heresye that none of the auÌ„cient doctours had eyther set it forth or allowed it set forth by other that it shuld be contrary to the doctrine of chyrstes church and we such is our pryde and want of grace do despise the iudgemente both of the godlye fathers and of the hole catholyke churche which is as saynte Chrysostom wytnesseth the mother of the beleuyng people Here nowe what Tertulian â—ermoneÌ„ 76 de 〈◊〉 hath sayed of the church in these fewe wordes Non alia agnosceÌ„da eÌ„ apostoloruÌ„ traditio quaÌ„ quae hodie apud ipsorum ecclesias aeditur Exhibe ergo aliquem ex tuis apostolici Lib. â— aduersê° MattioneÌ„ habet euaÌ„gelium marcionis ecclesias sed suas taÌ„ posteras quam adulteras quaruÌ„ si câ—sum requitas factitus apostaticum inuenias quam apostolicaÌ„ lib. 4. aduersus mart â— ceÌ„sus et obduxeris None other tradition is to be recognysed or knwledged the apostles then that whiche is published or set forth at theyr churches Therfor shew forth some man of thyne of the apostles estimation numbre or iudgemeÌ„t and thou shalt ouercome or obteyne the victorye Agayne thus he hath In summa si constat id verius ê™ prius id prius ê™ ab initio id ab initio quod ab apostolis pariter vtique constabit id esse ab apostolis traditum quod apud ceclesias apostolorum fuerit sacrosanctum That is to say brieflye If it be playne that to be trewer that is fyrste that to be fyrste or before that was froÌ„ the begynnynge whyche was of the apostles it shall in lykewyse be verily euident that to be taught of the apostles whyche hathe bene much estemed as a thynge halowed or that ought not to be touched but reuerentlye at or wyth the apostles churches Furthermore the councell kepte In registro lib. 1. ca. 23 at Nicea whych was one of the four general couÌ„cels that s Gregorye sayed he no lesse theÌ„ yâ— four gospels beleued declareth how muche the churches autoritie determinations shulde be regarded sayeng Si cathari venerint ad Cap. â— â— ecclesiaÌ„ catholicam prae omnibus eos scriptis conuenit profiteri ê™ ca tholice et apostolice ecclesie dogmata suscipiant et sequaÌ„tur That is If the heretykes whyche called them selues cathoros for yâ— cleanes of lyuing which they proudlye challynge to them shal come to the catholyke churche it is mete that they fyrste or before all thynges do by wrytyng promise openlye or confesse that they do receiue and folow the doctrines or determinations of the catholyke apostles churche Againe Cap. 9. the councell sayeth Quod irreprehensibile est catholica tenet ecclesia The catholyke churche holdeth that thynge whiche can not be reproued If we wolde marke well thys sayenge which as I sayed saynt Gregorye estemed it as the gospel folowe it we shuld not so shamefully ere go out of the waye as we nowe Lib. de verâ— sapien daylye do For as Lactantius witnesseth Sola catholica ecclesia est quae verum cultum retinet Hic est fons veritatis hoc est domicilium fidei hoc templum dei quo si quis noÌ„ intrauerit vel a quo si quis exiuerit a spe vitae et salutis aeternae alienus That is to saye The catholyke churche onelye is that holdeth styll the trewe worshyppynge of God Thys is the well of truth thys the house or mansyoÌ„ of fayth thys the teÌ„ple of god whither yf any man shal not entre or out of whyche yf any man goo he is wythout hope of lyfe and euerlastynge saluation These are both trewe wordes also dreadful and therfore lette men beware that forsake the catholyke churche and folow any particular churches opynyons as they do whyche leane to Luthers And that we maye knowe the catholyke churche from the heretycall he addeth sayenge But yet because euery coÌ„panye of heretikes do iudge theÌ„ selues chyefly chrysteÌ„ people and theyr church to be the catholike church we muste knowe that that is the trewe churche of Chryste in the whyche is religion confession and penaunce By confession he vnderstode aurycular coÌ„fession of synnes / whyche is made to a preeste / for confession to god is refused of no church / be it neuer so hereticall / therfore he ment that where aurycular confession was not regarded / vsed / there was not the trew churche of christ Lib. 4. Epistola â— But Cypryan shall speake hys mynde in this matter with these wordes Quisquis ille est et qualis cuÌ„que est christianê° non est si in christi ecclesia noÌ„ est quae vna est per totum mundum in multa membra diuisa Who so euer he be / and what so euer he be / he is not a chrysten maÌ„ / yf he be not in christes churche the whyche is one dyuyded through all the worlde in to many members Nestorius an arrogant heretike as al such be / sayed that all the hole number of doctours wryters that were before hym were deceyued and the whole churche erred froÌ„ the truth and he onelye founde out the truth and folowed it Dyd not euen so saye and boost Marten Luther folowinge him therein the Donatians Nouatians Ruthenes Armenos and all other heretykes affyrmynge that the churche of Chryste was wyth them onelye Beware of them good chrysten reader and stedfastlye folowe the catholyke vniuersal churche whyche the apostles buylded set vp wyth preachynge the gospell to them This is not in one place cytie corner nor couÌ„trey but euerye where where true beleuyng folk be It can not erre the holy gost rulynge guydynge and gouernynge it from tyme to tyme vntyll Io. 14. 16. the worldes ende accordingly as christ promysed to it This is the pyller of the truth as S. Paule affyrmethe and therfore leane vnto it fast and thou shalt neuer fall from thy fayth but abyde therin to thy greate coÌ„fort and soules health But nowe to the nexte chaptre which reciteth the anncient doctours sentences pronounced and publysshed in theyr bokes vpon this matter of verytes vnwrytten and the churches tradicions Saynt Ireneê° policarpes saynte Iohan the euangelystes dyscyples scholer sheweth what doctours we shuld folowe in learnyng the truth of our fayth sayenge We must beleue those preestes which are in the church hauynge successyoÌ„ of Lib. 4ca 43 et 45. the apostles and all other that come frome that the pryncypall successyon in what place soeuer they are gathered togyther or els to be suspected eythera s hetykes and of an euyl iudgemeÌ„t Cap. 44. or deuidyng the church againe Adhaerere oportet his qui a postolorum doctrinam custodiunt et ab eis discere verit atem apud quos est illa quae est ab aposto lis ecclesie successio ☞ The auncyent doctours sentences wrytten and set forth vpon traditions of the apostles chrystes holye church NOwe for as moch as Saynt
et instigaÌ„te spiritu saÌ„cto instituta nec dissimulatio negligentiae nec aliqua praesuÌ„ptio valeat perturbare Sed sicut hoc ê™ exigebat rationis vtilitas oportuit definire ita quod definitum est noÌ„ debet violari That is to saye The dilygence or studye of your care must be put to or you must be diligent and careful that dyssymulation of neglygence may not moche trouble nor any arrogance those thynges which are ordeyned of the apostles their successours and instructed by the holy goost styrrynge or prickynge forward Also he spake of the iewes ceremonies which theÌ„ it was vnleful for yâ— GalathiaÌ„s to obserue kepe therfore the obseruing of theÌ„ was mans tradition That thys is the true / righte meaninge of the apostles wordes it apeareth both by that that anone afterwarde wheÌ„ he had spokeÌ„ of yâ— iewes choyse of meatê their feastes he calleth theÌ„ elemeÌ„ta muÌ„di elemeÌ„tes of yâ— worlde sayenge If ye be dead with christe froÌ„ the elemeÌ„tes of thys worlde why do ye yet put difference betwene meat and meat daye and day etc Also the iiii chapter of his epistle to the Galathians paule calleth the olde lawes ceremonies egena elemeÌ„ta elemeÌ„tes lackyng somewhat Therfore this pauls letter staÌ„deth nothynge agaynst the traditioÌ„s of the apostles their successours / lefte in the churche froÌ„ one to another But let thys Pet manê° tradua be sayed for the repeallynge of that argumeÌ„t They dispute yet further The .v. argument of this sort against traditions Paule sayeth .ii. To .iii. Al scripture geuen by the inspiratioÌ„ of god is profitable to teach improue informe to instructe in righteousnes that the maÌ„ of god may be perfect prepared vnto all good workes Then why do we thruste sayeth Vrbanus regius wisely in the churches haÌ„des the lawes of men as necessary to christes religion Thys argumeÌ„t is sone answeared vnto For what argumeÌ„t I besech the good christeÌ„ reader is this al scripture inspired by the holy goost is profitable to teach man yâ— he maye be perfect made ready to al good workes ergo the scripture coÌ„teyneth in it expressely al truth and euery thing necessary to be beleued of vs kept May not euery part boke of the scripture be as in dede it is profitable to instructe maÌ„ yâ— thereby he maye be perfecte prepared to all good workê yet not coÌ„teyne al truth the hole yâ— is necessary for our saluatioÌ„ The .v. bokes of Moses coÌ„teine a doctrine profitable to yâ— purpose so of the rest seuerally yet that notwtstandyng there are sundrye thynges both true necessary not conteyned therin Yea but perchauÌ„ce some maÌ„ wyl say to me The gospel is perfecte sufficient for to procure oure saluation for Chryste gaue vnto hys churche not botched clowted nor vnperfect lernyng seing there nedeth no addition to be made vnto the whiche is perfecte wherfore shulde men beleue the the scripture coÌ„teyneth not in it all truth thynges necessarye for our saluation but the diuers thynges come by tradition whiche are both necessary to be beleued of vs also kepte It is very true that the scripture the gospel is perfecte not that it conteineth in it expresselye all truth necessarye to be knowen obserued as I haue proued before in thys my boke but the it is perfecte touchynge the thynges coÌ„prised thereiÌ„ coÌ„teyneth general rules pÌ„ceptê out of the which al thynges necessary for a chrysten mannes religion saluation may be collected gathered thoughe they be not particularly expressely publyshed sette forth therin As for an example The scripture byddeth vs honoure god but vpon what daye Exo. 20. Deute 6. Math. 4. we shulde do it chiefly scripture plainly telleth not leauing that to be taughte the apostles of the holy goost whiche dyd institute the sonday styred of that spirite of al truth as I haue shewed before Also the scripture sayeth the wythout baptyme none caÌ„ entre in to the kyngdome of heueÌ„ IohaÌ„ iii. the holy apostles inspired with the holy goost of that and other sayenges touchyng the necessitye of baptysme ordeyned and taughte wythout wrytynge that chyldren ought to be chrystened may be saued therby Finallye the scrypture coÌ„mauÌ„deth euerye maÌ„ to take vp beare his crosse mortify the sensualities affections of the fleshe the apostles taught bow that shulde be done by fastynge the lente wensdaye fryday such other This we se therfore that wyth the perfectenes of the scripture agreeth standeth right wel that it coÌ„teyneth not expressely all truth but that dyuers truthes were opened to the holy apostles by the holy goost / which they lefte vnto the The .vi. argument churche vnwrytten Hytherto of thys Another reason maketh Vrbanê° regiê° vpoÌ„ Pauls wordes â— Cor. 3. sayenge All thynges be yours / whether it be Paule / eyther Apollo / eyther Cephas Wherby sayeth he we do vnderstande the neyther Paule / nor Cephas or Peter hath auctoritie to bynde mens coÌ„science / where god byndeth not / therefore we are not bouÌ„d to beleue or kepe of necessitie any traditioÌ„ of paul / peter or any other whiche God byndeth not vs to beleue / obserue by his holy word Did euer any maÌ„ The aunsweare reade / or heare so fonde folysh a reason as this is who wyl not bewayle lameÌ„t this great bliÌ„d nes of the lutherans which do reason so vnlernedlye to defende an heresy It is trew the peter paul were the corinthiaÌ„s for asmuch as they were ministers sent of God for theyr saluation What thaÌ„ coulde not they yet teache many thinges by mouth onely leaue theÌ„ weout writing vnto the church the it shulde beleue theÌ„ to be trew kepe theÌ„ also But thou sayest that they could not bynde mens coÌ„scieÌ„ce where god biÌ„deth not I graunt the / but of the must it nedes folow that they left nothyng vn writteÌ„ byndynge mens coÌ„science to beleue and obserue it Doth god bynde vs to nothynge vnwrytten in the holy scrypture Haue not I proued the coÌ„trarye in this boke Byndeth not theÌ„ there god mans coÌ„science / when where the holy gooste styrreth the apostles to institue ordeyn any thing not coÌ„preheÌ„ded in the scripture leaue it to yâ— churche vnwrytteÌ„ Therfore this slender argumeÌ„t is cleane wypte away as this other shal be grounded lyke wyse vpon the wronge vnderstandyng of these S. Pauls Colo. 2. The. 7. argument wordes to the Collossians Ye beyng dead wyth christ why are ye holden styll with decrees What is this yf it be not plaine wrestynge of scrypture from his true sense Saint Hierom sayed wel that heresye standeth in the Ca. 1. ad Gala. wronge takyng of the scrypture doth 〈…〉 Dyd not saint Paule in that seconde chaptre to the Colossians playnly speke of yâ— olde lawes decres or ordinaÌ„ces which dyd coÌ„syste in
that zachary whom chryst sayed that Mat. 23. the iewes murdered betwene the temple and the aultare was S. Iohan baptistes father prouiÌ„g by certen bokes dreames which were apocriphi because theyr makers were hyd and not knowen that he was therfore sleane because he publy sshed our sauyours coÌ„mynge Hoc quia de scripturis inquit hieronimus non habet autoritateÌ„ eadem facilitate coÌ„temnitur qua probatur That for as moche as it hath not auctoritie of the scryptures is with the same easynes despysed by which it is praysed or aproued Loo we se that the holy father saynt hiecome mente of that one thynge which was proued onely by bokes of none auctorytie what is this agaynste the apostles tradicions or to proue that we are bouÌ„d to beleue and kepe nothyng but onely that whiche is expresselye written in the scrypture Do the churches traditions hange and depende of bookes the autours wherof be vnknowen Haue not I declared that scrypture approueth the apostles vnwrytten traditions and that they taught or ordeyned diuers thinges by the motion and inspiratioÌ„ of the holy goost which they lefte to the churche vnwrytten and so they remayne hytherto and shal styll whyles the world dureth Now to make an ende of this boke I exhorte euery man and woman to be ware of erroneê° doctours and yll bookes which do teache and auauÌ„ce any learnynge contrary to the fayth of the churche of chryste / that is yâ— deare spouse of our sauyour bought with the shedynge of his moost precious bloude and therfore hath euer bene so tenderly beloued of hym that he hath not suffred hyr wholly to erre in any weightye point of our religion nor hereafter wyll permit to erre accordyng to his ê“mes sayeng hel gates yâ— is syn and heresye shal not preuayle agaynste hyr Who that leaneth to this sure pyller the church shall be euer in the ryght waye ouercome all heresye to the great coÌ„forte of his soule / at the length throughe the helpe of god lyuiÌ„g deuoutly he shal come to endles Ioyes of heauen which our saniour Iesu Chryste purchased for all his seruauntes to whom with the father the holy goost be honoure glorye for euer AmeÌ„ ☞ Another tradition of the apostles ⧠The catholyke and vniuersall churche of chryste our sauyoure hathe beleued almoste this xv huÌ„dred yeres euen sence our ladyes deceace that her body is in heauen and yet there is no scrypture to proue that poynte wherupoÌ„ it must neades folowe that this beleefe came vp fryste by the holye apostles tradition especially sence no man can tell whaÌ„ by whoÌ„ it was fryste of al begone brought iÌ„ to the church ¶ Saynt Hierome sayeth vnto Theophilus Scito nobis nihil esse antiquiê° quaÌ„ nec christi iura nec patrum transire terminos That is in englyssh Knowe thou that we do set by nothynge more then nother to passe ouer Chrystes lawes nor the fathers lymytes or determinations †Hieronimê° vigilaÌ„tio OiÌ„a coÌ„tra ecclesiaÌ„ dogmata reprehendo et publica voce damno I do reproue al doctrine that is agaynste the churche and condempne it with an open voyce Theophilê° hieronimo Optamus sifieri potest in diebus nostris catholicam fideÌ„ et ecclesiae regulas cum subiect is nobis populis custodire et omnes nouas sopire doctrinas We wysshe or desyre yf it maye be to kepe with the people vnder vs the catholyke fayth and the churches rules and to brige a sleape al newe doctrine ☞ Imprinted at LoÌ„don in paules churche yearde at the sygne of the maydeÌ„s hed by Thomas petit M. D. XL vii