the knowledge of all such things as shal be necessary to our own salvation Marcus Aemilius Seaurus when he was accused to haue received mony to betray the common vvealth beganne in his ovvne defence after this manner It is O yee Romanes an harde course vvhereas I haue lived in one place to giue an accounte of my life in another yet I vvil be bold to make vnto you this one demaunde VARIVS SVCRONENSIS saieth that MARCVS AEMILIVS SCAVRVS beeing corrupted vvith bribes hath purposed to betray the people of Rome MARCVS AEMILIVS SCAVRVS denieth himselfe to be guilty of any such crime To vvhich of vs vvill yee giue credite The plainetise and the defendant beeing only named the people straight-vvaies refused to take notice of any such accusation So may the vvorde of God contained in the Canonicall Scriptures complaine of great vvtonge offered vnto her by the Church of Rome and say Oh yee Papistes yee haue expelled mee in your schooles and assemblies out of the seat of iudgement as I vvas delivered vnto you in my originalles and out of the handes of the people in their vulgar and knowne languages and tongues and haue accused mee to bee darke and obscure and full of ambiguities and harde to bee vnderstoode but I say that I am a lanterne to your feete and a lighte shining in a darke Psal 119. place and plaine and easie to him that vvill vnderstande And now 2. p. 1. Pro. 8. vvhich of vs I praye you deserue to bee credited the more Surelye hee is most vvorthye to bee deceived that vvill giue more credite to the slaunderous accusation of the Antichristian Church of Rome then to the most evident and plaine testimonye of the vvoorde of God for the clearing and iustifying of it selfe Nowe then seeing that our doctrine is plaine that wee must renounce our selues and our ovvne fancies and condemne all our owne imagination of blindnesse and folly and continually resort by our prayer to God and by our study vnto his vvorde as vnto the onely vnerring teacher of all trueth allowing of no one pointe of faith that is not most evidently set dovvne in the Canonical Scriptures therefore wee are most vniustly charged to teach the people to make choice of their faith according vnto their owne private fancies and so to open a doore vnto heresies vvhereas in trueth the Church of Rome herselfe teaching the people in divine matters somevvhat to relye vpon the naturall light of their owne vnderstandings and vpon the choice of their owne free vvill as likewise vpon the censures of Popes and canons Aug. l. 2. de bapt cap. 3. The doctrine of the word of God is catholike albeit it be embraced but by one alone and the doctrine of men are private albeit they be received by never so many 1. Kin. 19 10. Ier. 15. 10. 1. Kin. 22. 8. of Councels which may deceiue and bee deceived wherof the latter may correct the former as experience taught Saint Augustine to iudge and vpon traditions and vnwritten verities hath giuen them occasion to make choice of such things as shall best fitte their owne fancies and bee most agreeable to the humours of men and so hath set them in the ready way to embrace errour insteed of truth and to fall from verity into damnable heresie That doctrine we may be sure is sound catholike which hath his foundation in the Canonical scriptures the which hath his authority from the first author and not from the professours there of the which is not to be condemned for private and singular albeit it bee embraced but by one man For as Panormitan coulde avouch one singular man alleadging Scripture is to bee preferred before a generall Councell as it vvas put in practise in the Councell of Nice vvhere the sentence of Paphâ—utius vvas preferred before the generall opinion of the vvhole assembly Elias Ieremias and other of the prophets that vvere raised vp by God in their several times to reforme the worshippe of God that was generally corrupted had fewe and sometimes none at all to assist them in the execution of their charge but were after a fort left alone to contend and striue with the vvhole earth and yet their prophesies and interpretations of Scriptures were not condemned by any of the faithfull for private and singular for that as S. Peter testifieth they proceeded not from the 2. Pet. 1. 20. wil of man but from the motion of the spirit of God So in the primitiue church albeit Liberius bishop of Rome stood after a fort alone against the Arrians in the defence of the most Catholike doctrine of the divine nature of the coessential and consubstantial son of God and interpreted the scriptures for the confirmation of that faith yet his alonenes made not his interpretations private but that they were most catholike and sounde For whatsoever proceedeth from men be they few or many that is to be taken for private and vnfounde and certainely in the ende it shall come to nought whereas not one lote or tittle of the law shal Act. 5. 38. Mat. 5. 18. perish til al things be fulfilled Vnder the time of the law for that in the bookes of Moses all points of faith were not set downe with such perspicuity plainnes that they could be so fully easily vnderstood then as they may now vnder the gospel therfore the Lord raised vp vnto theÌ„ many vnerring interpreters for the supplying of that defect Yet hee did not giue any such ordinary and perpetuall priviledge to the successors of Aaron that they should be alwaies maintainers of truth albeit they made claime to such a prerogatiue as it may appeare by their own vaunts The law shall not perish from the priest Ier. 18. 18. nor counsell froÌ„ the ancient but he raised vp Prophets extraordinarily when and where he thought good who were priviledged in deed from falling into heresie and from the misinterpreting of the law of God and by them he reformed al such abuses as were crept into his owne worship and service But now al revelations are ceased and the raysing vp of vnerring interpreters is come to an end for that in the writings of the Apostles and Evangelists al points of faith necessary to salvation are set down with al perspiculty and plainenes and for that also there is very great aboundance of the spirit given to al the faithful servaÌ„ts of Christ which reverently and religiously employ themselues in the zealous study of those holy bookes The Apostle Saint Iohn writing to the 1. Ioh. 2. 27. church concerning deceivers telleth the faithful that the means wherby they must be armed against them is to hold fast that doctrine which they had heard from the beginning the which being throughly setled in their hearts by the effectuell working of the spirit of God wherewithal they were before annointed and made christians they needed not that any man should teach theÌ„ Not that the continual
all treachery periurie and lies it may appeare in that shee allovveth her base children beeing brought even before the Magistrate to pretende ignoraunce vvhen they knovve the matter right vvell but as they say not to open it to SVCH in that also shee allovveth vvell of breach of faith and promise made to such as shee accounteth and condemneth for heretikes VVhereby vvee may perceaue hovve vvell shee leadeth her follovvers to the Lordes hill and to the holy tabernacle of his heavenly kingdome vvherevnto none are admitted but such as sweare to their neighbour and disappoint him not though it bee to their â—vvne hinderaunce Psal 15. 4. 10 Lastly albeit the lawe being spirituall setteth downe a rule to our soules and spirites and to all the very motions and affections of our heartes forbidding all such as tende either to the dishonour of God or to our neighbours hurt yet the church of Rome teacheth that concupiscence if it get not the full consent of our vvill and a setled resolution to accomplish the same is not a transgression Rom. 7. 7. In ipsa deliberatione â—acinus est tametsi ad actum non perveneris Cic. off l. 3. Nam scelâ—…â—nira se tacitum qui concipit vllum Facti crimen habet Horat. of the lavve of GOD neither can bee iustly condemned of sinne VVhereas the Apostle testifying of himselfe that hee had not knowne concâ—pisâ—…nce to bee sinne excepte the lawe had saide thou shalt not lust meaneth not in all likely hoode that kinde of lust which is ioyned vvith a full consent of the vvill for so hee being brought vp at the feete of a learned Doctor in the lavve shoulde haue had lesse knovvledge then the very heathen themselues of vvhom some could say that the very consultation to sinne was sinne albeit it came not to execution and that a bare purpose to doe evill maketh guilty of the deede done CHAP. 10. That by the law there is no entraunce to life but only by faith in Christ Iesus that the law detecteth the deadly wounde of sinne but ministreth not the soveraigne salue causeth not favour but wrath not a blessing but a curse directing vs to Christ to trust in his death and not suffering vs to rest in our selues nor yet to trust in our â—vvne righteousnesse COncerning the vses of the law it is manifest The vses of â—…e law that the lavve vvas giuen to teach vs how farre vve are endebted to God being an obligatioÌ„ wherin we are bound that vnder a great forfeiture to loue God vvithall our heart soule and strength our neighbours as our selues Whereby vve may easily collect hovv vnable vvee are to discharge this â—ebt For in the regenerate themselues the flesh albeit it be subdued in part yet it still rebelleth against the spirit Rom. 7. 23. neither is it vtterly vanquished and overcome but is one of those enemies that we must still fight against vntill the finall ende of our spirituall warfare which is not vntill the last gaspe of this traÌ„sitory life So that all the time of our continuance heere in this worlde the lawe of God is impossible in respect of the flesh and such an Rom. 8. 3. Act. 15. 10. heavy and vveighty burden that none of the faithfull were ever able to beare and therefore this vvay to life is cleane shut vp doe this and thou shall liue because of the impossibility of the condition And yet the church of Rome teacheth that we may in this life fulfil the vvhole law and discharge our huge debt yea and make payment in part also for the debt of other Furthermore the law thus opening that perfect righteousnes which the Lorde requireth at our hands and our inability to performe the same is therefore said to bring vs to the knowledge of our sinnes and sinne provoking vvrath Rom. 3. 20. Rom 4. 15. Gal. 3. 10. it is said also to worke wrath and the wrath of God being not vnarmed it is also said to make vs subiect to the curse and for that the faithfull thus beholding their great danger are thereby stirred vp to seeke for deliverance it is called our schoole mâ—…ster that bringeth Rom. 10 4. Gal. 3. 24. vs to Christ which is our only deliverer and redeemer Contrary to all which most evident vses of the lavv set dovvne by the Apostle the church of Rome teacheth that the law bringeth vs not so much to the knowledge of our sins in the transgression therof as to the knowledge of our perfect righteousnes which is obtained by the full keeping and obseruing of the same and so consequently not to wrath but to favour not to the curse but to the blessing not to death but to life to trust in our selues and in our owne righteousnes and not to glory alone in the death of Christ as in the only meritorious cause of our great deliverance Thus hath the Bishoppe and church of Rome not only vndermined the foundations of faith but also hath subverted the lavve of God the rule and levell of a godly life Now if hee that breaketh Math. 5. 19. the least of the commaundementes and teacheth other to doe the like shall bee called least in the kingdome God vvhat shall then become of that man of sinne and of his sinnefull generation vvhich 2. Th. 2. 3. allovve not onely of the transgression of one of the least of these commaundementes but of every one of them little and great yea what strange either impudencie or hypocrisie may we iustlie thinke to possesse their soules for that they yet so greatly extoll their owne sincerity and rightnes as if truth iustice and godlines did after a sort liue and die vvith them and as if they were the Iob. 12. 2. onelye men that flowed and abounded with all good vvorkes vvhereas they thus violate and disanull the sacred and inviolable lavve of God the rule and levell of all good vvorkes Surely if sanctitie in doctrine bee a sure note of an holy church and impurity of an impure as Bellarmine saith howe impure then is the church of Rome whose impure doctrine thus offendeth against all the rules of sanctity and godlines CHAP. 11. 1 That we ought to make our prayers only to God 2 That we ought to sanctifie the name of God by giuing to him that glorie which is due vnto him 3 That we ought to promote the gospell of Christ being the only meanes for the erecting of his kingdome 4 That all the faithful without exception and not such as are of the Religious sort only ought to endevour to fulfill the will of God even after that manner as it is performed of the Angels in heaven 5 That the faithfull enioy their daily breade â—y the most franke and free gifte of God and not by their â—vvne merites and deservinges and therefore much more the release and remission of all their trespasses and sinnes 6 That vvee ought neither to cast our selues nor yet to cause
of their Idolatries was their following of the corrupt customs of their owne countries and their refusall of the ordinaunces and 2. Kin. 17. 34 lawes of God And what was the cause that the Iewes theÌ„selues also which had the law and the prophets to direct them in al the waies of God did so often fall away from the service of God and defile theÌ„selues with abominable Idolatries but that they either vtterly forsooke the directioÌ„ of the word of God and follovved their owne inventions or the corrupte customes of their forefathers or else they mingled their owne dreames and the traditioÌ„s of their elders togither with the worshippe of God delivered in his worde which ought to haue bin kept pure and sincere without any mixture without any such hotch-potch mingle maÌ„gle The cause of the Idolatries that so much abouÌ„ded in the time of the Iudges was for that there was no king in Israel who was to coÌ„mand Iud. 17. 1. the carefull keeping of the law of God but every man did that which was good in his owne eies And what was the cause of those outragious dolatries in the daies of the kings especially in the daies of Manasses and Amon his sonne but this that the lavve of 2. Chro 34. 14. God was so neglected that the very autheÌ„tical coppy therof given by the hand of Moses himselfe was lost And if we will know also what was the cause of those damnable Idolatries that so prevailed in the daies of the prophets we may heare the same out of their mouthes who were the principall actors or at the least the chiefe abetters therof The word say they to the prophet Ieremy which thou hâ—st spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord we will not heare Ier 44. 16. it of thee but we will doe whatsoever goeth out of our owne mouth as to â—…rae incense to the Queene of heaven and to powre out our drinke offerings vnto her as we haue done both we and our Fathers our kings our Princes in the cittie of Iudah and in the streetes of Ierusalem for then had we plenty of victuals and were well and felt none evill Their wilful reiecting of the word of God and their obstinate resolution to follovve their ovvne customes and the practise of their forefathers vvas the cause of all their abominable Idolatries Neither vvas the vtter reiecting of the woorde of GOD the cause of so many corruptions in the Iewish religion but alâ—o the mingling therewith of their ovvne Inventions and of the traditions of their forefathers For in the Lordes fielde there oughte nothing to bee sowen but the most pure seede of the worde of God whatsoever is beside the same it is not good corne but cockle and darnell and they of the Lordes family are onely to be fedde with the holesome foode of that vvorde which is provided for their sustenaunce by their heavenly master whatsoever meate they take beside it is corrupte leaven yea deadly poison And therefore both GOD himselfe did most sharpely reproue the hypocriticall Iewes in the time of the Prophete Isay and our Saviour CHRIST the Scribes and Phaâ—isies in his dayes not foc that they did vtterlie reiect the service of GOD prescribed in his own word for it is cleare manifest that they did not so but for that they did corrupt the same with the mingling of their owne leaven they condemne that worship for Isa 20. 14. Mat. 1â— 9. vaine which is prescribed either wholy or in part by the precepts and doctrines of men And verily as in the bodies of men either want of good holesome food or the receiving of corrupt and bad either wholy or but in parte is the cause of many bodily disâ—ases even so either the want of the holesome food of the worde of God or the receiving of the corrupt food of humane doctrins either wholy or in part doth breed many sins corruptioÌ„s in our soules and make them sicke even to death Yea this hath bred al manner of errours heresies and Idolatries in all ages and at all times This was the cause of errour vnder the law and that amoÌ„g the Lords own people They erred in their hearts saieth the Lorde Psa 95. 10. himselfe because they haue not knowne my waies And why erred the Sadducies at the time of our Saviours appearing in the flesh so grosly and that in the chiefest grounds principles of the faith Mark 12. 23 Aug. in psa 131. Cyp. de simpl praelatorum Chrys hom 3. de Laza Yee erre saith our Saviour vnto them not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God This is the cause of all evill saith Austine that the scriptures are not knowne Hence saith Cyprian proceede errours for that menreturne not to the head nor seeke to the spring of truth nor keepe the doctrine of our heavenly Master The reading of the scriptures saith Chrysostome is a strong fortresse against sinne and the ignoraunce of them is a great downefull and a deepe hell to know nothing of â—he divine lawes is a great losse of salvation this thing hath bred heresies and brought in a corrupt life and hath turned al topsie turvy For how can it otherwise be but that health must needes decay and sicknesse grow where either holesome foode is not received at all or else is not received alone without the mixture of that which is corrupt And how can it otherwise bee but that weedes must needes spring vp where either good seed is not sowen at al or else not without the mixture of cockle and darnell And how can it otherwise be but that such must needs be misledde which either will not at all follow those are vnerring guides or else will not be guided by them alone but by such also as may be deceived Wherfore in that the church of Rome doth not only keep the greatest part of the people from the liberty of reading the holie scriptures but also doth mingle with the pure foode thereof the corrupt leaven of humane doctrines it cannot otherwise be but that spiritual sicknesses must grow in her apace ghostly health and strength greatly decay And seeing that shee soweth in the harts of the people not the sincere seede of the worde of God alone but also the darnell of mens inventions it caÌ„not be but that weedes must neâ—des mount vp and overgrowe the good corne And seeing she will haue her followers ledde by bookes Apocripha vnwritten verities ordinaunces of the Church decrees of Popes canons of Councels rules of Friers customes of the multitude traditions of forefathers and the like and not by the books alone of the Canonicall scriptures who are the only sure and vndeceiueable guides it is no marvaile that shee hath beene so misledde out of the way of truth hath wandred in the by-pathes of heresies and Idolatries even as the Idolatrous Iewes and Gentiles haue bin before her for that they followed the same