God That execrable and accursed praiers sacrifices doe not rather prouoke the wrath of God then his fauour Are not all the wayes of the impious vngodly man abhomination vnto the Lorde And howe shoulde that which God abhorreth dispose a man or how shoulde a man dispose himselfe by that which God abhorreth to bée a méete vessell to receiue the grace and fauour of God Forasmuch then as all men are vngodly or wicked before they bee iustified fréely by the grace of God all their works must needes bée vngodly wicked and vniust For they are only good and righteous workes which came from a righteous man from a man made righteous or iustified through faith by the grace of God according to the spirit of sāctificatiō which is giuen to thē only that are iustified although neither al the works of a iustified mā are good nor any perfectly good because we haue receiued y ◠spirit in measure our sanctificatiō is begunne not perfected in this life therefore our Sauiour Christe praieth that his father would sanctifie his Apostles in his truth of whō he confessed before y t they were holy cleane that is sāctificatiō was begun in thē by his word which they had hearde in which worde of truth he now praieth that they may more more be sanctified made holy Wherefore all Popish preparations vnto sanctificatiō howsoeuer they denounce the denier of thē to bee accursed are in the sight of God no better then abhominable accursed euen by this worde For God only is the authour beginner continuer perfecter of sanctification séeing that our sauiour Christe prayeth for the continuance perfection of sanctification who was alredy begun in his Disciples who were baptised who had receiued the holy Ghoste who were to bee preserued increased in y t holines which they had receiued by this we learne y t we must daily pray for y e increase of sanctification and séeke it at the handes of God alone who hath promised vpon our earnest prayers to graūt his holy spirite by which wée shalbée daily more and more renewed in the inner man to hate sinne and to loue righteousnesse that the fruites of mortification renouation which are the two parts of sanctificatiō may appeare daily in our life cōuersatiō For this grace of continuāce increase in sāctificatiō y e apostle boweth his knées to the father of our Lord Iesus Christ by the example of Christ himselfe for the Ephesians that he would giue vnto them according vnto the riches of his glory to bee strengthened in the inner man by his spirite And therefore as the beginning of sanctification is only frō Gods grace with out all merite or good disposition of ours so is also the continuance increase perfection of the same the frée gift of God giuen vnto vs according to the riches of his glory and not procured either in whole as the Pelagiās say or in part as the Papists teach by the merites and desertes of men Wherby they make not God the whole only authour perfector of sāctificatiō but ascribe vnto mans merites a portion of this his glory while they affirme that by well vsing of the first graces of God wée may and do merite and deserue the second whereas the Lorde God testifieth by the Prophet Ezechiel that hee will haue all nations to know that it is hée which sanctifieth Israel vnto whō also our sauiour Christe hath recourse in his prayer when he saith Sanctifie them in thy trueth By this hée declareth y t he desireth true sanctificatiō not coūterfet hypocrisie for fained holines dissembled sanctificatiō is worthily saide to bée double iniquitie The corrupte nature of man without the spirit of God is prone and readie vnto hypocrisie and feigned holinesse but all lying and dissimulation is abhominable vnto God wherefore that his Disciples might please God in true holinesse righteousnesse before him all y e daies of their liues He prayeth vnto his father to sanctifie thē in his trueth So shall they not séeke to mocke God with holinesse pretended and wickednesse intended but studie to serue him with an vpright heart vnfeignedly to seeke his honour walke in his wayes all the dayes of their life Moreouer where hée saith Sanctifie them in thy trueth hée sheweth euidently that as there is but one trueth which is the trueth of God so all other meanes and wayes of sanctification then in his trueth are false wayes and meanes and that no true holinesse is attained vnto by them but false holinesse false sanctification although it be neuer so well intended For true sanctification is only in Gods trueth Sanctifie them in thy trueth And this is the cause that the Gentiles in all their consecrations and blessinges could neuer attaine vnto true sanctification but were more more polluted in them because they presumed to séeke sanctification without the truth of God So that although euery thing which they tooke in hand and did was prophane vnholy yet their Temples their Gods their sacrifices their ceremonies their whole religiō was most of all vnpure vnholy vngodly yea most of all filthy detestable and abhominable and of all Christians to be abhorred forsaken because it was false holinesse sanctification and religion which they held and practised Euē so is it in the false religion holines sanctification of the Popists nothing is more abhominable detestable then y e which hath most of their false consecration and is accompted of them most holy as their holie water their holie bread their holie Candles Crosses and such like and especially their holie Masse wherof they make greatest account and their holie Father whom they name affirme not only to be most holy but to be holinesse it selfe But they will defend their coniured water and other their Popeholy ceremonies not to be false holinesse or vntrue consecrations for that they are sanctified in the trueth of God which is his worde for all the creatures of God are sanctified by the worde of God and prayer Thus doth Bristow take vpon him to defende their exorcising or coniuring water salt and suche lyke creatures that they may serue to bee vnto saluation both of bodie and soule Although I might easily answere that it is one thing to consecrate another thing to coniure yet who woulde beléeue they should be driuen to such impudent shifts and malicious wrestings of the scripture if they them selues did not professe it For the sense of the Apostles wordes in that place where he saith that al the creatures of God are good and none to be reiected being receiued with thanksgiuing for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer the sense I say is manifest to be vttered of all y e creatures of God which are sanctified vnto Christians by Gods woorde and by prayer in the ordinarie lawfull vse of them and especially of meates forbiddē
and by is contrarie vnto trueth and often times vnto it selfe The worde of God written saieth expresly Thou shalte not make to thy selfe in the vse of religiō because it is a commandement of the first Table Any grauen image or likenesse of any thing thou shalt not fall downe to them and worship them This notwithstanding the Papistes will beare vs in hand the worde of God vnwritten saieth the contrary thou shalt make to thy selfe grauen images for religion thou shalt fal downe to them and worship them The Scripture telleth vs by a cléere renelation of the spirit that it was the doctrine of Diuels to forbidde meate and marriage for holinesse and religion The Papistes tell vs that it is the Churches authoritie which is equal with the scriptures which forbiddeth meats marriage The trueth written saith Drinke yée all of this they dranke all of it Let a man examin himself and let him eate of this bread drinke of this cup But the vnwritten veritie of the Papists saith in the Constantian councell The laye people shall not drinke of that cuppe at all but the Priestes only These contradictions cannot possibly bée both true wherfore wée must néedes hold it for an vndoubted principle y t whatsoeuer is contrary to the word of god writtē is not the worde of God because it is not true For although Papists are not so courteous to the holy scriptures to acknowlege that they are perfect and doe containe at the full all truth neccssary for vs to bée knwne for our saluation yet nature her selfe denieth vnto them this horrible absurditie that any thing contrary to truth shoulde bée true Seeing therefore they dare not for shame say the scripture is vntrue let them bée ashamed to auouch any thing for truth which is contrary to the Scripture And albeit it were as they say that they had another worde of God beside that which is written in the bookes of the Canonicall Scripture yet were it madnes to make it contrary to the Scripture and blaspemie to make it of greater authorie then then the Scripture For the worde of God howe euer it bée expressed is alwayes of equall authoritie Therfore to boast of suche a worde of God vnwritten as shoulde bée of authoritie to abrogate the worde of GOD written or to controul the same or to dispēse with any commaundement of the same otherwise then the same written word alloweth is a blasphemous bragge of satanicall pride and can bée no suer testimonie of y e truth of Gods worde Such is the presumptuous boasting of the Papistes concerning the authorie of their tradition of their church of their Pope which they aduance so highly as y t they bée of power to change what pleaseth them in the worde of God written to dispose with what preceptes they list yea euen those that nature her self will not dispense withall which brag what other thing doth it import but that they haue a worde of God in their tradition Church or Pope which is of greater authoritie then the word of God writtē in the holy scriptures which is plain in that they challenge authoritie not only of interpreting of Scriptures as they liste against grāmer against the propertie of the tongue against reason against y e scripture it selfe in other places against the plaine circūstāces of the same places but also to giue credit alowāce euer to y e holy scriptures thēselues w t should haue no credite of thēselues but by meanes of their approbation and authoritie which is so great that it is of power to giue equall credite vnto y e Apocrifall writings of men which the holy Scriptures inspired of God vpon which ground they haue receiued into the Cannon of the holy Scriptures the Apocrifall bookes of Ecclesiasticus Tobye Iudith Machabees and such like to bée of equall authorie and credite with the bookes of the Lawe the Prophetes and the Psalmmes and with the Gospels and Epistles of the new Testament although they confesse that the Church of God before the incarnation of Christ did alwaies take them for the Apocrifall and none otherwise were they taken of the Churche of Christe for many hundred yeeres after his passion But this is to farre out of square that they are not content most iniuriously to accuse the holy Scriptures of imperfection and vnsufficiencie but they will glory of Gods worde to be in their possession of greater authoritie then that which is contained in the holy scriptures Well let that passe and let vs sée whether wee haue not sufficient testimonie in the holy Scriptures to prooue that they are perfect and sufficient and that the word of trueth contained in them is a full and absolute rule of all doctrine necessarie to eternall saluation The Lorde by Moses chargeth that only which hée commaunded Moses did write to bée practised Therefore the worde written was a sufficient instruction for any thing that shoulde bée doone to the pleasure of GOD and peoples saluation Also hée forbiddeth them to adde any thing to it or to take any thing from it which hée had deliuered in writing wherefore there was no want there was no superfluitie in that written worde The Prophet Dauid in an hundred places of his Psalmes extolleth the vtilitie sufficiencie and perfection of the same lawe of God written Euery verse almost of the 119. Psalme doth set out the excellencie of that doctrine The prophet Esay sheweth y t the people of god for al questiōs must resort to the law and to the testimonie The Prophet Malachy which was the last of the Prophets that god sent to teach by reuelation extraordinary referreth the people vnto y e law of Moses as sufficient to direct them vntill the comming of Christe Abraham in the parable of Luke 16. sendeth the rich mans fiue brethren vnto the Lawe and Prophets as sufficient to teach them that they come not into the place of torments Our Sauiour Christ himself willeth the Iewes and all them that will know him to search the Scriptures Search the scriptures saith he for in them looke to haue eternall life the same are they that beare witnesse of me But perhaps you wil say they were deceiued in that they thought to attaine eternall life by the doctrine of the scriptures as alone being sufficient Thē heare what our sauiour Christ affirmeth in this samepraier This is eternall life y t they may know thee the only true God Iesus Christe whom thou hast sent But the knowledge of God Christ are sufficiently to bée learned out of the holy scriptures therfore y e doctrine of the holy scriptures is sufficiēt to the attaining of euerlasting life S. Paul saith y t what thinges soeuer are written before they are writtē for our learning y t through patience and comfort of the scriptures wée might haue hope This is little to the purpose will some Papist say that all the scripture is for our learning séeing it
hissed out of all Christian Schooles not only by learned men but euen by women and children If the scripture of the olde Testament be sufficient say they the new Testament is superfluous Is there no mean betwéene sufficiency and superfluitie A man that hath wherewith to prouide him selfe of meate and drink apparell and lodging of the meanest sorte hath sufficient for his liuing But if any thing be added to this sufficiency wil you say it is superfluitie Is there no vse of riches or abundance aboue sufficiency but it is by by superfluitie The scripture of the olde Testament cōtaineth the word of God sufficiently for mens saluation but the newe Testament added therevnto containeth no new substance or matter of doctrine or article of beliefe necessarie to saluation but the same auncient and eternall worde of God most richly most plentifully most abundantly Wherefore that the Apostle giueth the commendation of sufficiency vnto the scripture of the old Testament yet so far of that it should hinder the credite of the whole scripture which nowe the Church enioyeth that it doeth a great deale more magnifically set foorth the vnsearchable treasures of Gods wisdom and holy word reuealed more at large more plainly and openly set foorth in the time of the Gospel then it was reuealed or set forth vnder the law Wherfore we may not reason w t the papists if the scripture of the old testamēt had béen sufficient the newe should haue béene superfluous but contrariwise if the olde Testament were sufficient the scripture of the newe and olde together must néedes be abundant That the scripture of the old Testament contained sufficient instruction vnto eternall life hath béene prooued alreadie sufficiently and yet for more clearnesse I will adde other reasōs and authorities to prooue the same richly and abundantly The whole doctrine of the Gospell of Christ is contained in the scriptures of the olde Testament which is sufficient for a Christian mans instruction therefore there is no want nor imperfection no vnsufficiency of the substance of doctrine in the scripture of the olde Testament Saint Paule in this verie place exhorteth Timothy to continue in those thinges whiche hée had learned and whiche were committed vnto him knowing of whome hée had learned them namely of the Apostle and secondly of the holy scriptures in which hée had béene instructed from an infant which were able to make him wise vnto saluation Sée you not here most plainly that the same thinges which Timothy had learned of Paule and which were committed vnto him that hée might perfectly fulfill the worke of an Euangelist which cannot be except hée preache the Gospell perfectly were contained in the scripture of the olde Testament which hée had knowne from a childe which Scriptures were not able to make him or any man wise vnto saluation excepte they contained all articles of Christian doctrine which a christian man is bound to know and beléeue And therfore vpon this ground hée inferreth that the whole scripture is profitable to furnish the man of God vnto all partes of his office and to make him perfect vnto euerie good worke Beside this the holy Ghost in the Actes of the Apostles commendeth the Berhaeans that they receiued the word of God with all readines of mind daily searching the scriptures if these thinges were so as y e Apostles preached Mark this text diligently they receiued the word of al redines as it was preached by the Apostles but they admitted nothing for the word of God but that they found to haue grounde and cōfirmation in y e scriptures in y e law the prophets wherfore the apostles preaching y e Gospel preached none other word of god but that which was cōtained in the scriptures of the old Testamēt For if they had preached any vnwrittē verities howe should the Berhaeans haue found the same in the scriptures And what speak I of the Apostles euen their lord maister y e sonne of God the word of God the truth of God offereth his whole doctrine to be tried by the scriptures of the old testamēt Search y e scriptures saith hée for in thē you think to haue euerlasting life they are the same y t beare witnes of mée Hee testifieth also y t all things that are writtē of him in y e law the prophets in the psalmes must be were fulfilled And whē he authorized his Apostles to preach y e Gospel performāce of all things that were written in the law the prophets He openeth their vnderstāding that they might vnderstād the scriptures which contained the worde of God perfectly sufficiently although the same in the new testament doctrine of fulfilling be set forth more richly more plentifully more plainly And lest you shoulde think this sufficiency of the scriptures to haue béen only after all the bookes of y e old testament were written which were many hundreth yéeres frō the first to the last So that from Moses vntill Malachy or from the beginning of the worlde vntill Malachies prophecy was receiued there was no sufficiency of true doctrine contained in the scripture I will plainly prooue vnto you that frō the time that the worde of GOD was first deliuered in writing there was sufficiency in that scripture for the perfect instruction of the church of that time And what soeuer bookes of scripture were afterward added was but a larger opening and playner demonstration of the same as GOD in wisedome and mercy dyd sée it conuenient and necessary for euerie age of the Church and his people liuing in those times The fiue bookes of Moses was the first scripture that was deliuered vnto the Church which contained a perfect and most sufficient doctrine of all thinges to be knowne and done of that people for the attainment of eternall life the other bookes that followed were but enlargementes and interpretations of the same doctrine that was contained in those fiue bookes For if they had béene additions of any newe doctrine they had béene contrarie to the prohibition of the same law and subiect to the curse of God Yea the principall triall of all Prophetes that succéeded was by the same lawe Insomuch that if a Prophet or dreamer of dreames did arise which taught an other God or an other worship of God not set foorth in the lawe hée was thereby discryed to be a false prophet although he could tell before of thinges that came to passe or worke myracles This argued sufficiently the perfection of the doctrine contained in that lawe against which no signes or miracles should be credited Also Iosua in his exhortatiō made vnto y e people after that hée had deuided the lande vnto them chargeth them to obserue and doe all that is written in the booke of the lawe of Moses that they turne not there from neither to the right hande nor to the left that is they doe neither more nor lesse but that is written in the
holy scripture therfore the booke of the lawe of Moses was perfect and sufficient for the instruction of that people And what sayeth our Sauiour Christ vnto the Saduces which receiued no parte of the olde Testament but only the fiue bookes of Moses Doeth hée not say they erred because they knowe not the Scriptures and power of God And what Scripture but the scripture of those fiue bookes out of which hée doeth so pithily and effectually prooue the article of the resurrection of the dead that hée stopped the mouthes of those obstinate and arrogant heretikes And who doubteth but euen as that one article of the resurrection was by our Sauiour Christ so substantially prooued so all other articles of Christian beliefe by that diuine wisedome of his might as necessarily bée concluded out of those fiue bookes of Moses This alwayes is to bée remembred that it was neither necessarie nor conuenient for the Church of those times vnto which these bookes alone were committed to vnderstand or know these articles of our beléefe so plainly so distinctly so largely as they were after reuealed by the Prophets especially by the scriptures of the new Testament But that al necessary points of saluatioÌ„ euery thing there to belonging was sufficiently perfectly set foorth in those scriptures which the wisdom of God thought to be conuenient for their instruction So y e they shoulde not depend vpoÌ„ the vncertain credit of meÌ„ but alwaies haue the touchstone of Gods word contained in his holy writing inspired by his spirit to trye examine all doctrines teachers thereby But now y e wée haue shewed that the holie scripture is a sufficient most pleÌ„tifull testimony of the word of God let vs sée what other witnes of Gods word the Papists woulde thrust vpon vs. The word of God say they beside y â— which is contained in the scriptures is continued also partly by tradition partly is reuealed by the sentence and oracle of the church of the chiefe shepheard therof which is the Pope all which is of equall authoritie and certaintie with that which is contained in the holie scriptures And first concerning tradition the scripture it selfe doth testifie that it is to be receiued whether it be by writing or vnwritten For so the Apostle coÌ„maundeth the Thessalonians saying Hold fast the traditioÌ„s which you haue learned whether it be by word of mouth or by our Epistle So say they the scripture it self commandeth vnwritten verities traditions beside the scripture to be holden fast and not to bée despised therefore the scripture alone is not sufficient to teache vs the worde of truth but we must also leane vnto vnwritten traditions There is no Papist almost that openeth his mouth or setteth his pen to paper to defend tradition but this is the principall bulwarke to maintain vnwritten verities receiued by tradition A sore place I promise you Out of which if you will gather rightly you must thus coÌ„clude Saint Paul had taught the Thessalonians partly by preaching and partly by writing and taught the truth in both necessary to be reteined therfore the holy scripture doth not contain al doctine néedful vnto saluation Or thus S. Paule in one or two Epistles had not comprehended all necessarie truth therefore all necessary truth is not comprehended in all the bookes of the scripture For hée speaketh not of traditions that were no where written but not written in his Epistle Signifying whatsoeuer hée did deliuer vnto them either by worde of mouth or by his Epistle was the truth of GOD whiche they were bounde to beléeue and yet hée deliuered nothing for any doctrine of saluation vnto them but that whiche hée confirmed by the scriptures of the olde Testament as it is manifest by y e which S. Luke reporteth of their neighbours the Berthaeans which dayly searched the scriptures if those thinges which Saint Paul taught were eueÌ„ so Wherfore this place doth nothing fauour vnwritten traditions y t are altogether beside the holie scripture but only such as are not contained in the first second Epistle to y e Thessalonians but were preached by S. Paul and tried by the scriptures The strongest bulwarke being thus rased made euen with the ground what force can there bée in their other féeble fortresses why do you so exclaime against tradition vnwritten veritie striue so much for your Castle of only scripture say they know you not that the Churche of God continued more then two thousand yeares without any worde of the Bible written how was the word of God then continued but by vnwritten traditioÌ„ There is not therfore such necessitie of the scriptures seeing y e church could so long continue the pillar stay of truth without theÌ„ but y e nowe hauing the scriptures for witnesse of some parte of Gods word shée may coÌ„tinue the rest y â— is necessary for the instruction of Gods people by tradition only w t out the scriptures Heere is a godly shew for traditioÌ„ but indéed nothing els but a vain shew w tout any pithe of matter yea containing manifest vntruth false matter For the word of God was not so long coÌ„tinued only by traditioÌ„ of men but by a much more certain testimony of truth namely by diuine reuelatioÌ„ from god which was renued in euery age y t the word of God might not stand vpon the bare credite of men or be left to the vnsure deceiueable deliuery of men from hand to hand but be euermore confirmed by heauenly oracle that y e Church might be certaine not to be carried away by vntrue reports of deceueable men but to depend alwaies vpon the mouth of god For in al that time the lord had a regard that his people should not be like children wauering carried about with the wind of euery doctrine by the deceit of men and by their craftinesse which haue a methode of errour as the Apostle saith of the church of Christ since his ascention therfore hée did in all generations beside the tradition and deliuerie of the doctrine of truth from the parentes to their children posteritie sâ—â—rre vp Prophets Preachers coÌ„firmed by extraordinary wonderful reuelatioÌ„s and gifts of his holy spirite which testified of that truth word of God that was continued by tradition y t it should neither bée doubted of among so many errors as Satan raysed vp nor be corrupted either by the subtletie of the deuil or by the infirmitie forgetfulnes of men Wherefore the tradition being thus coÌ„tinued coÌ„firmed was not a bare traditioÌ„ deliuery of meÌ„ such as the Papists would draw vs vnto from the holie scriptures but a most certaine and vndoubted testimony of Gods word his truth such as he in wisdome did sée to be most coÌ„uenient for his church in that season Beside this heauenly diuine reuelation which alwaies waighted vpon Gods word in those times continued by tradition
The very tradition it self was farre vnlike to the pretended tradition of the Papists For the Lord God who in that time would haue his holy word to be preserued from generation to generation by tradition without writing committed the same to faithfull witnesses whose liues he enlarged vnto so many yeares as we read of in the holic scriptures not only for propagation of their kinde but also and especially that they might continue the doctrine of his word which he had deliuered vnto them vnto many generations to a long posteritie after them For this cause Adam liued 930. yeares Seth 912. yeares Methusalach 969. Noach 950. yeares So that Adam which first receiued the doctrine of GOD both of the lawe the Gospell and also the external forme of worshipping god by sacrifice which hée taught his sonnes insomuch that Abell by fayth offered an acceptable sacrifice vnto God which coulde not bée without hearing of the worde of God as the holie Ghost witnesseth continued a faithfull witnesse and teacher of the same doctrine vnto many thousandes of his posteritie by the space of 930. yeares beside his godly sonne Seth and other of his after commers And whereas by the wicked generation of Cain the true inuocation of God was prophaned in the dayes of his Nephew Enoch which vngodly broode dayly increased in wickednes corrupting many euen of the posteritie of Seth. The Lorde stirred vp an extraordinarie Prophet Enoch to confirme the true doctrine taught by Adam Seth Enoch and other of his godly posteritie and tooke him our of the worlde miraculously both to confirme the faithfull in the hope of the resurrection and to confound the reprobate that despised his holy correction and discipline Now let vs consider the certaintie of this tradition Noach was 600. yeare olde before the Lord God sent the floode to destroye those impudent contemners So that of his father Lamech and of his granfather Methushalech which might sée and heare The first of the worlde Adam which Seth Enoch and all the godly Patriarkes that were before him did receiue the doctrine of Gods worde as it was deliuered by God himselfe vnto them without any addition or corruption Besides that Noach which receiued the tradition but from the second mouth of them which receiued it from the mouth of God is againe confirmed with diuine reuelation with whom and his posteritie the couenant of God is againe renewed so that it appeareth howe for the space of a thousande and sixe hundred yéeres the worde of God and doctrine of saluation was continued in the church by tradition without any danger or doubt of corruption from Adam to Noach Nowe let vs sée howe this tradition was maintained after the flood vntill the time of Moses which was the first writer of the Canonicall Scripture First it is certaine by the computation of the age of Sem the sonne of Noach who was one of them that were preserued in the Ark and with whom the couenant was renewed that hée liued vnto the time of Abraham yée vntill Isaac was 50. yéere olde more for hée liued 502. yéeres after the flood So that all this time there continued a faithfull and credible witnesse of the worde of God and historie of the world restored of whoÌ„ the people might learne the certaintie of the doctrine without any perill or doubt of corruption But when the Lorde called Abraham and seuered him and his posteritie for his peculiar people and chosen congregation and that the age of man was nowe contracted and drawne vnto a much shorter time of life that the certeintie of his heaueÌ„ly truth should not be committed to vncertaine tradition of many generations hée renewed his couenaunt with Abraham Isaac and Iacob and euery one of them and confirmed the same to their children in euery age by diuine reuelation vntill it was his pleasure to record the same in the most certaine Tables of the holy Scriptures For from the death of Ioseph one of the twelue Patriarkes which liued after the comming of Iacob in to Egypt thréescore ten yéeres there passed but thréescore yéeres vntill y e birth of Moses Leui an other of the xii Patriarks liued 23. yeres after Ioseph whose daughter Iacobed was mother vnto Moses And Moses long time before hee brought the people out of Egypt receiued diuine reuelation as S. Steeuen testifieth so that hee thought his brethren shoulde haue acknowledged that God had appointed him to bee there deliuered by killing the Egyptian that oppressed them So that the certaintie of this tradition appeareth from the beginning of the worlde vnto the wriâ—ing of the holy Scriptures to haue béen confirmed in euery age by reuelation from god and by witnesses aboue all exception such as receiued the Oracles and confirmatiof them from God him selfe whose life was prolonged into such number of yéeres that the Church might neuer lacke a prophet inspired of God of whom they might hée instructed in truth of Gods worde So that the Lorde did neuer permit his worde to bare tradition of men suche as the Papistes affirme the tradition of the Apostles to haue béene whiche shoulde haue deliuered the doctrine to their successors without writing and they to their successours and so from age to age without any assurance of the fidelitie of al their successours through an hundred handes before it come vnto vs. By whiche vncertaintie of the Tradition a wyde gate is opened vnto Satan to bring in any falshood strange error to father it vpon the tradition of the Apostles As it is manifest he did in y e heresie of the ValeÌ„tiniaÌ„s Maniches Montanistes such other monstrous heresies who had none other refuge to couer y e noueltie of there strange opinions but a secret tradition beside the Scriptures according to which the Valentinians iumpe with the Papists as Irenaeus testifieth they affirmed the Scriptures were to bée interpreted not otherwise But when Irenaeus not content to confute them by Scriptures seeketh to ouerthrom them also by tradition what certaintie of truth findeth he in the traditioÌ„ of the apostles as it was receiued in his time And a man woulde thinke hée being so néere the time of the Apostles so that hee had séene them which had heard the Apostles shoulde haue had a much greater certaintie and assurance of their traditions then we can haue in these times after so many heresies corruptions alterations persecutions contentions which take away alcertaintie from such vnwritten traditioÌ„s Yet eueÌ„ this godly father Irenaeus whiles hee striueth to beare downe the Heretikes not only by scriptures but also by tradition in which they gloried was deceiued by a false and counterfet tradition contrary to the Scriptures by which it was affirmed that our sauiour Christ liued more then fortie yéeres in the fleshe And yet to iustifie this tradition hée alleadgeth for witnesses all the elders of Asia which had conuersation with S. Iohn the Disciple of our Lorde who
liued with them vntill the time of Traianus the Emperour all which affirmed that Saint Iohn deliuered the same thing vnto them Yea some of them had séene not only Iohn but other Apostles also and hearde the same things of them testified of such report What a godly shew of truth hath this tradition Yea what woulde a man require almost for greater certaintie of such a tradition then the vniforme consent of al them that had séene and hearde the Apostle of which some had hard y e other apostles also What like assurance can the Papistes make vs for their pretended traditions of the Apostles And yet this traditiō which Iraeneus aduoucheth with such shew of credit to be a true tradition is a very falshood and vntruth contrary to the Historie of the Gospell which expresly affirmeth that Christ was but 30. yéeres olde when hee began to teache in the 15. yéere of the Emperour Tiberius after which time hee liued not aboue 3. yéeres and an halfe You sée therefore what it is to leaue the holy scriptures to follow vnwritten traditions whereof what certaintie can there bée when they that liued so néere the time of the Apostles were so grossely deceiued with impudent lyes and fables and yet coloured with such shewe and appearance of credite And no maruell if Irenaeus which receiued this tradition at the second hand was beguiled with a fained vntruth whē euen they that were the schollers of the Apostles them selues coulde not agrée about their traditions which were beside their holy writinges Eusebius out of Irenaeus testifieth that when Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna came to Rome in the time whē Anicetus was bishop there they could not agrée about the tradition of the Apostles concerning the celebratiō of Easter For neither coulde Anicetus persuade Polycarpus to alter that which hee had seene Saint Iohn and other of the Apostles to practise neither coulde Polycarpus persuade Anicetus to forsake that whiche hée had receiued of his predicessors who pretended to haue receiued the same of the Apostles Peter Paule So that when the first and immediate successors of the Apostles cannot agrée vpon their traditions What hope of certaintie can wee haue after so many generations These were both auncient fathers both godly fathers which acknowledged y t all things necessary to saluation were contained in the holy Scriptures and therefore although they coulde not agrée in the vse of a Ceremonie yet they dyd not breake Christian vnitie for that diuersitie Whereas if they had thought vnwritten Traditions necessarie as Victor that was after successor to Anicetus séemeth to haue thought they woulde not haue so brotherly communicated the one with the other as they did but rather as Victor erroniously and presumptuously tooke vpon him to excommunicate the churches of Asia that agréed not with him they woulde haue detested the one the other This story also doeth plentifully witnesse that the Bishop of Romes authoritie in the beginning of the primitiue Church was not reputed to bée a matter of such certaintie y t all mē must obey his censure and no man gainesay or thinke otherwise then hée doeth in any case of religion For Polycarpus doubteth nothing at all to dissent from Anicetus Bishop of Rome where hée thought hée had better grounde neither doeth Anicetus obiect the necessitie of obedience vnto Saint Peters chayre as the Pope nowe a daies pretendeth but when hée coulde not perswade Polycarpus to consent with him in a mat-of small importance and which is beside the holy Scripture hée is content that hée shall dissent from him both in opinion and in practise But howe farre from this modestie is y e Pope of Rome in these dayes which though hée can tollerate diuersitie of Ceremonies as the Papistes say to colour this matter yet will he not tollerate that any man shall dissent in opinion iudgemēt frō him in any of those things for which he hath no groūd out of the holy scriptures but only a counterfet falsly pretēded tradition of the apostles Well you sée by the example of Polycarpus and Anicetus that there is no certaintie in vnwritten traditions when they y ◠were the next and immediate successors of the Apostles were not resolued vpon thē but continued in contrary iudgementes of them And no maruell when Iohn him selfe testifieth that euen among the very Disciples of Christe there went a wrong tradition concerning the death of Saint Iohn which hauing no ground vpon the wordes of our sauiour Christe but being cleane contrary to the truth of the holy Scriptures was yet receiued from an vnwritten veritie vntill by the written Gospell of Saint Iohn it was plainly confuted But it will bée obiected that the auncient fathers Tertullian Epiphanius Basilius and such like doe maintaine that there were some vnwritten Traditions of the Apostles in their times which were necessary to bée obserued I answere although the auncient fathers and euen these before named doe sometime auouch the sufficiencie of y e holy scriptures yet it must bée confessed that otherwhile they ascribed too much to vnwritten traditions wherein what certaintie it was likely for them to haue you may consider by that whiche hath béene saide alreadie beside that they agrée not about their Traditions either with the papists or with vs or among themselues altogether Therefore very wisely and like an Apostolike man y e holy worthy Ignatius as Eusebius writeth when hée was trauelling through Asia towarde his martyrdome which hée suffered at Rome and in euery Citie where hée came exhorted the people to continue in the faith of the gospell to beware of heresies which thē beganne to spring and multiplie in cleauing fast to the Tradition of the apostles hée testified that the same Tradition that it might bée certaine and vndoubted was already committed to writing for by that time all the bookes of the new Testament were written And that tradition so written hée thought it necessary to bee plainly taught and set foorth vnto the people This sounde and vncorrupted iudgement of Ignatius a most auncient father next successor vnto Peter in the Church of Antiochia concerning the Apostles tradition if they which came after him had reteined they had neither so easily béene drawen into errour themselues as Papias A great admiror of tradition vnwritten was Irenaeus Tertullian and other nor giuen occasion to heretikes by alleadging the insufficiencie and imprefection of the holy Scriptures to cloke their new heresies vnder the name of auncient traditions Thus you haue hearde that the worde of truth is not to be sought in the vnwritten traditions but in the vndoubted writings of the prophets apostles vpō which foundation the Churche of Christ is builded as Saint Paule testifieth and not vpon the vncertaine reportes of forgetfull and deceiueable men Now must wée examine the tow other pretended recordes of the word of GOD. The Churche and the principall Pastor thereof which they say is