Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostle_n	church_n	creed_n	2,605	5	10.2206	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09111	A treatise tending to mitigation tovvardes Catholike-subiectes in England VVherin is declared, that it is not impossible for subiects of different religion, (especially Catholikes and Protestantes) to liue togeather in dutifull obedience and subiection, vnder the gouernment of his Maiesty of Great Britany. Against the seditions wrytings of Thomas Morton minister, & some others to the contrary. Whose two false and slaunderous groundes, pretended to be dravvne from Catholike doctrine & practice, concerning rebellion and equiuocation, are ouerthrowne, and cast vpon himselfe. Dedicated to the learned schoole-deuines, cyuill and canon lavvyers of the tvvo vniuersities of England. By P.R.	Parsons, Robert, 1546-1610.	1607 (1607)	STC 19417; ESTC S114220	385,613	600

in the Index of prohibited bookes and not only for Heresies of this time but also quod dicit spiritum sanctum minùs aduocandum adorandum esse for that he saith that the holy Ghost is lesse to be called vpon or adored c. as the Index expurgatorius testifieth besides all this I say he corrupteth manifestly in the sentence before alledged the wordes plaine meaning of his Author to wit Bellarmine from whome he citeth Cassanders iudgment for thus they lye in him Tertius error saith he est Georgij Cassandri in libro De officio pij viri vbi docet debere Principes inuenire rationem pacis inter Catholicos Lutheranos c. Sed interim dum non inueniunt debere 〈◊〉 vnicuique suam fidem modò omnes recipiant Scripturam Symbolum Apostolicum Sic enim omnes sunt vera Ecclesiae membra licèt in particularibus dogmatibus dissentiant 68. The third errour is of George Cassander in the booke Of the office of a pious man where he teacheth that Princes ought to seeke out some meanes of peace betwixt Catholickes Lutheranes Caluinistes and other sectes of our time but in the meane space whiles they finde no such meanes they ought to permit euery one to follow his owne particuler faith so as all doe receaue the Scripture and common Creed of the Apostles for so al are true members of the Church albeit they disagree among thēselues in particuler doctrines These are Bellarmins wordes Now let vs see how they are mangled by M. Morton both in Latin and English as by him that hath the notablest talent therin notwithstanding his solemne protestations to the contrary that euer I read in my life 69. He putteth downe first the Latin wordes in his margent thus Debent Principes inuenire rationem pacis inter Catholicos Lutheranos 〈◊〉 qui omnes dum Symbolum tenent Apostolicum vera sunt membra Ecclesiae licèt à nobis in particularibus dissentiant Princes ought to seeke a meanes of peace betweene Catholickes Lutheranes Caluinistes all which for so much as they hold the Apostolicke Creed are true members of the Church albeit they dissent from vs in some particuler opiniōs And heere now yow see first to be omitted cunningly and wilfully by this crafty Minister the wordes of much moment that whiles Princes doe not finde a fit meane of peace they ought to permit all to liue according to their particuler faith which sentence of his graue and learned Cassander not seeming to himself allowable in our English State or to his owne Brethren the English Caluinistes that now hauing gotten the gouernment will suffer no other Religion but their owne thought best to suppresse and cut them quite out Secondly in steed of the condicionall speech vsed by Cassander modò omnes recipiant Scripturam c. So all 〈◊〉 receaue the Scripture and Apostolicall Creed he putteth it downe with a causatiue clause Qui omnes dum Symbolum tenent c. All which sectes because they doe hold the Articles of the Creed are true members of the Church leauing out the word Scripture as yow see and peruerting the other wholly in sense For who will not hold it absurde that Catholickes Lutherans Caluinistes and other sectes of our time though in wordes they doe admit both Scripture Apostolicall Creed yet differing in sense and so many doctrines as they doe are all to be held notwithstanding for true members of one and the selfe same Church Can any thing be more ridiculous then this 70. Thirdly he doth most notably cogge in thrusting in the wordes à nobis from vs which are not in the originall meaning therby to make Cassander to seeme a Catholicke to speake in the behalf of Catholickes which is plaine cosenage and to this end also he leaueth out dogmatibus finally yow see that he shapeth euery thing to his owne purpose and by making Cassander as a Catholicke seeme to wish and endeauour this vnion and Bellarmine to reiect it he would confirme his former calumniation that only by the insolency of Iesuites all such hope is debarred 71. And thus much for the corruption of the Latin text but his English hath other corruptions also according to his ordinary custome For first he translateth Debent Principes that Emperours should endeauour a reconciliation to confirme therby his former vanity that Cassander was so great a man with Emperours as he talketh not but to Emperours Secōdly he translateth Catholicos Lutheranos Caluinistas c. which wordes 〈◊〉 comprehend all other sects of our time as Anabaptistes Arrians Trinitarians Hussites Picardians and the like he translateth them I say Papistes and Protestantes as though all those sectes of our time were to be comprehended vnder the name of Protestantes of the English faith or as though Cassander if he were a Catholicke as heere he is pretended would call vs 〈◊〉 Thirdly wheras in his owne Latin heere set downe he saith Qui omnes dum Symbolum 〈◊〉 c. All which to wit Catholickes Lutherans Caluinistes other Sectaries whiles they hold the Apostolicall Creed are true members of the Church he doth English it thus because Protestantes hold the Articles of the Creed and are true members of the Church excluding Catholickes from belieuing the said Articles or being true members which in his owne Latin and that of Bellarmines also are included and fourthly is the corruption before mentioned although they dissent from vs in some particuler opinions which in Bellarmine is although they dissent among themselues in particuler doctrines and finally the wordes by him cited of Bellarmins iudgment which he controlleth to wit falsa est haec sententia Cassandri non 〈◊〉 enim Catholici reconciliari cum Haereticis are not so in Bellarmine but these potest facilè refelli 〈◊〉 Cassandri sententia primum enim non possunt Catholici Lutherani Caluinistae eo modo conciliari c. This sentence of Cassander may easely be refelled first for that Catholickes Lutherans and Caluinistes for example can not so be reconciled as Cassander appointeth to wit by admitting only the wordes of the Creed for that we differ in the sense and sometimes in the articles themselues as in that descendit ad inferos he descended into hell and in like manner we agree not about the sense of those other articles I belieue the Catholicke Church and Communion of Saintes remission of sinnes c. So Bellarmine All which this fellow omitteth 72. And so you see there is no truth or sincerity with him in any thing neither can these escapes be ascribed any way to ouersight errour mistaking or forgetfulnes but must needes be attributed to wilfull fraude malicious meaning purposly to deceaue as the things themselues doe euidently declare for which cause I shall leaue him to be censured by his owne Brethren but especially by his Lord and Maister for so notable discrediting their cause by so manifest

Christ to S. Peter and that it is a strange art to make a sword of a paire of keyes which seemeth to him a fine iest then commeth he out with this vanut Neither can any shew me one Doctour but of reasonable antiquity peto vel ex millibus vnum who by keyes vnderstand ciuill power But Syr what needeth antiquity of Doctors in this behalf will not your owne moderne Protestant Doctors graunt that when the keyes of any Citty Towne or Fort are giuē to a Prince ciuill power ouer that Fort is meant therby who will deny this 38. And secondly whereas he alleadgeth Franciscus à Victoria to say that the keyes giuen to S Peter imported spiritual authority of remitting and reteyning sinnes ergo no way temporall is a fond illation for that albeit Victoria saith that those keyes did principally importe spirituall authority yet they include also supreme temporall indirectly when the defence of the spirituall doth require it Whereupon he frameth this conclusion in the same place Our eight proposition is saith he that the Pope by authority of the foresaid keyes hath most ample temporall power ouer all Princes and Kinges and the Emperour himself in order to a spirituall end which he proueth there by many arguments And this of the first iest about swordes to be made of keyes 39. The second iest also is as wise and witty as this former that when we found the same temporall sword or authority of S. Peter and his successours vpon the words of Christ Feed my sheep he doth inferre that Princes also must be fed and dietted corporally at the Popes discretion and other such toyes he not vnderstanding as it seemeth or rather dissembling the force of Catholicke argumentes drawne from those and other like Scriptures both by later Doctors and ancient Fathers which this fellow turneth into scofs and contempt or wicked railing for that presently he falleth into these rages O arrogant Glossers O impudent Glosers and peruerters of the sacred Oracles of God! And why is all this heat of exclamations Forsooth for that in some Popes Bulles though corruptly fraudulently alledged some mention is made of the great authority that was giuen to Elias Elizeus Ieremy and other Prophetes and especially to Christ himself vpon earth to plant destroy pull vp or punish where need should be and that this authority by allusion vnto the same wordes of Scripture is applied to Christes Successour vpon earth affirmed to be left in the Christian Church to be vsed when need shall require and is this so great an impiety thinke yow 40. But he goeth on and saith That next to this he will examine the antiquity of pretended Papall power from the Apostles time downward and then produceth this assertion of ours The Priestes saith the Romish pretence of the new Testament in the Priesthood of Christ haue more authority then that of the old law ouer Kinges to depose them whervnto he adioyneth presently his owne spruse Ministeriall answere in these wordes This is not probable except yow can shew some footinges either of Christ or his blessed Apostles or their Holy Successours in the purer periods of times And is not this answered as from a man of his coat Marke the phrase Of footings in purer periods I will for footinges in this matter referre him to the large demonstrations which out of Scriptures Doctours Fathers Councelles and Ecclesiasticall Histories the Authors by him heere often alledged Carerius Bozius Bellarmine Sanders Salmeron and others doe aboundantly and substancially alledge when he shall haue ouerthrowne or supplanted those footinges of theirs which they 〈◊〉 fix throughout all periods of times from the beginning of Christian Religion vnto our dayes and generall practice therof then may the poore man get to haue some little footing for himself and his cause which hitherto he hath none at all as to any man whosoeuer with any indifferency of iudgment shall read ouer and examine his booke will euidently appear yea though he compare but only that which himself alledgeth heere both in the text and margent which seldome agree in true sense if you marke it well But if yow would examine the Latin authorities cited in the said margent with the originalles of the Authors themselues you shall scarce euer finde them sincerly to agree but that one fraud or other is vsed in their allegation by chopping changing infarcing leauing out and other such sleightes and deceiptes which though the breuity of this Treatise permit me not to examin and lay forth at large in this place yet some we haue touched before and some others shall we haue occasion to note afterwardes and the Reader himself may vpon this warning make some little triall 41. And as for the succession of times which this Author T. M. pretendeth to bring downe from the Apostles dayes not to ours but for a thousand yeares only after Christ wherin he saith that no Pope can be shewed euer to haue had any temporall iurisdiction ouer any Emperour King or temporall Prince though Catholickes doe hold the later six hundred yeares also to be of no lesse force for president of examples in the Church of God then the former thousand yet are the instances so many and euident which may be alledged against his former prescription of the said thousand yeares as doe manifestly cōuince him of folly in that assertion wherin I referre me to the collections and demonstrations therof by the foresaid Authors Carerius Bozius Bellarmine Sanders and others in the places heere quoted in the margent but especially to the three that are not Iesuites to the first for all to wit Carerius that in diuers thinges wrote against the Iesuits whoe in his second booke alleadgeth 10. or 12. examples out of antiquity for prouing his purpose I remit me also to the many learned writinges set forth of late about the cause of the Venetians by Penia Baronius Bouius Eugenius Nardus others shewing the most euident right which the Pope had and hath to commaund them as high Pastor of the Church to recall certaine ciuill lawes made by them in preiudice of the said Church and Ecclesiasticall State which Commandement we doubt not but God will moue that most excellent Cōmon-wealth finally to obey they being knowne to be so good and sound Catholickes as they are though for some time in regard of some temporall respectes they haue deferred to doe the same 42. Many more pointes might be examined in this descēt of his throughout periodes of times but it would be ouerlong and my intention is to giue a tast only or short view for to examine the places cited out of Fathers of diuers ages for proofe of his pretence were time wholy lost For that in effect they say nothing else but that we graunt which is that temporall Princes are to be respected and obeyed by Ecclesiasticall men also but in temporall affaires And as for his examples of

Pater in me I am in my Father and my Father in me which was another great bulwarke of ancient Christianity against Arrians Caluin ouerthroweth it thus Non hic saith he de essentiae vnitate sermo habetur c. Heere is not any speach of vnity of 〈◊〉 betweene the Father and the Sonne but only of the manifestation of Gods power in the person of Christ. And againe in another place Non ad diuinam Christi essentiam refero sed ad modum reuelationis I doe not referre those wordes to the diuine nature of Christ but to the manner of reuelation which were also the Answeres of old Arrians and are at this day of the new 89. And finally not to be tedious I passe ouer many other examples as that Ioan. 17. in Christes speach to his Father That my disciples may be one as we are one And againe That all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee which ancient Doctors did interpret to signify the naturall vnity of Christ in Godhead with his Father But what saith Caluin Multi ex Patribus saith he interpretati sunt Christum vnum esse cum Patre c. Many of the Fathers haue so interpreted these wordes as though they proued that Christ is one with his Father for that he is eternall God but their contention with the Arrians drew them violently to this that they should wrest broken sentences to a wronge sense The like he writeth of that excellent place of S. Iohn in his first Epistle Tres sunt qui testimonium dant in coelo c. There are three in heauen that giue testimony the Father the word and the holy Ghost and these three are one which Catholike Deuines haue euer vnderstood of the naturall vnity of the three persons in the blessed Trinity against the Arrians But what saith 〈◊〉 on their side Quod dicit tres esse vnum ad essentiam non refertur sed ad consensum potius In that S. Iohn saith these three to be one is not referred to their vnity of nature and essence but rather to the vnity of their will or consent And will yow say now that Caluin is not worthy to haue his fee of the Arrians Or will Thomas Morton say still that our malignant Doctors doe wrongfully accuse him Quis non videt saith Hunnius diabolum per acutum suum instrumētum c. Who doth not see that the diuell by this sharpe instrument of his doth goe about to disarme Christians and arme the enemies of the blessed Trinity For if these should aske vs what testimonies we haue what proofe of Christes vnity in Godhead with his Father we haue none left Vniuersa per aleatoriam istam quiduis eludendi 〈◊〉 è manibus 〈◊〉 All are stroken out of our handes by this dicing-deceipt of deluding any thing that is in Scripture for that purpose But D. Hunnius goeth forward 90. The like Comment maketh Caluin vpon those wordes of S. Paul to the Colossians cap. 1. where the Apostle calleth Christ Imaginem Dei inuisibilis the image of God inuisible and those other to the Hebrewes c. 1. Qui est splendor gloriae expressa imago substantiae illius Who is the splendor of his glory and the expresse image of his substance where manifestly the Apostle doth affirme the deity of Christ and the ancient Fathers out of the same wordes after him against the Arrians and namely S. Chrysostome at large what euasion thinke yow will Iohn Caluin teach the Arrians heere Yow shall heare him in his owne wordes Scio saith he qualiter veteres exponere soleant quia enim certamen habebant cum Arrianis c. I know how the ancient Fathers are wont to expound these wordes for that they hauing combate with the Arrians doe vrge the equality and consubstantiality of God the Sonne with his Father out of these places but in the meane space they hold their peace in that which is the principall to wit how God the Father doth exhibite himselfe to be knowne to vs in Christ. And as for Chrysostome who placeth all his ground in the word Image while he striueth to proue therby that a creature can not be the image of God the Creator it is tooto weak c. So he 91. And now saith Doctor Hunnius what way can be more effectuall then this to ouerthrow Christian Religion and bring in Arrianisme Or what place or text of Scripture remaineth now in force against the Iewes and Arrians for defence of Christes diuinity if Caluins censure be admitted against all those that haue byn cited It is euident saith he hoc genus eludendi Scripturas quo Caluinus vtitur exoptatissimum diabolo adminiculum esse c. that this kind of eluding Scriptures vsed by Caluin is the most desired help for the diuell that can be wished to shake the credit of one authority after another in mens hartes vntill before they be aware they become Arrians Thus Hunnius who both for that he is a learned man a Reader of Deuinity a Protestant proueth all that he saith out of Caluins owne wordes ought me thinks to be of great force against him or at leastwise with all others to looke well about them how they belieue either him or his About corrupting and eluding of Prophesyes §. 3. 92. ANd this is now for the first Part of his booke but in this second about the predictions and Prophesies of Christ and Christian Religion he saith he hath much more to produce against Caluin for his foule corruptions Quibus illustrissima vaticima Prophetarum de Messia 〈◊〉 is peruersionibus inuoluit wherby he hath with his Iudaicall peruersities obscured the most notorious and cleere predictions of Prophets about the Messias or Sauiour of the world In which expositions or rather corruptions of his non modò saith he Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum veterum recentiorum pias interpretationes altissimè despexit irrisit sed in nonnullis ipsorummet Euangelistarum 〈◊〉 Sacrosanctas explicationes nequiter illudere non est 〈◊〉 quod nisi ad oculum demonstrauero praesertim vbi ad illa vaticinia Prophetarum deuenero nolim ego nuhi vlla vnquam in re postea fidem adhiberi He doth not only most haughtely despise the Godly interpretations of all ancient and moderne Ecclesiasticall writers but in diuers thinges also he was not a fraid wickedly to elude the holy explications of the Euangelistes and Apostles themselues which except I shall demonstrate vnto the eye especially when I come to examine the predictions of Prophetes I will neuer haue any man to giue me credit afterward So confidently speaketh Doctor Hunnius of Caluins wickednes in this behalf so to weaken and eneruate the testimonies of Scripture that make for Christ vt omnem ad probandum vim atque valorem amittant penitus saith he that therby they wholy loose al their force value

lying 26. Another example most manifest is in the fourth booke of the Kinges where the King of Syria sending certaine Captaines with forces to apprehend the Prophet Elizeus in the Citty of Dothaim he going forth of the Citty and meeting with the said Captaines they not knowing him said vnto them Non est haec via neque ista est Ciuitas sequimini me ostendam virum quem quaeritis This is not the way to Dothaim nor is this that Citty but doe yow follow me and I will shew vnto yow the man whome yow seeke for and so they did and he lead them into the middest of Samaria where the King of Israel his army might and would haue destroyed them if the said Prophet had permitted So as this stratageme also conteyning the exteriour shew of a great vntruth and falshood cannot be deined to haue byn lawfull in this Prophet as appeareth by the concurrence of God with diuers miracles in the same 27. The like may be shewed out of the example of Iudith who by the instinct of Almighty God and his plaine ordinance as the Scripture saith was sent to Holofornes who told him a long narration of many thinges that in euent and outward shew were not true as that he should get not only 〈◊〉 but Hierusalem also and conquer the whole nation of the Iewes adding therunto this asseueration Et misit me Dominus haec nunciare tibi and our Lord hath sent me to tell yow these thinges by which stratageme as you know she deliuered her whole countrey from the forces of the said Holofernes which otherwise had byn like to haue destroyed them 28. And thus much in this place for stratagemes in warre but for other examples great numbers might be alledged wherin some Equiuocations must needes be admitted though no ly as that of the Angell appearing to Toby the elder who being taken by him to be a man and demaunded of what family or tribe he was he said ego sum Azarias Ananiae Magni silius I am Azarias the Sonne of the Great Ananias wherunto Toby answered Ex magno genere tu es yow are of a great stocke indeed which yet was not so in the vnderstanding of the speaker and consequently heere must be confessed an euident Equiuocation or amphibology of speach wherby the hearer was deceaued And not vnlike to this is that speech of our Sauiour when standing in the temple he vsed to the Iewes demanding a miracle Doe yow dissolue this Temple and I will build it vp againe in three dayes meaning the Temple of his body but his hearers vnderstood him of the materiall Temple of Hierusalem and so to their sense it seemed that he speake for 〈◊〉 cause they accused him afterward very solemnly therof at this passion and insulted against him for the same vpon the crosse ergo Equiuocation may not alwayes be condemned for lying as our Minister auoucheth 29. I pretermit diuers other speeches of our Sauiour of like quality as that when he said to his brethren Ego non ascendam ad diem festum istum I will not goe vp to Hierusalem to this feast and yet he meant to goe vp and so went but not in publicke and therin stood the Equiuocation of his 〈◊〉 but his brethren vnderstood not his meaning for if they had no doubt they would not haue gone vp without him ergo one sense was vnderstood by the speaker and another by the hearer which wee shall afterward shew to be properly Equiuocation and yet no ly can be inforced theron but with singuler impiety 30. These wordes also of S. Paul to the Hebrewes Melchisedech King of Salem c. which was without Father without Mother without genealogy neither hauing beginning of his dayes nor end of his life must needs be confessed to haue an Equiuocation or amphibology in them and somewhat to be reserued by the speaker for their vnderstanding for as they lye they seeme impossible to be true that a man could be without Father Mother genealogy beginning or ending yet is there no more expressed by the Apostle but his meaning was that nothing is set downe in Scripture of those particularities 31. And finally the same Apostle S. Paul seing himself pressed at a certaine time in iudgment by his enemies and considering that they were of two factions Pharisies and Saduces wherof the one sort confesseth resurrection of the dead and the other not he protested openly that the cause wherof he was accused was about the said resurrection of the dead which though in his sense was true for that his chiefe trouble was for defending the resurrection of Christ and our hope of resurrection by him yet was it not so then in the vnderstanding of the hearers who vpon this deviding themselues let him goe yea the Pharisies began to excuse defend him in that Councell who otherwise were the greatest enemies of his Religion and profession By all which is seene that sometimes of necessity wee must admit some vse of Equiuocation without lying for otherwise many places of the Scriptures themselues and of other holy mens writings doings cannot be well vnderstood or defended as afterwardes more at large shall be shewed 32. But now to passe no further in the recitall of more argumentes to this purpose we may conclude with that common doctrine of Schole-men taken out of S. Augustine and other Fathers that albeit a ly is lawfull in no case yet often may it be lawfull to conceale a truth for that he handling those wordes of the Psalme Thou shalt destroy all those which speake lyes he saith Aliud est mentiri aliud verum occultare aliud est falsum dicere aliud verum tacere It is a different thing to ly to conceale a truth one thing to speake that which is false another thing to hold our peace in that which is true And then concludeth Non est ergo culpandum aliquando verum tacere c. It is not therfore to be reprehended if a man sometimes doe not vtter a truth which hardly can be performed in sundry cases without some amphibology or Equiuocation of speech consequently that this may be without lying And heerof one example may serue for all taken out of Hieremy the Prophet who hauing had a long conference in secret with Sedechias the King in Hierusalem told him many thinges of the will of God about his voluntary yeelding to the Chaldeans and army of Nabuchodonosor King Sedechias in conclusion said thus vnto him Nullus sciat verba haec c. Let no man know those wordes that thou hast spoken vnto me and thou shalt not dye if the Princes or Noble men of my Kingdome shall heare that thou hast spoken with me and shall come vnto thee and say tell vs what thou hast talked with the King and the King with thee and see thou hide nothing from vs thou

those to whome it belongeth principally to discusse examine and determine this matter as afterwardes shall be shewed And yet as though he had made no such exception but admitted all kind of writers throughout all times in this matter he maketh this new ridiculous vaunt Shew vs saith he for your mentall reseruation but one Father whether Greeke or Latin one Pope whether Catholicke or Antichristian one Author whether learned or vnlearned who did euer so fancy c. 4. Wherunto I may answere that if the maker of this vaunt had had but one dram of discretion he would neuer haue set downe so many ones to confound himself for that presently we shall shew so many Fathers Greeke and Latin to haue allowed of the foresaid speech as had occasions to handle such Scriptures as conteine like propositions and so many Popes to haue approued the same as haue allowed the said Fathers sentences or haue liued since the collecting of the Canon Lawes wherin the said Fathers sentences are aboundantly cited and set downe and that so many learned graue pious Authors haue byn of this fancy if it be a fancy as haue byn consulted in cases of most moment that comprehend this controuersy So as for this Minister to except against foure hundred yeares togeather which in effect conteineth a graunt of all the learned of that time and yet to challeng one Father one Pope one Author learned or vnlearned sheweth a broken phantasy of an ydle braine indeed 5. But now to lay before the Readers eyes some brief consideration what is reiected in the exclusiō of these last foure hundred yeares about our point in controuersy it is to be noted that the science of Deuinity called by the Greeks Theology for that it is properly immediatly about God matter belonging vnto God hath growne frō time to time according to the growth of mankind and to the most ordinate and excellent prouidence of almighty God as S. Paul diuinely 〈◊〉 in diuers partes of his Epistles which we shall heere indeauour to declare by this particuler deduction that from the beginning of the world vnto the deluge there passing aboue a thousand and six hundred yeares to wit more then from Christ to this time set downe in Scripture vnder the liues only of ten mē there was no other Theology in all that time but only by speech and tradition of Father to sonne freind to friend maister to scholler predecessour to successour and from this againe vnto the time of Abraham which was vpon the point of three hundred yeares the same was obserued and from him to Moyses which was aboue other foure hundred yeares no booke is extant that was written though in these last foure hundred yeares from Abraham to Moyses God had his seuerall people as is knowne which were gouerned without any written word at all 6. But Moyses hauing written the fiue first bookes of the Bible commonly called the Pentateuch so many ages after the beginning of the world and sundry other holy men diuers bookes and Treatises after him againe vntill the comming of Christ albeit the sciēce and study of Deuinity was much enlarged therby yet was it barren in a certaine sort in respect of that which ensued after vnder Christ in the writinges of the Apostles and Apostolicke men and large Commentaries and expositions written theron by succeeding Christian ages which in time growing to be so many and great volumes partly of the said expositions and explanations of Scriptures partly of Treatises bookes and dogmaticall discourses partly of Ecclesiasticall Histories partly of discussions and determinations of Councelles both Generall Nationall Prouinciall and partly finally of resolutions decrees of Bishops chiefe Pastors for directiō of their flocks especially of the highest that held the Chaire for gouerning and moderating of all the rest 7. These thinges I say growing at length to so great a bulke manifold multitude of bookes Treatises tomes and volumes as many men had not time to read them ouer and much lesse leasure and iudgement to digest or conceaue them with that distinction order and perspicuity which was necessary it pleased almighty God out of his continuall prouidence for his said Church to inspire certaine men 〈◊〉 foure hundred years past to reduce the said vast corpes of Deuinity to a cleare methode by drawing all to certaine common places and heades and by handling and discussing the same so punctually distinctly and perspicuously as any good wit in small time may come to comprehend the whole without reading ouer the other so many huge volumes as before was necessary And this method was called afterwardes Schoole-Deuinity for that it did principally consist in disputation and discussion of matters exactly by discending into particulers and dissoluing all doubtes wheras the other manner of 〈◊〉 of Scriptures Fathers Doctors Histories and Councells seuerally remained with the name of positiue Deuinity as contenting it self only with assertiue doctrine without disputation or further discussion 8. The first and principall Authors of this method or methodicall study is accounted to be Petrus Lombardus Bishop of Paris aboue foure hundred fifty yeares past who for that he gathered into the foresaid method of generall heades all that any way appertained to Deuinity out of the sayinges and sentences of Scriptures and Fathers deuiding the same into foure bookes and euery booke into seuerall distinctions he was called afterwardes the Maister of the sentences and many learned men in ensuing times wrote Commentaries theron enlarging with great variety of matter the said method which he had inuented Others also made seuerall Summes of Theology differēt in name but in effect to the same imitation wherof may be accounted one of the first our often named learned Countreyman Alexander of Hales in Suffolke and after him S. Thomas of Aquine vpon whome many other learned men since that time haue and doe vnto this day write large Commentaries Diuers also considering that this methodicall study hath two partes the one speculatiue which is handled principally by the exercise of our vnderstanding in dispute the other moral that apperteineth to manners and action of life sundry learned men doe betake themselues principally to this later as more necessary to practice of Christian life and cases therin to be resolued in Conscience 9. And about the very same time or little before it came to passe by the like prouidēce of almighty God that the same method was thought vpon for reducing the Decrees and Constitutions of Councels Fathers Bishops and Popes apperteyning to Ecclesiasticall gouernment which grew now to be many vnto like general heades bookes causes questions and Chapters 〈◊〉 more facility of comprehending and remembring the same the cheif Author therof being Gratian a learned Monke of S. Benedicts Order which laborious and methodicall compilation approued by Popes at that time and from time to time afterwards and expounded by the writinges and