Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	word_n	worship_n	worship_v	1,744	5	8.6381	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05555	The answer of John Bastvvick, Doctor of Phisicke, to the information of Sir Iohn Bancks Knight, Atturney universall In which there is a sufficient demonstration, that the prelats are invaders of the Kings prerogative royall, contemners and despisers of holy Scripture, advancers of poperie, superstition, idolatry and phophanesse: also that they abuse the Kings authoritie ...	Bastwick, John, 1593-1654.; England and Wales. Attorney-General.	1637 (1637)	STC 1568; ESTC R212826	58,859	30

the maner of his worship that must also bee as he commandeth not as wee vainly conceive For he hath sayd Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven image or t●e likenes o● any thing in Heav●n above or in the earth beneath thou shalt not bow downe to it or worship it By which precept for the very maner of his worship it is not le●t to our disposing that we should ●fter our inventions serve him Neither is ●ee to bee served any other way or by any other meanes then hee hath in his Word prescribed which is a large commentary upon th●t text So that no man that hath eyes can pretend any longer that hee seeth not the trueth And among all learned and Orthodoxe Divines this is accorded and assented unto● That ●hose that by their owne inventions as by Images Cr●cifixes Altars Ceremonies or Syllable● and letters or whatsoever other meanes serve him without expresse command from God goe about to worship him are Idolaters● and such worship is idolatry and of this kind of service adoration are the Samaritans guilty of whom it is sayd that they vvorshipped the true God and so they did in many things according to the Lavv of Moses and had Circumcision and the Passeover and looked for the Me●sias to come B●t because they added their ovvne inventions to that vvorship and brought in their ovvne devices vvith it and set up a vvill vvorship t●erefore the● vvere esteemed the enimies of God and proclamed idolaters Yee vvorship sayth Christ you knovv no● vvhat So that they that according to their ovvne pretences and inventions serve God worship they kno● not vvhat and therefore are idolaters and all such Divine vvorship as is not prescribed by God such service is idolatry Of vvhich kind nature is altar-vvorship crucifix-vvorship image-vvorship table-vvorship place vvorship ceremony-vvorship bread-vvorship ●yl●able vvorship and all such like-worship and indeed all vvill-vvorship and vvhether or no the Prelats be not advancers of altars and crucifixes place-vvorship ceremony bread-vvorship and such trash let all the Kingdome judge And all t●ese are Popery saving t●e vvorshipping of altars for the Defe●dent yet never savv the Papists so basely idolatrous as to vvorship a naked altar indeed vvhere there is a Crucifix upon an altar they bovv but never to the altar or table alone as he is most confident the Papists themselves vvill acknovvledge and therefore so grosse the Prelats are in their Popish performances that they exce●d them in idolat●y And so it is● that those that are most vainly superstitious amongst them they are in the readyest vvay to prefermen● and others of a contrary minde most contemned and vilipended vvhich shevveth sufficiently vvhat favoures of Popery the Prelats are Yea for all maner of Poperie they affect it defend it● mayntayn it and the Authors and abe●ters of it As for a president a base esteeme of Holy Scriptures preferring the Fathers Autority before them in vvhich they are as impiously Popish as Bellarmin himself or any other Papist They hold also their ovvne Episcopall Autority to be Iure Divino Likevvise they hold a reall presence in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and that the Church of Rome is a true Church and vvhat hold they not that the Church of Rome hold●th not And for all maner of superstition they so advance it as no man that vvill not be superstitious can live among them or can enjoy either his Ministry if he be in orders or if hee bee a laick as they terme him his libertie Novv for superstition it is described amongst the learned to bee vvhen men doe any thing in religion supra id quod statutum est to be vvise in Gods mat●ers above that vvhich is vvritten and vvhere can any of them shevv their cappings and crouchings and standings kneelings and a thousand such Iackanaps tricks commanded in Scripture as they novv use in vvhich notvvithstanding they place all holinesse and religion and the neglect of the least of vvhich fopperies makes all men thought not onelie prophane but causeth unto them severe punishment yea utter ruin many times Where hath God commanded in any place to kneele in the receiving of the Sacrament to leave Christs example and the blessed Apostles and to follovv Antichrists his vvicked Disciples vvho are the cursed enimies of ●●e Lord Iesus vvhere hath he commanded to turne tables into altars and to doe vvorship unto them or to venerat the Table or the vvals of a Church or to turne their faces to the East or to cap and bovv at ●he name of Iesus As for that text vvhich is often abused in the 2. of the Philippians there is no ground in that for that impious adulation and vaine Ceremony for if as they vvould have it by that an outvvard vvorship of the body be at the name of Iesus to be yeilded then by the same text also there is a● orall and audible confession to be made in the publick assembly for as it is sayd at the name of Iesus every knee shall bovv so it is there likevvise sayd at the name of Iesus every tongue shall confesse Iesus is the Lord vvhich thing vvas never yet practised in any Church of the vvorld nor by the Prelats themselves and vvould bring such a confusion into all Congregations as vvould perturbat all Holy duties and bring men into an inevitable bondage and circulation of obedience vvhich could never bee ended and by vvhich the Heresy of the Entichites vvould againe of necessity be revived vvhich the Defendent doth not thinke the Prelats as vvell as they seeme to love prayer vvould vvillingly assent unto and yet by severe consequence it vvould necessarily follovv if that Ceremony upon that text be founded and this part of obedience the Prelats have yet fayled in and therefore have served God hitherto to the halves Withall this is a great indignitie to Iesus Christ to worship him more by one name and title then an o●her and indeed it is a meete mockerie of the Lord Iesus so to trifle with some of his attributes who is equallie by all to be honoured and reverenced beeing one and the same person God blessed for ever by which or in which of his titles soever his dignitie is expressed And no Kin● or Prince would take it we●l at his Subjects hands if they should slight any of his Royall titles or give lesse veneration to the one then to the other Neither is that all but he would also take it for a great contumelie and ind●gnitie done to him and thinke it not far from treason as he well might if his Subjects should give equall reverence and honour to any of his Subjects that they doe to him much more if they should honour his greatest enimie with the same veneration that they doe him Yet all this is perpetrated by this idle Ceremonie against the Lord Iesus and that Divine Honour which is given to God himse●fe is given not onely to his Servants

the proceedings of the Prelats against himself and their dealings tovvards others of their brethren the theame of vvhich booke he the Defendent desireth the honorable Court● to take a briefe relation of at this time that they may the better be informed of the falsitie of the information And first for the principall theame and matter of the booke it is the State of the questions in his Flagello Pontificis for vvhich he suffered vvith the summe of the Arguments he produced for the confirmation of the trueth The questio●s arising betvveen the Babylonian and the defendent concerning the autoritie of the Pope were these The first whether Christ did constitute Peter sole Monarch of the Catholick Church The second vvhether the Pope of Rome if hee bee a Bishop as hee is a Bishop hath Autoritie jurisdiction over Kings Emperors Thirdlie vvhether Popish Bishops be true Bishops or no and of the discussing of these questios the defendent saith his adversarie vvas the sole cause In the handling of the which the Defenden● f●rther affirmeth that he used all the caution that vvas possible as he supposed for man to use prefacing in his booke that being to dispute about the Autority of the Bishop of Rome he desired candidly to be understood of all men● for while he disputed of Episcopall autoritie he medled nor contended not against such Bishops as ackovvledge their autoritie jurisdiction from Kings and Emperors into vvhose hands the government of States Kingdomes● and Commonvvealths is by God committed For if the Popes themselves vvould acknovvledge their immense and unlimited autoritie from Kings and Emperors he the defendent there said if they commanded nothing contrarie to the vvill and Word of God that he for his part out of the reverence duty ● loyaltie to his Prince vvould obey it The Words in the Original are these Verum de Episcoporum autoritate locutus à bonis bene intelligi cupio Non enim litis litem moveo quatenus ab Imperatoribus Regibus Principibus Terre quorum interest salutem civium tueri potestatem ●us Imperium in socios totumque Dei gregem adepti sunt Nam si Romani Episcopi imm●nsam illam nullis limitibus circumscriptam autoritatem indulgentia Principum acceptam ferrent voluntati Episcopali nihil voluntati divinae inimicum jubenti obtemperandum putem ob reverentiam Principi si volenti debitam c. So that the defendent having thus playnlie set downe his minde before knowing that all the jurisdiction that the Bishops in England now exercise over others is ●rom the King he thought himself not onely secure from danger but expected fav●ur at least from the Bishops their helping hand especially when the opposing the Popes Autority in England is a thing that the King and State have ever so well allowed of And that this honorable Court may yet be f●rther informed of the speciall cause for which the Prelats are so displeased with the defendent it was for the truely and narrowlie disputing and discussing of the second question to wit whether the Pope of Rome if he be a Bishop as he is a Bishop have Autoritie jurisdiction not onelie over his fellow breth●en but over Kings and Emperors which the Defendent there denyed for many warrantable Arguments The summe of which he desireth here to relate unto this honorable Court for his just and necessarie defence justification For by the ve●ie light of nature and unanswerable reason it is evident and manifest that where there is an equalitie and pari●ie amongst men there the one doth not exceed the other in power or Dominion Paris enim in Parem non esse imperium inter Naturae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est Novv Divine constitution hath made Bishops and Presbyters or Elders a like and equall vvhich that it might the better appeare the Defendent propounded there tvvo things to be proved The first vvas That Bishops and Presbyters vvere by the Word of God one and the same Secondlie That Presbyters had equall Autoritie of Government● Ordination Excommunication vvith Bishops vvherein onely consists their preeminency Autoritie above their brethren vvhich things being proved it vvill necessarilie follovv That the Pope of Rome as he is Bishop doth no vvay exceed other Bishops and Presbyters they being in all things a like and equall unto him much lesse hath any Autoritie and povver over Kings and Emperours And for the proofe of the first position the vvords Presbyter Bishop do sufficientlie evince i● vvhich in holy Scripture though diverse in sound signifie one and the same thing as not to cite the vvords themselves vvhich would be large The Apostle Paul to Titus in the first chapter doth sufficientlie shew vvhere the words Bishop Presbyter are confounded And likevvise in the first Epistle of Peter and the fift Chapter there Presbyter and Bishop signifie one and the same thing And the Epistl● to the Philippians the first Chapter and the ●irst verse do●h apparentlie demonstrate it● and diverse other places might be produced dilucidating the same thing But the 20● of the Acts puts all out of controversie where Presbyter and Bishop signifie one the same thing● for office● honour and function so that the identity of their office● is signifyed by those tvvo expressions Neither is there a confusion of their names with a difference still of their functions administrations as some vvould cavill for in these places vvhere Presbyters are called Bishops the disputation is not about the title but about the office signified and specified by the title For vvhen S. Paul exhorts the Presbyters to have an eye to their duty charge he useth this reason that the Holy Ghost had made them Bishops● And the trueth of ●his is so evident that the Rhemists themselves as learned men as any Bishops in England and as able to mayntayne an error are forced ingen●ouslie to confesse it saying in expresse vvords in their No●es upon the 28. vers of that Chapter That in the Apostles times there vvas no difference betvveen Presbyter and Bishop● so that for the first position it is not onely by the Word of God clearlie evident but by the very confession of the adversaries of the trueth granted as a thing without controversy Novv for proofe of the second position that Presbyters as vvell as the Bishop of Rome have the povver and right of Government Ordination and Excommunication by vvhich in these times Bishops onely exceed Presbyters the defendent vvill here brieflie demonstrat it referring those of this honorable Court that have a desire to search into the full trueth of it to his booke And for proofe that the Government vvas committed unto them and that they exercised the same it is most perspicuous out of the first of Timothie 5. vvhere the Apostle sayth The Presbyters that rule vvell are vvorthie of double honour especially those that labour in Word and Doctrine By this testimonie it is evident that they

borrow no help from without them or fetcht in humane witnesse for the declaring of their Divinity There was no need to send unto the Prophets or the Church in old time to inquire whether the Scriptures were the Word of God amongst any that were but any ●hing acquaynted with the language of Canaan as is manifestly evident in the 2 of the Kings 22. vers 8.10 and the 2. of the ●hron 34. vers 14 15 19● where it appeareth that when the booke of the law was found by Helchia the Priest in the house of the Lord he knew it at the first reading of it to be the Word of God the same did the King they were neither of them told by the Church or any Prophets or Fathers that it was the book of the law neither did the King send unto Hulda the Prophetesse to know whether it were a true authentick Copy all this needed not it needed then no Godfathers Godmothers to Christen and give it the name of the law of God and holy Scripture as without the with it could not have been knowne there was no need of any such thing or any humane autority for the proofe of that in those times all that were then true Israelits knew it by its owne testimony to be the Word of God and shall any man now thinke that the Scriptures are more obscure and darke● and harder to be discerned by their owne testimony to be Divine and holy then when they had a vaile before them and their sacred treasuries of Divine trueths were muffled up in so many types mysteries Certainly this is not onely great ingratitude to Gods bounty but very contempt and disgrace of holy Scriptures that their most excellent self autority can have no credit amongst Christians without adventiciall assistance of vaine man Is not the witnes testimony of God greater then the testimony of man● If we receive the witnes of men the witnes of God is greater sayth S. Iohn in his first epistle chap 5. vers 9. But the Pre●ats affirme● the testimony of man is to be preferred before the witnes of God so that we ought not beleeve ●he Spirit witnessing but the testimony of the Fathers for they say the Scriptures can no● beknowne without the Fathers Christ who was tru●h it selfe sai●h in the 5. of Iohn vers 36. I have a greater witnesse then that of Iohn and what was that witnes his works the witnes and approbation of h●s Father the Scriptures Christ here preferres the testimony of the Scripture before the testimony of Iohn● which was the greatest of all the Prophets and the Prelats preferre the testimony of the Fathers before the Scriptures and is not this to contemne the holy Scriptures S. Peter in that glorious transfiguration of Christ upon the mount heard the voice of God the Father notwithstanding he sayth in his 2● epistle chap. 1. vers 19. we have also a more sound word of prophesy And Christ himselfe so reverenced the holy Scriptures that he seemeth to preferre Moses his words b●fore his owne saying if yee beleeve not his writings how shall yee beleeve my words and in the person of Abraham when Dives desired one might be sent to his Fathers house to warne his brethren of the danger of torment that he was in Christ sayth they have Moses and the Prophets let them heare them and he sayd nay Father Abraham but if one-went unto them from the dead they will repent● and he sayd unto him If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rise from the dead By all which testimonies of sacred writ it is evident that if the Scripture of it self cannot prevaile with men that then there is little hope that very miracles will doe them any good for the begetting of faith in them or bringing of them to the truth much lesse the Fathers and this by Christs owne words is confirmed unto us yet the Prelats nevertheles esteeme of the Fathers autority more then of the sacred Scriptures But can any man that hath but the name of a Christian thinke that those that will not be mo●ed by the Majest and autority of the Scriptures speaking in the name of the Lord of hosts that the autority of the Fathers will prevaile with them who are not ●o be beleeved but as they speake out of the holy Scriptures and by their Divine autority Christ denyes it and therefor we are rather to beleeve that then the phantasies and impious grolleries of a few ungodly men Is not the Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of his owne self sufficiency so able to declare its owne mind and meaning that it hath no need of the Fathers help without doubt unles prophane mouthes will make it a pack of nonsense Truly one would thinke that very reason might be able to convince these wretched wranglers if they had not hardened themselves to fight against the truth yea and sett themselves to resist th● holy Spirit of God for if we looke upon very nature art and reason they would convince us for there is no naturall thing but will prove and shew it selfe what it is and declare its owne nature as the Sun Moone Starrs declare their owne nature and tell what they are to every beholder of them fire by it self and of its owne nature es●ence is knowne what it is earth and water doe the same and the same may be sayd of gold and silver all other metals they are able to witnes for themselves what they are and to distinguish their owne natures from each others to any rationall man Againe All artificiale things are knowne what they are by their proper formes and so are discriminated the one from the other every one of them carrying a sufficient indication of it self yea all humane● writings ●hew from whence they come● by the spirit they are writ with and doe shew whether the Authors Writers of them be learned or unlearned or be men in autority place or not and there needs no Commentaries upon them to tell whose they are The Proclamations Edicts of Kings and Princes doe sufficiently without either marginall notes or annotations declare of themselves that they come from imperiall autority and the Majest the dignity of their phrase and expression proclame to all men that the authors of them are sacred persons and hee that should call them in question without a Councell or Parlament or the Fa●hers and Iudges of ●he lawes autority would be thought no loyall Subject and not worthy to live and that deservedly for the very maner of their penning writing doe ever convince their Readers both of the dignity of their matter and of the excellency of the personages that set them forth And shall any in this age of light be found so darkened in his judgment● as to thinke the Word of God inferior to all naturall artificiall humane things yet so it is to

there had been no other meanes for him to have come to the knowledge of the Scripture this doth not necessarily follow But were it granted that had not the Church told Augustine which was the Scripture and Word of God that he had then never beleeved it to be the Word must ●his conclusion of necessity be gathered from thence That all men must be like Augustin in this or that the Autority of men is greater and above the Scripture all ●hese are poore lame consequences and not beseeming the worthy Fa●hers of the Church in open Court to publish to the infinit dishonour of holy Scripture advancing human Autority above it which indeed is meere blasphemy against the Holy Word of God For would not every man accuse one of folly if an other being a stranger and never seeing the King and meeting him in a journey with all his Nobles richly clad as it beseemeth noble Peeres so to be for the honour of their Master and the Majes●y of his Court and in this company where there are so many brave personages and all so excellently apparrelled● and he not knowing vvhich vvas the King should aske some of his retinue or some Cour●ier vvhich of those vvere the King Novv doth it follovv because at that time the man should not have knovvne the King vvithout this information from some of the attendant● that the King could no other way have beene knowne unto him or that Kings could be knowne no other wayes but by such informatiōs No rational creatures wil so conclude at that time he in part beleeved from the Courtiers relation that it vvas the King But after that he seeth the King in his Court or upon his th●one vvith his crovvne upon his head and vvith all his State and Magnificence and his Nobles in their service vvith the reverence that is yeilded unto him then hee beleeveth no longer because the Servant told him that it vvas the King but because by his ovvne reason he is evinced of it knovving that such attendance such a guard ● so great pomp dignity and State belongeth to none but Kings And it vvould be thought not madnes only but treason to say if one had not told him that it was the King othervvise the King could not be knovvne or that he that told him vvas greater then the King or his Autority greater The same may be sayd of the Holy and ever ble●sed Word of God that it is a great madnes impiety to conclude That the Holy Scripture cannot be knovvne to be the Word of God vvithout the Autority of the Fathers or Church or that the Autority of either is greater then the Scriptures vvhich to affirme is vvithout doubt blasphemy in a High degree against Almighty God and his blessed revealed vvill able to provoke his indignation upon us because it is an error against the very light of Nature art and reason and the apparent Words of the Scripture vvhere the Word of God is called the immortall seed 1. Pet. chap. 1. v. 23. vvhich liveth abideth for ever Novv all seed by its invvard vertue sproutet into a blade is by it self and his ovvne fruits knovvn to be vvhat it is So is the Scripture of it self knovvne to be the Word of God and as Paul sayth in the 1. of ●he Cor. chap. 2. ver 4. the Word of God is in the Demonstration of the Spirit in povver and maketh the hearts of the beleevers burne vvith in them as it did to those that ●vent vvith Christ to Emmaus Luke the 2● vers 32. and as the Apostle sayth in the first to the Thessalonians the 2. chap. vers 3. that they received the Word of God not as the vvord of man but as it is in the trueth the Word of God vvhich effectually vvorketh in those that beleeve and in the 4. of the Hebr. 12. Paul sayth that the Word of God is quick and povverfull sharper then a tvvo edged Svvord piercing even to the dividing asunder the soule and Spirit and of the raines and marrovv and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart So that by these testimonies and thousands more that might be produced it is sufficiently evident that the Scriptures of themselves are declaratory and by their ovvne native and inbred splendor doe conciliat Autority credit to themselves neither have they any need of 〈◊〉 from man or the Fathers Autority to prove them ●●e Word of God For before there vvere any Fathers the Scriptures had their Autority and vvere knovvne to be Divine Neither did the Fathers or Church make them Authentick or the Word of God no more then a Piller maketh a proclamation to bee the Kings vvill and pleasure because it stands upon it but the Church or Fathers declared them so to bee neither doth or can the very Synagogue of Rome deny this How impious then and blasphemous are ●he Prela●es that they dare thus vilify the holy Scriptures and make their autority nothing And can any man of judgment see any reason why one should beleeve the Fathers more then the Scriptures or why one should beleeve that these are the works of Augustin or Ambrose should doubt that this is the Gospell of Luke Iohn or that these are the Epistles of Paul Of these things the Defendent for his part can see no reason Neither can there any solid reason be yeelded why one should beleeve the Fathers more thē the Scriptures themselves● when the Fathers are not to be c●●d●ted● but as they accord with Scripture as the very Popish Canons Papists themselves acknowledge for in the Canon law thus speakes the Pope Pa●rum quantalibet doctrina sanctitate pollentium Scripta ex Canon●●●● sacris consideranda nec cum credendi necessitate sed cum judicandi libertate legenda sunt Neither is Baronius his opinion other concerning the autority of the Fathers● as at large may be seen in his Annals an 34. § 213. and an 44. § 42. And for Bellarmine he is of the same mind in his 2 booke concerning Councels in the 12 chapter in these words Sacra Scripta Patrum non sunt regula nec hab●nt autoritatem obligandi And when the very adversaries doe thus fully expresse themselves that whatsoever autority is in the Fathers books and writings it is onely as they harmonise and accord with the Scripture shall any man then thinke or suppose that there should yet be more autority in the writings of the Fathers or in the Decrees of Councels then there is in the holy Scriptures from whence as the Fountaine those streames doe issue very reason will confound the fatuity of this devillish doctrine for the streames brookes are never so pure nor good as the fountaine for it is ever the fountaine that gives authority of goodnes and the name of excellency to the little sucking rivers as all men know● and they commend the waters ever from the fountaine they come so

God of the whole world can not bee understood when notwithstanding David sayth they give light and understanding to the simple and that by reading and meditating in the law testimonies of the Lord he grew wiser then his Teachers and Paul that Timothy knew the Scriptures from his youth 2● Tim. chap. 3. vers 13. and notvvithstanding all this dare the Prelats affirme that the meaning of this Scripture cannot be knovvne vvithout the interpretation of the Fathers We have great cause to praise and blesse God that hath so graciously afforded us better Masters to be taught by It is good ever therefore to listen unto them Let us heare novv then vvhat the Prophets Christ and his Apostles have taught us concerning ●his vvaighty matter and of so great consequence let us follovv their example and instruction vvhich lead us into all truth and not listen to the contemners of holy Scripture They send those that are studious of the vvayes to heaven to the lavv and to the testimonyes Esai 8. to Moses the Prophets and the Scriptures not to the traditions of the Elders and custome of antiquity And they that bring an other doctrine are not to be listened unto neither may vve bid them God Speed The Word of the Lord is the vva● light and Lanthorne to our Feet vvhich send forth sufficiently the beames of truth and shines so clearly of it self as it may be both knovvne proved expounded and unfolden by its ovvne brightnesse T●ey do as it vvere lend luster unto the Sun from a smoaking snuffe that from the mist of the Fathers vvould bring light unto ●he Scriptures God is the Author of the Scriptures vvho is the originall and fountayne of all light in vvhom there is no darknes For the Prophesie came not in old time by the vvill of man but holy men of God spake as they vvere moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. chap. 1. vers 21. we have also a more sure vvord of Prophesy sayth the same Apostle vvhereunto you doe vvell that you take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place vers 19. So that the Scriptures vvere of purpose penned by holy men inspired by God him●elfe for a direction light to the Saints to be guided by and so they are termed by the holy Ghost So that as Peter sayd unto Christ in the sixt of Iohn vvhen he asked his tvvelve Disciples if they also would goe away To whom shall wee goe sayth he thou hast the Words of eternall life Even so we may truly say whither shall wee goe for light and direction to get to heaven but to the holy Scriptures for they have the Words of eternall life in them and this ●ayth Christ and his Apostles and yet notwithstanding all this excellent light that shineth in the Scripture the Prelats averre they are but blind guides and preferre humane darknes before the splendor of these sacred Oracles the Scrip●ures and say without the interpretation of the Fathers ●hey can not be knowne which is unsupportable blasphemy and as much as to tell the everliving God and truth it selfe hee lyes It is most veritable that they see not the light of the Scripture the eyes of whose minds are blinded neither doe they see the light of the Sun whose eyes are plucked out If our Gospell be hid sayth Saint Paul it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded their minds that is in infidels least the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the image of God should shine upon them 2 Cor. chap. 4. vers 3 4● every one knoweth the voice of that man with whom he is acquaynted as soone as the sound of it commeth to his eares and shall we not know the voice of God so clearly and perspicuously speaking unto us in the Scriptures Those that are taught of God know it ●he true worshippers of him know and understand it those that have any familiar commerce with heaven and in heavenly things But wordly men and those that are given to the love of the same are carelesse of heaven and happines they understand not the Divine language nor heavenly voice Canany heare the voice of God and not assent unto it without the aide and autority of the Fathers what a contumely is this to holy Scripture Shall God have lesse autority credit among men then the Fathers Shall vve not beleeve God speaking unto us and shall we beleeve the Fathers Shall we not give credit to Gods word and shall wee beleeve men Let the dishonor of so great a contumacy against God be farre from Christian obedience Truly the Fathers being conscious of their owne imbecillity and vveaknesse● never thought themselves worthy of so great dignity as to suppose that any honour came unto the Scriptures from their interpretations and expositions who in their writings frequently exhort their Readers not to listen what they say but what the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles speake in them and no farther to receive their autority and doctrine then it is grounded upon the holy Scriptures expressions to this purpose the Defendent saith he could accumulate infinite out of the Fathers which for brevity he omitteth fearing to be over tedious though it be a matter of greatest importance Such was the modesty of ●he Fathers fearing to be vvise above that vvhich vvas vvritten ever making the holy Scripture the rule and measure to be guided by And in this moderation the Fathers imitated Christ the Prophets and Apostles vvho ever fetch the proofe testimony of their doctrine from the Scriptures not as novv the Prelats doe preposterously bringing autority to the Scriptures from the interpretation of the Fathers according to their ovvne sense To the Lavv and to the Prophets sayth Esay 8. vers 20. vvhosoever speaketh not according to that hath no light in him And Iosua that great Commander is inioyned by God to order and governe himselfe and the people and the whole Common wealth according to the rule of the Scripture Iosua 1. ver 7 8. Onely be thou strong and very couragious that thou mayst observe to doe according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee turne not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayst prosper whither soever thou goest This Booke of the Law shall not goe out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to doe according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good suc●●sse And in the 23 chapter vers 6. he sayth Be yee therefore very couragious to keepe and to doe all that is written in the Booke of the Law of Moses that you turne not asides therefrom to the right hand nor to the left And Christ himselfe our great Master sayth Ioh. 5. vers 38. Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to have