beleue they were true or to acknowlage that the faultes wherof they spitefulli slauÌ„dre vs were in vs in dede The scripture also by the euaÌ„gelistes and apostles commaundeth and bindeth vs to defende the truthe to refute lyes to beare recorde vnto the truthe and to acquyte the faythfull christianes in theyr innocencye and ryght But what can a man doo in so furyons a rageing rable of aduersaryes and Iniuryous entreatyng of men Or how shold a man begynne to defende the churche seyng such a sorte of cruell and maddebrayned enemies obiecte so many and so haynous crymes agaynst vs and dyng on as it were wyth quartre strokes on euery syde Whan S. Paule the preacher of the Gentyles and moste chosen vessell of Chryst was accused him selfe of the Iewes in a singular good cause euen the cause of the gospel furst before Antonius Felix and eftesones before Portius Festus lieutenauntes of Iewrye of many maters and was more than ouerlayde wyth the power eloquence autoritie and reputacion of hys aduersaries could obteyne nother place nor space to answere vnto euery point throughly he thought he should defende hym selfe and hys cause wel ynough yf he myght shewe by some euident most playne homely shorte reasons that he neuer taught contrarye to the scriptures nor agaynst the hope of Israel but that he was iniuriously enuyed pressed of hys enemyes for constantlye preachyng and defendyng of the hope of the Resurrection whych the Israelites holde And now folowyng his moste godly and singular good exaÌ„ple and vsyng the helpe ordre and almoste the very wordes of a certayn notable profouÌ„de learned Pastour who hath done the same in latine in defence and purgation of the christen gospellike flocke churche committed to hys spiritual charge seyng I am barred out of place and tyme as an abiecte out of my natural countrey so that I can not possibly answere to all theyr odious obiections in ordre one by one singularly by them selues I shal yet by the helpe of God do myn endeauour to declare and set before all mennes eyes by the waye of translation rather myne owne edicion that whyche is moste chief and generall mater in thys cause wyth the moste cleare and playne argumentes that I can that is to wete that the Churche of Englande refourmed and gouerned vnder Kyng Edwarde the .vi. was no heretical schismatical nor sedicious Church and that all other Churches embraceyng the Gospel in assemblable wyse are no heretical nor schismatical Churches but the vndenyable churche of Iesus Christ bothe true faythfull and catholike Wherfore I beseche you ryght honourable lordes ryght worshipfull gentilmen and the rest of my charytable chrysten countreymen for the loue and loyaltye the you bare and owed to your most christen and moste louyng souerayne liege lorde and maister Kyng Edwarde the .vi. reade or heare thys simple shorte treatyse paciently and gentlye inasmuche as I shal do my diligence as euidentlye and in as fewe wordes as I possibly can to speake not of all thynges that myght be alleged in thys behalfe but suche reasons onely as chiefly and principally concerne thys present cause The fyrst Chaptre FYrst where Christ our Lorde sayeth â—he Gosâ—llerschur â—e receaâ—eth the â—ole Scriâ—tuâ—e my shepe heare my voyce the churche of Christe whyche to be knowne from the churche of Papistes is called the gospellers church as the churche of Englande in Kyng Edwardes tyme was dothe acknowlege and receaue the Canonical bokes bothe of the olde TestameÌ„t and newe as those that were proclaymed and spoken out of Boddes owne mouthe Ther is none of them that it denyeth or refuseth but receaueth and reteyneth theÌ„ al holly and perfytly Nother doth it capciously reason about the receauyng of those bokes who hath receaued them or who hath refused them nor whether is of greater force the autorite of the churche receauyng the scriptures or of the scriptures them selues receaued For albeit we read that S. Austen wrote thus Non crederem EuaÌ„ gelio nisi ecclesiae catholicae autoritas me coÌ„moue ret I wold geue no credeÌ„ce sayth he vnto the gospell if the autorytye of the catholike churche dyd not inoue me yet Berson the chauncellour of Parise Gerson a ryght excellent famous man in hys tyme dothe in hys seconde boke De vita spirituali like a discrete profouÌ„de learned clerke saye S. Austen in that place taketh the churche for the primityue congregacion of those faythful christeÌ„ men that harde and sawe Christ were his recorde bearours For whan ther crepte out dyuerse soÌ„dry Bospelles in the churche while the apostles disciples of Christ were yet lyuing they that hade sene Christ him selfe hade harde hys apostles could testifye whych were ryght and true and whych were not Ireneus also in the .xi. chapter of his .3 boke Contra haereses sheweth by many manyfest proues that ther ought to be but only 4. gospelles and yet he maketh no mencion of the churche that ther ought to be but only 4. gospelles bycause the churche hathe receaued no moo but only 4. but bycause the Lord hath so appointed For ther was neuer man that in any Conuocacion or Synode assembled al for that purpose from the begynnyng coÌ„firmed the Canonical bokes of the scriptures or decreed which were canonical which were not but the thurche as it receaued them of the writours autours the holy Prophetes and Apestles theÌ„ selues eueÌ„ so dyd it delyuer them as it were by hande vnto her posteritie It was late ere it begoÌ„ne to be decreed in counsailes vpon canonical and not canonical bokes of scripture not that ther was no diuersitye of them before that tyme or that the bokes of holy scripture had none autoritye before that tyme as they hade and must haue dyuine autoritye in dede although ther hade neuer ben counsayl holden but that the holy men of God were disposed to shewe their iudgemeÌ„t also agaynst suche as bare to vnfrenly a minde agaynst the canonical bokes of scripture And we confesse al that the churche is buylded and set vpon the foundacion of the Prophetes and apostles so if the doctrine of the apostles and prophetes be the foundaceon of the churche thaÌ„ it foloweth of necessytye that the autoritye of the doctrine must nedes be of greater force and importaunce than the autoritie of the churche We therfore in Englande dyd receaue as the Gospellers church elles where doth stil receaue al and singular Canonical bokes both of the olde Testament and newe and namelye those that the Greke wrytours Melito Origene and Eusebius Caesariensis and of the Latines Cipriane and Ierome haue affirmed by theyr owne haÌ„de wrytynges to be taken and reputed of the auncient fathers yea euen from the begynnyng for the vndoubted true Canonical scriptures ¶ The seconde Chapter AS touching the truthe and perfyte integritye of these bokes Of the truth and perfection of the canennical scriptures we doubt nothyng therof at al in such places
as be doubtful hard to vnderstand we teache men to make recourse vnto the oryginall fountaynes wherout they were translated S. Austen contra Adimantum the 3. chap. saithe Si admittamus haereticis quod caussaÌ„tur libros sacros esse corruptos nullus erit contentionum finis That is yf we graunt vnto the he retikes as they fynde fault the the bokes of holy scripture are corrupt ther wylbe none ende of coÌ„tencion And in the 2. chap. of hys .xi. boke CoÌ„tra Faustum Manichaeum he sayeth Si de fide ex emplarium quaestio verteretur sicut in nonnullis quae paucae sunt sacrarum literarum studiosis notissimae sententiarum varietates vel ex aliarum regionuÌ„ codicibus vnde ipsa doctrina coÌ„meauit nostra dubitatio dijudicaretur vel si ibi quoque co dices variareÌ„t plures paucioribus aut vetustiores recentioribus praeferrentur Et si adhuc incerta esset varietas praecedens lingua vnde illud interpretatum est consuleretur Yf questioÌ„ should be moued concernyng the credence to be geuen vnto the copyes of the bokes of holye scriptures as it chaunceth in some diuersities of sentences whyche are but a fewe and knowen at the fyngers endes to them that be studentes of holy scriptures eyther our doubt muste be resolued by the textes of other couÌ„treyes whence that doctrine came or elles yf the textes themselues dyd varye in that behalfe the greater nombre should be preferred before the fewer or the auncienter before the yonger And in case the diuersitye were yet still vncertayn it should be tryed bi the former tongue wherout it was interpreted or translated For the same Austen rehearceth in an other place it is alleged in the decrees Dist 9 vt veteruÌ„ libroruÌ„ fides de Hebraeis voluminibus examinaÌ„da est ita nouorum veritas Graeci sera monis normam desiderat That is like as the truthe of the bokes of the olde testameÌ„t is to be tryed by the Hebrue textes so must the bokes of the newe be ruled by the truthe of the greke tong And agayn in the .xi. chaptre of hys seconde boke De doctrina Christiana he saythe Latini homines duabus alijs ad scripturarum diuinarum cognitionem opus habent Hebraea scilicet Graeca vt ad exemplaria praecedentia recurratur si quaÌ„ dubitationem attulerit latinorum interpretum infinita varietas Latine men sayeth he had nede of two other toÌ„gues also to the perfyte knowlege of holy scripture that is to saye the Hebrue and Greke that they maye haue recourse vnto the original copyes in case the infinite diuersytye of latine interpretours haue caused any doubt Thus muche saithe Austen whythe hathe taught vs to be more fauourable vnto the sondry translaciones of the Bible and to iudge more purely of the authentike boke being written in bys owne language thaÌ„ those meÌ„nes wonted maner is whych takyng vpoÌ„ theÌ„ to haue the holy goost bynde all the churche vniuersally vnto the common receaued latine translacien contrary to the iudgement of all the auncieÌ„t doctours of the churche and condemine all godlye and faythfull interpretours of the Bible fowlly of ingratitude ¶ The .iii. Chapiter VVe of the churche of England refourmed and gouerned vnder Kyng Edwarde the All truthe and godlynesse to be sought in the scripture .vi. and al other gospellers churches doo constauntly beleue that all truthe is to be sought and beleued and that all godlynesse and true seruing worship of God is most pleyntifully coÌ„prised in the holy sacred authentike hoke the Bible so that the maÌ„ of God is perfytlye prepared vnto all good workes vnto all good partes of office and al dueties doyng And on thys wyse dothe the gospellers churche deme and thynke of the Canonical scripture Wherin it diffreth toto muche from the churche of heretikes that most vniustly eyther defame the scriptures of vncertayntie and imperfection or els do not receaue some particular bokes therof or yf they do receaue them yet they corrupt and myngle mangle them and contende with tothe and nayle that all thynges necessarye to godlynesse and saluacion are not fully conteyned in them The iiii Chapter ALso where S. The menyng of the scripture 2. Pe. 1. Petre pronouÌ„ceth in playne wordes that propherye that is to saye the declared scripture was not brought by the wyl of man but the holy men of God beyng enforced spake as the holye Goost taught them and that therfore the scripture whych is the worde of prophecye is not of mannes priuate interpretacion furthermore where Paule accordyng to S. Ro. 10. Petres wordes coÌ„maundeth vs to moderate prophecie that is the office of interpretacion after the proporcion of faith and that the interpretours vse a discrete sobrietie and abyde wythin the bandes of fayth as the Lorde hath bestowed vnto euery one the measure of fayth The gospellers churche admitteth not euery interpretacion of the scriptures after euery ones opinion but that onely whych is fette out of the scripture selfe whych is of the spirite of God by whom the scripture is inspired whych agreeth wyth hym selfe in euery thyng and accordeth wyth the rule of fayth and charitie wherof we shal anone speake more largely For the scripture can not be expounded by any other spirite than by the self same by whom it was deliuered and set furthe 〈◊〉 8. As Thrist saithe in the gospel If you haue God to your father why doo ye not knowe my speche â—â—m 8. And the apostle saithe He that hathe not the spirite of Christe is none of his And agayn what maÌ„ knoweth the thinges that be of man Cor. 2. but the spirite of man which is in him so the thinges that be of God non knoweth but the spirite of God But we haue not receaued the spirit of the worlde but the spirit which is of God that we may know what thynges are geuen vnto vs of Christ In dede after suche sorte we affirme that the scriptures are cleare whych the heretikes contende to be obscure so that in thys behalfe we haue no thyng to do wyth them The .v. Chapter IN thys case we do in no wyse reiecte nor contemne the disputacions reasons what is be attriâ—â—ted vnto the fathâ—â— the interpretours of scriptâ—re and expositions of the holy fathers I meane the auncient olde byshopes and doctours of the church vpon the scriptures as Ireneus Origene Chrisostome Ambrofe Ierome Austen and suche other lyke so theyr exposition iudgementes vary in no poynt from the rules of the Apostles For theyr mynde and wyl was that theyr wrytynges should be none otherwyse demed of nor no further fidelitie attributed vnto them Hereof let S. AusteÌ„ hym self tel the tale wher he wryteth to Fortunatianus in hys thyrde epistle in these wordes Neque quorumlibet disputa tiones quamuis catholicorum laudatorum hominum velut scripturas canonicas habere debemus vt nobis non liceat salua honorificentia
he hold the catholike faythe whych fayth except euery one doth kepe holly and vndefyled wyth out doubt he shall peryshe euerlastyngly Nother dothe Christes churche of the gospellers cleaue supersticiously frowardly vnto the wordes neclecting the holy sense ryght meaning and therfore it ioyfully receaueth all declaracions and conferences of faith called in our coÌ„mon speche Credes whether they be set furthe by the holy fathers or true faithful counsailes though in mo and more copious wordes yet nothyng varieng in sentences nor conteynyng any contrarye mater Therfore we receaue and reuerence the Crede of Nice of Athanasius and the seconde set furth Crede called Symbolum Constantinopolitanum and all other good definitions of faythe agreing to those same And so we reproue and reiecte al heresies and holde accursed al heretikes condemned by the holy scripture eyther in the Counsailes or out of the couÌ„sailes And so we coÌ„demne Symon Magus wyth al Symonye Basilides Valentinus Marcion Braxeas Artemon Montanus Nouatus Sabellius Appollinaris Arius Eunomius Macedonius Manicheus Nestorius Eutyches Priscillianus Donatus Pelagius Heluidius the Monothelites and all other of the lyke leuen So that the churche of gospellers is not a congregacion of heretikes nor a swarme of schismatikes as the Papistes and settaries do wyckedly and falsly lye vpoÌ„ vs but a true christian and catholike churche of Iesus Christ The .x. Chapter THe very cyuile lawe it self doth also recken vs among the catholikes For the Emperours Gratianus Valentinianus and Theodotius wrytyng to the people of CoÌ„stantinopole geue them thys decreed commauÌ„dement We wil that al people whom our imperial clemencie hathe the gouernement of lyue in that religion whych S Petre the apostle set furthe to the Romanes as the religioÌ„ that he him self maketh mencion of beareth recorde euen vnto thys daye the whych it is euident that bishop Damasus Petre bishop of Alexandria a man of apostolike holynesse did also folowe That is to saye that we should according to the apostles discipline doctrine of the Gospel beleue one Godhead of the father and the sonne and the holy gost vnder like Maiestie and holy Trinitie Those that folowe this lawe we commaunde to take vpon them and embrace the name of christian catholikes and the rest as witles and madde folkes we iudge to beare the infamye of hereticall learnyng c. If any man be ignoraunt what was the faythe that the holy fathers Damasus and Peter B. of Alexandria professed let hym learne of the ecclesiastical histories They varied not one tote from the apostolike and Nicene Crede Therfore seing we beleue them wyth all our hartes we are purged cleane from the slauÌ„der of heresie which our aduersaries goo about wickedly to discredite and blemyshe vs withall But I knowe well inough they wyl charge vs that we doo not only not receaue the tradiciones of the apostles but also contemne them and vtterlyreiecte them and that therfore it is but lost labour for vs to pretende an vncorrupte souÌ„de faythe specially forsomuche as the imperfectioÌ„ of the doctrine of the apostolike scripture is most fully perfyted by vnwrytten tradicion by worde of mouthe for that cause the vnwrytten tradicions to be of equal authoritie wyth the apostolyke holy scriptures And seyng we reiecte the tradicioÌ„s it foloweth that our doctrine and faith is not perfyte Now in asmuche as our aduersaris the Papistes make these the toppe and roote of al theyr maters as they them selues reporte in theyr open decrees and bokes we wyl talke a lytel as sortenesse of tyme shall suffre of the traditions of Apostles Fathers I fynde thys worde Tradicion many tymes in the holy Apostles wrytynges Tradicions For wher the historie of the gospel was not wrytten from the begynnyng of any man the Apostles of Christ as they sawe wyth theyr eyes and hearde with theyr eares and receaued out of Christes owne mouthe so dyd they declare in dede the wordes and dedes of Christ to the congregacions by tradicion or lyuely worde of mouthe but yet not without scripture For loke what they learned preached of Christ they confirmed thesame by the scriptures of goddes lawe of the Psalmes and of the prophetes And at lenght whan God sawe tyme he admonished hys Apostles by the holy Goost that they should enrolle that lynely tradicion partly in to wryltyng them selues and partly shoulde cause other to wryte vp the rest For so the Euangelist Luke reporteth that he wyth al diligent forsyght and sure searche of all thynges before hande wrote a moste certayne true historie as they instructed hym whych froÌ„ the begynnyng had sene with theyr eyes and part of them also hade ben ministers of the thynges theÌ„selues which they spake of Suche a wytour was Marke also As for Mathewe Iohn the Apostles they were both seers and hearers them selues Nowe for asmuche as the churche of Christ hathe these scriptures at thys daye it can not be chosen but it hath also the full fayth doctryne or tradicion of the Apostles For the Apostles in theyr writinges left out nothyng that they beleued necessarie and that semed to appertayne to the makyng vp of the doctrine fully perfite I am not alone nor the furst that auouche thys For ther were that haue spoken the same before me Ireneus and Papias very auncient olde doctours of the churche For Ireneus in the fyrst Chapiter of hys 3. doke Contra Valentinianos sayeth we knewe not how our saluacion was bestowed vnto vs by any other men than those by whome the gospel came vnto vs whyche they at that time preached vnto vs and after ward by the wyl of God they delyuered vnto vs in scripture that is in wrytyng to be the foundacion piller of our fayth Nother can we safely say what they preached before they had parfyte knowledge And Papias in Eusebius Caesariensis sayeth Eccl. histoâ—â—i 3. Ca â—lt Marke whan he was Petres interpretour dyd diligently put in writyng what so euer he kept in memorie as necessitie required For thys one thyng he thought vpon that he would leaue out nothyng that he had hearde The Apostles therfore wrote al that was necessarie vnto the saluacion of al faythful beleuers As Iohn the Apostle reporteth in the ende of hys gospel most manyfestly the he hath done 〈…〉 21. Iesus dyd many other thynges sayeth he whych are not written in this boke But these are wrytten that ye may beleue and lyue Thys scripture therfore is sufficient to informe our faythe fully and to attayne euerlastyng lyfe Therfore we are certainly assured that we haue the declaracion or tradicion which the apostles taught concernyng the saluacion of faythful beleuers sufficiently and fully comprehended in the scriptures Touchyng thys tradicion the apostle Paule making mencion in the furst to the Corinthianes sayth 1. Cor 11. that he deliuered the vnto them whych he receaued of the lorde Nother speaketh he in the wordes by and by folowing any thyng but
the same that we reade in the gospel written almost worde by worde In the same epistle he speaketh also of the same tradicion and saythe I deliuered vnto you that whych I receaued 1. Cori. 13. that christ died for our synnes according to the scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again the thyrd daye accordyng to the scriptures Again he maketh mencion of his maner of teaching or tradition 2. Thes 3. but he openeth in playne flat wordes whych a one it was And in the .2 of the Thessaloni .2 he speaketh eftesones of tradicion Therfort brethren sayeth he stande and holde fast the tradicions whych ye haue receaued whether it be by worde of mouthe or by epistle sent from vs. Now Paule comprehendeth all hys hole doctrine whyche he calleth by a general terme tradicion in worde spoken and epistle writteÌ„ By worde he vnderstaÌ„deth the preachyng of the gospel whyche he hade preached presently to the Thessalonians by lyuely worde of mouthe after such sorte and reason as the other Apostles also preached Christ vnto other nacioÌ„s which Luke also put in wrytyng and Paule hymselfe preached to the Romaynes by hys wrytten Epistle For I sayde that Luke dyd wyth most circumspect diligence put in wrytyng those thynges that he hade learned of the Apostles touchyng Christes wordes and dedes Eusebius reporteth that the olde fathers vnderstode these wordes of Paule according to my gospel of the gospel of Luke And in dede Paule hym selfe in the .1 and 15. Chapters to the Romanes testifyeth that he preached the Gospell to the Romaynes in hys wrytten epistle plaine to al mens vnderstandyng For in his epistles he treateth of the mater more briefly beyng absent whyche when he was present wyth theÌ„ he had taught more at large reformyng by his written epistles those errours in the churche whych the false Apostles had sowed abroad the tyme while he was absent and admonished al men of theyr duetie and refourmed yf any thyng were diminished And for asmuche as ther remayne foure consonaunt bokes of the Gospel and fourtene Epistles of Paule as I wyll not speake of other Apostles epistles who could doubt that the tradicion or doctrine of the Apostles is not fully delyuered and registred vnto vs In the Actes of the Apostles we reade that Luke made mencion of the Apostles decrees Act 15.16 whyche other men ral tradicions But it is expressed in cleare playne wordes by the wrytten epistle that the Apostles sent furthe at theyr conuocacion tyme what they ment by theyr decrees or tradicions Act. 15. For thus they wryte It semeth good to the holy Goost vs to charge you wyth no more than these necessary thynges that is to saye that ye absteyne froÌ„ thynges offred to ymages and from bloud and from strangled and from fornicacion Surely thys decree whych is a right Apostolike decree in dede dothe by al meanes contrarye the tradicions falsely called the Apostles tradicions wherwith faythful christiaÌ„s are greuously burthened in the churche at this present For the true Apostles of Christ saye It semeth good to the holy goost and vs to charge you wyth nomore Lo to charge you wyth no more saye they For Paules aduersaries against whom the hole conuocacion house of the Apostles and elders geueth sentence Loke Socrates in eccle histo Li. 15. ca. 22. contended that christians must nedes be circumcised and obserue the lawe of Moses And made the rest of the Apostles autors of that theyr false doctrine As in our tyme also many vnder the preteÌ„ce of the Apostles tradicions do laye heauy burthens vpon free faythful folkes neckes wyth opinions and ceremonies But what is the Apostles sentence of them We gaue them saye they no suche commaundement They went furth from vs but they were not sent of vs. They are distourbours of the congregacions Out of the whyche apostolike sentence Saint Paule dyd doubtles borowe hys wordes whyche we reade in the begynnyng of hys epistle to the Galathians in thys wyse Gal. 1. I maruaile that ye are so sone turned from Christ whyche called you by grace vnto an other Gospell whych is nothyng els but that ther be some whych trouble you and intende to peruerte the Gospel of Christ Neuerthelesse though we oure selues or an Angel from heaueÌ„ preache any other gospel vnto you than that whych we haue preached vnto you let hym be accursed The Apostle in repetyng thys same sentence declareth howe ware christen folkes hade nede to be in receauyng suche obseruaunces as are set furthe in the tytle of the Apostles tradicions For al tradicions are condemned and denounced accursed whych burthen and ouercharge christen mennes lybertie and what so euer thei be that are not agreable with the written gospel and doctrine of the apostle Paule yea and wyth the preachyng of the rest of the Apostles whych is al of one sorte and consonaunt in euery condicion In the .15 〈…〉 of Matthewe ther is also mencion made of the trâ—â—â—â—ons of Elders or Fathers as 〈◊〉 in the fyrst to the Galathians whych Christ our Lorde hym selfe vtterly coÌ„deÌ„neth bycause they were not agreable to the scripture lawe of God and calleth Esaye the prophete to wytnesse wyth hym whych also condemneth al suche tradicions of man sayeng They worship me in vayne teachyng doctrines whych are mennes preceptes Therfore Tradicions that is al doctrines and obseruauÌ„ces that are not agreable to the scriptures or procede of a Iewishe supersticion are barred out of Boddes true seruice worship howe gloriously so euer they be garnyshed wyth the tytle of auncient fathers And the Apostle hym self wryteth also against them Collos 2. Thus muche of the iudgement of scripture concernyng Tradicions Now as touchyng the fathers Note how bolde Ireneus is to call the Pope and his shaueâ—inges heretikes a maÌ„ may easely gather of theyr owne wrytynges howe sore heretikes dyd combre the holy fathers vnder the cloake pretense of the Apostles Tradacions For Ireneus in the .2 chapter of his .3 boke Contra Valentinianos sayeth whan heretikes be reproued by the scriptures they fal straight wayes to accusyng of the scriptures as though they were not wel or were not of autoritie and that they be spoken after diuerse vnderstandinges that suche as knowe not Tradicions can not fynde the truthe by the scriptures For tradicioÌ„s were not geuen in wryting but by lyuely worde of mouthe Thus muche sayeth Ireneus And what doÌ„ the Papistes obiecte elles vnto vs nowe a dayes when we laye for vs most euident cleare scriptures They are come to suche a wyckednesse and shamelesnesse that they sticke not to pronounce in theyr open bokes that the chief fouÌ„taine of al errours is to receaue nothing but only that whych is conteyned in the scriptures For they saye ther is an other kynde of doctrine besydes whych they cal tradicions wherin yf a maÌ„ be not wel skilled he caÌ„ nother go vpryghtly in the scriptures nor haue any perfection
or certaintie in the onely scriptures Whych sayeng as it is not spokeÌ„ without great reproche of the eternal truthe euen so they take no hede but receaue those tradicions also at auenture wythout weyeng of them which the holy fathers themselues ser out for the Apostles tradicions For I see that the tradicions which they set furthe be not of al one kynde For ther are whyche they cal the fathers tradicions but not directly the Apostles tradicions Ther are also whych they wolde haue to seme all together apostolike tradicions And ther is a diuersitie in these also For ther are some that be vtterly historical tradicions that rehearse what Christ what Christes Apostles haue sayd or done of whyche sorte Eusebius reporteth that Papias rekoned vp many Eccl. histo i. 3. ca. 39. And the same wrytour clouteth in other maters as though they had ben tolde hym by lyuely worde of mouthe and certayn straunge parables and doctrines of our saueour wyth dyuers flyme flammes besydes And concernyng the tradicion of Iohn the Apostle touchyng the age of our Lorde Iesus Christ whych Ireneus speaketh of he that seeth not it to be a vayne flamme flewe Contra Walent â—i 39. seeth nothyng The tradicion of Policarpus Eccl. hist li. 3. ca. 28 that Iohn ranne awaye from the bayne wherin Cerinthus the heretike was least he should fal agreeth gayly with the scripturely doctrine of the Apostles Let vs therfore in thys kynde of tradicions holde that is to be holden in al pointes proue al thynges holde that whych is good Ther are also tradicions set furthe of rites and opinions De peccat meritis remiss li. 1. ca. 20. but yet they are not in al pointes lyke nother obserued nor receaued of al men S. Typriane and S. Austen reherse a tradicioÌ„ wherby the communion was vsed to be ministred vnto yong chyldren vnder bothe kyndes as a necessary mater vnto saluacion but who medleth wyth that tradicion at thys daye Epiphanius contra Aerium wryteth it to be a tradicion of the Apostles that folkes should .vi. dayes before Easter eate nothyng but bread and salt Eccl. hist li. 5. ca. 24. but Ireneus reporteth that all churches obserued not that as Eusebius telleth the tale In an other place it was said Damaseen Ang. dc Bap. contra Dona. li. 2. ca. 7. lâ—â— ca. 42 li. 5 ca. 23 de cura pro mort that the Apostles commaunded the Passeouer to be celebrated after the maner of the Iewes But Socrates the historie writer in the .22 chap. of the .5 boke Eccl. histo speaketh agaynst them Epiphanius Contra Valesianos sayeth that the wyueles lyfe of ministers is a tradicion In an other place it is read that the Apostles coÌ„maunded by tradicion that folkes should pray and offre for the deade whyche onlesse it be vnderstandeÌ„ of thankes gening who is it â— Cor. 7. â— Io. 5. â— Thess 4. that seeth not suche maner tradicions manifestly repugnaunt with the doctrine of the euangelistes and apostles and for that cause nothing is to be attributed to these and such like Finally I see S. Ireneus in sondry places wonderously preache and beate vpon the tradicioÌ„ of the apostles And that is it that our aduersaries wraste and wrythe to all their feyned trynkettes and tradiciones of the Masse of Images of MoÌ„kery cloister life the rest of such trumpery Howbeit the holy man Ireneusin these principal places vnderstandeth nothyng clles by the apostles tradicion than the commune sense and vnderstandyng of our faythe and the very apostles Crede I wyll not desyre to be beleued in thys case if Ireneus hym selfe saye not the same that I haue sayde Reade hys .1 boke Contra valentinianos Ca. 2. .3 and hys .3 boke the .4 chap. In bothe places he dothe agreably rehearse the articles of fayth in ordre one by one whaÌ„ he hath done he plainly calleth thys profession of the faithe a tradicion Of thys tradiction spake Constantine the myghty Emperour in his Epistles whyche Eusebius maketh reporte of almoste in the ende of hys .3 boke De vita Conslantini Thus farre therfore the gospellers churches wythout any busynesse embrace the tradicion that I haue now spoken of but as for other tradicions whether they be Apostles or fathers tradicions they lay them to the rule of Goddes worde as they agree or disagree they eyther reiecte them or receaue them accordyng to Christ our Lordes owne commaundement Math .15 and Col .2 Wherof I haue already spoken before And I pray you wherin thynke you the gospellers churche offendeth in thys behalfe Herein it hath nothing adoo wyth heretikes who hade deuised to teache false opinions vnto suche as were to symple vnder pretense of tradicions and contrarywyse to teare in pieces corrupt yea and to denye and stampe vnder fote the true tradicion that is the Apostles Trede In thys behalfe I coulde dryng furthe a great deale against our aduersaries who recken thys predense of tradicions of muche force agaynst the very scriptures and the simplicitie of tradicion yea for the affirmyng or confutyng of any mater what so euer it be But I wyl kepe thys in store tyl a better and a further leasure Hitherto I haue treated as briefly as I could of the most certain and pfytest principles of the ChristiaÌ„ faith Wherby I trust it dothe specially appeare the the Englyshe Churche vnder King Edward the .vi. the rest of the gospellers churches haue deuysed no newe doctrine of fayth but enibrace confesse the olde faythe wyth all theyr hartes and that they reiecte no point of syncere doctrine whether it be proued by the scriptures or by tradicioÌ„s consonauÌ„t to the scriptures and therfore we are most farre of from newe fangled felowes and obstinate heretikes The .xi. Chapter SO the poore gospellers church beyng confirmed by this true doctrine of the true faythe â—ustificatiâ—n loketh to be iustifyed that is to haue full forgeuenesse of all theyr synnes ryghteousnesse euerlastyng lyfe of the only free mercye grace of God by Iesus Christ that dyed and rose agayne for vs. We beleue that Christ wyth al hys gyftes is receaued by faythe and that by faythe Christ dwelleth in our hartes And that fayth is learned by the worde of the Gospel is craued asked of God by prayers and geueÌ„ frely by the holy Boost We attribute not that vnto mannes merites and mannes workes whych we knowe is due onely vnto fayth naye vnto Christ our redemer and to the fre grace of God Eph. 2. For Paul sayeth By grace are ye saued through faythe and not of your selues It is the gyfte of God and not of workes that no man should boast For we are hys handy worke created in Christe Iesu vnto good workes whych God hath prepared that we should walke in them Therfore we knowe and acknowlage that workes which procede out of a true faythe by the spirite of