therefore stande that I may vse Basill his woordes to the arbitrament of Scripture geuen by inspiration from God and let the sentence of trueth be adiudged vnto them amongest whom doctrines agreeing with God his worde are founde It liketh me to set downe in this place the most beautifull sentence of Cyprian which Augustine affirmeth to bee without doubte moste excellent It is a short way saith he with religious and simple mindes both to lay away errour and to finde foorth and trie out the truth For if we returne to the heade and fountaine of GOD his tradition man his errour ceaseth if the Conduit pipe of water which before did runne plentifully and aboundantly doe faile of a souddeine doe they not goe to the fountayne that the cause of the defecte may foorthwith bee knowen whether it bee drie in the head by meanes that the vaynes of the well are dried vp or whether it runne sounde and full from thence and stoppe in the middle of his passage The which thing also the Priestes of GOD must doe and if in anie thing the trueth shall totter and shake lette vs returne to the fountayne and welspring of the Lorde and of the Euanlistes and to the tradition of the Apostles and from thence let the reason of our doing rise from whence both the order and beginning sprang These thinges are written in his Epistle to Pompeius agaynst the Epistle of Stephanus Therefore by the consente of al the olde writers the writings of the Prophetes and Apostles are the rules of iudgementes in euerie proofe examination and triall of doctrines I knowe Tertullian writeth elsewhere that wee must not appeale to the Scriptures neither offer in them to contende wherein the victorie is eyther none at all or vncertaine or at the least none verie certayne But marke against whom hee reasoneth For so hath hee a little before these woordes This heresie doeth not receiue certayne Scriptures and if it receiue anie it altereth and chaungeth them craftely by putting to taking from for the framing of their purpose Although it doe receaue them yet doeth it not receaue the whole And though it doe receiue the whole after a sorte yet doeth it notwirhstanding peruerte them deuising straunge expositions As greately is an adulterous sense against the trueth as is a corrupt maner of writing Diuerse presumptions will not acknowledge those thinges whereby they are ouerthrowen c. Therefore forsomuch as proofe foorth of the Scriptures coulde nothing preuayle amongest suche he deemeth that controuersies touching faith are to be discussed foorth of the Scriptures because those which were of the right faith wearied themselues without fruite and because the malapertnesse of Heretikes coulde not bee brideled but that they woulde still contende although they were an hundred times ouercommen Hee woulde therefore haue an ende of vayne and vnprofitable strifes and contentions and especially seeing that the Apostle forbidâ—eth after the first or second admonition to reason anie more with him that is â—n Heretike Otherwise what doeth he himselfe in so manie bookes With what swoorde with what weapons hath â—e slaine Marcion Praxeas Hermogenes and others but with the simple woorde of God Therefore when the matter so requireth he proueth not onely the wordes but also by example that we must both dispute and define none otherwise but onely forth of the worde of God it selfe Neither haue all the professours of the right fayth vsed anie other meane when they defended the right â—nd pure faith against Heretikes as we â—aue alreadie shewed The bookes of God are open sayth Augustine let vs not turne away our eyes The Scripâ—ure crieth let vs hearken For they would not haue the authoritie of man â—ut of God to be able to ende controuerâ—ies and to heale men Yet doe the Papistes reclaime afâ—irming that controuersies cannot be deâ—ermined forth of Scripture onely or â—hat iudgement can be giuen forth of it touching the matter of fayth For they say that the Scripture is subiect to the wicked and ambitious expositions of Heretikes and that it may be wrested to diuerse meanings and that it is doubtfull and darke Therefore doe they call vs backe foorthwith to the definition of the Church which as it is without all falsehood so may it be taken for the true and certaine rule of fayth It is a solemne thing amongest these Sophistes to declaime of the doubtfulnesse hardnesse and darkenesse of the Scriptures to turne mens mindes from the Scripture to the traditions of their Church that is to saye from the authoritie of God to the authoritie of men neither is this shift of theirs newe The old Heretikes also vsed the same who when they were reproued by the Scriptures vsed these cauillations that the Scriptures are diuersely spoken that is to saye according to the speech of our aduersaries doubtfull apt to be applied euerie way vncertaine moreouer that the truth can not be founde forth by the Scriptures if a man know not the tradition that is to say as our aduersaries nowe vtter it that the scriptures are not sufficient and that the trueth was not deliuered by writings but by liuely voice For the which cause say they Paule sayde We speake wisedome among them that are perfect not the wisedome of this world Iulianus also the Pelagian with whom Augustine had so great conflictes and whose wordes and argumentes these our aduersaries vse in their disputations verie willingly was wont to stande muche vppon this that the knowledge of holie Scriptures is verie harde and meete for a fewe of the learned sort Neither are these fellowes ashamed to haue the saying of an Heretike in so great admiration But Paule when he affirmeth that faith commeth by hearing God his worde doeth not onely make it the true and certaine rule of fayth but the onely rule thereof But when wee must contend with Heretikes say the aduersaries of the truth then doe the scriptures little preuaile because they can so easily shift theÌ„ off Yet thought I that the word of God is that sword of that spirit wherwith SataÌ„ might be thorowly ouerthrowne But if it be the victorious triumphant sworde agaynst the head Lorde and maister of all Heretikes how commeth it to passe that it is a dull weapon and as it were made of a reede agaynst his members To what purpose is this worthie testimonie of Paule All Scripture is giueÌ„ 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 And although the slienesse of all Heretikes and Sophistes be great in wresting and deprauing of the Scriptures yet doth not God his trueth lie so open to their mockes but that it may stoutely be set at libertie by the sayde Scriptures Clowdes may darken the Sunne for a season but they can neither put out nor choke vp the light thereof but that it wil
will is to bee celebrated both heree in the euerlasting life Therfore it is godlinesse diligently to collect with thankful minde to coÌ„sider all the giftes all the riches wherewith the Church is adorned enriched Shee hath the soÌ„ne of God for her head spouse and sauiour vnto whom she is maried in faith shee hath the ioyfull newes of the Gospel she hath the holy Ghost for her gouernour shee hath the ministerie prolonged by the Fathers the Prophetes Christ the Apostles which haue most plentifully bestowed vpon her as vpon a riche treasure house as saith Irenaeus all things apperteyning to trueth that euerie one which will may drawe forth of her the drinke of life shee hath Pastours authoritie to call Ministers for the setting forth and conseruing of the gospel of whom it is writteÌ„ How beautiful are the feete of theÌ„ which bring good tidings of peace bring good tidings of good things Shee hath excellent gifts vnderstanding the inerpretation of doctrine giuen by diuine inspiration shee hath also the administration of Sacramentes a certaine iurisdiction of her own lawes of her owne The holy Scripture adorning her with marueilous prayses calleth her thoroughly â—re The paradise of the great workeâ—n The citie of the holy king cleare as â—e dawning of the daye bright as the â—orning beautifull as the Moone elect the SuÌ„ne who smelleth of ointments â—tandeth at the right hande of the king â—cked with imbrodered gardes of diuers â—â—lours who hath no obscure thing and 〈◊〉 through Christ altogither most white Therefore because the sweete name of the Church is ful of worthinesse reâ—erence herevpon it coÌ„meth to passe that â—anie eloquent learned men doe with â—ately plentiful gorgious speache exâ—ll amplifie exaggerate the maiestie â—reheminence authoritie dignitie therâ—f so that they doe affirme that she hath â—orce and power aboue the written word â—f God thinke that Christians ought â—o giue place to her in all thinges For â—herevpon the aduersaries of the trueth gather that the Church is more ancient than the Scripture that the Scripture hath her authoritie from the Church that the Church of the Fathers continued 2449. yeares before anie thing was written touching religion Also that the Church of the new Testament was gathered togither many yeres with the liuely voyce of the Gospell before any thing was written by the Apostles And because the Church receiued the Scripture allowed it by her owne iudgement that the authoritie of the Church which receiued and allowed is greater than the authoritie of the Scriptures which were receiued and allowed And therefore that the authoritie of the Church is not only not inferiour not only equall but rather superiour and better knowen than the authoritie of the scripture For the Church hath approued the chiefest scriptures to be Canonical whiche approbation they neither had of theÌ„selues nor of their authours Otherwise what cause is there why wee should receiue the Gospell of S. Marke whiche sawe not Christ and yet not receiue the Gospell of Nicodemus which nowe also is extant who notwithstanding both saw Christ and was his schollar Moreouer why is the Gospell of Luke the disciple admitted the gospel of Bartholomewe the Apostle reiected Truelie they haue â—r authoritie not from the authours â—n whome they come but from the â—â—urch No holy Scripture doth shewe 〈◊〉 the rest of the Scriptures which we â—e are canonical and worthie credite 〈◊〉 coÌ„sent of the Church hath made them â—benticall So that Augustine saieth â—ll I would not beleeue the Gospell â—re it not that the authoritie of the â—tholicall Church doeth moue mee â—o And especially because there were â—e in times past which both reiected â—o written gospels the Euangelistes â—o which wrote them sticking forsooth â—ought false religion to Christ only who â—ither wrote him self neither commanâ—â—d to be written but to be preached and â—â—lled his doctrine not scripture that is 〈◊〉 say writing but the Gospell that is to â—y ioyfull newes But if wee giue place â—rein to the Church as by right wee â—â—ght al to giue place vnto her why then â—ould we not also giue place vnto her in â—e matter of the holy Sacramentes in â—â—her pointes That the Apostles did â—rite certaine things not that their wriâ—â—ngs shold rule our faith religion but â—at their writings should rather serue our faith and religion And that it is not to be thought that the Apostles were able to comprehend in their Epistles al the preceptes and mysteries of our faith and of christian doctrine that Christ and his Apostles in so many yeres preached much more than could be coÌ„prehended within the narow roome of the bokes of the new testament And that therefore so short an abridgemeÌ„t of the gospell was put in writing that the greatest part thereof as a rich treasure might be left to the traditions fastened in the inward bowels of the church That therefore many things are to be beleeued which are not written that the constant sentence of the church ought to be accepted as the gospel that therefore in matter of doubt in anie raised coÌ„trouersie the authoritie of the traditioÌ„ of the church is more effectuall to cause credit to be giuen to proue certainly then the scriptures because the tradition is more euident and plaine altogether vnflexible when as contrarilie the Scriptures be oftentimes very obscure and do suffer them selues to be wrested applied to a diuers meaning yea to that meaning which any shall presume with him selfe â—efore hand easily to be shifted of with 〈◊〉 craftie exposition And that therefore the common sentence of the tradition of the church is the certaine and inflexible â—â—le of the Scriptures And to be briefe â—hat the exactest squier paterne rule of â—â—ith is not the scripture but the iudgement of the Church That the saying of Christe is If hee will not heare the church let him be to thee as an heatheÌ„ man a Publicane That the church is the piller ground of trueth and that â—he can not erre because Christ promised to her the holy Ghost which shoulde leade her into al truth S. Paul exhorteth vs saying Brethren stand fast holde the ordinances which yee haue bene taught c. To be brief they go about to proue by the testimonie of the Prophete Hieremie that this is the propertie of the doctrine of the newe testameÌ„t which first was published by Christ and afterward by the instruction of the holy ghost was preached by the Apostles spread abroad throughout the whole world wherby God would haue it to be knowen froÌ„ the doctrine of the olde testament that it should neither bee ingraued in tables of stone nor written with inke and paper That the Apostles were commaÌ„ded by Christ to preach not to write Finally they dispute much of the briefnesse insufficiencie flexiblenesse ambiguitie and
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
greatly in doctrine some in wickednes of manners that admonition also which is in writing was needefull And he adâ—â—â—h Consider how great madnesse it â—n vs which haue lost that firste digâ—â—tie not to bee willing to vse the seâ—â—nd remedie to saluation but to deâ—ise the heauenly writinges as geuen to no purpose and in vayne This â—ace of Chrysostom doth not only shewe 〈◊〉 what cause and to what ende GOD â—â—ue vnto vs the Scripture not onely in â—e olde Testament but also in the newe â—t also sheweth the vanitie of the mainâ—yners of the Pope which reasoÌ„ foorth 〈◊〉 Hieremie and Paule that it is proper 〈◊〉 the doctrine of the newe Testament â—euen of God to bee possible to be writâ—â—n neither in tables nor in paper neiâ—â—er with pen nor with ynke nor by any oâ—her meanes but that it must be kept with â—ut writing and deliuered from hande to â—and These bee toyes Because by the â—estimonie of Chrysostome we haue lost â—hat first dignitie when as the doctrine â—f the Apostles was deliuered by liuely voyce onelie so that now we haue need of admonitioÌ„ put in writing But because â— haue reasoned of this matter before I will nowe spare to speake anie more hereof And that which Chrysostome spake at large Theophilactus hath comprehended as he is woont in fewe wordes Because saith he There were heresies sprong vp which might haue corrupted our manners it seemed verie expedient that the Gospels shoulde be written that we learning the trueth foorth of them shoulde not bee deceiued by the lies of heresies Hieronymus also agreeth herevnto For as it was necessary saith he that the Gospel should be preached for the confirmation of faith so was it also necessarie that it shoulde be written against Heretikes Herevnto also doeth Augustine geue his consent who vppon the seconde Epistle of Iohn Tractatu 2. hath these wordes You ought chiefly to coÌ„sider and to commit to your remembraunce that God his will was to put a chiefe stay in the Scriptures against deceiptful erroures against the which no man dare speake who in anie sorte is desirous to seeme to be a Christian â—or when he had offered himself to be â—â—ndled it suffised him not but that 〈◊〉 did confirme the hearts of the faith â—ll out of the Scriptures For he did â—rouide for vs which were to come â—hat which we may handle wee haue â—ot but that which wee may reade â—ee haue Loe God his wil was to put â—rong defence against the deceiptes of â—rroures in the Scriptures Therefore â—orâ—th of the Scriptures are all hereâ—es to be confuted and doctrines to be â—â—dged with this shield with this sworde â—ith these weapons must heresies be put â—acke For the Scripture is as it were a â—peciall singular and sure preseruatiue â—efending vs against the paysons of all kinde of errours Herevpon is it that the auncient faâ—hers so often as controuersies rose in reâ—igion fled rather to the Scripture then â—o councels or to anie authoritie of men because the Scripture onelie can iudge firmely soundely and holily Beholde Paule being furnished with the weapons of Scripture onelie disputed against the Iewes although they were roughe and ouerthwarte if Luke reporte the trueth And the holie Ghost commendeth the Iewes of Berrea who when they had receiued the woorde with all readinesse of minde searched the Scriptures whether those thinges were so Worthily sayeth Augustine vnto Maximinus Neither ought I to alledge the Councell of Nice nor thou of Ariminum as by preiudice to hurte one another his cause Neither am I bounden to the authoritie of the one nor thou of the other Let matter contende with matter cause with cause reason with reason by the authorities of Scriptures witnesses not proper to anie but common to either Cresconius the Grammarian disputing with Augustine obiected vnto him the authoritie of Cyprian Augustine answereth I am not bounden to the authoritie of this Epistle for I esteeme not the writinges of Cyprian as Canonicall but I consider of them foorth of the writinges which are Canonicall and that which in them agreeth with the authoritie of holie â—criptures I receiue with his praise â—ut that which doeth not agree I â—efuse by his leaue Against Faustus â—ib 23. he sayeth That which Faustus â—ath sette downe touching the geneâ—ation of Marie which is not Canonicall bindeth mee not Also vpon â—he 57. Psalme he hath these woordes Let our owne wrytinges bee taken away let GOD his booke be brought foorth emongest vs Heare Christ speaking heare the trueth talking And woorthely doeth Augustine the man of GOD write these thinges forsomuche as it is meete to yeelde this honour to the Scripture that all things be tried by the examination thereof Whatsoeuer is proued by the authoritie therof may not anie more bee called in doubt Againe nothing but that which agreeth therewith may be receiued and whatsoeuer is contrary therevnto must bee accompted damnable that all the definitions of faith may depende therevppon and consiste therein So that they are found more vayne then vanitie it selfe whiche dare write that the Apostles wrote certaine thinges not that those their writinges shoulde rule our Faith and Religion but that they shoulde be in subiection therevnto Sozomenus reporteth that the sentences of them which assembled at the Councell of Nice were diuerse Some giuing counsell to alter nothing from the fayth deliuered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the beginning some other affirming that they ought not to sticke to olde opinions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rashely with out search and examination wherevppon the matter was protracted through diuerse questions therefore Constantine the Emperour sitting amongest the Bishoppes exhorted them to conferre quietly and to searche foorth the trueth setting Sophistrie aparte and bannishing the grudging of their mindes There are saith he the bookes of the Apostles and the decrees of the Prophets which doe instruct vs what we ought to thinke of holy matters Therfore setting enuious contention aside let vs search the solution of questions foorth of the Scriptures giuen by inspiratioÌ„ from god Enagrius writing of the Councel of Ephesus Chalcedon doth in like manner rehearse the sentence of Iohn Bishoppe of Antioche approoued by Cyrill Wee doe knowe that holy men haue set downe their determinations touching the Lorde foorth of the woordes of the Euangelistes and of the Apostles And Cusanus writeth that the forme of the olde generall Councelles was to place the holie Gospels in the middest And that the same was also obserued in priuate disputations touching religion Augustine is a witnesse Wheresoeuer saith he the place shall be appointed let vs cause the bookes of Canonicall Scripture to bee readie And if they can bring foorth anie proofes of eyther side all the rest sette aparte let vs make a full ende of so weightie a matter Therefore the examination of Scripture is lawfull for the triall of doctrines Let vs
had beene asked whether they would haue preferred their owne authoritie before the scriptures They would neuer haue done it Nay contrarily hauing acknowledged and receiued the said Scriptures they submitted themselues wholy vnto them and esteemed them as the most certaine rule guide and direction of their faith life Wherfore this is a weake and feble argument The Church accepted and discerned the books of holy Scripture from other Therefore the authoritie of the church is more excellēt For we also acknowledge one true God and allow Iesus Christ and put difference betweene him and Idols and betweene him the Diuel and yet cannot inferre herevpon that we are more excellent than Christ or god In like manner our minde alloweth and receiueth the prouocations and motions of the holy Ghost to reade to pray to liue chastly and discerneth them from the wicked entisementes of the worlde of the Diuell and of the fleshe and yet our minde may not therefore be called either better or more excellent than the holy Ghost Againe when a man endued with the perfect knowledge of Philosophie shall receiue Plato or Aristotle or Galen as noble Philosophers and shall preferre them before Epicure Aristippus and Democritus shall hee in consideration of this his iudgement presume to preferre his owne authoritie before Galene or Aristotle or Plato And there be many men of so perfecte iudgement that they can discerne the counterfeite verses of Virgil or Ouid from their true verses yet are they in knowledge farre inferiour to Virgil and Ouid Euen so the Churche ought not for this cause to preferre her credite or authoritie before the holy Scriptures This argument as we saide is weake and the Maxime with they gather hereof is false Those thinges which the Churche hath deliuered and proposed euen without any testimonie of Scripture ought to haue the same authoritie as hath the Canonicall Scripture vnto whō the church haue geuen authoritie In deede the holy Scripture is allowed by the common cōsent of the Church but this consent is not mans deuise but a necessary confession and an expressed testification proceding of the trueth of the matter And yet the Churche by meanes of this testification hath not reputed her selfe greater or more excellent then the Scripture but hath reuerently committed her selfe to the gouernement of the Scripture It is therefore plaine by the premisses howe the Church standeth towarde the worde of God written Shee is the faithfull keeper defendour of the worde she extolleth it by witnessing with it by setting it foorth by preaching it by defending it by mainteining it And yet doeth shee depend wholely of it as of the rule of her fayth shee changeth nothing shee altereth nothing shee addeth nothing shee taketh away nothing Shee is as it were a Notarie which keepeth safely testamentes when as notwithstanding hee hath no authoritie aboue the last will of the testatour for if hee shoulde chaunge or alter it hee shoulde not bee taken for a faithfull Notarie but for a falsifier and a forger of testamentes The .xvi. Chapter Of this saying of Augustine I would not beleeue the Gospel but that the authoritie of the Church mooueth mee also BEcause the Pope his side doe see that the Scripture maketh against them to diminish the authoritie thereof they contende that the authoritie of the Church the title whereof they doe pretende by their deuises and decrees is rather to be esteemed than of the Scriptures because the Scriptures cannot retaine their credit without the Church But how vaynely they dispute heereof we haue alreadie shewed by manie most strong argumentes But they obiect vnto vs the authoritie of the holy man of God Augustine which wrote thus against the Epistle of a Manichee which they call Fundamenti I woulde not beleeue the Gospel but that the authoritie of the Church mooueth me also Notwithstanding Augustine thinketh not that the authoritie of the Church is greater than the authoritie of the woorde of GOD neither doeth hee graunte vnto the Church authoritie to ordeine anie thing against the woord of God or to make newe articles of the faith or to abolish the articles deliuered in the woord of God he onely deemeth the Church to be a teacher and a witnesse We could not beleeue the Gospel were it not that the Church taught vs and witnessed that this doctrine was deliuered by the Apostles The same Augustine in the xxviii booke the second chapter against Faustus writeth that the Manichees ought so to beleeue the first Chapter of Matthewe which those heretikes receiued not to be written by Matthew as he did beleue the epistle which they called Fundamentum to be Manichees because it was so kept by their ancetours and deliuered from hand to hande Hee writeth that he was also mooued by agreeable testimonies of the first Church not to doubt that these bookes were deliuered by the Apostles and by them which are worthie credit Therfore herevpon it is that the Church mooueth vs also to beleeue the Gospel because shee keepeth the holy Scriptures faithfully preacheth them and discerneth them from others And he speaketh of the primitiue and Apostolike Churche as Gerson Chauncellour of Paris a man in his age most excellent doeth in the same place most wisely say Hee taketh the Church for the primitiue congregation of those faithfull whiche hearde Christ and sawe him and were his witnesses For whilest the Apostles and Disciples of Christ were yet liuing when as diuerse Gospels were sette foorth in the Churche they which had seene Christ and hearde his Apostles coulde witnesse what was naturall and what was Bastardlike In like manner Tertullian and Irenaeus commende vnto vs the authoritie of the first Churche receiue the writinges approoued by the Catholike consent of the first Churche and did therefore sende heretikes to the Apostolike Churches because they did not receiue the whole scriptures Wherefore they woulde that they shoulde receiue the estimation of the Scriptures from those churches wherin it was manifestly knowen that the Apostles taught For it was euident that those Churches had bene continually the witnesses and keepers of the bookes of holy Scripture and yet they did not for that cause ordeyne that the authoritie of the Churche ought to be preferred before the Scriptures But if the Apostolike Churche bee not preferred before the Scripture muche lesse ought this congregation of mitred men whiche are not so aptly termed the Churche as the corruption and eating canker of the church to bee preferred before the sayde Scriptures But they obiecte against vs this rule which is commonly spoken of by Logicians Whatsoeuer it is that is the cause that any thing else is indued with a qualitie the same thing shall rather be iudged to bee indued with the same qualitie Herevpon they reason in this maner If the scripture haue her authoritie because of the Churche then doeth it followe that the saide authoritie is rather in the Church then
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
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
doting and fabulous deuises into the Churche and did not erre himselfe onely from the sinceritie and purenes of the faith but gaue occasion of erring to many woorthie men also For Irenaeus Tertullian Apollinarius Victorinus Lactantius and many other famous and woorthie men as Hierome witnesseth imbraced this doting toy of the thousande yeares as a tradition of the Apostles Good God what men became companions of this errour pretending as Eusebius saieth the antiquitie of the errour of so woorthie a man euen of Papias their guide Beholde whether the authority of traditions not written once receiued may leade vs out of the way O laudable agreement of traditions with the Scripture spoken of by Policarpe an Apostolicall man also whiche kepte him in the kinges highe way Therefore this deceite and guile of vnwritteÌ„ traditions stuck in the church which gaue occasion of going out of the right way euen to them which seeme to defende the Churche which may be proued by many examples whereof I will recite one or two which are plaine The fame of Clement of AlexaÌ„dria is great in all antiquitie And hee was a man which both most diligeÌ„tly searched forth and greatly reuerenced vnwritten traditions Wherefore he sayeth that the labourer which is sent foorth into the Lordes haruest hath a double husbandrie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnwritten written And hee yeeldeth this reason why hee searched other traditions touching the doctrines of faith beside the Scripture because forsooth the Lorde did not reueale to manie those thinges which did not belong to manie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secretes saieth hee are committed to woorde not to writing Also Mysteries are deliuered mystically And in his fifth booke of Stromates hee disputeth at large that euen as the Philosophers did so hide certayne secretes touching their doctrines that they shoulde not bee knowen to all men so doeth the Apostle also reteining that auncient conceyling say Wee speake wisedome among them that â—re perfect Hee citeth also foorth of a â—ertaine Apocriphall Gospell this preâ—ept of the Lorde My mysterie is mine owne and the Sonnes of mine house But if it may please you to compare the one with the other you â—hall finde that these are the very selfe same thinges whiche in Irenaeus and Tertullian the Valentinians Carpocratians and other Heretikes alledge for the defence and confirmation of their doctrines Therefore although this iudgement in Heretikes were then grauely repressed by Irenaeus and Tertullian yet Clement his talke doeth shewe that the infection stucke in the Churche to the posteritie And Clement doeth extoll in many woordes a certayne kinde of Gnostikes whom in these woordes hee describeth That is the knowledge which maketh a true Gnostike which commeth deliuered without writing by succession to a few from the Apostles This description of Clement is to be noted For although the heresie of the Gnostikes were condemned in the Church yet certaine seedes of this plague remained in the Churche and that in greate men Therefore Clement doeth magnifie vnwritten traditions and doeth not onely make them equall with the Scriptures but see whither this rule of traditions doeth lead him out of the way yea casteth him downe headlong I wil report of manie thinges a fewe whereby it shall appeare howe perilous a thing it is to followe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thinges vnwritten He intermedleth the Gospel with the decrees of Philosophie and maketh it equal with the lawe of god For saith he as the law was an instruction for the Iewes to Christ so was philosophie for the Greekes also And he attributeth power to iustifie to both as well to the lawe as to Philosophie which is most manifestly against the doctrine of Paule He â—enieth that men committing sinne after â—aptism ought to be receiued into grace â—hich also is contrary to the doctrine of â—e Gospel and the consent of the Cathoâ—â—ke Churche Hee yeeldeth place to reâ—entance after this life in his sixth booke â—e contendeth in manie wordes that the â—reekes were saued through Philosoâ—hie which iudgement if we do imbrace 〈◊〉 not Christ dead in vaine according to â—e doctrine of Paule Is not Christ beâ—â—me vnto vs of none effect and doe wee â—t fal from grace to make short he reueâ—ceth many doting toyes as traditions 〈◊〉 the Apostles Loe whither they fall â—hich wil be wise beyond the scripture Origen his witte than the which â—here was skant any other among the faâ—hers of the Church either more fine or â—ore excelleÌ„t was depraued by this Clement who had vnwritten traditions in so â—reat admiratioÌ„ For he hath stuffed full his bookes euerie where with straunge â—octrines which hee had receiued from Clement vnder the title of the traditions of the Apostles wherevppon he is so often noted reprooued and nipped both of the olde writers and of the newe Hierom calleth Origen his doctrines impoysoned But from whence supped he his poyson but from the instruction of Clement And by whom was Clement deceiued but by the admiration studie and reuerence of suche traditions In deede the Apocriphall booke of Hormas the Pastour doeth teache that in the interpretation oâ— Scripture wee must departe from the letter and searche foorth the allegorie Clement receiued this as a tradition of the Apostles and deliuered it to Origen vnder the same title Herevppon was kindled an incredible desire in this man to transforme the Scriptures into allegories with the infection of the which disease it is woonderfull howe hee corrupted afterwarde the mindes of all doctours For after they had once tasted the sweetnesse of allegories as of a more loftie vnderstanding they vaunted themselues immoderately and brought euery thing to allegories so that euerie one thought that he might lawfully say what he woulde herein And this euill did not stay it selfe within the East but inuaded Afrike Italie France and Spayne also So by a little and a little the purenesse of Christian Theologie was transformed into a certaine Philosophie And wee may thanke suche traditions for this fruite And Epiphanius was a great boaster of such traditions who sometime alledgeth thinges vnder this title which are taken foorth of Apocriphall writers What neede many woordes Whosoeuer haue beene bewitched with the admiration of suche like traditions they haue all turned from the purenes of the Apostles doctrine vnto strange opinions vnsauorie follies So that these traditions seme vnto me to be like the meteorologicall fire which will burne nothing which naturall Philosophers call leaping goates For as that fire appeareth in the night ouer moist feÌ„nie places leadeth trauellers in the night out of their way if they meruayle at it and bee afrayde to beholde it vppon the which fraude it is called in Duitche Droechliecht deceitfull lighte euen so the Ghost or phantasticall appearance of Tradition leadeth them which haue it in admiration out of the way from trueth and throweth theÌ„ into errours And this
Church is greater or of like credite with the authoritie of the Scripture But the Church of the wicked which not onely heareth not God his worde but most cruelly persecuteth and killeth them which beleeue the Gospel besides this is grounded wholy vpoÌ„ mens traditions declareth manifestly that shee is of him of whom it is written Ye are of your father the Diuel and the lustes of your father will ye doe he was a murtherer from the beginning abode not in the trueth because there is no truth in him For she is knowne what she is by the fruites of her Herodlike crueltie vanitie bewitchings and corruptions But the spouse of Christ heareth the voice of her bridegroome and submitteth her selfe to him as it is meete Her chastitie is not to bee withdrawne from the singlenesse of Christ as Paul witnesseth Therefore shee erreth not which followeth God his trueth for a rule from the which if shee depart shee is no longer a spouse but becommeth an harlot Therefore he which iudgeth that the definitions of the reuolting church ought to be heard without choise any exception compelleth the faithful Christ being denied and Gods trueth forsaken often times to sticke fast to iniquitie so that the iudgement of such a Church can in no respect be a most exact rule of fayth But the holie Ghost sayeth plainly of the Scripture that the man which bestoweth his diligent trauaile in the holie Scriptures becommeth learned to saluation which is prepared after this life then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say perfect lastly furnished instructed and as Ambrose yeeldeth it thorowly appointed and prouided to euerie good worke Thou hast here gentle reader a treatise of the authoritie of the Scripture and of the Church penned by me verie grossely and almost rudely which God graunt it may recompence the largenes thereof with due commoditie and profite I could excuse the infancie and the disordered inditing thereof but that I feare to inlarge it by excusing the same Therfore I beseech the learned eares to pardon my baren want of eloquence the rudenesse of my style For I haue not written these things for the learned but being my selfe rude simple for the rude simple The Lord Iesus breake in peeces the moste hurtfull corde of contention with the spirit of trueth and of true concorde and pluck vppe by the roote and put away from all vs which professe his name the offence of discentions among vs that we may all speake one thing and be ioyned togither with one minde and iudgement in him to whome be praise honour and glorie for euermore Amen FINIS Certaine additions by the Translator AVgustine in his Booke Of the vnitie of the Church the 16. Chapter vrging the Donatistes saith Let them shew none otherwise but by the Canonical books of the Scriptures whether they haue the Church For neither doe we say that we ought heerevpon to be beleeued because we are in the Church of Christ because Melenitanus Optatus or Ambrose of Millane or other innumerable Bishopes of our fellowship commended that Church which we haue Or because it is preached by the councels of our fellowes in office Or because so great miracles either of hearings or of healings are wrought thorowe out all the world in holy places which our fellowship doeth frequent Or that men ought to departe from Donatus his side because such an one sawe a dreame and such an one beeing rauished in the spirite heard a voice Whatsoeuer of this sort are done in the catholike Church are therfore approued because they are done in the Catholike Churche the Catholike Church is not therfore made knowen because these things are done in her The Lord Iesus him selfe when hee rose from the deade and offered his body to be beholden with his disciples eyes and to bee touched with their handes yet leste they should thinke that they were any whit deceiued or deluded iudged that they ought rather to be confirmed with the testimonies of the lawe and Prophetes Psalmes shewing that those thinges were fulfilled concerning him which had bene foretolde so long before So did he commend his Church also saying that repentaunce and remission of sinnes should bee preached in his name c. He hath witnessed that this is written in the lawe and the Prophetes and the Psalmes this doe wee holde beeing commended by his mouth These bee the documentes of our cause these bee the foundations these bee the confirmations We read in the Actes of the Apostles spoken of certaine which beleeued that they searched the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so What Scriptures I pray you but the Canonicall Scriptures of the lawe and the prophets Hereunto are added the Gospels the Epistles of the Apostles the Actes of the Apostles and the Reuelation of Iohn Searche all these and picke out some manifeste Proofe whereby you may shewe that either the Church remained onely in Afrike or that shee should come foorth of Afrike But bring forth somewhat which needeth not an interpreter nor wherby you may be conuicted that it was spoken of an other matter that you goe aboute to wreast it to your owne sense Hierome to Mimerius and Alexander sayth Neither according to the scholers of Pythagoras is the preiudiciall opinion of the teacher to be wayed but the reason of the doctrine But if any of a contrary faction murmure saying Why should I read their eâ—clamations vnto whose opinions I doe not assent Let him know that I doe willinglie heare this saying of the Apostle Examine all things hold fast that which is good â–ª and the woordes of our Sauiour saying try ye the coine so wel that if there be any counterfeit money and haue not Caesar his image neither bee signed with the common coine it may bee reprooued And that that money which doth represent the face of Christe in the cleere light may be layed vp in the purse of our heart And a little after hee sayth My purpose is to reade the auncient Writers to try all thinges to holde those thinges which are good and not to departe froÌ„ the faith of the church Psal. 120.4 The prayse of the Church of Christ Irenaeus aduersus haeres lib. 3. ca. 4 Rom. 10.15 What the aduersaries gather of the authoritie of the Church August contra epist. Manichaeorum fundament cap. 5. Manie things say the aduersaries are to be beleeued which are not written Mat. 18.17 1. Tim. 3.15 Io. 16.7 13. Hierem. 31.33 Matth. 28.19 Mark. 16.15 Against the persons of the aduersarie Why they do attribute so much to the Church and derogate from the Scripture They do imitate herein the olde heretikes Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 2. Augustin de haerisib ad quod vult Deum Tertul. lib. de haeresib Philaster lib. 1. Euseb Historia Ecclesiae lib. 4. cap. 29. It is a pernicious errour to contend that the authoritie of the scripture must