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A19566 A confutatio[n] of vnwritte[n] verities both bi the holye scriptures and moste auncient autors, and also probable arguments, and pithy reasons, with plaine aunswers to al (or at the least) to the moste part and strongest argumentes, which the aduersaries of gods truth, either haue, or can bryng forth for the profe and defence of the same vnwritten vanities, verities as they would haue them called: made up by Thomas Cranmer ... translated and set forth, by E.P. The contentes whereof, thou shalte find in the next side folowinge. Cranmer, Thomas, 1489-1556.; E. P., fl. 1556. 1556 (1556) STC 5996; ESTC S109030 77,248 224

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that Images are necessarie because they be laie mens bokes teaching them instructing them and leading them to the trewe worshippe of god Oh great blasphemie Oh sacrilege Oh spitfull robbery What is blasphemie what is sacrilege what is robberi if this be none god geueth his worde written to bee euery mans booke and his pure euerlastinge and vnderfiled commaundementes as sufficient instructions for all men to the trewe worshippe of him But these earthly wroters the Pope I meane and his prelates as though they wer wiser then God will teache men to worship him with Images althoughe the same be vtterli forbidden by god through out the whole course of his holy scriptures These and suche other false and fained doctrines cōtrarie to the scriptures of God contayned in his holye Bible are now blowen out biustered and yelled forth in euery pulpit Euery streate soundeth of these yea eueri prynters house is filled with such vngodly baggage yea and the same are commaunded by publique aucthority which is much to be lamented to bee sette forth and the sincere doctrine of Christes holy worde cleane put to silence and vtterlye condemned Neyther maye any man reason or once doubte of their doctrine vnder paine of excommunicacion naye rather vnder paine of burning And when the● be able as they are not able at any time in dede to proue any of these doctrines by the worde of god written then they flye to their vnwritten verites that is to certain things deliuered as they saie from the Apostles by worde of mouth without writing Whiche thynges ar to all men vncertaine for no mā knoweth certainly what they are But whatsoeuer pleaseth them and maketh for theire purpose profite and Lordly ambicion that is an vnwrytten verite not to be gaine saide or denied This is their shote anker bulwarke and extreme refuge wherunto to they flie whensoeuer they are forced and constrained by gods worde These they make their foundacion wherevpon they builde and mayntaine all their supersticiōs Idolatries and heresies Whiche foundacions I truste by gods grace and helpe so to shake both by the open scriptures by the full consent of all the moste auncient writers and by probable reasons that the building therevpon shal haue a fall For this is most true that no vnwritten verite is or can be necessarie for our saluacion For then sholde the sacred and holy scriptures written by the Apostles in the spirite of god and sealed with their bloodes seme to bee insufficient and not able to bring v● vnto saluacion But what a greate blasphemye that shoulde bee to God and his most holy spirite all men I trust that list to reade the same scryptures easely shall perceaue But whē these vnshame fast robbers are put to their shiftes vrged and forced herein by the open and manyfeste word written then haue they another startīge hole to crepe out at cryinge and yelling templum domini templum domini templū domini c. the church the churche the churche affirmynge in plaine wordes that the church can in no wise erre or be disceaued And heare they disceaue thēselues because they make no distinctyon or differēce of the churche For there are two maner of churches one true perfect and holy in the sighte of god and another false imperfect and vngodly Trueth it is that the true churche of God beeing grounded and sette vpon hys holy worde I meane the gospell of grace can not erre vnto damnacion But the other how shining and glorious so euer it appeare if it wander abroade and be not contained within the compasse and lymets of the worde written is no true but a fained and forged churche That Church as it is without the compasse of Gods promises made in trueth not onelye maye but also doth commonli yea continuallyer●e and goe astra●e for they are not c●uppeled to the head Chryste which is the life the way the truth Paul the Apostle of god and elect vessell of saluacion writing to the Galathians hath these wordes if we saith he or an Aungell from heauen preach any other gospell vnto you then that we haue preached hold him a curse● and yet the papistes not fearing the curse of God ●are bee bolde to teache thinges which Paul neuer knewe yea thinges cleane contrarye to hys euident and manifest teaching Such grosse Ignoraunce I would to God it were but Ignoraunce in dede ●s entered into their heades and such arrogaunt boldnes possesseth their harts that they are bolde to affirme no churche to be the true churche of god but that which standeth by ordinary succession of Bishoppes in such pompeous and glorious sort as nowe is seen For if there be say they no such outwarde and visible churche howe shal any man know whether he be of the churche of Chryst and in the right belefe or no● To this I aunswer that if our faith should be stayed vpon the outwarde glisteringe and pompeous churche not ruled nor gouerned by the determinate counsell of God in his worde written we shoulde neuer be certaine therof but euer wauering and doubting which is the gate and readye path way to desperacion from whiche god defende his chosen flocke Cursed is he sayth the scripture that putteth his trust in man And why for all men as the kinglye Prophete Dauid saith ar lyers in their words and sinners in their workes By whiche wordes it appeareth plaine that there was neuer man so vertuous so holy nor so wel learned onely the writers of the holi scripturs excepted but either of Ignoraunce or of neglygence there escaped some faultes in his writinges and doinges Yea the generall counsels themselues also that they make so much of haue notably erred as hereafter shalbe declared Yea suche hath been the trueth of those seen churches that one generall counsell hath cōdemned another of heresie Moreouer the outwarde seen churche wherof they bragge not a litel hath neuer since the beginninge any space continued in the true doctrine of god Let vs beginne at Moses who was the first law geuer and we shal see the state of this outwarde churche which consisteth in the ordinarie succession of Bishoppes whether it be so as I haue said or no. Whē Moses was gone vp to the mounte Sinai to talke with God and to receaue the lawe at his handes did not Aaron the hiegh Priest and Bishop with al the people in the mene space worship the golden Calfe reade the boke of Iudges and you shal see how the whole outwarde visible church fell to Idolatrie and worshippinge of straunge goddes as Baal Astaroth goddes of the Edomites Moabites Philistines and the Sirians After the reigne of king Dauid howe many kynges were there I praye you in whose tyme false gods were not openly worshipped All the kynges of Israel serued straunge gods wyth the consent of the Byshoppes priestes the hole people And in Iuda there passed not .iii or foure kinges after
succession of Bishops then shal we make Christ whiche is an innocent lambe without spot and in whom is founde no gile to bee the head of vngodly and disobediēt members Which thing is as impossyble as to make god which is onli good and nothynge but goodnesse it selfe to bee the aucthor originall and cause of al euill For Chryste as he is pure holy and perfyte euen so must his churche and members be to whom he as the head is adioyned and coupled But if we alow the Pope hys Cardinales Bishops Priestes Mōkes Chanō● Friers and the whole rable of the clergye to be thys perfect church of god whose doinges are cleane contrarye for the most parte to the wyll and commaundement of Chryst lefte and expressed in his woorde wrytten then make we him a synner and his word of none effecte For as swete agreeth wyth sower blacke with white darknes with light and euil with good euen so this outward seene and vysyble churche consisting of the ordinari succession of Bishops agreeth wyth Christe But there they wyll aske me how shal a man know whether he be in the right faith but by this church To this Christe shal make aunswere himselfe sayeng in the gospel of Iohn my shepe heare my voice and shal not heare a straunger And where I pray you hath Christe left any voyce to be heard or folowed but in hys woorde writtē Search the scriptures saith he for they beare witnes of me Wher he biddeth you not search vnwritten verities such as the outward sene and pompeous church shall of theyr own heades showe you but the written verities contained in the holye scriptures whiche are profytable to teache to improue to amende and to instructe in righteousnesse that the man of god may be perfet and prepared vnto all good workes If thou therefore bee desyerous to knowe whether thou be in the righte fayth or no seke it not at mās mouth for all men bee lyers Seke it not I saye at a proude gloryous and waue ringe sorte of Bishoppes priestes but at gods owne mouth whyche is his holy worde written whiche can neither lye disceaue nor be disceaued As 〈◊〉 I say seke and knocke by dylygent study earnest prayer vnto god who hath promised to geue to al thē that aske faithfulli of him the certaīti of good faith in their cōsciēce taught confirmed by the holye scryptures of the olde and newe testament And here I forbid no man as though they shold not aske and learne of the learned for that is good and necessarye yea and alowed by gods trueth but thys would I haue all men to dooe to vse discretion and wysdome in this matter and to knowe whether they be lerned godli minded and able to instruct by the scriptures or no. And yet if thei be beleue them no further then they can shewe their doctryne and exhortacion to bee agreable wyth the true worde of god written For that is the very touche stone whiche must yea and also wyl trye all doctryne or learnyng whatsoeuer it be whether it be good or euill true or false And let not men of small learninge be to curious in askyng or mouing darke and doubtful questions whiche brede contenciō rather then godly edyfieng but lette them be contente with the plaine and open places of the scriptures Let thē rather be earnest to obserue the commaundementes of faythe and loue whiche are plainly set forth in Gods boke then to trouble themselues and busy their heades wyth darke places for that is a thyng that hath done and also doth displease god very greatly Yea I thinke surely that these heauy plagues where wyth god most iustly punisheth now this realme of Englande whyche I beseche hym of hys infinite mercy eyther to take cleane awaye or els to mitigate them for his electe sake commeth not so much for the simple innocente and vnlearned sorte whych beeyng begiled throughe theyr simplicite by the craft and subtyltie of the wilie papystes doe stil cōtinue in supersticion and Idolatrye but rather for the curious sort which preache straunge farre fetched doctrynes nothyng so muche to edyfieng as to contencyous brawlynge Yea I would to god there were not a greate nomber of them that were and are counted learned whiche preache and defende doctrines whiche themselues know to be vntrue cōtrary to the euidēt scriptures Wolde god ther wer not many hūdreds of great gospellers sometimes that had not subscribed with their own hāds confirmed by their opē publique sermōs the cōtrary of that which they once builded in Chryst. And some of such I know in perswading priuatlye with their olde frēds acquaītaūce haue cōfessed no lesse but that they haue done cōtrary to the truth the good perswatiō of their own cōsciēce yet the same mē coūsell their frēdes for vnitie peace sake as thei terme it but rather ther maisai for feare of losse of goods life to obey wicked supersticiōs naughtie rites and dānable lawes But what peace or what vnitie is that that is a gaynst god his Christ And what profiteth it a mā to winne al the world lose his own soule For he that loueth his own life more thē me saith christ is not worthy of me For these mēs sakes therfore that is to saye the stubburne papistes that leade the worlde in blindnes cōtrary to their own cōsciēces specialli for delicat gospelers sakes whose wit vertue is in their toūgs hot disputers busi talkers taūters fault fīders with others rather thē mēders of thēselfes for these two sorts sakes chefly I say god heapeth these great plages that is persecuciō of his word dearth daūger of war people of straūge naciōs likely to subdue vtterli distroy that our realme except thei repēt amēd their liues in time becōe not ōli forgetful of their former euils but also diligēt workers true folowers of the word that thei haue so lightlye cōdēned and refused Which if thei do not let thē be suer that al the plages which ar written in the boke of god al the blood of hys sainctes which hath been shed frō iust Abel vnto this presēt time shalbe poured vpō thē But howsoeuer these mē do let vs deare brethrē whose harts god of his goodnes hath more mercyfulli touched repēt amēd our former liues ceasse frō al deade workes lest we be partakers of the same plagues with them But thankes be vnto our god that hath so gentlye ordered vs for thys we know that god suffereth not hys people longe to folowe theyr owne mynder but shortly punisheth them whiche is a token of his greate louinge kindnesse towarde them For this grace haue we of God more thē other people as it is wrytten that he suffereth not vs longe to synne vnpunished like other nacions that whē the daye of iudgemente commeth
who doubteth but custōe ought to geue place to the manifeste trueth THe same in the sameplace Let no man preferre custome aboue trueth reasō For truth and reason doe euer exclude custome GRegorius to Guelmunde the Byshoppe .2 Distinct. Siconsuetudo If thou chaunce to lay custome agaynst me thou must take heede what the lorde sayeth I am the way the truth and the lyfe He did not say I am custome but the trueth NIcolas the Pope to Ignatyus the reuereute Byshoppe .8 Distinc An euil custome is no les to be auoyded then an hurtefull corrupcyon whiche excepte it be plucked vp the soner by the rootes it wyl bee taken of the vngodly for a lawe ¶ Reasons agaynste vnwritten verites ¶ The .viii. Chapter THe olde testamente was sufficient for the Iewes and why shall not bothe the newe and olde suffice vs CHriste and the Apostles proued al their doctrynes by the law and Prophetes What an arrogancye is it then in vs to teache anyethynge whiche we can neyther proue by the law the Prophetes the Apostles nor the Euangelistes THe deuill when he tempted Chryst was not so farre past al shame to perswade any thynge wythout the testimonye of the scriptures althought he dyd as hys deare children the papistes do falsely alledge them wrest them from theyr true meanyng to a contrarye sense and also cut of that whiche shoulde make against him or declare the true meaning of the scriptures THis word vnwritten verites is a new terme lateli inuēted now here heard or red amōg the olde wryters of which thei could not haue bene ignoraunt if ther had bene any such thing nedefull to saluacyon AL contēcion which the olde fathers had with heretikes was for the scriptures whiche heretikes partly denied as Marciō Mālcheus Faustus partly they wrongly expunded but for thyngs whych are not conteined in the scriptures they neuer accused any man of heresye IF there were any worde of god besyde the scripture we coulde neuer be certeine of gods word and if we be incertayne of gods word the deuill myghte brynge in amonge vs a newe worde a newe doctryne a newe fayth a new churche a newe god yea himselfe to be god as he hath already done in the popysh kyngdōe For thys is the foundacyon of Antichristes kyngdome to settle hymselfe in gods temple whyche is the hearte and conscience of man of hym to be feared and worshypped as thoughe he were god himselfe If the churche and the Christyan fayth did not staie it selfe vpon thē worde of god certayne as vpon a suer and strong foundacion no man coulde know whether he had a ryght faith and whether he wer in the true churche of Chryste or in the synagog of Sathan IF we be bounde to beleue certaīe thinges delyuered from the Apostles by word of mouth only wythout writyng as thei wold make vs beleue but what those thynges bee no man can tel It shold hereof folow that we are bound to beleue we wote not what WYthout fayth it is not possible to please god and fayth cōmeth by hearyng of gods word Ergo where gods worde lacketh ther can be no fayth ALmightie god a fore he gaue to Moses the law writtē of the .x commaundements wherin he fully taught the true worshippinge of him as it wer a preservatyue agaīst a plage or a poisō to cōe gaue thē this no table lessō worthy alway to be had in memory you shall adde nothīg to the words c. and agaīe he oftē times repeteth the same sētēce both in the law and the Prophetes in the gospels the Epistles of the Apostles And because his people shold neuer forget it Saynct Iohn cōmaundeth the same in the last wordes of all the new testament threatning terrible plages that is the losse of his euerlastyng Ioies of heauen and the payne of eternal fier of hell to al them that eyther put to or take aughte from the worde of God ¶ Scriptures alledged by the Papystes for vnwrytten verites wyth answers to the same ¶ The .ix. Chapter WHere .ii. or .iii. be gathered in my name there am I in the myddest of them But Christe can not erre for he is the trueth it selfe ergo thei cannot erre in their Sinodes conuocations and generall counsels beeyng gathered together in hys name CHrist said when .ii. or .iii. be gathered in my name c. and to be gathered in hys name is in our assembles to seke his onely glorye and not ours to doe all thynges by his prescript word For not eueri one that sayeth vnto me Lorde Lord shall enter c. As witches charmers necromansers and coniurars vse theyr wycked artes all in the name of God and Christ and yet is not Christ with them For the .vii. sōnes of Sceua the chief Priest of the Iewes wēt about to cast out euyll spirited in the name of Iesus whom Paule preached but yet Chryste was not with them but the wycked spirite whyche wounded them and draue them awaye naked Moreouer all forgers of wyles counterfetters of false instrumentes and iudges geuyng false sentences in the ecclesiasticall lawe they beginne wyth this glorious titel in the name of god Amen Therfore sprang this old prouerbe in the name of God begynneth al mischief and yet Christ is with nōe of these though they pretende to dooe al these thinges in hys name Christe saith also many shal prophesie in my name and cast out deuils worke miracles in my name and then wil I cōfesse to thē that I neuer knewe you● Reade Euscbius and Athanasius and you shall there see what pride contencion hatred malice enuy and desrer to beare rule reigned in the counsels of the cleargi at those daies not much past .iiii. C. yeres after Chryst. What thynke you they woulde saye if they saw our counsels where the Romish Antichrist triumpheth no doubt that though an Angell from heauen preach any other c. Here you wyll replye agayne Christ saith where .ii. or .iii. ar gathered c. Now in euery counsell are not onelye .ii. or .iii. learned and godly men but many Ergo they cannot erre I graunt that in euery general counsel be many good men which doe not erre nor are deceiued and yet it foloweth not that the whole councell cannot erre For in councels the more parte is taken for the whole shynges be there determined and ordered not by reason learnyng and authoritie of the word of god but by sioutnes wisfulnes and consent of the more part In those counsels where be mo euill and wicked men then good godli it commeth often tymes to passe that iniquite hauing the vpper hāde the greater part ouercōmeth the better yet the good mē nothererre nor cōset to these errours concluded by the wicked and the more part but resist and speake agaīst thē to the vtmost of their power not without great daūger of their liues yea sōetimes it costeth thē their liues
Prophetes are gone out into the world Herby is the spirite of god knowen sayeth he euerye spirite whiche confesseth that Iesus Chryst is come in the fleshe is of god c. Whoso euer therfore sayeth that there is anye thyng that pacifieth the wrath of god or obtaineth his fauour and forgeuenes of synnes but onelye Christes death and passiō he denieth Christ to be cōe a sauiour in the flesh Wherfore these Angels saincts souls of the dead and miracles tha● alowe worshipping of sainctes by inuocaciō and prayinge to them the sacrifice of the masse for the quicke and the dead worshipping of images pilgrimages offeryngs to holy reliques to forgeue synnes or to delyuer the deade oute of purgatory denye Christe to be come an only sauiour by hys fleshe For theī make all these to be sauiours frō purgatory or at the least coadiutores to helpe him in that office of saluacyon and deliuering those soules frō sinne and the paynes due for the same and so they cannot be of God but of Antichrist Thus I haue plainly fully and truly without fraud of cloking or coloure of rhetorike and darke speache to blind the eies of the sīple people answered to al that I remember which the Papistes doe or can alledge either by writing preaching or reasoning for the defence of their vnwrittē verites wherevpon they builde so many detestable idolatries and heresies and the same answers if they be aptly applied and placed by a discret and witty reader wil suff●ce for the answere to all that euer they haue or can bryng furth for the maintaining of their vnwrytten and vncertayne verites And yet I wyll not be so much wedded to myne owne witte or will but that if they be able to answer so plainly and trulye to the Scriptures authors and reasons rehersed by me as I haue done to theirs and to proue their doctrine of vnwrytten very●es by as playne cōsēt both of scriptures aunciente doctours and as pithy argumentes as I haue done myne and sette it forth in prynte to the iudgemente of the whole worlde as myne i● I shal not onely acknowledge mine ignoraunce and erroure but I shall gladlye returne into Englande recāt myne heresyes openlye submyttynge myselfe to such discipline correctiō as they shall thynke mete fo myne offences But if thei refuse to answer my boke by writing v●ing their olde trade burne both my boke and the readers therof let them knowe thei shal doe nothyng but cut of the head of hibra For for euery heretike as you cal them which you shal burn wil arise many faythful and cōstāt Christiās For except the grayn or corne of wheat dye it remaineth alone but if it dye it bringeth forth much fruite Wherefore I most hartely beseche the father of heauē of his infinite mercye if you be not indurat in your heartes wyth that synne which is irremissible and shal neuer be forgeuen in this worlde nor in the worlde to come and resyste the holy gost impugning the trueth of god of you knowen and defendynge maintaining wicked doctrines which your consciences beare recorde to be idolatries and heresies that he wyll mollifie your stony heartes and geue you fleshy heartes yea rather spirituall and godly hartes to worshyp him truly in spirite accordyng to his godly wil expressed in his holy word written And I exhort al you which feare god be desierous to saue your owne soules to flee from this whore of Babilon and from al her detestable idolatries and heresies not builded vpon the sure rocke of gods infallible word written but vpon the qualin●re of vnwrittē verites whervpon whatsoeuer is builded furthwith eyther sinketh or quite ouerthroweth And stāde thou fast and stay thy fayth whervpō thou shalt builde al thy workes vpon the strong rocke of gods word writtē and conteined within the old testamēt and the newe which is able sufficiētly to instruct thee in al thinges nedeful to thy saluacion and to the attaīmēt of the kyngdome of heauen To the whiche I beseche the almightie father of heauen of his infinite mercy and goodnesse and by the merytes of his only sonne oure sauiour redemer Iesꝰ Christ throgh his holy sprite in vs bring vs all Amen ¶ Faultes escaped in the pryntynge A. 2. pag. 1. line 19. That apparicions of the dead A. 2. pa. 2. li. 6. ca. 11. the papistes C. 1. pa. 1. li. 15. were cccc C. 1. pa. 2. li. 18. martyrs and al the people sayd amen C. 7. pag. 1. li. 4. are there opened D. 4. pa. 2. li. 6. I haue shewed you D. 5. pa. 2. li. 14. ruinus house F 1. pa. i. li. 18. scriptures only F. 1. pa. 2. li. 15. Donatystes G. 4. pa. 2. li. laste The coūsel woulde be a capitall T. G. 5. pa. 1. li. 22. before note put a ¶ which noteth my saying and not the doctors G. 8. pa. 2. li. 1. but now wold folowe the. 6. canon of ●ice H. 1. pa. 2. li. 15. be those bokes H. 2. pa. 1. li. 11. midges li. 18. terme I. 1. pa. 1. li. 16. soule I. 5. pa. 1. li. 7. put a ¶ before By this ● 1. pa. 1. li. 24. blot out of K. 3. pa. 1. li. 1. wherby you may K. 3. pa. 2. li. 11. Christ● saith The deuil K. 5. pa. 2. li. 2. Pōpey N. 2. p. 2. li. 2. spiritual N. 3. pag. 2. li. 8. Dcc. or Dccc. yeares N. 5 pa. 1. li. 17. ouer li. l●st of late N. 6. pa 〈…〉 10. be gods elect churche Esaie v. ● Kīges rulers oughte to be aiders and not inuaders helpers and not hurters defences and not offēces to gods people Psal lxxx Gods vvord is a svvete pleasaunt grape and comforteth the harte of man to euerlasting saluacion psa ciiii b 〈◊〉 ●●tes of the most parte vvere naked bare emptie as the profe novv alas to vvell declareth Sinne is the cause vvh● god taketh his vvorde from ani people Esai xxix Math. vii a. Psalm xxii The Pope geueth lies for trueth poison for norishinge sustenaūce and ministreth death for life Iohn vi c Iohn iiii b. psal cxv Hierm. x. Exo. xx a. Gods vvord is sufficiēte to instructe al men in the true vvorship of god vvithout images priestes th●● them selue● vviser the god The Pepe maintaineth his doctrine by fyer and fagot and not by the holie scriptures A vveake refuge if thei vvere not obstinate and shamelesse If vnvvritten verites vver necessarie to saluacion then gods vvord vvere not sufficiente therevnto ●her● vii a. yea this is their strong tovvre and bulvvarke of defence and ieat vveake inough not being vvalled about vvith gods vvord gods true churche because it is grounded vpon the vvorde of grace can not erre in maters of saluacion The church that vvandereth from gods vvord vvritten mai doth erre in matters of faith and saluacion galathi i. b. The papists feare not gods curse Ierem. xvii ▪ Psal. cxvi ▪ ● The general coūsels haue erred
because ye know not the scriptures not because ye beleue not the churche He also promyseth his elect that they shal heare his voice and not a straungers voice If ye be doubtful therfore in any poynte resorte to the Scryptures geuen from GOD and oute of them searche for the thing wherof thou arte ignoraunte and aboue all thinges be not to rashe in iudgement neyther truste to muche in thine own witte Aske also counsell of suche menne whom thou knoweste to bee wel learned and exercised in the same Scryptures and whose conuersacion thou seeste to bee agreable to their wordes and yet beleue them no farther then they canne proue theyr doctrines and exhortacyons to aunswere and agree wyth GODDES mosre holye woorde Seke aske crye cal knock faste and praye wyth a constaunte fayth ioynynge therto a Chrystyan sober and a charitable ●iuing and th● he that hath the keye of Dauid who openeth and no man shutteth shal accordyng to his promyse geue vnto you al that you aske of his father in hys name and shall sende his holy spirite into your hartes who shall leade you into al trueth and put you in remembraunce of all those thynges whyche Christ hath commaunded nedeful necessarie for your saluacion What so euer therefore the churche teacheth you out of the canonical bokes of the Bible beleue that but if they teache any thing beside that I meane which is not agreinge with the same beleue neyther that nor them For then they ar not the Church of Chryst but the Synagog of Satan and Antichriste For the Churche of God as Saincte Paul witnesseth ●s builded vpon the foundacion of the Apostles and Prephetes not vpon the Apostles but vpō the same foundacion which they laid that is Christe Iesus and his holy● worde And all such vnwritten veryties as the Papistes haue in theyr mouthes though they seme neuer so glorious a churche to the face of the world if they be not agreinge as they are not in dede to the verye worde of god suspect them yea rather I bidde you vtterly to abhorre and reiecte thē For their vtwarde and sene churche may and doth as is before proued cōmonly erre in great and waighty matters Stande fast therfore to sounde good doctrine and wauer not And if any man come vnto you and brynge not this doctrine with him receyue hym not into your house bid him not god spede nor haue aught to do with him but counte hym as an abiecte from god and Christ. But cleaue ye fast to the soūde certaine doctrine of gods infallible word writtē in the canonical bokes of the new olde testament which is able sufficiently to instructe you to eternal saluaciō throgh Iesus Christ our lord To whom with the father and the holy goste be al honor and praise for euer euer Amen The boke to the Reader IVdge not before Thou knowe mine intent But reade me throughout And then say thy fyll As thou in opinion Art minded and bent Vhether it be either good orill I care not for prayse Nor slaunder vntrue Of man nor of childe What euer he be Trueth nede not to feare Who doth it pursue With prayse or disprayse In any degree For trueth is not bettered By prayses at al Nor harmed by disprayse Of any wyght But goodnes or hurt Most surely come shal To him that doth iudge Either wrong or right Reade me then iudge me Therfore I thee praye Nothyng for my cause But only thyne own For I shall indure Who soeuer say naye When vnwritten truethes Shalbe ouer throwne ❧ A Confutaciō of vnwrittē verities by diuerse auctorities diligently and truly gathered together out of the holy scryptures and auncient fathers ¶ That the worde of god wrytten contained within the Canon of the Bible is a true sounde perfecte and whole doctrine contayning in it selfe fully all thynges nedeful for oure saluacion ¶ The .i. Chapter YE shal put nothyng to the word which I commaunde you neyther take aughte therefrō that ye maye kepe the commaundementes of the Lorde your god whiche I commaunde you You shall not doe any thynge that we do here this daye euery mā what semeth him good in his own eyes What soeuer I commaunde you that take ●eade you doe onelye to the Lorde and put nothynge thereto nor take aughte therefrom The Prophet which shall presume to speake a worde in my name which I haue not cōmaūded him to speake or that speakth in the name of straūge gods that prophete shall dye Al the wordes of god are pure and cleane for he is a 〈◊〉 vnto all them that putte these truste in him Putte thou nothyng vnto hys wordes leaste he reproue the and thou bee found a lyar Heare not the wordes of the Proph●tes that preache vnto you and beleaue you for they speake the me●nyng of their own hartes and not oute of the mouth of the lorde Whosoeuer teacheth and kepeth the same speaking of his commaun dementes shall be called greate in the kyngdom of heauen Whosoeuer heareth these my wordes and doth the same shalbee likened vnto a wise man that buildeth hys house vpon a rocke and aboundaūce of raine fel the fluddes came the wīde blew and bet vpon the same house and it fel not because it was groūded an the suer rocke This people draweth nye vnto me with their mouth and honoureth me with lyppes howbeit their harts be farre from me but in vayne do thei serue me teachyng the doctrynes and preceptes of men Goe ye and teachē all 〈◊〉 baptysing them in the name of 〈…〉 c teachyng them to 〈…〉 what so euer I haue 〈…〉 Goe ye into all the 〈◊〉 and preache my gospell to all creatures He that heareth mi word beleueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting lyfe and shal not come into damnacion but is escaped from death to life Searche the scriptures for in them ye thinke ye haue eternal life and thei art they which testifie of me These are written that you might beleue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of god and that in beleuing ye might haue life thorow hys name I haue spared no labor but I haue shewed al the counsell of god I haue obtained helpe of God and continew vnto this day witnessynge both to the small and to the great sayinge none other thynges then those which the prophetes and Moses did say should come Fayth commeth by hearynge hearynge commeth by the worde of god What soeuer is not of fayth the same is sinne We be not lordes ouer your fayth but helpers of your ioye Though we our selues or an aungell from heauen preache any other gospell vnto you then that whyche we haue preached let him be accursed Continewe thou in the thynges whyche thou hast learned whiche also were committed vnto the knowīg of whō thou hast learned them and for as muche
also as thou haste knowen the holy scriptures of a chylde which are able to make the learned vnto saluacion throughe the fayth which is in Chryste Iesu. For al scripture geuen by inspiracion of God is profitable to teache to improue to amende to instructe in righteousnesse that the man of god may be perfecte prepared to all good workes If any man speake let hym speake as the wordes of god If any man come vnto you and bryng not thys learning receaue hym not into your house neither bid him God spede For he that byddeth hym God spede is partaker of hys euyll dedes If any man shall adde vnto these thynges god shall adde vnto hym the plages that are wrytten in this booke And if any man shall minishe of the wordes of thys prophesye God shall take awaye his part out of the boke of lyfe and out of the holy citie and frō those thynges whiche are written in thys boke ¶ That the writinges of the olde fathers without the written woorde of god are not able to proue anye doctryne in religion ¶ The .ii. Chapter IReneus libro .ii. Cap. 46. To le●̄e to the scriptures of god whych is the certayne and vndouted trueth is to buylde a mans house vpō a suer and stronge rock But to leaue that and leaue to ani other doctrins what so euer they be is to builde a curious house vpon the ●hatteringe grauell whereof the ouerthrowe is easye IDem in Epistola .72 Happy is he that soweth vpon the wat●r● where the Oxe and the Asse treadeth that is vpon that people whych onely foloweth the doctrine of both the testamentes and not vpon the vayne tradycions of men TErtulliane in the prescryptiōs of heretykes pa. 95. It is not lawfull for vs to fauoure any doctryne at oure pleasure nor yet to chose what any manne hath brought in of his owne mynde We haue the Apostles of the Lorde for oure authors whyche dyd not electe anye thynge that they woulde brynge in of their owne heades but taught faythfullye to all nacyons that doctryne that they had receaued of Chryste Therefore althoughe an Aungell from heauen shoulde preache any other thynge lette vs holde hym accursed ANd a litle after he sayeth We nede to vse no curiositie after Iesus Chryste nor make further searche after the gospell for whē we beleue we desier to beleue no more For first we beleue this that there is nothyng els that we ought to beleue IDem of the fleshe of Chryst pa. 20. agaynst Apelles whyche saied that the Angels had a bodely substanc● which thei toke of the ●●●tres Tertallian answereth that there is no certenty in thys matter because the scripture declareth it not THe sae to Praxeas Let thys be a generall rule indifferently determyned before hande agaynst all heresyes that that is true what so euer is first that to bee forged what soeuer cōmeth after pa. 418. ORigen in his first homily vpon Ieremy Vle must nedes cal the holye scriptures to wytnes for our iudgements and exposicious with out these witnesses are worthye no credite IDem vpon Leuiticus in his fyfte homilye If the holy scripture doe not determine any thing we ought not to admitte any other wrytyng for the stablyshinge of our doctryne but as for the rest let vs leaue it to god THe same vpon the thirde chapter to the Romanes After these as his custome is meanynge by sainct Paul he doth confirme that he had sayd by the scriptures geuing also an example to the preachers of the churche that those thynges whyche they speake to the people should be armed and mayntained by the holi scriptures and not spoken oute of theyr own iudgements For if he being such and so great an Apostle thoughte not the aucthorite of hys owne wordes to be sufficiente excepte be teache those thynges which he saieth to be wrytten in the law and the prophets ho● much more ought we litle ones to take heade that when we teache we vtter not our own mindes but the sentences of the holy gost THe same vpon Mathew in his 26. homily no man ought for the stablyshing of doctryne to vse any bokes that be withoute the canonicall scriptures CIprian in the exposicion of the Crede after that he hath rehearsed the canonical bokes of the Bible he sayeth These be they whiche oure fathers haue included within the Canon out of the whyche our fathers woulde the doctryne of our fayth to be certaine neuertheles there be other bokes which of our elders were not called canonycall but Ecclesiastical as the boke of wisdōe the bokes of Sirach Tobie Iudyth Machabees and other All whyche bokes they would haue to be redde in th● churche but not alleged as of aucthoritie to confirme any article of our fayth Al other writinges thei called Ap●crypha whiche they would in no wyse to be redde in the churche AThanasius against the gentyles The holy Scriptures being in spired from god are sufficiente to all instruction of the trueth BAsilius in his boke of Ethikes of his short definitions the. 26. Euery worde and dede that maketh for the certentye and suertye of good men and the confusion of them that be euill must be confirmed by the testimony of Goddes scriptures And those thinges which either in our nature or in the custome and maner of our life are manifestly knowen must we vse to confirme those thynges which we doe and say THe same in his short definitiōs the first questiō Whether it bee lawful or expedient for a man to permit himselfe to do what he thinketh good without the testimonie of the holy scriptures ▪ 〈◊〉 aunswere Seyng that our sauiour sayth of the holy gost he shall not speake of hymselfe but what soeuer he hath heard that shall he speake And of himself he sayeth the sonne can dooe nothynge of himselfe And agayne I haue not spoken of my selfe but he whiche sent me gaue me commaundemente what I shoulde say and what I shold speake and I knowe that hys commaundemente is eternall lyfe therefore those thynges that I speake I speake as the father sayd vnto me who is he then that wil runne into suche madnesse that he dare once thynke onelye anye thyng of himselfe seeing that he hath nede of the holy ghoste for his ayde so that both in mynde word and worke he may be gided in the way of trueth and that he must nedes walke in darknes excepte he bee lightened with the sonne of righteousnes oure lorde Iesus Chryste whiche shineth vpon vs with hys cōmaundementes as with bright beames For the commaundement of the lorde is cleare and geueth lyght to the eyes For of those thinges that are done and commonly vsed among vs some are by gods commaūdement determined and playnlye set forth in the holyscriptures and some not expressed Of those that be expressed by the scriptures there is vtterlye no power geuen to any man what so euer
that be yet rude and sīple to instruct I say in righteousnes that they maye be made righteous by puttyng awaye their former instructions of infidelite I say that he may be so taught that as muche as in the teacher lyeth he that is taught maye be the perfect man of god so perfecte that he maye be instruct to doe euerye good worke BEda in the. 1. Epistle of Peter Cap. 5. If any man speake lette him speake as the words of god fearyng least he say or commaunde any thing besides the wil of god or besides that whiche is manifestly commaunded in the holye scriptures and be founde as a false witnes of god or acommitter of sacriledge or a bringer in of any straunge thynge from the Lordes doctrine or els leaue oute or passe ouer anye thynge that pleaseth god seeing that Chryste most playnly commaundeth the preachers of the trueth concernyng them whom they had taughte sayinge teache them to kepe all thyngs that I haue commaūded you Yea euen the same whych he had commaunded and none other and he commaunded hys preachers to cōmaunde their hearers to kepe not sōe of these but all ANselmus Bishop in his booke of virginitie 24. Cap. Goddes lawe forbyddeth to folowe the steppes of the Catholyke or vniuersal faith any more then the iudgemente of the canonicall trueth cōmaundeth to beleue And all other Apocryphall lies the good policies of the best learned fathers haue stablished in their decrees vtterly to reiecte and to banishe them cleane as horrible thoundrīges of wordes LYra●e vpon the laste Ca. of the Prouerbes Like as in a marchauntes shyppe are caryed dyuerse thynges necessarye for mannes lyfe so in the scripture are conteined all thynges nedefull to saluacyon THomas of Aquine The holye Scripture is the rule of oure fayth wherevnto it is neyther lawfull to adde nor take any thyng away But the trueth of oure fayth is contayned in the holy scryptures diffusely and diuerse wayes in some places darklye and to trye oute the trueth of oure fayth by the scryptures is required long study and exercise to the which al they cannot come that nede to knowe the trueth of the fayth the more part wherof beeynge occupyed wyth other busines cannot attende to study And therfore it was nedefull out of the sentences of holy scripture to gather some thyng into a shorte some which should be set forth for all men to beleue whiche is not added to the scriptures but rather takē out of the scriptures SCotus in the prologe of sentences que 2. Question Whether knowledge about nature sufficient for a man in this lyfe be sufficientlye sette forth in the holy scripture The Question is not whether any thynges bee true that are not written or whether god sence the creacion and redemption of the worlde hath done or sayd any thyng that is not wrytten and receyued of the Churche for the holye scripture but thys is the questyon whether the worde of god wrytten be sufficient for our saluaciō or whether a Christen man be bounde to beleue any thyng that cannot he proued bi the holy scripture And thys graūted that all thynges that may be gathered out of the scripture and euery thyng that vpon any trueth graunted maye b● proued by a good argumēt of the scripture doth pertayne to the holy scripture this graunted I say he concludeth that all thynges necessarye for our saluacion are fully conteyned in the holy scripture ¶ The schole authors call the staye of our faith the trueth shewed of God and conteyned in the Canon of the Bible ¶ That the general counsels withoute the worde of god are not sufficiente to make articles of oure fayth ¶ The .iii. Chapter EVsebius in his ecclesiastical historie lib. 1. Cap. 8. The head rulers of the churche forgettynge gods commaundementes were inflamed one againste another wyth contencyon zeale enuy pride malice and hatred so that they thoughte rather that they occupied the rome of tirānes then of priestes And also forgettinge Christian humilite and sincerite they did celebrate the holy misteries wyth vnholy handes GRegorye Nazianzen to Procopius Vndoubtedli I thīk thus if I must nedes wryt the truth that al assembles of Byshoppes are to be eschued For I neuer sawe good end of any synode that did not rather bryng in euils then put them awaye for the lustes of stryfe and desyer and of lordshyp reigne there AVgustine in his lib. 2. Capit. 3. agaynst the Donatists The coūsels which are kept through euery region or prouince wythout all clokinges ought to geue place to the generall counselles whiche are made of all Christendome yea and the former generall counsels oughte ofttimes to be reformed by the latter counsels if any thynge in them dooe chaunce to erre from the trueth AVgustine against Maximinum the bishop of the Arrians lib. 3 Ca. 4. But now neither ought I to alledge the counsel of Nice nor thou the coūsel of Arimine to tak aduaūtage therby for neyther am I bounde nor helde by the authorite of this nor thou of that Lette matter with matter cause wyth cause or reason with reasō trye the matter by the aucthorite of scriptures not proper witnesses to any of vs but indifferent witnesses for vs both GErson We ought rather beleue the sayīg of any teacher armed with the Canonycall scripture then the Popes determynacyon THe same More tredite is to be geuen to a mā that is singularlye learned in the Scripture bryngying forth catholyke aucthorite then to the generall counsel PAnormitan in cap. Significasti A simple laye man bryngynge forth the scriptures is to be beleued rather then an hole counsel For a counsell may erre as it hath afore tymes erred as did the counsell of Melchildense and Aquisgranum of contracting of Matrimonie The councel of Cōstance among other articles of Iohn Husband Hierome of Prage vniustly condemned condemned also this article for heresye that the two natures that is the diuinite and humanitie be one Chryst whych is a necessarye article of our fayth expressed in the Crede of Athanasius called qui cunque vult where it is red the right fayth is that we beleue and confesse that our Lorde Iesus Chryst the sōne of god is god and mā and a litle after lyke as the reasonable soule and the flesh is one man so god and mā is one Christ the same is also decreed by the counsell of Nice and dyuerse other catholike counsels and it is the doctrine of the churche at thys tyme. Finally it may be proued by the expresse word of god and yet these malycyous cleargy were not ashamed to condemne the same for an heresy Note here iētle reader vnto what shameles and detestable heresyes theyr Popishe yea Antichristian general counsels haue fallē of the which they boast so much that they cannot erre and wherevpon chēfely they builde al their errours and heresyes Moreouer the most part of the good lawes and Canons be in
like wyse to be punished as the breakers of gods law Of which thinges if thou wylte dispute and reproue one custome by another there shal aryse an endlesse strife He repeteth also this sentence manye tymes that what so euer is vniuersally obserued not writtē in the scripture nor ordained by general coūcels is a tradiciō come from the Apostles ANswere him as Tertullyan yet of all other authors he is most playne that nothing is of necessite to saluacion besydes the Scriptures of God But let vs graunt for their pleasures that those customes whiche they speake of bee tradiciōs Apostolyke yet they bee no longer nor other waies to be obserued then the tradiciōs Apostolike writtē Which as is before fully proued mai and are already be both chaunged clearly taken awaye And as concernyng custome it is playnlye proued that it is not to be receaued agaynste the Scrypture trueth or reason THey sai moreouer that the perpetuall virginite of our Lady is to be beleued of necessite as Ciprian Chrisostome Ierome Ambrose Austen and all other speakyng therof say But this is not founde in the scripture ergo there is some thīg to be beleued that is not written in the Scripture THe minor that is to say that thys is not written in the scripture is false For firste none of the old authours that rehearce tradiciōs of the Apostles vnwrytten make mencion of the perpetual virginite of our ladye to be one of them but they rehearce only diuerse cerimonies or bodelye gestures and suche rites vsed in Baptisme prayers holy dayes and fastynges which as I haue manyfestly declared are not necessary to saluacyon But the most part of them are cleane taken away and the contrarye commaunded and vsed by the vniuersall churche Moreouer all the sayed authours proue her perpetuall virginite by thys texte of Scripture EZechiell 44. Thys doore shalbe styll shutte and not opened for any man to goe thorowe it but only for the Lord god of Israel yea he shall goe thorowe it els shal it be shut still For if these and suche other fathers had not iudged her perpetuall virginite to haue been wrytten in the scriptures they woulde neuer haue iudged it to haue bene a thing to be beleued vnder payne of damnacyon Sainct Ierome also calleth Heluidiū a rashe and an vngodly man because that he taught that our Ladye hadde other children by Ioseph after Christs birth which doctrine he coulde not proue by the scriptures of god In like maner we cal al them that preache a ny doctrine in the church without the Authorite of gods worde both vngodly rashe and wicked members of Antichrist ARgument Yet they bring forth to maintaine their errour the Baptisme of infantee which they say is not contained in the scriptures and yet this is to be obserued vpō paine of dānaciō of the said childrē Ergo there is sōe thyng to be done of necessite to our saluacion that is not contained in the scriptures ON what a gappe these men open both to the Donatistes to the Anabaptists that deny the baptising of infantes For if it were not writtē in the worde of god no manne ought to beleue it or vse it And so the Donatistes Anabaptistes doctryne were true outs false But in dede the baptisme of infaūtes is proued by the playne scriptures Firste by the figure of the old law which was circūcisiō Infātes in the olde law were circūcised Ergo in the newe lawe they ought to be baptised Againe Infātes pertaine to god as it is said to Abrahā I wil be thy god the god of thy sede after thee Christ saith also suffer children to come to me for of such is the kingdome of heauen And agayne see that ye despice not one of these lytle ones for their Aūgels in heauen alwayes behold the face of my father which is in heauē for the sōne of māiscōe to saue that that is lost And agaīe Paule sayth that youre children art holy nowe By these and many other playne wordes of Scripture it is euidente that the Baptysme of infantes is grounded vpon the holye scriptures FVrthermore the churche saye they hath chaunged the Sabboth daye into the Sondaye whych Sabboth was commaunded by God and neuer man found fault there at Seeyng thē that the church hath authorite to chaunge Goddes lawes muche more it hath authorite to make newe lawes necessarie to saluacion THere bee 2. partes of the Sabboth day One is the outward bodely reste from all maner of labour and worke and this is were ceremoniall and was taken awaye with other sacrifices and ceremonies by Christ at the preaching of the gospell The other part of the Sabboth day is the inwarde rest or ceassing frō sinne from our own wils and lusts and to do only gods wil and commaūdementes Of this part speaketh the Prophet Esai He that taketh hede that he vnhalow not the sabboth day is he that kepeth himselfe that he doe no euyl and they that hold greatly of the thing that pleaseth me and kepe my couenaūte vnto them wil I geue an euerlastyng name that shall not peryuse And moreouer the same Prophete sayeth If thou turne thy feete from the sabboth so that thou doe not the thing which pleaseth thy selfe in my holy daye Then shalte thou be called vnto the pleasaunt holy and gloryous sabboth of the Lorde where thou shalte be in honor so that thou do not after thine own imaginacions nether seke thine own wil nor speake thyne owne wordes Then shalt thou haue thy pleasure in the Lord whiche shall carry the hyghe aboue the earth and fede thee with the heritage of Iacob thy father for the Lords own mouth hath spoken it This spirituall Sabboth that is to abstayne from synne and to doe good are all men bounde to kepe all the dayes of their life and not only on the sabboth day And this spirituall sabboth may no man alter nor chaung no not the whole church That the vtter obseruinge of the sabboth is mere cerimonial sainct Paul writeth plainly as that the holy daies of the newe mone and of the sabboth daies are nothinge but shadowes of thinges to come And that the outwarde bodely rest is a mere cerimoniall precept S. Austine also affirmeth saying that amōg all the ten commaundements this only that is spoken of the sabboth is cōmaūded figuratiuely but al the other commaundements we must obserue playnly as they be cōmaunded with out any figuratyue speche IErome also to the Galathians 4. accordyng to the same sayeth leste the congregaciō of the people with out good order shoulde dimmishe the faith in Christ therfore certaine daies wer appointed wherin we should cōe together not that that daye is holyer then the other in whiche we come together but that what soeuer day we assemble in there might aryse greater ioye by the sight of one of vs to another But he that wil
and that in no smal trifles Exodus xxxii a. 2. Tim. 2. 3. Reg. 22. Hiere 20 This and such like is the rewarde of al true preachers and faithful seruauntes of god 1. 〈◊〉 vii et ii Machabeorum iiii Math. iii. b. xii c. xxiii d. Act. iiii d Actes vii g. Euse. ecc his lib. ii cap. xxii Acte ix Actes xxiii Ruffini lib. i. cap xvii Socratis Lib. 6. cap. 18. Marke well the fruites of this outwarde churche and by them ye shal knowe what they be the Pope maketh him selfe equall to God yea rather aboue him in this his promise This is one of the practises of prelates The spiritual man neuer persecuteth the carnal man but forgeueth him Hier. ad Gala. iiii Exo. xii i. Pet. ii d Eph. 1. d. Collos. 1. Iohn 10. Iohn 5. 2. Tim. 3. Psa. 116. c Goddes word only certifyeth a man whether his fayth be good or no. Trie euery spirite but alow none further then thei agree with the written scriptures Goddes word trieth all thynges whether they be good or badde Their cōsciences shal therfore cnodēne thē for so doing if they repent not in tyme. Math. 16 the witte and vertue of delicate gospellers is in their tongues Math. 23. ii Mach. vi b. Ebru xii ● Para. 13 The wil of a womā must be folowed or els al the 〈◊〉 is in the fier● 3 Re. 19. c 3. Re. 18. 4 Re. 18. 4. Re. 21. 4. Re. 23. 4. Re. 24. As princes wold so all thinges were done Math. 26 Math. 27 Theodoriti lib. 2 cap. 18. The priestes for the most part wer double faced turne tippettes and flatteres ▪ These be the Popes thunder bolts wherewith he feareth the people and maketh them to incline to his waies It was a smal matter at that tyme to be displesed with such mē and so much the more for that thei withstod priuate commodite Priuate commodite and Popishe sutte Itie ouercāe good publike policie and brought in tirannye Thei are al periured so many as gaue their consent to the bringing in of the Byshop of rome The Byshoppes I warrāte you were none of those for they can not erre these are wauer̄ig redes ct perfecte wether cockes that turne with euery winde By their dedes ye shall knowe thē what they be In his .3 boke of Christiā doctryne cap 28. In hys ● boke of Christiā do●trine cap 9. In his ● ▪ boke of m●●●es and forgeuenes of sinnes tom 7. cap. v●●i Vpon Genesis cap 14. hom 35. In his vnperfecte worke cap. 23. Iacob 1. ● Math. 22. Mark 12. Ioan. 10. ● Apo. 3. b Iohn 15. Ephe. 2. d 2. Iohn epistle c. Deu. 4. Deu. 12. Ibid● in fine Deu. 18. Pro. 30. lere 23. Math. 5. Math. 7. Math. 15. Math. 28 Mark 16. Iohn 5. Iohn 5. Iohn 20. Actes 20. Acte 26. Rom. 10. Rom. 14. 2. Cor. 1. Gala. 1. 2. Tim. 3. 1. Pete 4. 2. Iohn epistle Apo. 22. Doctrine in religion must be groūded vpō the scriptures only we maye not build our faith vpō mēs tradiciōs The Apostles taught nothing but that whyche they learned of Christe The first point of belefe is that after the gospell none other thīg is to be beleued There is no certēty in that the scripture defineth not The law the Prophetes and the gospell are the first doctrines ct therfore true Our wordes with out gods wordes are not to be beleued That which cā not be proued by the scripture leaue to god If Paul thought his aucthorite Al bokes which be not in the Canon of the Bible are called Apocrypha and are not sufficient to proue any Articles of our sayth No man can dispence with goddes law Things that be not commaūded be indifferent to be vsed or not vsed but yet as charite requireth Searche no further then the gospell In time of here●ie there is no meanes to trye the truth and the true church of Christe from Antichrists churche but only by the scripturs An heauy sayīg but ala● to true Prechers most neyther adde nor take 〈◊〉 frō gods lawe They that host thēselues of the holy goste with out scripture be voide of the holy goste Heretiks oughte first to be cōuinced by the scripturs and after by reasō To prech ani thing besydes goddes worde is to sow sediciō and heresie Al things may be determined by the scripture The holi scripture cōteineth all thinges nedefull for our saluaciō A preacher must speake nothyng but out of gods mouthe Beleue him not that speaketh without the scripture He that beleueth the gospel written nedeth beleue nomore Not mās wisdome but the holi gost is the true expositor of the scripture nothing is of lyke aucthoritie wyth the holy scripture Goddes word cutteth of al tradiciōs apostolik as they cal them which be beside the same worde we ought not to alowe ani mans doctryne wythout gods worde the Apostles groūded all their doctrine vpō the law and Prophetes To build vpon any doctours saying without scripture or reason agreing to scripture were to folow Pithagoras rather then Christe Be a mā neuer so holy and neuer so learned after the apostles yet his wordes without gods word are of none aucthorite To teach that as nedefull to saluacion which C●●yst ●ath not taught is dān●●le the soule liueth only by the worde of god nothing is to be added to the word of god althoughe it be for a good purpose As well who precheth beside the gospel as against it is accursed Euen the Apostles preching besides the gospel ar not to be beleued Christe made all to be written that he wold we should reade we are as wel boūd to beleue that which the Apostles wrote as thoughe Chryst had written it with hys own hād The church is knowen by the scripture Al that concerneth true relygion is contained in the scripture The worde written is inoughe for oure saluacion No man is bound to beleue farther then the holi scriptures teache The balance to trye the trueth is the holy scripture Thei that sit on moses seate and teach their own doctrine are not to be beleued Al euil is condemned by the scripture and all good thynges are there founde We may lawefulli dissēt frō all doctrine except the scryptures onlye al things that concerne fayth hope loue and good maners are cōtained in the scripture not what we say but what the lord that must be heard The church is knowen by the scriptures We may doubt of all mens doctrine but not of holye scripturs If gods scripturs can not discusse a matter in doubt let man neuer go about to discusse it Who fedeth with the scriptures fedeth safely Other therfore with vnwritten verites fede vntrulye In the scripture are all thinges necessary for faith and good lyfe which two suffice for saluacion If any mans saying or writinge cannot be proued by plaine scripture or good reason gathered of the sāe a mā mai alowe or refuse it as him liketh The olde writers are not of suche aucthoritie but
❧ A Confutatiō of vnwrittē verities both bi the holye scriptures and moste auncient autors and also probable arguments and pithy reasons with plaine aunswers to al or at the least to the moste part and strongest argumentes which the aduersaries of gods truth either haue or can bryng forth for the profe and defence of the same vnwritten vanities verities as they woulde haue them called made by Thomas Cranmer late Archebishop of Cantorburie Martyr of god and burned at Oxford for the defēce of the trewe doctrine of our sauiour Christ translated and set forth by E. P. ¶ The contentes whereof thou shalte finde in the next side folowinge The contentes FIrste the preface of the translator to hys contrye men and brethren of Englande Ca. i. That the word of god written and contained within the Cannon of the Bible is a trew sounde perfect and whole doctrine containinge in it selfe fullye all thynges nedefull for our saluacyon ii That the writinges of the olde fathers without the written woorde of God are not able to proue any doctryne in religion iii. That generall counsels haue no auctorytye to make newe Articles of our fayth iiii That nothyng can be proued by oracles of Angles touchyng religion v. That apparicions be vnsufficiente to that purpose vi Neyther at miracles able to proue the same vii Custome also is of no strength in this case viii Reasons against vnwritten verities ix Scriptures alleged by the papistes for vnwrittē verities with answeres to the same x. Doctors to the same purpose with their aunswers The papistes obiections with aunswers vnto them ¶ The Preface WHat Chrystyan harte dearelye beloued contremen and brethrē in oure sauyour Chryst can abstayne from depe sobbes and sorowefull syghinges What naturall and kinde harted man can forbeare weping so oftē as he calleth to rememberaunce the Lordes vyneyarde within the realme of Englande whiche he himselfe had of late so stronglye hedged walled and fenced rounde aboute by the princes of most famous memory King Henry the eighte and Edwarde the sixte and planted therin the pure vine of his owne blessed woorde by Godly preachers his gardeners to be so sodenly broken down destroied wasted and wrooted vp by the rootes by the wilde bore of the wood and the beastes of the field that is by the Romishe Bishoppe and hys bloodye ministers and now in the same vineiard to see planted take roote and prosper brambles bryars and hēlockes that is grosse ignoraūce naughtie doctrīe● false worshyppe of God and suche other kindes of moste stinkynge vile and filthye weedes Oh what a swete and pleasaunt grape of godly doctrine was thē gathered in England to the great comfort and reioysing of al thē that louinglye tasted thereof Then was gods word for that is the swete and pleasaūt grape that maketh glad the hart of man with great freedome preached earnestly embraced and with gredy hartes in all places receaued Then was Godes great glory maruelously auaunced Then the onely merytes of Chryste then trewe repentaunce for oure former synnes then trust in gods mercy through the death of our sauyoure Christe with a newe Christian life was truly published preached euery wher Then was ther the common praier rightlye vsed and the Sacramēts Baptisme I meane and the holi Communion in suche a tounge and language set forthe that all people myghte vnderstande them Then were they playnlye ministred without any iuglinge or sorcerie accordyng to Christes institucyon and the rule of hys holye worde Whiche worde at that time had the pryce bare the bell awaie throughe oute the whole lande With that were all pulpettes filled Churches garnished prīters shoppes furnyshed and euery mans house decked With gods word was euery mās mouth occupied of that wer al sōges enterludes and plaies made But alas so long till all was playde vnder the boorde But what was the cause of all this Truly none other thing but oure owne sinnes and wickednes For we were talkers onelye and not walkers lippe gospellers from the mouth outewarde and no farther We were euen suche as the prophet speaketh of saying thys people honoreth me with their lyppes but are farre from me with their hartes We coulde speake of gods word and talke gloryously therof but in oure hartes we were full of pryde malice enuye couetousnesse backebitynge riosing harlot hauntinge no whitte bettered at all then we were before vnder the Popes kingdom Nothing was in vs amended but only our tonges no nor they neither if I shall speake ryghtly and as the trueth was in dede For besydes oure communycacion of scrypture we vsed detraction of our neighboure filthy talke with many proud bragges of our selues We red not the scryptures neither harde them for any amendmente of oure owne wicked lyues but onely to make a bragge and a shewe thereof to checke and to taunte others yea and to spye small motes in other mens eies but nothing desyerous to see the greate beames in oure owne This I saye to talke and not to walke to say not to do was not onely amongest the vnlerned sort but also amongeste the greate clarkes and chefe preachers of gods worde Whiche thynge as I iudge was the only cause why god by his iust iudgemente suffered his electe and chosen vynclarde to be thus troden downe wroeted vp and myserably afflicted by thys bloodye Bore of Rome and the fa●te Bulles of Basan hys cruel officers Thys is the cause why God hath suffered thys greate Antichryste to disgrace the merites of Christes passion and in place thereof to sette vp mens merytes and in steade of hys sufficyent satisfaction vpon the crosse once for all to sette vp hys masses satisfactorye for the synnes both of the quicke and deade This is the cause that this mōsterous beast hath taught the inuocation of saincts and the same to be our medyators to God and satysfyers for oure sinnes Where as before in the forenamed vyneyarde was planted Chryste Iesus the trewe breade that came downe from heauen and that moste pure well of the water of life now after the wroo●ing of this mōsterous and rauenous Bore are vp spronge coniured bread coniured water to driue awaye euill spirites and to pourge oure sinnes Thys bloody Bore besides al mischeues that he hath done to the vineyarde yet ceaseth he not with faggotfier and all other cruell tormentes to constraine and compel men to worship Images the worke of mens handes to knele to them to reuerēce thē to bow them and with all maner of obe●saunce to honour them cleane contrary to gods commaundemente who saieth thou walte not make to thy selfe much lesse then to honoure reuerence and worshippe them any grauen Image nor the likenes of any thing that is in heauen aboue or in the earth beneth or in the water vnder the earth thou shalt not bowe down to them nor worshippe them But yet these shameles wretches be not abashed to saye
no miracles for signes are geuen to vnbeleuers and not to the faythfull AVgustyne agaynst faustus the Manachee lib. 15. Cap. 5. The Scriptures that be stablyshed and sette forth by so greate authorite ye despice miracles you work none which though you did yet we woulde beware of you by the Lorde instructing and teachinge vs saying there shal aryse false Chrystes c. THe same of the citie of god li. 20. Cap. 19. The presence of Antichrist shalbe after the workynge of Sathan with all lyinge powers as a fore For then shall Sathā be let lose and by him Antichrist with all his power shal worke meruelously but lyingly of the which miracles it was wonte to be doubted whether they be called lyinge signes and wonders for thys cause that he shall deceaue mans senses with visions so that he semeth to do the thyng that he doeth not in dede or els beecause thesame although they be true miracles and not counterfet yet they draw mē to beleue that thei can not be done but by the power of god whereas me●ne knowe not the power of the deuyll chefely seing that how greate soeuer power he hath he hath receued it For when fier fel down from heauen and with one dashe destroyed s● greate a-familie wyth so many heardes of cattayll of holy Iob a sodayne whirle winde ouerthrowing his house slew his children these were no disceauable visions but for euery one of these it is sayed they shall be beegiled with signes and wonders that shall deserue to be begiled for so much as thei haue not receyued the loue of the trueth that thei might be saued Neither did the Apostle feare to saye and adde god shal sende them strong delusyons that they should beleue lies For god doth sende these thynges because he suffereth the deuyll to dooe them he in dede bi his iust iudgemēt although the deuill doeth it of a wycked and malicious purpose THe same of the vnite of the churche Cap. 16. Let thē shewe their church if they can not in the sayinges and in the fame of the Affricanes not in the determinaciōs of their bishoppes not in any mans reasonynges not in false sygnes and wonders for agaynst all thys we bee warned and armed by gods word but in the thynges appoynted in the law spoken afore by the Prophetes in the songes of the Psalmes in the voyce of the shepeharde himselfe and the prea thynges and paynefulnes of the Euāgelys●s that is in the authorite of the bokes Canenical but not so that thei may gather and rehearse those thīgs that be spoken da●kely and doubtfully and figuratiuely whych euery man may vnderstande as he lyst after hys own mynd For suche thynges cannot be vnderstanded and expounded rightly except those thynges that be verye playnlye spoken bee perceaued before wyth a constante fayth Let him not saye thys is true beecause I saye it or because my companyon saith thus or these my companions or these our Byshoppes Clarkes or laye menne or els it is true because such miracles did Donatus Pontius or what soeuer other or els because men praye at the tombes of our dead menne and be heard or because these and these thīgs chaunced there or that thys brother of ours or thys syster of ours sawe suche a vision ether wakyng or slepynge in hys dreame sawe suche a vysyon or syght away with these Either they be faynyngs of lying men or the wonders of deceytfull deuyls For eyther they are not true that are spoken or if any miracles bee done amonge Heretykes we ought the more to take hede of them beecause that when the Lorde had sayed there shold come some that by workyng diuerse myracles shoulde deceyue if it were possyble the verye electe he added and earnestlye settynge foorth the thyng sayed behold I haue tolde you before Whereof the Apostle admonishing them speaketh playnlye that in the latter tymes menne shoulde departe from the faythe geuynge hede to spirites of errour and doctrynes of deuyls Further more if any man bee heard praying at the tōbes of hereti●● he receueth whether it be good or euil not for the merite of the place but for the merite of his desyer For the sprite of the lord as it is wrytten filleth the whole world and the earnest eare heareth all thynges and many be heard of god when he is angry of whō the Apostle sayth he had geuen them vp to their hartes desier And god to many whom he fauoureth geueth not what they woulde that he maye geue them that whiche is profytable wherfore saith the same Apostle of the stīge of his flesh the messenger of Sathan which he said was geuen hym to buffet him lest he should be exalted aboue measure by the greatnes of reuelacions for the whiche I prayed the lorde thrise that he would take it away frō me and he sayed vnto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect through weaknes Doe we not reade that many mē wer hard of god himselfe in the hyghe places of Iurye which highe places neuertheles so displeased god that kings which destroyed them not were blamed and kynges that destroyed them wer praysed But thys ought to be vnderstāde that the desyer of him that praieth is more worthy or of more strength thē the place of prayer but of false vysiōs let them reade what is written both that Sathan doth chaunge himselfe into an Angell of light and that their dreames haue deceyued many mē let them also heare what the heathen tel of their temples and godes wonderfully eyther done or sene and yet neuertheles the gods of the heathen be deuils but the Lorde made the heauēs Therfore many mē be heard and after many diuerse sorts not only catholyke Christians but also panimes and Iewes and heretikes geuen to diuerse errours supersticions doubtles they ar heard eyther of deceitfull spirits which neuertheles do nothing except they be permitted of god hyghly and vnspeakeably iudging what is mete to be geuen to euery man or els of god hīself either for the punishmēt of malice or the cōfort of miseri or for the admonishmēt of eternal saluaciō But to that eternall saluaciō cōmeth no mā but he that hath the head christ Yea no mā cā haue the head Christ which is not in his body the churche which church lyke as the head it self we must know in the canonical scripturs not to seke it in diuers rumors ●p●niōs of mē not in factes sayīges sights c. Let al this sort of them be chaffe not geue sētēce afore hande agaīst the wheate if thei be the church ▪ but whether thei be the church let thē shew none other wais but bi the cāonical bokes of the holi scripturs For neither doe we saye that men oughte to beleue vs because we are in the catholyke church of Christ or because Optaiꝰ bishop of Miliuet or Ambrose bishop of Miliane or
that innumerable other bishops of our cōgregaciō doe a lowe this doctrine that we kepe or be cause in churches of our cōpaniōs it is preached or els because that throughe the whole world in those holy places wher our cōgregaciōs resorte so many wōders ether of hearings or of healynges be done so that bodyes of martirs being hid so many years whyche if they wil aske thei may learne of many were shewed to Ambroser or that at those bodyes a certaine mā beeing many yeres blynd wel knowen to the whole citie of Miliane receiued hys eyes his sight or because he beyng in a dreame dyd ●ee or he beeyng rapt in spirite did heare eyther that he ●old not goe to the part of the Donatistes or that he should depart from theyr opinion What so euer suche thynges be done in the catholike churche the church is not therfore proued catholik because these be dōe in it The lord Iesꝰ himself whē he was risē frō death offred his own body to be see with the eies hādled with the hāds of his Apostles lest thei shold thē thīke thēselfes to be deceiued he rather iudged that thei ought to be stablyshed by the witnesses of the law prophets psalmes shewīng those thinges to be fulfilled in him that wer spokē so lōg before so he set forth his churche biddinge repentaunce and forgeuenes of synnes to be preached in his name through al nacions beginnīg at Ierusalē That these thynges bee wrytten in the lawe and Prophetes himselfe witnesseth thys is set out by worde of mouth These are the doctrines these are the stayes of our cause we reade wrytten in the Actes of the Apostles of sōe faithfull men that they searched the scripturs whether they were so What Scryptures I pray you but the Canonicall of the lawe the Prophetes to these are ioined the gospels the Apostles Epistles the Actes of the Apostles and the Apocalypsis of Sayncte Iohn Searche all these bryng foorth some plaine thing wherbi you may declare that the churche hath remayned only in Affricke or that thys whyche the Lorde sayeth shall come to passe This gospell shalbe preached to al the world for a testimonye to all nacyons shalbe verified of Affricke But brynge out some what that nedeth none interpreter you may not be conuinced that the thynges which is spoken of another matter you goe about to wreste to your purpose CHrysostome of the contricion of the hart Christ promised not that he woulde rewarde at the latter day them that worke sygnes wonders but them that kepe his cōmaundementes saieng come you blessed childrē of my father receaue that kingdome whyche was prepared for you from the beginning of the world He said not because you did miracles but because I was hongrye c. he shal also cal them blessed not that wroght miracles but the humble and meke in hart LIril in Iohn lib. 7. Cap. 13. To worke miracles maketh not a man one whit more holy s●īge that it is also common to euyll men abiectes as the Lorde hymselfe also witnesseth mani shal sai to me in that day c. And contrary wyse workyng of no miracles hindereth not a mans holynes For Iohn wrought neyther signe nor miracle and yet was thys no derogacion to his holines For among the children of wemen ther was none greater then he SAbellic vpon the lyfe of Celestine Almost fiue hundreth yeares after Chryst the deuil taking vpon him the person of Moyses shewed himself visibly in the sight of the Iewes that dwelt at Candie promisinge that he woulde brynge them agayne into the land of promyse where Ierusalem stādeth dry foted the waters standyng on eyther syde in maner of a wall as when the children of Israell were brought out of the land of Egipt Many of the Iewes rashli geuing credite to these Iuglīgs and enterynge into the sea were ouerwhelmed with the waues thereof excepte a fewe the whyche at laste beeynge warned of their vanite became Christians ¶ Custome also is of no strēgth in thys case of prouing a religion ¶ The .vii. Chapter EXodi .23 Folowe not the multitude to doe euill LEuiticus .18 The Lorde cōmmaūdeth the Israelytes not to folowe the custome of the Egipcyans nor the Cananites Reade the chapter EZechyell .20 Walke not in the statutes of youre forefathers and keepe not their ordinaunces and defyle not youre selues wyth their Idols REgū .4 ca. 17. Vnto thys day they kepe their olde customes they feare not God nor do after hys customes ordynaunces and lawes THe same They dyd not hearken vnto the Lorde but dyd after their olde custome I Eremye .9 They folowed thē wickednes of their owne heartes and serued straunge godes as their fathers taught them TErtullian of virginite or prayses Custome for the most part taking his beginning eyther of ignoraunce or simplicite in processe of tyme waxeth strong by vse and so it is alledged agaynst the truth Whatsoeuer smelleth agaynste the trueth that is heresye yea though it be olde custome CIprian vnto Cicilie lib. 2. Epistola .3 There is no cause why deare brother that any manne should thynke the custome of some men oughte to be folowed If any mā haue thought that only water ought to be offered in the chalyce we muste fyrste aske whom they folowed and that Chryste only ought to bee hearde the father witnesseth from heauen saieng this is my wel beloued sonne heare hym Wherfore if only Chryste ought to be heard we ought not to regarde what any mā afore vs thought to be done but what Christ which is before did first neyther oughte we to folowe the custome of man but the trueth of god THe same to Iulian. of the baptising of heretykes in vaine do some men when they be ouercome with the truth alledge custome agaynste vs as though custome wer greater then the trueth Sainct Augustine hath the same THe same to Pompus agaynste Steuens epistle Custōe with out truth is an olde errour for the whiche cause lette vs leue custome and folowe the trueth CHrisostome vpon Genesis .29 Homilie .59 For if the coūsell be good and profitable yea though it be not custome kepe it but if it bee hurtful and noysome caste it awaye For if we wil be wise and care for our saluacion we may leaue of an euyll custome and bryng in a good custome and so shall we geue no small occasyō to thē that come after vs to chaunge the same haue the rewarde of those thyngs that be done of them IErome in his preface to Iob. Olde custome is of such force that vices whiche many men them selues cōfesse please them through it THe same the .9 Cap. Neither ar the errours of our fathers nor out elders to be folowed but the authorite of the Scriptures and the cōmaundementes of god that teacheth vs. AVgustine of one only Baptime lib. 2. Distinc .8 Cap. Vhen the trueth is once knowen let custome geue place to the trueth For
in dede as it is now daily sene THe Scribes the Pharisees sit vpō Moses seate what soeuer thei bid you do that do but after their workes doe not for thei say and doe not Here they saye it appeareth playnly that Chryste commaundeth vs to obeye the heades of the church how euill soeuer theyr lyues be FIrst let them loke well what maner menne they make them selues that is Scribes and Pharises the greatest enmys of god persecutors and murtherers of hys Prophetes of the Apostles and of Christ himselfe and so Antichristes Secondly Moses seate is not hys offyce or authorite but his doctryne therfore saith S. Augustine that seat which is his doctrine suffereth them not to erre and in another place they sitting in Moses scate teache the law of god therfore god teacheth by thē But if they wyl teache their own doctryne beleue them not for suche seeke their own and not Iesus Chrystes Chryst hiddeth vs beware of the leuē of the Pharises and then the disciples knew that the spake not of the leuen of bread but of their doctrynes althoughe they sat in Moses seate if they wyll nedes contende the dignite or office of Moses to be Moses seate and yet erred shamfully in their doctryne BEholde I am wyth you al the dayes vnto the worldes ende thys promyse was not made to the Apostles only for they dyed shortly after Chryste but to the churche Ergo the churche cannot erre I Beseche thē to beginne a litell afore and they shall playnely heare Chryst hymself vnlose this knotte The words before ar these in Marke goe and preache my gospell to euerye creature and in Mathewe goe and teache all people baptysinge them in the name of the father of the sōne c. teachynge them to obserue all thyngs what soeuer I haue cōmaunded you and lo I wyll be wyth you vnto the worldes ende Here you may see this promyse of Chryst I wilbe wyth you c. is not absolute or vniuersall but geuen vnder a condiciō that is if you preache my gospel truly if you baptise rightly if you teach the baptised to do all thynges that I haue commaunded you lo then I wyll be wyth you vnto the worldes ende But if you teache any other gospel or baptise otherwise or bydde them doe any other thynge aboue that whiche I haue cōmaunded you you haue no promyse of god but the curse that Paule threatneth thoughe we or an Angell from heauen preache c. I Haue yet many mooe thynges to say vnto you but you cānot beare them away nowe howbeit whē he is come which is the sprite of trueth he wil leade you into all trueth Here you may see saye the enmies of gods trueth that Chryste taughte not all thyngs himself but left many things to be taught to the disciples by the holy gost after his death CHriste saied not I haue many thyngs to say which I wil not tel you now but which you can not beare now That is you can not perceiue or vnderstande them nowe and thus Christ himselfe expoundeth these words the cōforter which is the holi gost whō my father wil sēd in my name he shal teache you al thinges put you in rememberaunce of all things that I haue sayd vnto you no newe or other thynges For chryst sayeth playnly that he hymselfe had taughte them all before sayinge all thyngs that I haue hearde of my father haue I opened vnto you Moreouer our Sauiour in plaine wordes sheweth what thynges those were that his disciples coulde not vnderstande although he manye tymes tolde them the same before Beholde sayeth he we gooe vp to Ierusalem and all shalbe fulfilled that are wryt te● by the Prophetes of the sonne of mā For he shalbe delyuered to the gētyls and shalbe mocked and despitefully entreated and spitted on whē they haue scorged him they wyl put hym to death and the thirde daye he wil rise againe and they vnderstode none of these thynges For these sayinges wee hid from them so that thei perceaued none of the thynges that were spoken although he spake to thē in most playne teruis And the cause why they perceaued not his so playne speache was thys They were yet carnal and vnderstode the prophesies of Chrysts kyngdome carnally thinkīg that Chryst shoulde reigne at Ierusalem like a mightie conqueroure and subdewe all the Gentyles vnder the yoke of bondage to the Iewes so that the Iewes shoulde be Lordes and rulers ouer all the world for euer And therfore Iames and Iohn asked a peticiō of Iesꝰ by theyr mother that they her two sonnes myght sit the one on his right hande and the other on hys left hand in his kingdome and when he spake of his death Peter toke him aside and rebuked him saying Master fauour thy selfe thys shall not happē vnto the to whom Chryst sayd go after me Sathā These be the thynges that the disciples could not then beare or vnderstande but thought that he had spokē some allegorie ridle or dark speache vnto thē but after his resurrection he opened their wittes that they mighte vnderstande the Scryptures and sayd vnto them thus it is wryttē and thus it behoued Chryst to suffer And to the two discipls goyng to Emaus he expounded Moses the Prophetes and all the scripturs that were wrytten of hym And after the ascensiō the holy gost appeared to thē in fierie tonges and fylled them with all knowledge they began to speake with sondrye tonges as the holy goste gaue them vtteraunce and then they vnderstode the Scryptures perfectlye MAnye other tokens did Iesus which are not written in thys boke Agayne there are many other thyngs that Iesus did whych if thei were written I suppose the worlde should not be able to conteyne the bokes that should be wrytten SAinct Iohn speaketh not here of faith and charite but of miracles the knowledge wherof is not necessary for our saluacion as his wordes folowing doe declare these ar writtē that you mighte beleue that Iesus is Chryst the sonne of God and in beleuing may haue lyfe in his name And what is more required or desiered of a Christian then to enioye euerlasting lyfe that ought to be our whole study and endeuour to that ende ought we to applye all our myndes wordes and workes and prayers STande fast brethren and kepe the ordinaunces that ye haue learned either by our preachīg or by our Epistle Of these words thei gather that Paule taughte diuerse things to the Thessalonians by word of mouth without writing which neuerthelesse he commaunded them to obserue and doe I Graunte that Paule taughte many thīgs by word of mouth which he wrought not in his Epistles to the Thessaloniās But how that they proue that the same thinges be neyther writtē by him in ani other of his Epistles nor in any other place of the hole Bible For what argumēt is
answere wittelye to the question propoūded affirmeth all the dayes to be lyke and not that Christ is crucified only on good fridai and riseth only on the sōday but that euery daye is the daye of the Lordes resurrectiō we eate his flesh alwaies But fastinges and comminges together wer ordeined of wise men for thē that geue thēselfes rather to the world then to God that cannot yea for thē that wil not come there at all there to make their sacrifice of praiers to god in the face of all the people Herby you may easely perceaue that the church hath not chaunged the speciall part of the sabboth whiche is to cease from vice and sinne but the cerimoniall part of the Sabboth only whiche was abrogate and taken away with other cerimonies of Moses law by Chryst at the full preachīg of the gospell In place whereof the churche hath ordayned the sonday for causes afore sayd ¶ The Papystes obiectyons with answers vnto them ¶ The .11 Chapter MOreouer they boast thēselfes of the certētie of their doctrīe and proue it to be true by the long continuance therof and luckye prosperite of their kyngdome and their aduersaries doctrine to be false by the persecucions plages myseries and afflictyons which they dayly suffer for their doctrines sake IF the trial of true religion shoulde rest vpon antiquite of tyme or vpō worldly prosperite thē should the gentyls and pagans haue a great aduauntage of vs Chrystians and their religion should be better then ours by the restimonies of our owne scriptures For idolatrye and wor●●ipping of false gods and their image●● was vsed long before the law of god writtē and geuen to Moses in which errors and idolatry the heathen continewe vnto thys day in great prosperite wealth vnder most victorious Emperours and Princes whereas the true churche of Chryst hath been most miserablie affllicted from tyme to time first vnder the Egiptiās after by the Philistines Cananites Pheresites c. then by the Babilonians Assirians Medes Persians Sirians and Romanes both subdued conquest and led awaye captyues And last of all by the turke and the pope the .ii. hornes of Antichrist the true church of christ hath been mostcruelly persecuted vnto death with prison famine water fier fagot and sworde these .vii. or viii yeares last past Which Turke Pope although they be mortall enemies the one to the other yet as Herode Pilate the Bishops Scribes Pharisees although they were vtter foes ech to other conspired agaīst iunocent Christ causeles condemning him to death on the crosse In lyke maner I say the Pope and the Turke do fully agree in this one poynt to persecute and murther Christ in hys faythfull members For as the sonne can not be withoute hys brightnesse nor the fier without his heat so cannot the true churche of God be long without the crosse of persecucyon as witnesseth S. Paule al they that wil liue godly in Iesus Chryste shal suffer persecucion And our sauiour Christ sayeth plainly that his kingdome is not of this world For if they persecute me sayeth he they shal also persecute you Chryste geueth not to his Apostles earthlye peace in this world but peace and quietnesse of conscience ioyned with persecucion For if the wicked persecuted Christ himselfe shal they not also persecute hys seruauntes And if they so handeled Christ being the liuely tre● what thinke you shall they doe to vs his withred braūches And as the true churche of Chryste can neuer be long wythout persecution in lyke maner can the false churche of Sathan and Antichriste neuer ceasse from persecutynge as it appeareth throughe oute the Historyes of the whole byble Of the tyrannye and crueltye of Antichrist in persecutyng of Chrystes true church prophesied Daniel lōg before speaking of the Empire and regiment of Rome The .4 beast saith he shalbe the .iiii. kyngdome whyche shal be greater then all other kyngdomes it shall deuoure treade downe and destroye all other landes he shal speake wordes agaynst the higheste of all ▪ he shal destroye the sainctes of the moste highest and thinke that he can chaūge tymes and lawes agayne he saieth of Antiochus which was a figure of Antichrist there shall aryse a king vn shamfast of face he shalbe wise in dark speakyng he shalbe mightie and strōg but not in his own strēgth he shal destroye aboue measure and all that he goeth aboute shall prosper in hys hande his hearte shall be proude he shal slaye the stronge and holy people and through his craftines falseheade shall prosper in his hande and manye one shall he put to death in his weal thynes he shall stande vp agaynst the Prince of Princes but he shalbe slain without hande Of the tyrannye and prosperous successe of antichrist in slaying of the sayuctes of god and the rewarde of them that bee slaine for the witnes of gods trueth speaketh also sainct Iohn in the .vi. Chapter of his Apocalips vnder the openyng of the iiii and .v. seales and in the .xvii. chapter he lyuely setteth foorth the Pope in his own colours vnder the person of the whore of Babilon being dronken with the bloud of saynctes pointyng as it were with his finger who thys whore of Babilon is and the place wher she shal reigne saying the woman whiche thou sawest is that greate citie which reigneth ouer the kyngs of the earth Now what other citie reigned at that tyme or at any tyme since vnder the Christian kings of the earth but only Rome Wherof it foloweth Rome to bee the seate of Antichrist and the Pope to be verye Antichrist himselfe I could proue the same by many other scriptures olde wryters strong reasons But for as muche as Rodulphe Gualter hath writtē herof a notable worke in Latē now of Laten translated into Englishe by I. O. I remit the reader to his boke wherin he may be fully satisfied herof Of the prosperite and securite that the false churche hath in worldlye pleasures vsynge the same with al gredines voluptuousnes of carnal lustes with the wicked deuices of tiranny against Christ and his true members wherwith the vngodly daily persecute and murther gods electe for his trueth wyth the rewarde also of them that suffer for the same truth sake it is most playnly wrytten in the ii and .iii. Chapters of the booke of wisdome By these scriptures now rehersed it appeareth most plainly that worldly prosperite of the Pope and his clargy proue not the trueth of their doctryne nor yet persecutyon of Goddes true preachers and other faythfull people argueth their doctrine to bee false But if thou wilt nedes knowe where the true churche of Chryst is where the false and not be deceyued herin take this for a plaine and ful answer that wheresoeuer the worde of god is truly preached without addiciō of mans doctrines and tradiciōs and the sacramentes duly ministred according to Christs institucion ther
is the true church the very spouse of god Christ bēig the head therof But how many and who of that nomber that heare the word of god and receiue the sacramentes be gods elect and church and true mēbers of Chryst is knowē to god onelye For the Lorde knoweth who he his and no man can tell of an other man whether he be worthy loue or hatred although their works seme neuer so holy and gloryous afore men so great a wytch is Ipocrisie LAst of al to make all coke suer and to maintaine their Idolatrye besyde yea and also contrarye to the worde of GOD as itruocacion and prayinge to Saynctes worshyppyng of Images reliques with pilgrimages and offerynges the sacrifice of the masse for the quick and the dead and pardons to delyuer dead mens soules from purgatory holy breade holy water ashes palms and suche other baggage they alledge reuelacions of Aungels of our Ladye and other sainctes and dead mennes soules appearyng to diuers men and wemen bidding them to cause certen masses trentalles pilgrimages and offering to Images and reliques of this and that saincte to bee done for them and they shoulde be delyuered from the fier of purgatorye where the paynes be greater say they than mans wit can comprehende And whā suche masses pilgrimages with offringes to suche sainctes reliques and images be done for them they appear to the same persons agayne sayinge that by suche meanes they be deliuered out of purgatory into the eternal ioyes of heauen they tel also of many wonders and straunge miracles to proue their doctrine in all these afore sayed thynges to be true And because they haue great profyte and aduaūtage therby they counting gains godlynes haue fylled all theyr bookes with suche vanites and lyes of which some be so fonde so directly againste gods glory that the most earneste papistes hauing either learnyng or wit be ashamed of thē Yea and the pope himselfe hath cleane put them out of gods seruice vsed in the churche of Rome and yet must we reade them beleue them as necessarye articles of our fayth or els burne therfore lyke heretikes BY thē manifest and plaine words of the Scriptures and the consent of the most auncyente authours before written it is euydente that neither the visions of Aungels apparitions of the dead nor miracles nor all these together ioyned in one are able or sufficient to make anye one newe article of our fayth or stablyshe any thyng in religion wythout the expresse wordes of god because that all such thyngs as is before proued may be yea and haue been throughe gods permission for oure sinnes and vubelefes sake done by the power of the deuill hymselfe or fayned and counterfeited of hys lyuelye members Monkes and Friers with other such hipocrites But what shal sathan nede to tell oracles vse visions shew apparitiōs or worke miracles now a daies what should he nede to toyle herin himself or why should he not like a gentle mā take his ease in his inne seing his subtil seruaūtes Monkes Friers Nōnes and other Pope holye hipocrites can and doe counterfeit such thynges day lye and from their beginning hath dō diligently par●e whereof I shall rehearse About fourtene yeares paste at Orleāce in Fraunce the Profestes wife died willing to beburied at the friers in the same citie without pōpe or other solemnite cōmonly vsed at burialles Wherfore the friers fearinge to lease a great pray if this shoulde be suffered to enter into the heades of the people caused a younge frier to speake in a vawte in a womās voice many people hearinge it sayd that she was the soule of the Profests wife condemned in hell for contemnyng of the suffrages of the holy churche commaunding also her body to be cast out of Christian buriall But the profeste so boolted out the mater that the yōg frier confessed the place and the maner of his speaking and all the friers were openly punished for that fault in the common market at Orleance But let vs come home to oure owne realme of Englande About .xxx. yers paste in the borders of wales wythin a Priory called Lymster there was a younge woman called the holy maide of Lymster whiche as the fāe was lyued onely by Aungels foode and was enclosed wythin a grate of Irone Vnto whom certain daies when the Prior of the place sayede masse the thirde parte of the hoste went hanging in the ayer by miracle as it semed from the aulter wher the Prior massed into the maids mouth whiche thing broughte the people into a great opinion of holynes in her and caused great pilgrimage to be ther vsed But when the Lord of Burgauenny with his brother sir Edward ●euel and diuerse other ientle men ientle wemē came to trye the trueth her of thei caused the doore to be opened and strayghte wayes the dogges fought for bones that wer vnder her bedde Whervpon they searching farther founde a priuye doore whereby the Prior myght resort to her and she to hym at their pleasures And then the confessed that she made as it wer .ii. fine thredes of her own heres sīgly tyed together wyth fyne knottes and then made a bigge hole with a bed kin thorowe the corner of a quarter of the hoste and fastened one ende of the sayed heere to the corporas where the sayed Prior sayd masse and the other ende to her own bedde wherein the laye tyed the other heer faste to the quarter of the hoste and wrapped the other ende aboute her own finger And whē the Prior had receiued his porcion of the hoste she wōde vy the threde wherto the hoste was tyed vpon her fingers and so cōueyed the ost into her mouth Thys both the Prior and she confessed and dyd open penaunce for the same To Sainct Albans about .xxviii. yeares past came a mayde crepyng vpon her knees and lening vpon .ii. short staues enquiring after Sainct Albās bōes affirminge that she shoulde bee made whole and goe vpright so sone as she should come to the place where saīct Albans bones were In token wherof an Aungell had deliuered her a keye wherby she should certenlye knowe where his verye bones were And when she passed thus throughe the streates of Sainct Albans creping on her knees till she came to Sainte Albans shrine after she had made her prayers deuoutly there she toke out the key of her purse whiche she sayed an Angel had deliuered to her and thē she stode vpright opened the shrine with the sayd key and then kneled agayne to pray and to geue thankes to god and sainct Albāe for her healing geuing her strēgth to walke whiche was borne lāe And by the mōkes would haue had it rōge for a miracle but some wiser men thought it mete to trye the matter better to examine her further before they tēpted to rīge a miracle op̄enly And vpon her examinacion the sayd that she had bene lame from her