the inspiration of the holie ghost set them in order What say you to 〈◊〉 moreouer that Iudas in his Epiâ—… alledgeth certaine things forth of the â—…ke of Enoch Neither is there anie â—…e why ye should say vnto me that that â—…e is apochyphal PeradueÌ„ture that 〈◊〉 was apochyphal which was caried â—…ut after that age wherein the Apoâ—…s liued but those things which Iudas alledged were firme certaine But be â—…or I wil not contend that the word of 〈◊〉 was not written before Moses but 〈◊〉 only vttered by the mouth and as it â—…re deliuered froÌ„ hand to hand What â—…keth this to the matter w we haue in â—…d For the same word wheÌ„ afterward 〈◊〉 was put in writing must needes be so â—…erued and restrained that nothing â—…ght be altered therin by meÌ„ The word 〈◊〉 God is inuiolable cleane without corâ—…tion whether it be deliuered by voice â—…y writing neither can it sound coÌ„traâ—… things I confesse that the vnwritten â—…de was more ancient theÌ„ that which â—…r was put in writing But I acknowâ—…ge onely betweene these two the diffeâ—…ce of time not of efficacy or authoriâ—… But in that the church is gathered by the worde of God it must needes folow that the Church is later then the woorde of God and inferiour to it Wherefore it is most euident that the Church taketh her excellencie and dignitie from the worde of God. The third Chapter That the authoritie of Scripture is greatest because it containeth the worde of God which in the beginning was deliuered to the Church by liuely voyce THe authoritie of holie Scripture is farre greatest because it containeth the worde of God him self and tooke her beginning of the holy Ghost For the doctrine conteined in holie Scripture was not vttered enlarged and plainelie set foorth by Philosophers which liued in Grece or Italie but published by God him selfe and reuealed from heauen to certaine chosen men The heauenly Father did declare it with his owne voyce 〈◊〉 the Patriarchs and Prophets The â—â—erlasting in heauen and in the verie â—ome of his father I meane the onely â—â—gotten sonne of God our Lord and saâ—â—ur Iesus Christ comming downe to 〈◊〉 shewed it The holie Ghost in al ages â—â—spired certaine excellent men who deâ—ered the worde vncorruptly Knowe â—s sayth Peter that no prophesie in tâ—e Scripture is of anie priuate interâ—â—etation For the prophecie came not â—olde time by the will of man but â—â—ly men of God spake as they were â—oued by the holy Ghost Wherefore â—ul defineth this doctrine The wiseâ—â—me not of this world neither of the â—â—nces of this worlde which come to â—ught but the wisedome of God in a â—ysterie euen the hid wisedome which â—od had ordeined before the worlde â—â—ich God hath reuealed by his spiâ—e Therefore all most excellent points â—e to be attributed to the Scripture the â—cles and diuine sayings whereof are â—h in diuinitie as are in euerie science 〈◊〉 principles of the same which must â—edes be supposed and graunted Moreouer vntill Christ came into the worlde the Scripture was conteined in the lawe and prophesies So do wee see that Moses and the Prophets are cited by Christ and the Apostles as approued witnesses whose writings were receiued amongst the people of God without controuersie none otherwise then publike registers The Apostles did first witnesse with liuely voice that which was giuen them in commaundemeÌ„t But after that the doctrine of Christ was spread wide and broade and confirmed with innumerable miracles and wonders and after that the Church was established which tooke her beginning of the preaching of the worde by fayth but yet so that the worde went before when as many false Apostles rose vp who vnder the pretence of reuelations and traditions of the Apostles brought monstrous toyes into the Churche and corrupted the purenesse of God his worde it seemed good to the holy ghost that the summe of the Apostles preaching shoulde bee sette foorth in writing that it might bee left perfect for â—â—em which should come after Whereâ—â—â—e by the instinct of the holie Ghost â—wo of the Apostles wrote as witnesses of thinges which they had seene and two of the Disciples and Apostoâ—â—e men wrote also as witnesses of â—â—ose thinges which they had hearde 〈◊〉 the Apostles whome other doe affirme to haue seene also the thinges that they wrote Those writings make the foure Gospels touching the which â—renaeus debateth manie thinges in the â—leuenth Chapter of his thirde Booke agaynst Heresies where hee shewâ—th that there must bee foure Gospels â—nely not because the Church hath receiâ—ed foure onely but because God hath so appointed Touching the Gospel of Matâ—hewe Saint Hierome writeth this Historie Pantaenus when hee was sent by Demetrius Bishop of Alexandria into India founde that Barâ—holomew did preach there the comming of Christ according to the Gosâ—el of Matthew the which being also written in Hebrue he brought from thence with him to Alexandria Herevnto agree those things which Nicephorus sheweth in the 32. chapter of his 4. booke The same Nicephorus reporteth in the 36. Chapter of his 7. booke that the Gospel of Matthew was founde in Barnabas his tombe written with Barnabas his owne handes Whereby may be gathered how greatly Apostolik men did esteeme this Gospel Eusebius forth of Clement doth report that Peter the Apostle did approue and confirme by his own iudgement the Gospel of Mark and did ordeine that it should be reade in the Churches Nicephorus sayth that Peter indited the Gospel of Marke and decreed that it shoulde from thenceforth be read in the Congregations Irenaeus sayeth Marke the Disciple and interpreter of Peter hath deliuered vnto vs those precepts which were preached by Peter The same Irenaeus writeth of Luke thus The Apostles deliuered to al men simplie and enuying no man those thinges which they themselues had learned of the Lorde And therefore â—â—ke also enuying no man deliuered to vs in like maner those thinges which he had learned of theÌ„ Furthermore Iohn perused ouer the writings oâ—â—he three Euangelists and witnessed tâ—â—t they were true Finally he finished 〈◊〉 writing of the Gospel Therefore he â—cludeth the Historie written by him â—â—is And manie other things truely did Iesus before the eyes of his disciâ—lâ—s which are not written in this â—â—ke These are written that ye might â—â—â—eeue that Iesus is Christ the sonne 〈◊〉 God and that in beleuing ye might â—e life thorowe his name Vnder â—â—th wordes he comprehendeth not onâ—â—is owne Gospel but also the Gospels 〈◊〉 â—he rest of the Euangelistes as also 〈◊〉 olde writers haue vnderstoode this â—ce And then trulie was the truth of 〈◊〉 Gospel acknowledged and receiued â—â—en as yet there remained aliue which 〈◊〉 both heard and seene the Lorde 〈◊〉 selfe in his mortall fleshe or had â—rde the chosen Apostles and Disciâ—â—â—s which were familiar and conâ—sant with him And because also
of the auncient fathers haue done also as of the Greekes Melito Origines and Eusebius Bishop of Caesaria and of the Latines Cyprian Bishop and Martyr and Hierome Priest But long before their iudgement the bookes of holie Scripture had diuine authoritie among christians which they would haue had although Councels had neuer bene celebrated Notwithstanding the holy men of God thought good to giue foorth their senteÌ„ce also against theÌ„ which were wickedly beÌ„t against the canonical bokes If the Church were able to bring to passe that the Scripture might be receiued certainly she would haue perswaded long before this time Epicures Talmudikes and Mahometistes to haue receiued it For the authoritie of the Gospel doeth not hang on the Church but what authoritie soeuer the Church hath it hangeth wholy on the worde of god And if the authoritie of God his woorde decay the authoritie of the Church must needes decay with it For if thou demaunde of them howe they proue the authoritie of the Church or howe they bee certaine that it erreth not in the vnderstanding of holy Scriptures and in discerning them from others They will say because it is gouerned by the holie Ghost And if thou saye And howe knowe you this They will answere because Christ hath promised that he will bee with the Church vnto the ende of the worlde And because he hath sayde also Where twoo or three are gathered in my name there am I in the middest of them And I will sende the comforter vnto you and hee will leade you into all trueth These are the thinges say they which perswade the authoritie of the Church But whence take you these thinges good men but foorth of holie Scripture Wherefore we must rather conclude that the Churche hath her authoritie from the Scripture Therefore as no man deemeth but the testimonie of the Church is greatlye to bee weyed aboute the woorde of GOD so euerie man well seeth that the authoritie of the Church is of greate renowme therefore because it is sette foorth by the cleare light of God his worde The .xi. Chapter Howe vngodly and wicked it is to preache without the warrant of holie Scripture BY those things which we haue saide of the worthinesse of the scriptures it is manifest that that doctrine whiche the Prophetes and Apostles haue deliuered to vs in writing is the foundation of our faith Wherefore the Ministers of the Churche and Preachers ought to learne hereby what they shoulde preach euen the worde of God onely set forth in the Scripture and not mens traditions although they presume to say they bee God his worde which by no meanes they can proue because they be vncertaine contrarie one to an other sometime abolished and sometime newly deuised which by no meanes can agree to the worde of god Neither be there any Apostolike Churches wherin the traditions of the Apostles be sincerely kept But wee will speake of traditions more at large in place conuenient Moreouer Christ his sheepe are not quiet vntill they heare the certaine voice of their shepheard And the minde desiring to liue to God is not certaine vntill it vnderstande those things which it heareth to bee grounded vppon this firste principle of Diuinitie Thus sayeth the Lorde Christ his spouse can not be quiet in minde vntill she may say I heare the voice of my beloued Nowe his voice according to the common rule of God his disposition towards vs doeth not sounde any where more cerâ—ainely vnto vs then forth of holie Scripâ—ure Well saide Chrysostome If anie â—hing be spoken without Scripture the â—hought of the hearers halteth But wheÌ„n the Testimonie of God his voice â—s come forth of the scriptures it conâ—irmeth both the speache of the speaker and the minde of the hearer And Esaie hauing admonished the people to â—eeke after none but God onelie addeth â—he meanes also saying Get thee to the â—awe and testimonie Wherefore well â—ayde Augustine Let our bookes be â—aken away from among vs and let God his booke be brought foorth among vs Heare Christe telling â—eare the trueth speaking Hee sayâ—th also in an other place Read vs this â—oorth of the lawe foorth of the Prophetes foorth of the Psalmes foorth of the Gospell reade it foorth of the Apostles writings and we will beleeue â—t Againe Vrge them to shewe some manifest testimonies foorth of the Canonicall bookes Remember that this is the saying of the Lorde They haue Moses and the Prophetes let them heare them If an Angel from heauen preach any other Gospel Paul coÌ„mauÌ„deth that he be accounted accursed Now if the Angels ought also to be in subiection to God his worde to obey it then are they worthely brought into this order that if they doe otherwise They are iudged Deuils And although that cannot come to passe yet such is the maiestie of the Gospel that to sette foorth the dignitie thereof it is not vnlawfull after a sorte to abuse the name dignitie of Angels Wherfore their wicked and cursed rashenesse which presume to preach in the church of GOD beside the Scripture is as it were stoned to death with the most graue sentences of most holy fathers Let vs therefore recite some testimonies of the Fathers Tertullian against Hermogenes sayeth I reuerence the fulnesse of scripture Let Hermogenes his shoppe shewe that it is written If it be not written let him feare the curse pronounced against them which adde and take away from GOD his worde Saint Augustine likewise against Petilian his letters in his thirde booke and sixth Chapter hath these woordes If anie I will not say if wee but which Paule added If an Angel from heauen shall preache either of Christ or of his Churche or of anie other thing whiche pertayneth to faith or to the leading of our life otherwise then you haue receyued in the holie Scriptures of the lawe and of the Gospel Let him bee accursed Wherevnto agreeth that also whiche hee writeth in an other place saying Let him whiche preacheth any other Gospel bee accursed or let him reade it mee in the holie Scriptures and not be accursed He saith also in his treatise of Pastoures Christ hath appointed the mouÌ„taines of Israel the authours of the holie scriptures Feede there that you may feede safely Whatsoeuer you heare thence let that sauour well vnto you whatsoeuer you heare not thence refuse that you wander not in a cloude gather your selues to the meaning of the scripture There be the dainties of your heart There is nothing venemous nothing from the purpose There be onely the most fuitful pastures Also in his boke of the goodnesse of widowehood in the first Chapter he saieth What shoulde I teach thee more then that which we reade in the Apostle For the holy Scripture fashioneth the rule of our doctrine least we shoulde presume to be wiser than wee ought Therefore let it be to
therein Therefore if it be eyther commaunded in the Gospel or conteined in the Epistles and Actes of the Apostles let this holy tradition be also obserued Also Basill in his third booke against Eunomius hath Our Baptisme is according to the very tradition of the Lord in the name of the father and of the Sonne of the holy Ghoste And it is a pointe of diligence to marke where the olde Writers vse the woorde Tradition in this sense For wheresoeuer the Papistes finde this woorde they wrest it foorthwith to their traditions with they cannot prooue foorth of the Scripture Secondly the olde writers by this woord Tradition vnderstand the articles of our fayth which are conteined in the Apostles Creede as we haue lately declared more clerely than the light it selfe forth of Irenaeus and Tertullian Which writers propose the saide badge or Creed as a perfect rule of faith whervnto there may nothing be added and from the which there may nothing be takeÌ„ which remaining whole men may safely inquire of all thinges Thirdly by the woorde Tradition the fathers vnderstand a sentence or meaning not expressed woorde for woorde in the holy Scriptures but gathered by the true interpretation thereof which the Apostles preached with liuely voyce and their auditours and successours deliuered vnto vs and conserued as for example that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a person that there are in the diuine nature three persons and yet one and the selfe same substance that the Sonne is coequall with the Father and of one substance with him that there be two natures in Christ the Lord and yet but one person that the holy Ghost is to be woorshipped and glorified together with the father and the Sonne that the flesh of Christ is of one substance with vs that infantes ought of right to be baptized others of this kinde which although we reade not expressed in the oracular scripture yet haue we learned by the authoritie of the auncient Fathers and most graue Councels that they are to be vnderstode by the meaning and vnderstanding of the Scriptures And this vnderstanding is not to be separated from the scripture it selfe forsomuch as it may be conteined therein either as the definition in the definitiue or as the conclusioÌ„ in the premisses And although the tradition of the Church haue shewed vnto vs the scripture and vnderstanding thereof yet hath it not bestowed authoritie vpon it which it hath greffed in it froÌ„ god For they froÌ„ whoÌ„ we haue receiued this tradition are onely witnesses of the heauenly doctrine and not authours therof VVhereof we haue reasoned plentifully in the place belonging therevnto Lastly where the olde writers make mention of traditions they doe not entreate of the doctrine of faith to be receiued without and beside the Scripture although it can be prooued by no testimonie of Scripture but they speake of certaine olde rites which for their antiquitie they ascribed to the Apostles Part of the rites seeme to take their beginning from the Apostles and parte of them are vnwoorthie such authours But we haue declared alreadie by what rule such manner of rites are to be prooued and examined Nowe since that this woorde Tradition is so diuersly vsed of the fathers truely it is wicked sophistrie to intermeddle all these thinges without difference that superstitions being deriued partly froÌ„ the Iewes partly froÌ„ the Ethniks may haue their defence maintenance without the scripture vnder the cloke title of traditions The xxiiii Chapter Of the vncertaintie repugnancie and varietie of traditions AND their madnesse is to be noted and auoyded which will haue the â—ertaintie of doctrine to depend rather of â—e authority of traditioÌ„s of those things â—hich they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnwritten thaÌ„ of â—e scriptures this especially coÌ„sidered that â—â—ey caÌ„not prooue vnto vs the traditioÌ„s of 〈◊〉 apostles gathered described any where â—se but in the scriptures neither can they â—ooue that the traditions which by this â—tle they commend come froÌ„ the Apostles â—â—eir authours There be traditions reciâ—â—d by the fathers in diuers places as reâ—â—iued froÌ„ the Apostles but those traditiâ—â—s w they gather are partly abolished partly do not wel agree one with an other â—hervpon it commeth to passe that al traâ—â—tions are not to be esteemed Apostolike â—ither can the faith of christians be holâ— vp with so weake feble a fouÌ„dation as â—e traditions which faith must stand vnâ—nquered against al the engines of hell â—here was a tradition in TertulliaÌ„s time â—t milke honie should be giuen foorth â—â—th them which were baptized where with as he saieth they might bee fedde like infantes It was a tradition in the time of Cyprian and Augustine that the Euchariste and that vnder both kinds shoulde be geuen to infantes and shoulde be so giuen as necessarie to saluation Hierom in his Commentaries vppon Matthewe Chapter 25. sayeth that the tradition of the Apostles remained That in the day of the vigiles of Easter it was not lawfull to let the people goe looking for the comming of Christe before midnight Although these and other like bee read in olde writers vnder the title of the traditions of the Apostles yet are they a bolished are obserued now in no nation so that Tertullian wrote well in his book Of couering virgins There is altogeather one rule of faith onely vnmoueable irreformable to beleeue in one God almightie maker of the worlde and in his Sonne Iesus Christ borne of the Virgin Marie crucified vnder Pontius Pilate raysed againe the thirde day from the dead receiued in heauen sitting now at the right hande of the Father to come to iudge the quicke and the dead euen by the resurrection of the flesh This Lawe of faith remaining al other points of discipline conuersatioÌ„ admit the newnesse of correction the grace of God working and profiting euen vnto the ende Thus much hath that flourishing Septimius Tertullian Therfore the onely rule of faith grounded in the Scripture hath runne on euen from the beginning of the Gospell vnchangeable vnmoueable and vnreformeable when as in the meane season rites and traditions be mutable variable and such as may somtimes be taken away and sometimes restored againe The west churches in progresse of time inioyned the Lawe of single life to the ministers of Churches coÌ„trarily the east Church euen vnto this day will haue mariage to be lawfull for them Wherevpon Stephanus Bishoppe of Rome saith The Tradition of the east Churches is after one sorte and of this holy Church of Rome after an other sorte For their Priestes Deacons and Subdeacons are maried but none of the Priestes of this Church or of the west churches froÌ„ the Subdeacon to the Blshop hath licence to marie It was an Apostolical traditioÌ„ at Ephesus and in Asia that Easter should be kept after the maner of the Iewes Again the Apostolicall traditioÌ„ in
the church of Rome was saide to be otherwise The place of S. Augustine is worthie memorie in his 76. epist. to Casulanus where he intreateth of fasting sayth If it be answered that Iames taught this at Ierusalē Iohn at Ephesus the rest in other places which Peter taught at Rome to wit that men should fast on the sabboth day but that other countries were departed frō this doctrine that Rome continued in it still it is replied to the contrarie that rather certaine places of the west wherin Rome is kept not that which the Apostles deliuered but that the coūtries of the East from whence the Gospel began to be preached haue remained without anie varietie in that which was deliuered by all the Apostles with Peter himselfe that men should not fast vpon the Sabboth day this is an endles contention ingendering strifes not ending questions Therefore since there is so great varietie and diuersity of Traditions al cannot be iudged to be Apostolike Certainly Paule witnesseth that he taught euerie where and in euerie Church the self same Therefore Cyprian wrote wisely to Pompeius that he would not allow traditions but what were conteined in the gospels the Epistles of the Apostles or in the Actes of the Apostles VVherevnto thou maiste adde those which are necessarilily inferred foorth of the holy Scriptures VVhatsoeuer else are brought in are vncertaine and not euerie where receiued yea if the matter be well wayed we shal confesse that traditions haue ministred occasion of verie manie superstitions in the Church of errours and controuersies Therefore neither the rule of faith nor the certaintie of doctrine doth depend of the custome of the Church but if a iust consent ought to be kept in the Church it is necessarie that we sticke firmely and constantly in the oracular Scripture onely The xxv Chapter That the Church hath beene deceiued euen from the Apostles time vnder the pretence of Traditions NOw forsomuch as the name of Traditions hath alwayes beene a Patrone of superstitions in the Church and because now adayes all kinde of abuses corruptions and superstitions is defended vnder their title wee had neede to vse heerein verie greate attentiuenesse and warinesse And in very deede whilest the Apostles yet liued false prophets fayned many corruptions which they obtruded to the Churches and extolled for this consideration as though they had beene deliuered by liuely voyce from the Apostles the which thing the Epistles of Paul do manifestly shew VVhich was the cause that the Apostles beganne to comprehend their doctrine in writing And Paule when he began first to write gaue a verie wholesome admonition saying That ye be not sodenly mooued from your minde nor be troubled neither by spirit nor by woorde nor yet by letter as from vs. A caution in deede most woorthie consideration foreshewing three manner of craftie deceites whereby counterfeiters were woonte for the most parte to deceiue The first is a spirit that is to say a reuelation or a prophecie the second is a woorde that is to say a reason or mans coniecture the third is an Epistle that is to say a forged writing and counterfeite Traditions Of with kinde of leigerdemain except the churches take very diligēt heed they cannot choose but be deceiued verie perilously and dangerously Yea and he warneth the Church of the Colosians foorth of bandes that they take heede least they be spoyled through vaine deceit after the tradition of men And Peter whē as now the end of his life approched whē he wrote his last epistle forewarneth that there should come false teachers which with feigned woords should make marchandise in the Church And experience sheweth that those forewarninges of the Apostles were not vaine For when as the doctrine of the Apostles was yet in so fresh memorie that the purenesse therof might be prooued euen by the succession of Bishops yet did heretikes that notwithstanding beginne to obtrude pestiferous doctrines vnto the Churches vnder the pretence of traditions If there were obiected vnto them the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles deliuered to the Churches by the succession of bishops they did cauil or that I may speake more truely they falsely accused the Apostles saying that they vsed the room of teachers in hypocrisie and dissimulation not as the truth it selfe was but after the capacity of the hearers and that they so framed their doctrine and answeres as euerie one was affected teaching blinde things to the blind according to their blindnesse to the feeble according to their feeblenesse to those which were in errours according to their errours that they opened the misteries to them only which were worthie could vnderstand them than the which what can be deuised more vnwoorthie and more impudent against the most holy and moste faythfull Ambassadours of Christ But if they were vrged with the scriptures they accused the scriptures as not being well as spoken diuersly and as such forth of the which the truth cannot be found by them which are ignorant of the tradition euen of the tradition not deliuered by writing but by liuely voice whereof Paule saith We speake wisdome among them that are perfect Yea and the Carpocratians did defend their errours by this colour affirming that Iesus spake such thinges priuately to his Apostles in a mysterie and that the Apostles deliuered the same secretly not to all but to them onely which were worthie and agreed therevnto The like pretenses of heretikes doth Tertullian also make mention of And so did the heretikes folowing take the impostumes of their corruptions with this galand colour of tradition Artemon referred his doctrine to the foregoers yea euen to the Apostles themselues Basilides bragged that his maister was one Glaucias with had beene the interpreter of Peter Valentinus bosteth that he was one Theodatus scholar who was of Paules familiar acquaintance The Marcionites gloried that they had to their maisters the disciples of Matthias and that they held the doctrine deliuered by them How say you by this that not onely heretikes seduced men by this pretence but this cloke of traditions deceiued Apostolicall men also and ministred occasion of errour Let Papias Bishoppe of Hieropolis Iohn his scholer be an example whose woordes in Eusebius are these I thought that I should not receiue so much profite by bookes as by liuely voyce You see that Papias preferred traditions before the Scripture wherefore he made inquirie chiefely of the traditions of Andrew Philip Thomas and of other Apostles of whome there are no writinges extant But marke whither so greate admiration of traditions drewe him Papias addeth saith Eusebius manie Paradoxes and certaine other thinges as brought to him by Tradition not written and certeine straunge Parables and doctrines of our Sauiour with some other fabulous matters among the which also is the opinion of the Chiliastes Therefore Papias beyng blinded with ouer muche search and estimation of vnwritten traditions brought
is that worthie wisedome which hitherto hath filled the mindes of the blinde Iewes with most foolish knowledges and hath caused worthie men otherwise in the Church and a great multitude folowing them to departe from the truth and to goe out of the way So that it is a most sure way to examine all traditions by what title so euer they be commended according to the rule of Scripture that that which hath not authoritie by the Scriptures may be by the same facilitie contemned whereby it is prooued as Hierome his saying well warneth vs. For the counsell of Chrysostome is wise which sayth Therefore the Lord knowing that there would come such a confusion in the last dayes doth commaund that the Christians which are in Christianitie willing to receiue the strength of the true faith shoulde runne to nothing but to the Scriptures otherwise if they shall regarde anie thing else they shall be offended and perish Againe Ierome sayeth The sworde of GOD striketh other things which men finde and deuise of their owne accorde without the authoritie and testimonies of the Scriptures as though they came by the tradition of the Apostles Therefore at all times and in euerie doubtfull matter we must flie to the Scripture which executeth the office of the chiefe Iudge in euerie controuersie of Diuinitie to whose sentence all traditions all Churches all Councels all deuises of men ought to stand and from the which it is not lawfull to appeale to anie other nor to depart from the worde of God and to giue our selues greedily to the traditions of men For he which heareth the scripture heareth the holy Ghost the authour of the Scriptures and reuerenceth him and contrarily he which despiseth the iudgement seate of the Scriptures and the iudgements giuen in the Scriptures will not quiet himselfe therewith despiseth the spirite of God and vseth himselfe more reprochfully against him than can be vttered And he which will not suffer himselfe to be led as it were by the hand by the guiding of the Scripture foorth of the thornes and briers of doubtes errours superstitions corruptions abuses is verie well worthie to wander out of the way he knoweth not whether to stray perpetually The Conclusion I haue prooued by a verie large and contentious disputation that the holie Scripture is God his worde wherein is inclosed a full and a perfect summe of heauenly wisedome Neither is there any thing necessarie to saluation which is not set forth in the Scriptures For if there had beene any thing needfull to be knowne God would not had omitted it since his will was to teache vs thereby not to the halfes but fully whatsoeuer his pleasure was that wee should know and which hee knewe to bee profitable for vs This is the onely foundation and piller of the liuely faith this is the sure bulwarke against the deceites of errours Foorth of this ought Heresies to bee confuted foorth of this ought doctrines chiefly to be discerned foorth of this ought definitions of fayth and assertions to be taken The Scripture is of most cleare and pearelesse authoritie so that all godly and faythfull vnderstanding ought to serue it And it is the Catholike consent of the Fathers yea and of all the Church that the Canonicall Scripture ought to bee preferred before all Churches all Councels although they bee generall all Traditions Decrees deuises writings of all men although they excell in learning and holinesse The Church doeth so reuerence and adore the fulnesse perfectnesse and soundnesse of the Scripture that she doeth accurse as wicked and false witnesses of God as detestable authours of offences Heresies and dissentions as proude vaine and fallen from the fayth so many as do preach beyonde the scripture Yea and she suspecteth euerie reuelation euerie prophecie euerie Tradition to bee briefe euerie rule of faith which is not grounded in the Law and the Prophets and the Gospel And the high perfection of the chiefe authoritie of the Scripture doeth not depende of the Church or of any testimonie of man but chiefly of the witnesse of the holy Ghost For the allowing of this doctrine went before the Church which was called sprong and increased by the worde and which is stayed vp by the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles as by a ground worke or proppe Although we doe not denie that the authoritie of the Church is then of some weight when as it consenteth and agreeth with the authoritie of the Scripture both for this purpose that the scriptures may be beleeued and also for this that the Scriptures may be well vnderstanded But the Church doeth not make newe articles of the fayth or a newe interpretation but is a witnesse and a restorer of the true and incorrupt meaning deliuered in the Scriptures and by the voice of the Apostles and carieth before her the light of the woorde to put awaye the darkenesse brought into the Scriptures by Heretikes And this is the care of the Church alwayes to confirme by Scripture whatsoeuer shee appoint For shee doeth reuerently acknowledge that her authoritie doeth staye it selfe by the woorde and doeth depende of the woorde For the Scripture is a plaine sure and infallible note of the Church For in the Scripture and no where else in so great varietie of sectes and repugnancie of opinions is the Church to bee sought knowne and prooued and by it to bee esteemed Where the Scripture is heard there is the Church there doe the sheepe knowe the voyce of the sheepheard And if the doctrine of trueth bee buried the Church vanisheth forthwith from mens eyes Neither doeth the Church reigne ouer our fayth neither doeth shee require to bee beleeued but so farre foorth as shee speaketh the woordes of god For when as shee doeth confesse that shee receiueth her authoritie and credite from the Scripture onely shee submitteth her selfe obediently to the holie Scriptures Therefore whatsoeuer shee affirmeth or denieth whatsoeuer shee appointeth or commaundeth or disappointeth or forbiddeth shee woulde haue it knowne and beleeued that shee bringeth foorth therein not her owne or anie other mans or creatures but the wordes and sense of God but of Christ Therefore the Church doeth not erre for she followeth her owne iudgement in nothing but euery where and in all thinges obeyeth Gods worde wherein there is no darkenesse no errours And if she do otherwise this saying of Scripture is true Let euerie man be a lyer and God onely true In deede the Church is the piller and ground of truth because she is keeper of sounde doctrine and publisheth it to them which come after least it should faile in the worlde And that is the holie and diuine Scripture which the consent of the Church doeth allowe and approoue but this consent and this approbation is not the deuise of man but a necessarie confession and a testification expressed by the force of the truth which doeth not bring to passe that the authoritie of the
obscurenesse of the Scripture and rolling in all their pointes of Rethoricke do goe about to proue the necessitie authoritie perfection certaintie plainnesse of vnwritten Traditions that is to say That we should fetch the rule of faith not from the worde of God but from the Traditions of the Church and that there is so much force in the Scripture as is granted therevnto by the consentes voyces of the Church The second Chapter The deceitfulnes of them is reproued which do diminish the authoritie of the Scripture wherevpon the authoritie of the Church doth depend I Do not denie that they which make these reasons are prompt wittie â—â—arned and eloquent woulde to God â—â—ey were all so vpright and gentle minâ—â—d that they would put to their furtheâ—â—nce rather to buyld vp the kingdome 〈◊〉 Christ then to defend the kingdome of â—â—e Pope and that they woulde rather â—llowe the sincere doctrine of the Gosâ—ell then mainteine corruptions and abâ—ses But whilest they are willing to gratifie these antichristian rulers they â—un on so farre through the heate of their contention that through their wicked cursed and prophane Rhetorike they â—laspheme and â—pise the holy Ghost For wheÌ„ they do so beset and besiege the Scripture that they call it a Labyrinth in the which we may go out of the right way A nose of waxe which is apt to be bowed vnto either side A matter of controuersies A nourse garden of discentions obscure doubtfull intricate What is this if it be not a reproch agaynst the holy Ghost the authour thereof But the marke whereat they shoote is this that whereas they may bee perceiued oftentymes to haue decreed and ordeined farre otherwise in the Sacraments and doctrines then holy scripture can beare they are willing to mainteine that it was lawfull for them so to doe because the Church which maketh the holy scriptures to be of authoritie and credite can change therein whatsoeuer shall seeme good vnto her Therefore least the maiestie of the Scripture should let their lust they are not afrayde to diminish the authoritie thereof wherein they do seeme to imitate the craftinesse and naughtinesse of the auncient heretikes who being willing to eschew least they being pressed with the authoritie of the Scriptures shoulde bee ouercome presumed boldely to denie certaine bookes of the Bible to be canonicall reiecting them and with great disdaine disallowing them For when as they are reproued by the Scriptures sayth Irenaeus they do accuse the Scriptures as though they were not well handled neither be of authoritie and because they be diuersly spoken because the truth can not be found forth in them by those which know not the tradition Carpocrates Seuerus Cerdo Manes reiected as August witnesseth the bookes of the law although Tertullian report of Cerdo as also doth Irenaeus of Marcio that they reiected al the Euangelists but Luke Philaster reporteth that Cerinthus allowed Mathew onely We reade in Eusebius that the Seuerians disalowed Paul his Epistles and the Acts of the Apostles For they did suppose it to be an aduantage for the obteyning of victorie if they did condition that they whose dartes they saw were to be feared might bee throwne foorth of the campe of the Church before they should come to the battell Euen so also do these thinke that they shall triumph if they may most vnworthely slander the Scripture of vncerteintie imperfectioÌ„ ambiguitie obscuritie And euen as those old heretikes did coÌ„tentiously affirme that the truth could not be founde by them which knewe not the tradition deliuered not by writing but by liuely voice in like maner do these also mainteine that the Apostles haue not comprehended in their writings all things which wee ought to beleeue and most obstinately contend that all things apperteyning to godlinesse are not conteyned in the Scripture that thou maist vnderstand that both the one and the other are inforced with the selfe same spirite of errour Wherefore we must withstand them by all meanes possible For it is a most hurtfull and perillous errour to holde that the credite of Scripture shoulde hang on the determinatioÌ„ of the Church which being granted Christ shall not be Christ nor the Gospel the Gospel neither shal we take the Apostles for the Apostles nor the writings of the Apostles for the Apostles writings but so farre forth as they be allowed in their Councels by their owne consents and iudgements Here truly must the seruaÌ„ts needs be greater then the Lorde that the Lord may not be beleeued but onely so farre forth as his seruants will that he shall be belieued as though forsooth God his eternall and inuiolable truth shoulde be grounded and staied vpon the iudgement of men Neither is it lawfull nor sure to dallie in diuinitie as shall please mens deuises For the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirite of God and all the thoughts sayings deedes of men doe more resemble lying then truth for God onely is true Neither â—â—e the argumentes strong and sounde â—hich these patrones of superstitions take for the defence of their opinion â—ut rather feeble and weake as in discussing and examining them shall appeare although the simple being deluâ—ed with the onely shew of truth be holâ—en still in errours and superstitions and â—lienated from the truth But let not vs â—uffer our selues to bee brought to this passe that we graunt that the holy scripture hath receiued credite and authoritie from the Church seeing that the matter â—s farre otherwise For what authoritie or estimation soeuer the Church hath it â—ommeth wholy from the worde of God whereof also the Church hath the beginning Euen as Peter saith Ye are borne â—new not of corruptible seede but of â—ncorruptible by the worde of God which liueth and lasteth for euer And â—aul saith In Christ Iesus I haue begotâ—en you through the Gospel Therfore as is the daughter to the mother so is the Church to the Scripture And since we do all confesse that the Church is susteined by the foundation of the Prophets Apostles truly if the doctrine of the Prophets and the Apostles be the stay of the Church it must necessarily follow that the authoritie of the doctrine doeth excell the authoritie of the Church Neither is there anie cause that they shoulde cauill that the Church was 2449. yeres before Moses before the Scripture because they make Moses his bookes most ancient which in deede I do confesse in respect of those bookes which now are extant But how know they whether that ancient Church which was before Moses had written his Pentatenche had anie bookes of holy Scripture or none Moses doth cite the booke of the warres of the lord And in Iosua is the booke of the Iust cited And it may be that Noah Abraham Isaac Iacob wrote those things which did pertein to their times as Moses did afterward gather them togither and by
diuerse not an other but one and the selfe same For although they wrote not all thinges yet had they an especial care that what they deliuered by tradition might bee manifestly inferred foorth of those thinges which were written by them selues or in other holy Bookes of Scripture Otherwise diuers superstitions might be bragged off euery where as receiued from ancient time as deliuered by the Apostles which can be knowen by none other meanes but because they are not agreeable to the Scriptures whereby as by a rule and squire all traditions constitutions and rites ought to be examined and tried because the Churche doeth not binde the consciences of the faithful vnto her constitutions but onely so farre foorth as they doe agree with the commaundements of our Lord Iesus Christ For she knoweth that it is written Thou haste charged that we shall diligently keepe thy commaundements The xxi Chapter That the doctrine which the Apostles taught by liuely voice which they deliuered in writing is all one that this is the fourme of the traditions of the Apostles if they agree with the holy Scriptures WWhereas I haue boldely affirmed that it is one and the selfe same doctrine which the Apostles taught whether it were by liuely voice or by Epistles it may bee proued both foorth of the holy Scriptures and by the testimonies of the Fathers and is also manifest by the consent of the Church It is a tradition of Paule that a woman haue her head couered in the Church and that Christians which are poore laboure with their handes and liue not idlely But whereas he professeth these traditions to be his owne doeth he propose them nakedly and simply to the Churches both without proofe and iudgment onelie vnder this title he wil haue them receiued bycause they be the traditions of the Apostles Not so but he goeth about to approue and confirme them by effectuall reasons yea and by proofes drawen forth of the Scripture and giueth the Church leaue to iudge of them The same Apostle writeth also in an other place that all things be doone honestly and in order We haue therefore the forme of the traditions of the Apostles foorth of these Namely if they agree with the holye Scriptures if they be confirmed by substanciall reason by aptnesse of edifying by the example of Churches by comlines and order And we also ought to examine the traditions of the Church by the very same proofes But now a dayes when as testimonie forth of the holy Scriptures is required touching any thing or when a reason should be yeelded concerning abuses and superstitions Antichristes haue alwayes in their mouth It is a tradition you may not inquire of it But the traditions which are proposed vnto vs are to be examined by the rule of God his word neither would Paule that they should otherwise be beleeued And let our aduersaries doe this also if they woulde haue their traditions to take place And it is the consent of the Catholike church that the Apostles did not deliuer to the Church such things as are straunge and disagreable to those thinges which are contained in the Canonicall Scripture Cōcerning the which thing I wil allege some moste euident testimonyes of certaine olde writers Irenaeus declareth that the very same Gospel which the Apostles preached with liuely voice they did afterwarde deliuer vnto the Church in the Scriptures by the will of God that this written Gospell might be the ground and piller of our faith euen of that true liuely faith which the Church learned of the Apostles and distributed to the children Therefore the Apostles taught nothing by liuely voice contrarie to those things which they haue comprehended in the Scripture of the new Testament The saying of the same Irenaeus in Eusebius is worthy memory where he sheweth that Polycarpe preached those thinges which he had learned of them who had seene the woorde of life themselues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye all agreable to the Scriptures This surely is a golden saying of Irenaeus which also declareth certaine sentences of olde writers touching traditions and doeth fully agree with that fourme of traditions whiche wee haue taught foorth of Paule The Apostles taught many things with liuely voice Apostolike men receaued them beeing so taught which afterwarde they deliuered ouer againe to their disciples but Irenaeus saith that those thinges were all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agreable to the Scriptures Therefore by the testimony of Irenaeus the Apostles deliuered nothing to the church by liuely voice which might dissent frō the Scriptures Wherfore if the Papists wold haue vs to receaue and reuerence as Apostolike the traditions which they haue vndertaken to defend let thē shewe their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agreablenesse with the Canonicall Scripture And if they can not shew this let thē with shame acknowledge their vanitie For no traditions are to be esteemed necessarie for saluation which are not proued firmly and strongly forth of the scripture For Tertullian saith We haue no neede of curiositie after Christ nor of inquisition after the Gospel When we beleeue we desire nothing beyond our beliefe For this wee beleeue first that there is nothing which we ought to beleue more Wel saith Ierom the sword of God which is the liuely worde of God striketh those things which men of their owne accorde finde forth and faine as it were by the tradition of the Apostles without the authoritie testimonies of the scriptures And Augustine pronounceth a curse against all Angels and men which shall preach vnto vs any thinge either of Christe or of his Church or of any other thing which pertaineth vnto faith or to our life besides that which we haue receiued in the scriptures of the lawe and of the Gospel We alleged lately more testimonyes of the Fathers which the diligent Reader may consider in their place VVe haue therefore by the tradition of the Apostles preached none other Gospell then that whiche is contained in the canonicall Scripture and that by the saide Scripture wee may iudge which be the traditions of the Apostles If our aduersaries did reuerence the consent of the Church with al their heart as in woordes they take vppon them would they dispise it at their pleasure with such impudencie They brag of their tradition vnto the Churche as though they came from the Apostles which euen by their own witnesse can be proued by no Scriptures Are they so senselesse and blockishe that they vnderstand not what the Catholike consent doth pronounce touching them Wee lastely heard that such like traditions are to be stroken with the sword of God his worde and that the preachers thereof are subiect to the curse and to be sente into the tentes of Heretikes O foolishe and miserable louers of darkenesse O blasphemous corrupters of the Scriptures when will you waxe wise when will you acknowledge your errour when
and was Iesus Christ and that afterwarde he preached the newe lawe and the new promise of the kingdome of heauen wrought miracles was fastened to the crosse rose againe the thirde day that he beyng taken vp to heauen sitteth at the right hande of the Father that he hath sent the power of the holie Ghost in his steede to gouerne the beleeuers that he shall come in brightnes to take the Saintes into the fruition of euerlasting life and of the heauenly promises and to iudge the prophane with perpetuall fire the resurrection of both partes beyng wrought with the restoring of the fleshe This rule ordained by Christ as it shall be proued hath no questions among vs but what heresies bring in and which make heretikes Thus farre Tertullian who thorowly agreeth with Irenaeus in describing the tradition of the Apostles And the testimonies of these most auncient writers doe shewe from whence the briefe summe of our beleefe commeth which commonly they call the Apostles Creede whiche certainely is the most auncient tradition which being receiued from Apostolike men the Churche keepeth still And Tertullian addeth in the same booke of prescriptions The Church hath knowen one GOD the creatour of all thinges and Christ Iesus of the Virgin Marie the Sonne of God the Creatour and the resurrection of the fleshe She intermedleth the lawe and the Prophetes with the writings of the Euangelists and the Apostles frō thence doth shee drinke the same faith she signeth with water clotheth with the holy Ghost feedeth with the Euchariste exhorteth with martyrdome and so doeth she receiue none against this institution By the which woordes it is cleare that the primitiue Churche acknowledged no traditions which were not founded in the Scripture Although I haue handled these things at large yet because the Papistes oftentimes hold foorth as Aiax his shielde the place of Paule 2. Thes 2.15 against the Scripture for their traditions whereas he sayeth Stande fast and holde the ordinaunces which ye haue bene taught whether it were by our preaching or by our Epistle can I not omitte but must euidently shewe foorth of the same Irenaeus that Paule preached to the Gentiles with liuely voyce the same and none other doctrine which hee taught them also by his Epistles For Irenaeus doeth most plainely describe Paule his tradition in two places in the fifth Chapter of the thirde booke and also in the fourtie one Chapter of the fourth booke These are the chiefe pointes of his description that the Gods of the Gentiles are not onely Gods but the Idols of Deuils And that there is one true God which is ouer all and aboue euery name that is named and that hee onely is to be woorshipped That they woulde therefore departe from the superstition of idols leaue their vaine wood and stones which they supposed to bee Gods and woulde woorshippe one true God the maker of heauen and earth and the framer of euery thing that is made Which ordayned made all mankinde and by his framing of them nourished increased them stedfastly gaue them beyng And that his word is his Sonne by whom hee made all thinges And that he in the last times although hee were naturally the inuisible worde was made visible and palpable man among men humbled him selfe to death euē to the death of the crosse refourmed mankinde destroyed and ouercame man his enemie and gaue vnto man whom he made victorie against his aduersarie that they which beleeue in him shall bee incorruptible and impassible That they shoulde therefore sette before themselues this lawe as the rule of life Not to committe adulterie not to steale not to deceiue and that al thinges which are done to the hurt of our neighboures are euill and hated of god The trueth sheweth that these deedes are euill and hurtfull and vnprofitable and damnable to them that doe them That they shoulde therefore liue blamelesse and looke for the Sonne of God Iesus Christ which redeemed vs from Apostacie and going astray by his blood to this ende that we might be also a sanctified people to ascende to heauen in the vertue of the Father which shall iudge all men and shal giue vnto them which haue kept his commaundements those good thinges which are from god Beholde Paule his tradition deliuered to the posteritie by Irenaeus a most auncient writer of the Churche And doeth he not euerie where teach with al diligence the very self same things in his Epistles So that the doctrine is all one which hee taught with liuely voice which he cōmitted to writing Yea the tradition described by Irenaeus may seeme to be the brief summe of those things which he wrote So that hee wrote most truely that those thinges which the Apostles taught were all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agreeable to the Scriptures Therefore all traditions which are giuen foorth as the Apostles haue beene are and ought to be such And for this cause they are alwaies to be examined whether they haue this Irenaeus his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agreemēt with the Canonicall Scriptures The .xxiii Chapter Of the subtiltie and deceitfulnesse of Sophisters which vse guilefully the woorde Tradition which is diuersly taken WE haue hitherto shewed that it is all one doctrine which the Apostles published with liuely voyce and which the Canonicall Scripture setteth foorth Wee haue also declared howe vaynely the Papistes reason that many thinges which are necessarie for the instruction of faith and ordering of manners although they can be prooued by no testimonie of Scripture are neuerthelesse to be receiued and beleeued forth of the naked tradition Wherefore this is alwaies to be holden which we cited lately foorth of Augustine That faith is learned foorth of the Scriptures There is often times mention made of traditions by the auncient Writers but not to this end that our fayth shoulde runne out of the Scriptures wherein they alwaies inclosed it And where as this woord Tradition is diuersly vsed among the olde writers and all Traditions are not of one kinde it is a detestable sophistrie by the mixture of them all to deceiue Therefore it is to be considered what testimonies of olde writers doe pertaine vnto what kinde of Traditions and what is to be thought of euerie one of them least all without difference bee applied to the defense of corruptions abuses and superstitions Let vs therefore distinguish Traditions into certaine kindes First the fathers by this word Tradition oftentimes vnderstand the Canonicall Scripture of the newe Testament as when Cyprian to Pompeius saith From whence is this Tradition Whether descending from the authoritie of the Lorde and of the Euangelistes or comming from the commaundementes and Epistles of the Apostles For that those thinges ought to be doone which are written GOD witnesseth and proposeth to Iosuah saying Let not the booke of this Lawe departe out of thy mouth that thou maiste obserue and doe according to all that is written
holy profitable and necessarie argument I began foorthwith to read the Booke with great affection and easily perceiued that the authour being indued with singular humanitie and modestie did of purpose conceale his name not regarding to make it knowen For hee woulde not seeke to gette any praise of the worlde which manie foolishly doe by setting foorth Bookes but was rather willing to further extolle and sette foorth the glorie of GOD onely and of his woorde I sawe also in the man a feruent desire to bringe the syncerenesse of pure Religion to knowledge and to further the manifest profite of the louers of godlinesse To bee briefe I acknowledged the giftes of God to appeare in this man I meane his dexteritie and happinesse in handeling this famous argument hauing beene long in controuersie among the learned and diuersly expounded For whatsoeuer may be spoken thereof necessarily and profitably hee hath wholy conteined it in this booke yea and that briefely euidently plainly and in verie good order For hee hath distinguished the whole matter being otherwise copious into Chapters then hath â—ee placed before euery Chapter the Argument so that euen by these briefe Chapters thou mayest easily perceiue the scope and ende of the whole Booke the summe and maner of the handeling of the â—ame Wherevpon I haue prefixed before this woorke the Title of the Booke fraâ—ed of the matter handeled therein that thou mayest euen with one viewe and foorthwith in the beginning beholde all thinges in a verie briefe summe whiche are conteined in this Booke He setteth foorth plainely and confirmeth all his matters especially as it is meete by the holie Scriptures then also by fitte testimonies of the blessed auncient Fathers Neither hath this his profitable trauaile â—iked mee onelie but also certaine other godlye and learned men vnto whome thou mayest worthilie ascribe more than vnto mee I haue therefore placed this mine Epistle before this Booke least the woorke beeing sette foorth without â—he Authours name shoulde eyther â—ee little regarded or suspected of thee Neither shall this Booke bee namelesse if it meete with anie stoute aduersarie which can assaile it and oppugne it Those thinges which I haue hitherto spoken in praise of this booke thou shalt by experieÌ„ce and with admiration witnesse to be true so that thou reade it diligently and with a sincere minde and also weigh it duely Farewell gentle Reader From Zurich the moneth of August 1571. ⧠A briefe summe of the chiefest pointes handeled in this Booke as it is deuided by Chapters THE reasons of those which doe extoll the authoritie of the Church abooue the Scriptures Cap. 1. Fol. 1 The deceitfulnesse of them is reprooued which doe diminish the authothoritie of the Scripture wherevpon the authoritie of the church doeth depend Cap. 2. Fol. 4. That the authoritie of the Scripture is greatest because it containeth the woorde of God which in the begining was deliuered to the church by liuely voice cap. 3. Fol. 8. The place of Hieremie his 31. chapter is discussed also it is shewed that the Apostles wrote the Gospel by the will of god cap. 4. Fol. 14. That all things which concerne faith godlinesse and saluation are fully and sufficiently contained in the Scripture cap. 5. Fol. 26. That the Scripture was giuen by inspiration to correct euill manners to confute heresies that forth of it onely controuersies must be iudged And that it is neither darke nor doubfull cap. 6. Fol. 30. Whervpon the Scripture is called Canonical Also testimonies of the Fathers touching the most excellent authoritie thereof cap. 7. Fol. 42. That the authoritie of the Canonicall Scripture is more excellent then the Councels the Fathers yea then the decrees and ordinaunces of all men Cap. 8. Fol. 44. That the Canonical Scripture hath the chiefe perfection of her authoritie from the holie Ghoste and of her selfe And coÌ„trarily that the Church receiueth her authoritie from the Scripture cap. 9. Fol. 51. Howe the Canon of the newe Testament was ordained and that it hath authoritie of it selfe and from the Authors thereof and that the authoritie of the Church is maintayned thereby cap. 10. Fol. 55. Howe vngodly and wicked it is to preach without the warrant of holy Scripture cap. 11. Fol. 11. That the true Church is to bee sought in the Scripture to bee included ded therein and to be esteemed by the Scriptures cap. 12. Fol. 65. Of the dueties of the Church about the Scriptures and first of this that she keepeth the holy Bookes of the scripture as a witnesse cap. 13. Fol. 69. That the Church publisheth the word of god cap. 14. Fol. 70. That the Church discerneth the Books of holy Scripture from Apocryphall and counterfaits cap. 15. Fol. 71. Of the saying of Augustine I would not beleeue the Gospel but that the authoritie of the Church mooueth mee also cap. 16. Fol. 74. Of the gift of interpretation Cap. 17. Fol. 77. Of the the saying of Christ If he will not heare the Church let him be vnto thee as an Heathen man and a Pubcan Mat. 18.19 cap. 18. fol. 82. Of the saying of Paule The Church is the piller and grounde of the trueth 1. Tim. 3.15 Chap. 19. Fol. 84. Of the saying of Paule Brethren stand fast and holde the ordinances which ye haue taught whether it be by our preaching or by our Epistle 2. Thes 2.15 Chap. 20. Fol. 86. That the doctrine which the Apostles taught by liuely voyce and which they deliuered in writing is all one and that this is the fourme of the traditions of the Apostles if they agree with the holie Scriptures Chap. 21. Fol. 88. A perfite proofe of those Traditions which are indeede the Apostles foorth of the moste auncient Writers Irenaeus and Tertullianus Chap. 22. Fol. 91. Of the subtiltie and deceitfulnesse of Sophisters which vse guilefully the woorde Tradition which is diuersly taken Chap. 23. Fol. 101. Of the vncertaintie repugnancie and varietie of Traditions Chap. 24. Fol. 104. That the Church hath beene deceiued euen from the Apostles time vnder the pretence of Traditions Chap. 25. Fol. 106. A Catalogue of the Doctors and writers whose testimonies the authour of this Treatise doth alledge in this Booke Ambrose Athanasius Augustine Basil Chrysostome Clemens Cusanus Cyprian Cyril Epiphanius Enagrius Eusebius Gerson Gratian Hillarie Hyperius Ierome Irenaeus Lactantius Nicephorus Origen Panormitanus Philaster Saluianus Sozomenus Tertullian Theodoretus Theophilactus Whether the holie Scripture haue authoritie from the Church Or whether the Church doe rather take authoritie from the holie Scripture The first Chapter The reasons of those which do extoll the authoritie of the Church aboue the Scripture THE chiefest reuerence after God God his woorde is due to the Churche Christe his spouse whiche God so dearelie loued that his will was that his onely begotten sonne should be a sacrifice for the same whome he endueth with his spirit that the sayde Church may be the temple and image of God wherein his
propertie of the doctrine of the newe Testament is so appointed by God him selfe that it can neither be written in tables nor in papers nor with penne nor with ynke nor by any other meanes What and if some Libertine with the Euthusiastes make further exception that the â—â—â—â—rine of God cannot be deliuered by 〈◊〉 voyce forsomuch as God his will â—â—to illuminate mennes mindes with â—â—â—â—ledge that they shall all know him 〈◊〉 the least to the greatest so that no 〈◊〉 shal haue neede to teache his neighâ— saying Knowe the Lorde What 〈◊〉 they I beseeche you aunswere for 〈◊〉 traditions yet dare they goe furthâ—â— insomuch that they say that it was 〈◊〉 without his commaundement in 〈◊〉 the Euangelistes and Apostles did â—â—mitte certeine things to writing beâ—â—â—se the Lorde commaunded them to â—â—eache and not to write and also beâ—â—â—se the worde of God conteyned in the â—â—spell is of such a nature that it can 〈◊〉 be expressed in writing And yet the â—â—hour of the Epistle to the Hebrues â—he middest of his writing whilest hee â—â—eth downe the doctrine of the niewe â—â—â—enant in writing alledgeth the selfe â—ne sentence of Hieremie And Paule â— nowe alreadie written both the Eâ—â—â—tle to the Thessalonians and the first â—pistle to the Corinthians when hee â—yed Not with ynke but with the spirite of God yea he did deliuer the selfe same then not with liuely voice but in writing did purpose to write more afterwarde It is therefore plaine that neither the Apostles did so vnderstande the sentence of Hieremie nor Paul his owne saying as these triflers faine that is to say that the doctrine of Christe and his Apostles cannot beare to be comprehended and deliuered in writing Certainely if their sentence may preuaile it will followe that the Apostles and Euangelists did wickedly beside yea rather against the minde of the Lorde blemishe the doctrine of grace in that they did committe that worde to writing and papers which is vnapt to bee written and vnto which suche a propertie is allotted by God that by no meanes it ought to bee committed to writing And hath hellish rage so blinded them that they cannot consider this These are they forsooth which bring the professoures of the sincere doctrine into hatred and accuse them of noueltie when as they them selues doe mocke the Churche with niewe foolishe and 〈◊〉 deuises Who at anie time beâ—â—â—hem did so vnderstande or interâ—â—â— Hieremie Augustine a man of a 〈◊〉 sharpe witte in that booke which â—ote of the spirit and letter handleth place of the Prophete at large and â—eaketh he not so much as one worde â—â—is interpretation neither doeth anie 〈◊〉 olde writers agree with them there 〈◊〉 Where is then this consent of the â—â—rche which they so greatly bragge â—â—nd require Are these Giauntes so â—â—de to thinke that they haue seene 〈◊〉 which hath escaped the most excelâ—â—â— lights of the Church Fie for shame â—â—e foolishe and friuolous is that diffeâ—â—â—ce of the olde and newe Testament â—â—ich they appoint Truely this reward â—â—e they for contemning the scripture â—â—t they may staine the maiestie thereof â—â—h their wicked toyes you may see â—â—m that I may vse the woordes of Baâ—â— weaue the lenowe webbe of the spiâ—â—t But let vs singularly reuerence the â—earle troden vnder foote by hogges â—â—d keepe it most religiously Let vs therefore see the most sweete sentence of this excellent prophesie full of Euangelicall and heauenly comfort Therefore shall it appeare that the Prophetment nothing lesse than that which these goe about to wreste forth of his wordes yea rather that this place is directly against them Moreouer no man will doubte which shall heare Paule the Apostle and the epistle to the Hebrues who are the most certaine interpreters of this prophesie but that this prophesie doeth wholie appertaine to the kingdom and time of Christ and that the diuine Prophete did prophesie in this place of the benefit of Christ And God doth promise by expresse wordes That hee will make a newe couenant with his people to heale the weakenesse of the first and to correct the corruptions whiche were crepte into it by no faute of God but thorowe the noughtinesse of the people who as league breakers were departed from it neither tooke him according to the conditions of the league for their God in beleeuing him worshipping him and obeying his lawes For they â—ere weaker by meanes of their natuâ—â—ll vanitie corruption and stubburnesse â—â—en that they coulde frame themselues â—â—roughly to the folowing of GOD his â—ill and to perfect obedience Whereâ—ore that league was broken oftentimes â—hrough their vnfaithfulnesse What â—houlde God therefore doe if he had bin willing to haue dealt according to extremitie of lawe and to haue punished them for breaking the league he might forthwith haue forsaken the people which brake the league and as they deserued haue cast them of and haue appointed them to suffer euerlasting torments But the vsing his greate mercie suche is his goodnesse and loue towardes mankinde was rather willing to spare those miserable men and their weakenesse then without mercie and with seueritie to reuenge the iniuries done vnto him Therefore he shewed the remedie when he promised that he woulde make a niewe couenaunt with his people which once he chose vnto himselfe Which couenante as touching the matter and substance is moste niew For his will was not by changing his purpose after the manner of men to backe and to make frustrate that which once he had decreed neither did he make a newe couenant cleane contrarie to the first For God his purpose is vnchangeable although as touching the properties or qualities it may be iudged after a sorte niewe Which thing Chrysostome hath expressed by a verie goodlie similitude Beholde saith he this also is niew when as some things thereof are taken away and some things remaine as if one alter an olde ruinous house thorowly and lay new fouÌ„dations we say foorthwith he hath made it niewe when as he hath but taken away some thinges and chaunged some thinges Therefore GOD pitying the state of mankinde hath dayly ioyned greater benefites and hath more and more polished that which as yet to his ancient benefites was rude and only begonne and hath made it perfecte Of this new or rather renewed league there be chiefly three principall pointes whereby GOD cureth all the inwarde diseases of mankinde and reâ—â—oreth him to perfect health And these â—ointes are the inwarde reforming of â—ens heartes the lightening of their mindes to the knowledge of God and â—he free forgiuenesse of their sinnes of the which inestimable benefites to bee bestowed in the time of the Gospel not onelie Hieremie but also the rest of the prophetes haue prophecies And of the reformation and correction of heartes that is to say of regeneration and newe birth Ezechiel hath prophesied moste clearely of all I will sprinckle saith he cleane water
therefore stande that I may vse Basill his woordes to the arbitrament of Scripture geuen by inspiration from God and let the sentence of trueth be adiudged vnto them amongest whom doctrines agreeing with God his worde are founde It liketh me to set downe in this place the most beautifull sentence of Cyprian which Augustine affirmeth to bee without doubte moste excellent It is a short way saith he with religious and simple mindes both to lay away errour and to finde foorth and trie out the truth For if we returne to the heade and fountaine of GOD his tradition man his errour ceaseth if the Conduit pipe of water which before did runne plentifully and aboundantly doe faile of a souddeine doe they not goe to the fountayne that the cause of the defecte may foorthwith bee knowen whether it bee drie in the head by meanes that the vaynes of the well are dried vp or whether it runne sounde and full from thence and stoppe in the middle of his passage The which thing also the Priestes of GOD must doe and if in anie thing the trueth shall totter and shake lette vs returne to the fountayne and welspring of the Lorde and of the Euanlistes and to the tradition of the Apostles and from thence let the reason of our doing rise from whence both the order and beginning sprang These thinges are written in his Epistle to Pompeius agaynst the Epistle of Stephanus Therefore by the consente of al the olde writers the writings of the Prophetes and Apostles are the rules of iudgementes in euerie proofe examination and triall of doctrines I knowe Tertullian writeth elsewhere that wee must not appeale to the Scriptures neither offer in them to contende wherein the victorie is eyther none at all or vncertaine or at the least none verie certayne But marke against whom hee reasoneth For so hath hee a little before these woordes This heresie doeth not receiue certayne Scriptures and if it receiue anie it altereth and chaungeth them craftely by putting to taking from for the framing of their purpose Although it doe receaue them yet doeth it not receaue the whole And though it doe receiue the whole after a sorte yet doeth it notwirhstanding peruerte them deuising straunge expositions As greately is an adulterous sense against the trueth as is a corrupt maner of writing Diuerse presumptions will not acknowledge those thinges whereby they are ouerthrowen c. Therefore forsomuch as proofe foorth of the Scriptures coulde nothing preuayle amongest suche he deemeth that controuersies touching faith are to be discussed foorth of the Scriptures because those which were of the right faith wearied themselues without fruite and because the malapertnesse of Heretikes coulde not bee brideled but that they woulde still contende although they were an hundred times ouercommen Hee woulde therefore haue an ende of vayne and vnprofitable strifes and contentions and especially seeing that the Apostle forbidâ—eth after the first or second admonition to reason anie more with him that is â—n Heretike Otherwise what doeth he himselfe in so manie bookes With what swoorde with what weapons hath â—e slaine Marcion Praxeas Hermogenes and others but with the simple woorde of God Therefore when the matter so requireth he proueth not onely the wordes but also by example that we must both dispute and define none otherwise but onely forth of the worde of God it selfe Neither haue all the professours of the right fayth vsed anie other meane when they defended the right â—nd pure faith against Heretikes as we â—aue alreadie shewed The bookes of God are open sayth Augustine let vs not turne away our eyes The Scripâ—ure crieth let vs hearken For they would not haue the authoritie of man â—ut of God to be able to ende controuerâ—ies and to heale men Yet doe the Papistes reclaime afâ—irming that controuersies cannot be deâ—ermined forth of Scripture onely or â—hat iudgement can be giuen forth of it touching the matter of fayth For they say that the Scripture is subiect to the wicked and ambitious expositions of Heretikes and that it may be wrested to diuerse meanings and that it is doubtfull and darke Therefore doe they call vs backe foorthwith to the definition of the Church which as it is without all falsehood so may it be taken for the true and certaine rule of fayth It is a solemne thing amongest these Sophistes to declaime of the doubtfulnesse hardnesse and darkenesse of the Scriptures to turne mens mindes from the Scripture to the traditions of their Church that is to saye from the authoritie of God to the authoritie of men neither is this shift of theirs newe The old Heretikes also vsed the same who when they were reproued by the Scriptures vsed these cauillations that the Scriptures are diuersely spoken that is to saye according to the speech of our aduersaries doubtfull apt to be applied euerie way vncertaine moreouer that the truth can not be founde forth by the Scriptures if a man know not the tradition that is to say as our aduersaries nowe vtter it that the scriptures are not sufficient and that the trueth was not deliuered by writings but by liuely voice For the which cause say they Paule sayde We speake wisedome among them that are perfect not the wisedome of this world Iulianus also the Pelagian with whom Augustine had so great conflictes and whose wordes and argumentes these our aduersaries vse in their disputations verie willingly was wont to stande muche vppon this that the knowledge of holie Scriptures is verie harde and meete for a fewe of the learned sort Neither are these fellowes ashamed to haue the saying of an Heretike in so great admiration But Paule when he affirmeth that faith commeth by hearing God his worde doeth not onely make it the true and certaine rule of fayth but the onely rule thereof But when wee must contend with Heretikes say the aduersaries of the truth then doe the scriptures little preuaile because they can so easily shift theÌ„ off Yet thought I that the word of God is that sword of that spirit wherwith SataÌ„ might be thorowly ouerthrowne But if it be the victorious triumphant sworde agaynst the head Lorde and maister of all Heretikes how commeth it to passe that it is a dull weapon and as it were made of a reede agaynst his members To what purpose is this worthie testimonie of Paule All Scripture is giueÌ„ by inspiration of God is profitable to doctrine to reproue to correction to instruction which is in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect And although the slienesse of all Heretikes and Sophistes be great in wresting and deprauing of the Scriptures yet doth not God his trueth lie so open to their mockes but that it may stoutely be set at libertie by the sayde Scriptures Clowdes may darken the Sunne for a season but they can neither put out nor choke vp the light thereof but that it wil
reproue to witnesse and to set forth the holy Scriptures plainely yet doth she not require to be beleued but because she speaketh the words of god And the church hath iiii goodly offices about the Scriptures First shee keepeth safe the bookes of holy Scripture as a witnesse Secondly she preacheth and publisheth them Thirdly she discerneth them from counterfeites Fourthly shee interpreteth them And these functions proue not that the Church hath authoritie ouer the Scripture as many foolishly suppose For whereas the Church keepeth the scripture safe as a witnesse it cannot bee inferred thereby that it is lawfull for the Church to peruert or change anie thing in the holye Scriptures For so should she weaken the force of her testimonie and shew her selfe to be an vntrustie witnesse And this would be a corrupting and not witnesse bearing For the pure and simple fourme of the commandement sayth Ambrose is denounced by earnest testimonies to be kept A witnesse for the most part when as he addeth any thing of his owne deuising to the orderly report of things done staineth the whole credite of his testimonie by the lying report of the part Nothing must therefore be added although it bee neuer so good It is a common vse to committe publike and priuate euidences to recorders whome commonly men call Notaries to keepe and conserue with all diligence and yet no wise man will say that they may lawfully chaunge any thing that is conteined in them And it is not to be beleeued that the authoritie of the sayd Notaries is of greater strength than was their willes which requested that those things might be so recorded Neither is it any matter that the Churche receiued the worde of God deliuered by liuely voyce before it was committed to writing In deede the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say vnwritten in time is before the woorde which afterwarde was written yet both were bestowed vpon the Church being of one authoritie and of like efficacie For the Scripture sayeth of the woorde written They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them And as it was then the duetie of the Churche to heare GOD speaking in the writinges of Moses and the Prophetes so is it nowe the duetie of the Church to heare Christ with all reuerence speaking in the writings of the Euangelists and Apostles to imbrace the instructioÌ„ of the spirite Although the honour of the Church be great that shee is chosen of God to be as it were the keeper and defender of this most excellent and worthie treasure yet maye the Churche by no meanes either wreith or change or corrupt those writings but ought as a faithfull keeper with chiefe care and prouision to keepe the bookes of holy scripture vncorrupted for them which shall come after The xiiij Chapter That the Church publisheth the worde of God. WE said that the second dutie of the Church about the Scripture is to publish and preach the wordes committed to her by god Wherein the Church is like to a crier who although he doe proclaime the Edictes and commandements of Princes Magistrates yet is he not aboue them or of equall authoritie with them but all his indeuour is to pronounce all things faithfully as he hath receiued them from the Princes and the Magistrates and if he doe otherwise he may worthily bee holden for a traitour Well sayeth Chrysostome For as the crier proclaimeth to all that are present in the stage so do we saith the Apostle proclaime publikely with this condition that we adde nothing but that we proclaime those thinges onely which we haue heard For this â—s the vertue of a crier to publish those â—hings truly which are committed to him not to adde any thing or to change or to take away Tertullian agreeth with Chrysostome saying We may not follow our owne appetite in deuising any thing of our selues neiâ—her may we choose any thing which â—ny other hath deuised wee haue the Apostles of the Lord for our authors who chose not any thing of their own â—udgement which they might bring 〈◊〉 but faythfully assigned to nations â—he doctrine receiued of Christ Therefore though an Angell from heauen preach otherwise we may call him accursed Let vs therefore auoyde them which intrude mens deuises and traditions as necessarie to bee obserued and beleeued let vs heare with all attentiuenesse the sincere preaching of the Gospel in the Church and reuerence it The .xv. Chapter That the Church discerneth the bookes of holy Scripture from Aprocryphal and counterfeit THirdly forsomuch as the Church is indued with the spirite of God we doe confesse that it is her function to discerne the sincere and true bookes of holy Scripture from the counterfeit and Apocryphal So hath the Church disallowed and reiected the Gospell of Thomas of Bartholomewe of Thaddee of the Nazarites of Nicodemus as also the actes of Peter the diuers reuelations of the Apostles the Booke of the Pastour and such like Contrarily shee hath allowed and receiued the foure Gospels which wee haue and the writings of the Apostles which in these dayes we reade in our Churches And although the conseruation of the assured bookes of the Prophetes and Apostles as of a certaine diuine Treasure be the singular worke and benefite of GOD notwithstanding both the diligence and authoritie of the church is to be acknowledged herein which hath partly giuen foorth her Testimoniall of the assured writinges and hath partly by her spirituall iudgement refused the writinges which are vnworthie and which agree not with the rest of the writinges of the Prophetes and Apostles Which was so much the more easie because as saith Augustine they wrote in suche a time wherein they were thought worthie to bee allowed not onely of the Churche of Christ but also euen of the Apostles who then remayned aliue But to discerne Bookes is not to bee of greater authoritie than are the sayde Bookes as some foolishly dreame For when as the King his letters be brought some gouernours of Cities and presidentes of Prouinces are able by vse and ciuill skill sufficientlie to iudge whether they be true letters or forged which are deliuered them in the Kinges name and yet may they not at their owne pleasure either change or wrest them when they shall perceiue that they are not couÌ„terfeited or feigned And wee may not otherwise esteeme of the Church Who although she haue giuen foorth her faythfull testimonie to the bookes of holy Scripture and not to the workes of other who peraduenture did not onely digresse from the truth of the historie but also reported many things which are cleane contrarie to the olde testament and to the other Euangelists yet may shee not otherwise vnderstande or ordaine any thing then God hath defined and taught in these bookes of holie Scripture But if they which being lighted by the holy Ghost acknowledged the holy Scriptures to be the words of God
had beene asked whether they would haue preferred their owne authoritie before the scriptures They would neuer haue done it Nay contrarily hauing acknowledged and receiued the said Scriptures they submitted themselues wholy vnto them and esteemed them as the most certaine rule guide and direction of their faith life Wherfore this is a weake and feble argument The Church accepted and discerned the books of holy Scripture from other Therefore the authoritie of the church is more excellēt For we also acknowledge one true God and allow Iesus Christ and put difference betweene him and Idols and betweene him the Diuel and yet cannot inferre herevpon that we are more excellent than Christ or god In like manner our minde alloweth and receiueth the prouocations and motions of the holy Ghost to reade to pray to liue chastly and discerneth them from the wicked entisementes of the worlde of the Diuell and of the fleshe and yet our minde may not therefore be called either better or more excellent than the holy Ghost Againe when a man endued with the perfect knowledge of Philosophie shall receiue Plato or Aristotle or Galen as noble Philosophers and shall preferre them before Epicure Aristippus and Democritus shall hee in consideration of this his iudgement presume to preferre his owne authoritie before Galene or Aristotle or Plato And there be many men of so perfecte iudgement that they can discerne the counterfeite verses of Virgil or Ouid from their true verses yet are they in knowledge farre inferiour to Virgil and Ouid Euen so the Churche ought not for this cause to preferre her credite or authoritie before the holy Scriptures This argument as we saide is weake and the Maxime with they gather hereof is false Those thinges which the Churche hath deliuered and proposed euen without any testimonie of Scripture ought to haue the same authoritie as hath the Canonicall Scripture vnto whō the church haue geuen authoritie In deede the holy Scripture is allowed by the common cōsent of the Church but this consent is not mans deuise but a necessary confession and an expressed testification proceding of the trueth of the matter And yet the Churche by meanes of this testification hath not reputed her selfe greater or more excellent then the Scripture but hath reuerently committed her selfe to the gouernement of the Scripture It is therefore plaine by the premisses howe the Church standeth towarde the worde of God written Shee is the faithfull keeper defendour of the worde she extolleth it by witnessing with it by setting it foorth by preaching it by defending it by mainteining it And yet doeth shee depend wholely of it as of the rule of her fayth shee changeth nothing shee altereth nothing shee addeth nothing shee taketh away nothing Shee is as it were a Notarie which keepeth safely testamentes when as notwithstanding hee hath no authoritie aboue the last will of the testatour for if hee shoulde chaunge or alter it hee shoulde not bee taken for a faithfull Notarie but for a falsifier and a forger of testamentes The .xvi. Chapter Of this saying of Augustine I would not beleeue the Gospel but that the authoritie of the Church mooueth mee also BEcause the Pope his side doe see that the Scripture maketh against them to diminish the authoritie thereof they contende that the authoritie of the Church the title whereof they doe pretende by their deuises and decrees is rather to be esteemed than of the Scriptures because the Scriptures cannot retaine their credit without the Church But how vaynely they dispute heereof we haue alreadie shewed by manie most strong argumentes But they obiect vnto vs the authoritie of the holy man of God Augustine which wrote thus against the Epistle of a Manichee which they call Fundamenti I woulde not beleeue the Gospel but that the authoritie of the Church mooueth me also Notwithstanding Augustine thinketh not that the authoritie of the Church is greater than the authoritie of the woorde of GOD neither doeth hee graunte vnto the Church authoritie to ordeine anie thing against the woord of God or to make newe articles of the faith or to abolish the articles deliuered in the woord of God he onely deemeth the Church to be a teacher and a witnesse We could not beleeue the Gospel were it not that the Church taught vs and witnessed that this doctrine was deliuered by the Apostles The same Augustine in the xxviii booke the second chapter against Faustus writeth that the Manichees ought so to beleeue the first Chapter of Matthewe which those heretikes receiued not to be written by Matthew as he did beleue the epistle which they called Fundamentum to be Manichees because it was so kept by their ancetours and deliuered from hand to hande Hee writeth that he was also mooued by agreeable testimonies of the first Church not to doubt that these bookes were deliuered by the Apostles and by them which are worthie credit Therfore herevpon it is that the Church mooueth vs also to beleeue the Gospel because shee keepeth the holy Scriptures faithfully preacheth them and discerneth them from others And he speaketh of the primitiue and Apostolike Churche as Gerson Chauncellour of Paris a man in his age most excellent doeth in the same place most wisely say Hee taketh the Church for the primitiue congregation of those faithfull whiche hearde Christ and sawe him and were his witnesses For whilest the Apostles and Disciples of Christ were yet liuing when as diuerse Gospels were sette foorth in the Churche they which had seene Christ and hearde his Apostles coulde witnesse what was naturall and what was Bastardlike In like manner Tertullian and Irenaeus commende vnto vs the authoritie of the first Churche receiue the writinges approoued by the Catholike consent of the first Churche and did therefore sende heretikes to the Apostolike Churches because they did not receiue the whole scriptures Wherefore they woulde that they shoulde receiue the estimation of the Scriptures from those churches wherin it was manifestly knowen that the Apostles taught For it was euident that those Churches had bene continually the witnesses and keepers of the bookes of holy Scripture and yet they did not for that cause ordeyne that the authoritie of the Churche ought to be preferred before the Scriptures But if the Apostolike Churche bee not preferred before the Scripture muche lesse ought this congregation of mitred men whiche are not so aptly termed the Churche as the corruption and eating canker of the church to bee preferred before the sayde Scriptures But they obiecte against vs this rule which is commonly spoken of by Logicians Whatsoeuer it is that is the cause that any thing else is indued with a qualitie the same thing shall rather be iudged to bee indued with the same qualitie Herevpon they reason in this maner If the scripture haue her authoritie because of the Churche then doeth it followe that the saide authoritie is rather in the Church then
shall not be so But they woulde haue vs to departe from the most manifest meaning of the place and to receiue I knowe not what maner of interpretations The Lawe of God forbiddeth the setting vp of Images to be woorshipped but they will haue Images to be and to be woorshipped in Temples and in Oratories Paule sayth Let no man iudge you in meate or in drinke And yet they brought in the superstitious choyse of meates so that they accompt it an offence more haynous than adulterie to eate fleshe on the Friday or in Lent. The Scripture decreeth that wee are iustified by fayth without woorkes but they by their exposition contende that wee are iustified by woorkes I beseech you is this to inâ—erprete the Scriptures or to shift them of What man is there so blinde which seeth and perceiueth not that â—heir gloses be altogether cleane conâ—rary to the text They haue adiudged his power of interpreting the Scriptures â—o be as it were their owne of right and â—o them onely appertaining that they â—ay at theire pleasure bring into the Church strange iudgementes and vnknowen doctrines and that they may as shall seeme best vnto them fight against the woord of god For their right of authenticall interpretation will take awaie all scruple Neither can there be anie testimonie obiected to the contrarie be it neuer so cleare be it neuer so strong but they will by one meanes or by an other shift it of For they will verie easely escape by one cauill or an other because against all contrarie reasons this shal be a brasen walle Thus the church iudgeth If anie man haue say they the interpretation of the Church of Rome touching any place of Scripture although he neither knowe nor vnderstande whether it doe or how it may agree with the words of Scripture yet hath he the verie word of god Nowe the interpretation of the Church of Rome shal be Behold heere are two swoordes that is to say the Bishoppe of Rome hath the administration of either swoorde both of the spirituall and politique Elizeus by a miracle made bitter waters sweet by casting salt into them that is there must be in the Churche exorcised water and hallowed salte whose efficacie we must beleeue to be of great force against the Diuell and against sinnes This doe in the remembrance of me That is Priests must offer in the Masse the body and blood of the Lord for the quicke and the dead If thou reclaime that these be corruptions not interpretations thou shalt heare them say The Church so vnderstaÌ„deth these places And wilt thou reiect the interpretation of the Church Therefore no man maie presume to gainesay this Dictatourlike Pretorlike power of interpreting which doubteth not thus to peruert the wordes of Scripture according to their owne opinions The Priests Scribes Pharisies of the Iewes in times past dealt none otherwise but Christ that true Priest hath confuted their wicked and peruerse interpretations God commaÌ„ded in the Law Honour thy father and thy mother but the Priests moued through couetousnesse set this commandement at large and weakned it by absoluing the children from the burden of nourishing their Parentes perswading them to offer daintie and fatte oblations which might profite their parentes more than foode The Lorde hath gainsayde them and witnessed that the commaundement of GOD is corrupted and made of none effect by this craftie interpretation They did also dispense with oathes and taught that some oathes were strong some weake and here the Lorde opposed himselfe also against their false expositions and confuted their interpretations They taught also that the Lawe of God is fulfilled by outward discipline if men doe conforme them selues therevnto by outwarde woorkes onely But Christ laying away their peeuish gloses hath declared that the Lawe doeth not onelie require outwarde workes but also godly and holy motions of the minde Therefore let the Lawe of proouing interpretations remaine inuiolated neither muste wee yeelde to all maner interpretations without iudgement For the Church hath the right and libertie to iudge as sayeth Paule Let the other iudge My purpose was saith Ierome not to drawe the Scriptures to my wil but to saye that which I vnderstoode the Scriptures would For it is the duetie of a Commentatour to expound not what hee will him selfe but what he meaneth whome hee doeth interprete Otherwise if he shall speake contrarie things he shall not be an interpreter but his aduersarie whome hee taketh vpon him to expounde Truely wheresoeuer I doe not interprete the Scriptures but speake freely of mine owne iudgement let him reprooue me that will. Thus much hath Ierome Certainly you shall neuer finde in the Fathers that the Scriptures are hereby to be vnderstoode because this or that Councell did thus or thus interprete them And Augustine in his bookes of Christian doctrine doeth sette foorth verie manie wayes of interpreting the Scriptures and yet doeth he neuer bind vs either to Councels or to the Churche The .xviij. Chapter Of the saying of Christ If he will not heare the Church let him be vnto thee as an heathen man and a Publicane THey which seeke a certaine Lord-like gouernment of all religion vnder the counterfeit colour of the Church because they see little aide or none in the Scripture holde forth before vs the masking visard of the Church as a Gorgons heade that wee being amased therewith might rashly imbrace all manner of decrees all kinde of traditions and interpretations which please them onelye without examination without inquisition and without doubt Therefore that they may call vs backe from the Scripture to the constitutions of the Church they saye That Christ sayde If he will not heare the Church let him be vnto thee as an heathen man and a Publicane Although Christ in that place intreated not of the exposition of Scriptures but onelie of brotherly correction yet wee graunt that the Church is to be heard so farre foorth as she iudgeth answereth and speaketh foorth of GOD his woorde But if she vtter the deuises of men and traditions onely we ought to passe by her with deafe eares especially when shee proposeth thinges contrarie to GOD his worde For this saying of Paule standeth fast Though an Angel from HeaueÌ„ preach anie other Gospel let him be accursed And the saying of Ierome is That is the doctrine of the holie Ghost which is set foorth in the Canonicall Scriptures against the which if Councels decree anie thing I count it wickednesse To be briefe we doe inclose the Church in the worde of the Lord which ought to bee set before her eyes as a sure and certain rule Neither can the church in so greate varietie and multitude of sectes and Heresies condemning one an other be declared by any other meanes because men are euerie where because euerie one will sweare that the Church is with them as lately
will you examine your doctrines and traditions by the Touchstone of the Scripture Are you so mad and blinde that you wil neuer confesse and reuerence with the Catholike Church of God the fulnesse the perfection and sufficiencie of the Scripture will you still be turned from the moste pure wheate of God his worde to the chaffe and coddes of traditions The xxij Chapter A perfect proofe of those traditions which are in deede the Apostles foorth of the moste auncient writers Irenaeus and Tertullian IRenaeus and Tertullian moste auncient writers and neerest to the Apostles time doe moste plainely proue vnto vs what traditions are moste auncient and the Apostles in deede For they when as they did contende with Heretikes about Doctrines doe alledge the tradition of the Apostles and of the Church that they might by the authoritie thereof confirme their cause and doe with great honour make mention of the same But it is worth the while to consider by what occasion for what cause in what sorte and with what moderatenesse they doe it For so shall it plainely appeare that the Churche at that time had no doctrines by traditions no mysteries of Faith but what were grounded in the Scripture Irenaeus had to deale with moste wicked Heretikes whiche were neither mooued with the authoritie of the Scripture nor with the consent of the vniuersall Churche Therefore they did either slylye shifte off or impudently refuse what so euer was obiected If they were ouerthrowen and conuicted by the Scriptures they did debase their authoritie yea they did accuse them as not Authentical or as hauing an obscure and an vncertaine meaning or as insufficient But they bragged that they had by tradition wisedome more high then the Apostles and more perfect If they were called backe to the consent of the Church they said that it was no meruaile if the Church doe not keepe the pure doctrine which receiued it corrupted and sowered with leauen not onely of the Disciples but also of the Lorde himselfe And therefore they boasted that they were the correctours of the Apostles And what sayeth Irenaeus herevnto We haue saieth hee the dispensation of our saluation by none other then the Apostles which what they published by preaching afterward they deliuered vnto vs in writing to bee the grounde and piller of our faith Afterwarde he vrgeth this parte also that all Churches taught and instructed by the Apostles did imbrace the vnitie of Faith grounded in the Scriptures And yet so that hee confuteth the doting opinions of Heretikes by the Scriptures as by the rule of perfect and absolute wisedome Tertullian also stroue with the like monsters Their vsuall maner was to escape by subtile shiftes If they were pressed with the authoritie of the scriptures they did either refuse them or if they did receiue them they did peruert them by putting to and taking awaye for the framing of their owne purpose or else corrupted them by their peruerse interpretations Therefore because Tertullian coulde not well goe forwarde against such mangling of the Scriptures hee doeth his diligence to confirme the doctrine certainly set foorth in the Scriptures among the simple and weake by this note also that the Apostles deliuered it by liuely voyce from hande to hande Wherefore because in these disputations the Heretikes refused the Scriptures as not in all poyntes to bee receiued and as though they were of an obscure and doubtfull meaning by whome onely the trueth coulde not bee knowne except one knewe the Tradition both the sides appealed to the tradition And because both the parties bragge of traditions this question was disputed of Which was the true tradition of the Apostles Irenaeus and Tertullian proue that that is the true traditiō only which Christ receiued of God and deliuered to the Apostles and which the Apostles againe deliuered to the Churches and which was kept in the Churches by the succession of Bishops And doeth this tradition conteine a doctrine contrarie to that which is sette foorth in the Canonicall Scripture No. For for this cause they did condemne those traditions which the Heretikes bragged of as erronious and forged Therefore what doeth the Tradition alledged in disputation againste the Heretikes conteine No doctrine contrarie and disagreeable to that which is taught in the Scripture but the selfe same articles of fayth which doe as it were comprehend the summe of all the Scripture For both of them doe shewe what that Tradition is whiche the Church receiued of the Apostles and also kept sincere and they bee the same poyntes of doctrine whiche the Apostles Creede doeth conteine And no man doubteth but they are sette foorth in the Scripture by manie manifest testimonies They doe not then proue any other doctrine of fayth besides those which are conteined in the Scripture but they shewe and proue by tradition the verie same doctrines which are comprehended in the Scripture And what needeth that Forsooth that they might proue the consent of the true Apostolicall Tradition with the Scripture so that the doctrine whiche the Scripture doeth teach and that which the Primitiue Churche receiued by the preaching of the Apostles is all one And this is diligently to bee considered that our position of the authoritie perfection and sufficiencie of the scriptures is most strongly mainteined by this disputation of Irenaeus and Tertullian and also that the disputations of the Papistes touching Traditions which can bee prooued by no Testimonie of Scripture are refuted For the Traditions of the Apostles and the Scriptures prooue the consente so that the Tradition be not opposite against the Scripture as though the Scripture were either false or doubtfull or vnperfect as the Heretikes quareled but the trueth the authoritie the certaintie and absolute perfectnesse of the Scripture is proued and confirmed by the tradition Wherefore when as there bee traditions proposed whiche doe not agree with the Scripture and which cannot bee shewed and prooued foorth of the Scripture it is moste certaine that those traditions are not the Apostles These are sure and sounde reasons which can not bee ouerthrowen with anie subtile shiftes of Sophisters Now if you aske which that true ancient and Apostolike tradition is it is not needful to search it without the scripture For Irenaeus and Tertullian in that disputation whereof wee spake speake not onely generally but declare specially euidently in expressed wordes what that tradition of the Apostles is Let vs then heare Irenaeus expounding the tradition of the trueth which the Church hauing receiued it from the Apostles keepeth The Church sayth he being sowed throughout the whole worlde vnto the endes of the earth receiued both of the Apostles and of their disciples that faith which is in one God the father almightie which made Heauen and earth the sea and all thinges which are in them And in one Iesus Christ the sonne of GOD incarnate for our saluation in the holy Ghost which preached by the Prophetes the
doting and fabulous deuises into the Churche and did not erre himselfe onely from the sinceritie and purenes of the faith but gaue occasion of erring to many woorthie men also For Irenaeus Tertullian Apollinarius Victorinus Lactantius and many other famous and woorthie men as Hierome witnesseth imbraced this doting toy of the thousande yeares as a tradition of the Apostles Good God what men became companions of this errour pretending as Eusebius saieth the antiquitie of the errour of so woorthie a man euen of Papias their guide Beholde whether the authority of traditions not written once receiued may leade vs out of the way O laudable agreement of traditions with the Scripture spoken of by Policarpe an Apostolicall man also whiche kepte him in the kinges highe way Therefore this deceite and guile of vnwritteÌ„ traditions stuck in the church which gaue occasion of going out of the right way euen to them which seeme to defende the Churche which may be proued by many examples whereof I will recite one or two which are plaine The fame of Clement of AlexaÌ„dria is great in all antiquitie And hee was a man which both most diligeÌ„tly searched forth and greatly reuerenced vnwritten traditions Wherefore he sayeth that the labourer which is sent foorth into the Lordes haruest hath a double husbandrie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnwritten written And hee yeeldeth this reason why hee searched other traditions touching the doctrines of faith beside the Scripture because forsooth the Lorde did not reueale to manie those thinges which did not belong to manie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secretes saieth hee are committed to woorde not to writing Also Mysteries are deliuered mystically And in his fifth booke of Stromates hee disputeth at large that euen as the Philosophers did so hide certayne secretes touching their doctrines that they shoulde not bee knowen to all men so doeth the Apostle also reteining that auncient conceyling say Wee speake wisedome among them that â—re perfect Hee citeth also foorth of a â—ertaine Apocriphall Gospell this preâ—ept of the Lorde My mysterie is mine owne and the Sonnes of mine house But if it may please you to compare the one with the other you â—hall finde that these are the very selfe same thinges whiche in Irenaeus and Tertullian the Valentinians Carpocratians and other Heretikes alledge for the defence and confirmation of their doctrines Therefore although this iudgement in Heretikes were then grauely repressed by Irenaeus and Tertullian yet Clement his talke doeth shewe that the infection stucke in the Churche to the posteritie And Clement doeth extoll in many woordes a certayne kinde of Gnostikes whom in these woordes hee describeth That is the knowledge which maketh a true Gnostike which commeth deliuered without writing by succession to a few from the Apostles This description of Clement is to be noted For although the heresie of the Gnostikes were condemned in the Church yet certaine seedes of this plague remained in the Churche and that in greate men Therefore Clement doeth magnifie vnwritten traditions and doeth not onely make them equall with the Scriptures but see whither this rule of traditions doeth lead him out of the way yea casteth him downe headlong I wil report of manie thinges a fewe whereby it shall appeare howe perilous a thing it is to followe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thinges vnwritten He intermedleth the Gospel with the decrees of Philosophie and maketh it equal with the lawe of god For saith he as the law was an instruction for the Iewes to Christ so was philosophie for the Greekes also And he attributeth power to iustifie to both as well to the lawe as to Philosophie which is most manifestly against the doctrine of Paule He â—enieth that men committing sinne after â—aptism ought to be receiued into grace â—hich also is contrary to the doctrine of â—e Gospel and the consent of the Cathoâ—â—ke Churche Hee yeeldeth place to reâ—entance after this life in his sixth booke â—e contendeth in manie wordes that the â—reekes were saued through Philosoâ—hie which iudgement if we do imbrace 〈◊〉 not Christ dead in vaine according to â—e doctrine of Paule Is not Christ beâ—â—me vnto vs of none effect and doe wee â—t fal from grace to make short he reueâ—ceth many doting toyes as traditions 〈◊〉 the Apostles Loe whither they fall â—hich wil be wise beyond the scripture Origen his witte than the which â—here was skant any other among the faâ—hers of the Church either more fine or â—ore excelleÌ„t was depraued by this Clement who had vnwritten traditions in so â—reat admiratioÌ„ For he hath stuffed full his bookes euerie where with straunge â—octrines which hee had receiued from Clement vnder the title of the traditions of the Apostles wherevppon he is so often noted reprooued and nipped both of the olde writers and of the newe Hierom calleth Origen his doctrines impoysoned But from whence supped he his poyson but from the instruction of Clement And by whom was Clement deceiued but by the admiration studie and reuerence of suche traditions In deede the Apocriphall booke of Hormas the Pastour doeth teache that in the interpretation oâ— Scripture wee must departe from the letter and searche foorth the allegorie Clement receiued this as a tradition of the Apostles and deliuered it to Origen vnder the same title Herevppon was kindled an incredible desire in this man to transforme the Scriptures into allegories with the infection of the which disease it is woonderfull howe hee corrupted afterwarde the mindes of all doctours For after they had once tasted the sweetnesse of allegories as of a more loftie vnderstanding they vaunted themselues immoderately and brought euery thing to allegories so that euerie one thought that he might lawfully say what he woulde herein And this euill did not stay it selfe within the East but inuaded Afrike Italie France and Spayne also So by a little and a little the purenesse of Christian Theologie was transformed into a certaine Philosophie And wee may thanke suche traditions for this fruite And Epiphanius was a great boaster of such traditions who sometime alledgeth thinges vnder this title which are taken foorth of Apocriphall writers What neede many woordes Whosoeuer haue beene bewitched with the admiration of suche like traditions they haue all turned from the purenes of the Apostles doctrine vnto strange opinions vnsauorie follies So that these traditions seme vnto me to be like the meteorologicall fire which will burne nothing which naturall Philosophers call leaping goates For as that fire appeareth in the night ouer moist feÌ„nie places leadeth trauellers in the night out of their way if they meruayle at it and bee afrayde to beholde it vppon the which fraude it is called in Duitche Droechliecht deceitfull lighte euen so the Ghost or phantasticall appearance of Tradition leadeth them which haue it in admiration out of the way from trueth and throweth theÌ„ into errours And this
Church is greater or of like credite with the authoritie of the Scripture But the Church of the wicked which not onely heareth not God his worde but most cruelly persecuteth and killeth them which beleeue the Gospel besides this is grounded wholy vpoÌ„ mens traditions declareth manifestly that shee is of him of whom it is written Ye are of your father the Diuel and the lustes of your father will ye doe he was a murtherer from the beginning abode not in the trueth because there is no truth in him For she is knowne what she is by the fruites of her Herodlike crueltie vanitie bewitchings and corruptions But the spouse of Christ heareth the voice of her bridegroome and submitteth her selfe to him as it is meete Her chastitie is not to bee withdrawne from the singlenesse of Christ as Paul witnesseth Therefore shee erreth not which followeth God his trueth for a rule from the which if shee depart shee is no longer a spouse but becommeth an harlot Therefore he which iudgeth that the definitions of the reuolting church ought to be heard without choise any exception compelleth the faithful Christ being denied and Gods trueth forsaken often times to sticke fast to iniquitie so that the iudgement of such a Church can in no respect be a most exact rule of fayth But the holie Ghost sayeth plainly of the Scripture that the man which bestoweth his diligent trauaile in the holie Scriptures becommeth learned to saluation which is prepared after this life then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say perfect lastly furnished instructed and as Ambrose yeeldeth it thorowly appointed and prouided to euerie good worke Thou hast here gentle reader a treatise of the authoritie of the Scripture and of the Church penned by me verie grossely and almost rudely which God graunt it may recompence the largenes thereof with due commoditie and profite I could excuse the infancie and the disordered inditing thereof but that I feare to inlarge it by excusing the same Therfore I beseech the learned eares to pardon my baren want of eloquence the rudenesse of my style For I haue not written these things for the learned but being my selfe rude simple for the rude simple The Lord Iesus breake in peeces the moste hurtfull corde of contention with the spirit of trueth and of true concorde and pluck vppe by the roote and put away from all vs which professe his name the offence of discentions among vs that we may all speake one thing and be ioyned togither with one minde and iudgement in him to whome be praise honour and glorie for euermore Amen FINIS Certaine additions by the Translator AVgustine in his Booke Of the vnitie of the Church the 16. Chapter vrging the Donatistes saith Let them shew none otherwise but by the Canonical books of the Scriptures whether they haue the Church For neither doe we say that we ought heerevpon to be beleeued because we are in the Church of Christ because Melenitanus Optatus or Ambrose of Millane or other innumerable Bishopes of our fellowship commended that Church which we haue Or because it is preached by the councels of our fellowes in office Or because so great miracles either of hearings or of healings are wrought thorowe out all the world in holy places which our fellowship doeth frequent Or that men ought to departe from Donatus his side because such an one sawe a dreame and such an one beeing rauished in the spirite heard a voice Whatsoeuer of this sort are done in the catholike Church are therfore approued because they are done in the Catholike Churche the Catholike Church is not therfore made knowen because these things are done in her The Lord Iesus him selfe when hee rose from the deade and offered his body to be beholden with his disciples eyes and to bee touched with their handes yet leste they should thinke that they were any whit deceiued or deluded iudged that they ought rather to be confirmed with the testimonies of the lawe and Prophetes Psalmes shewing that those thinges were fulfilled concerning him which had bene foretolde so long before So did he commend his Church also saying that repentaunce and remission of sinnes should bee preached in his name c. He hath witnessed that this is written in the lawe and the Prophetes and the Psalmes this doe wee holde beeing commended by his mouth These bee the documentes of our cause these bee the foundations these bee the confirmations We read in the Actes of the Apostles spoken of certaine which beleeued that they searched the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so What Scriptures I pray you but the Canonicall Scriptures of the lawe and the prophets Hereunto are added the Gospels the Epistles of the Apostles the Actes of the Apostles and the Reuelation of Iohn Searche all these and picke out some manifeste Proofe whereby you may shewe that either the Church remained onely in Afrike or that shee should come foorth of Afrike But bring forth somewhat which needeth not an interpreter nor wherby you may be conuicted that it was spoken of an other matter that you goe aboute to wreast it to your owne sense Hierome to Mimerius and Alexander sayth Neither according to the scholers of Pythagoras is the preiudiciall opinion of the teacher to be wayed but the reason of the doctrine But if any of a contrary faction murmure saying Why should I read their eâ—clamations vnto whose opinions I doe not assent Let him know that I doe willinglie heare this saying of the Apostle Examine all things hold fast that which is good â–ª and the woordes of our Sauiour saying try ye the coine so wel that if there be any counterfeit money and haue not Caesar his image neither bee signed with the common coine it may bee reprooued And that that money which doth represent the face of Christe in the cleere light may be layed vp in the purse of our heart And a little after hee sayth My purpose is to reade the auncient Writers to try all thinges to holde those thinges which are good and not to departe froÌ„ the faith of the church Psal. 120.4 The prayse of the Church of Christ Irenaeus aduersus haeres lib. 3. ca. 4 Rom. 10.15 What the aduersaries gather of the authoritie of the Church August contra epist. Manichaeorum fundament cap. 5. Manie things say the aduersaries are to be beleeued which are not written Mat. 18.17 1. Tim. 3.15 Io. 16.7 13. Hierem. 31.33 Matth. 28.19 Mark. 16.15 Against the persons of the aduersarie Why they do attribute so much to the Church and derogate from the Scripture They do imitate herein the olde heretikes Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 2. Augustin de haerisib ad quod vult Deum Tertul. lib. de haeresib Philaster lib. 1. Euseb Historia Ecclesiae lib. 4. cap. 29. It is a pernicious errour to contend that the authoritie of the scripture must
cap. 3. From whence the Scripture hath or hath receiued so great authority * Esaie 40.8 Mat. 2.4.35 * 2. Tim. 3.16 2. Pet. 1.21 Cantic 2.11 Confes lib 6. cap. 5. Iohn 8.42.43 Iohn 10.2 3 4 5. Cor. 2.14 15. â— Cor. 2.10 Ihon. 14.26 1. Iohn 2.27 1. Iohn 4.6 Confes li. 6. ca. 5. * Epesi 2.26 * Ephe. 2.20 An obiection of the aduersaries The canonicall scripture hath authoritie from the holy Ghost and imparteth it vnto the authours thereof c. Tertul. contra Marcionem li. 1. Iohn 20.30.31 2. Thes 3.17 18. Ambrosius Theodoretus Rom. 16.22 Rom. 16.24 1. Cor. 16.21.22.23 Gal. 6.18 Theodoretus Ambrosius 1. Tim. 6.21 2. Tim. 4.22 Ambrosius Tertullianus de praescriptione â–ª The Epistle of Peter 2. Pet. 3.15 1. Iohn 5.13 The Epistle of Iohn The Epistle of Paule to the Hebrewes The Epistle of Iames. Iohn 21.24 The testimonie of the Church concerning the scripture Siluianus de vero iudicio prouidentia Dei. lib. 3. All the authoritie which the Church hath hangeth on Gods worde Matth. 28.20 Matth. 18.20 Iohn 16.7 13. The Ministers of the Church must preach the worde of God onely Iohn 10.3 Exod. 7.17 Cant. 2.9 Chrysost in Psal. 95. Esaie 8.20 August de vnitate ecclesiae cap. 6. Luke 16.19 Galat. 1.8 Testimonies of the Fathers coÌ„cerning this matter Tertullian Apo. 22 18. 19. August coâ—â—a contra litteras Petil. an lib. 3. ca. 6. * Gal. 1.8 August de vnitate ecclesiae cap. 12. August in Tract de pastoribus Augustinus de bono viduitatis cap. 1. Gratian. Iohn Gerson Mat. 17.3 Mar. 9.4 Luke 9.30 Hierom. Basill Psal. 119. the 11 parte 6. ver Iohn 10 27. Iohn 10.5 Galat. 3.15 Basilius Moralium Regula 80. cap. 21. Rom. 14.23 Rom. 10 17. Theophilact Chrysost Origen Ambrose Iohn 14.6 An earnest and necessarie admoniton A briefe collection of the Fathers assertions alledged in this Chapter Iohn 8.47 Iohn 10.4 5 Ephe. 2.20 Ephe. 5.26 1. Pet. 1.23 * Mat. 3.2 Luke 17.21 God his worde is the chiefest marke whereby the Church is knowen August de vnitate ecclesiae cap. 3. Iohn 10.4 5. Augustinus de Pastoribus cap. 4. Iohn 10.27 Note Chrysost Mat. 24.16 * Or sacrament of thankesgeuing in the Lordes Supper * That is in the true profession of Christ his religion Augustinus contra literas Petil. lib. 3. cap. 6. The foure functions of the Church about the scripture The Church keepeth the Scripture as a witnesse Ambrosius de Paradiso cap. 12. A plaine and apt similitude Luke 16.23 The Church publisheth the scriptures Chrysost in Tit. Homilia 1. Tertul. de praescript Haeretic Marke The Church discerneth the counterfeit bookes from the true To discerne is not to be of greater authoritie A weake argument A false Maxim. The Summe Augustinus conttra Epistolam Manichaeorum Fundamenti cap. 5. Augustinus con Faustum lib. 28. cap. 2. The primitiue Church mooueth vs also to beleeue Gerson Tertul. de praescript Heret Irenae lib. 3. cap. 3. A Marime in Logike A deceitfull argument The true vnderstanding and interpretation of the scripture belongeth to the Church Irenaeus lib. 5. Apoc. 1.12 1. Cor. 3.12 The Catholike consent How interpretations must be tried Rom. 12.6 Gal. 1.8 Psal. 45.11 * Psal. 1.1 The interpretation of the Scripture is not in subiection to tyrants A Demonstration of the false interpreting of the Scripture Matt. 26.27 Mat. 14.23 Heb. 13.4 1. Cor. 7.9 Luke 22.25 Exod. 20.4.5 Deut. 5.8 9. Col. 2.16 Rom. 3.24 Gal. 2.16 Ephes 2.8 et 9. The interpretation of the Church of Rome Luke 22.38 4. Reg. 2.21 Luke 22.19 1. Cor. 11.24 Examples of false interpreting forth of the Gospel Exod. 20.12 Deut. 5.16 Matth. 15.6 Mat. 7.13 Mat. 23.16 17 18 19 20 21 22. Matth. 5. from the beginning to the ende 1. Cor. 14.29 Hieronymus in Apologia de lib. contra IouinianuÌ„ August in lib. de doctrina Christ Mat. 17.18 Christ speaketh not of interpreting the scriptures Gal. 1.8 Hieronymâ— Iohn 14.23 Iohn 14.24 Theodor. Histor Ecclesi li. 1. ca. 7. Iohn 12.28 1. Tim. 3.15 1. Tim. 3.15 How the church is the piller and ground of the trueth Howe the Chuch cannot erre Hilarius de Tritate lib. 6. 2. Thes 2.15 2. Thes 2.15 Paule in the 2. Thes 2. speaketh not of the traditions of the Papists 2. Tim. 16. and .17 Psalme 119. the first parte and 4. verse 1. Cor. 11.5 2. Thef 3.10 The traditions of Paule 1. Cor. 11.6 1. Cor. 11.13 1. Cor â–ª 4.140 A common refuge of Papists It is a Tradition You may not enquire of it Irenaeus lib. 31. cap. 1. Eusebius Ecclesiastâ—cae historiae lib. 3. cap. 20. Let the tradition agree with the Scripture Tertullianus lib. de praescrip Haereticorum Hieronymus in primo cap. Aggaei Augustinus contra literas Petiliani lib. 3. ca. 6. The Apostles â—eliuered nothing but what agreed with the scriptures What kinde of aduersaries and enemies Saint Irenaeus had Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 2. Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 1. Tert. de praescrip haeritic Which is the true tradition of the Apostles Iren. li. 1. ca. 2.3 Irenaeus sheweth what is the true Apostolike tradition What common places the Pastours of the Primitiue Church handeled Irenaeus li. 1. ca. 4 Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 4. Here is declared againe foorth of Irenaeus which is the true auncient Apostolike tradition The testimonie of Tertul. touching the tradition of the Apostles lib. de praescript Haeret. The Apostles Creede Tertul. li. de praescripti Haeretico * The Sacrament of thankesgiuing 2. Thes 2.5 Irenaeus touching Paule his tradition lib. 3. cap. 5. lib 4. cap. 41. Augustinus cont lâ—teras Petiliani lib. 3. cap. 6. There be diuers kindes of Traditions The Scripture is a tradion Cyprianus ad Pompeium Iohn 1.8 Basilius contra Eunomium lib. 3. Matth. 28.19 The articles of our â—aith are a Tradition Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 4. Tertullianus lib. de praescrip Haeret That which is deriued foorth of God his woorde is a Tradition Olde rites are Traditions What traditions were in olde time Tertullianus contra Marcione lib. 1. lib. de coronâ— militis * That is the Sacrament of thankesgiuing Hieronymus in Matthaeum cap. 25. Tertullianus lib. de velandis virginibus Distin 31. cap. Aliter The mariage of Priestes Augustinus ad Casulanum epist. 76. 1. Cor. 4.17 Cyprianus ad Pompeium 2. Thes 2.2 Three kinde of guiles wherby forgers are woont to deceiue .. Col. 2.81.2.3 2. Pet. 2. â—enaeus lib. 3. â—p 5. â—he shift of heâ—â—tikes â—â—enaeus lib. 3. â—p 2. 1. Cor. 2.6 Irenaeus lib. 1. cap 24. The heretikes called Carpocratians Tertullianus de praescrip Haereticorum Eusebius 5. cap. 28. Clemen Stromat 7. Papias Eusebius lib. 3. cap. 39. The Chiliastes helde this erronious opinion that the Sonne of God should raigne in the earth as a king a thousand yeeres after the generall iudgement with his elect in the holie citie which he should build Lactantius institutionum lib. 7. cap. 24. Papias seduced many worthie men by traditions Clement of Alexandria a fauourer of traditions Clemens lib. Stroma 5 1. Cor. 2.6 Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 2. Tertul. de praescrip Haeretic Clemens lib. Strom. 6. Whether Clement is throwen downe headlong through traditions Clemens li. 1. Strom. lib. 2. Strom. lib. 3. Strom. lib. 6. Strom. Galat. 2.21 Origen depraued by traditions Hieronymus ad Auitum Pammachum Ocoeanum c. The allegorization of the scripture commeth from traditions Diuinitie transformed into Philosophie Epi. geuen to traditions A verie apte similitude Hieronymus Chrysost in Matt. cap. 23. Hieronymus in 1. Cap. Aggaei A briefe rehersall of all those things which haue bene handeled and disputed of touching the holie Scripture and the Church Rom. 3.4 1. Tim. 3.15 The malignant Church Iohn 8.44 2. Cor. 11.3 2. Tim. 3.15.16.17 Ambrosius August de vnitate Eccles cap. 16. * Iohn 20.27 * Luke 24.26 Acts. 17.11 Hieronymus ad Mimerium et Alexandrum 1. Thes 5.21 ¶ Imprinted at London at the three Cranes in the vine tree by Thomas Dawson for William Pounsonby 1579.