occasion must be 3. That by no sinne he can fall from Fayth or grace or loose heauen for if all sinne be ineuitably determined then it shall infallibly be wrought by God as he hath determined And if euery actiō in man be a sinne then impossible it is to be freed from it so hopelesse is the praying for that end And if no sinne can hurt a faythfull Christian nor hinder him of heauen or depriue him of grace then in vaine needlesse is all prayer to be freed from temptation to sinne which can neither hurt nor hinder any faythfull person from heauen In vaine therfore and to no end or benefit is the saying of this sixth petition Lead vs not into temptation Eightly how can any man with confidence say the seauenth petition Deliuer vs from euill Vnderstanding it of the paines and punishments of sinne or impediments of good thinges to be inflicted either in this life or in the next who belieues that no temporall punishment either in this or the next life remaines to be endured after the guilt of sin be remitted and that all paine or miserie inflicted by the Diuell or man is from God the Diuell and man being only instruments and that forced necessitated to it For where no punishment remaines as due either in Purgatory which they belieue not or in this life in which only fayth satisfyes and remits Where also the ineuitable decree and hand of God doth will and worke all punishment in body or goods and where all things do fall out infallible as God hath disposed there all prayer to preuent punishments for sinnes or to remoue impediments of good thinges is both needlesse because as well without as with prayer the euent must fall as God hath disposed and also fruitlesse because by it no punishment of sinne or impediment of good thinges ordained by God can be preuented To what end or with what confidence therfore can any who belieues the former doctrine say these petitions of the Pater noster sith by vertue of it all prayer in generall and this of the Pater noster in particuler is made either needlesse as of things which are certaine to succeed without it or hopelesse as of things which are impossible to haue any effect by it And thus is shewed how the Protestant doctrine is opposite to all Hope and doth make frustrate all manner of prayer by which we come with any confidence to obtaine at Gods handes any benefit for vs or remoue any euill from vs. Of absurdities against the obseruation of all lawes and chiefly of the ten Commandements SECT VIII SVBDIV. 1. In generall how all lawes are made impossible and not obliging WE haue shewed how the Protestant doctrine ouerthroweth the articles of the Creed and the petitions of the Pater noster and in them all certainty of fayth all exercise of hope by making of prayer it remaines that we shew how it likewise frustrates all precepts lawes which tend to good life by bidding good and forbidding euill and among them in particuler the Decalogue of the ten Commandements and thereby openeth the gappe and looseth the reines to all liberty of sinne and loosenesse of life to the ruine of Charity For which we may note 1. That lawes which euer haue beene at all tymes among al nations vsed as the chiefe meanes to withdraw men from euill and to prepare them to good by punishing the one and rewarding the other haue alwayes by wise men beene esteemed of that dignity and necessity that according to Pindarus they are the inuention and guift of God according to Chrysippus that they are very God himselfe who giues them the Queene of all actions diuine and humane According to Aristotle they are the rule of iustice and iniustice which we must apply to all actions and by which all businesses and persons are ruled the measure by which we must square what we are to do and what to omit the Prince whome we ought to obey and the Captaine whome it is fit to follow According to Tully they are the establishing of right the suppression of wrong According to Demosthenes the sinewes of the Citty and the strength of it against the wicked Without which sayth Plato a commō-wealth is not a cōmon-wealth And according to which if men did not liue they would nothing differ from beasts 2. These lawes are some naturall of reason and a mans conscience some positiue diuine of God which were established either by Moyses in the old law and were either morall ceremoniall or iudiciall or by Christ and his Apostles in the new law and are yet of fayth and Sacraments Charity or good life some humane which are either Canonicall of the Church or Ciuill for all nations or particuler of seuerall countryes all which being iust promulgated and knowne do oblige and that in conscience vnder sinne to the performance of them 3. Among these lawes the chiefest and most in force are the Decalogue or the ten Commandments which being lawes morall of good manners and agreable to naturall reasons are not with the ceremoniall and iudiciall law which were giuen only for that tyme and estate of the law of Moyses abrogated but stand still in force and oblige all men and nations to the performance 4. In these ten Commandements we are commanded to performe our duty to God in the first table and to our Neighbour in the second table To God first honour in our hart by adoring one not many Gods in the first Commandement 2. Reuerence in word in not prophaning his name by vaine swearing in the second 3. Obedience in fact by keeping his Sabboth and Festiuall day in the third 4. To our Neighbour we are to giue by affirmatiue precept honour to our Parents and Superiours in the fourth and by negatiue precept to auoid al wrongs done to our Neighbour 1. By exteriour fact either to his own selfe by killing in the fifth or to his second selfe his wife by adultery in the sixth or to his goods by stealing in the seauenth 2. In word by false witnesse in the eight 3. In hart by vnlawful desiring either his wife by concupiscence in the ninth or his goodes by auarice in the tenth Commandment Which Decalogue of ten Commandments doth oblige to performance not only Christians who professe the name fayth of Christ but also all sortes of men or women endewed with reason whether Iewes Turkes Pagans or whomesoeuer Now that the Protestants by their doctrine do abrogate all these lawes not only of Church or Common-wealth but also of God of Nature of the ten Commandments and whatsoeuer leaue man obliged to the performance of none but by the liberty of their Ghospell freed from all as hauing it in their free choice whether they wil keep or break any Commandement of God Church or King and that they do thereby draw backe from the practise of any vertue
S. Paul with much more before noted as they call him if we coÌ„sider his life and doctrine what it was while he belieued and imbraced the Catholicke faith and compare it with the same what it was after he made his reformation we shall clearly perceaue the fruit and effect of this their new Ghospel for life manners And first for his life before his reuolt he confesseth himselfe and it is confessed by his owne followers that He liued in his Monastery punishing his body with watching fasting prayer That he honoured the Pope of meere conscience That he kept chastity pouerty obedience Whatsoeuer he did he did it with a simple heart of good zeale for the glory of God fearing grieuously the last day and desirous to be saued from the bottome of his heart Which are his owne words But after he inuented his libertine Ghospell he confesseth himselfe and the same is confessed by his followers 1. For lust and sensuality that He esteemed nothing more sweet or louing vpon the earth then the loue of a woman if a man can get it That it was no more in his power to be without a woman then to be a man that the act of the flash is as necessary and more necessary no more to be stayed or omitted then to eat drinke sleepe purge make cleane the nose c. Wherupon he confesseth that I am burned with the great flame of my vntamed flesh I who ought to be feruent in spirit am feruent in the flesh in lust sloth c. Eight dayes are now past wherin I neither write pray nor study being vexed partly with the temptation of the flesh partly with other troubles But saith he it sufficeth me to know the glory of the riches of God and of the lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the world from him sinne cannot draw vs although we should commit fornication or kill a thousand times a day Vpon which his lust neither respecting his vow made to God of chastity which made it a sinne to commit any act of carnality nor the Imperiall law which made it losse of ones head nor the shame of the world at which all wondred many were ashamed scandalized nor the calamities of the time in which by the insurrection of the Boores or common people incited by him were killed to the number of one thousand and all Germany was in misery but impatient of staying so much as one night he secretly at night hauing present only Pomeran the Priest Luke the Painter and Apellâ—s the Lawyer without any communication with his friends the yeare 1525. coupled himselfe to one of the Runagate Nunnes enticed out of Nympsen by Leonard Koppen Katherine Borâ— by name a beautifull yonge woman of 26. yeares of age who within few dayes after the mariage as Erasmus sayth was deliuered of a child and so as one fayth of him Luther was yesterday a Monke to day a Bridgroome to morrow a Husband and the next a Father Which was the first fruit and one of the principall motiues of Luthers Reformation But let vs heare his Examen of his owne conscience his confession of himselfe VVhat sayth he haue I done all this day Two houres cacaui too beastly to be englished three houres I eat and fower houres I was idle Againe VVe eat till death we drinke till death we eat and drinke till we be poore and go to hell cacamus ad mortem I sit heere senselesse and stupid in idlenesse praying little mourning nothing at al for the Church And laughing at the folly of S. Hierome Benedict Bernard and Francis who labouring to represse the heat of the flesh by praying fasting afflicting their bodyes he sayth He hath a more easy and ready way so that a wench be not wanting that is to haue a wench alwayes in the house which is the most present remedy for that disease and she as a woman ought to help a friend in that case And least he should be thought to do otherwise theÌ„ he taught his doctrine was according to his practise for he taught That to increase and multiply is not a precept but more then a precept which is not in our power to slippe or omit but more necessary then to eat drinke purge and sleep That the Husband shal say to his wife if thou wilt not come let the maid or another come and if that will not suffice dismisse Vasâ—hi and admit Heâ—ter That As God seuerely prohibited â—o kill not commit adultery so much more did he command to marry For prayer and deuotion he taught That God hath promised to heare our prayers therefore after thou hast prayed once or twice thou must belieue thou art heard and so must pray no more least thou tempt God and abuse his patience in hearing thee And writing to a noble man he affirmes that If we pray often for the same thing we shew little trust in God and so with our incredulous prayer we more more offend God for to aske the same thing often it nothing els but to conceaue that before we were not heard so do pray against the promises of God Therefore we must not vse many words with God but let such short prayers as these suffice Help vs O God Father haue mercy on vs. c. That Papists do foolishly teach men to pray fast and do pennance only say thou that all thou canst do is nothing and this is to prepare the way for God though in the meane tyme thou do nothing but drinke Malmesy and walke vpon Roses and pray not word at all That when thou prayest whether it be standing or kneeling say boldly Lord I aske that thou heare me and I will that thou graunt my request and so it must and shal be and thus pray and no otherwise or els say thou I will neither pray to thee nor haue thee prayed vnto And lastly that No man can say Our Father except he ioyne with it curses and execrations for Our Father is not well sayd without banninges and cursings This was Luthers doctrine and manner of Prayer For other good workes and good life and both for obligation practise of them he taught 1. That only faith doth iustify and only that fayth which includes not not hath annexed Charity That Only fayth is necessary to make vs iust all other thinges being free and neither commanded nor forbidden That Fayth except it be without any the least good workes doth not iustify yea is no fayth 2. For good workes that This shal be a rule for vnderstanding of Scripture that wheresoeuer the Scripture doth commaund to do goods workes it is to be vnderstood to prohibit them That though the Papists bring heapes of Scripture as commending good workes yet I care not for them though they bring more Thou Papist art very
is the externall litterall sense of the words sometimes doth kill cause errour but the spirit that is the true sense which the holy Ghost intended doth quicken auaileth to saluation But that neither the letter nor the spirit can be a competēt iudge of controuersies is proued 7. Not the letter because the letter or the words in the bare literall sense are occasion of errour and heresy for so they were to the Iewes who in reading of Moyses the Law had the veile set ouer their eyes and vnderstood not Christ contained and signified in the Ceremonies of the law And so it hath beene to all Heretickes who forsaking the sense intended by the holy Ghost proposed by the Church and following the letter expounded by their owne spirit haue falsly vnderstood the scripture grosly fallen into errours Thus the letter deceaued Sabellius who expounding that of S. Iohn I and the father am one of vnity of persons not of substance falsly defended in the deity to be not three but only one person which had three names offices or properties of the father the sonne the holy Ghost creating redeeming and sanctifying mankind as the Patripassiās defended the Father to haue suffered on the Crosse as one and the same person with the sonne Thus the letter deceaued the Arrians who expounding that of S. Iohn The father is greater then I of Christ absolutly and completely as whole Christ not as man according to his humanity did thereupon deny Christ to be God equall to the Father Thus it deceaued the Macedonians who expounding that of S. Paul The spirit searcheth all things euen the profoundites of God concluded not as they ought that the spirit pierceth cōprehendeth all things as God but thus that he who searches doubts who doubts is ignorant who is ignorant is not God and so the holy Ghost who searches all is not God Thus it deceaued the Manichees who held the old Testamēt to be cōtrary to the new because for instance the old said that God created all things That God ceased frō labour the seuenth day That Man was created according to the Image of God And the new said the contrary that the Word created all things That God worketh vntill now And that you are of your father the diuell Not conceauing according to the spirit and true sense that God created all things by the word as by an Idaea that God rested from his worke of creation and yet worketh by conseruation that man was created to the Image of God by nature and of the diuell by malice Thus the Pelagians denying originall sinne to haue descended from Adam to vs literally interpreted that of Ezechiel The sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father not only of sonnes who are not partakers but also of sonnes who are partakers of the iniquity of the father as all are of Adams sinne in whome all sinned and who receaued as head the promise of keeping or losing paradise by precept of for bearing or eating the apple for himselfe and his posterity after him Thus it deceaued others who applying literally that of S. Iohn The flesh profiteth nothing some in the Apostles time to the resurrection of the flesh others of late to the reall presence in the B. Sacrament the one therupon denyed the resurrection of all bodies the other the reall presence of Christs body both vpon one ground not distinguishing the spirituall from the carnall manner of one and the same body By which they might as well inferre that the flesh of Christ by his incarnation and passion profiteth no more then according to them it doth by his resurrection and manducation By which proofe of authority and examples it is apparent that the external letter of scripture cannot be iudge of controuersies That the internall sense of Scripture cannot be iudge is likwise proued because this true sense intended by the holy Ghost is often obscure hard and vncertaine as is certaine and before proued This obscurity breeds controuersies as experience dayly teaches and that these controuersies cannot be ended iudged by scripture-sense is proued 1. Because scripture-sense is the thing in question contention therfore is the thing to be iudged and decided not the iudge who is to giue iudgment and resolue the parties contending in iudgmēt As for example a question is about the sense of those words of the Gospel this is my body of those of the Creed He descended into hell Catholikes vnderstand them as the words import of the reall presence and of the locall descension both of Christs body Protestants expound them of a figuratiue presence by remembrāce of him in the sacrament and of an infernall suffering of hel-paines in his soule vpon the Crosse Now of these senses which is true which false the sense of the words cannot iudge betweene Catholicks and Protestants but some other iudge is necessary to confirme the one and confound the other so to end the controuersy 2. Because many places of scripture are so hard and obscure as the true sense of them cannot be truly discerned but by Church practise and tradition as for example whether those words of S. Mathew Teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghost do proue a necessity of the vocall pronuntiation of these wordes for the forme of baptisme as all Protestants with vs do grant or require no more but a mentall intention it sufficing only to baptize in the name of Iesus as Act. 8.26 doth insinuate Whether those of S. Iohn Except a man be borne againe of water and the holy Ghost he cannot enter into the kingdome of God inferre a necessity of water for the matter of baptisme as the Lutherans with vs grant and the words import or that the water and the holy Ghost be all one as Caluin expounds Also why the Protestants should not inferre as well a precept and necessity of a sacrament of washing of feet out of those words of our Sauiour And you ought to wash one anothers feet after the example of Christ who did and commanded it as they do out of those of S. Mathew Eat yee drinke yee inferre a necessity of receauing vnder both kinds because our Sauiour did commanded the like Now these and such like require a Iudge to iudge of the sense and reason of them cannot themselues iudge and decide themselues to vs. By which is euident that neither the letter nor the sense of scripture can be a competent iudge of all controuersies of faith and scripture Lastly the same is proued by the analogy of a temporal Iudge in causes ciuill with an Ecclesiasticall Iudge in causes spirituall for as Controuersies aryse in ciuill causes the common-wealth so do they arise also in matters spirituall and
where the one is there the other must be 2. That Melchisedech was a Priest and his sacrifice was in bread and wine 3. That Christ is compared to Melchisedech not only in his kingly authority as King of iustice and peace as Melchisedech was nor only in his genealogy as being without Father as man and without mother as God or without predecessor before him or successor after him in the office of redeemer as Melchisedech is said to be without Father mother but also in priestly function concealed on purpose by S. Paul for the incapacity of the Iews as a thing of which he hath a speech great and inexplicable to vtter and in his priestly sacrifice by offering bread wine as Melchisedech did and that not for one time but for euer Sith I say all this is euident it followes 1. That Christ is a priest not according to Aaron in offering bloud but according to Melchisedech in offering bread and wine and that not once by himselfe but for euer by his Apostles and Priests to whom he gaue commission to offer the same sacrifice which himselfe had done 2. It followes that to verify Christs being priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech there must be a succession of priests and sacrifice in Gods Church to offer the same sacrifice for euer so to make his priesthood continue for euer But by this former Protestant doctrine is excluded all sacrifice for sinne all priesthood to offer sacrifice and all holy orders to consecrat priests and so this perpetuall priesthood and sacrifice of Christ according to Melchisedech is reiected First in Christ himselfe and his owne person whome they deny to haue offered any sacrifice at his last supper Secondly in his Priests and deputies to whome they deny all authority of Priesthood and all power to offer sacrifice and so admit no sacrifice at all according to the order of Melchisedech either by Christ or his Church and why Because only Fayth doth iustify satisfy and apply the merit of Christ only Fayth doth couer all sinnes by the apprehension of the iustice of Christ only Fayth doth assure all that they are iust shall continue and that they need no other worke Sacrament or sacrifice to make or keep them iust but only Fayth and so this Fayth destroyes all sacrifice therby the Priesthood of Christ Lastly that this doctrine bereaues Christ of his knowledge both beatificall by which from the first instance of his conception he did clearely see God and also infused and that not out of thinges naturall and by accidents infused which by nature and industry may be obtained but also of thinges supernaturall and per se infused of things which are by fayth reuealed to vs such as are the mysteries we belieue and the secrets of harts all which by ancient Deuines is admitted to haue beene in Christ from the first instant of his conception That I say they depriue Christ of all this excellency and knowledge and make him ignorant and more ignorant then Adam who was created as in perfection of stature and strength of body so also in perfection of all philosophicall and theologicall knowledge in soule by which he gaue names to all beasts and more ignorant then Salomon who was the wisest of men before or after him is proued Because they affirme that he assumed our ignorance that he was ignorant like other children was instructed as boyes are increased in knowledge not only experimentall but also habituall as others do learned and profited in artes and sciences humane and diuine as children do that he was iignorant of the place of Lazarus his burâ—all of the Iewes fayth who offered the man sicke of the palsy of the Figge-tree both of what kind it was and what fruit it bore and of the day of iudgment not only to reueale it to others but to know it himselfe that he made farre-fetcht-similitudes and needlesse illations nothing to purpose wrested the wordes and sense of the Prophets weakly confuted his aduersaries failed in memory and made prayers and petitions vnaduised and not premeditated forced with the vehemency of sorrow in the garden all which are by Caluin imputed to him But if Christ was thus ignorant and blind in his vnderstanding then might he be deceaued in his iudgement and so deceaue others and faile in truth of that he sayd or reuealed in Scripture then may the scripture be false his fayth and doctrine be false all Christians be lead into errour and blindnes then may he be infirme in his operations and sinfull also in his actions For if the vnderstanding which is the light to lighten and the guide to direct the other faculties of the soule may be blind ignorant inconsiderate and erroneous then may the will which doth follow the light and direction of the vnderstanding and wils nothing but that the vnderstanding knowes also faile in the election of good and so will that is ill and commit sinne and so may Christ who is the Way the Truth and the Life fall into errour falshood and sinne and so erre deceaue and commit sinne To all which if we adde the detestable and blasphemous assertions boldly auerred by prime Protestants Luther Caluin and their fellowes against Christ to wit that God made him a sinner vniust guilty and hatefull to himselfe that he was culpable a sinner true and most truly a sinner as other men a sinner most great most vile and obnoxius to the anger of God that he carried himselfe vncurteously and not like a sonne to his mother that he made a prayer vnpremeditated a vow abrupte inconsiderate contrary to his vocation to be corrected retracted and renounced that he renounced his office of mediatour was forgetfull of our saluation and the charge committed to him that he confessed his effeminate nicenesse esteemed himselfe not to be sent of God did wauer betweene praising and blaspheming of God did stagger among the waues of tentations vttered words of desperation was ouercome with desperatioÌ„ did renounce his saluation knew God was angry at him that he stood in need of Baptisme was cursed and execrable as commonly the damned are that he suffered the horrour of a conscience feeling Gods eternall wrath did feare and highly despaire in his soule in the same manner aâ— the damned did wauer betweene hell and life struggle with the horrour of eternall paines had an horrour of eternall punishment was tormented with the feare of horrible damnation was horribly afraid of the profound abisse of death was in feare to be absorpt by death was stroken with the horrour of the diuine malediction was tortured with anxiety as if he had God his enemy feared his saluation was perswaded that he was vndonne and was striken with the horrour of Gods iudgment more then euer any man was or could be in which his horrour consisted the summe of our consolation that he suffered the same paines of hell
so a spirituall man iudges of all thinges in generall that is both of spirituall thinges which are diuine and mysticall and also of humane thinges which are terrene and sensuall but a sensuall man iudges only of temporall thinges of the world and not of spirituall which are of God The reason therfore is de generibus singulorum that a spirituall man iudges of all sortes of thinges both diuine humane but not de singulis generunt that he can iudge in particuler of all kindes or spirituall thinges as when a man is sayd to eat of all thinges it is meant that he eates of all kinds of meat both flesh and fish not of euery particuler peece of both 2. Euery spirituall man doth iudge spirituall thinges but according to such rules and directions as euery thing is to be iudged that is thinges manifest and certaine he iudges according as they are iudged already and determined thinges vncertaine and obscure according to the rule of Fayth and the authority and testimony of Councels Fathers Tradition and Church as before is explicated not according to his owne selfe-seeming spirit and conceit in which his spirit is still subordinate to the spirit of Gods Church and directed by it 3. Because euery faithfull Christian is not alwayes spirituall that is perfect hauing his senses exercised in the discerning of good and euill for some haue need of milke and not of strong meat and euery one that is partaker of milke it vnskilful of the word of iustice for he is a child Therfore this iudgment especially of misteries of faith is not for al imperfect though faithfull Christians but only for persons spirituall that is perfect and vnderstanding in spiritual learning wisdome And so it makes nothing for the priuate spirits iudgment in euery faithfull Christian And because spirituall persons haue not euery one a spirit for all spirituall things for to one certes by the spirit is giuen the word of wisdome and to another the word of knowledge according to the same spirit and to another Prophecy to another discerning of spirits all which one and the same spirit worketh And all are not Apostles Prophets or Doctours nor worke miracles do cures or speake with tongues And because some mēbers are more some lesse honourable or base some more weake some lesse and some haue offices functions some more honourable some lesse some to see and direct others to walke and be directed euery one according to his nature function though one and the same spirit worke all these therefore all persons who are spirituall haue not all spirituall offices guifts but some the guifts of prayer and contemplation some of mortification and humiliation some of obedience patience others of discerning of spirits and others to whō by their office it belongs of iudging of faith and scripture as before And therefore though spirituall men iudge all things spirituall and temporall yet euery spirituall man doth not infallibly iudge and discerne euery spirituall thing no more then euery faculty of the soule as sensitiue vegitatiue or rationall doth performe all and euery function of feeling growing and reasoning but euery one his proper function And as the function of the eye is only to see and of the hāds to worke and the feet to walke so they who will giue the function of seeing and iudging of the sense of scripture and misteries of faith to euery person in the body of the Church do as much as if one should attribut the function of seeing to the handes and feet for as in a body naturall so in the body mysticall which is S. Pauls comparison some are principal members some inferiour so euery one hath his proper function in the Church as the bishops are eyes to discerne truth the princes are armes to defend the body and the people are the rest of the parts of the body to be directed The function therfore of one is not to be attributed to another but euery one in his place and degree is to exercise his owne function in his proper office and worke By which is apparent that those and such like places of scripture do make nothing for the authority and power of this priuate spirit in euery one to discerne and iudge of all places of scripture and misteries of faith except the Protestants as they attribut to euery spirit power to do euery thing so they will out of euery place of scripture inferre any thing so ex quolibet proue quodlibet as their spirit doth direct and teach them And thus much of the first manner of arguments or obiections drawne from the guift of the spirit of God and grace impertinently applied to proue this their priuate spirits authority Other obiections answered SECT III. THE second manner of obiections are drawne from the meanes which are prescribed in scripture for the due right Vnderstanding of holy scripture which are prayer meditation and diligent seeking enquiring out the true sense of scripture out of scripture and such like by which the Protestants seeme to backe much their spirits proceeding for so doth Caluin professe to imbrace that sense of scripture which by meditation annexed the spirit of God doth suggest by vertue of which spirit he contemns all what any humane wisdone can oppose For which they obiect that Dauid did meditat day night in the law of God That Timothy did from his Childhood learne the Scripture which might instruct him That S. Peter did will them to attend and looke into the propheticall word as to a candell shining in a darke place That S. Paul affirmes that faith faithful persons are built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles That they of Beroea did search the scriptures if the things were so as Paul did teach And that Christ did will the Iewes to search the Scriptures For all which we are to obserue 1. That these meanes are good and profitable but not sufficient of themselues for a certaine and infallible exposition of scripture for besides them is required the infallible assistance of the holy Ghost for an infallible sense of scripture to be relied vpō 2. That these meanes are to be vsed by those who haue power and authority to expound scripture to whom though they be necessary yet are they not of themselues either sufficient or infallible either to euery priuate person or to others without other helpes and assistances of the holy Ghost 3. That priuate persons when they vse apply duely these meanes may giue a probable exposition of scripture either for their owne consolation and confirmation in faith or for the edification and aduise of others but cannot rely vpon it either as a sole and solid foundation of their beliefe or as a generall rule for the true and certaine exposition of all the difficult and abstruse places of scripture For as S. Augustine saith such is the