choyse of meates suche other ceremonies / that were theÌ„ anulled made voyd by chryst For he thus hath If ye be dead with chryste from the elementes of this worlde why do ye yet decree or teach or els as the greke nowe hath Dodmatizesthe are ye taught suche decrees and ceremonyes as yet lyuynge in the world Touche not nother taste nor handle Who seeth not that these wordes do playnlye show that saynte Paule mente of the iewes decrees and ordinaunces perteynynge to theyr olde ceremonies theÌ„ abrogate cleane by chryst and nothyng of the churches decrees or the apostles tradicions It is therfore a greate blyndnes to applye suche textes agaynste the traditions of the churche and they do verye lytle regard theyr soules health that do folowe suche teachers which do so manifestly abuse and mistake the scrypture to kyll theyr owne soules and other mennes by an heresye Some man perchaunce wyll say to me chrysten people are indued with libertye Vrbanns regiê° of conscyence .ii. Cor .iii. whiche nother ought nor can be bound to the obseruynge of any tradicion set vp by man whiche scrypture speaketh not of for theÌ„ we shulde be the seruauntes of meÌ„ agaynst saynte Paules coÌ„mauÌ„demente To that I saye that chrysten men are free and idued 1. Cor. 7. with a certayne libertie froÌ„ the yocke of the olde lawe / and the bondage of synne in which two standeth the lybertye of chrystes gospell not in the lybertie froÌ„ the obseruynge of good and hol some tradytions institute set forth by the holy apostles without wrytynge by mouth onely The obedience due vnto the hyer powers and to the kepyng of theyr lawes standeth not onelye with the libertie of the gospel but yâ— gospeÌ„ll doth also coÌ„mauÌ„d that to be done of vs. They that suppose them selues free frome obseruynge of the apostles traditions by reason of the lyberte of the gospell do agaynst pauls coÌ„maundement vse theyr lybertie to satisfye the flesshes lustes and haue as saynt Peter sayth Gala. 5. 1. Pâ— 2. it as a cloke or a couer of theyr malyce Chrysten people shuld not be the seruauntes of men it is true but what thaÌ„ Wylt not thou therfore be bounde in conscyence to obedientlye kepe thy prynce and kynges ordynauÌ„ces and lawes when Paule biddeth vs to be obediente vnto his coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes for coÌ„scyence sake It is not therfore holly vnleful Ro. 13. nor forbydden of saynte Paule to be mennes seruauntes but to obey them and to serue them coÌ„mauÌ„dyng any thiÌ„g ageÌ„st the lybertye of chrystes gospell or els any vnlefull thinge the kepyng of the which shulde cause theÌ„ to fall from the benifite of christes deathe and therfore he dyd put them in remembrauÌ„ce that they were bought with a great pryce Thus saynt Chrysostome doth vnderstande this paules texte byddynge that we shulde not be mens seruauntes Saynt paule also he ment that the corynthyaÌ„s shulde not be meÌ„s seruauntes to reyse schismes or diuisioÌ„s so yâ— one of theÌ„ shulde be counted cephas scholer because he was christened and instructed by hym another Apollos Take nowe this text whether way thou wylt it maketh nothyng at al against the traditions of the holye apostles and the church Moreouer wheÌ„ we do beleue certen truthes and obserue theym also whiche the apostles lefte vnwryten by the inspiratioÌ„ of the holy goost / as they dyd manye thynges whiche are aboue rehearsed in this boke what madde manne wyl saye yâ— therby we be mennes seruauntes / and not rather the holy goostê the autour of those tradicyons Some men do suppose that these god the fathers wordes IpsuÌ„ audite heare hym do bynde vs onelye to learne of Mat. 17. drâ—auê° â—eâ—â—ê° chryste the doctoure and teacher of the church and to beleue and obserue nothynge but his doctrine therfore we oughte not nor can be bounde to any thyng not wrytten in the scrypture as though we are not bounde to be leue the apostles teachiÌ„ge in thiÌ„ges not taught afore by chryste or yâ— we ought not to beleue as I haue touched before that chyldren ought to be chrystened albeit we fynde not in yâ— scrypture that euer christ taught that doctrine or els hys apostles but it cometh onely without wytnesse of the scrypture by theyr tradition If thou yet wylt reasoÌ„ further and saye that Chryste sendynge his apostles to preach abrode yâ— gospel in the hole world commaunded them to teache the people what soeuer he had commaunded and therfore men are not bounde vnto any thyng not commaunded of Chryste of the whiche it muste neades folowe that there are no traditions vnwrytten necessarye for vs eyther to beleue or to fulfyll This reason of one vrbanê° regiê° a lutherans makynge declareth the autours ignoraunce or blinde malyce conceyued agaynste yâ— churche of chryst For chryst byddiÌ„ge the apostles teach the people all that he had coÌ„maunded theym dyd not bydde theÌ„ teach nothing more then he coÌ„maunded them For who doubteth but the apostles taught afterwarde manye thynges by inspiratioÌ„ of the holy goost which chryst neuer coÌ„maunded as that the gentyles shulde abstayne from bloudde and meates suffocate or strangled with manye other thynges as it appeareth in theyr epystles and the actes wrytten by Luke the euangelyste But se what kynde of argumeÌ„t is this of regiê° Chryste commauÌ„ded his apostles to preach al what soeuer he had dyd theÌ„ do ergo the apostles lefte nothynge vnwrytten to the church yâ— ought to be beleued or obserued or men are not buunde to kepe the churches traditions This is a wonderfull blyndnes What madnes were it to beleue suche teachers Maye it not be sayde truely of them yâ— blynde leaders they that are Mat. 15. ledde by theim do fall bothe togyther into the den as our sauy our chryste sayed There are other obiectyoÌ„s as fonde and folyshe as these be which because they are made agaynste mannes lawes and constitutions not agaynste the apostles and hole churches traditioÌ„s vnwrytteÌ„ in the holy scrypture I wyll recyte them very compendiouslye as coÌ„pendiouslye confute the same Thys is one of them Paule sayeth Si spiritu ducimini noÌ„ estis sub lege It ye be ledde wyth the The. 8. argument spirite ye are not vnder the law These wordes do proue sayeth the lutherans that no mannes traditions can bynde vs to the obseruinge of theÌ„ yf we do leade our lyues after ryghte reasons and the holy goostes guydynge and styrrynge for els we shulde be vnder the lawe whyche saynt The answere Paule denyeth here Thys auctorytie of saynte Paule proueth nothing more agaynst the churches constitutions ordinaunces and traditions of the apostles that they oughte not to bynde mennes consciences then it doth agaynste the law of god that iuste and good men ledde by reason and the holye gooste shulde not be bounde to kepe it because yâ— paule vnderstode not here the law of man but the law of god whiche rested in ceremonyes was
the place of the wounde anone it was ful of bloud water Ther vpoÌ„ they sayed that they wolde proue whether anye myracles shuld be wrought therby for as much as christes freÌ„des sayed yâ— manye myracles were done by him They broughte the water bloud to their synagoge caused sicke folke to be washed with it amonge the whyche there was a verye aged man whiche had the palsey or the losyng of his membres eueÌ„ froÌ„ the tyme of his birth He as sone as he was washed with yâ— water bloud was streight hole rose out of his bed weÌ„t home TheÌ„ yâ— people brought thither al diseased sicke persons the blind the halt the lame the deafe the dome the lepers with all other as sone as they were washed with the water bloud they were forth with deliuered froÌ„ their diseases The which wheÌ„ yâ— people sawe they beleued in our sauiour iesu and praysed him highly After this A thanasi which wrote aboue M. cc. yeres passed telleth yâ— a christeÌ„ maÌ„ had this ymage of christ leftit thorow negligeÌ„ce behind him in syria wheÌ„ he departed thence wheÌ„ he was examined of the of the Metropolitaine of yâ— citie he coÌ„fessed the Nicodemê° which came to iesu by night made it with his owne haÌ„des gaue it to gamaliel pauls schole scholemaister wheÌ„ he died gamaliel when he sawe yâ— his death approched drew nighe gaue it to Iames Iames to symeon symeon to zacheê° so froÌ„ tyme to time it continued in Hierusalem nigh vntil yâ— citie was destroied whyche was the .xliii. yere after christes asceÌ„sion in to heueÌ„ For about ii yeres before the destructioÌ„ came by Titê° Vaspasianus the faythful and disciples of christe were aduertised by yâ— holy gooste to depart froÌ„ HierusaleÌ„ in to the kyngdome of kynge Agrippa so they did carying with them al the thinges that did belong vnto christes religion amonge the whiche was that christes ymage which remayned in syria til this day when my father mother dyed I receyued it by the ryght of an heire and do now possessee the same Hytherto I haue recyted saynte Athanasius wordes entreatyng of thys marueylous storye whyche I haue rehearsed here the meÌ„ may se both that ymages haue bene longe in Christes churche the God hath wrought by them great and straunge myracles to the greate comforte of christen people and finally that men shulde be wyse that they do not mysuse the ymage of christe and hys sayntes leste they feele gods vengeaunce therby Now to go forwarde I wyl recyte yet a fewe thynges moo that are receyued and vsed by tradition in christes church without writing of the which thys is one that we The lentes fastynge do faste the lente For albeit it hath authoritie as saint Austen Aug. Ianu. epist 118 affirmeth of Moses and Helias fasting in the olde law also of christes in the new which fasted fortye dayes yet it cometh to the churche by the apostles tradition yâ— it is coÌ„maunded to be kept and obserued fastyng For saynt In epist ad Marcellam Hierom this wryteth Nos vnam quadragesimaÌ„ secuÌ„duÌ„ traditioneÌ„ apostoloruÌ„ toto aÌ„no teÌ„pore nobis coÌ„gruo ieiunamê° That is We do fast one leÌ„t accordiÌ„g to the apostlê tradition in a time mooste mete for vs of al the hole yere Lo hieroÌ„ saieth the the holy apostles dyd or dayne and institute the faste of the lent and we folowynge Luthers blyndnes saye that the apostles taught nothynge which they wrote not afterwarde and do dyspyse this faste vtterlye preferrynge herin our owne carnall iudgementes and flesshely yea bestly lustes before the auctoryte iudgemeÌ„t of s Hierom whiche as he sayde hym selfe fasted wonderfullye moch euen so he sayth the apostles taught the feaste of lent by tradicyon Of the which one theophilê° wrote thus before S. Hierome whose boke Lib. â— he translated out of greake in to latyn NequaquaÌ„ diebus quadrage simae sicut luxuriosi diuites solent vini poculuÌ„ suspiremus neque in procinctu et prelio vbi labor et sudor est necessarius carniuÌ„ edulio delectemur Qui auteÌ„ leguÌ„ precepta custodiunt vini vsum repudiant et esum carniuÌ„ That is in oure language Let vs not syght for or greatly desyre wyne in the lente dayes as ryot ous rych men are wont neyther let vs delyte iÌ„ eating of fleshe iÌ„ the state of an army when they be ready to gyue battayle and in battayle where laboure and sweate is necessarye They that do kepe the commauÌ„dementes of lawes do refuse or forsake the vse of wyne and the eatynge of flesshe This we se that lente was aboue twelfe huÌ„dred yeres synce fasted and that deuote meÌ„ dyd absteyne both froÌ„drynkyng of wyne also froÌ„ eatyng of flessh in it How wel this is nowe kept of chrysten people it neadeth not me to tell but rather to lamente and bewaile the greate and exceadyng ryote and gluttonye whiche is nowe vsed bothe in eatynge of flesshe and dryukynge of wyne of the whiche I haue spoken more largely in my boke of fastyng But that lente fastynge came from the holy apostles saynt Iohan the euaÌ„gelistes Epist 4. dyscyple Ignatiê° maye wytnesse sayenge QuadragesimaÌ„nolite pro nihilo habere imitationem eniÌ„ continet dei coÌ„uersationis That is to say Esteme not lente for naught for it conteyneth the folowyng of gods conuersatioÌ„ Where or of whom learned Ignatiê° saynte Iohans scoler this coÌ„maundement of the lentê fast yf he learned it not of his mayster saynt Iohan or of the other apostles This blyssed martyr saynt Iohans discyple byddeth or coÌ„mauÌ„deth vs to faste the lent Luther and his scholers lyke be lye gods or whose bely is theyr god and ryotous epycures do teache vs to breake it whether partye ought chrysten people to beleue and folowe Saynt Ignatiê° coÌ„mauÌ„deth vs also to tast the wensday and fryday sayng Quarta vero sexta feria ieiunate reliquias pauperibus porrigentes Faste ye the wensday the frydaye gyuyng the remenaunt or scrappes to the poore Seest thou not good chrysten reader that the frydaye oughte to be fasted and the wensdaye after the apostles doctryne which this saynt Iohans discyple wrote Why therfore sayest thou that the apostles taught nothynge but that only which they wrote afterwarde in the holy scrypture Ceasse for shame that foÌ„de babliÌ„g Leaue of that vngodly doctrine which poysoneth the soule bryngeth it to vtter confusyon yf it be not forsaken in tyme. Theophylê° sayeth Habemus quadragesimam ab apostolis institutam et ordinataÌ„ We haue the lent institute ordeyned of the apostles Wherfore oughtest not thou rather to beleue hym then lewde lyenge Luther was not he both godly and excellently learned as saint Hierome was whiche testifyeth the same that tyme when this matter was nothynge deubted of were not these doctours nerer the apostles tyme by more theÌ„ M. c.
et in prioreÌ„ ad corinth ho. 41. epipha 3 3. Doinis de eccle hierat cap. 7. preestes at masse shulde pray for the deade Epiphanius in lyke wise affirmeth that it is a tradition receyued of the fathers to pray for the dead saynte Dionise saint Paules scholer testifieth that that custome came from the apostles of christ by theyr tradition whyche I haue declared sufficiently in the later ende of my boke of the sacrifice of the masse the .xxx. leafe therfore I nede not agayne to reherse the auctorities whych are there set forth at large It is therfore great fooly of men to deny the holye godly charitable tradition of the apostles Dionise Paules disciple publisheth putteth forth many diuers other ceremonies vsages of the masse / whyche no doubt he levned of his maisters Paul Hierotheê° the holy apostles De eccle Hierar ca 3 parie 3. etc. with the which he was often coÌ„uersauÌ„t but I wyl not recyte theÌ„ at this tyme intending to be shorte in this treatise Nowe let vs se what yet S. Paule sayeth further for the defence of traditions He wrytinge to the Corinthians 1 Corin 11. Arbitror apostolicum esse etsaÌ„ noÌ„ scriptis tradetionibus inherere Paulê° eniÌ„ inquit laudo vos etc 1. cor 11 basiliê° de spiritu sctoÌ„ ca. 29 her in literas râ—tulit thus maketh for the furtherauÌ„ce of my purpose in this boke I pray you brethreÌ„ that in al thynges ye remeÌ„bre me kepe my coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes as I haue deliuered theÌ„ vnto you Besyde that yâ— paule speketh here of his coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes not of christê saieth he had deliuered or taughte theÌ„ by traditioÌ„ vnto the corinthians which thiges do shew the he spake of certeÌ„ thiges which he taught theÌ„ him selfe by mouth wythout writing besides this I say the holye man Chrisostome thus wryteth Chrisost vpoÌ„ this text for traditioÌ„s Ergo sine litter is multa tradider at quod alibi sepe meminit Therfore he delyuered or taught many thinges without writing the which thing he ofte remembreth els where Thophilactus also vpon the same text thus sayeth Liquet ex eis cuÌ„ PauluÌ„ tuÌ„ apostolos reliquos haudquaquaÌ„ oiÌ„ a maÌ„dasse litteris precepta que populis tradidisset It is euidente by these Paules wordes the partly Paul chefely the other apostlê wrote not al the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes which they deliuered or taught the people Lo these two greate lerned meÌ„ auÌ„cient good fathers iudged the Paule the other apostles wrote not al the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes which they gaue to the people Bullinger w e diuers other of luthers scholers affirme the coÌ„trary weout any good grouÌ„d whether ê‘tie oughte we to beleue the yonger or the elder the better in liuing or the worse the better lerned or the worse But now to paule agayn which saieth to the philippiaÌ„s You oughte to beare in remembrauÌ„ce the thinges which ye haue perceiued had sene not those thiÌ„ges onely which were writteÌ„ to you to timothy he also saith 2. Timo. 2 Thou my son timothy be stroÌ„g in the grace that is in christe Iesu coÌ„mit the thiÌ„ges which thou hast harde of me by manye wytnesses to faithful men that shal be apt to teach also other Who seeth not the here Paule spake of traditioÌ„s not writteÌ„ of him but taught the bishop timothy without wrytynge by mouth onely whyche he so delyuered to other that shulde teach the churche of christe These places aboue recyted out of sâ— Paule are playne agaynste them that denye tradycyons and say that euery truth 2. thesso 2. is expresly put forth in the scripture but yet this now folowing 2. pe 1. oiÌ„s prophetia i. scripture sacre enara ratio propria interpretatione non fit NoÌ„ enim voluÌ„tate etc. is most manifestlye agaynst theÌ„ whiche is euen thus wrytten of Paule Fratres state et tenete traditiones quas didicistis siue per sermoneÌ„ siue per epistolam nostram That is to say Brethren stande ye fast and kepe the tradicyons that ye haue learned eyther by Luke 24. apparuit illis sensoÌ„ etc. our preachyng or by our epystle Thoughe that this texte be so plain vpoÌ„ our side which do defende tradicioÌ„s of the apostles and Chrystes holy churche that it caÌ„ not be wrested to any other sence then that saynte Paule coÌ„maunded the Thessaloniens all other chrystened people in by theym to obserue not onelye his tradicions wrytten in his epystle but also other not wrtteÌ„ but preached and taught theim without wrytyng by mouth one lye yet Bullynger Luthers discyple labourethe to wrythe it agaynst his nature vnto another meanynge affyrmynge but weout any proufe reason or auctorytie If that Bullingers vnderstandynge were good what dyfference shulde there be betwene a sermon and epystle Had S. Paules epystles nothynge out of Moyses lawe the prophetes How moch of theÌ„ hath the epystle to the romaÌ„s How to the Hebrews and how the other It is therfore a very folysh eâ—asyon to expownde tradicioÌ„s receyued by Paules sermon or spech doctrine of the gospel takeÌ„ out of Moyses wrytynges and the ê“phetes and not tradicions vnwryten De Bullingeâ—o recte dici potest illud flacci Et nescire pudeÌ„s praâ—â— â—discere maâ—â—lt well taken that Paule meÌ„t by tradicions which the Thessaloniens learned of hym by his worde or preachyng thiÌ„ges wryten in Moyses lawe and the prophetes whiche afterwarde that he had preached them to the people the holye euangelystes and apostles did wryte But yet here I besech the good reader Bullyngers probacion the Paule meÌ„t nothyng els there to the Thessaloniens but onely hys sermons of the gospell takeÌ„ out of Moises lawe the prophetes after wryten by the euangelystes other the apostles For he sayeth Bullynger speakyng of his sermoÌ„s and preachiÌ„ges before Agrippa doth wytnesse that he taught nothynge but that which Moyses and the Prophetes had taughte before Is not this a learned ê“batyon good reader Paule before Agryppa sayed he taughte nothynge ouer and aboue that whiche Moyses and the Prophetes had taughte before ergo by hys tradycyons whiche the Thessaloniens learned of hym by his worde or preachynge he ment nothynge els but hys sermons made out of Moyses and the Prophetes whiche the euaÌ„gelystes / and other the apostles afterward dyd put in wrytyng Doth not he shewe by this reason his lytle reason and lesse lernynge What madde man wyll make thys argument which is moch lyke vnto his Paul sayd before Agryppa that he taught nothynge but that which Moises lawe and the prophetes had ergo he taught vtterly nothyng besyde the contentes of Moises lawe and the Prophetes Are there no thiÌ„ges wryteÌ„ in Pauls epystles which be not wryten in Moises law and the prophetes Dothe the fyrste hys epystle to Hareâ—â—â—â— sunt arrogantes ac putant ê™ possint sapere et loqui abstrusiê° quiddaÌ„quam alii adornaâ—â—â— verboâ— pugnas Câ—ril Lib. 2.