falsly supposed ground For it is as vnuoluntarie in the one as it is in the other neither can it bee any more auoided in the one than in the other This is the gordian knot which the papists are neuer able to loose or vntie Bellarmine himselfe is enforced to confesse that Saint Austen acknowledgeth all the motions of concupiscence euen those which be inuoluntarie to be properly sinne and flatly condemned by the tenth commaundement These are his expresse wordes Haec dicta sunt ad mentem S. Augustini qui precepto non concupisces intelligit prohiberi aliquo modo motus omnes concupiscentiae etiam inuoluntarios assensum vero his motibus prohibere docet illo alio precepto post concupiscentias tuas non eas These things are spoken after Saint Austens mind who by this precept Thou shalt not lust vnderstandeth all the motions of concupiscence euen the inuoluntarie to be prohibited in some sort and that the consent to these motions is forbidden by that other precept Follow not thy concupiscence Thus writeth the Iesuiticall Cardinall by whose doctrine it is euident that Saint Austen affirmeth the first motions of concupiscence which preuent reason cannot be auoyded to bee condemned by Saint Paul as sinfull and against the law of God Which doctrine of Saint Austen doth so sting and confound all papists that Bellarmine knoweth not in the world what he shall answere to the same And therefore deceitfully he addeth in his exposition of Saint Austens words the word quodammodo after a sort which word neither is in Saint Austen nor yet agreeable to his meaning For Saint Austen saith plainely simply and absolutely without all ands or ifs or other qualifications that such motions are forbidden by this commandement non concupisces And for the consummation of this doctrine which ouerthroweth the best part of poperie I will here adde to Saint Pauls doctrine and the exposition of Saint Austen the flat testimonie of Saint Iohn an other Apostle who singeth the same song with Saint Paul Saint Iohn in his first epistle hath these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euery one that sinneth transgresseth the law And sinne is the transgression of the law These are S. Iohns words truly translated out of the originall Greeke But before we proceed any further in the discourse hereof let vs take a view of that doctrine which our papists of Rhemes haue sent vs. These are their words Iniquitie is not taken here for wickednesse as it is commonly vsed both in Latin and in our language as is plaine by the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying nothing else but swaruing or declining from the straight line of the law of God or nature So that the Apostle meaneth that euery sinne is an obliquitie or defect from the rule of the law but not contrarie that euery such swaruing from the law should be properly a sinne as the heretikes doe vntruly gather to proue that concupiscence remaining after baptisme is a very sinne though we neuer giue our consent vnto it Thus they write Out of whose words I gather two notable documēts the one that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a defect and swaruing from the law but not properly a sinne the other that if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be proued to be sinne properly then wil it also follow of necessity by S. Iohns doctrine that concupiscence in the regenerate is properly sinne Let this doctrine be wel marked as which is no lesse apparant then important Now it only remaineth for the victorie truth of this article That I proue against our papists the Rhemists that the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie sinne properly behold the proofe A very famous papist and great linguist Ben. Arias Montanus saith plainely in expresse teames that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is transgressio legis the transgression of the law Now that the transgression of Gods law is properly sinne none is so sottish that he doth not vnderstand it none so impious that he will denie it none so peeuish that he will not acknowledge it But I proue the same S. Ambrose hath these words Quid est enim peccatum nisi preuaricatio legis diuine coelestium inobedientia preceptorum For what is sinne but the transgression of Gods law and disobedience to his heauenly precepts Loe sinne saith S. Ambrose is nothing els but the transgression of Gods law that is to say nothing els but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Iohn tearmeth it and as Arias Montanus doth interprete it S. Austen hath these words Peccatum est transgressio legis Sinne is a transgression of the law Loe S. Austen concludeth with S. Ambrose and they both agree with S. Iohn The same S. Austen in another place defineth sinne in this manner Peccatum est dictum vel factum vel concupitum aliquid contra legem aternam Sinne is a word deed thought or desire against the eternall law of God And what the eternall law is he sheweth in these words next following in the same place Lex aeterna est ratio diuina vel voluntas Dei ordinem naturalem conseruari iubens perturbari vetans The eternall law is the reason or will of God which commaundeth the naturall order to be obserued and forbiddeth the same to be perturbed Thus writeth this auntient graue and learned father by whose iudgement it is properly sinne whatsoeuer is against the will of God So then Gods will is that law and rule by which euery sinne must be measured and tried And consequently whatsoeuer deflecteth declineth or swarueth from the will of God the same is most properlie sinne The reason hereof is euident because not to be correspondent and agreeable to Gods will is the very intrinsecall reason essence and nature of sinne But so it is that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disorder and concupiscence in the regenerate is repugnant and disagreeable to the will of God and consequently it must be sinne indeed S. Bede who for his learning and vertue was renowned throughout the whole Christian world and thereupon surnamed venerabilis hath these expresse words Virtus huius sententiae facilius in lingua Graecorum qua edita est epistola comprehenditur Si quidem apud eos iniquitas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocatur quod significat quasi contra legem vel sine lege factum Si quidem lex Graece 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellatur sequitur sed latinum nomen eidem rationi congruit quod iniquitas quasi aequitati aduersa nuncupatur Quia quicunque peccat contarius nimirum aequitati diuinae legis peccando existit The force and efficacie of this sentence is more easily perceiued in the Greeke tongue in which the epistle was written For iniquitie with them is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth As done against law or without law For the law is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The
may not onely truly but also iustly require reward at Gods hands in regard of his promise freely made vnto vs. But I euer denie withall that any reward is due to our best workes for any condigne merit or desert of or in our workes Gods free acceptation mercie and promise set apart For as Saint Austen grauely saith Vae etiam laudabili vitae hominum si remota misericordia discutias eam Woe euen to the best liuer vpon earth if thou examine his life thy mercy set apart Answere ô papists if ye can and if ye cannot then repent and yeeld vnto the truth for shame I challenge you I prouoke you to the combat I adiure you all ioyntlie and euery one of you seuerally for the credite of your cause for the honour of your Pope and the life of popish doctrine which now lieth bleeding and wil shortly yeeld vp the Ghost if some soueraigne remedie bee not speedily prouided for the same The sixt Article Of the Popish distinction of mortall and veniall sinnes ALthough it be true that all sinnes are not equall but one greater than another and although it be also true that in a good and godly sence some sinne may be tearmed mortall and some veniall which yet may more fitly be called sinnes regnant and not regnant neuerthelesse most true it is to the euerlasting confusion of all impenitent papists that euery sinne is mortall of it owne nature and onely veniall by way of Gods free acceptation and mercie for his owne name sake and merits of his deare sonne our Lord Iesus I prooue it first both briefely and euidently For Christ himselfe telleth vs in his holy Gospell that we must giue a straight account of euery idle word in the generall day of iudgement And for no other end doubtlesse must this account be made but onely because euery idle word is flatly against the law of God This the papists can neuer denie it is euident to euery child And yet must they likewise confesse that idle words be those sinnes which they call venials And consequently they must confesse against their wils and against their professed Romish doctrine that all sinnes are mortall that is to say against the law of God This doctrine of our Sauiour Christ Iesus is confirmed by the testimonie of S. Iohn his beloued Apostle where he telleth vs that euery sinne is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the transgression of Gods law as is alreadie prooued at large in the fourth article of concupiscence And the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a declining from the right way doth plainely confirme the same Secondly because our popish Rhemists confesse in plaine tearms that euery sinne is a swaruing from the law of God For doubtlesse that which swarueth from the law is truly said to be against the law but not agreeable to the law Thirdly because the famous popish Frier and Romish bishop Iosephus Angles teacheth the same doctrine in his booke dedicated to the Pope himselfe These are his own expresse words Omne peccatum veniale est alicuius legis transgressio Patet quia omne veniale est contra rectam rationem agere contra rectam rationeÌ„ est agere contra legem naturalem precipientem non esse à regula rectae rationis deuiandum Euery sinne veniall is the transgression of some law This is cleere because euery veniall sinne is against right reason and to doe against right reason is to doe against the law of nature which commaundeth vs not to depart or swarue from the rule of right reason Loe euery veniall sinne is against right reason and against the law of nature which is giuen to euery one in his creation in his birth or natiuitie Fourthly because Durandus another famous papist confuteth the late receiued popish opinion of Thomas Aquinas which the Pope and his Iesuits hold to wit that veniall sinnes are preter legem non contra Besides the law but not against the law These are Duâ—ands owne words Ad argumentum dicendum quod omne peccatum est contra legem dei naturalem vel inspiratam vel ab eis deriuatam To the argument answere must be made that euery sinne is against the law of God either naturall or inspired or deriued from them And this opinion of M. Durand is this day commonly defended in the popish vniuersities and schooles So saith Frier Ioseph these are his words D. Thomas eius sectatores tenent peccatum veniale non tam esse contra legem quam preter legem Sequitur Durandus tamen alij permulti hanc sententiam impugnant affirmantes peccata venialia esse contra mandata Et haec opinio modo in scbolis videtur communior S. Thomas and his followers hold that a veniall sinne is not so much against the law as besides the law But Durand and many others impugne this opinion auouching veniall sinnes to be against the commaundements And this opinion seemeth now adaies to be more common in the schooles Here I wish the reader to note by the way out of the word modo now adaies the mutabilitie of Romish religion For in that he saith modo now adaies he giueth vs to vnderstand that their doctrine is now otherwise than it was of old and in former ages A note worthie to be remembred For the old Romane religion was catholicke pure and sound and with it doe not I contend but I impugne late Romish faith and doctrine which the Pope and his Romish Schoole-men haue brought into the Church Fiftly because their canonized martyr Iohn Fisher the late bishop of Rochester teacheth the same doctrine so plainely as euery child must needs perceiue the truth in that behalfe These are his expresse words Quod peccatum veniale solum ex dei misericordia veniale sit in hoc tecum sentio That a veniall sinne is onely veniall through the mercie of God and not of it owne nature therein doe I agree vnto you Thus saith our bishop And as he telleth me that he agreeth with Luther therein so doe I tell our Iesuites that I agree with him with Durand Almaine and the other papists that teach the same doctrine Sixtly because Gerson another famous popish writer holdeth the same opinion These are his expresse words Nulla offensa dei est venialis de se nisi tantum modo per respectum ad diuinam misericordiam qui non vult de facto quamlibet offensam imputare ad mortem cum illud posset iustissimè Et ita concluditur quod peccatum mortale veniale in esse tali non distinguuntur intrinsecè essentialiter sed solum per respectum ad diuinam gratiam quae peccatum istud imputat ad poenam mortis aliud non No offence of God is veniall of it owne nature but onely in respect of Gods mercie who will not de facto imputa euery offence to death though he might doe it most iustly And
Latine word also agreeth to the same reason because it is called iniquitie as being against equitie for euery one that sinneth is by reason of sinne contrarie to the equitie of Gods law See more to this effect in the eight article following Dionysius Carthusianus a famous papist hath these words Lex autem diuina est aequitas ipsa sicque mortale peccatum est iniquitas id est non aequitas vtpote violatio aequitatis The law of God is equitie it selfe and consequently iniquitie that is not equitie to wit the transgression of equitie is a mortall sinne Nicolaus de Lyra another famous popish writer hath these words Peccatum est transgressio legis diuinae Lex autem diuina est ipsa aequitas ideo in omni peccato mortali est equitatis corruptio per consequens iniquitas Sinne is the transgression of the law diuine and therefore in euery mortall sinne there is corruption of equitie and consequently there is also iniquitie The Corollarie Now gentle reader thou hast heard the expresse words and plaine testimonies as well of the auntient fathers S. Ambrose S. Austen and S. Bede as also of the two famous popish writers Carthusianus and Lyranus concerning this great question and most important point of doctrine in which the very life of poperie doth consist I haue proued first euen by the testimonie of S. Paule and of S. Austen expounding his words as also of the Iesuit Bellarmine graunting the same that concupiscence remaining after baptisme in the regenerate is both called sinne and is properly sinne indeed Secondly that the first motions of concupiscence which are connaturall to the corrupt man and can no way be auoided are flatly forbidden by this commaundement Thou shalt not couet Thirdly that though the said rebellious motions be inuoluntarie in the worke yet are they voluntarie in the originall which is sufficient saith S. Austen Fourthly that Cardinall Bellarmine not able truly to answere S. Austens words hath in his explication added deceitfully this word quodammodo after a sort VVhich word cannot be found in S. Austen neither is it agreeable to his meaning But such beggerly shifts and sillie euasions are the props and staies of late Romish religion Fiftly that by S. Iohns doctrine euery deflection from the eternall law is properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and consequently it is properly sinne Sixtly that S. Ambrose S. Austen and S. Bede doe all three affirme constantly and with vniforme assent that sinne is nothing els but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a transgression of the law of God Seuenthly that by the flat doctrine not only of Saint Bede but also of two famous popish writers whose authoritie is euer most forcible against papists Dionysius Carthus and Nicholaus Lyranus iniquitie is a mortall sinne because it is against the eternall law which is equitie it selfe and the will of God Eightly that our papists of Rhemes do confute themselues vnawares while they tell vs that euery sinne is a declining and swaruing from Gods law but withal denie that euery such swaruing from Gods law is properly sinne For seeing Gods law is nothing els but his will as is alreadie proued the papists must either confesse that to swarue and decline from Gods will is properly sinne or els that to decline and swarue from Gods will is consonant and agreeable to his will which to hold is not onely most absurd but withall implieth flat contradiction Against this discourse of originall concupiscence in the regenerate nothing in truth can be alledged for the papists Yet to take away all wrangling I will truly put downe the vpshot of our Rhemists and frame my answer to the same Thus doe they write Though in the 5. chapter verse 17. the Apostle turne the speech affirming euery iniquitie to be sinne yet there the Greeke word is not the same as before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By which it is plaine that there he meaneth by iniquitie mans actuall and proper transgression which must needs be a sinne These are their words to which I answere in this wise First that though the Greeke word be different yet is it equiualent and so the sence all one This to be so S. Austen will testifie with me in these words Nemo dicat aliud est peccatum atque aliud iniquitas Nemo dicat ego peccator homo sum sed iniquus non sum Omnis qui facit peccatum iniquitatem facit Let no man say sinne is one thing and iniquitie another thing Let no man say I am a sinfull man but not vnrighteous For euery one that committeth sinne committeth also iniquitie Thus writeth S. Austen and what he saith the same say Beda and Oecumenius VVho as we see here doth plainely and expressely affirme sinne and iniquitie to be all one So that whatsoeuer is sinne must also be iniquitie and whatsoeuer is iniquitie the same likewise must be sinne Neither is it to the purpose to iterate their vsuall song because as is alreadie prooued Saint Ambrose telleth them in another place that this sinne is committed against the will of man These are his words Numquid quia inuitum hominem dicit peccare immunis debet videri à crimine quia hoc agit quod non vult pressus vi potestatis Non vtique Ipsius enim vitio desidia haec caepta sunt Quia enim mancipauit se per assensum peccato iure illius dominatur Is therefore a man cleere and free from sinne because he saith man sinneth against his will because he doth that which he would not doe being pressed with the violence of power No truly for these things began through his fault and negligence For seeing he consented to be a slaue vnto sinne sinne by right hath dominion ouer him Loe a man is guiltie of sinne yea euen of that sinne which he doth against his will and cannot auoid the same that is of originall concupiscence And S. Ambrose yeeldeth a reason hereof because this impossibilitie came of mans default And this is the very case of infants as is alreadie said Let the reader here obserue seriously with me that S. Ambrose calleth this inuoluntarie concupiscence crimen a crime or mortall sinne Secondly that S. Bede affirmeth not only all to be sinne which is iniquitie but also reputeth the very corruption of innocencie which commeth of infirmitie to be sinne in Gods sight These are his expresse words Omnes qui peccant praeuaricationis rei sunt hoc est non solum illi qui data sibi scriptae legis scita contemnunt sed illi qui innocentiam legis naturalis quam in protoplasto omnes accepimus siue infirmitate siue negligentia siue etiam ignorantia corrumpunt All that sinne are guiltie of preuarication or transgression of the law that is not only they which contemne the precepts of the written law giuen them but they also which either of infirmitie or of
God knew right wel that it is not in our power to keepe his lawes Thirdly that God commanded to vs impossible things that we might therby acknowledge our owne insufficiency wholy rely vpon his fauor help mercy Fourthly that we might hereby know that our saluation proceedeth of mercie and not of the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done and wherein the papists seeke merit and iustification So then the doctrine which I now teach is not my doctrine onely but the flat doctrnie of Saint Austen yea and the selfe same doctrine which the best learned papists haue taught before me That it is not possible for man to keepe Gods commaundements perfectly in this life no other proofe is needfull saue onely the Lords Prayer For in it the best liuer vpon earth is taught to aske forgiuenesse and pardon for his sinnes and doubtles where pardon must be demaunded there the law is not exactly obserued The vsuall practise of all papists is consectarie hereunto For in their ordinarie and daiely masses as also in their quotidian auricular confessions they confesse three seuerall times their most grieuous sinnes in these wordes Mea culpa mea culpa me a maxima culpa In which publique daily confession they must eitheir confesse that they deale hypocritically dissemble damnably and mocke God most irreligiously or els doubtles that they cannot keepe Gods commaundements as they beare the world in hand they do Now it remaineth that I answere to some popish obiections which the papists deeme and repute insoluble The first Obiection The young man told Christ that he had kept all the commaundements from his youth vp VVhom Christ reprooued not as though he had not kept them indeed but exhorted him to perfection in selling all his possessions The Answere I Answere both with Saint Austen and Saint Hierome That the young man answered vntrulie when hee said hee had kept all the commaundements Saint Austen hath these words Ille quidem tristis abscessit qui viderit quemadmodum illa legis mandata seruauerat Puto enim quod se arrogantius quam verius seruasse responderat He went away sorrowfull who knew how hee had kept the commaundements of the low For I thinke he answered more arrogantlie then trulie that he had kept them Sant Hierome saith plainlie and roundlie Mentitur He lieth And the circumstance of the texts going afore and following doe purport no lesse vnto vs. The second Obiection Saint Paul saith For note the hearers of the law are iust with God but the doers of the law shall be iustified The Answere Saint Paul meaneth nothing lesse in these words than that a man in Gods sight can be iustified his workes But he goeth about to conclude all vnder sinne and so to haue neede of the glorie of God because none is able to performe and keepe the law For his whole scope and intent is this to proue that the Iewes did in vaine boast against the Gentiles that they had the law seeing they did not keepe the same As if he had said if ye will be iustified by the law ye must performe and keepe the law which ye doe not for not the hearers of the law but the doers are iust in Gods sight I willinglie graunt and will it not denie that if any of you papists can perfectly obserue and keepe the law the same papist shall be iustified by the merit of his workes but if any such papist could be found which I am sure is impossible yet should that papist heare what Saint Paul saith of holy Abraham For saith he if Abraham were iustified by works he hath glorie or whererein to boast but not before God The third Obiection If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commaundements The answere Our Sauiour Christ doth not shew in this place how men doe attaine vnto eternall life but hee sheweth what perfect obseruation of Gods law is required of them who looke to bee iustified by the workes of the law This my answere is cleered by the question proposed vnto Christ which was this VVhat good thing shall I doe that I may haue eternall life Christ answered If thou wilt haue eternall life by doing good workes then must thou keepe Gods commaundements But this is impossible as is alreadie prooued The fourth Obiection Christ saith My yoke is easie and my burden is light And Saint Iohn saith his commaundements are not heauie The Answere The law of God is impossible to be kept in such perfection as the same requireth at our hands as I haue alreadie proued Neuerthelesse the yoke of Christ is sweete and his burden light to all them which beleeue in him For as Saint Peter saith The yoke of the law is such a burden as neither we nor our fathers were able to beare but we belleeue to be saued by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ hath taken away the curse of the law Christ hath satisfied for our transgressions of the law Christ sent by God in the similitude of sinfull flesh blotted out the hand writing that was against vs and nailed it vpon the crosse There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus Christ is our iustification our sanctification and our redemption By faith in Christ wee doe ouercome the world Christ is so mercifull that hee refresheth all those which come vnto him This being so wee may trulie say that in Christ wee fulfill the law because he is our righteousnesse our sanctification and our redemption because hee hath ouercome death because hee hath clothed vs with his righteousnesse because hee hath couered our nakednesse with his garments because in him wee haue gotten the victorie ouer hell death and damnation This is it that Saint Austen saith in these golden wordes Omnia ergo mandata tunc facta deputantur quando quicquid non fit ignoseitur All the commaundements are then reputed as done when whatsoeuer is not done is of mercie forgiuen The first Obiection Saint Hierome saith He is to be detested as a blasphemer that affirmeth God to haue commaunded any impossible thing And Saint Austen saith God can neither commaund things impossible because he is iust neither condemne a man for that which he could not auoyd because he is mercifull The Answere I answere first that hee is to bee detested as a blasphemer that affirmeth God to haue commaunded any thing vnto man which was either impossible in it selfe to be done or to be done of man as man I say impossible in it selfe because otherwise Christ himselfe could not haue fulfilled the law which to hold is flat blasphemie against the Sonne of God I say impossible to bee done of man as man because otherwise the Protoplast Adam could not haue kept the law which to hold is most absurd and against all learning and learned men Secondly that he is to be detested as a blasphemer
vs expresly that the two tables written with the finger of God contained all the wordes which the Lord spake to them in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly Fiftly God commanded that the king of the Israelies so soone as he should be established in his throne should write out the Deutronomie or law repeated in a book according to the example which the priests of the Leuiticall tribe should giue him that he might meditate therein all the dayes of his life Sixtly Iosue made a couenant with the people and gaue them a law in Sichem and wrote all the wordes in the booke of the law VVhich words were nothing else but a repetition of the couenant written by Moses which couenant Iosue was commanded to obserue so strictly that he might neither decline to the right hand nor to the left And the same law contained all those precepts ceremonies and iudgements which God commanded Moses to teach the people of Israel Locus secundus Ne addas quicquam verbis eius Dei ne forte arguat te inueniaris mendax Thou must ad nothing to Gods words lest he reprooue thee and thou be found a lier This text Saint Hierome vnderstandeth of the holy scriptures to which no man may ad any thing bee it more be it lesse The scriptures therefore are most perfect and absoute and containe euery doctrine needfull for vs to know Locus tertius Ad legem magis ad testimonium Quod si non dixerint iuxta verbum hoc non erit eis matutina lux To the law and to the testimonie If they speake not according to this word there is no matutine or true light in them Loe they that refuse to be taught of Gods prophet who is the mouth of God and seeke helpe at the dead which is the illusion of Satan are here reprooued as men void of knowledge and as blind leaders of the blind And withall they are charged to seeke remedie in the word of God where his will is declared They and wee must euer in all doubts and difficulties haue continuall recourse to the law of God which law is here tearmed the testimonie because it is the testification of Gods will toward man because there is set downe what God requireth of vs because we may find in it whatsoeuer is necessarie for vs to know For the Prophet ioyneth the testimonie with the law not as a thing distinct from it but as an explication of the same As if he had said yee must in all doubts haue recourse to the law of God because it is the testimonie of his holy will Saint Hierome yeeldeth the like sense and interpretation of this place these are his wordes Si vultis nosse quae dubia sunt magis vae legi testimonijs tradite scripturarum Quia si noluerit vestra congregatio verbum domini quoerere non habebit lucē veritatis sed versabitur in erroris tenebris If ye will know the things that are doubtfull ye must haue recourse to the law and to the testimonies of the scriptures For if your people will not seeke Gods word they cannot attaine the light of truth but shall walke in the darknesse of errour Locus quartus Mementote legis Mosis serui mei quam mandaui ei in Horeb ad omnem Israel Remember the law of Moses my seruant which I commanded to him in Horeb to all Israel Marke these wordes seriously because they proue euidently the question now in hand For this Malachias being the last of Gods Prophets and foreseeing by the spirit of God that the Israelites should bee without Prophets a long time euen till the comming of Christ doth here exhort them diligently to be mindfull of the law of Moses As if he should say the time is at hand when ye shall be destitute of Prophets and therefore yee must marke well what the law saith and doe according to the prescript rule thereof But what is the reason why hee maketh no mention of the Prophets doubtlesse because all things as you haue already heard are fully comprised in the written word of the law For although the law and the Prophets were vntill Iohn the one foretelling Christs comming by word the other by tipes and figures yet was the doctrine of the Prophets nothing else in deede but an explication of the law and consequently Malachie willing the Israelites to remember the law of Moses doth thereby sufficiently insinuat the doctrine of the Prophets as who are nothing else but the interpreters of Moses For from the law they might neither turne to the right hand nor to the left That the law containeth the whole Christian doctrine necessarie vnto saluation two famous popish doctors Lyra and Dionisius Carthusianus doe testifie whose wordes shall be alledged expresly when I come to the places of the new testament Ex nouo Testamento Locus primus Haec scripta sunt c. These are written that you may beleeue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God and that in beleeuing yee might haue life through his name Here the reader must obserue seriously with me that this Gospell was written after all other scriptures of the old and new testament euen when the canon of the scriptures was complet perfect and fully accomplished viz. almost an hundred yeeres after Christ ascention into heauen about the fourteenth yeere of the raigne of Domitianus then emperour VVhich obseruation being well marked all the sottish cauils of the papists will easilie be auoided Now let vs see how the auntient fathers doe vnderstand this place of scripture Saint Cyrill hath these wordes Non omnia quae Dominus fecit conscripta sunt sed quae scribentes tam ad mores quam ad dogmata sufficere putarunt vt recta fide operibus ad regnum coelorum perueniamus All things which our Lord did are not written but those things onely which the writers deemed sufficient as well for manners as for doctrine that by a right faith and good life we may attaine the kingdome of heauen Saint Austen hath these wordes Cum multa fecisset dominus non omnia scripta sunt electa sunt antem quae scriberentur que saluti credentium sufficere videbantur VVhen our Lord had done many things all were not written but so much was chosen out to be written as was thought to be sufficient for the saluation of the faithfull Loe gentle reader so much is comprised in the holy scriptures as is necessarie for our saluation as well in those things which concerne our life and manners as in things concerning faith and doctrine VVhich if the papists will graunt vs they may keepe their vnwritten traditions vntill Gods people haue need thereof For I see not why they should enforce vs to admit them except they were necessarie either for faith or at the least for good maners both which notwithstanding