as be doubtful hard to vnderstand we teache men to make recourse vnto the oryginall fountaynes wherout they were translated S. Austen contra Adimantum the 3. chap. saithe Si admittamus haereticis quod caussaÌ„tur libros sacros esse corruptos nullus erit contentionum finis That is yf we graunt vnto the he retikes as they fynde fault the the bokes of holy scripture are corrupt ther wylbe none ende of coÌ„tencion And in the 2. chap. of hys .xi. boke CoÌ„tra Faustum Manichaeum he sayeth Si de fide ex emplarium quaestio verteretur sicut in nonnullis quae paucae sunt sacrarum literarum studiosis notissimae sententiarum varietates vel ex aliarum regionuÌ„ codicibus vnde ipsa doctrina coÌ„meauit nostra dubitatio dijudicaretur vel si ibi quoque co dices variareÌ„t plures paucioribus aut vetustiores recentioribus praeferrentur Et si adhuc incerta esset varietas praecedens lingua vnde illud interpretatum est consuleretur Yf questioÌ„ should be moued concernyng the credence to be geuen vnto the copyes of the bokes of holye scriptures as it chaunceth in some diuersities of sentences whyche are but a fewe and knowen at the fyngers endes to them that be studentes of holy scriptures eyther our doubt muste be resolued by the textes of other couÌ„treyes whence that doctrine came or elles yf the textes themselues dyd varye in that behalfe the greater nombre should be preferred before the fewer or the auncienter before the yonger And in case the diuersitye were yet still vncertayn it should be tryed bi the former tongue wherout it was interpreted or translated For the same Austen rehearceth in an other place it is alleged in the decrees Dist 9 vt veteruÌ„ libroruÌ„ fides de Hebraeis voluminibus examinaÌ„da est ita nouorum veritas Graeci sera monis normam desiderat That is like as the truthe of the bokes of the olde testameÌ„t is to be tryed by the Hebrue textes so must the bokes of the newe be ruled by the truthe of the greke tong And agayn in the .xi. chaptre of hys seconde boke De doctrina Christiana he saythe Latini homines duabus alijs ad scripturarum diuinarum cognitionem opus habent Hebraea scilicet Graeca vt ad exemplaria praecedentia recurratur si quaÌ„ dubitationem attulerit latinorum interpretum infinita varietas Latine men sayeth he had nede of two other toÌ„gues also to the perfyte knowlege of holy scripture that is to saye the Hebrue and Greke that they maye haue recourse vnto the original copyes in case the infinite diuersytye of latine interpretours haue caused any doubt Thus muche saithe Austen whythe hathe taught vs to be more fauourable vnto the sondry translaciones of the Bible and to iudge more purely of the authentike boke being written in bys owne language thaÌ„ those meÌ„nes wonted maner is whych takyng vpoÌ„ theÌ„ to haue the holy goost bynde all the churche vniuersally vnto the common receaued latine translacien contrary to the iudgement of all the auncieÌ„t doctours of the churche and condemine all godlye and faythfull interpretours of the Bible fowlly of ingratitude ¶ The .iii. Chapiter VVe of the churche of England refourmed and gouerned vnder Kyng Edwarde the All truthe and godlynesse to be sought in the scripture .vi. and al other gospellers churches doo constauntly beleue that all truthe is to be sought and beleued and that all godlynesse and true seruing worship of God is most pleyntifully coÌ„prised in the holy sacred authentike hoke the Bible so that the maÌ„ of God is perfytlye prepared vnto all good workes vnto all good partes of office and al dueties doyng And on thys wyse dothe the gospellers churche deme and thynke of the Canonical scripture Wherin it diffreth toto muche from the churche of heretikes that most vniustly eyther defame the scriptures of vncertayntie and imperfection or els do not receaue some particular bokes therof or yf they do receaue them yet they corrupt and myngle mangle them and contende with tothe and nayle that all thynges necessarye to godlynesse and saluacion are not fully conteyned in them The iiii Chapter ALso where S. The menyng of the scripture 2. Pe. 1. Petre pronouÌ„ceth in playne wordes that propherye that is to saye the declared scripture was not brought by the wyl of man but the holy men of God beyng enforced spake as the holye Goost taught them and that therfore the scripture whych is the worde of prophecye is not of mannes priuate interpretacion furthermore where Paule accordyng to S. Ro. 10. Petres wordes coÌ„maundeth vs to moderate prophecie that is the office of interpretacion after the proporcion of faith and that the interpretours vse a discrete sobrietie and abyde wythin the bandes of fayth as the Lorde hath bestowed vnto euery one the measure of fayth The gospellers churche admitteth not euery interpretacion of the scriptures after euery ones opinion but that onely whych is fette out of the scripture selfe whych is of the spirite of God by whom the scripture is inspired whych agreeth wyth hym selfe in euery thyng and accordeth wyth the rule of fayth and charitie wherof we shal anone speake more largely For the scripture can not be expounded by any other spirite than by the self same by whom it was deliuered and set furthe 〈◊〉 8. As Thrist saithe in the gospel If you haue God to your father why doo ye not knowe my speche â—â—m 8. And the apostle saithe He that hathe not the spirite of Christe is none of his And agayn what maÌ„ knoweth the thinges that be of man Cor. 2. but the spirite of man which is in him so the thinges that be of God non knoweth but the spirite of God But we haue not receaued the spirit of the worlde but the spirit which is of God that we may know what thynges are geuen vnto vs of Christ In dede after suche sorte we affirme that the scriptures are cleare whych the heretikes contende to be obscure so that in thys behalfe we haue no thyng to do wyth them The .v. Chapter IN thys case we do in no wyse reiecte nor contemne the disputacions reasons what is be attriâ—â—ted vnto the fathâ—â— the interpretours of scriptâ—re and expositions of the holy fathers I meane the auncient olde byshopes and doctours of the church vpon the scriptures as Ireneus Origene Chrisostome Ambrofe Ierome Austen and suche other lyke so theyr exposition iudgementes vary in no poynt from the rules of the Apostles For theyr mynde and wyl was that theyr wrytynges should be none otherwyse demed of nor no further fidelitie attributed vnto them Hereof let S. AusteÌ„ hym self tel the tale wher he wryteth to Fortunatianus in hys thyrde epistle in these wordes Neque quorumlibet disputa tiones quamuis catholicorum laudatorum hominum velut scripturas canonicas habere debemus vt nobis non liceat salua honorificentia
thus Custodite vos ab Idolus non iaÌ„ ab idolatria quasi ab officio sed ab idolis id est ab ipsa eorum effige Indignum enim vt ima go Dei viui imago idolis mortui fiat That is kepe your selues from ydoles not now from ydolatrie as from the seruice doyng but from the ydoles that is from the very ymages of them For it were wrong that the ymage of the lyuing God should be the ymage of an ydole and of a deade thyng Therfore our churches are by these wordes acquieted from the cryme of heresie whych a great meignye of bishoppes preachers and Papistes wyth stampyng and staryng scolding and roaryng charge vs wythal and for none other cause but that the ymages of God and hys sayntes be throwen out of all Christes temples and were in no wyse receaued any more in Kyng Edwardes dayes but the scriptures of the lyuyng God set in their places Ther is no doubt sayeth LactaÌ„cius Li. 2. ca 19. ConstaÌ„tinus scholemaister but ther is no religion whersoeuer an ymage is And S. Austen in hys Cataloge wherin he rehearceth al the heresies of hys tyme reckoneth amoÌ„g them one Marcella a woman of Carpocratia whych worshipped the ymages of Iesus Christ of Paule of Pythagoras and of Homere wyth makyng addracion and incensing to them For the holy martir S. Ireneus in the 24. chap. of hys fyrst boke Contra haereses reporteth that the heretikes called Gnostici dyd worship the expresse lyuely painted ymage of our saueour Christ the paterne wherof they sent vnto Pilate the lieutenaunt of Iewrie who fouÌ„de the meanes to haue Christ set furthe as an heathen man by ymage lyke vnto hym selfe whan he was alyue by singular connyng payntours and caruers And yet that bishop and martir inueyed to the vttermost of his power agaynst that ymage whyche the Gnostici set so muche price by A and yf it were now to be had it should be reputed among the most holy reliques But thys Bishop was not a seuere earnest persecutour and enemye of ymages and ymage seruice alone for it is knowen to all men what Epiphanius the Bishop of Salamine Cyprus dyd 〈…〉 as he wryteth of him selfe in hys greke Epistle that S. Ierome translated into latine whych doubtles he wolde not haue done yf he had thought Epyphanius facte to haue beÌ„ sacrilege Epiphanius also sawe a vaile hanging in a certain churche dore stained and paynted and hauyng an ymage as it hade ben of Christ orsom saynt But he plucked it by the ende In tomo Hiero. 3. fo 73. b and reÌ„t it downe thinking it vnworthy that the image of a man should heng in the churche of Christ coÌ„trary as he saithe playnly to the autoritie of the scriptures And he exhorteth Iohn bishop of Ierusalem to charge the elders ministers of that place the they should heng vp no such vailes whych come against the religion of Christ For he sayd it was more besemyng the duetie of a bishop to see that such scrupulositie for so he termeth the vse of images in temples should be taken out of the waye whych is not worthy of the churche of Christ Now ther is no good grounde for the papistes to obiecte vnto vs the sentences and decrees of Gregorie B. of Rome Damascene the greke wrytour Bardiners great clearke and of the seuenth Synode whych they call the Synode of Nice agaynst these so cleare and so substauÌ„cial authorities For these that I haue alleged are of muche more auncientie certayntie thaÌ„ theyrs be Therfore who so euer reporteth vs to be he retikes bycause we lacke ymages let them fyrst proue the lawe of god heresie let them prone the testimonies iudgemeÌ„tes of the Prophetes and Apostles heresie and let theÌ„ proue the sayenges and doynges of Ireneus Tertullian LactaÌ„tius Epiphanius AusteÌ„ and Ierome to be heresie and whan they haue done so let them com and condemne vs of heresie also And so they wyl do one day whan they caÌ„ But yf they spare them let them be good to vs also Now wil we returne to our purpose Our churche called the gospellers churche dothe religiously holde and confesse that most excellent and most true godly belief called SymboluÌ„ apostolicum or the apostles Crede 〈◊〉 apostâ— Crede Whyche though it be purported in no place of the scriptures in the very same forme of wordes that we rehearse it in yet it is all holly and euery title of it fette out of the apostles writinges Thys Crede comprehendeth the most plenteous full forme of belief so that our elders did by it as a most tryed and certain sure rule alwayes proue and trye who were true ryght catholike beleuers who were false beleuers and heretikes Symâ—n is S. Cipriane in the exposicion of thys apostles Crede saythe that this greke worde Simbolum is a declaracioÌ„ a collacion or a gatheryng of sondry maters together into one forme And for thys cause thys same declaracion is set and compacte together by conference of the apostles doctrine that therby it myght be knowne who coÌ„fessed Christ truly according to the rules of the apostles The holy Martir Ireneus after the rehearsal of the apostles Crede saythe Li. conâ— haereses Ca. 3. Forasmuche as the church dispersed throughout the hole vniuersal worlde hathe receaued thys confession and Crede it obserueth it diligently as though the hole churche were dwellyng all in one house and preacheth and confesseth it after all one consonaunt sort as if al the churche had but one mouthe For albeit the speches in the worlde be vnlike yet the vertue and power of the declaring therof is but all one the self same one And nother the laÌ„guage that is in Spayne nor the speche that is in Fraunce ne the languages that are in the east couÌ„treyes ne yet the Egipcians tongue nor the Lybianes speche nother the languages that are vsed in the mydle partes of the world but as the sunne of goddes makyng is but one and the selfe same one in all the hole vniuersall worlde so dothe the light preaching of the truthe shyne euery wher lighteneth all folkes that are willing to com to the knowlage of the truthe And nother the bishop of the churche hym self that hath the best vtterauÌ„ce speaketh any thyng elles but these articles nother doth he that is of slenderer vtteraunce speake any lesse For seyng ther is but one and the selfe same one faythe nother dothe he that is hable to vttre it at large speake any more nor he that can not vttre the mater so plenteously speake any lesse Thus muche hath Ireneus Therfore it is most certainly out of peraueÌ„ture that the ful forme of belefe is most fully comprehended in the Apostles Crede and he that constauÌ„tly and purely continueth therin to the ende shall doubtles obteyne euerlastyng lyfe as Athanasius sayeth who so euer wylbe saued before al thinges it is necessary that
thynke honourably of Princes and magistrates that they are the ministers of God and therfore they ought to be obeyed and to haue theyr duetie We cōdemne nothyng in the political or ciuile states that is not repugnaunt wyth godlynesse We forbydde not meates whych God hathe made to faythful folkes vse We forbydde not mariage to any ordre or state eyther of man or woman Fornicacion wyth al vncleanes intemperaunce we vtterly deteste Specially we commende charitie to be kepte towardes al mē We serue God with willyng liberalitie to our power We do paciently beare the crosse that is layde vpon vs for the name of our Lorde Iesus Christes sake that abydyng constaūt in the felowship of the body of the churche we maye receaue rewarde wyth al the sayntes whyche from the begynnyng of the worlde haue suffred persecucion for ryghteousnesse sake Ther is no newe fangled stuffe in the gospellers churche all is of the olde sorte doctrine of Fayth Belefe the Keyes Prayer the Sacracramentes and all together It departeth not fom the head Christ it is not torne from the membres that is from the cōmunion of sayntes These true markes of the true right tatholike churche of Christ whan thou fyndest in the gospellers church why doubtest thou to cal and frely acknowlage it to be the true right catholike churche of Christe Why doutest thou to forsake al them as lyers traitours and slaunderous railours that reporte it to be an heritical schismatical sedicious church I do not nowe nor in all this hole treatise speake of them that goo on wyth theyr religion vpon a certayn zeale and speake euil of vs rather through instigacion of other thā vpon theyr owne mynde beyng not yet so fully skilled as to knowe how pure and syncere our religiō is God lightē theyr hartes But I speake of those specially whych are called learned men and the leaders of the common sorte and are not ignoraunt of our doctrine and doynges and for that cause they most doggedly and falsely slaunder vs of enuye hatred and malice against the truthe yea rather of couetousnes thā ignoraunce and yet they cā make non ende of theyr false slaunderous railing Now forasmuche as it is more cleare than the light at none dayes hauing wyped and dryuen awaye all the mystye darke clowdes of all our aduersaryes that the gospellers churche is the true right catholike churche of christ it shal be our partes doubtles to contynue constauntly in thys true gospellike churche of God and to goo on forewarde chearefully in the waye of the lorde which we haue once allready entred in to If thys worlde condemne and persecute vs we knowe that the lorde hym self in tymes past tolde vs before hande of non other of no pleasaūter of no better for the world first persecuted him If the rable of mytred maisters of mischief which vaunt them selues to be the general counsail laufully assembled to gether in the holy goost doo accurse vs let vs considre that the lord hym selfe was condemned before vs of the highe bishop college of priestes and elders Let vs remembre that our God dothe blesse them that blesse the sede of Abraham and dothe curse them that curse it and that we for our true faithe in Christ are the true sede of Abraham In the meane tyme let vs contynually make our hartye earnest prayers to GOD our father by Iesus Christ our lord and saueour without whom we can doo nothyng that he wold graūt vs streynght to perseuer constauntly to continue in the blessed truthe of hys gospel to abyde stil in the right catholike churche of Christ Amen Truthe hathe the victorie 3. Esdr 4. This is the victorie that ouercomethe the worlde euen our faithe 1. Io. 5. ☞ Emprinted at Vvaterford the .7 daye of Nouembre 1555. ☞ *
beleue they were true or to acknowlage that the faultes wherof they spitefulli slauÌ„dre vs were in vs in dede The scripture also by the euaÌ„gelistes and apostles commaundeth and bindeth vs to defende the truthe to refute lyes to beare recorde vnto the truthe and to acquyte the faythfull christianes in theyr innocencye and ryght But what can a man doo in so furyons a rageing rable of aduersaryes and Iniuryous entreatyng of men Or how shold a man begynne to defende the churche seyng such a sorte of cruell and maddebrayned enemies obiecte so many and so haynous crymes agaynst vs and dyng on as it were wyth quartre strokes on euery syde Whan S. Paule the preacher of the Gentyles and moste chosen vessell of Chryst was accused him selfe of the Iewes in a singular good cause euen the cause of the gospel furst before Antonius Felix and eftesones before Portius Festus lieutenauntes of Iewrye of many maters and was more than ouerlayde wyth the power eloquence autoritie and reputacion of hys aduersaries could obteyne nother place nor space to answere vnto euery point throughly he thought he should defende hym selfe and hys cause wel ynough yf he myght shewe by some euident most playne homely shorte reasons that he neuer taught contrarye to the scriptures nor agaynst the hope of Israel but that he was iniuriously enuyed pressed of hys enemyes for constantlye preachyng and defendyng of the hope of the Resurrection whych the Israelites holde And now folowyng his moste godly and singular good exaÌ„ple and vsyng the helpe ordre and almoste the very wordes of a certayn notable profouÌ„de learned Pastour who hath done the same in latine in defence and purgation of the christen gospellike flocke churche committed to hys spiritual charge seyng I am barred out of place and tyme as an abiecte out of my natural countrey so that I can not possibly answere to all theyr odious obiections in ordre one by one singularly by them selues I shal yet by the helpe of God do myn endeauour to declare and set before all mennes eyes by the waye of translation rather myne owne edicion that whyche is moste chief and generall mater in thys cause wyth the moste cleare and playne argumentes that I can that is to wete that the Churche of Englande refourmed and gouerned vnder Kyng Edwarde the .vi. was no heretical schismatical nor sedicious Church and that all other Churches embraceyng the Gospel in assemblable wyse are no heretical nor schismatical Churches but the vndenyable churche of Iesus Christ bothe true faythfull and catholike Wherfore I beseche you ryght honourable lordes ryght worshipfull gentilmen and the rest of my charytable chrysten countreymen for the loue and loyaltye the you bare and owed to your most christen and moste louyng souerayne liege lorde and maister Kyng Edwarde the .vi. reade or heare thys simple shorte treatyse paciently and gentlye inasmuche as I shal do my diligence as euidentlye and in as fewe wordes as I possibly can to speake not of all thynges that myght be alleged in thys behalfe but suche reasons onely as chiefly and principally concerne thys present cause The fyrst Chaptre FYrst where Christ our Lorde sayeth â—he Gosâ—llerschur â—e receaâ—eth the â—ole Scriâ—tuâ—e my shepe heare my voyce the churche of Christe whyche to be knowne from the churche of Papistes is called the gospellers church as the churche of Englande in Kyng Edwardes tyme was dothe acknowlege and receaue the Canonical bokes bothe of the olde TestameÌ„t and newe as those that were proclaymed and spoken out of Boddes owne mouthe Ther is none of them that it denyeth or refuseth but receaueth and reteyneth theÌ„ al holly and perfytly Nother doth it capciously reason about the receauyng of those bokes who hath receaued them or who hath refused them nor whether is of greater force the autorite of the churche receauyng the scriptures or of the scriptures them selues receaued For albeit we read that S. Austen wrote thus Non crederem EuaÌ„ gelio nisi ecclesiae catholicae autoritas me coÌ„moue ret I wold geue no credeÌ„ce sayth he vnto the gospell if the autorytye of the catholike churche dyd not inoue me yet Berson the chauncellour of Parise Gerson a ryght excellent famous man in hys tyme dothe in hys seconde boke De vita spirituali like a discrete profouÌ„de learned clerke saye S. Austen in that place taketh the churche for the primityue congregacion of those faythful christeÌ„ men that harde and sawe Christ were his recorde bearours For whan ther crepte out dyuerse soÌ„dry Bospelles in the churche while the apostles disciples of Christ were yet lyuing they that hade sene Christ him selfe hade harde hys apostles could testifye whych were ryght and true and whych were not Ireneus also in the .xi. chapter of his .3 boke Contra haereses sheweth by many manyfest proues that ther ought to be but only 4. gospelles and yet he maketh no mencion of the churche that ther ought to be but only 4. gospelles bycause the churche hathe receaued no moo but only 4. but bycause the Lord hath so appointed For ther was neuer man that in any Conuocacion or Synode assembled al for that purpose from the begynnyng coÌ„firmed the Canonical bokes of the scriptures or decreed which were canonical which were not but the thurche as it receaued them of the writours autours the holy Prophetes and Apestles theÌ„ selues eueÌ„ so dyd it delyuer them as it were by hande vnto her posteritie It was late ere it begoÌ„ne to be decreed in counsailes vpon canonical and not canonical bokes of scripture not that ther was no diuersitye of them before that tyme or that the bokes of holy scripture had none autoritye before that tyme as they hade and must haue dyuine autoritye in dede although ther hade neuer ben counsayl holden but that the holy men of God were disposed to shewe their iudgemeÌ„t also agaynst suche as bare to vnfrenly a minde agaynst the canonical bokes of scripture And we confesse al that the churche is buylded and set vpon the foundacion of the Prophetes and apostles so if the doctrine of the apostles and prophetes be the foundaceon of the churche thaÌ„ it foloweth of necessytye that the autoritye of the doctrine must nedes be of greater force and importaunce than the autoritie of the churche We therfore in Englande dyd receaue as the Gospellers church elles where doth stil receaue al and singular Canonical bokes both of the olde Testament and newe and namelye those that the Greke wrytours Melito Origene and Eusebius Caesariensis and of the Latines Cipriane and Ierome haue affirmed by theyr owne haÌ„de wrytynges to be taken and reputed of the auncient fathers yea euen from the begynnyng for the vndoubted true Canonical scriptures ¶ The seconde Chapter AS touching the truthe and perfyte integritye of these bokes Of the truth and perfection of the canennical scriptures we doubt nothyng therof at al in such places