the presence of God whome I call to witnes in this behalfe and pray thee also to call vpon for the saluation and reduction of all those that walke astray that it is not in the power of any one no not of all our Aduersaries that are in England to find in their owne Bible one only expresse Text I say one only I say in their owne Bible by which they cā possibly proue one only point of their false Doctrine without their vsuall art of adding diminishing chopping or changing it by some interpretation or other which yet should be to alter the Text it selfe and to employ mans fancy insteed of the pure word a thing by their owne Confession flatly forbidden vnto them protesting that the Word of God doth in such sort containe all that which is necessary to saluation that it is not lawfull neither for men nor Angells to adde diminish or alter ought therof and commanding their followers and adherents vtterly to renounce all Antiquity Custome Multitude Humane Wisedome Iudgement Decrees Edicts Counsailes Visions yea and Miracles themselues to the contrary THE TOVCH-STONE of the Reformed Ghospell Protestants affirme I. That there is not in the Church one that an infaillible Rule for vnderstāding the holy Scriptures and conseruing of Vnity in matters of Faith COntrary to the expresse wordes of their owne Bible Rom. 12.6 Hauing then giftes differing according to the grace that is giuen to vs whether Prophecy that is interpretation according to the proportion or Rule of faith Whence we gather that Prophecy according to the Rule of faith is one of the giftes which God bestoweth on his Church Therefore there is in the Church one and that an infallible Rule for vnderstanding to the holy Scriptures Philip. 3.16 Neuertheles whereto we haue already attained let vs mind the same thing Loe how plainly the Apostle speaketh in this second place of a certaine Rule to be walked by cleerly presupposing that in matters of faith we can neuer be of the same mind vnles we walke by the same Rule Gal. 6.16 And as many as walke according to this Rule Peace be on them and mercy And 2. Cor. 10.15 Hauing hope when your faith is increased that we shall be enlarged by you according to our Rule aboundantly to preach the ghospell in the Regions beyond you and not to boast in another mans line Lo heere againe because that euery man is to direct and order his beliefe according to the doctrine of the Church therfore it is called by S. Paul both the Rule and Line of our holy Faith Againe 1. Cor. 11.16 But if any man seeme to be contentious we haue no such Custome nor the Churches of God Loe how S. Paul still pleadeth the Rule and Custome of the Church agaynst the contentious which if it could then by the sole prescription of twenty or thirty yeares and by the authority of so few Pastours stop the mouthes of new Sect-maysters what ought not the Custome of sixteene hundred yeares and the Decrees of so many hundred Pastours gayne of reasonable modest and humble men And heer I would haue it to be noted that this Analogy or Rule of Fayth besides the tytles already recited the holy Scripture in other places calleth by the name of Forme of Doctrine Rom. 6.17 A thing made ready to our hand 2. Cor. 10.16 The Depositum or Treasure committed to the Churches trust and euer most carefully to be kept by her 1. Tim. 6.20 And withall in the very selfe same places alwayes stileth that which is contrary to this Rule by the name of Disunion Discord Disobedience forsaking of our first vocation Diuision Contention Prophane and vayne babling Opposition of sciences c. Whence plainly appeareth how great the necessity is for euery Christian to keep this Rule the least breach wherof doth presently crack his Christian credit with the Church of God and with all good Christians See more Rom. 6.17 Gal. 1.6 Rom. 16.17 Actes 15.2 1. Tim. 6.20 Rom. 12.16 ¶ According to this very Rule the Ancient Fathers affirme the same S. Irenaeus l. 4. cap. 45. Tert. de praescrip And Vincent Lyr. in suo Commonitorio saith It is very needfull in regard of so many errors proceeding from the mis-interpretation of Scriptures that the Line of Propheticall and Apostolicall exposition should be directed according to the Rule of the Ecclesiasticall and Catholique sense Thus writeth this most worthy witnesse Tertul. praescrip adu haeres cap. 15. cap. 19. saith We do not admit our aduersaries to dispute out of Scripture till they can shew who their Ancestors were and from whom they receiued the Scriptures For the orderly course of doctrine requires that the first Question be whose the Scriptures are by right from whome and by whom and to whom the Forme of Christian Religion was deliuered Otherwise prescribe against him as a stranger c. Thus he Loe how these two last ancient Fathers lay hold off and vrge these two very termes Rule and Forme of Faith and Religion euen as before the Holy Scripture did from whēce doubtles they tooke the phrase And with very great reason for the knowledge of Tradition which is this Forme or Rule goes before the knowlege of the Scripture for the Rule must be first knowne before the thing ruled can be assuredly knowne as the Carpenter cannot knowe certainly that he hath measured his timber nor the Taylor that he hath measured his cloth aright except he first assuredly know that his measure be both true right but the Rule of Faith to wit the Summe of those points that euery Christian is bound expresly to know as deliuered to him from hand to hand is the knowledge of Tradition Protestants affirme II. That in matters of Fayth we must not rely vpon the Iudgment of the Church and of her Pastours but onely vpon the Written Word COntrary to the expres wordes of their owne Bible Mar. 23.2 The Scribes and the Pharises sit in Moyses seat all therfore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and do In which wordes Christ not onely commandeth vs in matters of Faith to haue recourse to somwhat else besides the only written word to wit to the Pastours of the Church but biddeth vs moreouer to obey them and that not only in some principall matters but in all whatsoeuer without distinction or limitation Therfore in matters of fayth we are not tyed to rely only vpon the written Word Luc. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Heere againe Christ our Lord honoureth and giueth as much authority to the Preachers of the Word as he can possibly do to the word it selfe saying He that heareth you c. Matt. 16.19 Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind on earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shall he loosed in heauen Where it is to be noted that he doth not say whosoeuer but
the sonnes of God Wordes which plainly imply a liberty of will For when he sayth some receiued him and some not who sees not the liberty both of the one and of the other for these would not receiue him and those would Deut. 30.19 I call heauen and earth to record this day against you that I haue set before you life and death blessing and cursing therfore choose life that both thou and thy seede may liue And rightly may we call heauen and earth to witnes against them who commit the same fault touching Grace which the Turkes do touching Nature For the Turkes belieue that the fire burnes not nor water wets not but that God doth it by the fire and the water And so our Aduersaries say that a man desireth no good nor doth no good but only that God doth all by man but this is false Therfore c. Luc. 13.34 O Hierusalem Hierusalem c. how often would I haue gathered thy children togeather as a henne doth gather her brood vnder her winges and yee would not I would saith Christ and yee would not What for Gods sake can be spoken more plainly See more Luc. 10.42 Acts 5. 4. Ad Philem. v. 14.1 Cor. 7.37 9.1.14.2 Cor. 9.7 Ose 3.9 Num. 30.14 Iosua 14.13.2 Reg. 24.12.3 Reg. 3.5 Eccles 15.15 Mat. 19.17 Iosue 24.15.2 Samuel 12. Pro. 11.24 Reuel 3.20 Isa 1.19.20 ¶ See the ancient Fathers Euseb Caesar de praep l. 1. cap. 7. saith that those who hould this opinion do peruert and ouerthrow Vniuersam vitam humanam all the whole life of man And in very deed his reason is good for vpon this consideration of mans Free-will are grounded all politicall lawes precepts and prohibitions paynes and rewards which else were meerly superfluous and against reason S. Hilary l. 1. de Trinitate saith He would not there should be a necessity for men to be the sonnes of God but a power S. Aug. l. 1. ad q. 4. saith To consent vnto Gods vocation lyeth in a mans owne will So teacheth S. Amb. in Luc. cap. 12. S. Chrysost hom 19. in Genes S. Iraeneus l. 4. cap. 72. S. Cyril lib. 4. in Ioan. cap. 7. We cannot in any wise deny freedome of will in man And S. Aug. afore recited saith lib. 2. cap. 4. de act cum Felice Manich How should our Sauiour reward euery one according to their workes if there were no Free-will XX. That it is impossible to keepe the Commandements of God though assisted with his grace and the holy Ghost COntrary to the expresse wordes of their owne Bible Philip 4.13 I can do al things through Christ which strengthneth me Therfore it is impossible to keepe the Commandements or else it is false that he could do all things Luc. 1.5.6 The Scripture speaking of Zachary and Elizabeth sayth And they were both righteous before God walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse Yet they vsually say that none are so righteous as that they can keep any of them but these two were so righteous as they kept all of them now whether of these wilt thou belieue S. Luke or our Reformers Luc. 11.27.28 Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the paps which thou hast sucked But he sayd Yea rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Christ pronounceth them blessed who heare the word of God keep it but the commandements are the word of God which they affirme no man can keep therefore they affirme that no man can be blessed And like vnto this is that of Iohn 13.17 Matt. 12.50 Iohn 14.23 with an infinite number of such like places in their owne Bible with all which this this new doctrine doth seeme to dally in plaine termes Luc. 11.2 Thy will be done as in heauen so in earth In this petition either we demand a thing impossible or else the Saints in Heauen fulfill not the will of God in all thinges or els it may be fulfilled also by vs on earth one of the three But the two first are full of absurdities therefore the later is to be granted 1. Iohn 5.3 For this is the loue of God that we keep his commandements and his commandements are not grieuous If the Commandements were impossible they could bind no man for it is not to be conceiued how one should sinne in a thing which he could not possibly auoid And Christ saying to the young man in the Ghospell If thou wilt enter into heauen ' keepe the Commandements is as much as if he had said If thou wilt enter into heauen take hold of the Moone betweene thy teeth See more Ezech. 36.27 Mat. 11.30 19.17 Eccles 15.15 Rom. 13.8.10 7.3 Iosua 11.15 22.5 Psal 17.3 Deut. 30.11 1. Iohn 2.4 Iob. 27.6 1.22 Rom. 2.27 Luc. 10.28 15.7 3. Reg. 14.8 15.5 Ephes 1.4 Galat. 5.14 Gen. 6.9 ¶ See Origen hom 9. in Iosue S. Cyril l. 4. cont Iulian. S. Hilar in Psal 118. S. Hier. l. 3. cont Pelag. S. Basil who saith It is an impious thing to say that the commandements of God are impossible The maintayne XXI That fayth only iustifieth and that good Workes are not absolutly necessary to saluation COntrary to the expersse wordes of their owne Bible 1. Cor. 13.2 And though I haue the gift of Prophecy and vnderstand all mysteries and all knowledge and although I haue all fayth so that I could remoue mountaynes and haue no charity I am nothing Therefore fayth only doth not iustify yea this plainly proueth that faith is nothing to saluation without good workes Iames 2.24 Yee see therfore how that by workes a man is iustified and not by fayth only Wherfore S. Aug. lib de fide and operibus ca. 14. writeth that this Heresy was an old Heresy euen in the Apostles tymes And in the preface of his Comment vpon the 32. Psalm he warneth all men that this deduction vpon this speach of S. Paul Abraham was iustifyd by faith therfore workes be not necessary to saluation is the right way to hell and damnation See the Rhemes Testament vpon this place Iac. 2.14 What doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath fayth and haue not workes Can fayth saue him This proposition but especially the former is directly opposite to that which our Aduersaries hould Neither can they pretend that there is the like opposition or contradiction betwixt S. Iames speaches and S. Paul for though S. Paul say Mā is iustified by fayth yet he neuer sayth by fayth alone Gal. 5.6 For in Iesus-Christ neyther Circumcision auayleth any thing nor Vncircumcision but fayth which worketh by loue Note well this place for if our Aduersaries who pretend conference of places to be the only Rule to explicate the hard passages of holy Scripture had followed but this their owne Rule this one text would haue cleered vnto them al other wherein Iustice and Saluation might seeme to be attributed to Fayth alone See more
whatsoeuer giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that not onely the bondes of sins but as well all other knots and difficulties in matters of fayth are to be loosed by S. Peter and by the Pastours that succeed in the Church See more Deut. 17.8 Aggeus 2.11 2. Chron. 19.8 vnto the end 2. Thes 2.15 ¶ The holy Fathers that affirme the same are S. Gregory Naz. in orat excusat Tertul. lib. de praescrip aduersus haer S. Cyprian lib. 1. epist 3. S. Aug. lib. 1. cont Cresc cap. 33. lib. cont Fund cap. 5. Vincent Lyr. in suo commonit And S. Anselme lib. de incar c. 1. writing to Pope Vrban saith thus vnto him Vnto no other is more rightly referred to be corrected whatsoeuer ariseth in the Church against the Catholique fayth c. They affirme III. That the Scriptures are easy to be vnderstood and that therefore none ought to be restrayned from reading of them COntrary to the expresse words of their owne Bible 2. Pet. 3.16 where S. Peter speaking of S. Pauls Epistles saith In which are some thinges hard to be vnderstood which they that are vnlearned and vnstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures vnto their owne destruction But all vnlearned Reformers do both read and are allowed to read those hard thinges yea the Booke of Apocalyps also yet harder without any restraint to man or woman which yet they vnderstand not therefore they wrest them as also other Scriptures to their owne destruction Actes 8.30 And Philip said Vnderstandest thou what thou readest And be said How can I except some man should guide me Where first may be noted that this Noble Eunuch freely confessed he could not vnderstand the Scriptures without an interpreter to expound them albeit he was a great and serious student in them and withall a holy and humble man as S. Hierome noteth of him Epist ad Paulin. de stud Scrip. and next that he sayth Except some man guide me So as he fled not to his priuate spirit nor yet to conferring of place with place as our Aduersaries do Therfore the Scriptures are not easy Luc. 24.25 27. Christ called two of his Disciples fooles and slow of hart c. And beginning at Moyses and all the Prophets he expounded vnto them in all the Scriptures the thinges concerning himselfe How then are the Scriptures so easily to be vnderstood of the vnlearned when Christs Disciples themselues could not vnderstand them till first they were expounded to them Reuelat. 5.1 c. The Angell speaking of the Booke sealed with seauen seales wept much because no man in heauen nor in earth was able to open the booke nether to looke theron A strange case to read in Scripture it selfe that the booke of Scripture should be shut with so many seales but much more strange that euen in S. Iohns and the Apostles time none could be found nether in heauen nor earth able to open the same nor to looke theron which euery Apprentice now a dayes without any difficulty will vndertake to doe See more 2. Pet. 1.20 Mat. 13.11 36. Luc. 24.45 1. Cor. 12.10 Luc. 8.10 54. Luc. 2. 50.2 Tim. 3.7 1. Iohn 4.6 Iohn 5.35 Psal 119.18 34 Reuel 51. c. ¶ The Holy Fathers that affirme the same are S. Irenaeus l. 2. cap. 47. Origen l. cont Cels S. Amb. epist 44. ad Constant where he calleth it A sea and depth of propheticall riddles S. Hier. in praefat comment in Ephes 5. And S. Aug. epist. 119. cap. 21. saith The thinges of holy Scripture that I know not are many more then those that I know So S. Greg. hom 6. in Ezech. and many other Fathers confesse the same of themselues S. Denis Bishop of Corinth cited by Eusebius lib. 7. hist Ec. 20. saith Of this Booke of Scripture to wit this is my opinion that the matter therof is far more profoūd then my wit can reach vnto They affirme IV. That Apostolicall Traditions and ancient Customes of the Church not found in the written word are not to be receiued nor do oblige vs. COntrary to the expresse wordes of their owne Bible 2. Thes 2.15 Therfore Brethren stand fast and hold the Traditions which yee haue bene taught whether by word or by our Epistle Hence it is cleere that some Traditiōs were deliuered to the Thessalonians by word of mouth and those of equal authority with what was written if not of more for the holy Ghost doth name them first as they were indeed the first in being yea it is certaine that before the new Testament was written the Apostles deliuered all by Tradition and word of mouth Therfore Apostolicall Traditions are to be receiued and do oblige vs. 2. Thes 3.6 Now I command you bretheren in the name of our Lord Iesus-Christ that yee withdraw your selues from euery brother that walketh disorderly and not after the Tradition which he receiued of vs. Lo he saith not I counsell you but I command you But these men reiecting all Traditions walke disorderly therfore they breake the Apostles cōmandment Yea they stand not but are fallen they let goe what the word it selfe doth will them to hould and therfore in the name of our Lord Iesus-Christ let all good men withdraw themselues from them 1. Cor. 11.2 Now I praise you brethren that you remember me in all thinges and keepe the Traditions as I haue deliuered them vnto you But these reiect all Traditions therfore needes must S. Paul speake thus vnto them Now none of my brethren I dispraise you for that you forget me in all thinges and keepe not the Traditions as I haue deliuered them vnto you Lastly If nothing at all be to be belieued but only that which is left vs written wherein should the Church haue exercised herselfe from Adam to Moyses the space of two thousand six hundred yeares See more 1. Tim. 6.3.20 2. Tim. 1.13.2 Tim. 2.2 Iohn 20.30 21.25 16.12.1 Cor. 11.16.34.2 ep Iohn 12. 3. ep of S. Iohn 13. Actes 16.4 15.28 ¶ The Fathers that affirme the same are S. Irenaeus l. 3. c. 4. Origen in cap. 6. ad Rom. S. Damas l. 4. c. 17. S. Chrysost in 2. Thes 2. And S. Basil de Spiritu sancto saith Some thinges we haue from Scripture other thinges from the Apostles both which haue like force vnto Godlines S. Chrysost hom 4. in 2. Thes sayth If is a Tradition seeke thou no further They affirme V. That a man by his owne vnderstanding or Priuate spirit may rightly iudge interprete Scripture COntrary to the expersse wordes of their owne Bible 1. Cor. 12.8 c. To one is giuen by the spirit the word of wisdome to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit to another the working of miracles to another Prophesie to another discerning of spirits to another kindes of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues but all these worketh that one and the selfe same spirit deuiding to euery man seuerally as