Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	authority_n	divine_a	tradition_n	2,703	5	9.2704	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14436	The waie home to Christ and truth leadinge from Antichrist and errour, made and set furth in the Latine tongue, by that famous and great clearke Vincent, French man borne, aboue .xi. hundred yeres paste, for the comforte of all true Christian men, against the most pernitious and detestable crafte of heretikes, which in his tyme by all subtell wayes, deuised to obscure and deface the doctrine and religion of the vniuersall churche. And now the same worke is englished, and by the Quenes highnes authorised to be sette furthe for the reliefe fo diuers Englishe menne, which yet stande in doubte, whether they may goe to heauen in the peace and vnitie of Christes vniuersall churche, or to hell in the dissention and confusion of heretikes; Pro catholicae fidei antiquitate libellus. English	Vincent, of Lérins, Saint, d. ca. 450.; Proctor, John, 1521?-1584.	1554 (1554)	STC 24754; ESTC S104650	58,039	228

S. Paule shall not be knowen That is to saye whosoeuer eyther doeth not learne whyche he knoweth not or beyng knowen doeth contemne the same man shal not be knowen That is he shal be counted vnworthy on whome amongest other vnited in fay the and knitte in christian humilitie the heauenlye mercye maye be extended And what thynge worsse What euyll more bytter canne be deuysed then thys And yet accordynge to thys Apostolycke commination we see the same hathe chaunced vnto Iulian Pelagian who eyther neglected to incorporate hym selfe to the mynde and sentence of other fathers or presumed to excorporate hym selfe that tofore was one of them But nowe time it is that accordinge to my promise I declare by example when and how the sentences of the holy fathers may be gathered together that by them the rule of Ecclesiasticall faythe myghte be assured and confirmed accordynge as by decree and authoritie of counsayle is sette furthe And to doe thys fytte and necessarye it is that I doe eftsoones reuoke what tofore was sayde I sayde at the begynnynge that thys euermore was and styl is the custome of Catholike and true beleuers to approue the true faythe by two wayes First by the authoritie of diuine Scripture Secondlye by tradition of the catholyke Churche Not because the Scripture sufficeth not or plentuously contayneth not all thinges necessarye but because euery man expounding the same accordynge to theyr owne fantasies do often times conceyue dyuers errours and straunge opinions centrary to the intent of the holy scriptures And therefore it is necessarye that the intelligence vnderstandinge of the heaueuly scripture be directed according to one vniforme rule of the ecclesiastical iudgement especiallye in those questions on whiche the foundacion of the whole catholike doctrine doeth staye We sayde moreouer that we ought to consider in the churche the consent aswel of the vniuersalitie as also of antiquitie Least we be broken of from the integritie of vnitie into some prophane error or least we be tumbled from the religion of auncientie headlong into nouelties of vnknowen heresie I haue sayde also that in the same antiquitie of the churche we ought vehementlye and studiously to obserue two thinges vnto which eche man must cleue fast that will not be an heretike The first is if any thinge in the antiquitie of the churche hathe been decreed by all catholike teachers and holy fathers and hathe been setfurth by authoritie of vniuersall counsell Next if there hap to arise any newe question whiche is not decided by generall counsell that then euery good man ought to haue recourse vnto the auncient writers which are knowē to haue stedfastly perseuered in the vnitie of the catholike communion and faieth And whatsoeuer they in one minde and consente haue receyued and taught the same we ought to iudge and accept as moost syncere pure and catholike doctrine And that this myght not seeme to be spoken rather of my owne head then by authoritie ecclesiastical I haue drawen to example the godly counsell kepte in Afia at Ephesus Bassus and Antiochus two noble persones then beinge consulles In which counsell a motion beinge made for orders and rules to be deuised for the stablishinge of the faieth it semed vnto all the fathers there assembled whiche were aboute C C. in numbre a thinge verye catholike right faiethfull and moste beest to be done lest any prophane noueltie shoulde by chaunce crepe in contrarye to their godly purpose as to fore in the counsell kepte at Arimine in Italy to bringe furthe the sentences censures opinions of the holye fathers of whiche some were Martyrs some wer Confessors and al were constātly remained catholike priestes true faiethful teachers And according to their minde consente and decree well and deuoutly considered the religion of christian faieth might be confirmed and the blasphemie of prophan noueltie condempned This thus done of righte that wicked Nestorius was condempned as an heretike iniurious to the catholike auncientye and blessed Cyrillus was pronoūced catholike consenting and agreable vnto the holye antiquitie And for the better warrant of the matter I learned the names of the same fathers although I haue forgotten their order accordinge to whose censure and iudgement both suche sentences as then were cōtrouerted were expounded and also the rule of the diuine doctrine stablished Whiche fathers here to reherse by name I thinke it not superfluous For thereby shal my memorie be confirmed Wherefore these were they whose wrytinges are recited beinge either iudges or witnesses in that coūsell S. Peter Byshop of Alexandria a verie excellente teacher mooste blessed Martyr Holy Athanasius highe prelate of the same citie a right faithful preacher and moost worthie confessor Holy Theophilus Byshoppe also of the same citie a man for his faieth lyfe and knowledge very famous Whom succeded Cyrill a father of muche reuerence To these holy fathers and godlye Byshoppes of our Citie and prouince adde those shining beames of Cappadocia as saint Gregorie Byshoppe and confessor of Nazianse S. Basil Byshop cōfessor of Caesarea Cappadocia other S. Gregorie also byshop of Nice a man for his faith conuersation integritie and wisedome most worthie to be as he was brother to holye Basill All these were Greekes Amongest the Latines also were manye that by their iudgemēt allowed the matters passed in that counsel as S. Felix martyr and S. Iulie Byshoppes of Rome Lykewise blessed S. Cyprian Byshop of Carthage martyr Holye sainte Ambrose Byshop of Mediolanū These were they whiche were in the counsell of Ephesus as iudges witnesses Maisters and Counsellers whose doctrine that blessed Synode faiethfullye imbraced and folowinge theire counsell beleuinge their testimonie obeinge their iudgement haue syncerely truely and faiethfullye pronounced of matters concerning faieth These fathers were but tenne in numbre A greater numbre mought haue been called thereto but there was noo necessitie because as the tyme serued the matters consisted not in the multitude of witnesses and noman doubted but all other catholike men thoughte and beleued as these tenne did After all these thinges I also added S. Cyrill his sentence Whiche is conteined in the eccle siasticall gestes For what tyme the Epistle of holye Capreolus Byshoppe of Carthage was readen who intended and desired nothinge els but that the holye antiquitie mought be defēded and wicked noueltie anulled and vtterlye refused then S. Cyrill pronounced defined in fourme as followeth And this Epistle saied he of the reuerend and most godly father Capreolus Bisshop of Carthage shal be regestred in the boke of our gestes and decrees concerninge the faieth whose sentence is so playne For he will that the sentences and decrees of the auncient faieth be confirmed and stablished and that newe founde fansies and inuentions be reproued and condēpned as bothe superfluous and wicked Hereto all the Byshoppes gaue their consent al wholly agreed therupon all together with one voyce wished the same Wherto gaue they their consent What was it that they in one

not againste any stone that is to say that they cannot offende or go amisse though they wold But some wyll saye if the testimonies sentences promises of the scripture are vsed of the deuill his ministers of whom some be false Prophetes some false Apostles some be false teachers and they all heretikes what then shall the catholike men the childrē of our mother the Church doe By what mean shall they discerne the veritie in the holye scriptures from the falshood of suche heretikes No doubte they must doe as at the beginning I admonished They must doe as other godlye learned mē haue done before them and as they haue taughte vs to doe that followe them What is that They must interpretate vnderstande and expounde the scriptures of God accordynge to the traditions orders rules of the catholike Church wherin they must also necessarilye obserue followe the vniuersalitie antiquitie and cōsent of the catholike apostolike churche And when so euer a parte against the vniuersalitie noueltie againste auncientie the dissention of a fewe shall rebell againste the vniuersall consente of all or the most parte of christians then preferre and esteme the integritie of the vniuersalitie before the corruption of a parte And in the same vniuersalitie the religion of antiquitie before the prophane noueltie againe in that antiquitie before the temeritie of one or a fewe preferre chieflye the generall decrees of an vniuersall coūsell and if none suche bee then followe the consent and censure of suche as haue tofore taughte and ruled in the churche of god Whiche if we diligently soberly and faiethfully obserue it shal be easy inoughe for vs to discerne or deprehende from tyme to time all pestilent errors of al sortes of heretikes Here nowe consequent it is that I by example doe demonstrate howe and in what wise the prophane nouelties of heretikes maye be bothe deprehended and also condempned by the censures and sentences of the aunciente fathers concordinge and agreing together How be it we oughte to inuestigate and followe the aunciente consente of the holye fathers not in euery small question of the scriptures but only and chiefely in the rule of faith neither at all times all kinde of heresies are this wayes to bee impugned but only newe and freshe heresies as sone as they put vp their heades That before they haue falsyfied the presidences of the auncient faieth they maye be put of their purpose by the straightnes of the time and before they may haue leasure to goo about to corrupt and viciate the workes of oure elders with theire venime creping moore at large But olde and inueterate heresyes cannot be ouerthrowen after this sort because in longe tracte of times they haue gotten better occasiō to incroche vpon trueth Wherfore suche olde heresies must be euer conuinced by the onely authoritie of the scripture or els auoided and detested beinge alredy tofore conuinced and condempned by vniuersall counsell of the catholike writers Wherfore as sone as any newe prophane error beginneth to pepe vp and the authour therof imbeseleth for the defense of the same certain sentēces out of the scripture whiche he falsely and craftely dothe expoūde by by must ye gather together the exposition of the fathers vpon those places whiche were produced for the defense of the erroure Wherby that newe prophane errour maye be with out longe circumstaūce bewraied without anye delaye condempned But the exposition of suche fathers onely are to be conferred whiche lyuing teaching and abidinge holily wisely and constantly in the faieth and catholyke communion haue merited either to dye in Christe faiethfullye either for Christe to be slayne happely Vnto whome notwithstandinge we ought so farre furthe to geue credit as they consente and agree together And whatsoeuer they together haue manifestlye firmelye and fayethfullye receyued taught and deliuered vnto vs the same maye we receyue beleue and folowe as moste certaine true and perfect doctrine And whatsoeuer anye man be he Byshoppe or Prelate be he Confessor or Martyr be he neuer so holye neuer so well learned shall presume to mayntayne and teache anye thynge contrarye to the consent opinion and censure of these fathers we ought to accompt the same heresie amongest the priuie priuate sectes which are deuided from the authoritie of the cōmon publique general sentence Let vs not with highe daunger of euerlastynge saluation after the curssed custome of hellishe heretikes forsake the auncient verite of the vniuersall doctrine and folow the newe errours of one or a fewe The holye and catholike consent of whiche godlye fathers least anye shoulde temerouslye iudge to be neglected harke what S. Paule sayth vnto the Corinthians ii Cor .xij. God sayeth he hathe constitute cettayne in the church first apostles of whom he was one nexte Prophetes what one we reade in the Actes that Agabus was thirdlye teachers whyche we call Tractatores Treaters or Writers whiche Paule him selfe calleth also prophetes somtyme because by them throughe their diligence the mysteries of the Prophetes are opened vnto the people Those therfore thus dispensed and constitute by the prouidēce of God by tymes and places whosoeuer shall despice or contemne agreynge and consentynge together in anye matter of Christ his catholike religion let him knowe that he contemneth not man but God And that no man should deuide him selfe from the southsaying vnitie of these fathers S. Paule earnestlye desyreth saying I beseche you brethren that ye all speake one thinge and the same and that there be amongest you no dissention Be ye perfect and knit together in one and the same sense in one and the same sentence And yf anye shall deuide hym selfe from the communion of the Catholicke sentence he shall heare that of S. Paule He is not God of dissention but of peace That is to saye he is not the God of hym which shrinketh from the vnite of consent but of suche as abyde constaunt in the peace of consent with other As I teach you sayth he in al congregatiōs of the sainctes That is of the Catholike which therefore are called sainctes because they persist consiaunte in the communion of fayth And yf any one would so muche arrogate vnto him selfe as thoughe he onelye were to be hearde and credited before all other S. Paule to hys reprofe sayeth thus Came the worde of God from you or came it into you onely But least this shoulde seeme to be spoken vpon smale consideration he addeth further If any man semeth to be a Prophete or spirituall let him knowe those thinges which I do write vnto you because they are the commaundementes of the Lorde Whiche commaundementes he that is counted a Prophet or spirituall that is to saye a maister of spirituall matters doth not with earnest studye of equalitie and vnitie obserue that eyther preferreth his owne opinion before others or in any poynt goeth from the iudgement of the vniuersall consent The commaundement hereof who knoweth not sayeth

it God forbyd that we shoulde so thinke of S. Paule For it foloweth and the same he eftsones doeth inculcate verye earnestlye with this iteration As I haue said tofore sayeth he I saye nowe agayne if any shal preache any other Ghospell vnto you then that whiche ye haue receiued accursed be he He sayde not yf any shal teach other doctrine thē such as ye haue receiued blessed be he let him be allowed receyued but let hi be sayth he Anathema that is to say let him be seperated segregated excluded as one accursed lest the daūgerous inffection of one corrupt shepe maye poyson and infect the sound flocke of Christ with his venemous permixtion company But some may say that these S. Paules preceptes wer only geuē to the Galathians and to none other Then also it shuld folow that other thinges set furth in the same epistle were commaunded vnto the Galathians onely and to none other As that Si uiuimus spiritu spíritu ambus lemus c. that is if we liue by the spirite let vs walke in the spirite Let vs not be made desierous of vayne glory prouoking one an other enuiyng one an other And so furth as foloweth But if this be absurde to graūt if al thinges ther expressed by sainct Paule were commaunded vnto all indifferentlye then aswel the counseil warning concerning fayth as those preceptes of maners in like sort perteyne vnto al. And as it is not lawfull for anye person to prouoke or enuye one an other so it maye not be lawfull for any to allowe and folowe anye other doctrine then suche as the Catholike churche doth vniuersallye preache And yf that which then was commaunded as if anye teache you other doctrine then suche as hath been taughte you let him be accursed be not now commaunded which ther he sayeth in like sorte Dico autem spiritu ambulate et desiderium carnis non perficietis I saye walke in the spirite and fulfill not the luste and desire of the fleashe But yf it be wycked and also pernicious so to beleue then necessarely it foloweth that as these rules touchinge maners ought to be obserued of all ages euen so the other preceptes concerning the holye fay the are commaunded vnto all men of all ages as that nothyuge ought to be innouated or altered Wherfore neither hath it ben lawful neither is it lawful at any time to teache other doctrine vnto the catholike christians then hath already been allowed receyued Shal it thē be lawful or no to accurse them which presume to inayntayne or teache any other doctrine then that which hath been receyued taughte and beleued Verely it hath been euer lawfull it is alwayes lawfull it shall euermore be necessarye and lawfull Then for asmuche as it is so is there any of suche boldnes that dare teache any contrary doctrine to that which the vniuersall Churche hathe taught Is there anye of suche lightnes that is so madde to receyue any other then that whiche the churche hath receyued Yea although S. Paule crye and crye agayne Although I sai that blessed vessel of electiō that heauenly maister of gentiles that soundinge trompet of apostles that noble crier of the earthe and skylfull of the heauens althoughe I saye he do crye to al at all tymes and euerie where neuer somuch neuer so oft neuer so vehementlye accursed be he that teacheth anye newe opinion yet beholde howe these frogges these wretched gnattes the Pelagians Anabaptistes and other like heretikes reclame stil to the contrarie and that to the catholikes sayinge We being your authours leaders and teachers condemne that whiche ye haue allowed and allowe that which ye haue condemned Away with your olde faith with your elders institutions your auncetours decrees awaye with them all and for them receiue and imbrace wotte ye what Verelye suche gere as not only may not be auouched but neither yet also refelled or named weout daūger Me thike I here some say Sir if no innouations maye be admitted howe is it that many times many excellent persones constituted and appointed in the churche are permitted by the wil of God to setfurth newe matters vnto the people This is a good questiō and worthye with muche diligence and at large to be considered Wherunto I shal not shape anye aunswere of myne owne witte but vse the authoritie of the heauenly scripture cleaue to the counsel and censure of the holy church Let vs heare therfore godly Moyses let hym declare vnto vs why learned men suche as for the gift of knowledge were called Prophetes by the Apostle are permitted now and then to bringe furth newe opinions and sectes whiche the olde testament calleth vnder allegorie straunge Gods because suche newe sectes are no otherwyse obserued and fauoured of heretikes thē the Gentiles did obserue and fauor their Gods This blessed Moyses therfore writeth in the Deuteronomie in this wise Moyses Yf a Prophet shal rise among you or any shal saye that he hath sene a dreme that is to wit a maister constitute in the churche whom the hearers beleue to teach by some reuelation what then And shall saieth Moyses foresaie asigne or portent and it shall happen as he hath spoken This is meaned no doubt by a maister of so great knowledge as might seeme to his disciples and hearers not onely to foreknow mean humain thinges but also suche matters as are aboue man much lyke were as their disciples bragge of them Valentinus Donatus Apollinaris and other of the same heere It foloweth in Moyses And shall saye vnto you go we and let vs folowe straunge Goddes whiche you knowe not and let vs serue them what be these straunge Gods but onely straunge errours Whiche thou knowest not that are newe not hearde of afore Let vs serue them What is that Let vs beleue and folow them What then Thou shalt not heare saieth Moyses The wordes of that Prophet or dreamer And wherefore I praye you Is not that forbidden to be taughte which is forbidden to be heard May not the hearing therof be suffered the teachinge whereof is not forbidden Because saieth Moyses the lorde your GOD tempteth you that it maye be manifest whether ye loue him or not with all your harte and with all your soule It is manifest and cleare as the daye to what ende the prouidēce of God doth some times permit certaine maisters and cēsors of his chucrh to erre and in their erringe to imagine and teache freshe ware newe toyes contrarie to the auncient custome of the catholike church It is saieth Moyses that thereby the Lorde youre GOD maye tempte you And doubtlesse this is a greate temptation when he whom thou iudgest a Prophet whom thou estemest a disciple of Prophetes whom thou thinkest a true and faiethfull teacher of veritie whom thou doest imbrace with all reuerence dothe sodeinlye slippe into daungerous errour and priuily teacheth falshood whiche thou canst not easelye deprehende that arte ledde with

examples in the rehersal allegation of such as at the beginninge were este med catholike in faieth and sound in doctrine at length not withstandynge either fell into some other sect or diuised some newe of their owne braines Verely it is a great matter profitable to be knowen verie necessarie to be often recorded worthye by dyuers examples continually to be illustrated and dryuen into euery mannes harte howe that all catholike men at all times haue thought themselues bounde to receiue the teachers within the church and not forsake the faith of the Churche with the teachers beinge in errour But where as I am able to bryng furth many in thys kind of tēpting yet I suppose none to be compared with Origenes teptacion Origenes in whom were so many excellent singular and merueilous giftes that he was as it were a marke for euery man to gase and wonder at Whose sentence iudgemēt and opinion in all matters all men iudged moost worthie to be embraced And no merueill For if the lyfe geueth any authoritie to man no doubte he did leade a verye perfect holy and continent life in much pacience and suffering Yf the stocke parentage who more noble then he which was sprong of that honorable house that firste was bewtified with blessed Martyrdome Who afterwarde for Christe his sake not onely forsakinge his naturall father but leauyng also all hys goodes and substaunce somuche proffeted amongest the harde straightes of holy pouertie that many times and oft he was sharpely handled for cōfes synge the name of oure Lorde Adde therto that so great was his knowledge in all kinde of literature matched with suche finenes of wit powdered with such pleasaūt deliueraūce of his wordes that he was thoughte pierelesse without felowe The highe magnificence of whose absolute knowledge was suche that few or none were thought to approche His pronunciatiō and vtteraunce so swete that from his lyppes not wordes but hony might haue semed to flowe What matters seminge neuer so hard hath not he with force of disputatiō made smoth cleere What thinges seminge veray hard to be done hath not he made to appeare easie by his owne example But some wyll thinke that he perswaded hys assertions by subteltie of argumente onely Yea there was not one of the Churche that vsed mo examples out of the holy scriptures then he did in anye worke that he made as he made veray many And that no thing might be lacking in him that either coulde encrease his knowledge or inlarge his estimation he atteined the full perfection of age And in his time he had so many disciples whom effectually bothe by continuall instruction of doctrine and effectuall example of maners he had soo framed that of hym and as it were out of his bosome issued innumerable Doctours Ministers Confessours and Martyrs Finally in howe great admiration glorye and fauour he was with all men who can expresse vnto whom diuers godlye men from all partes swarmed whome the Christians honoured as a Prophete The Philosophers reuerenced as a maister Whome for the worthines of his heauenly wisdom not onely men of priuate condition but also themperiall state honoured Recorde of histories whiche report that the mother of Alexander the Emperour sent for hym to learne at hys mouth heauenly wisdom wher of he had a speciall grace she a burnyng desire The same histories also reporte vnto vs the testimonye of an epistle whiche he endicted with the maiestie of christian prelacie and sent it vnto Philippe themperour Philippe who first was made christian of the Romayne Princes Touching the incredible knowledge expressed in that epistle yf any accept not the christian testimonye at my reporte at least wise let him receyue the gentle confession vpon the testimonye of prophane Philosophers For that impious and wicked man Porphyrius doeth confesse Porphyrius that by the sounde of his fame he was styred to trauel as far as Alexandria being in maner yet but a boye and that he there sawe Origines well stept in age but such one of such maiestie as who had buylded in him selfe a towre of all knowledge No doubt he was a man ful of worthines Al whos most worthye qualities I coulde not rehearse in a daye no not the least part of them And they all do pertayne not onelye vnto the glorye of religion but also vnto the greatnes of the temptatiō For who woulde eyther suspect such a mā of so excellēt wit so great knowledge of so wonderfull grace Or woulde not rather vse that sentence that I had leuer erre with Origent hen to thinke trueth with other What nedes many wordes It came to this passe that the moste daūgerous tēptation of so notable a person so great a mayster so hiegh a prophet allured very many from the integrite of their faythe Wherfore the same Origen whilest he more insolentlye abuseth the grace of God whilest he ouermuche trusteth to hys owne witte and iudgement slenderlye regardeth the auncient simplicitie and presumyng to be more wise then other doeth contemne the traditions of the churche and the preceptes of thelders He at length taketh vpon him to interpretate expound certen partes of the scriptures after a new guyse Wherby he hath also deserued that of him it shoulde be sayde Si sura rexerit in medio tui Propheta non audias verba illius prophetae quia tent at uos dominus deus uester vtrum díligatís eum an non That is to say If there aryse amonge you a Prophet thou shalte not heare the voyce of that Prophet because the Lorde your God tempteth you whether you loue him or not Doubtlesse it is not onelye a temptacion but a very great temptacion when he on whome the congregation of Christ doth wholly stai vnto whō the churche leneth allured by the admiration of his witte knowledge eloquence conuersation and grace whiche were all wonderfull in him doeth sodaynlye traduce the same nothing fearinge or suspectynge from the auncient religion into newe prophanities But some man wyll saye that the bookes of Origen are corrupted I doe not withstande that Yea I would that Origens bokes wer corrupt rather then Origen him selfe And that his bookes are corrupted diuers aswell of the catholykes as heretikes haue firmed How be it this it is that we ought now to attend that if not Origen him selfe yet the bokes put furth in his name were a great temptaciō Which scatterynge full of foule blasphemies were read and receyued for his and not for anye other mans In so muche that al be it in conceyuynge anye errour it was not the minde of Origen yet to the persuasion of errour the authoritie of Origen maye seeme muche to preuayle The like may be spoken of Tertullian Tertullian a man no lesse notable and famous amongest the Latines then was Origen amongest the Greekes For what coulde be more excellent then this man Who more exercised in the holy scriptures and in all other

whiche coulde quickly deprehende the humaine errour myghte not yet sodeinlye contempne the diuine testimonies And therefore they practise as they dooe whiche wyllynge too gyue vnto chyldren some bytter drynke dooe fyrste anoynte the lippe or brimme of the cuppe with hony or some other pleasaunt thinge that the simple and vnwarie age should not feare the bitternes hauing afore tasted the swetenes Euen so doe these Heretikes whiche doe colour and paynte before hand their euil sedes and pestilent syruppes with the termes and titles of singular medicines to the ende that none shoulde suspecte poyson when he hath readde afore wrytren remedye or medicine Of these heretikes our Sauiour warneth vs to take hede Attendite á falsis prophetis Beware from false Prophetes which come vnto you in shepes clothynge but within they be rauenyng wolues What is ment by shepes apparell or clothinge but the sentences of the Prophetes and Apostles Who be the rauenyng wolues but madde and furious heretikes whiche alwayes vexe and inuade the foldes of the church and to the vttermoste of their might rent and deuour the innocent flocke of Christ But to the ende they maye more craftelye stele vpon the vnwarye shepe they putte of the countenaunce and vesture of wolues and shroude them selues all in phrases and sentences of the scriptures as with flices of wolle inwardlye notwithstanding they continewe most cruel and rauening wolues They do thus that the simple sheepe might not feare the cruell dent of their bloudie teethe when they shal afore feele and see the soft wollye flice But what sayeth our Sauiour Exfructibus corum cognoscetis eos Ye shall knowe them by their workes That is when they beginne to expound and interpretate the sentences and textes of holye scripture whiche tofore they broughte then that bitternesse that fylthy stenche sauoreth then that rauening woddenes is felt thē that new poisō droppeth furth then doe these prophane nouelties shew thē selues then mayst thou see the hedge broken the boundes and limites of the fathers ouerrun then mayst thou see the catholike faythe mangled and cutte the ecclesiasticall doctrine rent and torne These be they whiche the Apostle Paule speaketh of in the seconde to the Corinthians saying Nam eiusmodi Pseudoapostoli operarij suhdoli transfigurant se in apostolos Christi For suche false Apostles sayeth S. Paule subtel and craftye workers doe transsigure them selues into the Apostles of Christ What dyd S. Paule meane thereby Nothinges els but as the. Apostles of Christe dyd bring furthe the testimonies of holye scripture euen so do these false Apostles And as they alleged the authorities of the Psalmes the same doe these allege as they vsed the sentences of the Prophetes so doe these false Apostles There is no part of Gods scripture but these false Apostles doe allege and brynge furthe euen as the true Apostles of Christ dyd And in thys sorte they transfigure them selues into the Apostles of Christ But when they come vnto the diuers and vnlike expositions of these sentences whiche they alyke brynge furth and allege then is it manifest whiche be the true Apostles and whiche be the false Apostles Then doeth it appere who be the simple and who be the craftye who be the godlye and who be the wycked Then are the true Prophetes discerned from the false Prophetes And no meruayle sayeth the Apostle for the Deuyll him selfe doeth transforme him selfe into an angell of light No great matter is it then yf hys ministers be transfourmed lyke the ministers of ryghteousnes Therefore accordynge to S. Paule hys doctrine as often as eyther false Apostles or false Prophetes or false teachers do brynge the sentences of diuine lawe therewith falselye vnderstanded to mayntayne theyr errors there is no doubte but that they folow the craftye and subtil wayes of their head Satan For he knoweth that there is no way to that As when he would stablish an errour to present the same wyth thauthoritie of holye Scripture O but some wyl saye Howe canne ye proue that the Deuyll is wont to vse the testimonies of holye scriptures It is proued sufficientlye to hym that readeth the Ghospell where it is writen Then the Deuyll toke our Lorde our Sauiour and sette hym vpon the pinnacle of the temple and sayde vnto hym If thou be the sonne of God caste thy selfe downe from thys pinnacle For it is written that he hathe geuen in commaundement to his Angelles of the that they kepe thee in all thy wayes they shall beare the vp in their handes that thy foote tryppe not at anye stone What woulde he stycke to doe to other selye poore creatures that thus assaulted the Creatour hym selfe the Lorde of Maiestie with the testimonies of the scripture If thou be the sonne of God sayeth he tumble thy selfe downe for it is written c. O surelye the doctrine of thys place is diligentlye to be noted and be marked of vs which letteth vs to vnderstande that as often as we shall see anye to allege and produce the testimonies of the scriptures agaynste the fayth and religion beleued and receyued in the vniuersall Churche that then we neede not doubt but that the Deuyll by them worketh his olde feite For as the head spake to the head so nowe the membres speake vnto the membres that is the membres of the Deuyll to the membres of GOD the wycked to the godlye the false periured to the faythfull the heretikes to the catholike But what sayeth the Deuyll If thou be the sonne of GOD tumble thy selfe downe That is to say Wilt thou be the chylde of God Wylte thou possesse the inheritaunce of the kyngdome of god Then tumble thy selfe downe that is dispatche the from the tradition and doctrine of thys hyghe set churche tumble thy selfe headlong downe from the pinnacle of the vniuersall faith And if ye aske any of the heretikes thus perswadinge howe he proueth by what authoritie he teacheth that ye oughte to tumble your selues from the vniuersall and auncient faieth of the catholike Churche scriptum est enim for it is writen saith he and by by ye shal heare him power out a thowsande testimonies examples authorities embeseled out of the lawe psalmes Apostles and Prophetes by whiche authorities after a new and wicked maner expounded the sely soule is tumbled headlonge from the towre of catho like trueth downe into the dungeon of blasphemous heresie And hereto all heretikes adde wonderfull promises whereby they intrap the simple and vnwary after a merueious fashion For they dare promisse and teache that in theire Churche that is in the cōuenticle of their cōmunion a great and speciall yea plainely a certaine parciall grace of God is in somuch that as manye as be of their congregation do flowe with all necessaries and are plentuously prouided for by the onely dispensation of God although they seke not knocke not and aske not for it And that they be borne vp by the Angelles of heauen that theire foote ones stumble