlt Melan. in ep Conf. August art 13. Mel. in locis ommunâ—â—us tit dâ— numero Sacramentorum in the Scripture the definition of
of the Romaine Church 5. Whether the Creed be Canonicall and Apostolicall 6. Whether in the old Testament there was some outward remedy for women against originall sinne THE IIII. ARGVMENT Which is taken out of the vse and practise of the old Testament where not the Scripture but the Bishop was acknowleged for the Iudge IT is certaine that in the old Testament all legall controuersies which were of great moment were to be ended and decided by the High Priest as by the supreme Iudge vpon earth and not by the Scripture only Witnesse of this is Ioseph in these wordes The high Priest doth offer vp sacrifice to God before all other Priests he keepeth the lawes he is iudge of controuersyes he punisheth offenders whoseuer is disobedient to him is punished as impious against God And this is plainly deduced out of that place of Deuteronomy If thou perceaue Deut. 17. 8. that the iudgment with thee be hard and doubtfull betweene bloud and bloud cause and cause leprosy and not leprosy and thou see that the words of the Iudges within thy gates do vary arise and go vp to the place which thy Lord thy God shall choose and thou shalt come to the Priests of the Leuiticall stocke and to the Iudge that shall be at that tyme and thou shalt aske of them who shall shew thee the truth of the iudgment neither shalt thou decline to the right hand nor to the left hand but he that shall be proud refusing to obey the Commandment of the Priest which at that tyme ministereth to our Lord thy God and the decree of the Iudge that man shall dye About this passage we must note first that amongst the Iewes there were diuers Controuersyes in this two especially are recorded The one concerning bâ—oud The other concerning leprosy but in other places we find foure as in the second of Paral p. in these words VVheresoeuer there is question of the 2. Paral. 19. v. 10. Law of the Commandment of Ceremonyes of iustification Where Lyranus tells vs that some did arise out of the Law of the Decalogue some out of the morall Commandments which are not in the Law of the Decalogue some out of the Ceremonial Precepts belonging to the worship of God Some lastly out of those which were iudiciall and very conuenient for the preseruing of outward peace and iustice Againe we must note that in euery Citty there were placed inferiour iudges who according to their office were bound to decide such Controuersyes as is set downe in the 16. of Deuteronomy Deut. 16. 18. Iudges and Maisters shalt thou appoint in all thy gates which our Lord thy God shal giueÌ„ thee in euery of thy Tribs that they may iudge the people with iust iudgement and not decline to either part And againe he appointed iudges of the Land in all the fenced Cittyes 2. Paral. 19. 5. of Iuda in euery place Moreouer we must obserue that when inferiour Iudges could not agree amongst themselues nor decide those conferences which were presented to them for some peculiar difficulty then they were forced to repaire to HierusaleÌ„ to those who were superiour iudges ouer whome the high Priest was President or supreme iudge to whose sentence all were bound to obey vnder paine of death This is plaine out of the words which are set downe before Duet 17. 8. From hence we gather that there was a double Tabernacle seat or CouÌ„cell amongst the Iewes the one was greater the other lesse Between them there was great difference First because the greater was only at HierusaleÌ„ the lesser in euery Citty 2. In the greater were decided matters of greater moment in the lesser those which were easy 3. In greater the high Priest was President not so in the lesser 4. It was lawfull to appeale from the lesse to the greater not so from the greater to the lesser 5. In the greater there was 70. persons besides the high Priest in the lesser 23. 6. The greater was called Mark 14. â—5 Luc. 9. 22. Act. 4. 5. Sanedrin or Synedrion or the Councell of the Elders the lesser not so Of the greater is often made mention in the Ghospell Both these Councells had their beginning vnder Moyses The lesser was ordayned according to the Counsell of Iethro but the greater according to the Commandment of God The occasion of ordeyning the lesser is described in Exodus in these wordes And the next day Exod. 18. 13. Moyses sate to iudge the people who stood by Moyses from morning vntill night which thing when his Allyed had seene to wit all things that he did in the people he sayth VVhat is this thou dost in the people VVhy sittest thou alone and all the people attendeth from morning vntill night To whome Moyses answered The people cometh to me seeking the sentence of God and when any Controuersy chanceth among them they come vnto me to iudge betweene them and to shew the Precepts of God and his lawes But he sayd Thou dost not well thou art tyred with foolish labour both thou and this people that is with thee the busines is aboue thy strengh thou alone canst not susteine it But heare my words and counsells God shall be with thee Be thou to the people in these thinges that pertaine to God to report their wordes vnto him and to shew to the people the ceremonyes and rite of worshipping and the way wherein they ought to walke and the worke that they ought to do and prouide out of all the people men that are wise and do feare God in whome there is truth and that do hate auarice and appoint of the Tribunes and Centurions and Quinquagenarians Decanes which may iudge the people at all tymes and what great matter soeuer shall fall out let them referre it to thee and let them iudge the lesse matters only Of the Institution of the greater Councell thus we read And our Lord Num. 11. 16. sayd to Moyses Gather me seauenty men of the ancients of Israell whom thou knowest to be the ancients of the people and Maisters and thou shalt bring them to the dore of the Tabernacle of Couenant and thalt make them to stand there with thee that I may descend and speake to thee and I will take off thy spirit and will deliuer it to them that they may sustaine with thee the burden of the people and thou only be not Ibid. v. 24 burdened And in another place Moyses therfore came and tould the people the words of our Lord assembling seauenty men of the ancients of Israel whom he caused to stand about the Tabernacle and our Lord descended in a cloud and spake to him taking away off the spirit that was in Moyses giuing it to the seauenty men And when the spirit had rested on them they prophesied neither ceased they any more But when the Councell was almost ouerthrowne it was restored againe by Iosaphat King of Iuda as is related in
letter and the sense The letter killeth as the Apostle sayth and is cause of many heresies as was shewed by diuers examples The sense oftentymes is obscure and doubtfull both for the apparent contradictions which are found in euery place also for many other causes which before were numbred and therefore there is need of some Iudge who may manifestly desine that this is the lawfull sense and that the vnlawfull Thirdly out of the Controuersies themselues because there are many controuersies of the which no mention is made in the Scripture and so consequently can neyther be defined out of Scripture Fourthly out of the vse and custome of the old TestameÌ„t where the Scripture did not vse the office of a Iudge but high Preist who was Prince of the Sinagogue whose precept was to be obeyed vnder paine of death Fiftly by the vse and practise of the new Testament wherein all Controuersies hitherto haue beene decided by the Prelates of the Church Sixtly out of the proportion of Ciuill causes which are not decided by the written law but by the Prince of the Common wealth nor according to the rule of the written law only but also according to the ancient customes not written The other is to shew that the testimonies of Scripture which are obiected against vs eyther to be nothing to the purpose or to be rather for vs theÌ„ Isa 8. 20. against vs and not to be expounded truly by them as for example To the law testimony is nothing to the purpose because it is not vnderstood of Iâ—an 5. 39. Controuersies of fayth but of the future euents of casuall things And also that other place Search the Scriptures doth rather helpe vs then our aduersaries For Christ when he sayd this to the Iewes did not dispute with them out of Scripture only as our aduersaries would haue vs beleeue but also out of the testimony of S. Iohn Baptist to the which he added the testimony of Miracles and also the voice of God the Father speaking downe from heauen therefore he neuer dreamed that Scripture only was the Iudge of Controuersies The rest as I haue shewed are no better expounded by our aduersaries as out of our confutation the Reader if he bâ— but indifferent may easily perceaue himselfe An Obiection of the vulgar people aginst all that hath beene hitherto sayd MANY that be of the more simple 〈◊〉 thus obiect against vs. The Iudge of Controuersies in matters of fayth ought to be so infallible that he cannot erre Because if he erre all others following him should be deceaued in imbracing his opinion But now it is most plaine manifest of the one part that the scripture is infallible seing it is the very word of God which can by no meanes erre and of the otherside that no man can be infallible is no lesse certaine seing that euery man is a lyar and not any one can be found who is Rom. 3. 4. not subiect to errour According to that of S. Paul God is true but euery man a lyar Therefore the Scripture may be an infallible iudge Men seing they be lyars cannot But the Pope is a man the Church is nothing but a congregation of men Therefore the Pope the Church are lyars and may erre And so consequently none is safe and secure in matters of fayth who followeth their doctrine This obiection if there be any force in it is no lessle against our aduersaries then against vs. For if euery man be a lyar and may erre it followeth also that Moyses all the Prophets Apostles Euangelists Luther also and Caluin al the Lutherans and Calumisticall preachers are lyars and subiect to errour because they are men therefore they are not to be beleeued or trusted in any thing whatsoeuer and they ought to bee doubted of accounted as vncertaine Where then is fayth Neyther doth it help them to say that they preach the word of God and not of man for if they be lyars euen in so saying they may ly Nothing therefore is certaine But God forbid that we should eyther say so or thinke so For it is far otherwise And first we confesse that the scripture is certaine and infallible because it is the word of God But this we add that seing it is obscure the lawfull sense thereof is not manifest to euery one And therefore that there is need of some other iudge who may infallibly deliuer which is the true and lawfull sense of scripture But euery priuat man cannot be this Iudge because otherwise there would be as many diuers Iudges as there be diuers heads and opinions And so no controuersy could euer be composed For euery one would say that he vnderstood it rightly and al other falsly Therfore it is necessary that there be some publique Iudge who with authority may haue power to decide and end the matter betwixt the parties at contention Moreouer we affirme that men may Gen. â—â—1 â— psal â—â— 6. be considered two waies First as they are the Children of Adam subiect to diuers corruptions of nature And so by that meanes may be prone to lying and falsity Secondly as they are directed gouerned by the holy Ghost for the instruction of others and so they may be infallible and voyde of all errour Such an one in the old Testament was Moyses and the whole Senate of the Seniors Such also were the high Priests who followed theÌ„ Such were the Prophets Isaias Ieremy Ezechiel Daniel and Num. 11. 7. Deut. â—â— â— Agga â— 1◠〈◊〉 â—0 7. Ierem. r. 7. Ioan. 15. 16. Ioan. 16. 1â— others Such in the new Testament were the Apostles to whom it was said of Christ I will send you from my father the spirit of truth And also this VVhen that spirit of truth shall come he will teach you all truth But where there is all truth certainly there cannot be any falshood or errour To conclude such hath beene and at this day is the Church which by reason of the perpetuall assistance and direction of the holy Ghost neuer hitherto hath erred nor euer can erre heereafter Matth. 1â— â—8 1. Tim. 3. 1â— Isa 54. 4. Ibid. v. â—2 Ibid. v. 17. For it is built vpon a firme rocke and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it It is the pillar and ground of truth It shall neuer be consounded nor blush The Iasper stone is the munition of it And it shall iudge euery tongue resisting it in Iudgment Therefore it is the infallible Iudge which we seeke But now there is a question whether all who are in the Church haue so much assistance and direction of the holy Ghost that they cannot err or no. Which truly is very easy to be resolued For all certainly haue it but with a certaine kynde of dependance from the Church Therefore as long as they remaine vnited to the Church they cannot erre but if they once depart from it then they beginne to erre