Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	heart_n	know_v	soul_n	7,408	5	4.7811	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17191	A most godly and learned discourse of the woorthynesse, authoritie, and sufficiencie of the holy scripture also of the cleerenesse, and plainnesse of the same, and of the true vse thereof. Wherin is discussed this famous question: whether the canonical scriptures haue authoritie from the church, or rather the church receiue authoritie from the Scriptures. By occasion wherof are touched the dignities and duties of the church, touching traditions, with aunswere to all obiections. Translated out of Latine into English, by Iohn Tomkys: and dedicated to the right honorable Sir Richarde Pipe, knight, lorde maior of the citie of London.; De scripturae sanctae praestantia. English.	Tomkys, John.; Bullinger, Heinrich, 1504-1575.	1579 (1579)	STC 4067; ESTC S112817	96,469	260

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 cre●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 contētion 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

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 thē 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 cā 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 remēbrance 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 ●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 ▪ that the scripture hath not her authoritie chiefly frō 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 ●f necessitie by the authoritie of the Church which are expressed in no part ●f the Scriptures make this as a great ●rgument as they thinke that there are ●ut foure Gospels onely which may not ●e discredited without the perill of losse ●f saluation and that it appeareth by no Scripture that the other Scriptures which we haue are Canonicall wor●hie credite Neither are the titles there●f the titles of the Scripture but put to ●y others Therefore say they if we shall ●eceiue nothing but that which is in the Scriptures then shall wee not receiue ●he scriptures themselues Nowe that I may disclose the deceitfulnesse of this argumēt the indifferent reader must know ●hat the Canonicall Scripture hath her ●uthoritie chiefly from the holy Ghost ●y whose motion and inspiration it was ●et forth as lately wee did declare And ●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 ●hem And by writing his Gospel hee ●ade an ende of writing Gospels And ●herefore saieth hee

counterfeite Epistles as though they had come from Paul and from the other Apostles were obtruded vnto the Churches Paul did note his owne naturall Epistles with a peculiar signe of his owne hande least false Epistles should be put in the place of those which were true For this cause read we in the ende of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians The salutation of me Paul with mine owne hand which is the token in euery Epistle So I write The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all Amen What say you to this moreouer that Tertullian reporteth that the authentike and originall Epistles of the Apostles that is to say their owne hand writings were kept euen in his time in those Churches to whome they were written And the Epistles of Paul are approued by the expressed testimonie of Peter And Iohn concludeth his Epistle thus These things haue I written vnto you that beleeue on the name of the Sonne of GOD that you may knowe that you haue eternall life and that you may beleeue 〈◊〉 the name of the Sonne of God. ●●d hee finisheth the Reuelation with ●●is most weightie calling to witnesse ●●estifie vnto euerie man that heareth t●e woordes of the prophecie of this ●●oke if anie man shall adde vnto ●●ese sayings God shall adde vnto him ●●e plagues that are written in this booke And if anie man shall take away from the wordes of the booke of this prophesie God shall take awaye ●is part out of the booke of life and ●ut of the holie Citie and from the ●hings which are writtē in this booke Therefore that is the Gospel of the Ca●●olike Church whiche being put in ●riting God hath sealed for his worde And this is the cause that the Churches ●f all ages haue taken the bookes of the ●ewe Testament for authentike which ●n these dayes we do with reuerence ac●nowledge for authentike and which we doe most constantly affirme ought to he beleeued There is a most euident testimonie touching this matter in Irenaeus The Church sayth he learned the true and liuely faith of the Apostles and distributed it to her children For the Lorde of all gaue the power of the Gospel to his Apostles through whom we haue also knowne the trueth that is to say the doctrine of the sōne of God vnto whom also the Lord said He that heareth you heareth me he that despiseth you despiseth me he that despiseth me c. For we haue not knowne the setting in order of our saluation by any other then by them by whom the Gospel came to vs which then they did preach and afterwarde by the will of God deliuered vnto vs in the Scriptures to be the foundation and piller of our fayth Thou hearest by the testimonie of this most ancient and holy Bishop that the Apostles did afterward by the will of God deliuer vnto vs in writing the same Gospell which first they published with liuely voyce that this written Gospell might be the foundation and piller of our fayth And although hee doeth vrge this poynt That all Churches taught and instructed by the Apostles shoulde keepe the vnitie of 〈◊〉 founded in the Scriptures yet doth ●●twithstanding maintaine this also ●●at the Scripture is the schole of per● and absolute wisedome Moreouer although all thinges that ●●ist did be not written nor all the ser●●s which he made bee not set downe writing worde for word least the num●●● of bookes should be infinite yet hath 〈◊〉 holy Ghost chosen forth those things ●e written which might suffise for the ●●●●ruction and confirmation of the faith ●he elect as Augustine plainelie tea●●th forth of the word of Iohn the E●●●gelist For whereas the Lord Iesus ●eth he did manie things all are not ●●itten as euen the selfe same holy E●●ngelist him selfe witnesseth That the ●●rde Christ both did and spake ma●e things which are not written But ●●ose things were chosen foorth and ●ritten which did seeme to be suffici●●t for the faith of the faithful There●●re euen by the witnesse and consent of ●ugustine those things are plentifullie ●ritten which the holy Ghost iudged to 〈◊〉 inough for the obteyning of the true knowledge of Christe and of the blessed life Cyrillus in his 12. booke vpon Iohn doeth agree to Augustine All thinges saith he which the Lorde did are notwritten but the writers thought those thinges which are written sufficient aswell for manners as for doctrine that we shining in right faith good workes may come to the kingdome of heauen through Iesus Christ Thus much hath he Neither doth it followe herevpon that those thinges which were not written were vaine and to no purpose They were then verie profitable for the confirming and erecting of the Church of Christe Yet notwithstanding the whole Gospel was moste faithfully drawen into that summe which might fully suffise them that should come after The iiii Chapter The place of Ieremie his 31. Chapter is discussed also it is shewed that the Apostles wrote the Gospel by the will of God. ●Ntichrist his garde setteth vpon vs 〈◊〉 in this place wresteth a dart forth 〈◊〉 Ieremie which wee must needes ●e howe weake it is to proue that ●●●ch they goe about Truely they abuse ●oo shamefully the holie oracles of ●●d who by wresting these woordes of 〈◊〉 Prophete vnto a cleane contrarie ●ishe and absurde sense goe about to ●●●re the eyes of the simple and to di●ishe the maiestie of the Scripture ●●d as they which in scholes geue them ●●●ues to shew their fine witts and which ●●ercise themselues in eloquence do fight ●●ainst elequence with the weapons of ●●oquence euen so doe these by the coun●●naunce of Scripture endeuour to o●●rthrowe the authoritie of Scripture ●ut they are cloudes easie to be scatte●●d with a verie smal blast of an answere ●ieremie doeth prophesie that an other ●ouenaunt must bee made in the name ●f God but not so as it was made in time ●ast with the fathers And amongst other ●hinges he saith vnder the person of God ● will plante my lawe in the inwarde partes of them and write it in their heartes and will bee their God and they shal be my people And frō thence foorth shall no man teache his neighbour or his brother and saye Knowe the Lord but they shall all knowe me from the lowest to the highest saieth the Lorde for I will forgiue their misdeedes and wil neuer remember their sinnes anie more Vnto this prophesie do they ioyne the place of Paul in the second to the Corinthians and third chapter Ye are our Epistle written in our heartes vnderstoode and read of all men For as much as ye are manifestly declared that yee are the Epistle of Christe ministred by vs written not with ynke but with the Spirit of the liuing God not in stonie tables but in fleshlie tables of the heart They would proue forth of these places that the

vppon you and ye shall be cleane yea from all your vncleannesse and from all your idol● 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 vpō 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 cōpassion 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 ●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 ●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 forgeuē 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 know●● to men and hath moste plentifully ●estowed all the treasures of his hea●enly riches vpon mankinde So that ●e ministerie of the lawe and of Moses ●e Lawegiuer in comparison of the mi●isterie of the Gospel may seeme verie ●arraine and drie and as Saint Paule ●earmeth it onely the deade letter desti●ute of the liuely iuyce of God his spi●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 expoūd those things which at the first sight semed to be cōtrarie 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 ●●●ceiued goodnesse doeth not lead vs ●●y from the Lawe and testimonie to know not what vnsauerie traditions doeth delight in the law of God and ●geth to passe that our will is in the ●we of the Lord and that we exercise 〈◊〉 selues therin day and night although other law striue still in our members ●●●inst the lawe of the minde vntill the ●●wnesse which from day to day is in●ased in the inwarde man all oldnesse ●ng chaunged passe away The grace God thorow Iesus Christ our Lorde ●iuering vs from the bodie of this ●ath Moreouer who is he nowe but hee ●y see by the premisses howe iustly the ●rt may bee turned backe vpon our ad●rsaries which they foolishly and rash● wrested forth of the Prophesie of Iere●ie The Lorde giueth his lawe into ●●r heartes and writeth it in our bowels ●ith his finger and bringeth to passe ●at we walke in his statutes and keepe ●s iudgements and doe them he lighteth our mindes with the knowledge of ●●m he freely forgiueth our sinnes and putteth away our iniquities Therefore let vs sanctifie and glorifie him and turne from these iuglers

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

propertie of the doctrine of the newe Testament is so appointed by God him selfe that it can neither be written in tables nor in papers nor with penne nor with ynke nor by any other meanes What and if some Libertine with the Euthusiastes make further exception that the ●●●●rine of God cannot be deliuered by 〈◊〉 voyce forsomuch as God his will ●●to illuminate mennes mindes with ●●●●ledge that they shall all know him 〈◊〉 the least to the greatest so that no 〈◊〉 shal haue neede to teache his neigh● saying Knowe the Lorde What 〈◊〉 they I beseeche you aunswere for 〈◊〉 traditions yet dare they goe furth●● insomuch that they say that it was 〈◊〉 without his commaundement in 〈◊〉 the Euangelistes and Apostles did ●●mitte certeine things to writing be●●●se the Lorde commaunded them to ●●eache and not to write and also be●●●se the worde of God conteyned in the ●●spell is of such a nature that it can 〈◊〉 be expressed in writing And yet the ●●hour of the Epistle to the Hebrues ●he middest of his writing whilest hee ●●eth downe the doctrine of the niewe ●●●enant in writing alledgeth the selfe ●ne sentence of Hieremie And Paule ● nowe alreadie written both the E●●●tle to the Thessalonians and the first ●pistle to the Corinthians when hee ●yed Not with ynke but with the spirite of God yea he did deliuer the selfe same then not with liuely voice but in writing did purpose to write more afterwarde It is therefore plaine that neither the Apostles did so vnderstande the sentence of Hieremie nor Paul his owne saying as these triflers faine that is to say that the doctrine of Christe and his Apostles cannot beare to be comprehended and deliuered in writing Certainely if their sentence may preuaile it will followe that the Apostles and Euangelists did wickedly beside yea rather against the minde of the Lorde blemishe the doctrine of grace in that they did committe that worde to writing and papers which is vnapt to bee written and vnto which suche a propertie is allotted by God that by no meanes it ought to bee committed to writing And hath hellish rage so blinded them that they cannot consider this These are they forsooth which bring the professoures of the sincere doctrine into hatred and accuse them of noueltie when as they them selues doe mocke the Churche with niewe foolishe and 〈◊〉 deuises Who at anie time be●●●hem did so vnderstande or inter●●● Hieremie Augustine a man of a 〈◊〉 sharpe witte in that booke which ●ote of the spirit and letter handleth place of the Prophete at large and ●eaketh he not so much as one worde ●●is interpretation neither doeth anie 〈◊〉 olde writers agree with them there 〈◊〉 Where is then this consent of the ●●rche which they so greatly bragge ●●nd require Are these Giauntes so ●●de to thinke that they haue seene 〈◊〉 which hath escaped the most excel●●● lights of the Church Fie for shame ●●e foolishe and friuolous is that diffe●●●ce of the olde and newe Testament ●●ich they appoint Truely this reward ●●e they for contemning the scripture ●●t they may staine the maiestie thereof ●●h their wicked toyes you may see ●●m that I may vse the woordes of Ba●● weaue the lenowe webbe of the spi●●t But let vs singularly reuerence the ●earle troden vnder foote by hogges ●●d keepe it most religiously Let vs therefore see the most sweete sentence of this excellent prophesie full of Euangelicall and heauenly comfort Therefore shall it appeare that the Prophetment nothing lesse than that which these goe about to wreste forth of his wordes yea rather that this place is directly against them Moreouer no man will doubte which shall heare Paule the Apostle and the epistle to the Hebrues who are the most certaine interpreters of this prophesie but that this prophesie doeth wholie appertaine to the kingdom and time of Christ and that the diuine Prophete did prophesie in this place of the benefit of Christ And God doth promise by expresse wordes That hee will make a newe couenant with his people to heale the weakenesse of the first and to correct the corruptions whiche were crepte into it by no faute of God but thorowe the noughtinesse of the people who as league breakers were departed from it neither tooke him according to the conditions of the league for their God in beleeuing him worshipping him and obeying his lawes For they ●ere weaker by meanes of their natu●●ll vanitie corruption and stubburnesse ●●en that they coulde frame themselues ●●roughly to the folowing of GOD his ●ill and to perfect obedience Where●ore that league was broken oftentimes ●hrough their vnfaithfulnesse What ●houlde God therefore doe if he had bin willing to haue dealt according to extremitie of lawe and to haue punished them for breaking the league he might forthwith haue forsaken the people which brake the league and as they deserued haue cast them of and haue appointed them to suffer euerlasting torments But the vsing his greate mercie suche is his goodnesse and loue towardes mankinde was rather willing to spare those miserable men and their weakenesse then without mercie and with seueritie to reuenge the iniuries done vnto him Therefore he shewed the remedie when he promised that he woulde make a niewe couenaunt with his people which once he chose vnto himselfe Which couenante as touching the matter and substance is moste niew For his will was not by changing his purpose after the manner of men to backe and to make frustrate that which once he had decreed neither did he make a newe couenant cleane contrarie to the first For God his purpose is vnchangeable although as touching the properties or qualities it may be iudged after a sorte niewe Which thing Chrysostome hath expressed by a verie goodlie similitude Beholde saith he this also is niew when as some things thereof are taken away and some things remaine as if one alter an olde ruinous house thorowly and lay new foūdations we say foorthwith he hath made it niewe when as he hath but taken away some thinges and chaunged some thinges Therefore GOD pitying the state of mankinde hath dayly ioyned greater benefites and hath more and more polished that which as yet to his ancient benefites was rude and only begonne and hath made it perfecte Of this new or rather renewed league there be chiefly three principall pointes whereby GOD cureth all the inwarde diseases of mankinde and re●●oreth him to perfect health And these ●ointes are the inwarde reforming of ●ens heartes the lightening of their mindes to the knowledge of God and ●he free forgiuenesse of their sinnes of the which inestimable benefites to bee bestowed in the time of the Gospel not onelie Hieremie but also the rest of the prophetes haue prophecies And of the reformation and correction of heartes that is to say of regeneration and newe birth Ezechiel hath prophesied moste clearely of all I will sprinckle saith he cleane water