did beholde therein the power of God that the Scriptures are come vnto vs euen from the verie mouth of God by the administration of men Therefore the Spouse in the Ballets sayeth with marueilous ioy My beloued sayd vnto me I saye nothing of that which euerie one which is lightned with the light of true fayth must needes finde by experience in himselfe By this experience wrote once Augustine the man of God howe God by a little and a little tempered and disposed his heart with his most meeke and most mercifull hande and at the last thorowly perswaded him so that at the last he knew and beleeued that those bookes were deliuered to mankinde by the spirite and the onely true and most true god Therefore the authoritie of the Scripture doth depend not of the iudgement of the Churche but of the inwarde testifying of the holy Ghost And Iohn witnesseth that Christ sayd thus concerning the spirite If God were your father why do ye not know my speach For it is most certaine that we are adopted to be the sonnes of GOD by the meanes of the holie Ghost Which when we haue obteined Christ witnesseth in this place that wee by the lightning of the same Spirite may so discerne his speache from a strangers that it may be manifest and certaine vnto vs In the which selfe same sense Christ sayth also in another place He that entereth in by the doore is the shepheard of the sheepe To him the porter openeth and the sheepe heare his voyce and he calleth his owne sheepe by name and leadeth them out when he shall put forth his owne shepe he goeth before theÌ„ the sheepe follow him for they know his voice A stranger will they in no wise follow but flie from him for they know not the voice of strangers Neither is it to bee doubted that we become Christs sheepe through the power of the holy Ghost that we follow not falshood errours corruptions and heresies which are the voices of strangers but heare the onely voice of Christ that is to say imbrace the true and naturall sence of the Scripture And Paule saith to the Corinthians The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirite of God for they are foolishnes vnto him neither caÌ„ he know them because they are spiritually discerned But he that is spirituall discerneth all things And in the same place The spirit searcheth the deepe things of God. And Christ also saith The comforter which is the holy ghost shal bring all things to your remeÌ„brance whatsoeuer I haue said vnto you Also Iohn hath these wordes in his Epistle The anointing teacheth you of al things Againe He that knoweth God heareth vs. To be briefe August in the place lately cited saith Therfore when as we were weake to finde foorth the truth by cleare reason and when as we had need of the authoritie of the holy Scriptures for the same purpose I began to beleue forthwith that thou wouldest by no meanes giue â—o excellent authoritie vnto that scripture throughout al lands but that thy will was that thou wouldest be sought by it and wouldest be beleeued by it Behold it is God I say it is God which hath established his holy bookes with so great authoritie in all nations And August addeth the cause why God will be sought through them why he wil be beleued through them I conclude therfore â–ª that the scripture hath not her authoritie chiefly froÌ„ the Church For the firmnes strength thereof dependeth of God not of men And the word being both firme sure was before the church For the church was called by the word And seeing the doctrine of the prophets of the apostles is the foundation of the Church it must needes bee that the certaintie of the Church must consist in the said doctrine as in her foundation and ground worke before the said Church can take her beginning For if the Church of Christ were founded in the beginning by the writings of the Prophetes and with the preaching of the Apostles wheresoeuer the saide doctrine bee founde certainely the allowing of the doctrine went before the Church without the which doctrine the Church could neuer haue beene And because the spirit of God wrought in the heartes of them which heard the word of God read it that they might acknowledge that it was not the word of man but of God vndoubtedly the worde of God receiueth authoritie from the spirite and not from the Church The .x. Chapter How the canon of the new Testament was ordeined and that it hath authoritie of it self from the authours thereof that the authoritie of the Church is mainteined thereby THey which reason that we haue receiued manie things to be beleeued â—f necessitie by the authoritie of the Church which are expressed in no part â—f the Scriptures make this as a great â—rgument as they thinke that there are â—ut foure Gospels onely which may not â—e discredited without the perill of losse â—f saluation and that it appeareth by no Scripture that the other Scriptures which we haue are Canonicall worâ—hie credite Neither are the titles thereâ—f the titles of the Scripture but put to â—y others Therefore say they if we shall â—eceiue nothing but that which is in the Scriptures then shall wee not receiue â—he scriptures themselues Nowe that I may disclose the deceitfulnesse of this argumeÌ„t the indifferent reader must know â—hat the Canonicall Scripture hath her â—uthoritie chiefly from the holy Ghost â—y whose motion and inspiration it was â—et forth as lately wee did declare And â—fter that from the writers vnto whome God gaue certaine and peculiar testimonies of the truth Wherevnto is added the witnesse of the primitiue Church in whose time those bokes wer published receiued And they which haue the spirit of faith do not dispute peeuishly of the receiuing of the said bookes who receiued them or who reiected them but acknowledge in them the sweete sauouring force of the spirit by whose instinct they were set forth The canon of the new Testament was ordeined by the authoritie of God and receiued by the Church of the Apostles Neither can I sufficiently meruaile at their rashnesse which saye that the authoritie of the church hath giuen canonical authoritie vnto certaine of the scriptures yea and those the chiefest which otherwise neither of themselues neither of their authours they could haue had amongst vs Words Not the authoritie of euery one but of the Apostles is required to make any writing in the new Testament Canonical or giuen by inspiration from God. As well saith Tertul. when as he confuteth the counterfeit gospel of Marcion First we do holde that a true Gospel must haue the Apostles for the authors thereof Iohn sawe the writings of three Euangelists allowed â—hem And by writing his Gospel hee â—ade an ende of writing Gospels And â—herefore saieth hee
reproue to witnesse and to set forth the holy Scriptures plainely yet doth she not require to be beleued but because she speaketh the words of god And the church hath iiii goodly offices about the Scriptures First shee keepeth safe the bookes of holy Scripture as a witnesse Secondly she preacheth and publisheth them Thirdly she discerneth them from counterfeites Fourthly shee interpreteth them And these functions proue not that the Church hath authoritie ouer the Scripture as many foolishly suppose For whereas the Church keepeth the scripture safe as a witnesse it cannot bee inferred thereby that it is lawfull for the Church to peruert or change anie thing in the holye Scriptures For so should she weaken the force of her testimonie and shew her selfe to be an vntrustie witnesse And this would be a corrupting and not witnesse bearing For the pure and simple fourme of the commandement sayth Ambrose is denounced by earnest testimonies to be kept A witnesse for the most part when as he addeth any thing of his owne deuising to the orderly report of things done staineth the whole credite of his testimonie by the lying report of the part Nothing must therefore be added although it bee neuer so good It is a common vse to committe publike and priuate euidences to recorders whome commonly men call Notaries to keepe and conserue with all diligence and yet no wise man will say that they may lawfully chaunge any thing that is conteined in them And it is not to be beleeued that the authoritie of the sayd Notaries is of greater strength than was their willes which requested that those things might be so recorded Neither is it any matter that the Churche receiued the worde of God deliuered by liuely voyce before it was committed to writing In deede the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say vnwritten in time is before the woorde which afterwarde was written yet both were bestowed vpon the Church being of one authoritie and of like efficacie For the Scripture sayeth of the woorde written They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them And as it was then the duetie of the Churche to heare GOD speaking in the writinges of Moses and the Prophetes so is it nowe the duetie of the Church to heare Christ with all reuerence speaking in the writings of the Euangelists and Apostles to imbrace the instructioÌ„ of the spirite Although the honour of the Church be great that shee is chosen of God to be as it were the keeper and defender of this most excellent and worthie treasure yet maye the Churche by no meanes either wreith or change or corrupt those writings but ought as a faithfull keeper with chiefe care and prouision to keepe the bookes of holy scripture vncorrupted for them which shall come after The xiiij Chapter That the Church publisheth the worde of God. WE said that the second dutie of the Church about the Scripture is to publish and preach the wordes committed to her by god Wherein the Church is like to a crier who although he doe proclaime the Edictes and commandements of Princes Magistrates yet is he not aboue them or of equall authoritie with them but all his indeuour is to pronounce all things faithfully as he hath receiued them from the Princes and the Magistrates and if he doe otherwise he may worthily bee holden for a traitour Well sayeth Chrysostome For as the crier proclaimeth to all that are present in the stage so do we saith the Apostle proclaime publikely with this condition that we adde nothing but that we proclaime those thinges onely which we haue heard For this â—s the vertue of a crier to publish those â—hings truly which are committed to him not to adde any thing or to change or to take away Tertullian agreeth with Chrysostome saying We may not follow our owne appetite in deuising any thing of our selues neiâ—her may we choose any thing which â—ny other hath deuised wee haue the Apostles of the Lord for our authors who chose not any thing of their own â—udgement which they might bring 〈◊〉 but faythfully assigned to nations â—he doctrine receiued of Christ Therefore though an Angell from heauen preach otherwise we may call him accursed Let vs therefore auoyde them which intrude mens deuises and traditions as necessarie to bee obserued and beleeued let vs heare with all attentiuenesse the sincere preaching of the Gospel in the Church and reuerence it The .xv. Chapter That the Church discerneth the bookes of holy Scripture from Aprocryphal and counterfeit THirdly forsomuch as the Church is indued with the spirite of God we doe confesse that it is her function to discerne the sincere and true bookes of holy Scripture from the counterfeit and Apocryphal So hath the Church disallowed and reiected the Gospell of Thomas of Bartholomewe of Thaddee of the Nazarites of Nicodemus as also the actes of Peter the diuers reuelations of the Apostles the Booke of the Pastour and such like Contrarily shee hath allowed and receiued the foure Gospels which wee haue and the writings of the Apostles which in these dayes we reade in our Churches And although the conseruation of the assured bookes of the Prophetes and Apostles as of a certaine diuine Treasure be the singular worke and benefite of GOD notwithstanding both the diligence and authoritie of the church is to be acknowledged herein which hath partly giuen foorth her Testimoniall of the assured writinges and hath partly by her spirituall iudgement refused the writinges which are vnworthie and which agree not with the rest of the writinges of the Prophetes and Apostles Which was so much the more easie because as saith Augustine they wrote in suche a time wherein they were thought worthie to bee allowed not onely of the Churche of Christ but also euen of the Apostles who then remayned aliue But to discerne Bookes is not to bee of greater authoritie than are the sayde Bookes as some foolishly dreame For when as the King his letters be brought some gouernours of Cities and presidentes of Prouinces are able by vse and ciuill skill sufficientlie to iudge whether they be true letters or forged which are deliuered them in the Kinges name and yet may they not at their owne pleasure either change or wrest them when they shall perceiue that they are not couÌ„terfeited or feigned And wee may not otherwise esteeme of the Church Who although she haue giuen foorth her faythfull testimonie to the bookes of holy Scripture and not to the workes of other who peraduenture did not onely digresse from the truth of the historie but also reported many things which are cleane contrarie to the olde testament and to the other Euangelists yet may shee not otherwise vnderstande or ordaine any thing then God hath defined and taught in these bookes of holie Scripture But if they which being lighted by the holy Ghost acknowledged the holy Scriptures to be the words of God
foorth of Augustine and Chrysostome wee haue declared What saye you to this that the same Christ the Lorde will hereby chiefly haue his disciples and so consequently and vndoubtedly his church also knowen and esteemed if they keepe his sayings faythfully and obserue them And doeth plainly witnesse that they are cast off which will not keepe his doctrine and followe it As for this power aboue the Scriptures which these felowes claime vnto themselues by their subtile Sophistrie the auncient Fathers neuer knewe nor sought as lately we haue shewed Constantine the Emperour commaunded the Fathers when as they were assembled in the Nicene Councell that they should define the controuersie of the one and selfe same substaunce of the father and the sonne foorth of the Propheticall and Apostolicall Scriptures And yet none withstoode him there saying that the Churche ought to discusse the controuersie by her owne absolute authoritie because shee was not subiect to the Scriptures but had them rather in subiection vnto her Neither did they complaine that the Emperour did anie whitte at all debase the Churche when as hee made her subiect to the rule of the Scriptures And how will these men bring the Scriptures in subiection to the authoritie iudgement and censure of the Church seeing Christ our Lorde doeth not saye that the Churche is iudge of his Doctrine but pronounceth rather that his doctrine shall be iudged of all mankinde in generall And thus maye wee vnderstand that Christe is not to bee iudged by men with what title soeuer or prerogatiue they bee adorned but all mankinde to bee iudged by him according to the Doctrine of his worde The .xix. Chapter Of the saying of Paule The Church is the piller and ground of the trueth THey say that the Church is the piller and ground of truth and that it can not erre The Apostle speaketh not of the Church of anie one time or place but of the Catholike Church of al times and places which also conteineth the Prophets and all the Apostles with all their doctrine and Christ the Lorde himselfe as the chiefe and euerlasting heade and therefore her onely head This Church is the piller and grounde woorke of the trueth of the Prophetes and Apostles doctrine VVherefore we also following Augustine doe confesse that we are mooued by the testimonie of this Churche which also before wee sayde rather to beleeue the Gospel then the Popes and their Decrees and all their Councels But the Church of anie one time or place especially after the Apostles is not the piller and grounde of the trueth but so farre foorth as shee hath the word of God with her preacheth it reteineth it conserueth it and not because she strengthneth it being weak or maketh it to be of authoritie being vnconstant much lesse because she vsurpeth vnto her self a censours rod ouer it or setteth downe any thing concerning it after her owne iudgement Therefore as she speaketh foorth of God his worde she erreth not neither can she erre but either speaking or doing without it she not only can erre but doth erre But these men whilst they cloke their tyranny with the beautifull title of the Church faine vnto vs a Churche which although it ordeine any thing beside or against God his worde yet erreth not And therefore would they that shee should rather be beleeued then the worde of god But whilst they stay them selues vpon this opinion they differ as much as may be from the olde fathers and from the consent of the Catholike Church For the fathers in their councels did alwayes confirme their decrees by the testimonyes of Scripture And although they yeelded no small honour to councels yet â—n the greatest controuersies they did not â—o much appeale vnto councels as to God â—is oracles which are the Scriptures Heereof Augustine is witnesse which would not that the authoritie of the councell And this which Hilarie wrote long agoe may much more truely be applyed to our times For the greeuous and perilous errour in many and the fall of many although it doe vnderstande it selfe yet through shame to rise presumeth authoritie to it selfe hauing this impudencie of the number that wheras it erreth it would haue it esteemed wisedome and where as it erreth with many it affirmeth it to bee the vnderderstanding of the trueth whilest lesse errour is supposed to be in the trueth The xx Chapter Of the saying of Paule Brethren stand fast and holde the ordinaunces which ye haue beene taught whether it bee by our preaching or by our Epistle I Had almoste passed ouer the place of Paule whiche the defendours of superstitions obiect vnto vs as a moste strong and an vnanswearable argument And it is thus 2. Thes 2. vers 15. Therfore brethren stand fast and holde the ordinaunces which yee haue beene taught whether it be by our preaching or by our Epistle By this place it is manifest say they that all things which are necessarily to be holden are not comprehended in the writinges of the Apostles but that those thinges also which beeing deliuered by the Apostles with liuely voice are come vnto vs by traditions are to bee receiued with like reuerence and affection of godlines But when as they can not prooue that those traditions which they defende bee Paules they are woorthy to be laughed at and very foolish whilst they will holde vp their stinking piller of their superstitions by the testimonie of the Apostles And when Paule wrote this Epistle the Canon of the Scripture of the newe Testament was not yet made Which when it was once made by the authoritie of the holy Goost as we haue lately taught after the making thereof we make men the authours of thinges to bee beleeued not without the great reproche of the same spirit Wherfore in this matter we must consider with great heede that which Paule wrote aboute the ende of his life concerning the sufficiencie of the Scriptures when as hee sayth All Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to doctrine to reproue to correction to instruction which is in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect instructed to all good woorkes For if the Scripture make the man of God instructed perfecte and throughlye furnished to euerye good work than doth it not leaue him to be instructed to be made perfect and to bee thorowly furnished by traditions in any good worke Wherefore so ofte as they bring in a worke which they contend to be good or any thing necessary to be beleeued which can not be proued foorth of the holy Scriptures I had rather say that that which they bring in is not good or profitable then to pronounce otherwise of the moste excellent authoritie of the Scripture than the Apostle hath appointed concerning the same What saye you to this moreouer that the doctrine which the Apostles taught whether it were by preaching or by Epistle was not contrary not
obscurenesse of the Scripture and rolling in all their pointes of Rethoricke do goe about to proue the necessitie authoritie perfection certaintie plainnesse of vnwritten Traditions that is to say That we should fetch the rule of faith not from the worde of God but from the Traditions of the Church and that there is so much force in the Scripture as is granted therevnto by the consentes voyces of the Church The second Chapter The deceitfulnes of them is reproued which do diminish the authoritie of the Scripture wherevpon the authoritie of the Church doth depend I Do not denie that they which make these reasons are prompt wittie â—â—arned and eloquent woulde to God â—â—ey were all so vpright and gentle minâ—â—d that they would put to their furtheâ—â—nce rather to buyld vp the kingdome 〈◊〉 Christ then to defend the kingdome of â—â—e Pope and that they woulde rather â—llowe the sincere doctrine of the Gosâ—ell then mainteine corruptions and abâ—ses But whilest they are willing to gratifie these antichristian rulers they â—un on so farre through the heate of their contention that through their wicked cursed and prophane Rhetorike they â—laspheme and â—pise the holy Ghost For wheÌ„ they do so beset and besiege the Scripture that they call it a Labyrinth in the which we may go out of the right way A nose of waxe which is apt to be bowed vnto either side A matter of controuersies A nourse garden of discentions obscure doubtfull intricate What is this if it be not a reproch agaynst the holy Ghost the authour thereof But the marke whereat they shoote is this that whereas they may bee perceiued oftentymes to haue decreed and ordeined farre otherwise in the Sacraments and doctrines then holy scripture can beare they are willing to mainteine that it was lawfull for them so to doe because the Church which maketh the holy scriptures to be of authoritie and credite can change therein whatsoeuer shall seeme good vnto her Therefore least the maiestie of the Scripture should let their lust they are not afrayde to diminish the authoritie thereof wherein they do seeme to imitate the craftinesse and naughtinesse of the auncient heretikes who being willing to eschew least they being pressed with the authoritie of the Scriptures shoulde bee ouercome presumed boldely to denie certaine bookes of the Bible to be canonicall reiecting them and with great disdaine disallowing them For when as they are reproued by the Scriptures sayth Irenaeus they do accuse the Scriptures as though they were not well handled neither be of authoritie and because they be diuersly spoken because the truth can not be found forth in them by those which know not the tradition Carpocrates Seuerus Cerdo Manes reiected as August witnesseth the bookes of the law although Tertullian report of Cerdo as also doth Irenaeus of Marcio that they reiected al the Euangelists but Luke Philaster reporteth that Cerinthus allowed Mathew onely We reade in Eusebius that the Seuerians disalowed Paul his Epistles and the Acts of the Apostles For they did suppose it to be an aduantage for the obteyning of victorie if they did condition that they whose dartes they saw were to be feared might bee throwne foorth of the campe of the Church before they should come to the battell Euen so also do these thinke that they shall triumph if they may most vnworthely slander the Scripture of vncerteintie imperfectioÌ„ ambiguitie obscuritie And euen as those old heretikes did coÌ„tentiously affirme that the truth could not be founde by them which knewe not the tradition deliuered not by writing but by liuely voice in like maner do these also mainteine that the Apostles haue not comprehended in their writings all things which wee ought to beleeue and most obstinately contend that all things apperteyning to godlinesse are not conteyned in the Scripture that thou maist vnderstand that both the one and the other are inforced with the selfe same spirite of errour Wherefore we must withstand them by all meanes possible For it is a most hurtfull and perillous errour to holde that the credite of Scripture shoulde hang on the determinatioÌ„ of the Church which being granted Christ shall not be Christ nor the Gospel the Gospel neither shal we take the Apostles for the Apostles nor the writings of the Apostles for the Apostles writings but so farre forth as they be allowed in their Councels by their owne consents and iudgements Here truly must the seruaÌ„ts needs be greater then the Lorde that the Lord may not be beleeued but onely so farre forth as his seruants will that he shall be belieued as though forsooth God his eternall and inuiolable truth shoulde be grounded and staied vpon the iudgement of men Neither is it lawfull nor sure to dallie in diuinitie as shall please mens deuises For the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirite of God and all the thoughts sayings deedes of men doe more resemble lying then truth for God onely is true Neither â—â—e the argumentes strong and sounde â—hich these patrones of superstitions take for the defence of their opinion â—ut rather feeble and weake as in discussing and examining them shall appeare although the simple being deluâ—ed with the onely shew of truth be holâ—en still in errours and superstitions and â—lienated from the truth But let not vs â—uffer our selues to bee brought to this passe that we graunt that the holy scripture hath receiued credite and authoritie from the Church seeing that the matter â—s farre otherwise For what authoritie or estimation soeuer the Church hath it â—ommeth wholy from the worde of God whereof also the Church hath the beginning Euen as Peter saith Ye are borne â—new not of corruptible seede but of â—ncorruptible by the worde of God which liueth and lasteth for euer And â—aul saith In Christ Iesus I haue begotâ—en you through the Gospel Therfore as is the daughter to the mother so is the Church to the Scripture And since we do all confesse that the Church is susteined by the foundation of the Prophets Apostles truly if the doctrine of the Prophets and the Apostles be the stay of the Church it must necessarily follow that the authoritie of the doctrine doeth excell the authoritie of the Church Neither is there anie cause that they shoulde cauill that the Church was 2449. yeres before Moses before the Scripture because they make Moses his bookes most ancient which in deede I do confesse in respect of those bookes which now are extant But how know they whether that ancient Church which was before Moses had written his Pentatenche had anie bookes of holy Scripture or none Moses doth cite the booke of the warres of the lord And in Iosua is the booke of the Iust cited And it may be that Noah Abraham Isaac Iacob wrote those things which did pertein to their times as Moses did afterward gather them togither and by
vppon you and ye shall be cleane yea from all your vncleannesse and from all your idolâ— shall I cleanse you a newe hearte also will I geue you and a newe spirite will I put into you as for that stonie hearte I will take it one of your fleshe and geue you a fleshie hearte I will geue my spirite amongst you and cause you to walke in my commaundementes and ye shal keepe my iudgementes and doe them Of the lightening of the minde is this prophesie of Esaie The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lorde euen as the Sea floweth ouer with water Also And they shal be all taught of God Againe this prophesie of Ioel which Saint Peter interpreteth And it shal be in the last daies saith God of my spirite I will powre out vpoÌ„ all flesh your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie your young men shall see visions and your olde men shall dreame dreames And on my seruants and on my handmaydens I will powre out of my spirite Of the free remission of sinnes Esaie hath reasoned most plainely in his liii chapter And Daniel in his 9. chapter Micheas also in his last chapter Who is such a God as thou saith he that pardonest wickednesse and forgiuest the offences of the remnant of thy heritage He keepeth not his wrath foreuer for his delight is to haue coÌ„passion He shall turne againe and be mercifull to vs he shal put downe our wickednesses cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the sea But what did the holy fathers of the â—lde testament lacke these benifits Not 〈◊〉 For in obeying the commaundements of GOD and in belieuing rightly they did worshippe God purely which thing they did not performe by the strength of â—ree will nor by naturall power For had it not beene that they had Gods lawes promises written in their minde and vnderstanding by the holie Ghost and also a good wil to obey his commaundements through the grace of God they had not bin able to haue done such things Therefore they wanted not the diuine light which lightened them to beleeue obey And their sinnes also were forgeueÌ„ them through Christ Therefore they also enioyed these good thinges Why then did he promise that he woulde geue these thinges in the new League Truely because the father shewed foorth the power of his spirit much more plentifully vnder the kingdom of Christ and poured foorth his mercie vpon men This excellencie is the cause that that small portion of grace which he vouchesafed to bestowe vpon the fathers vnder the lawe is not to be made accompt of Therefore the difference consisted herein onely euen in the largenesse and plainnesse For at that time those giftes were restrained to verie fewe but now are the Gentils also made partakers of them They were in that age somewhat darke and intricate but vnto vs are they made plaine and cleare so that we neede not anie more the olde schoolemaister like instruction Therefore the difference of the olde and newe Testament doeth consiste in this largenesse playnnesse putting away of the olde schoolemaister like instruction and excellent clearnesse of the Gospel and not in that colde and vnsauourie I will not say wicked deuise of not writing the doctrine of the Gospel which these triflers doe feigne For what Hath GOD powred forth in the time of grace so great giftes by the meanes of immediate inspiration from GOD or without anie meanes That may not be By what meanes therefore hath he brought it to passe Euen by the ministerie of the Gospel For by it hath Christ most effectually shewed foorth the force of his spirit hath most clearly made himselfe knowâ—â— to men and hath moste plentifully â—estowed all the treasures of his heaâ—enly riches vpon mankinde So that â—e ministerie of the lawe and of Moses â—e Lawegiuer in comparison of the miâ—isterie of the Gospel may seeme verie â—arraine and drie and as Saint Paule â—earmeth it onely the deade letter destiâ—ute of the liuely iuyce of God his spiâ—ite Wherefore the same Paule when he woulde commende the efficacie of his ministerie alluded to the Prophesie of Ieremie saying Yee are our Epistle written in our heartes vnderstoode and read of all men Forasmuche as yee are manifestly declared that yee are the Epistle of Christ ministred by vs written not with ynke but with the Spirite of the liuing GOD not in stonie tables but in fleshie tables of the heart Here muste wee diligently note that hee calleth them forthwith the Epistle of Christ whom a litle before he called his Epistle moreouer he doth straightway reconcile expouÌ„d those things which at the first sight semed to be coÌ„trarie the one to the other when as he addeth Ministred by vs. It may be called his Epistle in this respect that the holie Ghost seemeth to vse him in the writing thereof as the writer and the penne and it may also be called the Epistle of Christe because he is the authour of the saide writing and endited it to Paul by his spirite and guided the hande and penne of the writer and moreouer ingraued with his finger the healthfull doctrine of the Gospel in the heartes of the Corinthians by the force whereof it is not nowe printed in stonie tables as was the lawe before but in the fleshly tables of the hearte This is therefore to pertaine to the newe Testament saith Augustine to haue the lawe of God written not in tables but in the heartes that is to say to conteine the righteousnesse of the lawe in the inwarde affection where fayth woorketh through loue This is that sweete goodnesse of the hearte euen a niewe creature in Christe This is that pleasaunt goodnesse of the minde euen lightenyng And this happie and â—â—â—ceiued goodnesse doeth not lead vs â—â—y from the Lawe and testimonie to know not what vnsauerie traditions doeth delight in the law of God and â—geth to passe that our will is in the â—we of the Lord and that we exercise 〈◊〉 selues therin day and night although other law striue still in our members â—â—â—inst the lawe of the minde vntill the â—â—wnesse which from day to day is inâ—ased in the inwarde man all oldnesse â—ng chaunged passe away The grace God thorow Iesus Christ our Lorde â—iuering vs from the bodie of this â—ath Moreouer who is he nowe but hee â—y see by the premisses howe iustly the â—rt may bee turned backe vpon our adâ—rsaries which they foolishly and rashâ— wrested forth of the Prophesie of Iereâ—ie The Lorde giueth his lawe into â—â—r heartes and writeth it in our bowels â—ith his finger and bringeth to passe â—at we walke in his statutes and keepe â—s iudgements and doe them he lighteth our mindes with the knowledge of â—â—m he freely forgiueth our sinnes and putteth away our iniquities Therefore let vs sanctifie and glorifie him and turne from these iuglers
is necessarie for vs to folowe the holie scriptures and in nothing to depart from their determination Ambrose de officiis lib. 1. saith We may vse as we will those things which we finde not in holy scripture In the commentaries vpon the 86. Psalme which are set foorth in Hierom his name wee reade these wordes The Lorde shall rehearse it in the scripture of his people and of the Princes which were in her Howe shall the Lorde rehearse it Not by woorde but by writing By whose writing By the writing of his people that is to say by the holy scripture which is read to all people that is that all may vnderstande it Plato wrote not to the people but to a few for scantly three men vnderstand him But these that is to say the princes of Christ wrote not for a few but for all the people not that a few might vnderstande but that all might vnderstande And he sayth by the writing of his Princes that is to say of the Apostles and of the Euangelistes of them which were in her See what he sayth which were not which are that the Apostles onely excepted what thing else soeuer shall be sayde afterward might be cut off and not haue authoritie Therefore although any one be holy after the Apostles although he be eloquent let him not haue authoritie Because the Lorde rehearseth it in the Scripture of his people and of the Princes which were in her Cyrill or whether it be Origen in Leuiticum cap. 5. sayeth If thou canst not finishe all the flesh of the sacrifice the second day thou shalte eate none of it the thirde day c. I saith he doe suppose that by this space of two dayes may be vnderstanded the two Testamentes wherein euerie woorde which pertayneth to GOD may be sought for and discussed and all knowledge of thinges may be learned foorth of them And if there be any thing ouer the which holy Scripture cannot determine that none other thirde Scripture ought to be brought in for authoritie of the knowledge I coulde bring more suche like sayinges foorth of the Fathers but I trust I haue throughly satisfied the indifferent Reader with these Therefore all the sayinges and writinges of men whatsoeuer they be are to bee examined and tried by the lawe and by the Prophetes and by the Apostles writinges as in the moste certayne balaunce and so haue the moste holie Fathers iudged one and all For greater is the authoritie of Canonicall Scripture then of anie man of anie Byshoppes of anie Synode yea or of all the Churche Neither can the authoritie of the vniuersall church although it be gathered together whollye into one place foorth of all her members which euer were or be or in yeares to come shall bee deserue creâ—ite in anie thing without the testimonies of Scripture So that Panormitane sayde neither foolishely nor falsely More credit is to be yeelded to one Laie man alledging the scriptures then to a general Councell representing the vniuersall Church if it bring no scriptures vnto whom Iohn Gerson agreeth when as he saith That the consent and voice of one learned man alleadging the scripture fittly is to be preferred before a generall Councell And it is prooued by the example of the Nicen Synode which had receiued the superstitious law of the single life of priestes had not Paphnutius onelie withstoode it Therefore if the disputations of the Fathers or their sentences or their expositions of the Scriptures doe disagree with the Canonicall Scripture and rule of fayth there is no cause why any shoulde obiecte their authoritie vnto vs For if the conteÌ„tion be touching learning holinesse and auncientnes the Prophets and the Apostles of Christ be more learned more holie and more auncient Neither is there anie cause why anie shoulde obiect vnto vs the consent of many Churches in this or that opinion For the consent of Christ of the Prophetes of the Apostles yea and of the Patriarches in sincere religion and in the holy sense of religion reuealed manifestly to vs by the Scriptures is more to bee esteemed from whose godly and religious iudgement wee must neuer departe But if anie reckon vp manie and whole kingdomes whiche haue beene of this or that opinion wee oppose against him the laboures of Paule one holie Apostle who filled the greatest partes of the worlde with the simple sense of the Gospel euen from Hierusalem and the coastes rounde aboute vnto Illiricum And forsomuch as by Augustine his authoritie generall Councels must be sometime corrected by the later and those assemblies which are to bee corrected muste needes bee in errour it followeth that all the authoritie of the Churche and of Councels stayeth it selfe by the Canonicall Scripture vnto the which onelie GOD his will is that this happines is peculiar that in it there is none errour The ix Chapter That the Canonicall Scripture hath the chiefe perfection of her authoritie from the holie Ghoste and of herselfe And contrarily that the Churche receiueth her authoritie from the Scripture HEtherto we haue yeelded many reasons for the most excellent authoritie of the Canonicall Scripture Nowe the question is from whence the scripture hath or receiueth this most excellent and perfecte authoritie or by whom the Canon was made whervnto the Canonical bookes pertayne The Papistes saie that the Scripture hath her authoritie from the Churche and that therefore the authoritie of the Churche is greater then the authoritie of the Scriptures As though the worde of GOD which endureth for euer were subiecte to mens decrees or as though GOD his truth shoulde intreate men to authorize it It is not so The woorde of GOD is of it selfe moste sure and needeth not the propping vppe of men but holdeth vp all thinges Heauen and earth shall passe away but my wordes shall in no wise passe away The Scripture receiueth her strength or authoritie chiefely from GOD from whom it was reueiled that is to say that it came not by the will of men but that the men of GOD beyng mooued by the holie Ghoste both spake and wrote whom beeyng chosen and elected for this office GOD adorned with manye and sundrie myracles and diuine testimonies So that there is no doubte at all but that those thinges were geuen from GOD by inspiration whiche they wrote and sette downe And the selfe same spirite which hath caused these thinges to bee written assureth vs that they are not the inuentions of men And when the spirite of GOD doeth herein witnesse to our spirit seale vp the Scripture in our heartes the faythfull soule doeth marueilously reioyce and is greatly confirmed Therefore we being illuminated by the vertue of the spirit doe not nowe beleeue either through our own iudgement or through the iudgement of other that the Scripture is of God but doe most certainlie perswade our selues aboue mans iudgement none otherwise then if wee
And many other â—ignes truely did Iesus before the eyes â—f his disciples which are not written â—n this boke These are written that ye â—ight beleeue that Iesus is Christ the â—onne of God and that in beleuing ye â—ight haue life thorow his name By â—e which wordes if we beleeue the Faâ—hers Iohn coÌ„mended vnto the Church â—ot onely his owne Gospel but also the Gospels of the other three Euangelists Therfore by the euideÌ„t testimony of Iohn â—hose things are written by the foure Eâ—aÌ„gelists with holy choise which might sufâ—se the saluatioÌ„ of men not satisfie their â—uriositie Paule hath signed his Epistles 〈◊〉 a peculiar marke so haue we 2. Thes â— The salutatioÌ„ of me Paul with mine â—wne hand which is the tokeÌ„ in euery â—pistle So I write The grace of our â—ord Iesus Christ be with you all Amen Vpon these words Ambrose saith â—ecause of corrupters of the scriptures â—e witnesseth that he subscribeth the â—alutation himselfe alwayes with his â—wn hand in euery one of his Epistles that the Epistle might not be receiue vnder his name which was not subscribed with his hand And Theodoret sayth This did he adde moreouer because of them which presumed to carie about couÌ„terfeit Epistles teaching them to looke for the subscription For this sayth he is the signe of mine Epistles For I write the salutation my selfe in euery Epistle Therefore hereby we learne that this The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all Amen is vsually writteÌ„ by him in stead of fare well Thus farre Theodorete Herevpon is it that in the ende of the Epistle to the Romans when as he had set downe his vsuall subscription The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be with you all Amen And had added newe salutations in the behalfe of other brethren he repeateth the subscription the seconde time In the ende of the first Epistle to the Corinthians he subscribeth thus The salutation of me Paul with mine owne hande If any man loue not the Lord Iesus Christ the same be Anathema maranatha The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be with you Ambrose vpon the same woordes sheweth the cause The vsuall subscription of his owne hand Also Theodorete sayeth I haue indited the Epistle my selfe and put to the salutation with mine owne hande shewing to all men by those letters that those things which are written are mine He subscribeth the Epistle to the Galathians with these wordes Brethren the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be with your spirit Amen VpoÌ„ the which wordes Theodoretus sayeth He put vnto his letters his vsual blessing as a certaine seale putting them in remembrance of the gift giueÌ„ them which they receiued not by the law but by faith Ambrose in the ende of the first to Timothe sayeth He subscribed with his owne hand saying Grace be with thee Amen And the Apostle subscribeth the second to Timothe after this maner The Lord Iesus Christ be with thy spirite Grace be with you Amen Vpon the which words Ambr. noteth This is the subscriptioÌ„ of the Apostle for he saith it is his mark in euery epist. And Tert. sayth that the verie hande writings of the Apostles were conserued euen in his time in the Apostolike Churches To be briefe Paule doth not onely confirme his Epistles with so great diligence by subscriptions but also hath set them forth with much more riche and polished inscriptions than other writers are accustomed The same hath Peter done also who hath commended Paul his Epistles to the Churches in expressed woordes Iohn concludeth his canonicall Epistle thus These things haue I written vnto you that beleeue on the name of the sonne of God that ye may know that ye haue eternall life and that ye maye beleeue on the name of the sonne of God. Why should not this Epistle bee canonical which was written to this end by the instinct of the spirite of God that the faythfull might be assured of their saluation in Christ through fayth The Epistle to the Hebrues whether it bee Lukes or Barnabasses or Clements the Church is vncertaine of the Authour but most certaine of the spirit and of the truth sauoureth such a grace of the Apostles diuinitie that it easily defendeth it selfe from being reiected The Epistle of Iames being filled full of most wholsome precepts well sheweth that the authour thereof was Iames the seruant of God and of our Lord Iesus Christ whether he were the sonne of Alphe or that Oblias the matter is not great For they were both worthie men The one an Apostle the other a Disciple the Lords cousin of great authoritie in the Church and among the Iewes also I would therfore that they should tell mee which bee those chiefe bookes of the newe Testament which haue authoritie from the church which they could neither haue of themselues nor of their authours And it may be gathered forth of those thinges which I haue alledged now forth of the newe Testament how the Canon of the Scripture of the newe Testament was made and from whence the Canonicall Scripture hath that excellent authoritie Therefore the Church receiued this Canon from the Apostles confirmed by no Councell and deliuered it as it were from hande to hande vnto the posteritie Wherefore Iohn in the ende of his Gospel addeth both his owne testimony and also the witnesse of the Church when as he saith The same disciple is he which testifieth of these things wrote these things and we know that his testimonie is true And this testimonie of the Church is not the deuise of man but necessarie such a confession as is expressed by the truth of the thing it selfe wherof we will intreate more at large in the place coÌ„uenient And since they do so peeuishly contend that the authoritie of the Scripture doeth depend of the Church why do they not bring forth some canon or decree of some councell whereby holie scripture was approued or confirmed The primitiue Church of the Christians found the bookes of the olde Testament authentical firme and by them approued confirmed the articles of our faith Afterwards succeeded the bookes of the Apostles written by the inspiratioÌ„ of the spirite of God which no decree of man confirmed For Gods word is not subiect to mans will and pleasure but contrarily whatsoeuer the Churches ordeyned they alwayes were careful to proue it by the word of God as it may be proued by the CouÌ„cels of best credite So that well wrote blessed Siluianus Bishop of Marsiles All other things that is to say the sayinges of men haue neede of profes and witnesses but the word of God is a witnesse to it selfe for it must needes bee an vncorrupt witnesse of truth which vncorrupt truth speaketh In deede the Councels haue made a rehearsall of the bookes of holy scripture written by inspiration from God which some
appointmentes of God and the comming of his beloued Iesus Christ our Lorde and that his generation which is of the virgin and his passion and his resurrection from the deade and his ascention in the fleshe into Heauen and his comming from Heauen in the glorie of the Father to finishe all thinges and to raise vp againe all fleshe of mankinde that vnto Christ Iesus our Lorde and GOD and Sauiour and King according to the will of the inuisible Father euerie knee may bee bowed of thinges in heauen in earth and vnder the earth and that euerie tongue may confesse him and that he may doe iust iudgement in all and that he may cast the Angels of spiritual wickednesse hauing transgressed and beeing become Apostataes and also vngodly and vniust and wicked and blasphemous men into eternall fire And that hee maye bestowe as a gift incorruption vpon the iust and vpright hauing kept his commandements and continued in his loue some frō the beginning and some by repentance giuing them life and may cloth them with euerlasting clearenesse Where as the Church hath receiued this preaching and this faith as wee haue before sayde being dispersed into the whole worlde she doth diligently keepe as dwelling in one house and in like maner beleeueth these things euen as hauing one soule and one heart agreeably preacheth and teacheth and deliuereth the same as possessing one mouth For although there be vnlike speaches in the worlde yet the vertue of the tradition is all one and the verie same Neither do those Churches which are founded in Germanie beleeue otherwise or teach otherwise nor those which are in Spain nor those which are in Frāce nor those which are in the East nor those which are in Egypt nor those which are in Lybia nor those which are placed in the midst of the worlde but as the Sunne being the creature of God is all one the selfe same in the vniuersall world euen so the light also that is the preaching of the truth shineth euery where lighteneth all mē which are willing to come to the knowledge of the truth Neither doeth he which excelleth in speach among thē which gouerne the Church say any other things but these For no man is aboue his maister neither hath hee which is weak in speaking lessened the tradition For seeing that the faith is al one the selfe same neither he which can say much maketh it more nor he whiche can saye lesse maketh it lesse Thus farre Ire This is therfore the tradition of the Apostles this is the true antiquitie of the Church this is the catholike consent And this is worthie to bee considered that hee affirmeth that those which were most eloquent among them which gouerne the Churches will say none other thinges but these Therefore so oft as the Papistes fable touching other trifles they are to be iudged to depart from the tradition of the Apostles from the vnitie of fayth and from the Catholike consent And Irenaeus rehearseth in the next Chapter as it were the common places which the Pastours of the Primitiue Church were accustomed to handle And of what matters did they then dispute Of Purgatorie Of the worshipping of Images Of holie water and of other Popishe trifles Not so Of what then Of the Apostacie of the Angels which transgressed of the fall and disobedience of the first men of the temporall and heauenly and earthly promises of the diuerse appearinges of GOD of the difference of the Testamentes why GOD concluded all thinges vnder vnbeleefe that hee might haue mercie vpon all of the cause of the incarnation and passion of the woorde why the Sonne of God came in the last times and not in the beginning of the calling of the Gentils of the ende of the worlde of the resurrection of the fleshe and of other questions of the like sorte drawen foorth of the middest of the Scripture Whereby it is plaine that nothing was accustomed to bee handled then in the Churche beside the Scriptures Againe the same Irenaeus sayth lib. 3. cap. 4. Forsomuch therefore as there be so great proofes we must not still seeke this truth among other which we may easily receiue from the church considering that the Apostles most plentifully layed vp in her as in a riche storehouse all thinges which appertayne to the truth that euery one that woulde might take foorth of her the water of life For she is the entraunce of life and all others are theeues and robbers for the which cause wee must auoyd them and must loue with great diligence those things which are the churches and to holde fast the tradition of the trueth For what and if any man reason of any small question ought hee not to haue recourse to the most auncient Churche wherein the Apostles were conuersant and to take from them touching the present question that which is certaine and verie playne But what and if the Apostles had not left vnto vs the Scriptures ought we not to folowe the order of the tradition which they deliuered to them vnto whom they committed the Churches vnto the which ordinaunce many nations of those barbarous people which beleeue in Christ doe assent hauing saluation written in their heartes by the spirite without character or ynke and keeping diligently the olde tradition beleeuing in one God the maker of heauen and earth and of all thinges which are in them through Christ Iesus the Sonne of God ▪ which for the most tender loue towarde his owne workemanshippe Man sustained that generation which was of the Virgin he himselfe of himselfe vniting the manhood to the Godhead and suffering vnder Pontius Pilate and rising againe and in clearnesse receiued in glorie to come the Sauiour of them which are saued and the iudge of them which are iudged and sending into eternall fire the counterfeiters of the trueth and the dispisers of his Father and of his comming They which beleeued this fayth without writing as touching their speache are barbarous but as touching their iudgement and custome and conuersation throughe their fayth are most wise and please GOD walking in all vprightnesse and chastitie and wisedome Heere hast thou agayne the true and auncient tradition of the Apostles described by Irenaeus whiche deliuereth nothing without and beside the Scripture but containeth the summe of the whole Scripture Nowe it remayneth likewise that wee heare Tertullian bearing witnesse of the tradition of the Apostles also The rule of faith saieth he is euen this whereby wee beleeue that there is but one God and none other but the maker of the worlde which brought all thinges foorth of nothing by his worde first of al sent foorth that that woorde was called his sonne in the name of the same God was diuersely seene of the Patriarches was alwayes hearde in the Prophetes was lastly brought by the spirite and power of God into the Virgin Marie was made fleshe in her wombe and was borne man of her
is that worthie wisedome which hitherto hath filled the mindes of the blinde Iewes with most foolish knowledges and hath caused worthie men otherwise in the Church and a great multitude folowing them to departe from the truth and to goe out of the way So that it is a most sure way to examine all traditions by what title so euer they be commended according to the rule of Scripture that that which hath not authoritie by the Scriptures may be by the same facilitie contemned whereby it is prooued as Hierome his saying well warneth vs. For the counsell of Chrysostome is wise which sayth Therefore the Lord knowing that there would come such a confusion in the last dayes doth commaund that the Christians which are in Christianitie willing to receiue the strength of the true faith shoulde runne to nothing but to the Scriptures otherwise if they shall regarde anie thing else they shall be offended and perish Againe Ierome sayeth The sworde of GOD striketh other things which men finde and deuise of their owne accorde without the authoritie and testimonies of the Scriptures as though they came by the tradition of the Apostles Therefore at all times and in euerie doubtfull matter we must flie to the Scripture which executeth the office of the chiefe Iudge in euerie controuersie of Diuinitie to whose sentence all traditions all Churches all Councels all deuises of men ought to stand and from the which it is not lawfull to appeale to anie other nor to depart from the worde of God and to giue our selues greedily to the traditions of men For he which heareth the scripture heareth the holy Ghost the authour of the Scriptures and reuerenceth him and contrarily he which despiseth the iudgement seate of the Scriptures and the iudgements giuen in the Scriptures will not quiet himselfe therewith despiseth the spirite of God and vseth himselfe more reprochfully against him than can be vttered And he which will not suffer himselfe to be led as it were by the hand by the guiding of the Scripture foorth of the thornes and briers of doubtes errours superstitions corruptions abuses is verie well worthie to wander out of the way he knoweth not whether to stray perpetually The Conclusion I haue prooued by a verie large and contentious disputation that the holie Scripture is God his worde wherein is inclosed a full and a perfect summe of heauenly wisedome Neither is there any thing necessarie to saluation which is not set forth in the Scriptures For if there had beene any thing needfull to be knowne God would not had omitted it since his will was to teache vs thereby not to the halfes but fully whatsoeuer his pleasure was that wee should know and which hee knewe to bee profitable for vs This is the onely foundation and piller of the liuely faith this is the sure bulwarke against the deceites of errours Foorth of this ought Heresies to bee confuted foorth of this ought doctrines chiefly to be discerned foorth of this ought definitions of fayth and assertions to be taken The Scripture is of most cleare and pearelesse authoritie so that all godly and faythfull vnderstanding ought to serue it And it is the Catholike consent of the Fathers yea and of all the Church that the Canonicall Scripture ought to bee preferred before all Churches all Councels although they bee generall all Traditions Decrees deuises writings of all men although they excell in learning and holinesse The Church doeth so reuerence and adore the fulnesse perfectnesse and soundnesse of the Scripture that she doeth accurse as wicked and false witnesses of God as detestable authours of offences Heresies and dissentions as proude vaine and fallen from the fayth so many as do preach beyonde the scripture Yea and she suspecteth euerie reuelation euerie prophecie euerie Tradition to bee briefe euerie rule of faith which is not grounded in the Law and the Prophets and the Gospel And the high perfection of the chiefe authoritie of the Scripture doeth not depende of the Church or of any testimonie of man but chiefly of the witnesse of the holy Ghost For the allowing of this doctrine went before the Church which was called sprong and increased by the worde and which is stayed vp by the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles as by a ground worke or proppe Although we doe not denie that the authoritie of the Church is then of some weight when as it consenteth and agreeth with the authoritie of the Scripture both for this purpose that the scriptures may be beleeued and also for this that the Scriptures may be well vnderstanded But the Church doeth not make newe articles of the fayth or a newe interpretation but is a witnesse and a restorer of the true and incorrupt meaning deliuered in the Scriptures and by the voice of the Apostles and carieth before her the light of the woorde to put awaye the darkenesse brought into the Scriptures by Heretikes And this is the care of the Church alwayes to confirme by Scripture whatsoeuer shee appoint For shee doeth reuerently acknowledge that her authoritie doeth staye it selfe by the woorde and doeth depende of the woorde For the Scripture is a plaine sure and infallible note of the Church For in the Scripture and no where else in so great varietie of sectes and repugnancie of opinions is the Church to bee sought knowne and prooued and by it to bee esteemed Where the Scripture is heard there is the Church there doe the sheepe knowe the voyce of the sheepheard And if the doctrine of trueth bee buried the Church vanisheth forthwith from mens eyes Neither doeth the Church reigne ouer our fayth neither doeth shee require to bee beleeued but so farre foorth as shee speaketh the woordes of god For when as shee doeth confesse that shee receiueth her authoritie and credite from the Scripture onely shee submitteth her selfe obediently to the holie Scriptures Therefore whatsoeuer shee affirmeth or denieth whatsoeuer shee appointeth or commaundeth or disappointeth or forbiddeth shee woulde haue it knowne and beleeued that shee bringeth foorth therein not her owne or anie other mans or creatures but the wordes and sense of God but of Christ Therefore the Church doeth not erre for she followeth her owne iudgement in nothing but euery where and in all thinges obeyeth Gods worde wherein there is no darkenesse no errours And if she do otherwise this saying of Scripture is true Let euerie man be a lyer and God onely true In deede the Church is the piller and ground of truth because she is keeper of sounde doctrine and publisheth it to them which come after least it should faile in the worlde And that is the holie and diuine Scripture which the consent of the Church doeth allowe and approoue but this consent and this approbation is not the deuise of man but a necessarie confession and a testification expressed by the force of the truth which doeth not bring to passe that the authoritie of the