are your expositions Your last meanes is the Decrees of generall Councels Can you bring vs the Decrees of generall councels touching all Scriptures what sense they doe and ought to beare If not then belike there is no knowne sense of any other Scriptures then such as generall Councels haue expounded the rest are buried in obscurity But Augustine will not yeeld to that who among other meanes to finde out the true interpretation of Scriptures aduising diligently to search for both De Doctr. Christ lib. 2. cap. 9. such precepts of good life and rules of faith as are plainely set downe in the Scriptures whereof the more a man findes the more capable he is vnderstand the Scriptures yeelds this reason of his aduise In his enim c. For in those words which are euidently set down in the Scriptures are found al those things which containe faith and maners of life Next do generall Councels all agree in one in this also Augustine is a witnes against you writing against the Donatistes who pleaded Cyprians letters Cyprians sentence Cyprians councell But Augustine preferreth the holy Scripture aboue all the writings of Bishops yea aboue all generall Councels allowing the Scriptures alone to haue certaintie and vndoubted truth in them but all the writings of Bishops yea the determinations of Councels to be subiect to the correction of other Bishops after them and likewise of other and later Councels his wordes touching the Councels are Ipsa enim concilia c. For the verie Councels De baptis cont Douat lib. 2. cap. 3. which are held through euerie Region or Prouince doe without all doubt giue place to the authoritie of plenarie or generall Councels which are held from out of all the Christian world and the verieplenarie or generall Councels the former oftentimes are amended by the later when by any experiment of things that is open which was kept close and that is knowen which did lie hid What could haue beene more plainely spoken to bring into order not onely all mens writings but euen generall Councels also to be iudged by the Scriptures and not to iudge ouer the Scriptures Wherefore were it true that you so vainlie boast of that you had the consent of ancient Fathers and the Decrees of generall Councels for you yet were these no sure foundation to build our faith vpon Neither doe wee take it to be any disgrace vnto vs that we refuse to receiue our faith and vnderstanding in the mysterie of godlinesse from men because wee feare the curse which is against the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme yea rather wee account it an honour to vs both before God and man Ierem. â— â— that wee together with the whole true church of God are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the head corner stone that we trie euerie spirit by the Scriptures whether it be of God or no that we prooue Eph. 2. 20. 1. Ioh. 4. 1. 1. Thes 5. 21. Act. 17. 11. Ioh. 5. 39. Esa 8. 20. all things as the men of Beraea did by searching the Scriptures according to the commaundement of Christ and holde that which is good that we haue recourse to the law and to the testimonie and whosoeuer speake not according to that word we holde them to be in darknesse and to haue no light in them From this hold you shall neuer driue vs and yet thanks be to God you haue hitherto beene beaten at your owne weapon and for the principall points of faith and religion haue beene put to silence by a cloud of testimonies both out of auncient Fathers and Councels howsoeuer your brasen foreheads cannot blush nor your leaden hearts relent but still you will crie Fathers Fathers Councels Councels PAPIST Secondly to giue more light and force to the former reason concerning the aucthoritie of Fathers I say that one or two or a few of them may be deceiued and therefore such particular opinions we admit not and so refuse S. Cyprian about rebaptization so we make no doubt but the vniforme and generall consent of them liuing in diuerse and farre distant places and at diuerse times cannot but proceede from the Spirit of all truth that gouerneth the Church and therefore S. Austine speaking of the Fathers that liued Contr. Iuli. lib. 2. cap. 10. before his time hath these excellent words That which they found in the Church they helde fast that which they learned they taught that which they receiued of their fathers the same they deliuered to their Children S. Paul likewise saith that Christ hath Eph. 4. 11. 14. giuen Pastors and Doctors that flourished in the primitiue church and the Protestants cannot deuie but that with their pens and labours they did defend the faith against the Arians Pelagians Donatistes and manie more such pestilent heretikes PROTESTANT First we haue shewed you before that by the iudgement of Cardinall Caietane whom Andradius defends in it it is lawfull yea and necessarie sometimes in interpretation of Scriptures to leaue the streame of the Fathers and follow a diuerse interpretation from them all which might at no hand be admitted if as you presume wherein they generally consent they had beene all guided by the spirit of truth Andradius doth not onely say so but giues good reason for it The literall sense of Scripture saith he doth onelie yeeld arguments to confirme points of religion But the Fathers in infinite staies of the old testament chieflie do leaue the literall sense and follow the tropologicall or allegoricall sense In deciding of Doctrines then which is to be done by the litterall sense what helpe shall we haue from the consent of Fathers who very seldome giue the litterall sense Another reason hee giues that the Fathers in giuing the sense of Scriptures haue giuen verie diuerse sense and vnlike one to another Where then shall wee finde that generall and vniforme consent that you speake of Secondly the spirit of all truth neither guideth the whole church nor any member therof otherwise or by any other instinct then by from the holy Scriptures whereby euery spirit is to be tried So farre then as the Fathers either seuerally or ioyntly doe accord with the manifest truth of Scriptures we follow them without doubting whatsoeuer they deliuer swaruing manifestly from the Scriptures we leaue what they haue probably spoken we receiue as probable alwaies reuerencing their antiquitie gifts and labours but not accounting their iudgements the rule of our faith Thirdly you much abuse S. Augustine in drawing his words which yet serue not your turne from his meaning Lib. 3. cap. 7. manifestly set downe in other places Depeccat merit remiss hauing before alleaged against the Pelagians Cyprian Ierome he addeth this caueat I haue not recited these things to anie such end as if we leaned to the sentences of anie disputers whatsoeuer they were as to Canonicall authoritie but that
bookes when being compared to those which were trulie knowen to be Hippocrates his owne they were iudged to be vnlike and because they were not knowen to be trulie his at the same time when the rest of his writings came to be knowne So the ecclesiasticall writings of men are no otherwise knowen whose they were but because in the times wherein euerie one wrote them he acquainted and published them to whom he could and from thence by a continued knowledge from one to another and farther confirmed they cap. 9. came to their posteritie euen to our times In like maner he concludes of the holy Scriptures If you will follow the authoritie of the Scriptures which ought to be preferred before all other follow that which from the times of the verie presence of Christ by the dispensations of the Apostles hauing beene kept throughout the whole world came commended and famouslie knowen to our times By all which it is euident that Augustine meant not to make the Catholike Church of his time the author of his beleefe touching the Canonical Scriptures but the Catholike Church of the first times who came neerest to the writing and deliuerie of the Scriptures from the hands of the Apostles and the Apostolike men that wrote them for whose testimonie and commendations sake the Church succeeding is also beleeued What is this to the supposed Catholike church of our daies by which you meane the Popes kingdome when euen the true Catholike church of later times neither hath nor chalengeth to her selfe any credit in this matter but as she can porduce the testimonie of the Catholike church in the first times Lastly Augustine there saith Nisi me commoueret Ecclesiae authoritas He only ascribeth to the Churches authoritie that it is a motiue and the first motiue to induce an vnbeleeuing man to thinke well of the Scriptures but hee resteth not in this motiue Hauing thus begun he proceedeth after in searching the Scripture to finde by what spirit they were written and by the authority and teaching of that Spirit as the vndoubted word of God to embrace them not man now but God himselfe inwardlie strengthening and enlightening his â—inde as he is before alleadged What makes all this for the authoritie of the Popish falsly called Catholike church to lead mens consciences into captiuitie by her interpretations or determinations either of the Canonicall Scriptures or of their sense Nay what makes this for such authoritie as vnder the Churches title you would claime to depriue Christians of any better assurance either touching the Scriptures or their sense then it receiued from the authoritie of the Church that is of men no lesse subiect to errourthen themselues But you would faine knowe how the Protestants that beleeue nothing but Scripture can by Scripture prooue against Luther that S. Iames his Epistle is Canonicall Scripture Euen in like manner as wee can prooue S. Pauls Epistles and other Scriptures inspired of God to be Canonicall Scripture For thinke you that that Spirit by whose inspiration holy men of God wrote the Scriptures doth not still breath in the same Scriptures by meanes of which Spirit the word of God Hebr. 4. 12. liueth and is mightie in operation and by that speciall vertue differeth from humane writings yea euen those that are written of Scripture matters Either then you must diuide the Spirit from the Scriptures when Gods children reade it which you cannot doe without dishonour to the Scriptures or you must needes confesse that out of the Scriptures inspired of God Gods children doe sufficiently prooue vnto their owne consciences and against all gaine-sayers that the whole Scripture and euery part thereof is Canonicall that 1 Cor. 2. 4. is a souereigne rule to guide the Church in all points both concerning faith and maners For as the Apostles preaching so his writing and all Scripture inspired of God hath in it selfe plaine euidence of the spirit and of power that our faith should not be in the wisedome of men but in the power of God Thus out of S. Pauls Epistles wee can prooue S. Pauls Epistles to be Canonicall And out of S. Iames his Epistle wee can prooue S. Iames his Epistle to be Canonicall and generally the whole Scripture prooues it selfe to be Canonicall and from it selfe the Church receiueth receiueth witnesse of it selfe If you be ignorant of this it is because you haue not receiued of the annointing of that Spirit by whom the Scriptures were inspired And now cease any longer to disport your selfe with this carnall question out of what Scripture the Protestants can prooue S. Iames his Epistle to be Canonicall The sheepe of Christ doe knowe the shepheards voice and they knowe it not by report but by it selfe they discerne it To conclude because there is danger in expounding the Scriptures contrarie to the true sense intended by the holy Ghost albeit not equall danger as in refusing the holy Scripture indited by the holy Ghost as Augustine insinuateth Confess lib. 12. cap. 23. 24. as in the greater that is the approbation of Canonicall Scriptures wee dare not remit all to mens voices though they be the Church so in that wherein errours is lesse dangerous yet dangerous too that is in determining the true sense of Scriptures we dare not build our faith vpon the wisedome of men because as hath beene alleadged out of Augustne we haue learned of our Redeemer in â—â—llo hoâ—ike spem pouere to put no trust in any man but onely in the plaine euidence of the spirit that speaketh in the Scriptures which so long as we doe with faithfull prayer and humble submission to his teaching according to the promise they shall be all taught of God weare assured to be led into all truth Isa 54. 13. Iohn 6. 45. necessary to saluation which security the Papists that rest in mens authority can neuer haue PAPIST Seauenthly wittingly and willingly they corrupt the text of holy Scripture for example to make the people beleeue that images are vnlawfull in Tyndals translation where Idols be forbidden vsually the word Image is placed in steed thereof and therefore in S. Iohn we find it thus traÌ„slated Babes keep your selues froÌ„ images 1. Ioh. â— 21. And for triall we will appeale to their later Bibles printed by Christopher Barker for there we read thus Little children keepe your selues from Idols PROTESTANT Not to stand long in these points so sufficiently answered long agoe by Doctor Fulke against Martine and Doctor Whitaker against Reynolds both of worthy and blessed memorie first it is so plain that the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth in the proprietie of the word signifie an image that Gregorie Martine neither can nor doth denie it Secondly as vse hath restrained the name Idoll from the generall signification to note onely wicked images and such as are abused to Gods dishonour so is it well knowen that both in vulgar and popular vse and also in the generall vnderstanding
be that Augustine being a man erred in some points and you make choice of those his errors as most suitable to your religioÌ„ yet otherwise Augustine coÌ„firme the Protestants religion by his testimonie as indeed he doth Such force is in your forcible reasons But let vs see how you proue that Augustine was of your religion in the three points aboue named Praier to Saints reuerence to relikes and pilgrimage to holie places you referre him that doubteth hereof to his 22. booke and 8 chap. De ciuitate Dei Where in your sense we finde not one of these and some not at all No one word in all that chapter of praying to Satuts and least as you do any man should falsly so conceiue Augustine in the 10. chapter following where he speaketh of the same matter still giueth this expresse caueat Nos martiribus nostris non templasicut Dijs c. We build no temples to our Martyrs as vnto Gods but memories or monuments as vnto dead men whose spirits liue with God neither doe we there erect alters vpon which we may sacrifice to the Martyrs but we offer sacrifice to God onelie the Martyrs God and ours at the which sacrifice as men of God who in his confession haue ouercome the world in their place and order they are named yet are they not prayed vnto by the Priest that sacrificeth What could be more plainly spoken against praier to Saints and who but a Papist would haue alledged Augustine for praier to Saints who hath so expresly gainesaid it Reuerent vse of the Relikes of Martyrs by honestly laying vp their bones and continuing their memories Augustine there acknowledgeth but of Popish reuerence to Relikes by kneeling kissing or trust in them Augustin hath not a syllable nay he sheweth plainly in the last words of that chap that the faith and trust of Christian was not in the Martyrs but in Christ for whom the Martyrs and namelie Stephen shed his bloud Of resorting to the memories of Martyrs Augustine there speaketh but in what sort It pleased God for confirmation of that faith wherein the Martyrs died at their memories to do many miracles where God lifted vp the signe of his power thither the faithfull resorted what is this to your Popish Pilgrimage to Relikes Shrines whereof there is now no certainty whose they were nor any miracles wrought by the power of God where they are and if the true Relikes of true Martyrs were there yet to suppose more holines there or more ready acceptaÌ„ce with God or accesse vnto him there then in other places is contrary to the expresse rule of our Sauiour Christ in the 4. of Iohn wherefore Iohn 4. 21. 23. the cause of such resort now ceassing and being indeed not needfull as Augustine in the entrance of that chapter saith that before the world did beleeue Miracles were necessarie that the worlde might beleeue but now whosoeuer inquireth after strange wonders that he maie beleeue is himselfe a strange wonder who when the world beleeueth himselfe beleeueth not The cause I say ceasing the effect ceaseth as when God left to sende downe Manna the people gaue ouer looking after it neither did the godly Israelites looke any longer to the brasen serpent then while it was erected by Gods appointment for them to looke on that they might bee healed To conclude for Prayer to Saints reuorence to Relikes Popish Ios 5. 12. pilgrimage to holy places in your sense and as you practise them Augustin in al that chapter hath not one word Let Numb 21. 8 9. vs now see how happie you are in the rest that speede so ill in these PAPIST Againe the cause is so cleere that our Aduersaries do confesse it as might be shewed in manie questions two or three will I speake of Caluine cannot denie but that blessed Monica S. Augustines Inst lib. 3. cap. 5. Sec. 10. mother desired to haue her soule praied for that her son satisfied her request accordingly These be his words Augustine in his book of CoÌ„fessions telleth how that his mother Monica earnestly requested to be remembred at the Altar at such times as the mysteries were in celebrating a doating request which her sonne did not examine according to the rule of Scripture and a little before in the same place thus whereas my aduersaries quoth he obiect against me that it was a receiued custome 1300. yeares past to pray for the deade I likewise demande of them what worde of God what reuelation what example they had so to do out of which words we see how hee confesseth that the Primitiue Church beleeued as we do about Praier for the dead which is the thing that here I intend to proue And though malapertlie he contemneth them all as though forsooth they wanted the word of God yet what man of reason and iudgment can thinke that they lacked sufficient warrant for that their beleefe and common practise whatsoeuer he saith to the contrarie PROTESTANT Your Aduersaries do confesse that Augustine did fauour allow some kind of praier for the dead but your aduersaries deny that Augustine allowed praier for the dead as now the Popish Church doth hold and teach it For first touching Purgatory Augustine resolueth not certainly whether there be any or no the summe of that he saith comes to no more De ciu Dei lib. 21. cap. 26. then this I reproue it not because peraduenture it is true or if he do resolue any thing it is quite against it as there is no middle place for anie that he may be any where but with the diuel De pen. merit remiss that is not with Christ Againe The first place the faith of Catholikes by diuine authoritie beleeueth to be the kingdome of heauen The second hel Of any third we are vtterly ignorant nay we caÌ„not Hypognost lib. 5 find it in the holie scriptures your popish praiers for the dead supposing that there is a Purgatorie either Augustines praier for the dead was another matter then your Popish praier to wit a well wishing to them out of the charity of the liuing not amending the condition of the dead but testifying the hope that the liuing faithfull haue of that mercy which the dead in the Lord find with him expressed by this wishing praier so he affirmeth in his praier for his mother Monica And I beleeue that thou hast alreadie done that which I aske of Conses lib. 9. cap. 13. thee but o Lord approue the voluntaries or vvishes of my mouth or else Augustine had no better resolutioÌ„ touching this prayer then he had touching Purgatorie which is none at all as appeared by the slender proofe he makes thereof aledging only the book of Macchabees not allowed of the auncients for Canonical scripture as not greatly trusting to that flying De cura promâ—r cap. to the authority of long continued custome and he is so doubtfull of the matter that he dare not
your owne putting falsly yet neither can you so hide your owne shame nor dazell the eyes of the godly by casting the mist of your owne deuise before them The question therefore is not as you say Whether for the true sense of the Scriptures we should not rather beleeue the auncient Fathers then those that liue in our daies neither onely whether Scriptures or Fathers deserue more credit which is but a consequence following vpon that which you affirme touching the interpretation of Scriptures by the consent of Fathers as an infallible rule but this is indeede the question betweene vs and you Whether the Scriptures inspired of God in all fundamentall points both concerning faith and manners be not so cleere and plaine that they do sufficiently interpret themselues against which cleere interpretation none other is to be receiued from what authoritie so euer it come We affirme you deny And by denial make the interpretations of men of more credit then the interpretation of scriptures We haue the word of God on our side Ps 19. 7. The testimonie of the Lord is true and giueth wisedome to the simple 2. Tim. 3. 15. The Scriptures are able to make wise vnto saluation Ioh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall life and they testifie of me The men of Berea searched the Scriptures to trie those things which Paul spake which had bene verie vainly done if the Scriptures had not bin a leere light vnto them to discerne of all necessarie doctrines We haue the godly Father S. Augustine cleere for vs in his Quaeapertè c. In those things which are euidently set down in the Scriptures are al those points found which coÌ„teine faith maners of life This being the state of the questioÌ„ let all godly men see whether it be not a reproch to the Spirit of God to accuse his word of such darkenes and obscurity that for the greatest part of the Church of God is not able to vnderstand it no not in the principall matters of faith and godlinesse Could not the Spirit of God in the Scriptures speake to the vnderstanding of the simple you will say yes but perhaps he would not Our Sauiour Christ giueth thankes to his Father for reuealing the doctrine of the kingdome of heauen to Babes and Matth. 11. 25. hiding it from the wise The Apostle Paul saith If our Gospel he hid it is hid in them that perish in whom the God of this world 2 Cor. 4. 3. hath blinded their eies that is of the vnbeleeuers that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ should not shine vnto them The sheepe of Christ heare the voice of Christ and know it from the voice of strangers and therefore will not follow strangers How Ioh. 10. 4. 5. 27. could the sheepe of Christ who now heare his voice onely in the scriptures know his voice from the voice of strangers if the scriptures were of purpose written obscurelie yea let all reasonable men consider whether it be not a sandie foundation to build our faith vpon forsaking the scriptures inspired of God to depend vpon mens lips especially the eternall word of God hauing branded all men with Psal 116. 11. Rom. 3. 4. Psal 146. 3. Ier. 17. 5. this marke that all men are â—ers and therefore expresly commanding not to trust in any child of man yea cursing euery man that putteth his trust in man Augustine answering to an obiection of the Donatists pretending to be written against him by a cheife man of the Catholikes besides that he chargeth that epistle to be false counterfaite answereth thus Muliò minus c. Much lesse doth the Catholike Church Cont. Crescon lib. 3. cap. 80. regard it whose cause we plead against you from which confidently resting vpon so many diuine testimonies no humane testimonies of any maÌ„ be they true or false can take away that truth which it inioyeth forbeare such things I am but one man the Churches cause is â—n hand amoÌ„g vs not mine the Churches I say which hath learned of her redeemer to put her trust in no maÌ„ To conclude make not the simple people beleeue that we bring into coÌ„parison the interpretations of this age with the interpretations of the ancient Fathers which is a meere calumnious slander of yours We compare not mens interpretations with mens but Gods with mens God hath so tempered the Scriptures that things plainly spokeÌ„ do interpret others not so plaine 2. Cor. 3. 5. That the faith of Gods children should not bee in the wisedome of men but in the power of God Let the cause question be thus propounded and then none of the sheepe of Christ will euer make question of the matter PAPIST Fourthly concerning generall Councels I say that they cannot possiby erre in matters of faith for then might we lawfully disobey them and Christ willeth vs to take him as an Heathen or a Publicane that will not obey the Church then also should Hell gates preuaile against it contrarie to our Sauiours promise Then were Matth. 18. 17. Matth. 16. 18. 1. Tim. 3. 15. it not also the pillar and ground of truth as S. Paul affirmeth We therefore that imbrace the definitions of generall Councels possesse the true sense of the Scriptures and not the Protestants that refuse to stand to their iudgement PROTESTANT If Augustine said true as he is before alleaged that the former general Councels haue bin corrected by the later then surely in his iudgment the former must erre and one of them without doubt did erre But what say you to the determination of the Councell of Constance and Basile which you deny not to haue beene generall by whom the Pope is made De Baptis cont Donat. lib. 2. c. 3. inferior to the Councell Did they erre in it or not Albertus Pighiâ—s spareth not to affirme that they decreed plainelie against nature against the manifest Scriptures against all antiquitie and against the catholike faith of Christ So when generall Councels determine not for your tooth you will not sticke to charge them with error and shifts enough you haue to auoide them either they were not gathered by the Pope or not subscribed by the Pope or thinges were violently caried in them as your Melchior Canus obiecteth against Lib. 5. cap. vlt. diuerse Councels and specially against the sixt generall Councel in Trullo which in many points distasteth you And when the account is cast vp it is the Pope that cannot erre for those onely determinations of Councels go for current with you that are confirmed by the head which is the Pope But let vs see your strong reasons whereby you prooue that generall Councels cannot erre First you say Then might we disobey them And Christ willeth vs to take him as an heathen and a publican that will not heare the Church Let vs see your reason in forme If generall Councels may erre then may we disobey them
scriptures indeede and the Protestants that do othervvise be destitute of the true sense of the vvord of God PROTESTANT The summe of this Argument is this Whatsoeuer meanes wee haue to knowe the Canonitall Scriptures the same we haue to know the true sense of them For there is equali danger in wrong expounding Scriptures and refusing them But there is no meanes to know the Canonicall Scriptures but by â—â—e authoritie of the Church For no man can prooue against Luther that Saint Iames his Epistle is Canonicall but by the authoritie of the Church and Austen Jaith I would not beleeue c. Therefore there is no meanes to know the true sense of the scriptures but by the anthority of the Church First then as before hath bin noted Augustine was much uerseene in his bookes De Doctr. Christ among so many meanes as he theresets downe to search find out the true sense of Scriptures to forget the authority of the Church which you will now haue to be the onely meanes Secondly in a sense it is true that the authority of Gods Church is a meanes to know both the Canonicall Scripture and the true sense thereof The Church of God doth neither giue being or authority to the Scriptures nor sense to the Scriptures but being taught of God in both giues witnesse of both to her owne children and euen to those that are without and by the ministrie and meanes of her testimonie they to whom the Scriptures were before vnknown begin to receiue them and they that haue receiued them attaine to the sense of them by that gift of interpretation which God hath giuen to his Church yet doth not Gods true Church set vp her authority in mens consciences to binde them without a better Teacher and of greater authority to receiue any thing at her handes for Scripture or to rest in her interpretation of Scriptures without tryall As Philip hauing testified to Nathanael We haue founde him of whom Moses did write and the Prophnts Iesus the sonne of Ioseph when Nathanael made doubt because he was of Nazareth doth not inforce his owne authority but bids him come see so the Church testifying of the Canonical scriptures of the true sense of them bids all men come and see Ioh. 1. 46. that is out of the Scriptures inspired of God by the teaching of the spirit to know the maiestie and authority of them after they haue beleeued the scriptures to be the vndoubtted word of God in them to search the true meaning of theÌ„ as Augustine teacheth both as he is before alleaged and in the very booke by you quoted for shewing how the Manichees teach how the Church teacheth thus he writeth Whatthinke you we must iudge or do but to forsake theÌ„ who inuite Contr. epist Fun. cap. 14. vs to know things certaine and after coÌ„mand vs to beleeue thinges vncertaine the very right description of the Popish church And follow theÌ„ who inuite vs first to beleeue that which yet we are not able to looke into that when we are waxen stronger in faith we may attaine to vnderstand that which we beleeue novv not men but God inwardly strengthning and enlightning our minde Wherby that former sentence of Augustine so commonly alleaged by the Papists receiues plaine interpretation Ego non crederem c. Euery word almost in the sentence hauing a speciall signification to shew that he onely acknowledgeth the churches testimony in the beginning of his conuersion to haue beene the meanes to moue him to thinke well of the scriptures Ego that is I being a Manichee hauing not yet searched the scriptures nor hauing knowen the maiesty of the Gospell Non crederâ—m that is would not haue giuen any regard vnto nor haue beene tractable to learne as the whole booke De vtilit ate credends ad Honor aâ—uÌ„ doth shew namely cap. 9. For faith he true religion vnlesse those things De vtil creden ad ionorat cap. 15. be beleeued which if a man behaue himselfe well and be worthie he may aftervvard attaine to vnderstand vvithout some great commande of authoritie can by no meanes bee vvell entred into For as he saieth in the same booke betweene mans foolishnes and the most sincere truth of God Mans vvisedome is set as a middle thing for a vvise man is to follovve God a foolissh man is to follovv a vvise man yet as Augustine there sayeth not to put his trust in men but onely in the sonne of God the sincere eternall vnchangeable wisdome of God whereunto onely we ought to sticke who for our sakes namely to become our Teacher vouch safed to take vpon him mans nature Contr. Epist Fundam cap. 5. This most sincere wisedome Contr. Epist Fundam cap. 4. he settech in the first ranke though hauing to deale with a Manichee hee saieth he will omit to speake of it as that which holdes him without any doubting in the bosome of the Catholike church whereas in all his other motiues hee onely meaneth to shew that euen only in theÌ„ he hath better hould then the Manichees haue for their heresie For otherwise he preferreth the vndoubted proofes of scripture before the authority of the catholike Church If peraduenture saith he you can finde any thing in the Gospell verie plaine for Manichees Apostleship you shall vveaken vnto me the authoritie of the Catholikes and before if so manifest truth be shovved that Cap. 4. it cannot come into doubt it ought to bee preferred before all those things by vvhich I am held in the Catholike church 3. Catholice Ecclesiae meanes hee the Catholike church of all times or rather the Catholike church of the first times who hauing receiued the Scriptures by Apostolicall testimonie deliuered them to their posterity At whose hand Augustine receiued them not vpon their onely testimony but vpon the records of the Catholike Church of the first times which the church in his time had to shewe for the Canonicall and vndoubted Scriptures What his meaning is in this behalfe let Augustine himselfe declare Beleeue saith he this booke to be Matthewes which from that time wherein Matthew himselfe liued in the flesh by course of Contr. Faustrâ— Manich. lib. 28. cap. 2. Lib. 33. cap. 9 time not interrupted the Church through certaine succession of continuance hath brought along vnto this time And against the same heretick hee vseth a very apt comparison to this purpose there haue many bookes come forth vnder the name and title of secular authors which were neuer theirs as for example many bookes vnder the name of Hippocrates that were not his How are these descried Therefore are they refused saith Augustine because either they did not agree to those writings which were manifestly knowen to be theirs or were not acknowledged in the time wherein they wrote nor were commended to posteritie by themselues or those that were most familiar with them and specially of Hippocrates his bastard
such like women as followed our Sauiour Christ and ministred vnto him and his of their substance For what power or authoritie Luk. 8. 3. had the Apostles to leade about such women after them but to leade about a wife they had power Besides the purpose of the Apostle is to shew that himselfe and Barnabas had right to put the Church to more charge by leading such a one about with them but if he had meant such women as following them in their iourneies ministred vnto them of their substance to haue such in their company had beene an ease and no charge to the Church the contrarie whereof the Apostle plainely expresseth in giuing reason why he and Barnabas might haue done so Who goeth a warfare at any time of his owne cost c. If vve haue sowen vnto you Verse 33. spirituall things is it a great matter if we reape your carnall The Church therefore of their carnal substance must haue borne the charge of such a sister lead about and therfore no doubt Math. 8. 14. the Apostle meant a wife who going with her husband there could be nothing said against it and for her husbands sake the Church must also prouide for her To which charge because the Apostle put them not when hee might haue done it hee hath therefore the more to say in his owne defence Fourthly the Scripture recording of Peter that hee was maried and auncient writers that other of the Apostles and Disciples were maried namely Ambrose in 2. Cor. 11. All the Apostles excepting Iohn and Paul had vvines and Eusebius hâ—st Eccles lib. 30. cap. 30. out of Clemens Alexandrinus of Peter Philip and as he saith Paul the Apostles words directly point at that liberty in them in the words as well as other Apostles and the brethren of the Lord and Cephas And verie plainly out of the report that Eusebius maketh out of Clemens euery maÌ„ may see that in those times the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was taken for a wife Paul saith hee in a certaine Epistle maketh mention of his wife whom hee therefore did not lead about with him that more easily and freelie he might performe his ministerie Howbeit if Paul were vnmaried yet is it no corruption so to translate his words for as much as hee had that libertie though he vsed it not Lastly you knowe that the Scripture saith Mariage is honourable amongst all men and the bed vndefiled What more Heb. 13. 4. cleare and full allowance can there be that Priests may lawfully marie except you will say that priesthood depriueth them of the honour of Gods ordinance which he hath sanctified to all men Hauing generall and speciall warrant for Priests mariage besides the place in question what need we force it you rather haue forced single life vpon Gods Ministers against his manifest word PAPIST If theÌ„ they be learned malition flie corrupt the text who wil trust them with the interpretation as for vnlearned Protestants how can they gather a true sense out of a corrupted sentence can a streight line be drawen by a crooked Rule PROTESTANT Nay rather if the Popish Rabbies haue first set vp many a crooked practise both in doctrine and Gods worship and then will haue the line of interpretotion drawen by the crooked rule of Popish practise secundum currentem Ecclesiae sensum Who will trust them to be interpreters of scriptures who are conspired to maintaine whatsoeuer their Synagogue hath corruptly practised For how can a streight line be drawen by a crooked rule or how can the vnlearned Papists haue any meanes to trie the true interpretatioÌ„ of scriptures euen in matters necessarie to saluation who must of necessity sel their soules into the hands of Popish Hucksters to receiue whatsoeuer sense of scriptures they thrust vpon them and aboue all must receiue Popish practise as their Creede and as the practise changeth so must the sense of Scriptures change and be one to day another to morrowe one this yeare another the next according to Cusanus his rule Intellectus currit cumpraxi The vnderstanding of the scriptures runneth with the practise which practise interpreteth the Nicol. Cusan de author eccles Conc. Sup. et cont scriptu scripture at one time after one sort at another time after another sort This is the constancie of Popish faith whereof Papists boast so much PAPIST Out of the premisses we may learne the cause why we haue such vnity in faith to be for that we acknowledge an infallible Iudge for the expounding of the Scriptures and though in other thinges wee haue dissention as fell out likewise betwixt Saint Paul and Barnabas and no time hath been free from such scandals yet we keep all one and the same Catholike faith through the world and the cause why the Protestants haue such mortal dissention in matters of faith without all hope of agreement is for that they acknowledge 1 Ioh. 4. 1. not any infallible and certaine Iudge for the interpretation of the scriptures For they will be tried by nothing but by the Scripture and if we presse them that the scriptures may be falsly expounded theÌ„ they repaire to the spirit and if we tell theÌ„ of Iohn that we must not beleeue euery spirit then for trial of the spirit back againe they post to the scripture and so if they be vrged on forward they runne round froÌ„ the scripture to the spirit froÌ„ the spirit to the scripture world without end And so whilest their spirits agree not togeither we see them about manie articles of faith as about the descending of Christ into hell about the lawfulnesse of Archbishops and Bishops like the campe of the Madianites to haue turned their weapons to mutuall destruction and to lie lugging together Iudges 7. by the eares in endlesse brawles and contentions PROTESTANT If it were true that you boast of that you haue such vnity of your Popish faith yet could you from such vnity no better proue the truth of your Religion then from the consent of the Israelites erecting the calfe in the wildernes or from the consent of the Iewish Synagogue against our Sauiour Christ crying Crucific him crucifie him or from the consent of all Israel in the daies of Achab and Iezabel being confederate against Elias alone you can prooue that the Calfe was the God that brought the people out of the land of Egypt or that Baal was the true God or that our Sauiour Christ was a deceiuer as the high Priestes termed him Of such vnity God hath forewarned vs to take heede by the Prophet Esay Say ye not a confederacie to all them to whom this people saieth a confederacie but rather to the law and to the testimonie Esa 8. 12. vers 20. ver 9 against which though the people be gathered together in beapes they shall be broken in peeces and though they take counsell together yet it shall bee brought to nought though they pronounce