and that in no smal trifles Exodus xxxii a. 2. Tim. 2. 3. Reg. 22. Hiere 20 This and such like is the rewarde of al true preachers and faithful seruauntes of god 1. 〈◊〉 vii et ii Machabeorum iiii Math. iii. b. xii c. xxiii d. Act. iiii d Actes vii g. Euse. ecc his lib. ii cap. xxii Acte ix Actes xxiii Ruffini lib. i. cap xvii Socratis Lib. 6. cap. 18. Marke well the fruites of this outwarde churche and by them ye shal knowe what they be the Pope maketh him selfe equall to God yea rather aboue him in this his promise This is one of the practises of prelates The spiritual man neuer persecuteth the carnal man but forgeueth him Hier. ad Gala. iiii Exo. xii i. Pet. ii d Eph. 1. d. Collos. 1. Iohn 10. Iohn 5. 2. Tim. 3. Psa. 116. c Goddes word only certifyeth a man whether his fayth be good or no. Trie euery spirite but alow none further then thei agree with the written scriptures Goddes word trieth all thynges whether they be good or badde Their coÌ„sciences shal therfore cnodeÌ„ne theÌ„ for so doing if they repent not in tyme. Math. 16 the witte and vertue of delicate gospellers is in their tongues Math. 23. ii Mach. vi b. Ebru xii â— Para. 13 The wil of a womaÌ„ must be folowed or els al the 〈◊〉 is in the fierâ— 3 Re. 19. c 3. Re. 18. 4 Re. 18. 4. Re. 21. 4. Re. 23. 4. Re. 24. As princes wold so all thinges were done Math. 26 Math. 27 Theodoriti lib. 2 cap. 18. The priestes for the most part wer double faced turne tippettes and flatteres â–ª These be the Popes thunder bolts wherewith he feareth the people and maketh them to incline to his waies It was a smal matter at that tyme to be displesed with such meÌ„ and so much the more for that thei withstod priuate commodite Priuate commodite and Popishe sutte Itie ouercaÌ„e good publike policie and brought in tirannye Thei are al periured so many as gaue their consent to the bringing in of the Byshop of rome The Byshoppes I warraÌ„te you were none of those for they can not erre these are wauerÌ„ig redes ct perfecte wether cockes that turne with euery winde By their dedes ye shall knowe theÌ„ what they be In his .3 boke of ChristiaÌ„ doctryne cap 28. In hys â— boke of ChristiaÌ„ doâ—trine cap 9. In his â— â–ª boke of mâ—â—â—es and forgeuenes of sinnes tom 7. cap. vâ—â—i Vpon Genesis cap 14. hom 35. In his vnperfecte worke cap. 23. Iacob 1. â— Math. 22. Mark 12. Ioan. 10. â— Apo. 3. b Iohn 15. Ephe. 2. d 2. Iohn epistle c. Deu. 4. Deu. 12. Ibidâ— in fine Deu. 18. Pro. 30. lere 23. Math. 5. Math. 7. Math. 15. Math. 28 Mark 16. Iohn 5. Iohn 5. Iohn 20. Actes 20. Acte 26. Rom. 10. Rom. 14. 2. Cor. 1. Gala. 1. 2. Tim. 3. 1. Pete 4. 2. Iohn epistle Apo. 22. Doctrine in religion must be grouÌ„ded vpoÌ„ the scriptures only we maye not build our faith vpoÌ„ meÌ„s tradicioÌ„s The Apostles taught nothing but that whyche they learned of Christe The first point of belefe is that after the gospell none other thiÌ„g is to be beleued There is no certeÌ„ty in that the scripture defineth not The law the Prophetes and the gospell are the first doctrines ct therfore true Our wordes with out gods wordes are not to be beleued That which caÌ„ not be proued by the scripture leaue to god If Paul thought his aucthorite Al bokes which be not in the Canon of the Bible are called Apocrypha and are not sufficient to proue any Articles of our sayth No man can dispence with goddes law Things that be not commauÌ„ded be indifferent to be vsed or not vsed but yet as charite requireth Searche no further then the gospell In time of hereâ—ie there is no meanes to trye the truth and the true church of Christe from Antichrists churche but only by the scripturs An heauy sayiÌ„g but alaâ— to true Prechers most neyther adde nor take 〈◊〉 froÌ„ gods lawe They that host theÌ„selues of the holy goste with out scripture be voide of the holy goste Heretiks oughte first to be coÌ„uinced by the scripturs and after by reasoÌ„ To prech ani thing besydes goddes worde is to sow sedicioÌ„ and heresie Al things may be determined by the scripture The holi scripture coÌ„teineth all thinges nedefull for our saluacioÌ„ A preacher must speake nothyng but out of gods mouthe Beleue him not that speaketh without the scripture He that beleueth the gospel written nedeth beleue nomore Not maÌ„s wisdome but the holi gost is the true expositor of the scripture nothing is of lyke aucthoritie wyth the holy scripture Goddes word cutteth of al tradicioÌ„s apostolik as they cal them which be beside the same worde we ought not to alowe ani mans doctryne wythout gods worde the Apostles grouÌ„ded all their doctrine vpoÌ„ the law and Prophetes To build vpon any doctours saying without scripture or reason agreing to scripture were to folow Pithagoras rather then Christe Be a maÌ„ neuer so holy and neuer so learned after the apostles yet his wordes without gods word are of none aucthorite To teach that as nedefull to saluacion which Câ—â—yst â—ath not taught is daÌ„nâ—â—le the soule liueth only by the worde of god nothing is to be added to the word of god althoughe it be for a good purpose As well who precheth beside the gospel as against it is accursed Euen the Apostles preching besides the gospel ar not to be beleued Christe made all to be written that he wold we should reade we are as wel bouÌ„d to beleue that which the Apostles wrote as thoughe Chryst had written it with hys own haÌ„d The church is knowen by the scripture Al that concerneth true relygion is contained in the scripture The worde written is inoughe for oure saluacion No man is bound to beleue farther then the holi scriptures teache The balance to trye the trueth is the holy scripture Thei that sit on moses seate and teach their own doctrine are not to be beleued Al euil is condemned by the scripture and all good thynges are there founde We may lawefulli disseÌ„t froÌ„ all doctrine except the scryptures onlye al things that concerne fayth hope loue and good maners are coÌ„tained in the scripture not what we say but what the lord that must be heard The church is knowen by the scriptures We may doubt of all mens doctrine but not of holye scripturs If gods scripturs can not discusse a matter in doubt let man neuer go about to discusse it Who fedeth with the scriptures fedeth safely Other therfore with vnwritten verites fede vntrulye In the scripture are all thinges necessary for faith and good lyfe which two suffice for saluacion If any mans saying or writinge cannot be proued by plaine scripture or good reason gathered of the saÌ„e a maÌ„ mai alowe or refuse it as him liketh The olde writers are not of suche aucthoritie but
succession of Bishops then shal we make Christ whiche is an innocent lambe without spot and in whom is founde no gile to bee the head of vngodly and disobediēt members Which thing is as impossyble as to make god which is onli good and nothynge but goodnesse it selfe to bee the aucthor originall and cause of al euill For Chryste as he is pure holy and perfyte euen so must his churche and members be to whom he as the head is adioyned and coupled But if we alow the Pope hys Cardinales Bishops Priestes Mōkes Chanō◠Friers and the whole rable of the clergye to be thys perfect church of god whose doinges are cleane contrarye for the most parte to the wyll and commaundement of Chryst lefte and expressed in his woorde wrytten then make we him a synner and his word of none effecte For as swete agreeth wyth sower blacke with white darknes with light and euil with good euen so this outward seene and vysyble churche consisting of the ordinari succession of Bishops agreeth wyth Christe But there they wyll aske me how shal a man know whether he be in the right faith but by this church To this Christe shal make aunswere himselfe sayeng in the gospel of Iohn my shepe heare my voice and shal not heare a straunger And where I pray you hath Christe left any voyce to be heard or folowed but in hys woorde writtē Search the scriptures saith he for they beare witnes of me Wher he biddeth you not search vnwritten verities such as the outward sene and pompeous church shall of theyr own heades showe you but the written verities contained in the holye scriptures whiche are profytable to teache to improue to amende and to instructe in righteousnesse that the man of god may be perfet and prepared vnto all good workes If thou therefore bee desyerous to knowe whether thou be in the righte fayth or no seke it not at mās mouth for all men bee lyers Seke it not I saye at a proude gloryous and waue ringe sorte of Bishoppes priestes but at gods owne mouth whyche is his holy worde written whiche can neither lye disceaue nor be disceaued As 〈◊〉 I say seke and knocke by dylygent study earnest prayer vnto god who hath promised to geue to al thē that aske faithfulli of him the certaīti of good faith in their cōsciēce taught confirmed by the holye scryptures of the olde and newe testament And here I forbid no man as though they shold not aske and learne of the learned for that is good and necessarye yea and alowed by gods trueth but thys would I haue all men to dooe to vse discretion and wysdome in this matter and to knowe whether they be lerned godli minded and able to instruct by the scriptures or no. And yet if thei be beleue them no further then they can shewe their doctryne and exhortacion to bee agreable wyth the true worde of god written For that is the very touche stone whiche must yea and also wyl trye all doctryne or learnyng whatsoeuer it be whether it be good or euill true or false And let not men of small learninge be to curious in askyng or mouing darke and doubtful questions whiche brede contenciō rather then godly edyfieng but lette them be contente with the plaine and open places of the scriptures Let thē rather be earnest to obserue the commaundementes of faythe and loue whiche are plainly set forth in Gods boke then to trouble themselues and busy their heades wyth darke places for that is a thyng that hath done and also doth displease god very greatly Yea I thinke surely that these heauy plagues where wyth god most iustly punisheth now this realme of Englande whyche I beseche hym of hys infinite mercy eyther to take cleane awaye or els to mitigate them for his electe sake commeth not so much for the simple innocente and vnlearned sorte whych beeyng begiled throughe theyr simplicite by the craft and subtyltie of the wilie papystes doe stil cōtinue in supersticion and Idolatrye but rather for the curious sort which preache straunge farre fetched doctrynes nothyng so muche to edyfieng as to contencyous brawlynge Yea I would to god there were not a greate nomber of them that were and are counted learned whiche preache and defende doctrines whiche themselues know to be vntrue cōtrary to the euidēt scriptures Wolde god ther wer not many hūdreds of great gospellers sometimes that had not subscribed with their own hāds confirmed by their opē publique sermōs the cōtrary of that which they once builded in Chryst. And some of such I know in perswading priuatlye with their olde frēds acquaītaūce haue cōfessed no lesse but that they haue done cōtrary to the truth the good perswatiō of their own cōsciēce yet the same mē coūsell their frēdes for vnitie peace sake as thei terme it but rather ther maisai for feare of losse of goods life to obey wicked supersticiōs naughtie rites and dānable lawes But what peace or what vnitie is that that is a gaynst god his Christ And what profiteth it a mā to winne al the world lose his own soule For he that loueth his own life more thē me saith christ is not worthy of me For these mēs sakes therfore that is to saye the stubburne papistes that leade the worlde in blindnes cōtrary to their own cōsciēces specialli for delicat gospelers sakes whose wit vertue is in their toūgs hot disputers busi talkers taūters fault fīders with others rather thē mēders of thēselfes for these two sorts sakes chefly I say god heapeth these great plages that is persecuciō of his word dearth daūger of war people of straūge naciōs likely to subdue vtterli distroy that our realme except thei repēt amēd their liues in time becōe not ōli forgetful of their former euils but also diligēt workers true folowers of the word that thei haue so lightlye cōdēned and refused Which if thei do not let thē be suer that al the plages which ar written in the boke of god al the blood of hys sainctes which hath been shed frō iust Abel vnto this presēt time shalbe poured vpō thē But howsoeuer these mē do let vs deare brethrē whose harts god of his goodnes hath more mercyfulli touched repēt amēd our former liues ceasse frō al deade workes lest we be partakers of the same plagues with them But thankes be vnto our god that hath so gentlye ordered vs for thys we know that god suffereth not hys people longe to folowe theyr owne mynder but shortly punisheth them whiche is a token of his greate louinge kindnesse towarde them For this grace haue we of God more thē other people as it is wrytten that he suffereth not vs longe to synne vnpunished like other nacions that whē the daye of iudgemente commeth
makers of the first boke of religion set forth by opeÌ„ parliameÌ„t coÌ„uocacion the .vi. articles â–ª as well agreinge with the former parlyamentâ— and the worde of god as blacke wyth white light with darkenes Chryste wyth Belial or with Antichrist But after when he was pacified wyth these foresayd Byshoppes coÌ„sydering that they spake agaynste the kynges profit not of malice but of good conscience and zeale to gods glory and the common welth he mitigated the .vi. articles and from that tyme foorth more and more restored true religion and I doubt not but if he had liued he would haue brought all thinges to a better state then he lefte it But Edwarde the â—irte his sonne succedynge in his saâ—d fathers place by the aduice of his vncle the duke of Somersette the lordes of his counsell Byshoppes and the Cleargy â—et furth such a boke of religion as withoute boast or dysprayse of other be it spokeÌ„ was neuer a better sette forth since the Apostles tyme. Now after that god had plaged this realme wyth the most greuous plage that euer came to it in takyng awaye from it so godly a king as he was yea such an one as hath not beeÌ„ read of of his age in any realme both for witte learning sobernes and godlynesse in his steade he hath set vp Quene Marye who in worte tyme hath pulled down that was not builded in manye yeares and brought in the bishoppe of Rome before iustly and by law of parliament abolyshed with opeÌ„ periurie of so many as gaue their voyces and consent to the same For they had all made a solemne oth beefore neuer to receaue his vniust vsurped power into the realme agayne Hath he not beyng seduced by the periured prelates reuoked and made of none effecte so many godly lawes enacted by parlyament that is by the consent of the lordes both spirituall temporal the Cleargy and common house yea and by them that wer the thefe of king Henry her fathers priuye counsel and setters one of him in the abolishing of the Bishoppe of Rome â—uen opâ—n preachers and wryters against the Popes tiranny with so pithy reasons and strong argumentes as neither they themselues nor any other after them shall bee able at any tyme rightly to assoyle and answere Yet these men were chefe of counsell and procurers of the Quene and first workers in the parliamente to aluer the lordes and commons to receaue the Bishoppe of Rome againe for the supreme head of thys realme contrari to Goddes lawe the lawes of thys realme and their own solemne othes And not only thys but they haue taken away the acts of mortmaine and premunire and diuerse other statutes that did bridle the vnsatiable coueteousnes and licencious libertye of the Popishe Priestes and restored the Alle ex officio Which thing if it shold long coÌ„tinew in this state that it is in the great tresure of this realme shold come into the Cleargies hands and a great part therof should fly to Rome for Bishopeâ—ickes Benefites Appellacyons pardons dispensacions and such other baggage But say the Papystes when scriptures be harde and doutful and seme to be contrarye one to another by mistaking and wroÌ„g vnderstanding wherof diuerse heresies doe arise how shal a man knowe the trueth in such diuersitie of opinions both partyes grounding theÌ„selues vpon the scriptures but onelye by the churche which as they saye cannot erâ—e Sainct Augustine shal make answere herein for me sayinge on thys wise darke places are to be expounded by more playne places for that is the surest way of declaring the scriptures to expound one scripture by another And agayne he sayth that in things openly contained in the scriptures are founde all thinges that concerne faith good stuing charite And if any thig cannot be tried by the certaine cieÌ„care places of the Scriptures let maÌ„s presuÌ„ptioÌ„ saith he stay it self not leaning to either part for this I am suere of that if it were requisite to be knowen vpon paine of damnacion their shold not lacke most playne and cleare aucthorites of the same in the scriptures But in seking of the scriptures let vs seke no farther then is left in writiÌ„g by god our sauiour lest in desyerynge to much we â—ese al. Sainct ChrisostoÌ„e also sayeth it is not possible that he which with earnest studye and ferueÌ„t desier applyeth him to the scriptures of god shold euer be neglected of god but althoughe we lacke a master to teache vs yet the Lorde hymselfe enteryng oure hartes from aboue shall geue lyght into our minds and poure his bright beames into our reasoÌ„ and vnderstandyng and open the thynges that be hidde and teache vs those thinges wherof we be ignoraunt Therefore sayth the same Chrysostome if thou wilt enter into the trueth of the scriptures now aske by prayers now knocke by good workes and searche the olde auncient wryters and aske diuerse priestes to knowe whiche bee the true keye kepers and whiche are the false For al thinges sayeth he are plaine and manifeste in the diuyne scriptures what soeuer thynges are nedeful therto be opened But if these aucthors will not satisfye them then let them vse sainct Iames couÌ„sell saying he that lacketh wysedome let him aske it of god which geueth to al men indifferentlye and casteth no man in the teth and it shalbe geuen hym For God is not parciall nor regardeth anye more a Pope then a Potter a Cardinal then a Carter a Byshoppe theÌ„ a Boucher a Priest then a Pedler except his faith and life be agreable to gods wil. Whether shoulde a man desieryng to know the trueth and righte vnder standing and worshippinge of God haue resorted in Elias his tyme wheÌ„ there was no more of the true outewarde churche but he alone To whoÌ„ should a man haue resorted for counsel of the trueth in the tyme of Ieremy Of whom shoulde a man haue learned the trueth in Christes tyme wheÌ„ there was no ordinarye succession of Bishoppes in the trueth Shoulde they haue learned thinke you the trueth of God of the head Pryestes Scribes and Pharisees Then you knowe what a learning they shoulde haue had and howe muche Chryste should haue profyted theÌ„ How should a man haue been satisfied of his saluacion at Annas Cayphas and the test of the Pharises handes Euen so no doute would they haue taught and enstructed him that if he had beleued folowed their sayinges Christ and he shoulde neuer haue mette And yet those men bare the Image and name of the knowen churche at that time yea and the same men condemned him of whom our fayth and saluacyon depeÌ„deth as a sedicious felow as a traitor to Cesar as an heretike and a blasphemer of god Christ therfore to teache vs what we should doe in matters pertaining to his glory and oure own commodite sendeth his hearers to the scriptures not to the church he saiÌ„edal so to the Saduces ye erre
also as thou haste knowen the holy scriptures of a chylde which are able to make the learned vnto saluacion throughe the fayth which is in Chryste Iesu. For al scripture geuen by inspiracion of God is profitable to teache to improue to amende to instructe in righteousnesse that the man of god may be perfecte prepared to all good workes If any man speake let hym speake as the wordes of god If any man come vnto you and bryng not thys learning receaue hym not into your house neither bid him God spede For he that byddeth hym God spede is partaker of hys euyll dedes If any man shall adde vnto these thynges god shall adde vnto hym the plages that are wrytten in this booke And if any man shall minishe of the wordes of thys prophesye God shall take awaye his part out of the boke of lyfe and out of the holy citie and froÌ„ those thynges whiche are written in thys boke ¶ That the writinges of the olde fathers without the written woorde of god are not able to proue anye doctryne in religion ¶ The .ii. Chapter IReneus libro .ii. Cap. 46. To leâ—Ì„e to the scriptures of god whych is the certayne and vndouted trueth is to buylde a mans house vpoÌ„ a suer and stronge rock But to leaue that and leaue to ani other doctrins what so euer they be is to builde a curious house vpon the â—hatteringe grauell whereof the ouerthrowe is easye IDem in Epistola .72 Happy is he that soweth vpon the watâ—râ— where the Oxe and the Asse treadeth that is vpon that people whych onely foloweth the doctrine of both the testamentes and not vpon the vayne tradycions of men TErtulliane in the prescryptioÌ„s of heretykes pa. 95. It is not lawfull for vs to fauoure any doctryne at oure pleasure nor yet to chose what any manne hath brought in of his owne mynde We haue the Apostles of the Lorde for oure authors whyche dyd not electe anye thynge that they woulde brynge in of their owne heades but taught faythfullye to all nacyons that doctryne that they had receaued of Chryste Therefore althoughe an Aungell from heauen shoulde preache any other thynge lette vs holde hym accursed ANd a litle after he sayeth We nede to vse no curiositie after Iesus Chryste nor make further searche after the gospell for wheÌ„ we beleue we desier to beleue no more For first we beleue this that there is nothyng els that we ought to beleue IDem of the fleshe of Chryst pa. 20. agaynst Apelles whyche saied that the Angels had a bodely substancâ— which thei toke of the â—â—â—tres Tertallian answereth that there is no certenty in thys matter because the scripture declareth it not THe sae to Praxeas Let thys be a generall rule indifferently determyned before hande agaynst all heresyes that that is true what so euer is first that to bee forged what soeuer coÌ„meth after pa. 418. ORigen in his first homily vpon Ieremy Vle must nedes cal the holye scriptures to wytnes for our iudgements and exposicious with out these witnesses are worthye no credite IDem vpon Leuiticus in his fyfte homilye If the holy scripture doe not determine any thing we ought not to admitte any other wrytyng for the stablyshinge of our doctryne but as for the rest let vs leaue it to god THe same vpon the thirde chapter to the Romanes After these as his custome is meanynge by sainct Paul he doth confirme that he had sayd by the scriptures geuing also an example to the preachers of the churche that those thynges whyche they speake to the people should be armed and mayntained by the holi scriptures and not spoken oute of theyr own iudgements For if he being such and so great an Apostle thoughte not the aucthorite of hys owne wordes to be sufficiente excepte be teache those thynges which he saieth to be wrytten in the law and the prophets hoâ— much more ought we litle ones to take heade that when we teache we vtter not our own mindes but the sentences of the holy gost THe same vpon Mathew in his 26. homily no man ought for the stablyshing of doctryne to vse any bokes that be withoute the canonicall scriptures CIprian in the exposicion of the Crede after that he hath rehearsed the canonical bokes of the Bible he sayeth These be they whiche oure fathers haue included within the Canon out of the whyche our fathers woulde the doctryne of our fayth to be certaine neuertheles there be other bokes which of our elders were not called canonycall but Ecclesiastical as the boke of wisdoÌ„e the bokes of Sirach Tobie Iudyth Machabees and other All whyche bokes they would haue to be redde in thâ— churche but not alleged as of aucthoritie to confirme any article of our fayth Al other writinges thei called Apâ—crypha whiche they would in no wyse to be redde in the churche AThanasius against the gentyles The holy Scriptures being in spired from god are sufficiente to all instruction of the trueth BAsilius in his boke of Ethikes of his short definitions the. 26. Euery worde and dede that maketh for the certentye and suertye of good men and the confusion of them that be euill must be confirmed by the testimony of Goddes scriptures And those thinges which either in our nature or in the custome and maner of our life are manifestly knowen must we vse to confirme those thynges which we doe and say THe same in his short definitioÌ„s the first questioÌ„ Whether it bee lawful or expedient for a man to permit himselfe to do what he thinketh good without the testimonie of the holy scriptures â–ª 〈◊〉 aunswere Seyng that our sauiour sayth of the holy gost he shall not speake of hymselfe but what soeuer he hath heard that shall he speake And of himself he sayeth the sonne can dooe nothynge of himselfe And agayne I haue not spoken of my selfe but he whiche sent me gaue me commaundemente what I shoulde say and what I shold speake and I knowe that hys commaundemente is eternall lyfe therefore those thynges that I speake I speake as the father sayd vnto me who is he then that wil runne into suche madnesse that he dare once thynke onelye anye thyng of himselfe seeing that he hath nede of the holy ghoste for his ayde so that both in mynde word and worke he may be gided in the way of trueth and that he must nedes walke in darknes excepte he bee lightened with the sonne of righteousnes oure lorde Iesus Chryste whiche shineth vpon vs with hys coÌ„maundementes as with bright beames For the commaundement of the lorde is cleare and geueth lyght to the eyes For of those thinges that are done and commonly vsed among vs some are by gods commauÌ„dement determined and playnlye set forth in the holyscriptures and some not expressed Of those that be expressed by the scriptures there is vtterlye no power geuen to any man what so euer
he be in the hole worlde either to doe any thyng of those that be forbidden or els to leaue vndone any thyng of them that be commaunded seeynge that the lord hath once commaunded sayd whatsoeuer I coÌ„maunde you that take heade ye doe c. But of those thinges that are not expressed the Apostle Paul hath geuen vs a rule sayinge I maye dooe all thinges but all thynges are not expedient I may doe all thinges but all thynges edyfye not ISychius vpon Leuiticus lib. 5. cap. 16. Let vs which woulde haue any thyng obserued of god searche no more but that whiche the gospell doth geue vnto vs. CHrysostome vpon the. 24. cap. of Math. Homilia 49. When you shall set the abominable desolacion stande in the holye place that is when you shall see vngodlye heresye which is the armye of Antichrist stande in the holy places of the churche in that tyme let thâ— whiche are in Iury â—â—ye vnto the hilles that is let them that be in Christendome resort vnto the scriptures For like as the true Iewe iâ— a Christian as the Apostle sayth he is not a Iewe which is outward c. in lyke maner the very Iurie is Christianitie the hilles ar the scriptures of the Apostles and prophetes And why doth he commaunde all Chrystians at that tyme to resortâ— to the scriptures for in thys time siÌ„ce heresy hath preuayled in the churche there can be none other profe of true Christianite neyther can there be any other refuge for Christen men wyllyng to know the truth of the ryghte fayth but onely vnto the holye scriptures Beefore tyme it was shewed by many other meanes whiche was the true church of Chryste whiche Gentilite but now there is no waye to knowe it And why for all those thynges which pertayne to Chryst in dede haue the heretiks in their Schisme likewise churches likewise the scriptures of god likewise Bishops and other orders of clarkes and lykewyse Baptisme and the Sacrament of thankes geuinge and to conclude Chryst hym selfe Wherfore he that will knowe whiche is the true church of Chryste in thys so great a confusioÌ„ of thinges beyng so lyke how shal he know it but only by the scriptures It was also knowen which was the true churche of Chryste by their maners when the conuersacion of Chrysten men either of all or many was holy whyche was not amonge the heathen But nowe CHRISTEN menne are beecome lyke or worse then the gentiles or heretâ—kes yea and there is more continencye founde amongest them then amongest Chrystyans Therefore he that wil knowe whiche is the true church of Chryst wherby shal he knowe it but onelye by the scriptures The lord therfore knowyng that so great a confusion of thyngs shold come in the later tyme commaundeth that Chrysten men that be willinge to knowe the ryghte fayth shold flie to none other thiÌ„ges but onely to the scriptures For if theâ— loke vpon any other thyng but onely the scriptures they shalbe offended perishe not perceauing whych is the true churche and so fall into the abominable desolacyon whiche standeth in the holy places of the churche THe same in the vnperfect worke â–ª Hath cap. 7. Euerye preacher is a seruaunte of the lawe which may neyther adde any thynge abouâ— the law of hys own mynd nor wythdrawe any thyng after his owâ—e vnderstanding but preache that thing only that is had in the law as Salomon sateth thou shalt adde nothyâ—ge to the worde of god nor take aughte therefrom THe same of the holy gost tom 3 If you see any man saying that I haue the holy gost and not spekyng the gospel but his own that maÌ„ speaketh of himselfe and the holi gost is not in hym And after If any of theÌ„ therfore which sayeth he hath the holy gost and speaketh any thyng of him selfe and not forth of the gospel say folowe my counsell beleue hym not THe same in the. 7. of Math. Homily 19. Vpon this texte by their fruites ye shal knowe them The fruites of man is the confession of his fayth and the workes of his conuersacion If thou therefore â–ª shalt see a Christen man forth wyth consider if his confession agree wyth the scriptures he is a true Christian but if not he is as Chryste sayd false For so Iohn whan he wrote his Epistell of the heretikes sayd not if anye come vnto you not hauing the name of Chryst bydde him not God spede but if any bryng not thys doctryne THe same in the same place the. 22. Cap. and â–ª 42. Homilie Let vs first alledge the aucthorite of the scriptures to the false forgers afterwarde let vs shewe them reasons and to them that aske for any maner of purpose fyrste let vs declare vnto them the reason and afterwarde the aucthorite that we maye pacifie them with reason and stablish them with aucthorite For we oughte to confute false interpreters and instruct them that searche THe same vpon the last of the Romanes vpon thys texte I beseche you brethren He saith that dissensions and slaunders that is to saye heresyes are broughte in of those whiche brynge any thyng beâ—sydes the doctrine and learnyng of the Apostles THe same vpon the latter Epistle to Timothe the. 3. Cap. There is nothyng that can not be determined by the scriptures to reproue if it be to bee reproued that is to saye lyes to correcte and to teache in righteousnes If it be nedeful saith he that any thyng should be corrected or instructed that is to be made contynent and sober vnto righteousnesse to execute those thinges that be iuste al that shall be geuen by the scripture that the man of god maye be perfecte the amendment sayeth he is prepared by the scriptures that nothyng maye be lacking to that man that walketh after god THe same vpoÌ„ math 22. Cap. Homilie 4. Whatso euer is required for our saluacioÌ„ is already coÌ„tamed in the holi scriptures He that is ignoraÌ„t shal find ther what he may learne He that is stubburne a siÌ„ner may finde there scourges of the iudgementes to come the whiche he maye feare he that is troubled maye fynde there the ioyes and promyses of euerlastynge lyfe through the beholdynge of the whyche he maye bee styrred to good workes THe same vpoÌ„ the. 2. of the Thessalo 2. cap. Al things be plaine and cleare in the scriptures what things so euer be nedeful be manyfest there THe same vpon the. 2. to Timoâ—the 3. ch If there be any thiÌ„g nedefull to be knowen or not to be knowen we shal learne it by the holy scriptures if we shal nede to reproue a falsed we shal fetche it from theÌ„ce if to be corrected to be chastned to be exhorted or coÌ„forted to be short if aught lacke that ought to be taught or learned we shall also learne it out of the same scriptures The same Homily 1. Titum Like as the
to S. Paule afore And wheras they say that thiÌ„gs geuen by woorde of mouthe are as well to bee beleued as those that bee wrytten they meane that they are worthy of lyke credite wyth tradycyons written For neyther of both ar of necessite to saluacion but may be chauÌ„ged and taken awaye by common consent as it is afore sayd BAsile of the holy goste Cap. 27. Of those doctrines that ar preached in the churche we haue soÌ„e deliuered vs by writing and agayne some we haue receiued by the tradicions of the Apostles in mysteri that is in secret both haue lyke strengthe to godlynes nother doth any maÌ„ speake against these whatsoeuer he be that hath but meane experience what the authorite of the churche is For if we lyke fooles goe about to reiecte the customes of the church which ar not written as thynges of small weyght we shall condemne those thyngs that be nedeful for our saluation in the gospell Yea we shall rather cut short the true preachyng of fayth to bare name and he rehearseth like tradicions as Tertullian did IErome againste the Luciferians Although there were no authorite of the scriptures at all yet the consent of the whole worlde in thys matter shold haue the force of a law For many other thynges whiche are obserued in the Churche by tradicioÌ„ haue obteyned the authorite of a law written as to dyppe the head thrise in baptisme and when they are chrystened to geue them first pappe made of milke with hony for a signification of their infancie on the Sondaye and all Whytsone weake not to knele at their prayers AVgustine vpon the wordes of Basile Some of the ecclesiasticall institucions we haue receued by writinges some through tradicions from the Apostles approued by successiosn and some vse hath alowed being strengthned by custoÌ„e Vnto all which lyke vsage and lyke affectyoÌ„s of godlines is due of which who wil doubt though he haue but small experiences in the scriptures For if we set out mynd to regard light lycustomes of the churche delyuered vs from our elders without the scriptures it shall easelye appeare to them that loke earnestly theron how great losse Christen religion shall suffer And he reciteth the same that Ierome doeth wyth diuerse other THese .iii. authors and all that make for the same purpose bee answered before in Tertullian For not one of those thyngs that they make mencion of are necessary for our saluacion and many of them are now taken away and the reste whiche yet remayne as to dippe the childe thrise wholly in the water to hallowe the water oyle and creame or to crosse it in the forthead are not of necessite to saluatioÌ„ For Iohn Baptised in IordaÌ„ and the ChaÌ„berlaine of the Quene of Ethiopia was Christened in the commoÌ„ streame chrildreÌ„ in dauÌ„ger of life are Christened of the midwife or soÌ„e other womaÌ„ without any of these ceremonies yet thei wil not deni that al these baptismes be good alowed of god In Spaine also thei dippe the child but once as it was decreed in the couÌ„cell of Tollet And I am suer they wil not say that al the Spaniardes so many yeres haue wanted a thing necessary to saluatioÌ„ in their baptisme God also regardeth not our outward bodely gesture in oure praiers but he beholdeth the fayth earnest desier of the hart of him that prayeth wher soeuer he prayeth what soeuer hys outwarde bodely gesture be THe saÌ„e agaiÌ„st Cresconi a gramarieÌ„ li. 1. c. 33. to 7. Although we haue no certaine exaÌ„ple of thys matter in the Canonical scripture yet neuertheles the truth of the saÌ„e scriptures in this matter is retained of vs wheÌ„ we do that that the hole church aloweth Which churche the authorite of the scriptures commend And for as muche as the holy scripture caÌ„ deceiue no man whoso feareth to be deceiued with any dark speaking of it let him aske counsel at the church ther in which withoute any doubt the holye scripture doeth shewe THe answere is easye Austen was more circumspecte theÌ„ to thiÌ„ke that any doctryne might be proued by vse and custome without the scripture For baptysme of infaÌ„tes he bringeth in this text except a man be borne agayne of water and the holy gost he cannot be my disciple And because the Donatists like as the Anabaptistes do nowe wrest this to them that be of â—eres of discretion against thys exposicioÌ„ he allegeth the maner of the churche in christenynge of Infantes By the which he proueth that the churche hath all waye taken this sentence except a man be borne againe to be spoken also of infantes What maner of argumente shoulde thys be of Austenâ— The exposition of the scrypture and the vse of the Sacraments may be iudged by the custome vsed in the holye churche alwaye ergo the church may make a newe sacrament and ordeine any newe Article of oure fayth without the scripture By the seÌ„tences before cited of AusteÌ„ himself it may be easely iudged I also graunt that euery exposicioÌ„ of the scripture wherein soeuer the olde hole true churche dyd agree is necessarye to be beleued But oure controuersye here is whether any thynge ought to be be leued of necessite without the scripture THe same against the Epistle of Fundament Cap. 5. tomo 6. I would not beleue the gospel but that the authorite of the churche moueth me Ergo say they what soeuer the church saith we must nedes beleue them as wel as the gospell This argumente is naughte For the testimonye of the churche is but as a publicke office of a record as the exchequer the court of the rolles the office of a recorder or a regester of all Christendome in whiche office menne maye searche and haue of the keepers of such offices the true copies of such lands or other moueables as be due to them by the lawe And yet may nether the Regesters Recorders Stcwardes of courtes or towne clarkes put to or take awaye any thing from the firste originall writinges no nor the iudge himselfe But all thynges oughte to be iudged by those writings So likewise we beleue the holy Canon of the byble because that the Primitiue churche of the Apostles and eldest wryters nexte to their time approued them in their regester that is in their wrytinges whyche partlye sawe them partlye hearde them of the Apostles And more receue we not because these olde fathers of the firste churche testifie in their bokes that there was no more then these required to be beleued as the scripture of god And yet were these wrytynges no lesse true afore they were alowed by them theÌ„ sence Christe witnessing and saying I seke no witnesse of man AVstine to Cassulane In these thynges wherein the scripture of god hath determined nothiÌ„g the custome of the people and our elders ordinaunces oughte to be holden as a law and the traÌ„sgressors of the customes of the churche at
like wyse to be punished as the breakers of gods law Of which thinges if thou wylte dispute and reproue one custome by another there shal aryse an endlesse strife He repeteth also this sentence manye tymes that what so euer is vniuersally obserued not writtē in the scripture nor ordained by general coūcels is a tradiciō come from the Apostles ANswere him as Tertullyan yet of all other authors he is most playne that nothing is of necessite to saluacion besydes the Scriptures of God But let vs graunt for their pleasures that those customes whiche they speake of bee tradiciōs Apostolyke yet they bee no longer nor other waies to be obserued then the tradiciōs Apostolike writtē Which as is before fully proued mai and are already be both chaunged clearly taken awaye And as concernyng custome it is playnlye proued that it is not to be receaued agaynste the Scrypture trueth or reason THey sai moreouer that the perpetuall virginite of our Lady is to be beleued of necessite as Ciprian Chrisostome Ierome Ambrose Austen and all other speakyng therof say But this is not founde in the scripture ergo there is some thīg to be beleued that is not written in the Scripture THe minor that is to say that thys is not written in the scripture is false For firste none of the old authours that rehearce tradiciōs of the Apostles vnwrytten make mencion of the perpetual virginite of our ladye to be one of them but they rehearce only diuerse cerimonies or bodelye gestures and suche rites vsed in Baptisme prayers holy dayes and fastynges which as I haue manyfestly declared are not necessary to saluacyon But the most part of them are cleane taken away and the contrarye commaunded and vsed by the vniuersall churche Moreouer all the sayed authours proue her perpetuall virginite by thys texte of Scripture EZechiell 44. Thys doore shalbe styll shutte and not opened for any man to goe thorowe it but only for the Lord god of Israel yea he shall goe thorowe it els shal it be shut still For if these and suche other fathers had not iudged her perpetuall virginite to haue been wrytten in the scriptures they woulde neuer haue iudged it to haue bene a thing to be beleued vnder payne of damnacyon Sainct Ierome also calleth Heluidiū a rashe and an vngodly man because that he taught that our Ladye hadde other children by Ioseph after Christs birth which doctrine he coulde not proue by the scriptures of god In like maner we cal al them that preache a ny doctrine in the church without the Authorite of gods worde both vngodly rashe and wicked members of Antichrist ARgument Yet they bring forth to maintaine their errour the Baptisme of infantee which they say is not contained in the scriptures and yet this is to be obserued vpō paine of dānaciō of the said childrē Ergo there is sōe thyng to be done of necessite to our saluacion that is not contained in the scriptures ON what a gappe these men open both to the Donatistes to the Anabaptists that deny the baptising of infantes For if it were not writtē in the worde of god no manne ought to beleue it or vse it And so the Donatistes Anabaptistes doctryne were true outs false But in dede the baptisme of infaūtes is proued by the playne scriptures Firste by the figure of the old law which was circūcisiō Infātes in the olde law were circūcised Ergo in the newe lawe they ought to be baptised Againe Infātes pertaine to god as it is said to Abrahā I wil be thy god the god of thy sede after thee Christ saith also suffer children to come to me for of such is the kingdome of heauen And agayne see that ye despice not one of these lytle ones for their Aūgels in heauen alwayes behold the face of my father which is in heauē for the sōne of māiscōe to saue that that is lost And agaīe Paule sayth that youre children art holy nowe By these and many other playne wordes of Scripture it is euidente that the Baptysme of infantes is grounded vpon the holye scriptures FVrthermore the churche saye they hath chaunged the Sabboth daye into the Sondaye whych Sabboth was commaunded by God and neuer man found fault there at Seeyng thē that the church hath authorite to chaunge Goddes lawes muche more it hath authorite to make newe lawes necessarie to saluacion THere bee 2. partes of the Sabboth day One is the outward bodely reste from all maner of labour and worke and this is were ceremoniall and was taken awaye with other sacrifices and ceremonies by Christ at the preaching of the gospell The other part of the Sabboth day is the inwarde rest or ceassing frō sinne from our own wils and lusts and to do only gods wil and commaūdementes Of this part speaketh the Prophet Esai He that taketh hede that he vnhalow not the sabboth day is he that kepeth himselfe that he doe no euyl and they that hold greatly of the thing that pleaseth me and kepe my couenaūte vnto them wil I geue an euerlastyng name that shall not peryuse And moreouer the same Prophete sayeth If thou turne thy feete from the sabboth so that thou doe not the thing which pleaseth thy selfe in my holy daye Then shalte thou be called vnto the pleasaunt holy and gloryous sabboth of the Lorde where thou shalte be in honor so that thou do not after thine own imaginacions nether seke thine own wil nor speake thyne owne wordes Then shalt thou haue thy pleasure in the Lord whiche shall carry the hyghe aboue the earth and fede thee with the heritage of Iacob thy father for the Lords own mouth hath spoken it This spirituall Sabboth that is to abstayne from synne and to doe good are all men bounde to kepe all the dayes of their life and not only on the sabboth day And this spirituall sabboth may no man alter nor chaung no not the whole church That the vtter obseruinge of the sabboth is mere cerimonial sainct Paul writeth plainly as that the holy daies of the newe mone and of the sabboth daies are nothinge but shadowes of thinges to come And that the outwarde bodely rest is a mere cerimoniall precept S. Austine also affirmeth saying that amōg all the ten commaundements this only that is spoken of the sabboth is cōmaūded figuratiuely but al the other commaundements we must obserue playnly as they be cōmaunded with out any figuratyue speche IErome also to the Galathians 4. accordyng to the same sayeth leste the congregaciō of the people with out good order shoulde dimmishe the faith in Christ therfore certaine daies wer appointed wherin we should cōe together not that that daye is holyer then the other in whiche we come together but that what soeuer day we assemble in there might aryse greater ioye by the sight of one of vs to another But he that wil
is the true church the very spouse of god Christ beÌ„ig the head therof But how many and who of that nomber that heare the word of god and receiue the sacramentes be gods elect and church and true meÌ„bers of Chryst is knoweÌ„ to god onelye For the Lorde knoweth who he his and no man can tell of an other man whether he be worthy loue or hatred although their works seme neuer so holy and gloryous afore men so great a wytch is Ipocrisie LAst of al to make all coke suer and to maintaine their Idolatrye besyde yea and also contrarye to the worde of GOD as itruocacion and prayinge to Saynctes worshyppyng of Images reliques with pilgrimages and offerynges the sacrifice of the masse for the quick and the dead and pardons to delyuer dead mens soules from purgatory holy breade holy water ashes palms and suche other baggage they alledge reuelacions of Aungels of our Ladye and other sainctes and dead mennes soules appearyng to diuers men and wemen bidding them to cause certen masses trentalles pilgrimages and offering to Images and reliques of this and that saincte to bee done for them and they shoulde be delyuered from the fier of purgatorye where the paynes be greater say they than mans wit can comprehende And whaÌ„ suche masses pilgrimages with offringes to suche sainctes reliques and images be done for them they appear to the same persons agayne sayinge that by suche meanes they be deliuered out of purgatory into the eternal ioyes of heauen they tel also of many wonders and straunge miracles to proue their doctrine in all these afore sayed thynges to be true And because they haue great profyte and aduauÌ„tage therby they counting gains godlynes haue fylled all theyr bookes with suche vanites and lyes of which some be so fonde so directly againste gods glory that the most earneste papistes hauing either learnyng or wit be ashamed of theÌ„ Yea and the pope himselfe hath cleane put them out of gods seruice vsed in the churche of Rome and yet must we reade them beleue them as necessarye articles of our fayth or els burne therfore lyke heretikes BY theÌ„ manifest and plaine words of the Scriptures and the consent of the most auncyente authours before written it is euydente that neither the visions of Aungels apparitions of the dead nor miracles nor all these together ioyned in one are able or sufficient to make anye one newe article of our fayth or stablyshe any thyng in religion wythout the expresse wordes of god because that all such thyngs as is before proued may be yea and haue been throughe gods permission for oure sinnes and vubelefes sake done by the power of the deuill hymselfe or fayned and counterfeited of hys lyuelye members Monkes and Friers with other such hipocrites But what shal sathan nede to tell oracles vse visions shew apparitioÌ„s or worke miracles now a daies what should he nede to toyle herin himself or why should he not like a gentle maÌ„ take his ease in his inne seing his subtil seruauÌ„tes Monkes Friers NoÌ„nes and other Pope holye hipocrites can and doe counterfeit such thynges day lye and from their beginning hath doÌ„ diligently parâ—e whereof I shall rehearse About fourtene yeares paste at OrleaÌ„ce in Fraunce the Profestes wife died willing to beburied at the friers in the same citie without poÌ„pe or other solemnite coÌ„monly vsed at burialles Wherfore the friers fearinge to lease a great pray if this shoulde be suffered to enter into the heades of the people caused a younge frier to speake in a vawte in a womaÌ„s voice many people hearinge it sayd that she was the soule of the Profests wife condemned in hell for contemnyng of the suffrages of the holy churche commaunding also her body to be cast out of Christian buriall But the profeste so boolted out the mater that the yoÌ„g frier confessed the place and the maner of his speaking and all the friers were openly punished for that fault in the common market at Orleance But let vs come home to oure owne realme of Englande About .xxx. yers paste in the borders of wales wythin a Priory called Lymster there was a younge woman called the holy maide of Lymster whiche as the faÌ„e was lyued onely by Aungels foode and was enclosed wythin a grate of Irone Vnto whom certain daies when the Prior of the place sayede masse the thirde parte of the hoste went hanging in the ayer by miracle as it semed from the aulter wher the Prior massed into the maids mouth whiche thing broughte the people into a great opinion of holynes in her and caused great pilgrimage to be ther vsed But when the Lord of Burgauenny with his brother sir Edward â—euel and diuerse other ientle men ientle wemeÌ„ came to trye the trueth her of thei caused the doore to be opened and strayghte wayes the dogges fought for bones that wer vnder her bedde Whervpon they searching farther founde a priuye doore whereby the Prior myght resort to her and she to hym at their pleasures And then the confessed that she made as it wer .ii. fine thredes of her own heres siÌ„gly tyed together wyth fyne knottes and then made a bigge hole with a bed kin thorowe the corner of a quarter of the hoste and fastened one ende of the sayed heere to the corporas where the sayed Prior sayd masse and the other ende to her own bedde wherein the laye tyed the other heer faste to the quarter of the hoste and wrapped the other ende aboute her own finger And wheÌ„ the Prior had receiued his porcion of the hoste she woÌ„de vy the threde wherto the hoste was tyed vpon her fingers and so coÌ„ueyed the ost into her mouth Thys both the Prior and she confessed and dyd open penaunce for the same To Sainct Albans about .xxviii. yeares past came a mayde crepyng vpon her knees and lening vpon .ii. short staues enquiring after Sainct AlbaÌ„s boÌ„es affirminge that she shoulde bee made whole and goe vpright so sone as she should come to the place where saiÌ„ct Albans bones were In token wherof an Aungell had deliuered her a keye wherby she should certenlye knowe where his verye bones were And when she passed thus throughe the streates of Sainct Albans creping on her knees till she came to Sainte Albans shrine after she had made her prayers deuoutly there she toke out the key of her purse whiche she sayed an Angel had deliuered to her and theÌ„ she stode vpright opened the shrine with the sayd key and then kneled agayne to pray and to geue thankes to god and sainct AlbaÌ„e for her healing geuing her streÌ„gth to walke whiche was borne laÌ„e And by the moÌ„kes would haue had it roÌ„ge for a miracle but some wiser men thought it mete to trye the matter better to examine her further before they teÌ„pted to riÌ„ge a miracle opÌ„enly And vpon her examinacion the sayd that she had bene lame from her
that Images are necessarie because they be laie mens bokes teaching them instructing them and leading them to the trewe worshippe of god Oh great blasphemie Oh sacrilege Oh spitfull robbery What is blasphemie what is sacrilege what is robberi if this be none god geueth his worde written to bee euery mans booke and his pure euerlastinge and vnderfiled commaundementes as sufficient instructions for all men to the trewe worshippe of him But these earthly wroters the Pope I meane and his prelates as though they wer wiser then God will teache men to worship him with Images althoughe the same be vtterli forbidden by god through out the whole course of his holy scriptures These and suche other false and fained doctrines coÌ„trarie to the scriptures of God contayned in his holye Bible are now blowen out biustered and yelled forth in euery pulpit Euery streate soundeth of these yea eueri prynters house is filled with such vngodly baggage yea and the same are commaunded by publique aucthority which is much to be lamented to bee sette forth and the sincere doctrine of Christes holy worde cleane put to silence and vtterlye condemned Neyther maye any man reason or once doubte of their doctrine vnder paine of excommunicacion naye rather vnder paine of burning And when theâ— be able as they are not able at any time in dede to proue any of these doctrines by the worde of god written then they flye to their vnwritten verites that is to certain things deliuered as they saie from the Apostles by worde of mouth without writing Whiche thynges ar to all men vncertaine for no maÌ„ knoweth certainly what they are But whatsoeuer pleaseth them and maketh for theire purpose profite and Lordly ambicion that is an vnwrytten verite not to be gaine saide or denied This is their shote anker bulwarke and extreme refuge wherunto to they flie whensoeuer they are forced and constrained by gods worde These they make their foundacion wherevpon they builde and mayntaine all their supersticioÌ„s Idolatries and heresies Whiche foundacions I truste by gods grace and helpe so to shake both by the open scriptures by the full consent of all the moste auncient writers and by probable reasons that the building therevpon shal haue a fall For this is most true that no vnwritten verite is or can be necessarie for our saluacion For then sholde the sacred and holy scriptures written by the Apostles in the spirite of god and sealed with their bloodes seme to bee insufficient and not able to bring vâ— vnto saluacion But what a greate blasphemye that shoulde bee to God and his most holy spirite all men I trust that list to reade the same scryptures easely shall perceaue But wheÌ„ these vnshame fast robbers are put to their shiftes vrged and forced herein by the open and manyfeste word written then haue they another startiÌ„ge hole to crepe out at cryinge and yelling templum domini templum domini templuÌ„ domini c. the church the churche the churche affirmynge in plaine wordes that the church can in no wise erre or be disceaued And heare they disceaue theÌ„selues because they make no distinctyon or differeÌ„ce of the churche For there are two maner of churches one true perfect and holy in the sighte of god and another false imperfect and vngodly Trueth it is that the true churche of God beeing grounded and sette vpon hys holy worde I meane the gospell of grace can not erre vnto damnacion But the other how shining and glorious so euer it appeare if it wander abroade and be not contained within the compasse and lymets of the worde written is no true but a fained and forged churche That Church as it is without the compasse of Gods promises made in trueth not onelye maye but also doth commonli yea continuallyerâ—e and goe astraâ—e for they are not câ—uppeled to the head Chryste which is the life the way the truth Paul the Apostle of god and elect vessell of saluacion writing to the Galathians hath these wordes if we saith he or an Aungell from heauen preach any other gospell vnto you then that we haue preached hold him a curseâ— and yet the papistes not fearing the curse of God â—are bee bolde to teache thinges which Paul neuer knewe yea thinges cleane contrarye to hys euident and manifest teaching Such grosse Ignoraunce I would to God it were but Ignoraunce in dede â—s entered into their heades and such arrogaunt boldnes possesseth their harts that they are bolde to affirme no churche to be the true churche of god but that which standeth by ordinary succession of Bishoppes in such pompeous and glorious sort as nowe is seen For if there be say they no such outwarde and visible churche howe shal any man know whether he be of the churche of Chryst and in the right belefe or noâ— To this I aunswer that if our faith should be stayed vpon the outwarde glisteringe and pompeous churche not ruled nor gouerned by the determinate counsell of God in his worde written we shoulde neuer be certaine therof but euer wauering and doubting which is the gate and readye path way to desperacion from whiche god defende his chosen flocke Cursed is he sayth the scripture that putteth his trust in man And why for all men as the kinglye Prophete Dauid saith ar lyers in their words and sinners in their workes By whiche wordes it appeareth plaine that there was neuer man so vertuous so holy nor so wel learned onely the writers of the holi scripturs excepted but either of Ignoraunce or of neglygence there escaped some faultes in his writinges and doinges Yea the generall counsels themselues also that they make so much of haue notably erred as hereafter shalbe declared Yea suche hath been the trueth of those seen churches that one generall counsell hath coÌ„demned another of heresie Moreouer the outwarde seen churche wherof they bragge not a litel hath neuer since the beginninge any space continued in the true doctrine of god Let vs beginne at Moses who was the first law geuer and we shal see the state of this outwarde churche which consisteth in the ordinarie succession of Bishoppes whether it be so as I haue said or no. WheÌ„ Moses was gone vp to the mounte Sinai to talke with God and to receaue the lawe at his handes did not Aaron the hiegh Priest and Bishop with al the people in the mene space worship the golden Calfe reade the boke of Iudges and you shal see how the whole outwarde visible church fell to Idolatrie and worshippinge of straunge goddes as Baal Astaroth goddes of the Edomites Moabites Philistines and the Sirians After the reigne of king Dauid howe many kynges were there I praye you in whose tyme false gods were not openly worshipped All the kynges of Israel serued straunge gods wyth the consent of the Byshoppes priestes the hole people And in Iuda there passed not .iii or foure kinges after
because ye know not the scriptures not because ye beleue not the churche He also promyseth his elect that they shal heare his voice and not a straungers voice If ye be doubtful therfore in any poynte resorte to the Scryptures geuen from GOD and oute of them searche for the thing wherof thou arte ignoraunte and aboue all thinges be not to rashe in iudgement neyther truste to muche in thine own witte Aske also counsell of suche menne whom thou knoweste to bee wel learned and exercised in the same Scryptures and whose conuersacion thou seeste to bee agreable to their wordes and yet beleue them no farther then they canne proue theyr doctrines and exhortacyons to aunswere and agree wyth GODDES mosre holye woorde Seke aske crye cal knock faste and praye wyth a constaunte fayth ioynynge therto a Chrystyan sober and a charitable â—iuing and thâ— he that hath the keye of Dauid who openeth and no man shutteth shal accordyng to his promyse geue vnto you al that you aske of his father in hys name and shall sende his holy spirite into your hartes who shall leade you into al trueth and put you in remembraunce of all those thynges whyche Christ hath commaunded nedeful necessarie for your saluacion What so euer therefore the churche teacheth you out of the canonical bokes of the Bible beleue that but if they teache any thing beside that I meane which is not agreinge with the same beleue neyther that nor them For then they ar not the Church of Chryst but the Synagog of Satan and Antichriste For the Churche of God as Saincte Paul witnesseth â—s builded vpon the foundacion of the Apostles and Prephetes not vpon the Apostles but vpoÌ„ the same foundacion which they laid that is Christe Iesus and his holyâ— worde And all such vnwritten veryties as the Papistes haue in theyr mouthes though they seme neuer so glorious a churche to the face of the world if they be not agreinge as they are not in dede to the verye worde of god suspect them yea rather I bidde you vtterly to abhorre and reiecte theÌ„ For their vtwarde and sene churche may and doth as is before proued coÌ„monly erre in great and waighty matters Stande fast therfore to sounde good doctrine and wauer not And if any man come vnto you and brynge not this doctrine with him receyue hym not into your house bid him not god spede nor haue aught to do with him but counte hym as an abiecte from god and Christ. But cleaue ye fast to the souÌ„de certaine doctrine of gods infallible word writteÌ„ in the canonical bokes of the new olde testament which is able sufficiently to instructe you to eternal saluacioÌ„ throgh Iesus Christ our lord To whom with the father and the holy goste be al honor and praise for euer euer Amen The boke to the Reader IVdge not before Thou knowe mine intent But reade me throughout And then say thy fyll As thou in opinion Art minded and bent Vhether it be either good orill I care not for prayse Nor slaunder vntrue Of man nor of childe What euer he be Trueth nede not to feare Who doth it pursue With prayse or disprayse In any degree For trueth is not bettered By prayses at al Nor harmed by disprayse Of any wyght But goodnes or hurt Most surely come shal To him that doth iudge Either wrong or right Reade me then iudge me Therfore I thee praye Nothyng for my cause But only thyne own For I shall indure Who soeuer say naye When vnwritten truethes Shalbe ouer throwne ⧠A ConfutacioÌ„ of vnwritteÌ„ verities by diuerse auctorities diligently and truly gathered together out of the holy scryptures and auncient fathers ¶ That the worde of god wrytten contained within the Canon of the Bible is a true sounde perfecte and whole doctrine contayning in it selfe fully all thynges nedeful for oure saluacion ¶ The .i. Chapter YE shal put nothyng to the word which I commaunde you neyther take aughte therefroÌ„ that ye maye kepe the commaundementes of the Lorde your god whiche I commaunde you You shall not doe any thynge that we do here this daye euery maÌ„ what semeth him good in his own eyes What soeuer I commaunde you that take â—eade you doe onelye to the Lorde and put nothynge thereto nor take aughte therefrom The Prophet which shall presume to speake a worde in my name which I haue not coÌ„mauÌ„ded him to speake or that speakth in the name of strauÌ„ge gods that prophete shall dye Al the wordes of god are pure and cleane for he is a 〈◊〉 vnto all them that putte these truste in him Putte thou nothyng vnto hys wordes leaste he reproue the and thou bee found a lyar Heare not the wordes of the Prophâ—tes that preache vnto you and beleaue you for they speake the meâ—nyng of their own hartes and not oute of the mouth of the lorde Whosoeuer teacheth and kepeth the same speaking of his commaun dementes shall be called greate in the kyngdom of heauen Whosoeuer heareth these my wordes and doth the same shalbee likened vnto a wise man that buildeth hys house vpon a rocke and aboundauÌ„ce of raine fel the fluddes came the wiÌ„de blew and bet vpon the same house and it fel not because it was grouÌ„ded an the suer rocke This people draweth nye vnto me with their mouth and honoureth me with lyppes howbeit their harts be farre from me but in vayne do thei serue me teachyng the doctrynes and preceptes of men Goe ye and teacheÌ„ all 〈◊〉 baptysing them in the name of 〈…〉 c teachyng them to 〈…〉 what so euer I haue 〈…〉 Goe ye into all the 〈◊〉 and preache my gospell to all creatures He that heareth mi word beleueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting lyfe and shal not come into damnacion but is escaped from death to life Searche the scriptures for in them ye thinke ye haue eternal life and thei art they which testifie of me These are written that you might beleue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of god and that in beleuing ye might haue life thorow hys name I haue spared no labor but I haue shewed al the counsell of god I haue obtained helpe of God and continew vnto this day witnessynge both to the small and to the great sayinge none other thynges then those which the prophetes and Moses did say should come Fayth commeth by hearynge hearynge commeth by the worde of god What soeuer is not of fayth the same is sinne We be not lordes ouer your fayth but helpers of your ioye Though we our selues or an aungell from heauen preache any other gospell vnto you then that whyche we haue preached let him be accursed Continewe thou in the thynges whyche thou hast learned whiche also were committed vnto the knowiÌ„g of whoÌ„ thou hast learned them and for as muche
bedell cryeth openly to al theÌ„ that be in the court so due we preache openly but on that condicion that we adde nothynge but preache only that thing that we haue hearde For the office of a cryar is to speake out those thynges that be committed to him and not to adde chauÌ„ge or take away any thyng THe same vpon the latter Epistle to Timothe the. 3. cap. Therefore neither ought ther to be beleued at all excepte they speake those thyngs which be agreable to the scriptures THe same vpon the. 20. cap. of Iohn Homilia 89. But why did not the Apostles wryte all thyngs Chefely because of the multytude of them More ouer they dyd coÌ„syder that he which would not beleue these woulde not beeleue more but he that beseueth these nede no more to attayne fayth THe same vpon Genesis the. 12. Homilie The holye scripture expoundeth it selfe and suffereth not the hearer to erre THe same in the same boke the 21. Homilie Neither hath the scripture of God any nede of mans wisdome that it may be vnderstande but the reuelacion of the holy gost that the true meaning beyng sucked thereout great aduantage maye growe to vs therby HIeronymus in the prologe of the bible to Paulme After he had recited the bookes of the new testament and the olde he saith I pray thee dere brother among these lyue muse vpon these know nothing els seke for none other thyng AGayne vpon the bokes of the olde and new testament These writiÌ„ges be holye these bokes be souÌ„de both in nomber and aucthoritie ther is none other to be compared to these whatsoeuer is besides these may in no wise be receued amoÌ„g these holy thiÌ„gs AGayne vpon the firste Cap. of Agge All other thynges which they seke oute and inuente at their own pleasure without the aucthorite testimonie of the scriptures as thoughe they were the tradicions of the Apostles the sweord of god cutteth of AGayne in his litell commentaryes to the Galathians vpon this place condescend to no maÌ„ this perswasion is not of god which hath called you thus he iÌ„terpreteth it ye ought neither to consente to them nor to me without the worde of god AGaine vpoÌ„ Math. the. 13. cap. vpoÌ„ thys place euery learned scribe What so euer the Apostles preached they coÌ„firmed it by the Oracles of the lawe and prophetes THe same to Minerius Alexander Not accordinge to Pithagoras disciples the opinion geuen sentence vpoÌ„ afore hand by the doctours but the reason of the doctrine is to be wayed but if any man that is of a coÌ„trary secte doe murmure why I read their exposicioÌ„s vnto whose doctriÌ„es I doe not coÌ„sente let hym know that I willingly heare this of the Apostle proue all thinges but cleane to that which is good and the wordes of our sauyour saieng be ye tryed bankers and if any mony be counterfayted haue not the Emporours staÌ„pe nor be currante mony refuse it but that that sheweth the face of Chryst in the cleare lyghte bestowe it in the purse of your hart THe same vpon Math. 23 cap. That whiche hath none aucthoritie of the scriptures may as easely be reiected as proued THe same in the Psalme 98. All â—hat euer we speake we ought to proue it by the scriptures THe same in the Psalme 86. The lord shal speak in the scriptures of the people c. howe shal he speake not wyth words but wyth scriptures of those princes that wer in it that is of the Apostles and Euangelistes And marke what he saieth of those princes that were in it not whiche are So that the Apostles except what soeuer shalbe spoken afterward let it be cut of and haue none aucthorite Be a maÌ„ threfore neuer so holy be he neuer so wel learned after the Apostles he hath none aucthorite for the Lord speaketh in the scriptures of those princes that were in it AMbrosius of virgins lib. 3. ca. 1 We iustly do condemne al new thynges whiche Chryste hath not taught for Chryste is the waye to the faythfull If therefore we oure selues preache any thyng that Chryst hath not taught iudge that abominable THe same in the psalme 118. The worde of god is the liuely meat of our soules with the which it is norished fedde and gouerned neyther is there any thynge els that maketh a reasonable soule to liue but the worde of god THe same in his boke of Paradise Cap. 12. By that whych Eua added to the word of god thou shalt not touche c we do learn how much this present lesson putteth vs in rememberaunce that we ought to adde nothyng to the worde of god yea though it bee for a good purpose For if thou put to or take awaye any thing it appeareth to bee a traÌ„sgressioÌ„ of the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t for there ought nothiÌ„g to be added although it seÌ„e good THe same in the Epistle to the Galathians Capit. i. Neyther sayth the Apostle if thei preach contrary but if thei preach any thing besides that that we haue preached that is if they adde any thing to it at al â—olde them accursed Neyther doe I except my selfe if I put to any thiÌ„g besyde that which was preched afore THe same in the same place He doth affirme the gospel whiche he had preached vnto them to be so firme and true that althoughe it should chaunce themselues that is to say the Apostles beeinge chaunged to preache any other thinge he teacheth that they oughte not to be heard AVgustine of the coÌ„seÌ„t of the EuaÌ„gelistes He that seÌ„t the Prophets before his incarnacioÌ„ the same seÌ„t also his Apostles after his asceÌ„sioÌ„ yea by that maÌ„hod whych he toke vpoÌ„ him he is the head of all his discipls which ar meÌ„bers of his bodi therfore forasmuch as thei wrot those thiÌ„gs which he shewed taught theÌ„ it ought not to be sayed that he wrote them not seynge that hys members wrote that which they knew by their head teaching them For what so euer he would haue vs to read both of his dedes and wordes that commaunded he them to write as his handes of his body Whoso euer doth perceaue this felowship of vnite and agremente of members ministering vnder one head in diuerse offices he shall none other waies take that that he readeth in the gospel the disciples declaryng it then if he had sene the very haÌ„d of the lord which he bare in his own body wryting it THe same to VinceÌ„t against the Donatistes the .6 tom pag. 116. Epistola 48. We therefore for this cause are certayne and suer that no man ought to wythdraw himselfe froÌ„ the communion of al meÌ„ And let none of vs seke the churche in our own righteousnes but in the holy scripture THe same to the Mandarens Epistle 42. Al that euer oure elders made mencion of to be doÌ„e towardes mankinde in times past
and delyuered to vs all thynges also which we see and delyuer to our posterite whiche dooe appertayne to getting and maintaining of true relygion the scripture of god did not passe with silence AGayne to the brethren in the wildernes Reade the holy scripture wherin ye shal finde fulli what is to be folowed and what to be auoyded THe same of nature and grace lib. 1. Cap. 61. I owe my consente to the Canonicall scryptures wythout any refusal THe same vpon Iohn .49 treatyse Cap. 11. Not all thynges that the Lorde Iesus dyd are writteÌ„ as the same Euangelist witnesseth for the lord both did and saied many thinges that are not wrytten but thynges were chosen oute to bee written whiche semed sufficiente for the saluacion of the beleuers THe same againste Faustus the 23. lib. ca. 9. That whych Faustê° putteth forth vpoÌ„ the byrth of mary that she had a certayne priest to her father of the tribe of Leuye named Ioachim because it is not canonicall it doeth not binde me THe same of Baptisme againste the Anabaptistes li. 2. cap. 6. Let vs not bryng deceytfull balances wherin we may weighe what we wil after our owne pleasure saying this is heuy this is light but lette vs bring the diuine balances of the holy scriptures as of the treasurs of the lord and in it let vs weigh what is heuy yea let vs not weigh but rather acknowledge the things that arâ— weighed of the lord AGayne vpon Iohn the .46 treates Sitting vpoÌ„ the chaier of Moses they teache the lawe of god therfore god teacheth by them But if they wil teach their own hear theÌ„ not do not after theÌ„ for truli such men searche their own but not these thinges which are of Iesus Chryste AGayne in the .3 lib of the Christen doctrine Cap. Vlt. Howe much lesse the aboundaunce of golde siluer and clothynge whyche that people brought with them for the of Egipt is in comparison of the riches whiche afterwarde they had at Hierusalem whiche aboue all other was shewed in kyng Salomon so let al knowledge which is in dede profytably gathered out of the bokes of the Gentils be such if it be compared to the knowledge of gods scripturs For what soeuer man learneth without them if it bee euil there it is condemned if it be profitable there it is fouÌ„d And seinge then euerye manne shall fynde all thynges there whiche he hath profytably learned other where much more aboundantly shal he find those thinges there whiche canne no where at all els be learned but onely in the meruelous depâ—es and wonderfull humilite of those scriptures THe same in his boke of nature and Grace the 61. Cap. We may lawefully sometyme dissente from other learnynge but to the Catholyke learnyng euery man must geue place euery man must subscribe whether he be laye mannne Priest King or Emperour THe same in his .2 lib. of the Christian doctriÌ„e the .9 Cap. After that he hath nombered the Canonicall bookes he sayeth thus In al these bokes they that feare god and are tamed through godlynes do search the wil of god The first note of which laboure and trauayle as we sayd is to knowe these bokes and if as yet we caÌ„ not vnderstande them yet lette vs by readyng get them in memory or not to bee altogether ignoraunt in them Further more those thinges whiche be plainly contayned therein whether they be preceptes of lyuyng or els of beleuinge are earnestly and diligentely to be searched whiche howe many the more euery man fyndeth so much the more is he apte in his vnderstandyng In these therfore whych are euydently contayned in the scripture are founde all thynges whyche contayne fayth maners of liuinge hope and loue THe same of the vnite of the church .3 cap. Let vs not hear I say thou sayest but lette vs heare thus sayeth the Lorde There are out of doubte the Lordes bokes to the aucthoritie whereof we both consent we both beleue we both serue Let vs search the church there let vs discusse our cause there AGaine in his seconde booke of Baptisme againste the Donatists the .3 Ca. Who is he that knoweth not that the scripture canonical is so contayned within his certaine bondes of the newe and olde testament and is so to bee preferred aboue al latter wrytynges of Byshops that a man mai not at al either doubt or dispute of it whether any thynge be true or right that he is suer is written in it but the leters of al other Bishops whiche are or shalbe hereafter written besides the Canonicall scryptures already confirmed may be reproued eyther by more graue aucthoritie of other Bishops or learned meÌ„ and by the wordes of euery man that is better sene in the matter AGaine in his seconde booke of the merites and forgeuenesse of synnes ca. Vlt. tom 7. Where disputacion is had of a doubtful matter if the certayne and cleare doctriÌ„e of the scriptures of god do not help iâ— mans reason ought to staye it selfe no thing leaniÌ„g to eyther part For thogh I know not how to expresse eueri one of these thiÌ„gs yet I beleue suerli that the scriptures of god should be moste plaine herein if a man mighte not be ignoraunt herof wythout the losse of that saluacion that is promised hym AGaine in his boke of pastors He apoiÌ„ted the hilles of Israell the authors of the scrypturs of god fede there that you maye fede safely What so euer you hear out of that lette it sauoure well to you what so euer is besyds that refuse it leste you wander into cloudes Get you to the hilles of the Scriptures there bee the pleasures of your hartes there is no noysoÌ„e hurtful or venemous thinges no inconuenyente thynges there be most plentifull pastures AGaine of Christian doctryne 2. lib. Cap. 9. In these thyngs that be plainly set furth in the scriptures are founde all thynges that contayne fayth and maners of liuing that is to wit hope and charite Then after a certaine familiarite had wyth the speche of the scripture of god we must goe to expounde and discus those thinges that be darke that to geue lyghte to darke speaches examples may be taken out of the more playne places and some testymonies of places beyng certayne maye take a way the doute of the vncertayne sentences AGaine of the Christian doctriÌ„e the .3 lib. Cap. 26. Dark places are to be expounded by plainer places That is the surest way to expound one scripture by another AGayne to Vincente the Donatist Epistola .48 This kinde of learning speakynge of the olde wryters doinges is not to bee redde with necessitie of beliefe but with libertye of iudgemeÌ„t And after There that is in the holy scrypturs it is not lawfull to saye the author of this boke perceaued not the truth but eyther that the boke is false or the interpreter hath erred or thou vnderstaÌ„dest it
not But in the workes of all them that come after which be contayned in iÌ„numerable bokes yet in no wyse to be compared to the most holy excellencye of the Canonicall scryptures although in some of them bee founde the same trueth yet the aucthorite is farre vnlike Therfore if it fortune any thynge in them to be thoughte to dissente from the trueth because they are not so vnderstaÌ„d as they be spoken yet the reader or hearer hath his free iudgemeÌ„t so that eyther he maye alowe that that pleaseth hym or reiecte that whiche offendeth him And thereforâ— al such like except they may be defended either by good reason or by theÌ„ canonicall aucthorite that it maye bee proued that they are so in dede or may be so because either it is ther disputed or declared if it displease anye man or if he wil not beleue it he is not to be blamed therfore THe same in the same place Epistola 48. Gather not my brother against so many so cleare so vndoubted witnesses of the scriptures sentences misunderstanded oute of the writinges of Bishoppes either of ours or of Hilarie or Ciprian Bishop and martyr of the church for we must put a diuersitie betwixte this kinde of writing and the Canonical scriptures For these are not so to be red as though a wytnes might be alledged oute of them so that no manne myghte thynke otherwise if they fortune to iudge otherwise then the trueth requireth THe same to Ierome I haue learned to geue thys reuereÌ„ce and honoure to those onelye writers which be now called Canonicall that I dare be bold to beleue that none of them dyd erre any thyng at al in wrytynge But if I fynde any thiÌ„g in those Scryptures that semeth contrarye to the trueth I doubt not but that eyther the boke is false or the interpreter dyd not attayne the thynge that was spoken or els I vnderstande it not But all other authours be they neuer so excellente both in vertue and learnynge I dooe so reade them nor that I thynke it true that they wrot beecause they thoughte so but beecause they coulde perswade me eyther by other Canonycall Scryptures or by some probable reasons a thyng not altogether abhorring froÌ„ the trueth THe same againste Cresconium agramarien lib. 2. Capit. 32. I am not bounde to his aucthorite For I doe not accoumpte Ciprians writinges as Canonicall but weyghâ— them by the Canonicall scriptures that in them which agreeth with the Canonicall scriptures I alow to hys prayse but that that agreeth not by hys fauor I refuse THe same to Vincent Victor I cannot nor ought not to denye that lyke as in myne elders so also in my so many bokes bee manye thynges that by iuste iudgemente wythoute rashnes maye bee reproued THe same in the prologe of hys booke of the Trinite Be not bounde to my writynges as to the Canonical scriptures but if thou fynde any thyng in them which thou diddest not beleue strayghte way beleue it in these that thou art not suer of excepte thou certaynly vnderstand it beleue it not certaynly THe same to Fortunate Epistola 198. Neyther ought we to alow the reasoninges of anye menne what soeuer they bee although ther be Catholyke and laudable men as the canonical scriptures so that it shal not be lawfull for vs sauinge the reuerence that is due to those men to reproue and refuse any thynge in their writinges if it chaunce that thei haue iudged otherwise then truethe is the same trueth by goddes helpe beeynge vnderstande eyther of other men or of vs. For I am euen suche an one in other mens wrytynges as I woulde men should be in myne THe same in the same place Let vs seke no further theÌ„ is written of god our sauiour leste a man would know more then the scriptures witnesse CIrille lib. 6. Vpon Leuitieâ—s There be two offices of a Byshoppe to learne the scriptures of god and by ofte readyng to digeste the same or els to teache the people but let him teach those things which he hath learned of god and not of his own hart or by mans vnderstanding but those thynges which the holy gost teacheth THe same in Iohn Cap. 6. He sayeth by this we learne that onely Chryste oughte to be folowed as a master and we must clene vnto him onely THe same in Iohn cap. 20. Not al thyngs that the lord did ar written but those thyngs that the writers thought sufficient as wel to good maners as to doctryne that we shining with a constaunte faythe good workes and vertues may come to the kyngdome of heauen FVlgence in his sermon of the confessors In the worde of god is plentye for the stronge man to eate there is inoughe for the child to sucke there is also milke to driÌ„ke wherewith the tender infancye of the faythfull may be nourished and stroÌ„g meate wherewith the lusâ—ye youth of them that be perfect may receaue the spirituall encresment of holy vertue There prouision is made for the saluacion of al men whom the lord doth vouchesafe to saue there is that that is agreable to all ages there is also that which is mete for al states Ther we learne the commaundementes which we ought to do there we know the rewardes which we hope for GRegory in Iob. lib. 16. Cap. 28. He that prepareth himself to the office of a true precher must neds fetchè the foundacion of his maters out of the holy scriptures So that al that he sayeth he muste reduce it to the firste beginning of goddes aucthorite and in that staye the effecte of his sayinges For as I haue sayd many times afore heretikes when they studye to maintayne theyr frowarde doctriÌ„e suerly they bryng forth those thinges that are not coÌ„tayned in the holy scriptures THeophilactus vpon this place of Paule the laste to the Romaynes I beseche you brethreÌ„ marke them whiche cause diuision geue occasion of euil contrary to the doctrine whych you haue learned and auoyde them for they that are suche serue not the Lorde Iesus christ but their own bellies and with swete prechinges and flattering wordes deceue the harts of the innocents Here saith Theophilactus that they bryng in di-uisions and occasions of euill whiche bryng forth any thyng besyde the doctryne and learnynge of the Apostles DAmascenus lib. 1. cap. 1. Al that euer was deliuered bi the law the Prophets the Apostles and the Euangelistes we receiue acknowledge and geue reuerence vnto them searchyng nothyng besides them BRuno the in secoÌ„d to Timothe doutlesse the holy Scryptures are able to instruct thee to saluation For euery scripture beeyng inspired from god that is to saye spiritually vnderstande after the wil of God is profytable to teache them that be ignoraunte to reproue that is to conuince them that speake agaynste the fayth to correct synners suche as denye not them selues to bee synners to instructe those
that be yet rude and siÌ„ple to instruct I say in righteousnes that they maye be made righteous by puttyng awaye their former instructions of infidelite I say that he may be so taught that as muche as in the teacher lyeth he that is taught maye be the perfect man of god so perfecte that he maye be instruct to doe euerye good worke BEda in the. 1. Epistle of Peter Cap. 5. If any man speake lette him speake as the words of god fearyng least he say or commaunde any thing besides the wil of god or besides that whiche is manifestly commaunded in the holye scriptures and be founde as a false witnes of god or acommitter of sacriledge or a bringer in of any straunge thynge from the Lordes doctrine or els leaue oute or passe ouer anye thynge that pleaseth god seeing that Chryste most playnly commaundeth the preachers of the trueth concernyng them whom they had taughte sayinge teache them to kepe all thyngs that I haue commauÌ„ded you Yea euen the same whych he had commaunded and none other and he commaunded hys preachers to coÌ„maunde their hearers to kepe not soÌ„e of these but all ANselmus Bishop in his booke of virginitie 24. Cap. Goddes lawe forbyddeth to folowe the steppes of the Catholyke or vniuersal faith any more then the iudgemente of the canonicall trueth coÌ„maundeth to beleue And all other Apocryphall lies the good policies of the best learned fathers haue stablished in their decrees vtterly to reiecte and to banishe them cleane as horrible thoundriÌ„ges of wordes LYraâ—e vpon the laste Ca. of the Prouerbes Like as in a marchauntes shyppe are caryed dyuerse thynges necessarye for mannes lyfe so in the scripture are conteined all thynges nedefull to saluacyon THomas of Aquine The holye Scripture is the rule of oure fayth wherevnto it is neyther lawfull to adde nor take any thyng away But the trueth of oure fayth is contayned in the holy scryptures diffusely and diuerse wayes in some places darklye and to trye oute the trueth of oure fayth by the scryptures is required long study and exercise to the which al they cannot come that nede to knowe the trueth of the fayth the more part wherof beeynge occupyed wyth other busines cannot attende to study And therfore it was nedefull out of the sentences of holy scripture to gather some thyng into a shorte some which should be set forth for all men to beleue whiche is not added to the scriptures but rather takeÌ„ out of the scriptures SCotus in the prologe of sentences que 2. Question Whether knowledge about nature sufficient for a man in this lyfe be sufficientlye sette forth in the holy scripture The Question is not whether any thynges bee true that are not written or whether god sence the creacion and redemption of the worlde hath done or sayd any thyng that is not wrytten and receyued of the Churche for the holye scripture but thys is the questyon whether the worde of god wrytten be sufficient for our saluacioÌ„ or whether a Christen man be bounde to beleue any thyng that cannot he proued bi the holy scripture And thys grauÌ„ted that all thynges that may be gathered out of the scripture and euery thyng that vpon any trueth graunted maye bâ— proued by a good argumeÌ„t of the scripture doth pertayne to the holy scripture this graunted I say he concludeth that all thynges necessarye for our saluacion are fully conteyned in the holy scripture ¶ The schole authors call the staye of our faith the trueth shewed of God and conteyned in the Canon of the Bible ¶ That the general counsels withoute the worde of god are not sufficiente to make articles of oure fayth ¶ The .iii. Chapter EVsebius in his ecclesiastical historie lib. 1. Cap. 8. The head rulers of the churche forgettynge gods commaundementes were inflamed one againste another wyth contencyon zeale enuy pride malice and hatred so that they thoughte rather that they occupied the rome of tiraÌ„nes then of priestes And also forgettinge Christian humilite and sincerite they did celebrate the holy misteries wyth vnholy handes GRegorye Nazianzen to Procopius Vndoubtedli I thiÌ„k thus if I must nedes wryt the truth that al assembles of Byshoppes are to be eschued For I neuer sawe good end of any synode that did not rather bryng in euils then put them awaye for the lustes of stryfe and desyer and of lordshyp reigne there AVgustine in his lib. 2. Capit. 3. agaynst the Donatists The couÌ„sels which are kept through euery region or prouince wythout all clokinges ought to geue place to the generall counselles whiche are made of all Christendome yea and the former generall counsels oughte ofttimes to be reformed by the latter counsels if any thynge in them dooe chaunce to erre from the trueth AVgustine against Maximinum the bishop of the Arrians lib. 3 Ca. 4. But now neither ought I to alledge the counsel of Nice nor thou the couÌ„sel of Arimine to tak aduauÌ„tage therby for neyther am I bounde nor helde by the authorite of this nor thou of that Lette matter with matter cause wyth cause or reason with reasoÌ„ trye the matter by the aucthorite of scriptures not proper witnesses to any of vs but indifferent witnesses for vs both GErson We ought rather beleue the sayiÌ„g of any teacher armed with the Canonycall scripture then the Popes determynacyon THe same More tredite is to be geuen to a maÌ„ that is singularlye learned in the Scripture bryngying forth catholyke aucthorite then to the generall counsel PAnormitan in cap. Significasti A simple laye man bryngynge forth the scriptures is to be beleued rather then an hole counsel For a counsell may erre as it hath afore tymes erred as did the counsell of Melchildense and Aquisgranum of contracting of Matrimonie The councel of CoÌ„stance among other articles of Iohn Husband Hierome of Prage vniustly condemned condemned also this article for heresye that the two natures that is the diuinite and humanitie be one Chryst whych is a necessarye article of our fayth expressed in the Crede of Athanasius called qui cunque vult where it is red the right fayth is that we beleue and confesse that our Lorde Iesus Chryst the soÌ„ne of god is god and maÌ„ and a litle after lyke as the reasonable soule and the flesh is one man so god and maÌ„ is one Christ the same is also decreed by the counsell of Nice and dyuerse other catholike counsels and it is the doctrine of the churche at thys tyme. Finally it may be proued by the expresse word of god and yet these malycyous cleargy were not ashamed to condemne the same for an heresy Note here ieÌ„tle reader vnto what shameles and detestable heresyes theyr Popishe yea Antichristian general counsels haue falleÌ„ of the which they boast so much that they cannot erre and wherevpon cheÌ„fely they builde al their errours and heresyes Moreouer the most part of the good lawes and Canons be in
maner altogether abrogated and no wher kept part wherof I shall expresse ¶ Canons of the Apostles and counsels not kept nor vsed CAnone .3 Let not a Byshoppe priest or deacon by any meanes put away his owne wife vnder pretence of relygion but if he doe let hym be excommunicated and if he so continew let hym be deposed CAnone 4. Let no Byshoppe Pryest or deacon be receaued in to another Byshoppes diocese wythoute a testymoniall of his good behaueour and when they haue deliuered their writinges let them be diligently examined if they be godly preachers ¶ If these .ii. lawes wer throughly executed by indifferent iudges beyng no Priestes the realme of England should not swarme so ful of runnagates adulterous and sodomicall Pryestes For in wales for theyr cradel crounes payde to the ordynary they kepte theyr coÌ„cubines or harlets openly and in Englande many greate benefyced men kepe theyr harlettes at racke and maunger without any punishment excepte it be by brybyng of the ordinaryes priuely and all shame sette asyde they haue their own knowen bastards wayting vpon them in sighte of the whole worlde But the poore purgatorie Priestes when thei be taken in open aduoutrie flee from easte to weste from north to southe froÌ„ diocese to diocese and there be receaued wythoute any letters testimoniall at al where they be taken for honeste and chaste Priestes But if the riche Priests wer depriued of al their promotions so oft as they be knoweÌ„ to be fornicators as they ought to be and the poore priestes not receaued into any strauÌ„ge diocese without testymonye of his honeste demeanure froÌ„ his former ordinary you shold skarcely fynde Priestes for euery thirde benefice of Englande and the Pryestes themselues would be the firste earnest suters that they mighte haue their lawfull wyues of their own but as long as they be their owne iudges according to the olde prouerbe one skabbed horse gnappeth an other what for fauour and frendshippe what for moeny and for slaunderynge of theyr order they wynke one at anothers faultes and helpe to cloke the same in so much that within my memorye whiche is aboue xxx yeares and also by enformacion of other that be .xx. yeares elder then I I coulde neuer perceaue or learne that any one Priest vnder the Popes kyngdome was euer punished for aduoutrye by his ordinary And yet not long ago a Petye canon of a Cathedrall church in Englande was accused of buggerye by .iii. boyes of the graÌ„er schole to the vicedeane or subdeaÌ„e of the same church a man not vnlyke to a monke called Iodocus of whoÌ„ Erasmus maketh mencion that he wer worthy to walk openly with a bell and a cocks combe if he were not set forth vnder the holy habit of a moÌ„ke But when he perceaued that the sayd Pryest could not pourge himself of the foresayd crime he priuely payed him his quarters wages before hande and suffered hym to departe without farther tryall of the sayd cryme and now he ietteth in loÌ„don wyth side gown and sarcenet typet as good a virgin priest as the best If I should but brefely touch al the histories that I haue knowen of the incontinency of Pryests it wold grow to a worke thryse greater then al my whole boke and it would make some of the proudeste of them to blushe if they be not past all shame but I wyll not blot my good paper with so euyll matter although thei be not ashamed openly to blot and stayne their owne good names with crimes worthy of such reproche and ignominy LEt not any Byshoppe Pryest or Deacone in any wise take vpon him any secular busynes but if he doe let him be excommunicated ¶ But now suche shameles coÌ„teÌ„ners they be of their owne lawes whyche they so greatly extoll and bynde all â—ther to kepe that they bee hunters faukonâ—ors stewardes surueyars and receyuers to all greate men yea and to the Byshoppes themselues IF any Pryeste or Deacone or any other of the nomber of Priesthod doe not receaue at the CoÌ„munioÌ„ let him shewe his cause if it he reasonable let him be pardoned if not let hym be depriued from the Communion IT is mete to put of from theÌ„ Communion all Christen men whiche enter into the churche and heare the scriptures but continue not in prayer vntil masse be done nor receaue ther the holy Communion as disturbers of the quietnesse of the churche ¶ By these .ii. Canons be subuerted and vtterlye ouer throwen all priuat masses where the priest onely receiueth LEt the olde custome continue still in Egipt Libia and Pentapoli that the Byshoppe of AlexaÌ„drie haue power ouer all these forasmuch as the Byshoppe of Rome hath a like custome At Antioch also other prouinces let their honour bee reserued to euery churche Because there be soÌ„e that knele at their praiers on the Sonday and in WhitsoÌ„ weke be it therefore ordeyned by this holye counsell that all men stande at their praiers for so much as it is a coÌ„uenieÌ„t custome fyt to be kept in al churches ¶ But nowe Antichriste of Rome contrarye to thys decree hath extolled himselfe aboue hys felowe Byshoppes as goddes vicare yea rather as god hymselfe and taketh vpon him authorite ouer kings and Emperors and sitteth in the temple of God that is in the consciences of men and causeth hys decrees to be more regarded then gods lawes yea and for monye he dispenseth with gods lawes and al other geuynge men lycence to breake them IF any Pryest be founde eatyng in a common ale house let hym be excoÌ„municated IF any man iudge that a maryed Pryeste oughte not to offer as it were for his mariage sake and for that cause doe abstayne from his oblacyon let hym be excommunicated ¶ But nowe maryed Pryestes bee excommunicated and except they wil forsake their lawfull wiues thei shal be burned therefore FOr asmuche as there ar some which praye standyng both on the SoÌ„day in whitsoÌ„e weâ—â— it is therfore ordeyned by thys holy counsell that because it is a convenieÌ„t custome and agreable throughout al churches that men should make their prayers to god staÌ„diÌ„g ¶ This law is no where kept LEt no priest be made before 30. yeares yea though he be of an honest life but let him tarye to the tyme appoynted for the lord was baptised at .30 yeares theÌ„ preached ¶ How this law is kept the whole world may iudge for the Cardynall of Loreyn was made aboute the .12 yere of hys age And Pope Clemence made .ii. of his nephews cardinals being veri boies And of late in the pops kiÌ„gdoÌ„ childreÌ„ haue beÌ„e made ArchedeacoÌ„s denes of Cathedral churches NO maÌ„ may be receaued to baptisme in lente after ii wekes BReade ought not to be offered in lent but in the saterday soÌ„day ¶ He speaketh of the bread of the holye Communion But who kepeth these lawes LAy men oughte not
no miracles for signes are geuen to vnbeleuers and not to the faythfull AVgustyne agaynst faustus the Manachee lib. 15. Cap. 5. The Scriptures that be stablyshed and sette forth by so greate authorite ye despice miracles you work none which though you did yet we woulde beware of you by the Lorde instructing and teachinge vs saying there shal aryse false Chrystes c. THe same of the citie of god li. 20. Cap. 19. The presence of Antichrist shalbe after the workynge of Sathan with all lyinge powers as a fore For then shall SathaÌ„ be let lose and by him Antichrist with all his power shal worke meruelously but lyingly of the which miracles it was wonte to be doubted whether they be called lyinge signes and wonders for thys cause that he shall deceaue mans senses with visions so that he semeth to do the thyng that he doeth not in dede or els beecause thesame although they be true miracles and not counterfet yet they draw meÌ„ to beleue that thei can not be done but by the power of god whereas meâ—ne knowe not the power of the deuyll chefely seing that how greate soeuer power he hath he hath receued it For when fier fel down from heauen and with one dashe destroyed sâ— greate a-familie wyth so many heardes of cattayll of holy Iob a sodayne whirle winde ouerthrowing his house slew his children these were no disceauable visions but for euery one of these it is sayed they shall be beegiled with signes and wonders that shall deserue to be begiled for so much as thei haue not receyued the loue of the trueth that thei might be saued Neither did the Apostle feare to saye and adde god shal sende them strong delusyons that they should beleue lies For god doth sende these thynges because he suffereth the deuyll to dooe them he in dede bi his iust iudgemeÌ„t although the deuill doeth it of a wycked and malicious purpose THe same of the vnite of the churche Cap. 16. Let theÌ„ shewe their church if they can not in the sayinges and in the fame of the Affricanes not in the determinacioÌ„s of their bishoppes not in any mans reasonynges not in false sygnes and wonders for agaynst all thys we bee warned and armed by gods word but in the thynges appoynted in the law spoken afore by the Prophetes in the songes of the Psalmes in the voyce of the shepeharde himselfe and the prea thynges and paynefulnes of the EuaÌ„gelysâ—s that is in the authorite of the bokes Canenical but not so that thei may gather and rehearse those thiÌ„gs that be spoken daâ—kely and doubtfully and figuratiuely whych euery man may vnderstande as he lyst after hys own mynd For suche thynges cannot be vnderstanded and expounded rightly except those thynges that be verye playnlye spoken bee perceaued before wyth a constante fayth Let him not saye thys is true beecause I saye it or because my companyon saith thus or these my companions or these our Byshoppes Clarkes or laye menne or els it is true because such miracles did Donatus Pontius or what soeuer other or els because men praye at the tombes of our dead menne and be heard or because these and these thiÌ„gs chaunced there or that thys brother of ours or thys syster of ours sawe suche a vision ether wakyng or slepynge in hys dreame sawe suche a vysyon or syght away with these Either they be faynyngs of lying men or the wonders of deceytfull deuyls For eyther they are not true that are spoken or if any miracles bee done amonge Heretykes we ought the more to take hede of them beecause that when the Lorde had sayed there shold come some that by workyng diuerse myracles shoulde deceyue if it were possyble the verye electe he added and earnestlye settynge foorth the thyng sayed behold I haue tolde you before Whereof the Apostle admonishing them speaketh playnlye that in the latter tymes menne shoulde departe from the faythe geuynge hede to spirites of errour and doctrynes of deuyls Further more if any man bee heard praying at the toÌ„bes of heretiâ—â— he receueth whether it be good or euil not for the merite of the place but for the merite of his desyer For the sprite of the lord as it is wrytten filleth the whole world and the earnest eare heareth all thynges and many be heard of god when he is angry of whoÌ„ the Apostle sayth he had geuen them vp to their hartes desier And god to many whom he fauoureth geueth not what they woulde that he maye geue them that whiche is profytable wherfore saith the same Apostle of the stiÌ„ge of his flesh the messenger of Sathan which he said was geuen hym to buffet him lest he should be exalted aboue measure by the greatnes of reuelacions for the whiche I prayed the lorde thrise that he would take it away froÌ„ me and he sayed vnto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect through weaknes Doe we not reade that many meÌ„ wer hard of god himselfe in the hyghe places of Iurye which highe places neuertheles so displeased god that kings which destroyed them not were blamed and kynges that destroyed them wer praysed But thys ought to be vnderstaÌ„de that the desyer of him that praieth is more worthy or of more strength theÌ„ the place of prayer but of false vysioÌ„s let them reade what is written both that Sathan doth chaunge himselfe into an Angell of light and that their dreames haue deceyued many meÌ„ let them also heare what the heathen tel of their temples and godes wonderfully eyther done or sene and yet neuertheles the gods of the heathen be deuils but the Lorde made the heaueÌ„s Therfore many meÌ„ be heard and after many diuerse sorts not only catholyke Christians but also panimes and Iewes and heretikes geuen to diuerse errours supersticions doubtles they ar heard eyther of deceitfull spirits which neuertheles do nothing except they be permitted of god hyghly and vnspeakeably iudging what is mete to be geuen to euery man or els of god hiÌ„self either for the punishmeÌ„t of malice or the coÌ„fort of miseri or for the admonishmeÌ„t of eternal saluacioÌ„ But to that eternall saluacioÌ„ coÌ„meth no maÌ„ but he that hath the head christ Yea no maÌ„ caÌ„ haue the head Christ which is not in his body the churche which church lyke as the head it self we must know in the canonical scripturs not to seke it in diuers rumors â—pâ—nioÌ„s of meÌ„ not in factes sayiÌ„ges sights c. Let al this sort of them be chaffe not geue seÌ„teÌ„ce afore hande agaiÌ„st the wheate if thei be the church â–ª but whether thei be the church let theÌ„ shew none other wais but bi the caÌ„onical bokes of the holi scripturs For neither doe we saye that men oughte to beleue vs because we are in the catholyke church of Christ or because Optaiê° bishop of Miliuet or Ambrose bishop of Miliane or
this it is not written in this place or to those persons ergo it is not written in the scripture at al. For the shortnes of one Epistle or of one sermon caÌ„not sufficieÌ„tly coÌ„teine al thinges necessary for our saluacioÌ„ therfore be ther so many bokes of the scripture that what so is omitted and not spokâ— of in one place or els darkly spokeÌ„ of mighte bee writteÌ„ plainly in another place And for this cause S. Paul writeth to the ColossiaÌ„s â–ª sayiÌ„g wheÌ„ thys leter is redde wyth you cause it also to bee redde to the Laodicians And reade you also the Epistle written froÌ„ Laodicia And Sainct Paul wryteth of himselfe suche as we are in our absence by leters such are we in dede being preseÌ„t Moreouer Paul speaketh not here of doctrynes of fayth and charite whiche euer continew wythout chaunging adding or minishyng but of certayne tradicions obseruacyous ceremonyes and outwarde rites and bodelye exercyces whiche as he sayeth is litell worth to god warde but to be vsed for comlines decent order and vniformite in the churche to auoyde schisme whych ceremonies euery good man is bounde to kepe lest he trouble the common order and so breake the order of charite in offendiÌ„g his weake brethren so long as they be approued receyued and vsed by the heades and coÌ„mon consente But they and euery one of such ceremonyes as be neyther sacramentes nor commauÌ„dementes of fayth and charite may be altered and chaunged and other set in their places or els vtterly takeÌ„ away by the authorite of Prynces and other their rulers and subiectes in the church Yea also the tradycyoÌ„s made by the Apostles in ful counsel at Ierusalem may be and already are takeÌ„ awaye as to abstayne from thynges offered vnto Images from blood and strangled ar no where kept And this of Paule that a man should neyther praye nor preache capped or with his head couered is also cleane abolyshed ¶ Doctors to the same purpose wyth theyr aunswers ¶ The .x. Chapter TErtullian of the croune of a soldier He reciting many tradicyons as to reneuÌ„ce the deuil his poÌ„pe and his Angels afore Baptisme to dip the childreÌ„ thrise in the fouÌ„t to geue it pappe of hony and milke first thing after baptime and not to waâ—â—e it in a whole weeke after to offer both at the day of the buriall and birth on the soÌ„day neyther to fast neyther to praye knelyng nor also froÌ„ Easter to whitsontide crossinge of our foreheades with diuerse suche lyke saith If thou require a law of these and other suche disciplines there can be no pretence of a law for them out of the scriptures But thou shalt either perceaue by thy selfe or learne of some other that perceaueth it that custome being author confirmer conseruer and obseruer of fayth shal maintaine and defende the cause of this tradicion and custome of fayth BY the scriptures before alledged it is euidentlye proued that all thyngs requisite for out saluacion be set forth in the holye bokes of the bible and that it is not lawful to put any thyng therto vnder payne of euerlastying damnacyoÌ„ The same TertulliaÌ„ also as it is afore rehersed saith that there is nothyng els that oughte to be beleued after Chrysts gospel oÌ„ce published Yea all the olde authors a thousande yere after Christ and lykewyse almost all the new affyrme the same and would not haue vs credyte their sayiÌ„gs without the profe of gods worde Why shoulde we then beleue Tertullian agaynst so playne Scripturs agaynst the old fathers of the church and also contrarye to his owne sayinges Yet here wyll I gentlye interprete hym so as he maye bothe agree wyth the Scriptures wyth the olde authors and also wyth himselfe TertullyaÌ„ speaketh here not of doctrines of fayth hope and charyte but of tradycions outward gestures rites ceremonies which he not necessary for our saluacyon but be ordayned for a decente order and conformite in the churche as is playnly shewed in the answere to Saint Paul in the Epystle to the ThessaloniaÌ„s And that he speaketh of such rites and ceremonies it is euident For all those that he rehearseth be mere ceremonies and few of them kept at this day which nomaÌ„ myghte haue altered or abolyshed if they had bene necessarilye to be kept vnder payne of damnacion CIprian to Pompeius agaynste SteueÌ„s Epistle It is of no lesse authorite that the Apostles delyuered by the instructyon of the holy gost then that which Christeâ— himselfe delyuered CIprian speaketh not here of tradicions vnwritten but of such thynges as the Apostles delyuered in their writings as the gospels and Epistles like as Paule sayeth I deliuered you that I receiued of the Lordeâ— whiche thing he wrote to theÌ„ But if thei wil nedes vnderstand him of thynges delyuered by the Apostles wythout wrytyng then answere him as Tertullian ORigen In obseruauÌ„ces of the church there be diuerse thiÌ„gs which al men must nedes do and yet the reason of them is vnknowen to all men And he reciteth in maner the obseruauÌ„ces that Tertullyan doeth and after he concludeth Who can certenly tell the cause of all these thinges THe answer made to Tertullian wyll serue Origen here A Thanasius vpon the .2 Epistle to the Thessa. Cap. 2. vpon this place State et tenete Hereby it is playne that Paule delyuered many thynges wythoute the scripture not written in his Epistles but by worde of mouth only And these are worthy no lesse faith then the other Therfore I doe iudge the tradycion of the churche to be a thyng worthy to be credited so that if any thyng be deliuered by it make no farther searcheâ— CHrisostomê° in the .2 Epistle to the Thessa. Cap. 2. Stande fast brethren and kepe the tradicioÌ„s c. Hereof sayeth Chrysostome it is playne that Paule deliuered not all things in his Epistles but also many thynges without writing and as wel those as these ar worthi of like faith Wherefore we iudge the tradicion of the churche worthye of credite it is a tradicion searche no farther EPiphaniê° against heresyes li. 2 to mo .1 Agaynst those that call theÌ„selfes Apostles .1 cor 11. 14. 15 We must saith he vse tradicions for all thynges can not bee perceyued by the holy scripture Wherfore the holi Apostles haue set furth vnto vs some thynges by the worde of god and soÌ„e thynges by tradicions as the Apostle sayth as I haue deliuered vnto you thus I teache and thus I haue deliuered in all churches and thus you remeÌ„ber by what meanes I haue preached vnto you except you haue beleued in vayne ANswere these .iii. authors lyke as Tertullyan is answered sauing that they alledge S. Paul for their purpose but clearly wrested from his true meaning as it shal easely appeare to euery indiffereÌ„t reader that is not blinded of malice to resyst the truth as they may plaiÌ„ly perceue by the answere made
that we may deni them if they dissent froÌ„ the holy scripturs We may not think al that the old fathers did write to be true Al mens writings ought to be weyghed by the canonical scriptures He confesseth many errours in his owne bokes 〈◊〉 others also Beleue not his writings except thou be suer of them by the scriptures we ought not to esteme mans writinges further then thei agree with the scripturs but may refuse theÌ„ at our pleasures Vnderstande the word written for they that learn of it learne of god al things perteining to doctrine and good maners are in the worde written which is sufficieÌ„te Note this holy fathers wordes and print them in your hartes for euer If preachers ought so then so ought all others for they al are prepared to come to one ende by one ordinary rule The scriptures only are sufficieÌ„t for matter of saluacioÌ„ If any maÌ„ speak let him speake accordinge to the worde of god excepte he wil be called by these names here expressed We may not beleue the generall faith excepte the same agre with goddes worde the truth of our fayth is conteyned in the worde written Thei wer gathered in the spirite of pride and enuy and not in the spirit of mekenes and loue Note these words diligentlye and forget them not Counsails are not of such authorite that what so euer thei decree must be holdeÌ„ for truth The scripture must trie all Marke thys Reade ye Papistes and be no longer ignoraÌ„te CouÌ„sails may and doe erre oftimes Read the Psalme O what a court is this that in suspicion of heresye acquiteth no man and in cause of adultery condeÌ„neth no priest be his crime neuer so openlye knowen Cano. 7. Cano. 9. CanÌ„o 10. The counsel of nice Cano. 6. The couÌ„cel of nice cano 20. The couÌ„cell of Nice 6. The couÌ„cell of GaÌ„greÌ„se IbideÌ„ 7. The couÌ„sel of Neocesario The couÌ„cel of Laodicia Ibidem Ibidem Mat. 23. The deuill deceueth man because he waÌ„dereth from the word written and is not coÌ„teÌ„t therewith Spirites worke no good but euill The deuils miracles arâ— to worke mischief Thei hurt most of all when thei cease from hurtyng The deuils vexe both bodye ct soule to cause meÌ„ to seke to them for help and so to be worshipped as god Sathan worketh miracles by Images and hereof springeth the worshipping of Images The deuils speke in Imags as thogh thei wer gods thoughe deuils prophesi truly of thynges to come yet all is but dysceite to make meÌ„ to worship theÌ„ Sathan vnder pretence of dead meÌ„s soules de ceaueth theÌ„ that lyue and leadeth them into Idolatrye Subtil Sathan sayneth himself to be Christ ct worshipped as god How shal we then knowe any certayne trueth by apparicions Thei that beleue visions often worship Sathan for Christ. Read the place Read the Chapter He laugheth theyr foolishnes to scorne the scripture ought to be beleued rather theÌ„ the testimonye of the dead for it is gods owne word and the other oft times the deuils The dead neuer returne after the death to tel their state that be dead The scripture is to â—e beleued aboue all thinges It is not the soule of the dead that saith I am such a mans soule but the devyl counterfeteth the dead to deceue the liuing for soules departed the bodie can not walke her on earth Mar. 13. By this example ye maye iudge of the popishe miracles True ChristiaÌ„s work miracls profitable to the seers but the wicked without profit at all God sufferth wicked men to worke miracles for the tryall of the faythfull The faithfull nede no miracles for signes are gyven to the vnbelevers .1 Corin .14 Al doctrine ought to be tryed by the canonicall in plaine sense and not by wordes that be darke doubtful or figuratyue Miracles shewed at the tombes of saintes proue no doctrine Visions seen eyther in dreameâ— or being awake caÌ„not make any doctryne Men be heard at the tombes of heretikes and yet is not their doctrine true The deuill worketh miracles in the temples and Idols of the geÌ„tils although their religion be false an detestable Menne ought to prouâ— theÌ„selfes to be the true churche by none other meâ—nes but by the scripturs only Neyther miracles nor agrement of Bishops in doctryne proue any thing in religion Not miracle workers but the commaundemente kepers ar called blessed of Chryste To work miracles maketh no man holy nor to worke no miracles hindereth his holynes Thys would be put amoÌ„g the apparicioÌ„s of the dead Sathan counterfetteth Moses Math. 18. Argumente Answere Math. 7. Acres 19. Math. 7. A replicacion Answere Math. 23. The. 2. argumeÌ„t The first answere The second answere the forth argumeÌ„t Math. 28 Answere The. 5. argumeÌ„t Iohn 16. Answere Iohn 14. Iohn 15. Luke 18. Math. 20 Math. 16 The. 6. argumeÌ„t Iohn 20. Answere 2. Thess. 2 argumeÌ„t Answer 2. Cor. 10 Actes 1â— Argumente Ansâ—ere Vnderstande here as necessary to saluacion Argumente Answere Argumente Answere Argumente argumeÌ„t â—rgumeÌ„t Answere Answere argumeÌ„t Answere argumeÌ„t argumeÌ„t Answere Answere argumeÌ„t Answere Gene. 17 Math. 19. Luke 19. 1. Cor. 7. argumeÌ„t Esai 56. Esai 58. To lanuarye epist. 119. The bodely rest on the sabboth day is figuratiuely to be kepte To the perfite GhristiaÌ„ al dayes be lyke and eueri day is good friday eueri day is Easter day and we eatâ— hys fleshe alwayes argumeÌ„t Answere Christes bage Dani. 7. The mark to knowe antichrist by is to preuaill by persecucion againste gods elect saints Daniel 8. And the marke of the true churche is to be persecuted of Antichriste Read the places Read the Chapters argumeÌ„t Answere Iohn sleidane Elzabeth Barton O diuilishe illusion Reade more of herin her boke set forth in print and in Halles cronicle A letter forged as thoughe it had come froÌ„ heauen Bishops euer haue been bolsterers of idolatry A notable miracle Christe prouedre alli in the hoste by 2. horses the deuil spâ—aking in one of them Which is Rome