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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	catholic_a	church_n	universal_a	4,187	5	9.3971	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14436	The waie home to Christ and truth leadinge from Antichrist and errour, made and set furth in the Latine tongue, by that famous and great clearke Vincent, French man borne, aboue .xi. hundred yeres paste, for the comforte of all true Christian men, against the most pernitious and detestable crafte of heretikes, which in his tyme by all subtell wayes, deuised to obscure and deface the doctrine and religion of the vniuersall churche. And now the same worke is englished, and by the Quenes highnes authorised to be sette furthe for the reliefe fo diuers Englishe menne, which yet stande in doubte, whether they may goe to heauen in the peace and vnitie of Christes vniuersall churche, or to hell in the dissention and confusion of heretikes; Pro catholicae fidei antiquitate libellus. English	Vincent, of Lérins, Saint, d. ca. 450.; Proctor, John, 1521?-1584.	1554 (1554)	STC 24754; ESTC S104650	58,039	228

otherwise can not be perfect without dayly emendation yea rather reprehēsion of the same the diuine Oracles criyng to the contrarye Ne transferas terminos quos posuerunt patres tui that is to sai beware thou go not beyonde the bondes whiche thy auncetours haue set Agayne Super iudicātem ne iudices That is to say Iudge not thou of or vpō him that hath iudged Likwise Scindentēsepem mordebít eū serpēs Whiche is in our tonge The serpent wil stinge him that breaketh or cutteth the hedge Whereby is ment that the deuyl which is figured by the serpent in the scripture wil poison stinge him to deathe that presumeth to breake the hedge of the catholike faythe and contemneth the vnitie of Christ his vniuersall churche Hereto belongeth the worthye counsail of S. Paul wherwith as with a certayne spirituall sworde all detestable nouelties of cursed heresies are and at all times haue been cut of and shal be to the worldes ende O Timothe sayeth he kepe that doctrine whiche was lefte vnto thee and auoyde all prophane nouelties of wordes and termes Beware of oppositions and obiectiōs of false named science whiche certayne promisyng haue erred cōcerning the faith What can be more vehemētly spoken against new innouations contrary to the auncient order of the vniuersall church thē this yet behold the indurate hartes the shamelesse impudēcie the stiffe outragious pertinacie of diuers whom neyther the great weight of so manifest scriptures can moue to yelde nor the weyghtie importaunce of so highe authorities canne force to retyre ne yet so terrible threatenynges of high vengeaunce can persuade to repent O Timothe sayeth S. Paule auoyde prophane nouelties of wordes and voyces He sayth not antiquities and auncienties But therby sheweth what on the other syde he shoulde folowe For he sayeth not Auoide the olde auncient receiued termes phrases and sentences but newfangled gere and prophane nouelties Then if noueltie is to be auoyded antiquitie oughte to be admitted if noueltie be prophane then is auncientie holye and diuine Auoide also sayeth he and resist oppositions and obiections of knowledge falselye so called That is obiections made by heretikes agaynst the receyued order of the catholike churche vpon knowledge as they wold lyghtlye perswade But it is not so sayeth S. Paule It is falsely called knowledge The knowledge of Heretikes is grosse ignoraunce their brightnesse is mere dymnesse Theyr light is hellishe darkenesse Yet woulde they so disgyse and colour them that in apparaunce they might seeme the selfe same thinges whiche promisyng sayeth S. Paule they haue fallen from the faithe What haue they promised Surelye I wote not what newe and vnknowen doctrine For ye shall here some say vnto you The verie fourme of wordesth heretikes vse O ye fooles and selye poore soules whiche commonly are called catholike come ye vnto vs saye they and learne of vs the true faythe which none knoweth besides vs whiche hath ben hidden from you this many hundred yeres and is nowe of late reueled and shewen vnto a fewe of vs. But learne it of vs priuelye and secretlye and you shall finde great pleasure therin And whē ye haue learned it at our handes teache it other also but priuelye in corners that the worlde heare it not and that the Churche knowe it not For thei can not beare it because it is geuen but to a fewe to vnderstande and receiue the secrete of so great mysterie I praye you be not theise the very wordes of that abhominable and deceytefull harlot spoken of in the pronerbes of Salomon Which doth allure to come vnto her suche as passe by the waye goynge in theyr iourneye sayinge He that is vnwisest of you al let him come to me And the simple she intiseth also saying Panes occultos libenter attingite et aquam dulcemfurtim bibite That is to saye Come and eate gladlye the loues whiche are hidden and drinke priuely a swete pleasaunt water These are the flattering and deceyuable wordes of that false wicked harlot the churche of Antichrist But it is worthe the labour to trauerse more at large the wordes of S. Paule O Timothe saith he kepe that which is left vnto the auoyding prophane nouelties of wordes O is an exclamation aswell of prescience as also of charitie For he aforesawe the errours to come and afore hande was careful howe to auoyde them He speaketh vnto Timothe Who is now Timothe But eyther the vniuersal churche generally or the whole bodye of the rulers speciallye For bothe them selues oughte to haue the sounde and perfect knowledge of Gods religion and also to teache the same to other What is meaned by that Deposita custodi Kepe that whiche is lefte vnto the. Kepe sayeth saynct Paule because of fylchynge theues and enuyous aduersaries Least thei when men be at rest shoulde sowe theyr zizan and Cocle vpon that good seede of Wheate whiche the sonne of man hadde sowen before in his feelde Kepe that whiche was lefte vnto thee sayeth the Apostle What was that Forsothe that whiche was credited and committed vnto thee and not that whyche was deuised by thee The religion whiche thou haste receyued and not whiche thou of thy selfe haste imagined a matter not of wyt but of doctrine not of priuate vsurpation but of publike traditiō brought vnto the from thyne auncetours not brought fnrthe by the for thy successors Wherof thou oughtest not to be an authour but keper not an institutour but folower Hold assuredly saieth S. Paule saue kepe the inuiolate and pure talent of the catholike faieth committed vnto the. Exchaunge not but what thou hast receiued holde that still and delyuer that same vnto other Thou hast receiued golde yeld golde againe I will not that thou rendre either impudentlye leade or craftely coper for good golde restore in value and substaunce gold in deed and not that whiche glistereth and hath a showe lyke to golde and yet is none O Timothe O thou priest thou doctour preacher or expoūder of scriptures if the gift of God hath made the a fitte instrument thereunto in witte doctrine and exercise bee thou Beselehel the workeman of the spirituall tabernacle Cut and graue workemanly the pretious Gemmes of the heauenly doctrine Coapt set and applye them faithfully Adorne decke set thē furth wisely Adde with the vttermost of thy power shyning grace bewtie Through the and thyne expositions let it be perceiued more clearelye whiche before was darke and yet beleued faithfully Through the and thy frauel let the posteritie reioyce in the vnderstandinge of that whiche tofore the antiquitie did worship and not vnderstande But yet teach the same thinges whiche thou hast learned and none other that when thou speakest newely yet thou speake not newe matters Here some wil saye What shal there be no increase had of religion in the churche of Christe-Yes what els Who is so iniurious bothe to God and man that would not so But increase I would should be not

expressed and throughly resolued the same to cōsolidate confirme and assure What hathe been confirmed and ratified the same faythfullye to kepe folowe and beleue For what hath the churche purposed at anye time by the decrees of general counsailles but that such thynges shoulde afterwarde more diligentlye be obserued whiche afore were simply beleued And that whiche tofore was but slackly taught should afterwarde be preached more in stantlye This I say at al tymes and nothing els the churche being vexed with the furious nouelties of wicked herelikes hathe purposed to doe in the decrees of her counseylles that suche doctrine as was receyued by tradition onely from the auncetours might be assigned sealed hensforth vnto the posteritie by scripture cōprising in litle writyng a great weight of matters And manye times for the better vnderstanding of them vttereth expresseth the olde sense and meaning of our faith in new termes newly deuised for the playne opening of suche matters as might otherwise apeare obscure But let vs returne to the apostle S. Paule He sayeth Depositum custodi Kepe that whiche was left vnto the auoidynge prophane nouelties of words auoide saith he hate as a viper as a scorpiō as a venemous cockatrice least they hurt thee not onelye with their touching but also with their sight and pestilent brethe What is it to auoide Forsothe not once to eate or drinke with thē Auoide sayth S. Paule What Yf anye sayth he cōmeth vnto you and bringeth not with him this doctrine What doctrine The catholycke and vniuersall doctrine which hath remained one and the same by all succession of ages through incorrupt tradition of verite shall remayne to the worldes end whosoeuer saye naye What then Doe not receyue him sayeth S. Paule into thy house neither shalte thou saye vnto hym aue God spede For he that sayeth vnto him God spede or all hayle he doeth communicate with hys wickednes He sayth prophane nonelties of wordes What is prophane Verely that whiche is neither God! ye nor goodly all whory and nothing holy that whiche straieth without the borders and boundes of the catholyke Churche whiche is the temple of God He saith Prophane nouelties of wordes or voices What is that No doubt nouelties of wordes opinions censures sectes contrarie to antiquitie repugnaunte to the auncient faieth of the vniuersal churche For if suche nouelties be receiued suche innouations admitted thē of necessitie must the faieth of the holy fathers be greatlye stayned then must all faiethfull of all ages all holye and chast fathers all contment and godly virgins all clerkes leuites and priestes theu must so many thowsande of confessours so greate hostes of martyrs so innumerable multitude of cities of peoples of Islādes and prouinces so many thowsande kinges and nations Finally in maner the whole world being incorporate vnto our heed Christ throughe the catholyke faieth must of necessitie I say be indged all this while so many hundreth yeres to haue been ignoraunt to haue erred and blasphemed God not to haue knowen what they shoulde beleue Prophane nouelties of wordes saieth Paule auoide Whye auoyde Because it was neuer the custome and propertie of catholyke men but onely of heretikes to receiue and folowe thē And in dede what heresie hathe there been that spronge not vp vnder a singular and certaine name in a singular and certaine bothe time and place Who euer forged any heresies but that he first diuided him selfe from the consent of the vniuersalitie and aunciētie of the catholike church Whoo euer presumed so greate force of frewill that he thought it sufficiente to worke all good actions without the helpe of Goddes grace before that prophane heretike Pelagius Whoo euer denaied all mankinde to be boūde in the offēse of Adam his preuaricatiō before Celestius the prodigious disciple of that monstruous maister Pelagius Who euer durst either to diuide the vnitie of the blessed trinitie before that cursed Arrius or confound the Trinitie of the ineffable vnitie before wicked Sabellius Who euer saied before that mooste cruell Nouatianus that GOD woulde rather haue the deathe of a sinner then that hee shoulde returne and liue Who euer before Symon Magus of whome that olde goulfe of filthes euen vnto Priscillianus by continuall and priuie succession haue issued dursie saye God our creatour to be the authour of euell that is of oure wicked impious abhominable dedes For he affirmeth that God hath created such a nature in man that by a certaine propre motion and impulse of necessarie wyll he neither can ne wil any thinge els but sinne for being exagitate in flamed with the furies of al vices he is pluct and pulled throughe insatiable desyre into al kinde of iniquitie There be inumerable examples of this sorte whiche I omit for breuities sake by whiche it is clerely and manifestly declared that this hath been as it were a solemne vowe euer moore amonges heretikes to set vp prophane nouelties to neglecte the orders of auncietie And by oppositions of doctrine falselye termed to hasarde the catholyke faith Of thother side this euermore hathe ben the propertie of the catholikes to kepe maintaine saue all suche godly orders and constitutions deliuered and left of the holye fathers to condempne vtterly all prophane nouelties according to the counsel of S. Paul Who earnestly warneth if any shal preache vnto you any other doctrine thē ye haue receiued accurse him Here perchaūce some wyll saye vnto me do not suche as ye call heretikes vse the scriptures And can the scriptures lye Surely the scriptures lye not Yet lyinge heretikes abuse the testimony of the scriptures yea and veray vehementlie For ye shall se them flye throughe euerie volume and parte therof throughe all the bokes of Moy ses of the kynges throughe all the Psalmes the Apostles gospelles and Prophetes Wheresoeuer and with whomsoeuer they talke beinge at home or a brode whether they preache or write be they at feast or in the stretes scripture droppeth out of their mouthes as thicke as hayle from heauen They bring not one iote of their owne but the same is shadowed with scripture termes Reade who list the workes of Paulus Samosatenus or Priscillianus Eunomius Iouinianus all other heretikes that euer haue ben or hereafter shal be And ye shall finde an infinite heape of examples yea ye shall se not one leafe in all their bookes almoost but it is painted set as thicke with quotations notes in the margente of sentences as well of tholde as the newe testamente as possybly the margente canne holde Yet are they detestable heretikes Of whome we oughte so muche the more to beware and feare the more priuely they lurk vnder the bowers of diuine scriptures For they know well that their trecherie and filthes ill stenches coulde not quickly please if they were nakedlye and simply brethed furth And therefore they all besprincle thē with the swet spices as it were of the heauenlye doctrine that he

the foreiudgemente of the auncient censure and hardlye maiest thou condempne them in whom affection hathe blinded the. Heare perchaunce some requireth that I explane these thinges auouched in the woordes of holye Moyses by some ecclesiastical examples It is a iust request and vnworthie to be neglected What temptation was that trowe ye when that vnhappie Nestorius sodainlye of a shepe beinge made a woulfe ●estorius began to rent teare the flocke of Christe Yea when euen they whose bloude he sucked yet beleued him to be a shepe whereby they were the redier pray vnto him For whoe woulde not hardlye beleue that he were in error whom they sawe elected and chosen with soo greate iudgemente of the temporall Empyre so greatlye fauoured and reuerenced of the spirituall clergie who with muche commendation of holye men with great fauour of the people was daily celebrated and did openly preache and teache the holye scriptures and so earnestly confuted the daungerous and pestilent errors of the Iewes and Gentiles Whoe woulde not thinke but this were a ryghte felowe and that he taughte preached and thought ryghtlye in all pointes For to th ende he mighte make awaye for his heresie to take place he inueighed earnestly againste the blasphemies of all other heresies But this is it that Moyses sayed The lorde your GOD tempteth you if you loue him or nor And to let passe Nestorius in whom alwayes moore admiration was thē profitte greater fame then experience whome in the conceite of the multitude rather the fauor and fancie of men had made great thē the grace of god let vs recite other which being of greate knowledge and diligence were therefore no small temptation vnto the catholyke folke As amōgest the Hungarians was one Photinus Photinus that tēpted the cōgregation of Syrma Who afterwarde that he was admitted into the holy order of priesthoode and had there ministred a while as a true catholike mā sodaynly as that false prophet or Dreamer whome Moyses speaketh of he beganne to perswade the people of God committed vnto hym to folowe straunge Goddes That is to saye straunge opinions whiche they knewe not before And as that is common so is this very pernicious when to the settyng furth of such straunge errours ther lacke no colour of scholes no apparell of Rhetoricke no helpe of knowledge as thys Photinus lacked not For he was a manne by witte able to doe asmuche as anye in all kynde of knowledge excellent for pleasaunt and swete pronuntiation inferiour to none Who copiously and weyghtely disputed and wrote in bothe tongues as is manifest by his bookes whiche he made and penned as well in the Greke tongue as also the laten tongue But happely the flocke of Christ committed vnto him being very vigilant and warye for and concernynge the catholicke faythe remembred quickely the watche worde geuen tofore by Moyses and although they wondred at the eloquence of theyr Prophet and Pastour yet wer they well warye of the tēptacion For whom they afore folowed as the belweather of their flocke nowe they auoyde and flie from hym as a rauenyng wolfe Likewise the example not of Photinus onelye Photinus Apollinaris but of Apollinaris also maye well teache vs what great peryll ensueth of the ecclesiasticall temptacion and so warne and prouoke vs with the more earnest diligence to obserue holde and folowe the catholycke faythe vniuersallye taughte and receyued For this Apollinaris had with such fetches so intangled his hearers with suche insoluble argumentes and so combred theyr wyttes that thauthoritie of the churche leading them one waye the custome and practise of theyr preacher drawynge them another waye they were al amased and in doubt what thei might stand to and whiche waye thei might take and folow Neyther was Appollinaris suche one as mighte easlye be contempned Yea he was so worthye a man and of suche estimation as in moste thinges mought very quickely be credited For who was more excellent in finesse of witte then he Who worthie either for diligence or knowledge to be conferred with him Howe manye heresies in howe manye volumes he hath expressed how manye errours contrary and iniutious to the fayth he hath confuted I nede not declare That most noble worke contayninge thirtie bookes in numbre maye suffice for the declaration therof wherin he confoūdeth mightelye the frantike brablinges fonde cauillatiōs of Porphyrie with a great heape of proffes It were a tedious busines to recite all the workes that he made wherein he shewed hym selfe to be so excellent a clerke as might worthelye be thought equall to the chiefe builders of Christ his churche had he not through prophane lust of hereticall noueltie ymagined that new fangled errour wherwith as with the poison of a running Leprie so defiled he the rest of his doinges with from thēcefurth his doctrine was thought and accompted rather to be ecclesiasticall temptation then spirituall edification Here it maye be required at my handes that I declare theyr heresies whom I haue aboue remembred for heretikes that is the heresies of Nestorius Apollinaris Photinus Howe be it this appertaineth not to the purpose which nowe is in hande For my purpose is not to recite all their errours but to produce the examples of a fewe whereby that maye be euidently and clearely demonstrated vnto you whiche Moyses sayeth that yf at anye time any maister of the Clergie yea and he euen a Prophet in expoundinge the mysteries of the Prophetes attempteth to bringe any new opinion into the church ye maye knowe that the prouidence of God then suffered you to be tempted I shall not let notwithstandinge in discurse briefly to disclose the errors of the afore saied men And I wil first beginne with Photinus Whose sect is this Photinus He sayeth that God is but a single and solitarye persone and that he muste be confessed after the maner of the Iewes He denaieth the Trinitie and thinketh to be no person either of the son or of the holy ghost He affirmeth Christ to be only mā that he toke his beginning of Marye And this he teacheth vehemētlye that we oughte to confesse the onelye personne of God the father and wurshyppe Christ as man onelye This was the heresie that Photinus mayntained Apollinaris braggeth that in the vnitie of the Trinitie he doeth consent with vs Apollinaris heresie and yet the same he blasphemeth with his erronious profession touchynge the incarnation of Christ For he sayth that in the fles he of our Sauiour eyther the soule of man was not at all or at leastwise such one as lacked vnderstanding and reason Moreouer he say de that Christ receyued not fleshe of the blessed virgin Mary but that he came from heauen into the virgin And being wauerynge and doubtfull what he might certaynlye at all tymes auowche he some tymes affirmed the fleshe of Christe to be coeternall with God the worde some times to be made of the diuinite of the worde For he would

expresse the imitation of another mans trade or office in doing therof we so vse the diligence of other that they not withstandinge whiche resemble and represent are not those that are resembled represēted As for example when the stage Player playeth the Priest or King it foloweth not that he is eyther priest or King Therfore for the acte or parte ceasyng the personne also ceaseth whiche he did vsurpe God forbyd we Christians shoulde vse any suche abhominable and pestilent mockerye in the incarnation of his sonne Christ god and man Let this madnes and fantasie be left vnto the Manicheis the preachers of dreames Manicheis The catholike fayth confesseth the worde of God so to be made man that he receyueth truelye and manifestlye all that ours is not deceyuably and coulerablye And that he executeth all thynges that were humayne not as thoughe he imitated a straunge parte but rather as properlye his owne he verelye and truely being the selfe same whose personne he dyd represent As we our selues also in that we speake we vnderstand we lyue we be we do not herein imitate men but we are men in dede Neyther were Peter and Iohn to name them chieflye aboue all other menne by imitation but by being In like sort God the worde in takynge and hauynge fleashe in speaking doyng and sufferyng in the fleashe without corruption not withstanding his nature vouchesafed to do and per fourme all this not to th ende that he might imitate counterfayte or resemble a perfecte mā but because he was in dede and verelye subsisted perfecte man Therefore as the soule knit vnto the fleshe neyther yet tourned into the fleshe doth not imitate man but is man and man not by simulation but by substaunce so the worde God without any conuersion of any parte of hym in comminge and confoundyng him selfe to man is made man not by imitation but by subsistynge He therfore that will be of God must confesse the ineffable word of God in the incarnation of his sonne Christe and acknowledge one and the same Christ to be verelye and perfectlye God verelye and perfectlye man in one vnitie of one personne whiche vnitie of personne was compacte and perfected not after the virgin was deliuered but euen in the wōbe of the virgin And we ought diligētly to be ware that we imagine not Christe to be two because of his two natures whom we must cōfesse to be one only euer one One in his conception one after One in his birth one after One in the time of his baptisme one euer after Vnto whō being but one and yet both God and man by reason of that vnitie of person both the properties of God are attributed to man the properties of man ascribed to God And therefore it is written in the scriptures Iohn vi that the sonne of man came downe from heauen and the Lord of Maiestie was crucified in earth In consideration of this vnitie of personne the Churche sayeth and beleueth very catholikely that God the worde was borne of the virgine The deniall wherof is detestable impious wicked Then for asmuche as it is so god defend that any mā should go about to defraude the blessed virgin Marie of the priuileges of the heauenly grace as from her special honor For sheis by a certen singular gyft of our lord God most truly most worthely to be confessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say the mother of god Howe be it she is not so the mother of God as that impious heresy doth surmise which affirmeth that she must be said the mother of god by only appellation because she brought furth hym a man which afterwarde was made God As we vse to saye a Priestes mother or a Byshops mother not in bringynge furth a Priest or a Byshoppe but betyng him a man whiche afterwarde is made Priest or Byshoppe But holy Mary I saye is not called the mother of God after that sorte but rather as afore I sayde because in the blessed wombe that holy mysterye was wrought And by reason of a certayne singular and one onely vnitie of person as the worde is fleshe in fleshe so man is God But now let vs retourne home and briefely recompte suche thynges as we haue sayde touchynge the heresies tofore remembred to th end that by the iteration therof the memorie maye be holpen the matters more fullye perceyued and better borne awaye Accursed therefore be Photinus not receiuing the fulnesse of the Trinitie and preaching Christ to be a solitarie and onely man Accursed be Apollinaris affirming in Christe the corruption of diuinitie conuerted and deniynge the proprietie of perfecte humanitie Accursed be Nestorius denayinge God to be borne of the virgine affirming twoo Christes perswading to be a quaternitie cōtrary to the faith and beliefe of the Trinitie And blessed is the catholike churche whiche dothe honor one God in fulnesse of Trinitie Catholike Churche and also equalitie of Trinitie in one diuinitie that neither the singularitie of substaunce confoundethe the proprietie of persons neither the distinction of the Trinitie dothe separate the vnitie of the deitie Blessed I saye is the churche whiche beleueth that in Christe be two true and perfect natures and but one person that neither the diuision of natures diuideth the vnitie of hys person nor the vnitie of the person cōfoūdeth the difference of the natures Blessed I saye is the Churche whiche humbly confesseth that Christe manne was not vnited to God after his natiuitie but in the chaste wombe of his mother to th ende she might acknowledge hym to be nowe and euer more to haue been Blessed is the Churche whiche vnderstandeth God to be made man not by conuersiō of nature but by consideration of person and such person as is subsisting and euer permanent Blessed is the Churche whiche teacheth this vnitie of person to haue suche force vertue and mighte that by that vnitie shee ascribeth in wonderfull and ineffable mysterie as wel the proprieties vnto manne as the humaine qualities to God For in respecte of that vnite of person she denieth not but that mā as concerninge GOD descended from heauen and beleueth that God as concerninge man was made in the earth suffered and was crucified In respecte of that vnitie she confesseth that man is the sonne of God God the sonne of Marye the virgin Thus muche of this matter the weighte whereof requireth an exact treatise But in this present place it is sufficiēt to touch by the waye brieflye whiche by Goddes leaue I purpose hereafter moore plentuouslye to discusse at an other time Nowe let vs procede as we beganne I saied before and nowe I say againe that in the Churche of God the temptation of the people is the error of the maister or teacher And somuch greater is the temptation the greater knowlege of him is that erreth As we declared first by thauthoritie of the scriptures nexte by ecclesiasticall

not againste any stone that is to say that they cannot offende or go amisse though they wold But some wyll saye if the testimonies sentences promises of the scripture are vsed of the deuill his ministers of whom some be false Prophetes some false Apostles some be false teachers and they all heretikes what then shall the catholike men the childrē of our mother the Church doe By what mean shall they discerne the veritie in the holye scriptures from the falshood of suche heretikes No doubte they must doe as at the beginning I admonished They must doe as other godlye learned mē haue done before them and as they haue taughte vs to doe that followe them What is that They must interpretate vnderstande and expounde the scriptures of God accordynge to the traditions orders rules of the catholike Church wherin they must also necessarilye obserue followe the vniuersalitie antiquitie and cōsent of the catholike apostolike churche And when so euer a parte against the vniuersalitie noueltie againste auncientie the dissention of a fewe shall rebell againste the vniuersall consente of all or the most parte of christians then preferre and esteme the integritie of the vniuersalitie before the corruption of a parte And in the same vniuersalitie the religion of antiquitie before the prophane noueltie againe in that antiquitie before the temeritie of one or a fewe preferre chieflye the generall decrees of an vniuersall coūsell and if none suche bee then followe the consent and censure of suche as haue tofore taughte and ruled in the churche of god Whiche if we diligently soberly and faiethfully obserue it shal be easy inoughe for vs to discerne or deprehende from tyme to time all pestilent errors of al sortes of heretikes Here nowe consequent it is that I by example doe demonstrate howe and in what wise the prophane nouelties of heretikes maye be bothe deprehended and also condempned by the censures and sentences of the aunciente fathers concordinge and agreing together How be it we oughte to inuestigate and followe the aunciente consente of the holye fathers not in euery small question of the scriptures but only and chiefely in the rule of faith neither at all times all kinde of heresies are this wayes to bee impugned but only newe and freshe heresies as sone as they put vp their heades That before they haue falsyfied the presidences of the auncient faieth they maye be put of their purpose by the straightnes of the time and before they may haue leasure to goo about to corrupt and viciate the workes of oure elders with theire venime creping moore at large But olde and inueterate heresyes cannot be ouerthrowen after this sort because in longe tracte of times they haue gotten better occasiō to incroche vpon trueth Wherfore suche olde heresies must be euer conuinced by the onely authoritie of the scripture or els auoided and detested beinge alredy tofore conuinced and condempned by vniuersall counsell of the catholike writers Wherfore as sone as any newe prophane error beginneth to pepe vp and the authour therof imbeseleth for the defense of the same certain sentēces out of the scripture whiche he falsely and craftely dothe expoūde by by must ye gather together the exposition of the fathers vpon those places whiche were produced for the defense of the erroure Wherby that newe prophane errour maye be with out longe circumstaūce bewraied without anye delaye condempned But the exposition of suche fathers onely are to be conferred whiche lyuing teaching and abidinge holily wisely and constantly in the faieth and catholyke communion haue merited either to dye in Christe faiethfullye either for Christe to be slayne happely Vnto whome notwithstandinge we ought so farre furthe to geue credit as they consente and agree together And whatsoeuer they together haue manifestlye firmelye and fayethfullye receyued taught and deliuered vnto vs the same maye we receyue beleue and folowe as moste certaine true and perfect doctrine And whatsoeuer anye man be he Byshoppe or Prelate be he Confessor or Martyr be he neuer so holye neuer so well learned shall presume to mayntayne and teache anye thynge contrarye to the consent opinion and censure of these fathers we ought to accompt the same heresie amongest the priuie priuate sectes which are deuided from the authoritie of the cōmon publique general sentence Let vs not with highe daunger of euerlastynge saluation after the curssed custome of hellishe heretikes forsake the auncient verite of the vniuersall doctrine and folow the newe errours of one or a fewe The holye and catholike consent of whiche godlye fathers least anye shoulde temerouslye iudge to be neglected harke what S. Paule sayth vnto the Corinthians ii Cor .xij. God sayeth he hathe constitute cettayne in the church first apostles of whom he was one nexte Prophetes what one we reade in the Actes that Agabus was thirdlye teachers whyche we call Tractatores Treaters or Writers whiche Paule him selfe calleth also prophetes somtyme because by them throughe their diligence the mysteries of the Prophetes are opened vnto the people Those therfore thus dispensed and constitute by the prouidēce of God by tymes and places whosoeuer shall despice or contemne agreynge and consentynge together in anye matter of Christ his catholike religion let him knowe that he contemneth not man but God And that no man should deuide him selfe from the southsaying vnitie of these fathers S. Paule earnestlye desyreth saying I beseche you brethren that ye all speake one thinge and the same and that there be amongest you no dissention Be ye perfect and knit together in one and the same sense in one and the same sentence And yf anye shall deuide hym selfe from the communion of the Catholicke sentence he shall heare that of S. Paule He is not God of dissention but of peace That is to saye he is not the God of hym which shrinketh from the vnite of consent but of suche as abyde constaunt in the peace of consent with other As I teach you sayth he in al congregatiōs of the sainctes That is of the Catholike which therefore are called sainctes because they persist consiaunte in the communion of fayth And yf any one would so muche arrogate vnto him selfe as thoughe he onelye were to be hearde and credited before all other S. Paule to hys reprofe sayeth thus Came the worde of God from you or came it into you onely But least this shoulde seeme to be spoken vpon smale consideration he addeth further If any man semeth to be a Prophete or spirituall let him knowe those thinges which I do write vnto you because they are the commaundementes of the Lorde Whiche commaundementes he that is counted a Prophet or spirituall that is to saye a maister of spirituall matters doth not with earnest studye of equalitie and vnitie obserue that eyther preferreth his owne opinion before others or in any poynt goeth from the iudgement of the vniuersall consent The commaundement hereof who knoweth not sayeth