is not thereby prooued that it is sufficient for our learning No sir but mark the end of this learning that wée may heare by the scripture this that we may haue hope And know you not that hope maketh not ashamed That by hope we are saued Séeing then wee may haue sufficient learning by the scripture to haue hope by hope wée may haue saluatiō is it not manifest y t by holy scriptures we may be abundantly instructed vnto saluatiō And what neede we any far fetched arguments when the Apostle saith in expresse words the scriptures are able to make vs wise vnto saluatiō They are the very wordes of the holy Ghost vttered by S. Paul vnto Timothie when he cōmendeth y t from his infancie he had learned y e holy scriptures which are able saith he to make thée wise vnto saluatiō through the faith of Iesus Christ◠Would any mā think after so manifest a testimonie of y e holy scriptures brought foorth for the sufficiēcie of y e holy scriptures that the papists durst for worldly shame although they be void of the feare of god to cōtinue in their impudēt paradoxe y t all truth is not taught in the holy scriptures That the holy Scriptures doe not containe the whole truth of gods word in such perfectiō but that wée must receiue some parte of the worde of God out of some other testimonie which cannot bée proued out of the holy scriptures There is none so blind as the obstinate that will not sée But who so hath a care of eternall saluation will séeke it in none other word then that which is comprehended in the holy Scriptures séeing by witnesse of Gods spirite they are able to make vs wise vnto saluation which coulde not bée truely saide if there were any trueth necessarie to saluation which were not to bée found and sufficiently proued by the onely authoritie of the holy Scriptures Finally the same Apostle saith in the same place All the scripture is inspired of God is profitable to teach to improue to correct and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may bée absolute being made perfect vnto euery good work Coulde any thing be said more fully to expresse the perfection of the holy scriptures or to proue that all true doctrine is contained in them Tush say the Papistes this is nothing to prooue that the word of God or all true doctrine is perfectly contained in the Scriptures Hée saith the Scripture is profitable to teach hée saith not it is sufficient to teach Many thinges are profitable and good helpes which yet bée neither necessary nor sufficient and suche a thing is the scripture without the which the Church hath cōtinued néere two thousande yéeres and so might haue continued still but that God hath added the aide of the Scriptures as profitable to teache to improoue to correct and instruct and yet it followeth not that the Scriptures alone are sufficient and able to instructe a Christian man in all thinges that it is néedefull for him to knowe But there bée other testimonies of Gods worde whereby many thinges are taught which are taught in the scriptures and yet bée as necessary to bée knowne practised of Christians as any taught in the Scriptures What things are these I pray you They will answere the misterie of the blessed Trinitie the sacraments of the Church the baptisme of infants the perpetual virginitie of Mary and such like Concerning the inysterie of the blessed euerlasting Trinitie if it were not plainely taught inuincibly prooued by the holy scriptures the Church in old time labored in vaine to prooue it and defend it out of the Scriptures against so many heresies as Satan raised vp against it But they wil vrge vs to shew where we finde the Trinitie once named in the scriptures A perillous question wee finde thrée persons of the Godhead plainly and perfectly distinguished by the holy Scriptures then what vnreasonable beast is hee that will contend of the name whē the thing is certain Likewise I say of the name of sacramēts although it be not applied in the Scripture vnto baptisme the Lords Supper yet that which is the definition of a sacrament is cléerely in the scripture aduouched of these misticall actions The name of Sacrament is borrowed of the Latine spéech in which no part of y e scripture was first writtē As for y e baptism of infāts I shal haue occasiō to speak of it héereafter In y e meane time I say the papists are very fauourable vnto y e Anabaptists which affirme y e baptisme of infants cannot be prooued out of the holy scriptures so strengthen them in their heresie Touching the perpetuall virginitie of Mary if it be néedful to saluatiō that it should be knowne of euery Christian it is vndoubtedly taught in the scriptures if it bee not taught in the scriptures it is nothing necessary to euerlasting saluation For to stop the mouth of this impudent and arrogant cauiller against the sufficiencie of the holy scriptures the holy Ghoste had immediatly before prouided where the Apostle shewing what vtilitie he spake of namely that which is both necessarie and sufficient said that the scripture was able to make a man wise vnto saluation Therefore the Scripture is so profitable that it is also necessary to giue knowledge of saluation And it is so profitable y t it is also sufficient able to minister abundance of heauenly wisedome to the attainment of eternall saluation O blinde shamelesse cauillers y t cannot or will not sée y t is written in the verse immediatly going before able to put y e whole matter out of cōtrouersie But let vs yet cōsider more of their shameles shifts Admit the papists see not these wordes going before shoulde not bee vrged with them Doth not this very text in w t the apostle cōmendeth y e vtilitie of y e holy scriptures set foorth also the sufficiencie of the same Doth not the Apostle say the Scripture is so profitable that the man of God therby may bée perfect and throughly instructed vnto euery good worke Who woulde require greater perspicuitie or plainnes if hee meane to set his beleefe and not to maintaine his error Yet see what Cobwebs the spider weaueth to couer y e light of this text from the eyes of the ignorant and such as wilfully bée obstinate The man of God saith hée in this place is not taken generally for euery godly man but specially for the Minister of the Churche the Minister of God Therefore although the Minister of God may bée made perfect by the doctrine of the Scriptures it followeth not that euery man may bée so likewise Albeit the Minister hath his whole duetie taught by the holy Scriptures yet hath not euery one of the people his dutie throughly taught in the Scriptures that hée may bée made perfect and prepared to euery good worke For euery good worke in that place
came not nearer but departed further from God The Pelagians also which boasted that there was matter enough in them selues which being stirred vp by their frée will might coÌ„secrate them vnto God bewrayed nothing but their intollerable pryde and shamefull ignorance as for sanctification it was not possible for them to attein to any parte thereof For by that Heathenish heresie they placed holinesse in such thinges as were in our power euen as the Gentiles doe For all the ceremonies whiche the Gentiles deuised to consecrate them selues or any thing that they woulde dedicate vnto the seruice of God are in the power of men to performe euen as they were of erronious imagination of men inuented and deuised But the Pelagians although they differed froÌ„ the Gentiles in that they confessed that not by externall ceremonies and bodely rites a man could be sanctified but by inwarde vertues and spirituall puritie not by voluntary obseruations and imagined practises of mens deusing but by obedience and practise of Gods lawe and commaundements yet in this pointe they agreed wholly altogether with the Gentiles in that they held that obedience and practise of Gods lawe was in our power and might be attained vnto by the naturall strength of frée will without the aide of Gods grace although with the aide of Gods grace they saide a man might more easily kéepe Gods commaundementes The papists also will séeme to depart froÌ„ the Pelagians in that they ascribe not all vnto the frée will and the power of naturall strength as they did But they goe not so farre from the Pelagians as they come néere vnto y e Gentiles in such points as the Pelagians did iustly differ from the gentiles For with the gentiles they attribute some power of saÌ„ctificatioÌ„ vnto outwarde Elements and bodily ceremonies and that not onely such as God hath appointed to testifie his grace of sanctification by them as are the holy sacraments but also such as they themselues haue inuented they themselues haue sanctified they themselues haue giuen power of sanctification vnto them without any prescription commaundement or allowance of God in his holy Scriptures such are these bables they call their Agnus Dei Hallowed graines hallowed beades coÌ„ming from his owne holinesse who is the fountaine of Popish holinesse beside anÌ„ hundred of other hallowed creatures the consecration of which is described in their rituall bookes of Agends and pontificals practised in their Idolatrous synagogues yea and to the Pelagians them selues they approch while they teache workes preparatorie vnto the receiuing of grace which being such as are able to dispose men and make them apt to obteine the grace of God of a certaine congruity they hold to procéede of the pure naturals without the grace of God or assistance of his holy spirite Forgetting vtterly that the Apostle saith Wée are not able of our selues as of our selues to thinke any thing which is good but our aptnes or ablenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of God Forgetting also what the Lord testifieth of all the sonnes of Adam That the imagination of mans hearte is euill eueÌ„ froÌ„ his youth And all the imaginatioÌ„s of the thoughts of mans heart are onely euil continually Forgetting also y t which our Sauiour Christ saith to his disciples by which saying the Pelagians of olde time were knocked in the head Without mée saith Christe you are able to do nothing yet some of the Popish Doctors I meane the schoole men are neither ashamed nor afraide to affirme that without grace that is without Christ we are able of our pure naturals to doe some thing that is to prepare our selues dispose our selues vnto a certaine aptnesse to receiue sanctification And the late Councell of Trent accurseth y â— man Whosoeuer shall say that all workes which are doone before iustificatioÌ„ howsoeuer they are doone are sinne or deserue the hatred of God or that the more a maÌ„ indeuoureth to dispose him self to grace so much y e more he sinneth Do they not therefore affirme y t without Christ they may doe some thing whiche shall please God or at the least shall not bée sinnefull and deserue the displeasure of God Is not this as much as to say that all the imaginations of the thoughtes of mans heart are not only nor altogether nor continually euill Except they wyll say that of euill imaginations and euill thoughts may procéede good workes or that euill works deserue not the hatred of God or that the more a man laboureth by euil workes as by hypocrisie superstition idolatrie fals worshipping to dispose himselfe to the grace of God hée is the méeter to receiue it For what sparke of true goodnesse acceptable to God is in the corrupt nature of man before hée being preuented by the frée mercy and grace of God bee indowed with the gift of faith through the spirite of saÌ„ctification Séeing y t without faith it is not possible to please God and all that is not of faith is sinne and that no man can haue faith but of the grace and gift of God Yet dare they pronounce him accursed that shall say sinne is sinne or that sinne deserueth the hatred of God or that hée that by sinne endeuoureth to winne the fauour of God doeth so muche the more sinne and offende God So carefull they are to vpholde the power of man against the grace of God that they defende that some workes doone before iustification may bée doone in such sort that they shall not bée sinne As though he that is impious and vnrighteous altogether may after any sort do such workes as be not altogether impious vnrighteous in the sight of god which is all one as to say y t without Christ a maÌ„ is able to do som thing For séeing god is said to iustifie the impious or vngodly maÌ„ it is manifest that whosoeuer is not iustified is impious and vngodly therefore workes doone before iustification in what sort soeuer they be â—one in respect of the doer be y â— workes of an impious vngodly man and therfore bée impious and vngodly bée wicked and deserue the hatred of God And how shall the vngodly man which is not iustified but is vtterly voide of grace dispose himselfe to grace that hée shall not more prouoke the wrath of God Is there any better way to dispose himself then by praier supplications and Sacrifices But of them the holy Ghoste testifieth plainely that they are abhomination to the Lorde The Sacrifice of the vngodly is abhomination vnto the Lord saith the wise man but the prayers of the righteous are acceptable vnto him Hée that turneth his eare from hearing the lawe of God as euerye vngodly man doeth which is not preuented with the grace of God euen his prayer is abhominable and execrable Therefore shall wée thinke that abhominable praiers abhominable supplications abhominable sacrifices do or may dispose a man to the grace and fauour of
by the teachers of deuilish doctrines vnder coulour and pretence of holinesse as they are of the Papistes and not of consecrating or hallowing of creatures to the vse of religion that they should be meanes to sanctifie men which men if the Papistes had any power of sanctifying of all creatures by that texte and that coniuring were a way of sanctification had more néede to bée exercised and hallowed in their owne persons euerie day rather then to receiue sanctification at the second hande from water salt Candles Ashes Frankencense Garmentes and suche lyke altogether without the worde of God For wée haue the worde of God to sanctifie the ordinarie vse of meates and drinkes to nourish vs of water to cleanse vs of Salt to season our victuals of Candles to giue light of Garments to cloath vs and so of the rest But where haue we any worde of GOD to sanctifie any externall creatures that they may sanctifie vs excepte in the vse of the Sacramentes only Wherefore this is a beastly abusing of the holie Scripture to cloake that impietie which can not possibly be hid For the spirit speaketh euidently y t in the later times some shall depart from the fayth attending to spirits of errours and doctrine of Deuils speaking lyes in hypocrisie hauing their owne consciences cauterized or burned with a whot iron forbidding to mary and commaunding to abstaine from meates which GOD hath created to be receiued with thākesgiuing of them that are faithfull and knowe the trueth for all the creatures of God are good and so forth O say the Papistes this is spoken of the Maniches Tacianistes Priscillianistes c. which affirme that GOD made not the worlde nor instituted mariage and not of vs. And thinke yée so easily to shift of so cleare a demonstration when the spirite speaking euidently giueth these euident markes of erronious deuillish doctrine which are found in you as wel as in those olde heretikes For you also forbid marriage and meates to some men at al times and to all men at some times therefore at the least wise the spirit speaketh euidently of Papists as well as of Maniches Eucratites and such like But if the text bée well marked the spirite euidently principally speaketh of you and not of those olde heretikes For hée saieth they shall speake falshood in hypocrisie But the Maniches such like old heretikes as denied God to haue made the world affirmed that mariage was of the institution of the Deuil did not speak lies in hypocrisie but open manifest blasphemy But you Papists that forbid mariage and meats vnder coulour of greater holinesse you I say doe speake falshood in hypocrisie therfore of you the spirit speaketh euidently that you are Apostates haue departed from the faith that you attende vnto spirites of errour teach the doctrine of Denils that your conscience is cauterized with hypocrisie while you pretēd that there is greater holines in one kind of meat then in an other that fish is more holie then flesh or that to eate fish is a more holie abstinence then to eate fleshe or that to eate fish on certaine dayes is a meritorious fasting while you pretende abstinence from marriage to be a necessarie sanctification required of the Ministers of the Churche which the worde of God requireth not as though you could better sée what were cōuenient and necessary for the Pastours of Gods Church then y ◠holy Ghost which alloweth them for perfect good Pastours which being husbands of one wife haue al other qualities cōditions by the Apostle described This is manifest hyyocrisie and fayned holines therfore in your prohibition of meates mariage you speake falshood in hypocrisie then of you Papists the holy Ghost most euidently most directly most properly doth prophecy nothing so euidently directly properly of the Maniches Tacianistes such other auncient heretikes as did speake falshood in open blasphemy in saying that the creatures of the world were naught as made of the euill God of whom also they blasphemed that mariage was ordeined Wherfore it will not serue your turne to turne it ouer vnto such open blasphemers while you say wée acknowledge mariage to be the honorable institutiō of God a Sacramēt we cōfesse Gods creatures to bée good for this is to speake falshood in hypocrisie where as in déede you refuse the creatures of fleshe in your fayned holy fastes because the land was cursed but not the waters and while you exercise and coniure them as though they were possessed of the Deuill and by your exorrisins take vpon you to adde vnto them an other holines power of sanctification then either god gaue vnto them by his creation or doeth allow to be giuen vnto them by his word and by prayer And whatsoeuer like hypocrites you speake in the commendation of marriage you forbid y e same to all that receiue your most holy orders as vnpure as vncleane for them as y t which should pollute defile those holy orders and ceremonies that are ministred by them that are ordeined abusing y e saying of the Apostle They that are in y e flesh cannot please God Understanding by them that are in the flesh maried men wherof it followeth that no maried mā can please God And this doth Syricius Bishop of Rome reason agaynst mariage in a certaine Epistle if it be not counterfeited in his name Wherefore to conclude this matter the Papistes vnder coulour of sanctification which is only in the trueth of Gods worde forbidding meates and mariage which is contrarie to Gods worde doe shewe them selues to be the verie limmes of Antichrist vnto whom that great Apostacy and defection should be made from Christ whereof the Apostle speaketh in the second Chapiter of the second Epistle to the Thessaloniās And thus much concerning the first parte Nowe touching the seconde parte the wordes are these Thy word is the trueth Which words are néedfully added by our Sauiour Christ that séeing hée prayeth that his Disciples might bee sanctified in y e trueth they might know precisely what is the trueth For such is the blindnes ignorance and errour of mans corrupt nature that although it be confessed that GOD requireth trueth in the inwarde partes as the Prophete sayeth yet can not man sée knowe or finde out what is that trueth of holinesse which pleaseth God And yet such is his arrogance that notwithstanding it be Gods truth wherin wée must be sanctified man will presume to assigne it and determine it without reuelation from God euen out of the visions of his owne brayne euen out of his owne imagination So that if hée once conceiue an opinion hee will haue it to bee taken for a certaine trueth and vndoubted knowledge Therefore our Sauiour Christ that neither the worlde should triumph in their blinde errors nor his Disciples whom he had chosen out of the world should be ignorant of the truth doeth in
verie plaine termes decyde the matter and taketh away all ambiguitie and doubt saying Thy worde is the trueth By which saying wee learne that there is no truth in matters appertaining to saluation to Gods glorie to our sanctification but that which is reuealed by God For although in matters pertaining to this worlde and this present lyfe of man much truth may be founde out by studie and sharpenesse of wyt by experience and by demonstration as in the sciences of Arithmetike Geometrie Philosophie and other Artes yet this trueth whereof our Sauiour Christe speaketh wherein hée prayeth that his Disciples might bée consecrated that they might please God by no sharpnesse of witte by no diligent search or studie by no experience or demonstration of any science can be founde out without the reuelation of God and the authoritie of his holy word And therefore the Apostle Saint Paule testified of all the wise men and Philosophers of the worlde that they became vaine in their disputations and their ignorant heart was full of darknesse and they became starke fooles Also that the worlde by wisedome knewe not the wisdome of God as it is written where is the wise where is the learned where is the disputer of this worlde Yea GOD hath turned the wisedome of this worlde into foolishnesse So that although it swel neuer so greatly in opinion of knowledge yet it can not attaine to the knowledge of this trueth Wherefore the reuelation of Gods worde is necessarie for all them that shall bée made partakers of the trueth of the lyfe to come The trueth of matter perteining to this life is opened by GOD in the worlde and in the men of this worlde but the trueth of the life to come is not in the power of man to finde out but commeth altogether by the reuelation of God For it is hidden in God vntill it be vttered by him therefore it is only his goodnesse and mercy to disclose those secret hidden mysteries of his kingdome vnto his elect and chosen children outwardly by his worde and inwardly by his spirite of which the one beareth mutuall testimony vnto the other that wée may knowe the worde of God by his spirite and his spirite by his worde Now séeing the Lord God hath opened his holie mouth to speake vnto vs declare vnto vs by his holie worde those thinges that wée by our wittes could neuer haue sound out wee must giue this honour to his holie worde that as he hath vttered thereby nothing but the trueth so hee hath vttered thereby the whole perfect trueth So that whatsoeuer is necessary for vs to be sanctified vnto gods pleasure and our eternall felicitie all that is conteined in the trueth of God and that trueth of God is none other but euen the same which is reuealed by his holy word Wherefore as it is damnable curiositie to enquire of the trueth of God further then God hath reuealed and shewed by his worde so is it execrable blasphemie to accuse his worde of imperfection as to say all trueth is not reuealed thereby For what great commendation shoulde our Sauiour Christ in this declaration giue vnto the worde of God if when hée sayeth Thy worde is the trueth hée shoulde meane no more but that Gods worde is true whereof no man that acknowledged God did euer doubt But when hée saieth vnto his Father Thy worde is the trueth vndoubtedly hee meaneth as much as though hee had said There is no trueth in the worlde concerning sanctification but only in thy truth and in thy holie worde is conteined all trueth necessarie for mans sanctification and consequently for his eternall saluation The worde of God therefore is a perfect trueth conteining all trueth and teacheth the whole trueth And whatsoeuer is not conteined and taught in the worde of GOD it is no trueth but falshood and errour which thing the wise man verie well considered when hée saide Adde nothing vnto his wordes left hée reprooue thée and thou be found lyar For seeing euerie man by nature infected is a lyar except hée speake agréeable to the worde of trueth hée can speake nothing but a lye Wherefore no man can speake the trueth but hee whiche speaketh the worde of trueth So that to adde vnto the trueth which is perfect in it selfe is to inuent a lye and to prouoke the wrath of God The wise man therefore did wisely ponder the nature of Gods worde to bée most absolute perfect wherevnto nothing coulde be added but that shoulde deserue reproofe of God and argue the Authour of that addition to be a lyar So that it is nowe cleare and out of controuersie with all them that haue any sparke of the feare of God that the worde of God is most perfect in it self and containeth all truth necessarie or conuenient for men to knowe Yea the Papistes them selues will not greatly sticke with vs in this point but that all trueth is taught by the word of God But what vndoubted testimony wée haue of the worde of GOD there is the chiefe pointe of the controuersie betwéene vs. The Papistes them selues will not nowe greatly striue with vs that the worde of God is perfect and that all trueth is taught by the worde of God only but they will not acknowledge that the holie Scripture of GOD is the only vndoubted externall testimony of his worde And hereof arise contentions and controuersies about so many questions as bée in variance betwéene vs. Because wee holde that the holie Scriptures inspired of God doe containe a full and perfect enstruction of all things necessary for vs to knowe to the attaining of euerlasting lyfe The Papistes holde the contrarie that all trueth necessarie to saluation is not taught by the worde of GOD but that wée haue other testimontes of the worde of GOD beside the holie Scriptures And herein they are so confident that vnder colour of some thinges taught by other reuelation then that which is contained in the scriptures they doubt nothing at all to thrust vpon vs suche doctrines as are cleane contrarie to the scriptures as the religious vse and worshipping of Images the forbidding of marriage and meates the robbing of the laye people of the one halfe of the Lordes Supper I meane the Sacrament of his blood and suche lyke matters as bée most directly contrarie to the word of God expressed in the holie scriptures As though it were possible that GOD shoulde haue one worde written and an other vnwritten which is contrarie to that which is written whiche gappe béeing once layde open what certeintie of trueth can wée haue in the worlde In vayne was it saide by our Sauioure Christe vnto his Father for our instruction Thy worde is the trueth if there bée not a certayne and perpetuall testimony of that worde which is alwayes lyke it selfe alwayes the same and wherevnto all thinges that are good doe agrée For vnto trueth all thinges are consonant in it selfe but falshoode by
and by is contrarie vnto trueth and often times vnto it selfe The worde of God written saieth expresly Thou shalte not make to thy selfe in the vse of religiō because it is a commandement of the first Table Any grauen image or likenesse of any thing thou shalt not fall downe to them and worship them This notwithstanding the Papistes will beare vs in hand the worde of God vnwritten saieth the contrary thou shalt make to thy selfe grauen images for religion thou shalt fal downe to them and worship them The Scripture telleth vs by a cléere renelation of the spirit that it was the doctrine of Diuels to forbidde meate and marriage for holinesse and religion The Papistes tell vs that it is the Churches authoritie which is equal with the scriptures which forbiddeth meats marriage The trueth written saith Drinke yée all of this they dranke all of it Let a man examin himself and let him eate of this bread drinke of this cup But the vnwritten veritie of the Papists saith in the Constantian councell The laye people shall not drinke of that cuppe at all but the Priestes only These contradictions cannot possibly bée both true wherfore wée must néedes hold it for an vndoubted principle y t whatsoeuer is contrary to the word of god writtē is not the worde of God because it is not true For although Papists are not so courteous to the holy scriptures to acknowlege that they are perfect and doe containe at the full all truth neccssary for vs to bée knwne for our saluation yet nature her selfe denieth vnto them this horrible absurditie that any thing contrary to truth shoulde bée true Seeing therefore they dare not for shame say the scripture is vntrue let them bée ashamed to auouch any thing for truth which is contrary to the Scripture And albeit it were as they say that they had another worde of God beside that which is written in the bookes of the Canonicall Scripture yet were it madnes to make it contrary to the Scripture and blaspemie to make it of greater authorie then then the Scripture For the worde of God howe euer it bée expressed is alwayes of equall authoritie Therfore to boast of suche a worde of God vnwritten as shoulde bée of authoritie to abrogate the worde of GOD written or to controul the same or to dispēse with any commaundement of the same otherwise then the same written word alloweth is a blasphemous bragge of satanicall pride and can bée no suer testimonie of y e truth of Gods worde Such is the presumptuous boasting of the Papistes concerning the authorie of their tradition of their church of their Pope which they aduance so highly as y t they bée of power to change what pleaseth them in the worde of God written to dispose with what preceptes they list yea euen those that nature her self will not dispense withall which brag what other thing doth it import but that they haue a worde of God in their tradition Church or Pope which is of greater authoritie then the word of God writtē in the holy scriptures which is plain in that they challenge authoritie not only of interpreting of Scriptures as they liste against grāmer against the propertie of the tongue against reason against y e scripture it selfe in other places against the plaine circūstāces of the same places but also to giue credit alowāce euer to y e holy scriptures thēselues w t should haue no credite of thēselues but by meanes of their approbation and authoritie which is so great that it is of power to giue equall credite vnto y e Apocrifall writings of men which the holy Scriptures inspired of God vpon which ground they haue receiued into the Cannon of the holy Scriptures the Apocrifall bookes of Ecclesiasticus Tobye Iudith Machabees and such like to bée of equall authorie and credite with the bookes of the Lawe the Prophetes and the Psalmmes and with the Gospels and Epistles of the new Testament although they confesse that the Church of God before the incarnation of Christ did alwaies take them for the Apocrifall and none otherwise were they taken of the Churche of Christe for many hundred yeeres after his passion But this is to farre out of square that they are not content most iniuriously to accuse the holy Scriptures of imperfection and vnsufficiencie but they will glory of Gods worde to be in their possession of greater authoritie then that which is contained in the holy scriptures Well let that passe and let vs sée whether wee haue not sufficient testimonie in the holy Scriptures to prooue that they are perfect and sufficient and that the word of trueth contained in them is a full and absolute rule of all doctrine necessarie to eternall saluation The Lorde by Moses chargeth that only which hée commaunded Moses did write to bée practised Therefore the worde written was a sufficient instruction for any thing that shoulde bée doone to the pleasure of GOD and peoples saluation Also hée forbiddeth them to adde any thing to it or to take any thing from it which hée had deliuered in writing wherefore there was no want there was no superfluitie in that written worde The Prophet Dauid in an hundred places of his Psalmes extolleth the vtilitie sufficiencie and perfection of the same lawe of God written Euery verse almost of the 119. Psalme doth set out the excellencie of that doctrine The prophet Esay sheweth y t the people of god for al questiōs must resort to the law and to the testimonie The Prophet Malachy which was the last of the Prophets that god sent to teach by reuelation extraordinary referreth the people vnto y e law of Moses as sufficient to direct them vntill the comming of Christe Abraham in the parable of Luke 16. sendeth the rich mans fiue brethren vnto the Lawe and Prophets as sufficient to teach them that they come not into the place of torments Our Sauiour Christ himself willeth the Iewes and all them that will know him to search the Scriptures Search the scriptures saith he for in them looke to haue eternall life the same are they that beare witnesse of me But perhaps you wil say they were deceiued in that they thought to attaine eternall life by the doctrine of the scriptures as alone being sufficient Thē heare what our sauiour Christ affirmeth in this samepraier This is eternall life y t they may know thee the only true God Iesus Christe whom thou hast sent But the knowledge of God Christ are sufficiently to bée learned out of the holy scriptures therfore y e doctrine of the holy scriptures is sufficiēt to the attaining of euerlasting life S. Paul saith y t what thinges soeuer are written before they are writtē for our learning y t through patience and comfort of the scriptures wée might haue hope This is little to the purpose will some Papist say that all the scripture is for our learning séeing it
doeth signifie the whole worke or office of the minister only and not of the people also What can wée answere to this First I am content to vnderstande the man of God in this text specially for the minister of God as the quarreller saith and what haue wée lost therby The scripture is sufficient to make the minister of god perfect which hath y e charge of all the people to make them perfect and therefore yea much rather it is sufficient to make euery one of the people perfect and throughly instructed to euery good worke For what is the office of the minister of God is it not to teach to improoue to correct to instruct in righteousnesse The scripture is profitable for al these purposes euen vnto the perfection of the man of God therefore there wanteth nothing of sufficiencie in the holy Scriptures For what shall hée teach but true doctrine and howe is the Scripture profitable to make him perfect vnto doctrine except it bee able to teache him all true doctrine What shall hée reproue but errours heresies if the Scripture bee not able to conuince all heresies and false opnions touching religion how is it able to make him perfect to that part of his office which cōsisteth in reproouing and conuincing of errors and Heretikes Againe what shall hée correct but vices and sinnes that are commmitted against Gods commandements But howe shoulde hée bée able to correct them by the Scriptures if whatsoeuer is sinne may not be reprehended and condemned by the authoritie of the scriptures Finally howe shall hée instruct in righteousnesse to the perfect discharge of his office by the proper ablenesse of the scriptures if there bee any works of righteousnes acceptable vnto God which are not commanded or cōmended in the holye Scriptures Thus you sée the myst easily driuen away the cléere light of the truth gloriously shining to the shame confusion of al the enimies of the holy scriptures among whom the papists are not the lest which in no sauce can abide that the holy scriptures inspired of god should bée sufficient to testifie so much of Gods worde vnto vs as should be necessary to saluation of our soules but being thus shamefully ouerthrowne put to flight will they giue ouer and yéelde to the truth No they are frozen in the dregges of their error They will not cease to quarrell vntil they leaue to liue For what other starting hole haue they now trow you to auoide the force of the truth inforcing the sufficiencie of the scriptures by this testimonie of the holy Ghost For sooth they say that Saint Paules wordes are not to bée vnderstood of all the whole Scripture but of euery booke yea of euery text and sentence of the Scripture which is profitable to teach to improoue to correct to instruct but all true doctrine is not taught in euery booke or sentence of the Scripture therefore the sufficiencie of the scripture is not taught by this text I maruell they say not that Saint Paule speaketh of euery worde sillable or letter y t is written in the Bible in which is some profite to teach to improoue to correct and instruct but not to teache all thinges needefull to bee knowne They might as well say that Saint Paule speaketh of euery singular worde as of euery particular booke seuerall sentence of the scripture But howe can it bée prooued that he speaketh not of euery booke or sentence seuered from the rest but of the whole body of Scripture Nay what is more easie to prooue then that When hée speaketh of the Scripture so as it is able to make the man of God absolute and perfectly instructed vnto euery good worke or vnto the whole good worke of his ministerie Euery seueral booke and much lesse euery sentence of the scripture is not able to make the man of God perfect in all partes of his office nor throughly prepared vnto euery good worke therefore it is most euident that the Apostle speaketh not of euery seuer all booke or sentence but of the whole body of the holy Scriptures in which Timothy was instructed and which he said before was able to make him wise vnto saluatiō For neither euery sentence nor euery booke of the holy scripture doth containe sufficient wisedome vnto eternall saluation but the whole body of scriptures is able to make any man wise vnto saluation through faith in Iesus Christe Therefore it is certaine that this text is to bée vnderstood of the whole Scripture and that worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is so to bée translated the whole scripture or all the scripture and not euerie scripture But yet blinde malice cannot cease to rayse a dust to blemishe the glorie of Gods truth perfectly expressed in his holy scriptures This text saieth the Papist was written by S. Paule before the new Testament was put in writing and receiued in the Church Therefore it must néedes be vnderstood of the scripture of the olde Testament only Wherefore it is not like that Saint Paul would affirme the olde Testament sufficiently to cōtain the worde of God For then the addition of so many bookes of the newe Testament were altogether superfluous which absurditie that wée may auoide wée must néedes say that Saint Paules meaning was to teache vs that euerie scripture is profitable but not that the whole scripture as it was at that time was sufficient So that there is no text to prooue that the whole scripture as it is now containing both the old and new Testament is sufficient for a Christian mans perfect instruction but that hee must receiue the worde of God from the Churches mouth although it be not registred in the old Testament or the newe This argument being of a late inuention pieaseth the Papistes out of measure insomuch that they clappe their handes at it and thinke them selues clearly discharged of that Terte But howe vayne howe foolishe howe ridiculous it is and vnworthie of any mans estimation I will plainly open vnto you First it is not denyed but Saint Paule in this texte speaketh especially of the scripture of the olde Testament not only because all bookes of the newe Testament were not then written although many were but also because the apostle speaketh of that scripture in knowledge wherein Timothie had béen brought vp from his infancy which should be none other but the lawe and the Prophets the scriptures of the olde Testament But if it may bée prooued that the scripture of the olde Testament did sufficiently containe the worde of God as it hath béene prooued alreadie to make men wise vnto saluation then much more abundantly the scripture both of the olde and new Testament containeth the whole counsell of God a perfect truth euen that worde of God which our Sauiour Christ in this his prayer affirmeth to be the truth For of all the reasons that euer I heard this that nowe pleaseth them so much is most worthie to be laughed at and
hissed out of all Christian Schooles not only by learned men but euen by women and children If the scripture of the olde Testament be sufficient say they the new Testament is superfluous Is there no mean betwéene sufficiency and superfluitie A man that hath wherewith to prouide him selfe of meate and drink apparell and lodging of the meanest sorte hath sufficient for his liuing But if any thing be added to this sufficiency wil you say it is superfluitie Is there no vse of riches or abundance aboue sufficiency but it is by by superfluitie The scripture of the olde Testament cōtaineth the word of God sufficiently for mens saluation but the newe Testament added therevnto containeth no new substance or matter of doctrine or article of beliefe necessarie to saluation but the same auncient and eternall worde of God most richly most plentifully most abundantly Wherefore that the Apostle giueth the commendation of sufficiency vnto the scripture of the old Testament yet so far of that it should hinder the credite of the whole scripture which nowe the Church enioyeth that it doeth a great deale more magnifically set foorth the vnsearchable treasures of Gods wisdom and holy word reuealed more at large more plainly and openly set foorth in the time of the Gospel then it was reuealed or set forth vnder the law Wherfore we may not reason w t the papists if the scripture of the old testamēt had béen sufficient the newe should haue béene superfluous but contrariwise if the olde Testament were sufficient the scripture of the newe and olde together must néedes be abundant That the scripture of the old Testament contained sufficient instruction vnto eternall life hath béene prooued alreadie sufficiently and yet for more clearnesse I will adde other reasōs and authorities to prooue the same richly and abundantly The whole doctrine of the Gospell of Christ is contained in the scriptures of the olde Testament which is sufficient for a Christian mans instruction therefore there is no want nor imperfection no vnsufficiency of the substance of doctrine in the scripture of the olde Testament Saint Paule in this verie place exhorteth Timothy to continue in those thinges whiche hée had learned and whiche were committed vnto him knowing of whome hée had learned them namely of the Apostle and secondly of the holy scriptures in which hée had béene instructed from an infant which were able to make him wise vnto saluation Sée you not here most plainly that the same thinges which Timothy had learned of Paule and which were committed vnto him that hée might perfectly fulfill the worke of an Euangelist which cannot be except hée preache the Gospell perfectly were contained in the scripture of the olde Testament which hée had knowne from a childe which Scriptures were not able to make him or any man wise vnto saluation excepte they contained all articles of Christian doctrine which a christian man is bound to know and beléeue And therfore vpon this ground hée inferreth that the whole scripture is profitable to furnish the man of God vnto all partes of his office and to make him perfect vnto euerie good worke Beside this the holy Ghost in the Actes of the Apostles commendeth the Berhaeans that they receiued the word of God with all readines of mind daily searching the scriptures if these thinges were so as y e Apostles preached Mark this text diligently they receiued the word of al redines as it was preached by the Apostles but they admitted nothing for the word of God but that they found to haue grounde and cōfirmation in y e scriptures in y e law the prophets wherfore the apostles preaching y e Gospel preached none other word of god but that which was cōtained in the scriptures of the old Testamēt For if they had preached any vnwrittē verities howe should the Berhaeans haue found the same in the scriptures And what speak I of the Apostles euen their lord maister y e sonne of God the word of God the truth of God offereth his whole doctrine to be tried by the scriptures of the old testamēt Search y e scriptures saith hée for in thē you think to haue euerlasting life they are the same y t beare witnes of mée Hee testifieth also y t all things that are writtē of him in y e law the prophets in the psalmes must be were fulfilled And whē he authorized his Apostles to preach y e Gospel performāce of all things that were written in the law the prophets He openeth their vnderstāding that they might vnderstād the scriptures which contained the worde of God perfectly sufficiently although the same in the new testament doctrine of fulfilling be set forth more richly more plentifully more plainly And lest you shoulde think this sufficiency of the scriptures to haue béen only after all the bookes of y e old testament were written which were many hundreth yéeres frō the first to the last So that from Moses vntill Malachy or from the beginning of the worlde vntill Malachies prophecy was receiued there was no sufficiency of true doctrine contained in the scripture I will plainly prooue vnto you that frō the time that the worde of GOD was first deliuered in writing there was sufficiency in that scripture for the perfect instruction of the church of that time And what soeuer bookes of scripture were afterward added was but a larger opening and playner demonstration of the same as GOD in wisedome and mercy dyd sée it conuenient and necessary for euerie age of the Church and his people liuing in those times The fiue bookes of Moses was the first scripture that was deliuered vnto the Church which contained a perfect and most sufficient doctrine of all thinges to be knowne and done of that people for the attainment of eternall life the other bookes that followed were but enlargementes and interpretations of the same doctrine that was contained in those fiue bookes For if they had béene additions of any newe doctrine they had béene contrarie to the prohibition of the same law and subiect to the curse of God Yea the principall triall of all Prophetes that succéeded was by the same lawe Insomuch that if a Prophet or dreamer of dreames did arise which taught an other God or an other worship of God not set foorth in the lawe hée was thereby discryed to be a false prophet although he could tell before of thinges that came to passe or worke myracles This argued sufficiently the perfection of the doctrine contained in that lawe against which no signes or miracles should be credited Also Iosua in his exhortatiō made vnto y e people after that hée had deuided the lande vnto them chargeth them to obserue and doe all that is written in the booke of the lawe of Moses that they turne not there from neither to the right hande nor to the left that is they doe neither more nor lesse but that is written in the
holy scripture therfore the booke of the lawe of Moses was perfect and sufficient for the instruction of that people And what sayeth our Sauiour Christ vnto the Saduces which receiued no parte of the olde Testament but only the fiue bookes of Moses Doeth hée not say they erred because they knowe not the Scriptures and power of God And what Scripture but the scripture of those fiue bookes out of which hée doeth so pithily and effectually prooue the article of the resurrection of the dead that hée stopped the mouthes of those obstinate and arrogant heretikes And who doubteth but euen as that one article of the resurrection was by our Sauiour Christ so substantially prooued so all other articles of Christian beliefe by that diuine wisedome of his might as necessarily bée concluded out of those fiue bookes of Moses This alwayes is to bée remembred that it was neither necessarie nor conuenient for the Church of those times vnto which these bookes alone were committed to vnderstand or know these articles of our beléefe so plainly so distinctly so largely as they were after reuealed by the Prophets especially by the scriptures of the new Testament But that al necessary points of saluatioÌ„ euery thing there to belonging was sufficiently perfectly set foorth in those scriptures which the wisdom of God thought to be conuenient for their instruction So y e they shoulde not depend vpoÌ„ the vncertain credit of meÌ„ but alwaies haue the touchstone of Gods word contained in his holy writing inspired by his spirit to trye examine all doctrines teachers thereby But now y e wée haue shewed that the holie scripture is a sufficient most pleÌ„tifull testimony of the word of God let vs sée what other witnes of Gods word the Papists woulde thrust vpon vs. The word of God say they beside y â— which is contained in the scriptures is continued also partly by tradition partly is reuealed by the sentence and oracle of the church of the chiefe shepheard therof which is the Pope all which is of equall authoritie and certaintie with that which is contained in the holie scriptures And first concerning tradition the scripture it selfe doth testifie that it is to be receiued whether it be by writing or vnwritten For so the Apostle coÌ„maundeth the Thessalonians saying Hold fast the traditioÌ„s which you haue learned whether it be by word of mouth or by our Epistle So say they the scripture it self commandeth vnwritten verities traditions beside the scripture to be holden fast and not to bée despised therefore the scripture alone is not sufficient to teache vs the worde of truth but we must also leane vnto vnwritten traditions There is no Papist almost that openeth his mouth or setteth his pen to paper to defend tradition but this is the principall bulwarke to maintain vnwritten verities receiued by tradition A sore place I promise you Out of which if you will gather rightly you must thus coÌ„clude Saint Paul had taught the Thessalonians partly by preaching and partly by writing and taught the truth in both necessary to be reteined therfore the holy scripture doth not contain al doctine néedful vnto saluation Or thus S. Paule in one or two Epistles had not comprehended all necessarie truth therefore all necessary truth is not comprehended in all the bookes of the scripture For hée speaketh not of traditions that were no where written but not written in his Epistle Signifying whatsoeuer hée did deliuer vnto them either by worde of mouth or by his Epistle was the truth of GOD whiche they were bounde to beléeue and yet hée deliuered nothing for any doctrine of saluation vnto them but that whiche hée confirmed by the scriptures of the olde Testament as it is manifest by y e which S. Luke reporteth of their neighbours the Berthaeans which dayly searched the scriptures if those thinges which Saint Paul taught were eueÌ„ so Wherfore this place doth nothing fauour vnwritten traditions y t are altogether beside the holie scripture but only such as are not contained in the first second Epistle to y e Thessalonians but were preached by S. Paul and tried by the scriptures The strongest bulwarke being thus rased made euen with the ground what force can there bée in their other féeble fortresses why do you so exclaime against tradition vnwritten veritie striue so much for your Castle of only scripture say they know you not that the Churche of God continued more then two thousand yeares without any worde of the Bible written how was the word of God then continued but by vnwritten traditioÌ„ There is not therfore such necessitie of the scriptures seeing y e church could so long continue the pillar stay of truth without theÌ„ but y e nowe hauing the scriptures for witnesse of some parte of Gods word shée may coÌ„tinue the rest y â— is necessary for the instruction of Gods people by tradition only w t out the scriptures Heere is a godly shew for traditioÌ„ but indéed nothing els but a vain shew w tout any pithe of matter yea containing manifest vntruth false matter For the word of God was not so long coÌ„tinued only by traditioÌ„ of men but by a much more certain testimony of truth namely by diuine reuelatioÌ„ from god which was renued in euery age y t the word of God might not stand vpon the bare credite of men or be left to the vnsure deceiueable deliuery of men from hand to hand but be euermore confirmed by heauenly oracle that y e Church might be certaine not to be carried away by vntrue reports of deceueable men but to depend alwaies vpon the mouth of god For in al that time the lord had a regard that his people should not be like children wauering carried about with the wind of euery doctrine by the deceit of men and by their craftinesse which haue a methode of errour as the Apostle saith of the church of Christ since his ascention therfore hée did in all generations beside the tradition and deliuerie of the doctrine of truth from the parentes to their children posteritie sâ—â—rre vp Prophets Preachers coÌ„firmed by extraordinary wonderful reuelatioÌ„s and gifts of his holy spirite which testified of that truth word of God that was continued by tradition y t it should neither bée doubted of among so many errors as Satan raysed vp nor be corrupted either by the subtletie of the deuil or by the infirmitie forgetfulnes of men Wherefore the tradition being thus coÌ„tinued coÌ„firmed was not a bare traditioÌ„ deliuery of meÌ„ such as the Papists would draw vs vnto from the holie scriptures but a most certaine and vndoubted testimony of Gods word his truth such as he in wisdome did sée to be most coÌ„uenient for his church in that season Beside this heauenly diuine reuelation which alwaies waighted vpon Gods word in those times continued by tradition
The very tradition it self was farre vnlike to the pretended tradition of the Papists For the Lord God who in that time would haue his holy word to be preserued from generation to generation by tradition without writing committed the same to faithfull witnesses whose liues he enlarged vnto so many yeares as we read of in the holic scriptures not only for propagation of their kinde but also and especially that they might continue the doctrine of his word which he had deliuered vnto them vnto many generations to a long posteritie after them For this cause Adam liued 930. yeares Seth 912. yeares Methusalach 969. Noach 950. yeares So that Adam which first receiued the doctrine of GOD both of the lawe the Gospell and also the external forme of worshipping god by sacrifice which hée taught his sonnes insomuch that Abell by fayth offered an acceptable sacrifice vnto God which coulde not bée without hearing of the worde of God as the holie Ghost witnesseth continued a faithfull witnesse and teacher of the same doctrine vnto many thousandes of his posteritie by the space of 930. yeares beside his godly sonne Seth and other of his after commers And whereas by the wicked generation of Cain the true inuocation of God was prophaned in the dayes of his Nephew Enoch which vngodly broode dayly increased in wickednes corrupting many euen of the posteritie of Seth. The Lorde stirred vp an extraordinarie Prophet Enoch to confirme the true doctrine taught by Adam Seth Enoch and other of his godly posteritie and tooke him our of the worlde miraculously both to confirme the faithfull in the hope of the resurrection and to confound the reprobate that despised his holy correction and discipline Now let vs consider the certaintie of this tradition Noach was 600. yeare olde before the Lord God sent the floode to destroye those impudent contemners So that of his father Lamech and of his granfather Methushalech which might sée and heare The first of the worlde Adam which Seth Enoch and all the godly Patriarkes that were before him did receiue the doctrine of Gods worde as it was deliuered by God himselfe vnto them without any addition or corruption Besides that Noach which receiued the tradition but from the second mouth of them which receiued it from the mouth of God is againe confirmed with diuine reuelation with whom and his posteritie the couenant of God is againe renewed so that it appeareth howe for the space of a thousande and sixe hundred yéeres the worde of God and doctrine of saluation was continued in the church by tradition without any danger or doubt of corruption from Adam to Noach Nowe let vs sée howe this tradition was maintained after the flood vntill the time of Moses which was the first writer of the Canonicall Scripture First it is certaine by the computation of the age of Sem the sonne of Noach who was one of them that were preserued in the Ark and with whom the couenant was renewed that hée liued vnto the time of Abraham yée vntill Isaac was 50. yéere olde more for hée liued 502. yéeres after the flood So that all this time there continued a faithfull and credible witnesse of the worde of God and historie of the world restored of whoÌ„ the people might learne the certaintie of the doctrine without any perill or doubt of corruption But when the Lorde called Abraham and seuered him and his posteritie for his peculiar people and chosen congregation and that the age of man was nowe contracted and drawne vnto a much shorter time of life that the certeintie of his heaueÌ„ly truth should not be committed to vncertaine tradition of many generations hée renewed his couenaunt with Abraham Isaac and Iacob and euery one of them and confirmed the same to their children in euery age by diuine reuelation vntill it was his pleasure to record the same in the most certaine Tables of the holy Scriptures For from the death of Ioseph one of the twelue Patriarkes which liued after the comming of Iacob in to Egypt thréescore ten yéeres there passed but thréescore yéeres vntill y e birth of Moses Leui an other of the xii Patriarks liued 23. yeres after Ioseph whose daughter Iacobed was mother vnto Moses And Moses long time before hee brought the people out of Egypt receiued diuine reuelation as S. Steeuen testifieth so that hee thought his brethren shoulde haue acknowledged that God had appointed him to bee there deliuered by killing the Egyptian that oppressed them So that the certaintie of this tradition appeareth from the beginning of the worlde vnto the wriâ—ing of the holy Scriptures to haue béen confirmed in euery age by reuelation from god and by witnesses aboue all exception such as receiued the Oracles and confirmatiof them from God him selfe whose life was prolonged into such number of yéeres that the Church might neuer lacke a prophet inspired of God of whom they might hée instructed in truth of Gods worde So that the Lorde did neuer permit his worde to bare tradition of men suche as the Papistes affirme the tradition of the Apostles to haue béene whiche shoulde haue deliuered the doctrine to their successors without writing and they to their successours and so from age to age without any assurance of the fidelitie of al their successours through an hundred handes before it come vnto vs. By whiche vncertaintie of the Tradition a wyde gate is opened vnto Satan to bring in any falshood strange error to father it vpon the tradition of the Apostles As it is manifest he did in y e heresie of the ValeÌ„tiniaÌ„s Maniches Montanistes such other monstrous heresies who had none other refuge to couer y e noueltie of there strange opinions but a secret tradition beside the Scriptures according to which the Valentinians iumpe with the Papists as Irenaeus testifieth they affirmed the Scriptures were to bée interpreted not otherwise But when Irenaeus not content to confute them by Scriptures seeketh to ouerthrom them also by tradition what certaintie of truth findeth he in the traditioÌ„ of the apostles as it was receiued in his time And a man woulde thinke hée being so néere the time of the Apostles so that hee had séene them which had heard the Apostles shoulde haue had a much greater certaintie and assurance of their traditions then we can haue in these times after so many heresies corruptions alterations persecutions contentions which take away alcertaintie from such vnwritten traditioÌ„s Yet eueÌ„ this godly father Irenaeus whiles hee striueth to beare downe the Heretikes not only by scriptures but also by tradition in which they gloried was deceiued by a false and counterfet tradition contrary to the Scriptures by which it was affirmed that our sauiour Christ liued more then fortie yéeres in the fleshe And yet to iustifie this tradition hée alleadgeth for witnesses all the elders of Asia which had conuersation with S. Iohn the Disciple of our Lorde who
liued with them vntill the time of Traianus the Emperour all which affirmed that Saint Iohn deliuered the same thing vnto them Yea some of them had séene not only Iohn but other Apostles also and hearde the same things of them testified of such report What a godly shew of truth hath this tradition Yea what woulde a man require almost for greater certaintie of such a tradition then the vniforme consent of al them that had séene and hearde the Apostle of which some had hard y e other apostles also What like assurance can the Papistes make vs for their pretended traditions of the Apostles And yet this traditiō which Iraeneus aduoucheth with such shew of credit to be a true tradition is a very falshood and vntruth contrary to the Historie of the Gospell which expresly affirmeth that Christ was but 30. yéeres olde when hee began to teache in the 15. yéere of the Emperour Tiberius after which time hee liued not aboue 3. yéeres and an halfe You sée therefore what it is to leaue the holy scriptures to follow vnwritten traditions whereof what certaintie can there bée when they that liued so néere the time of the Apostles were so grossely deceiued with impudent lyes and fables and yet coloured with such shewe and appearance of credite And no maruell if Irenaeus which receiued this tradition at the second hand was beguiled with a fained vntruth whē euen they that were the schollers of the Apostles them selues coulde not agrée about their traditions which were beside their holy writinges Eusebius out of Irenaeus testifieth that when Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna came to Rome in the time whē Anicetus was bishop there they could not agrée about the tradition of the Apostles concerning the celebratiō of Easter For neither coulde Anicetus persuade Polycarpus to alter that which hee had seene Saint Iohn and other of the Apostles to practise neither coulde Polycarpus persuade Anicetus to forsake that whiche hée had receiued of his predicessors who pretended to haue receiued the same of the Apostles Peter Paule So that when the first and immediate successors of the Apostles cannot agrée vpon their traditions What hope of certaintie can wee haue after so many generations These were both auncient fathers both godly fathers which acknowledged y t all things necessary to saluation were contained in the holy Scriptures and therefore although they coulde not agrée in the vse of a Ceremonie yet they dyd not breake Christian vnitie for that diuersitie Whereas if they had thought vnwritten Traditions necessarie as Victor that was after successor to Anicetus séemeth to haue thought they woulde not haue so brotherly communicated the one with the other as they did but rather as Victor erroniously and presumptuously tooke vpon him to excommunicate the churches of Asia that agréed not with him they woulde haue detested the one the other This story also doeth plentifully witnesse that the Bishop of Romes authoritie in the beginning of the primitiue Church was not reputed to bée a matter of such certaintie y t all mē must obey his censure and no man gainesay or thinke otherwise then hée doeth in any case of religion For Polycarpus doubteth nothing at all to dissent from Anicetus Bishop of Rome where hée thought hée had better grounde neither doeth Anicetus obiect the necessitie of obedience vnto Saint Peters chayre as the Pope nowe a daies pretendeth but when hée coulde not perswade Polycarpus to consent with him in a mat-of small importance and which is beside the holy Scripture hée is content that hée shall dissent from him both in opinion and in practise But howe farre from this modestie is y e Pope of Rome in these dayes which though hée can tollerate diuersitie of Ceremonies as the Papistes say to colour this matter yet will he not tollerate that any man shall dissent in opinion iudgemēt frō him in any of those things for which he hath no groūd out of the holy scriptures but only a counterfet falsly pretēded tradition of the apostles Well you sée by the example of Polycarpus and Anicetus that there is no certaintie in vnwritten traditions when they y ◠were the next and immediate successors of the Apostles were not resolued vpon thē but continued in contrary iudgementes of them And no maruell when Iohn him selfe testifieth that euen among the very Disciples of Christe there went a wrong tradition concerning the death of Saint Iohn which hauing no ground vpon the wordes of our sauiour Christe but being cleane contrary to the truth of the holy Scriptures was yet receiued from an vnwritten veritie vntill by the written Gospell of Saint Iohn it was plainly confuted But it will bée obiected that the auncient fathers Tertullian Epiphanius Basilius and such like doe maintaine that there were some vnwritten Traditions of the Apostles in their times which were necessary to bée obserued I answere although the auncient fathers and euen these before named doe sometime auouch the sufficiencie of y e holy scriptures yet it must bée confessed that otherwhile they ascribed too much to vnwritten traditions wherein what certaintie it was likely for them to haue you may consider by that whiche hath béene saide alreadie beside that they agrée not about their Traditions either with the papists or with vs or among themselues altogether Therefore very wisely and like an Apostolike man y e holy worthy Ignatius as Eusebius writeth when hée was trauelling through Asia towarde his martyrdome which hée suffered at Rome and in euery Citie where hée came exhorted the people to continue in the faith of the gospell to beware of heresies which thē beganne to spring and multiplie in cleauing fast to the Tradition of the apostles hée testified that the same Tradition that it might bée certaine and vndoubted was already committed to writing for by that time all the bookes of the new Testament were written And that tradition so written hée thought it necessary to bee plainly taught and set foorth vnto the people This sounde and vncorrupted iudgement of Ignatius a most auncient father next successor vnto Peter in the Church of Antiochia concerning the Apostles tradition if they which came after him had reteined they had neither so easily béene drawen into errour themselues as Papias A great admiror of tradition vnwritten was Irenaeus Tertullian and other nor giuen occasion to heretikes by alleadging the insufficiencie and imprefection of the holy Scriptures to cloke their new heresies vnder the name of auncient traditions Thus you haue hearde that the worde of truth is not to be sought in the vnwritten traditions but in the vndoubted writings of the prophets apostles vpō which foundation the Churche of Christ is builded as Saint Paule testifieth and not vpon the vncertaine reportes of forgetfull and deceiueable men Now must wée examine the tow other pretended recordes of the word of GOD. The Churche and the principall Pastor thereof which they say is
the Pope Concerning the Church the Apostle seemeth to giue a cléere testimonie that the answere thereof is an infallible Oracle of Gods worde when he saith It is y e piller and stay of truth whereof it may bée inferred that the Church alone whiche as the holy Scriptures is sufficient to vpholde and stay the truth that it should neuer faile nor decay in the worlde Much rather when it hath the assistance of the Scriptures in some part is the Church able to maintaine an other part of truth without the Scriptures After this maner the Papistes reason out of this text to prooue that all truth is not conteined in the holy Scriptures But this is a very féeble kinde of reasoning For graunting that the Church is y e piller and the stay of truth as it is in déede it followeth not thereof that it vpholdeth any truth which is not comprehended in the holy Scriptures But contrariwise séeing it hath béen plētifully prooued that all true doctrine is taught in the holy Scriptures euen to the perfection of the man of God it followeth that the Church is the piller and stay of that true doctrine which is taught in the Scriptures and not of any truth beside the Scriptures For when all truth is taught in the scriptures it followeth that whatsoeuer is not taught in the Scriptures is not truth But if this be y e proper note of y e Church to bee the piller of truth say they it is prooued thereby that the Churche cannot erre so that if it set foorth any thinge beside the Scriptures the same muste needes bée true I answere this Sophistrie is already confuted for it it bée graunted that the Church cannot erre as in matters necessary to saluation the whole Churche of God cannot erre to continue therein it is because the Church cannot depart from the doctrine contained in the Scriptures which are able to make a man wise vnto saluation But admit it were graunted that the Churche cannot erre at all what shoulde that auaile the Papistes verily nothing but to prooue that they are not the Churche For if this be a proper inseparable note of the Churche that it cannot erre what companie soeuer doth erre is not the Churche But the Papistes whose doctrine containeth so grosse contradiction of the worde of GOD doe shamefully and abhominably erre from the truth therefore the Popishe faction is not the Church which is the piller and stay of truth Thou shalt make no images for religion saith the worde of God Thou shalt make some images for religion saith the Popish Churche Thou shalt not fall downe to them nor worship them saith Gods commaundement Thou shalt fall downe and worship them saith the popish Sinagogue Thou shalt worship the Lorde thy God him only shalt thou serue saith our Sauiour Christ. When hée was tempted to fall downe and worship the Diuell not as GOD but as Gods Minister to whom the kingdomes of the worlde were committed to dispose The Pope saith thou shalt worship and serue other beside the Lorde thy God so thou worship them not and so thou serue them not as Gods I might runne ouer a whole hundreth of contradictions which the papistes doe holde and teach contrary to the worde of truth written in the Scriptures by which it is more then manifest that they holde and teache damnable errours therefore they are not the Churche of the liuing God which is the piller and stay of truth at the least wise in matters necessary to eternall saluation But let vs sée whether the Apostle by these wordes intended to priuiledge the Churche of God from all possibilitie of erring in any matter albeit the Church should departe from the certaine direction of the holye Scriptures in any thing Firste it muste bee remembred that Saint Paule in the Chapter 1. Timothie 3. describeth the persons and offices of Christian Bishoppes and Deacons which doone he addeth immediatly These thinges doe I write vnto thée hoping to come vnto thee shortly but if I tarry long that thou mayst knowe howe it behoueth thée to bée conuersant in the house of God whiche is the Churche of the liuing God the piller and stay of truth In which wordes wée haue to note first that the Apostle hath written briefly that which hée purposed if they met shortly more at large to set foorth and confirme Secondly that if he were disapointed so that hée coulde not come shortly that Timothie might haue a sufficient direction howe to behaue himselfe for ordering of the Church of god in appointing the ministers of the same By which it is manifest that this which hée speaketh of the piller and stay of the truth is meant in respect of the Pastors and Teachers of the Churche by whom the truth of heauenly doctrine is vpholden and continued in the worlde which without their ministery woulde vtterly fall to the grounde and decay For euen as hée writeth to the Romans séeing faith commeth by hearing of Gods word of them that are sent of faith commeth inuocation and from thence saluatiō if none be sent there can be no preaching no hearing no faith no innocation no saluation So the Church of the liuing God in respect of the faithfull Ministers of the same which teach the truth to the saluation of Gods people in which respect they are said to saue themselues and them that heare them is rightly called the piller and stay of truth which Ministery if it be taken away the truth also is taken away Euen as the remoouing of the Candlesticke in the reuelation signifieth the ouerthrowe of the Church of Ephesus vnto whom it is threatned if they doe not repent The Candlesticke which signifieth the Church vpholdeth the light of the gospell by the continual preaching of the Ministers thereof so is it a piller and stay of the truth so long as preaching of the Gospell is continued which if it cease then followeth darknes blindnes ignorance errour and destruction This is the true and plaine meaning of the Apostle where hée saith The church is the piller and stay of truth Not that it is vnpossible for the church to erre at any time or in any matter or that the determination of y e church without the scripture is a sufficient testimony of Gods worde or of the truth in any cause as the Papists maintaine For Paule instructeth Timothy by writing howe hée ought to behaue him selfe in the Church of God which is the piller stay of truth although hée should haue no further conference with him in the matter These thinges doe I write vnto thée saith he y t thou maist know so forth whereas if in calling the church the piller of truth hée had meant that the church without the scripture was able to haue instructed him hée would haue said If any thing want in my writing thou maist aske the determination of the church which is the piller and stay of truth But S Paul saith that
before the crowing of the Cocke hée shoulde denye him thrise our Sauiour Christ should tel him no more but that at this prayer request hée should retaine such a faith as the Deuill hath so that hee should know y e truth in his conscience although hée did deny it with his mouth What comfort coulde Peter haue by this faith which rather did increase his sinne in that hee was not ignorant of the truth then help his weaknes whereby he was afraid to confesse the truth Wherfore seeing Peters faith for confirmation wherof our Sauiour Christ did pray was that true liuely faith by which Peter was raysed vp from weakenes to a trust in Gods mercy and a sure hope of saluation it is manifest that hee prayed not for the sayth of such successors of Peter as succeeded only in place not in true faith but continuing in wickednes and refusing a good conscience mâ—de shipwrack of the faith and are thrown down into euerlasting condemnatioÌ„ Well this notwithstanding let vs imagine y â— Christ prayed for the continuance of a dead deuilish faith in Peter his successours that is such a gift of knowledge that they can not erre in any question of fayth shall that bée found in all the Bishops of Rome that glorie in the succession of Peter No verely For many times the Pope is a man voide of learning and knowledge of diuinitie as most of y â— Cardinals are out of which order hée is coÌ„monly chosen and euen this Pope that nowe raigneth Gregorie the 13. by reporte of them that haue séene him and heard him speake is not greatly learned And oftentimes as the storie reporteth of them they haue béene but pelting Canonistes comming vp of Scribes and Notaries neuer professing nor taking vpon theÌ„ y e knowledge of diuinitie And shall wée thinke that he which is this day an vnlearned man not able to decyde a meane question in diuinitie béeing to morow chosen Pope and set in Peters chayre is sodainly endued with such knowledge that hée cannot erre in any thing or rather that the spirite of Prophecie commeth vpon him as it did vpon Caiphas which spake the truth without his skill and against his will because he was high Priest of that yeare Uerely I will not deny but God may direct the tongue of the Romish Caiphas that hée may vtter at one breath both a blasphemie and a prophesie as that Iewish Caiphas did but albeit hée were able to prooue that hée sitteth in Peters chaire aswell as the other could prooue that he sate in Aarons chayre that Peters chayre is set vp by God aboue all other Bishops chayres as well as Aarons chayre was set vp aboue all the Iewishe Priestes stooles yet shoulde not the Pope haue greater Priuiledge then the High Priest had For the best high Prieste that euer was of Aarons order might bee deceiued and many were Heathenish Idolaters as Vâ—ias Menelaus Alcinus Iason and other wicked Saduces as Annas and Caiphas which denied the resurrection and immortalitie of the soules Such as Pope Iohn the 2. was who was conuicted of that heresie in the Councell of Constance For such hell houndes our sauiour Christ prayed not that their faith might not faile nay rather hée saith expressely in the 17. of Iohn That hée prayeth not for this worlde but for those whom his father had giuen him out of the worlde Séeing therfore a number of Popes haue been by the Papists owne confession children of this worlde and not children of light no true members of Christe it is certaine that hée prayeth not for them and therefore wheÌ„ he praied for Peter he praied not for all his successours Yes say the Papistes y t the Church may alwayes haue one that may confirme or strengthen the weak brethren or as though one singular person were able to confirme all the brethren in all places of the worlde aswell as Peter was able to strengtheÌ„ his fellow disciples at Ierusalem Beside that the very words of Christ are plainly directed vnto the person of Peter with suche a circumstance as cannot agrée to all his successours admitting y e Bishops of Rome were the only successours of Peter And theÌ„ saith he after thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethren All the Bishops of Rome haue not denied Christe as Peter did that they might bée conuerted Wherefore it is spoken singularly vnto Peter in respect of his fall that hée shoulde bée conuerted and by experience of Gods mercie bée better able to strengthen his weake brethren who were in dauÌ„ger to fall as déepe as he if Gods goodnesse had not vpholden them Hether to therfore we haue not found such assurance of truth in y e successioÌ„ of Peter that we should acknowledge any vndoubted witnesse thereof beside the holy Scriptures which although the Papistes woulde miserably racke out of all ioynte and order to establish the dignitie of their popedome yet can they finde nothing which is not by the onely testimonie and authorite of Scriptures prooued to stand against them Let vs nowe see what experience saith of the failing of Peters faith in his Successours and the certaintie of truth in the determination of Councels confirmed by the Pope for the most of our English papistes as I said before acknowledge no councell to bée lawfull and frée from error except if bée confirmed by the Pope if experience therefore doe prooue that Councels and Popes haue shamefully erred it is manifest that they ought to be no rule of truth vnto christians as they are pretended to deface the only infallible rule of the holy scriptures To prooue the error of the Popes I will not beginne w t Marcellinus which offered Sacrifice vnto idols for it will be quickly answered that his faith failed of infirmitie not of ignorance of the truth being ouercome with the terror of persecution not beeing deceiued with the error of the Gentiles Neither will I stande vpon the presumptuous censure of Victor who for difference in a Ceremonie tooke vpon him to excommunicate all the Churches of Asia for which hée was sharpely reprooued by Irenaeus Polycrates other as Eusebius testifieth by the Bishops of Asia which countermaunded him in his proud and vncharitable excommunication I am able to iustifie my terme of countermaunding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They did countermaund him saith Eusebius Victor commaunded them to al stain from the Communion and they on the contrary side commaunded him to be quiet By which is manifest that the bishops of Rome vsurped authoritie was resisted euen in the first claime and practise of it For as I declared before Anicetus dissenting from Polycarpus in the same question offered him no discourtesie but brotherly did communicate with him yea permitted him his place to celebrate for honors sake well although the error of Victor is héere reproued by Irenaeus and many other holy Bishops yet I will not vrge it because they will say it was an error in discipline
that the Councell of Basill lacked the Popes confirmation No truely for although I might alledge the confirmation of Pope Foelix whiche was chosen by the same Councell after they had deposed Eugenius for his contumacy the Bull of Pope Nicholas the fift which succéeded Pope Eugenius and confirmeth all thinges decreed in the Councell of Basill yet I will stande vpon the very same Eugenius the fourth which gathered held the Councell of Ferraria and Florentia against the Councell of Basill For euen the same Eugenius after he had in thrée solemne Buls in which hée complayned that the Councell of Basill vsurped authoritie aboue the Pope decreed the dissolution of the same condemning all the doings thereof at the length was compelled to reuoke his own Bulles and to declare that the Councell was lawfully coÌ„tinued notwithstanding his Bulles and decrees to the contrarie His Bull of reuocation is to be seene in the 16. Session of the Councell of Basill Beside this in the nexte Session hée was sworne by his legates when they were incorporated into the Councell to defende that Councell and by especiall wordes to defend the decrée of the Councell of Constance made in the fourth Session therof by which the Councell is decreed to bée aboue the Pope and the Pope bounde to obey the Councell and the decrées therof Last of all by his Presidentes hée accepted such presidency of the Councell as the councell would graunt which was without all iurisdiction of compulsion béeing him selfe compelled to retaine that order of proceeding with the councell before his presidency was admitted had obserued and woulde not change now that they were content to make him in his legates there president What certaintie of truth therefore may bee looked for in the determinations of Popes and generall councelles you may easily perceiue You haue heard the couÌ„cell against the pope and the pope against the Councell Councell against Councell one pope against another pope and the same pope against himselfe and all this is one question whether the pope or the generall Councell ought to bée taken as an infallible rule of truth that cannot erre Out of which contrarie decréees no other certaintie can bée concluded but y t it is certaine they may both erre and therfore it is euident that there is none other certaine and vndoubted recorde of the worde of truth but onely the newe Testament and the olde the holy Canonicall bookes of the holy Scriptues as it were easie to confirme euen by the iudgement of the most auncient and best approoued Fathers but that I haue alreadie helde you so long as I may not procéede any further After the sufficiencie of the holy Scriptures to teach vs al truth being thus maintained and the obiections made by the aduersaries coÌ„futed I had thought to haue added an other discourse concerning the right certain way of interpretation and vnderstanding of the holy Scriptures but because the time is so far spent y t I shall not be able to go through it I will altogether omitt it desiring God of his infinite mercy that as hee hath testified by his sonne our sauiour Christ Iesus y t we can haue no accesse vnto his Maiestie without sanctificatioÌ„ in the word of truth so it would please him by his holy spirit to coÌ„secrate dedicate vs wholy vnto his pleasure that following the infallible rule of truth described in his holy word we may glorifie his name in this life and after be partakers of eternall felicitie purchased vnto vs by the only merites of our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ vnto whome with the father the holy Ghoste one eternall God be al honor glory power dominioÌ„ now and euer Amen ¶ Imprinted at London at the three Cranes in the Vintree by Thomas Dawson for George Bishop 1581. 2. Pet 1. Leuit. 11. 19. 20. 1. Pet. 1. In Psal. 96. In Epist. ad Eph. hom 18. In Psal. 9. 6. Apoe 19. 20. 22. Apoc. 7. Hebr. 12. Iam. 1. 1. Cor. 1. 2. Cor. 3. Gene. 8. Gene. 6. Iohn 15. Sess. 6. Can. â— Rom. 14. Heb. 11. Ephe. 2. Iacob 1. Rom. 4. Prou. 15. 21. Prou. 18. Rom. 4. Rom. 3. Ioh. 13. 15 Leu. 11. Ephe. 3. Ezech. 37. 1. Tim. 4. Rom. 8. In Epist. ad Himer 2. Thess. â— Psal. 51. Rom. 1. 1. Cor. 6. Prouer. 30. Deut. 12. Deut. 4. 12. Esaye 8. Iohn 5. Iohn 17. Rom. 5. Rom. 8. 2. Tim. 3. 2. Timo. 3 2. Tim. 3. Act. 17. Ioan. 5. Luk. 24. Deut. 13. 2. Thes. â— Ephes. 4. Hebr. 11. Rom. 10. Gen. 4. Gen. 5. Acts. 7. Lib. 3. Cáp. 2. Lib. 2. Cap. 35 Luke 3. Lib. 2. Ca. 26 Lib. 3. Cap 3â— â—usch lib. Cap. vlt. Ephe. 2. Rom. 10. 1. Tim. 4. Apoc. 2. Gal. 2. Rom. 3. Ioan. 16. Act. 10. Gal. 2. 1. Tim. 5. Ephes. 5. Gal. 5. Rom. 3. Iac. 2. Lib. 5. Cap. 26 In Catalog 5. Cap. Inpatifi Contra. 〈◊〉 lib. 1. Cap. 2. Contra. du Epist. Pelag. lib. 2. Cap. 4. 1. Cor. 11.