to schisme which could not wel be decided by the holie scripture White in his way p. 48. The certaintie of the scripture is not written Certaintie of Scripture is not written indeed with letters in anie particular place or book therof Thirdly they grant that Scripture needeth interpretation for to decide Scripture needeth interpretation some controuersies of faith as before c. 4. sec 2. we cited out of Whitaker and others To Whome I ad that Morton to 2. Apol. l. 5. c. 9. saieth Not so as we haue the scripture the onely but the cheif Interpreter that is that in expounding scriptures we follow the iudgment of Pastors but weighed by the most clear Conference of scriptures And Laude Relat. sec 25. p. 157. Ether they Protestants and Papists must be iudged by the scripture they must ether both repaire to the exposition of the Primitiue Church and submit to that or both call and submit to a General Councel lawfully called Ibid. p. 166. The Iudge shal be the scripture and the Primitiue Church And sec Scripture not onelie â—udge 39. p. 386. The scripture interpreted by the primitiue Church and a lawful and free general Councel determining according to these is Iudge of Controuersies Sec. 16. p. 104. When the Fathers say we are to relie vpon scripture onely they are neuer to be vnderstood with exclusion of tradition in what case soeuer it may be had becaus it is deep and may be drawn into different senses and so Tradition not excluded mistaken if anie man wil presume vpon his own strenght and singly without the Church Fourthly al Protestants partly Scripture neeaeth some additions in words partly in fact doe confess that the Scripture needeth the addition of some humane principles for to proue both their special iustification In which they assume this Principle I beleue and also most or altheir points of faith which are opposit to ours As for to proue that the Eucharist is not substantially the bodie of Christ because the Scripture saieth it is a Commemoration of him They need to ad this humane Principle No Commemoration can be substantially the thing which is commemorated or to proue that Christ is not really in the Eucharist becaus the Scripture saieth He is in heauen they need to ad this humane principle No bodie can by the power of God be in two places at once And so of the like And if the Scripture need the attestation of the Church need the Interpretation of the Church need humane Principles it is euident that it is not the sole and entire Rule of faith For a sole and entire Rule needeth nether addition nor Interpretation S. Basil lib. contra Eunomium â—â—hat requisit to a Rule A Rule admitteth no addition For what wanteth something needeth addition but what are imperfect can neuer be rightly called rules or squares Theophilact in Philipens 3. A Canon or Rule suffereth nether addition nor suhstraction Protestants in Colloq Ratisbon sess 1. p. 36. In matters of faith religion and worship that onely is to be accounted and vsed for a Rule which admitteth nether addition nor subtraction Whitaker Contro 1 q. 4. c. 4. The scripture is called a Rule a square a scope exposed to the eyes of al therfore it must need be easie and open And ibid. q. 5. c. 7. Euerie rule must be certain and known Ibid. q 6. c. 16. Vnles the scripture be the entire and perfect rule it wil be no rule at al. Ibid. If it be a rule then perfect and adâ—â—quate And Chillingworth c. 2. n. 6. p. 54. I conclude that both these properties are requisit to a perfect Rule both to be so compleat as it need no addition and to be so euident as to need no interpretation White in his Way p. 15. The nature of a Rule is to be perfect Laude sec 26. n. 4. A Rule must be certain and known And I conclude that Scripture is no entire Rule of faith becaus in diuers matters of faith and religion according to Protestants plain confession it needeth both addition and interpretation Howsoeuer therfore Protestants in words auouch the Scripture to be the onelie and entire Protestants denieindeeds what they affirme in words rule of Christian faith indeed they deny it becaus they doe and must denie it to be such as an entire Rule must be But perhaps their meaning is that when Catholiks are to proue then Scripture is the onelie Rule of faith but when they are to proue it may need their expositions or their humane principles which is as much as to say sometimes it is a rule sometimes not or to Catholiks it must be an entire Rule but not to Protestants so that what they wil and when they wil is their Rule of faith And no maruel if their Rule be as variable as their faith is SIXT CHAPTER VVhether Scripture of it self doe sufficiently shevv or proue it self to be the vvord of God FIRST SECTION Protestants sometimes affirme CAluin 1. Institut c. 6. § 2. wheras they ask How shal â—e be perswaded that the Scriptures came from God vnles we fly to the decree of the Church it is as if one shold ask How shal we learn to discern light from darknes white from black sweet from Scripture as lear as light bitter For the Scripture of itself giueth no obscurer feeling of its truth than white and black things of their color sweet and bitter of their taste And Ioan. 10. v. 4. By the spirit of discretion the Elect do discern Gods truth from mens lies Iuel Defens Apol. c. 9. p. 404. When Harding asked How know you that the scriptures be scriptures How know you that the Gospel of Thomas Bartholmew and Nicodemus are no scriptures Answereth A man might wel demand the like question of M. Harding How know you that the sun As the sun is the sun or how know you that the moon is the moon Whitaker Contro 1. q. 3. c. 1. The summ of our opinion is that scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of it self hath al its authoritie and credit And l. 1. de Scrip. c. 9. p. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is which not onely of it self is true but which needeth no proof or demonstration Needeth no pâ—oof to confirme it See him ibid. p. 27. 93. 95. 102. 106. 65. 40. and contro 1. q. 6. c. 9. White in his way p. 27. The doctrin conteined in the scripture is a light and so abideth into what language soeuer it be translated and therfore the children of light know it and discern it For God directeth them by his holie spirit who openeth their hearts that they know his voice from al others and that the light of his truth may shine vpon them Which light is of this nature that it giueth testimonie to it self and receaueth authoritie from no other And in his way p. 48. The vertue and power which shewes it self in euerie
both books alike Which Present Church authoritie made Whitaker contr 1. q. 3. c. 7. to say we may be forced by the authoritie of the Church to beleue these books to be Canonical And if forced to beleue by authoritie of the Church then the authoritie of the Church is a most effectual and sufficient cause of infallible beleif And in the same place S. Austin I would not beleue the Gospel vnles the Authoritie of the Catholik Church did moue me which clearly testifieth the necessitie of the Churches proposal and made Whitaker q. cit c. 8. to grant that it is true we should not beleue the Gospel vnles thâ— Catholik Church did propose it But S Austin saieth more If the Catholik Churches authoritie did not moue me And it is far more for Catholik authoritie to moue vs to beleue then for the Church onely to propose Men of no authoritie may propose but authoritie which moueth to beleue the Gospel and with out which we cannot beleue the Gospel must needs be necessarie and infallible authoritie For beleif of the Gospel is infallible and such must be the authoritie that so moueth vs to it as without which we cannot beleue Commonly Protestants answer that S. Austin spake these words of himself as he was an heretik But this cannot be becaus as he was an heretik he did not beleue the authoritie it self of the Catholik Church and therfore as such he could not be moued to beleue the Scripture for her authoritie For how could he be moued to beleue the Scripture for that which it self he did not beleue Secondly becaus he saieth not non credidissem as Morton tom Apol. l. 1 c. 37 falsly citeth him but non crederem which words properly are to be vnderstood of him as he was minded at that present And al a August de Doctrina l. 3 c. 10. 11. Tertul de â—arnâ— Christi c. 13 15. words are to be vnderstood according to their proprietie if the contrarie be not manifest For otherwise we should be vncertain how to vnderstand men And it is not manifest that S. Austin did not vse those his words according to their proprietie Wherfore Morton loco cit granteth that S. Austin maketh the Church the meanes by which a Catholik beleueth and the reason without which not which sufficeth for my present purpose to shew the necessitie of the Churches proposal for the meanes by which and reason without which not are necessarie Thirdly becaus afterward S. Austin addeth The authoritie of Catholiks being weakned I can no more beleue the Gospel which he spake plainly of himself as he was then a Catholik and shew that his beleef of the Gospel euen both then and for the time after depended on the authoritie of the Church I add also that though S. Austin had saied the foresaied word of himself onely as he was an heretik yet it would thence follow that the proposal and authoritie of the Church is at least necessarie to begin beleif of the Gospel howsoeuer it be not necessarie for to continue it And it cannot be saied that is is necessarie so onely as an inducement or disposition to such beleef becaus as S. b L. de vtil cred c. 11. Austin saieth That we know we owe to reason that we beleue to authoritie So that as Reason is the formal cause of our knowledg so is Authoritie the formal cause of our beleef and such cause of our beleef of the Gospel is the authoritie of the Catholik Church such not principal but subordinate to Gods authoritie Chillingworth c. 2. § 54 p. 54. p. 73. and § 97. p. 88. saieth That S. Austin by Catholik Church meanerh the Church of al ages including Christ and the Apostles But nether proueth he that nor can tel how S. Austin could be infallibly certain of the testimonie of the Church of Christ and the Apostles time but by the testimonie of the Church of his time Which if it were not infallible he could not be infallibly certain of the testimonie of the Church of Christ and the Apostles time Beside S. Austin sheweth that he meaneth of the authoritie of the present Church in saying The Catholik authoritie doth commend to me both books alike And l. 1. contra Crescon c. 33. The truth of Scripture is held when we doe what now seemeth to the whole Church Which is plainly ment of the present Church The same S. Austin as is before cited saieth l. 10. de Gen. ad literam c. 23. That baptisme of Infants were not to be beleued vnles it were an Apostolical tradition And l. 2. de baptismo c. 4. that he durst not defend the baptisme giuen by heretiks vnles he were assured by the authoritie of the Church Therfore he thought the authoritie of the Church necessarie to beleue those points of faith Vincentius l. 1. c. 2. Here possibly one may demand when the rule of Scripture is perfect and in it self more then enough sufficient vnto al things what need is there to ioine vnto it the authoritie of the Churches sense And he answereth this is becaus al men doe not take it in one sense therfore it is necessarie that the line of interpretation be directed according to the rule of Ecclesiastical and Catholik sense Behold the sense of the Church necessarie to vnderstand the Scripture rightly And the same Vincent 16. c. 41. It is necessarie that the vnderstanding of the holie Scripture be directed according to the onely rule of the Churches sense And if the vnderstanding of the Scripture must be directed according to the sense of the Church doubtles the sense of the Church is necessarie THIRTEENTH CHAPTER That the true Church of God is a necessarie proposer of al points of faith proued by reason grounded in Scripture 1. FIrst What is Gods ordinarie meanes of teaching faith is in ordinarie course necessarie to haue faith Gods ordinarie means of teaching faith is by the Church therfore his means of teaching by the Church is in ordinarie course necessarie The Maior seemeth euident by it self and the Minor is proued by those places Rom. 10. Faithis of hearing lawful preaching Ephes 4. God hath put Pastors for consummation of Saints 1. Tim. 5. The Church is the pillar and ground of truth and so euident as Whitaker l. 1. de Scrip. p. 73. saieth That the ordinarie manner by which God teacheth is by the Church I willingly grant 2. Secondly becaus nether Scripture nor reading of Scripture is a necessarie cause of engendring faith in ordinarie course Therfore the preaching of the Church is such a means For there is doubtles some ordinarie means instituted by God which in ordinarie course is necessarie and if not Scripture nor reading of Scripture surely the Church and her preaching For no other can be reasonably imagined The Antecedent I proue becaus as I saied before for manie ages before Moyses there was no Scripture at al nor for some yeares after Christ was there anie Scripture of
hearing the word of God and the ministerie of the Church is necessarie in ordinarie course for the begetting of faith P. 9. The Church ordinarie propounder of faith God hath apointed an outward ordinarie means to present and propound diuine verities to our faith and this ordinarie means we grant is the Church Is not this to grant in plain termes that the Church is the ordinarie proposer of faith apointed by God P. 10. The Church is one cause to wit inductiue or preparatiue without which men ordinarily doe not beleue P. 6. The testimonie of the present Church is the first external motiue of our faith it is the key or dore that lets men into the knowledg of diuine misteries Laude sec 16. p. 73. No man may expect inward priuat reuelation without the external means of the Church vnles perhaps the case of necessitie be excepted Hooker l. 3. § 8. we al know that the first outward motiue leading men to esteeme of the Scripture is the authoritie of Gods Church Chillingworth c. 1. p. 63. Whether such or such a book be canonical Scripture affirmatiuely cannot be decided but by the testimonie of the ancient Churches P. 52. we take the Scripture vpon vniuersal tradition P. 66. Of this controuersies which books be canonical we make the Church the Iudg The consent and testimonie of the ancient and primitiue Church P. 72. It is superfluous for you to proue out of S. Athanasius and S. Austin that we must receaue the sacred Canon vpon the credit of Gods Church vnderstanding by Church the credit of Tradition P. 96. It is vpon the authoritie of vniuersal tradition that we would haue them beleue the Scripture c. 3. § 38. p. 150. The Church is a necessarie introduction to faith Couel art 4. Doubtles it is a tolerable opinion in the Church of Rome that the Scriptures are holie and diuine in themselues but so esteemed by vs for the authoritie of the Church See Whites defense p. 251. 254. 3. Nether doe they onely confess this but also confess that the Scripture teacheth it The confession of Auspurg c. de potestate Ecclesiasticâ Eternal iustice the holie Spirit life euerlasting can not be had but by the ministerie of the word and Sacraments as Paul saieth The confession of Bohemia art 10. They grant that none can haue true faith vnles he hear the word of God according to that of Paul Faith is of hearing And againe how shal they beleue in him whome they haue not heard And the Protestants in their Conferencie in Maspurg in Hospin parte 2. Historiae Sacram fol. 77. agreed that the holie Ghost speaking of the ordinarie waie giueth Vocal word of God faith to none vnles a sermon or vocal word goe before but he worketh faith by and with the vocal word where and in whome he pleaseth Rom. 10. Caluin 4. Instit c. 1. § 5. God inspireth faith but by the Organ of his Gospel as Paul admonisheth that faith is of hearing Ibid. Vve must hold what we haue cited out of Paul that the Church is not builded otherwise then by external preaching In 1. Cor. 3. v 6. Note in this place that preaching of the word is necessarie nothing can hinder but God can infuse faith whiles we sleep if he wil without help of man but he hath decreed otherwise to wit that faith is of hearing The same he hath Hebr. 4. 1. Tim. 3. and Ephes 4. Beza in colloquio Montisbel p. 407. The ordinarie means by which faith is ordinarie cause infused is by hearing the word of God Rom. 10. wherfore these two causes are alwaies ioined to wit the Holie Ghost and hearing of the word of God Bucer in Rom. 10. The Apostle knew that God can cal al men without the ministerie of men yet he simply wrote how shal they beleue in him of whome they haue heard nothing Hyperius vpon the same place This it is That al beleue and inuocate God it is necessarie that they first heare the Gospel and be taught Daneus l. de visibili Ecclesia p. 1069. Paul saieth Faith is of hearing not of priuat reading Whitaker l. 1. de Scriptura p. 29. Vvhat thou obiectest of the Apostle how shal they beleue him whome they haue not hear doth demonstrate that preaching is necessarie to â—aue right faith of God P. 39. I am not ignorant how necessarie the ministerie of the Church is both to begett and confirme faith and if you vrge I can grant that what is beleued is beleued by the ministerie of the Church For God hath set that order in his Church that faith be of hearing and hearing of the word of God The like he hath p. 41. 100. l. 3. p. 396. Contro 1. q. 2. c. 15. Faith as the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 10. is of hearing And q. 6. c. 15. out of which place Rom. 10 it is euident that faith is conceaued by hearing And in his last sermon p. 694. It is certain that in those of yeares faith is of hearing as the Apostle teacheth White in his way § 27. p. 116. It wil be easily granted that the ministerie of the Church is the ordinarie means wherby we learn the faith of Christ and that no man of himself can attain to the knowledg therof but as the Church teacheth him Except in some extraordinarie cases the preaching therof is required is a necessarie condition as the text of S. Paul Rom. 10. speaketh See Potter sec 5. p. 9. and Dent in his plain way p. 250. 4. Out of which confessions of Protestants it is manifest 1. that the Churches proposal is necessarie to beget faith 2. that her proposal is the ordinarie means and instrument by which God produceth faith in vs 3. That without her preaching there is no faith 4. That though God can beget faith without the help of the Church yet he hath decreed not to doe it 5. That we cannot beleue the Scriptures but by the means of the Church 6. That the Scripture teacheth this which is plainly to confess both that the Churches proposal of points of faith is necessarie to haue faith of them and also that we must first know the Church before we can know the Scripture and consequently that we must know the Scripture by the Church and not Vvhitaker l. 〈◊〉 de Scrip. p. 18. 49. Chilling c. 2. n. 21. the Church by the Scripture as commonly Protestants vse to teach Let them therfore tel me what Church preached Protestant doctrin to Luther and to the first Protestants of hearing of what lawful preacher he had his Protestant faith By what Churches ministerie he learnt the Protestant sense of Scriptures or say that he had not his faith of hearing but of diuine inspiration which themselues condemn in Suencfeldius Anabaptists and Enthusiasts as is to be seen in Melancthon Respons ad articulos Bauaricos fol. 172. Schusselburg to 10. catal haeret p. 30. Kemnitius 2. parte Exam. tit de Sacram. ord p. 391.
reading of them be instructed to pietie and Heretiks euen the most learned sufficiently refâ—ted by them And to 1. l. 2. c. 9. He calleth it pure and plain Protestant doctrin That the principal points of faith necessarie to the saluation of al are clearly conteined in scripture See his Appeal l. 2. c. 7. sec 9. Euidently Chillingworth in the preface n. 30. 33. 37. Al things necessarie to saluation are euidently conteined in scripture And n. 37. he saieth That is the base and adequat foundation of his answer and that al Protestants vnanimously profess and mantain it c. 2. n. 157. p. 115. In a word al things necessarie to beleued are euidently conteined in scripture and what is not there euidently conteined can not be necessarie to be beleued Ibid. n. 11. p. 58. The scripture in things necessarie we pretend is plain P. 83. n. 84. If you speak of plain places and in such al Need no Interpreter necessarie things are conteined we are sufficiently certain of the meaning of them nether need they anie interpteter p. 59. n. 12. Thoses places which contein things necessarie and wherin error were dangerous need no infallible Interpreter becaus they are plain C. 6. p. 375. we want no vnitie nor meanes to procure it in things necassarie Plain places of scripture and such as need no interpretation are our meanes to obtein it c. 3. n. 52. p. 159. Protestants agree that the scripture euidently containes al things necessarie to saluation Plessie of the Church c. 4. p. 108. Euidently He who hath mercifully vouch safed to saue his people and who onely may be called a true Father would make his couenant with them in as plain termes and express clauses as could be deuised Ibid. There is nothing more clear or As plain and express as could be deuised more plain then the doctrin of saluation White in his Way p. 31. The scriptures plainly determin al points of faith As plainly as anie can p. 32. He can name no one necessarie article of our saith but the word teacheth it as plainly as himself can P. 39. The scripture by its own light perswadeth as and in alcases doubts questions and coutrouersies clearly testifieth with vs or against vs. And in his Defense c. 31. p. 294. The question is whether the written scripture conteines in express words or sense the whole and entire doctrin of faith and good life Vshers Reioinder p. 114. scriptures are sufficient for the final determination of al questions of faith Tailor in his libertie of Prophesing sec 3. n. 1. Al the articles of faith are clearly and plainly set down in scripture sec 5. n. 2. scripture in its plain Expression is an abundant rule of faith and manners SECOND SECTION Sometimes denie it PRotestants in Colloq Ratisbon in Respons ad testimonia Patrum p. 470. None of vs euer dreamed that the scripture is so clear and easie as anie man may straight as it were at the first sight and without help of teachers vnderstand it Whitaker Contro 1. q. 4. c. 1. when Bellarmin maketh this to be the state of the question whether the scripture be of it self so plain as without interpretation Needeth Interpretation for matters of faith it sufficeth of it self to end and determin al controuersies of faith he fighteth without an aduersarie For in this matter he hath not vs Aduersaries They say but falsly that we think that al things in scriptures are plain and that they suffice without â—â—edeth Interpretation For controuersies Interpretation to end al controuersies C. 2. God would haue the holie Misteries of his word to be imparted to pure and holie men not to be cast before hoggs and doggs C. 3. when they proue that there is great difficultie to vnderstand the Scriptures they dispute not against vs. l. 2. de Scrip. c. 4. sec 4. p. 229. The Eunuch without Phillip nether beleued nor vnderstood what was sufficient For matter of saluation to saluation Laude Relat. sec 39. n. 9. Scripture interpreted by the Primitiue Church General Councel judge and a lawful and free General Councel determining according to these is Iudge of Controuersies Dauenantius de Iudice c. 15. We defend not which the Papists impose vpon vs the doctrin of faith conteined in Scripture to be so plain and perspicuous Needeth an Interpreter for doctrin of faith that it need not at al the help of an Interpreter or Doctor And need not this needful Interpreter to be infallible in interpreting And who is such if not the Church FIFT CHAPTER VVhether Scripture be the sole and entire Rule of al Christian beleif or no FIRST SECTION Protestants sometimes affirme PRotestants in Colloq Ratisbon Thesi 1. p. 19. We vndoubtedly acknowledg the word of God conteined in the writings of the Prophets Euangelists and Apostles to be the sole certain and infallible rule square and measure of doctrin worship and Christian Sole Rule faith The Confession of Basil art 1. Canonical Scripture alone conteineth perfectly Perfectly al pie tie al manner of life Confessio Belgica art 7. We beleue this holie Scripture to contein most perfectly al the wil of God and that in it are abundantly taught al those things whatsoeuer be necessarie to be beleued of Abundantly men for to obtein saluation Caluin ad art 20. Paris p. 2 9. We determin that right faith is grounded in the Scriptures onely In Confess p. Onely 107. Our saluation relieth on Scriptures onely We embrace it for the onely rule of faith In Refutat Catalani p. 383. We beleue and with a loud voice doe euermore crie that the Gospel is the onely rule by which al must be reformed Onelierule Daneus Contro 7. p. 1350. The onely foundation of Christian faith is the word of God and that alone written Hospinian parte 2. Histor Sacram fol. 23. The Magistrate of Zurich commanded that hereafter they propound no other thing to their Churches but the pure mere word of God conteined Mere written word in the words of the Prophets and Apostles K. Iames Resp ad Card. Peron p. 397. The king iudgeth that before aâ— things alagrâ—e of this Rule That points of faith and whatsoeuer deserueth necessarily Alone to be beleued be taken out of Scripture alone Laude Relat. § 17. p. 117. The Scripture Onely onely is the foundation of faith Potter sec 6. p. 65. Scripture the onely foundaiion and rule of faith Pareus Collegio Theol. 3. d. 2. scripture in this time is no les necessarie to the saluation of the Church then meat for the life Scripture as necessarie as meal for life of man And Collegio 9. d. 4. scripture now is necessarie not onely to the wel being of the Church but euen to her being Whitaker l. 1. de Scrip. c. 11. sec 1. scripture is the onely sufficient means to beleue So Contro 1. q. 3. c. 10. q. 6. c. 9.
we challeng not Ibid. § 154. you content not yourselues with a moral certaintie of things you beleue p. 113. Moral certaintie sufficient Me thinks you should require onely a moral and modest assent to them points of faith and not a diuine as you cal it and infallible faith Ibid. § 159. p. 116. God requireth of vs vnder pain of damnation onely to beleue the verities therin Scripture conteined and not the diuine authoritie of the books wherin Not diuine authoritie of Scripture they are conteined We haue I beleue as great reason to beleue there was such a man as Henrie the Eight King of England as that Iesus Christ suffered vnder Pontius Pilat C 6. § 3. p. 325. That there is required of vs a As great reason for beleef of K. Hen. as of Christ. knowledg of them points of faith and an adherence to them as certain as that of sense or science that such a certaintie is required of vs vnder pain of damnation this I haue demonstrated to be a great error and of dangerous and pernicious consequence § 5. p. 327. Men may talke their pleasure of an absolute and most infallible certaintie but did they generally beleue that obedience to Christ were the onely way to present and eternal felicitie but as much as Caesars Commentaries or the historie of Salust I beleue the liues of most men Papists and Protestants would be better then they are And therfore it followes from your own reason that faith which is not a most certain and infallible knowledg may be true and sauing faith C. 7. § 7. p. 389. In requiring that this faith should be diuine and Dangerous that faith must be infallible infallible you cast your Credents into infinit perplexitie Erasmus on the 2. and 27. of Mathew There is no fear that al the authoritie of the Scripture shold fall if anie error were found in it Luther called the Scripture The books of Heretiks Protestants in Colloq Ratisbon sess 11. say that we must distinguish betwene the faith wherwith we beleue points necessarie to saluation and historical faith wherwith we beleue the Scripture to be the word of God And historical faith is not diuine faith vnles they wil make manie kinds of diuine faith And they add that there is not equal reason of beleuing that scripture is Gods word and that Christ is Incarnate And Whitaker l. 1. de Script p. 88. who haue no other faith but historical doe no more beleue Christ then the Diuels Moulins in his Bucler sec 4. p. 13. Properly speaking articles Scripture no doctrin of Christian religion of faith are doctrins of Christian religion and in this sense the Canon of Canonical books is no article of faith So that the Canon of Scripture is no doctrin of Christian religion White in his Defense c. 30. p. 282. scripture ether by the immediate light Scripture known by â—ight of nature of Gods spirit or by the light of nature may be known to be Gods word And if by the light of nature without diuine faith Hooker l. 3. § 8. we know by reason that the scripture is the word of God By reason Whitaker aforsaid l. 1. de Script p. 25. The most diuine character of the scripture doth most plainly tel al that ether haue receaued the Holie Ghost or are imbued with mean understanding By mean vnderstanding that it came from God And if mean vnderstanding suffice without the Holie Ghost there need no diuine faith to beleue it And ibid. p. 122. Who hath reason and wil vse it may therby most easily discern these diuine books from mens books P. 150. Scriptures By onelie reading may be known by onely reading And in praefat ad Staplet The Scripture giueth so clear a testimonie of its diuiniâ— tie that who read it with a smal attention and iudgment cannot be ignorant that it is diuine And p. 77. vnles he be doltish l. 2. p. 235. Scriptures may be acknowledged and held without the testimonie of the Spirit NINTH CHAPTER VVhether translated Scripture be authentical FIRST SECTION Protestants sometimes affirme WHite in his Way to the Church p. 12. I say the Scripture translated into English Translated Scripture rule of faith is the Rule of faith whervpon I relying haue not a humane but a diuine authoritie And p. 27. The doctrin conteined in the Scripture is a light and so abideth into what language soeuer it be translated and therfore the children of light know it and discern it Ibid. So the vnlearned man is secured not vpon the Churches credit and authoritie but by the ministerie which teacheth him he is directed to the light itself And this Ministerie we haue and vse for our Translations but they that obey it know the Translation and so proportionably The matter of Scripture sheweth it self al articles of faith to be infallible becaus the matter therof appeares to them as a candle in a lantern shewing it self in its own light And in his table before his book The Scriptures translated into English are the Rule of faith And in his Defense of his Way c. 28. p. 266. Though it be granted that the Ministerie of men and rules of art and knowledg of tonges be al subiect to error yet doth it not follow that by them we cannot obtein infallible assurance of our translations Chillingworth c. 2. § 32. we beleue the Scripture not finally Matter of Scripture known by it self and for itself but for the matter conteined in it And so al Protestants should say seing when they exhort the common people to the reading of their translated Bibles they bear them in hand that it is the word of God and that their translation of the word of God is authentical and worthie to be beleued for it self Besids they did the people beleue what they teach them becaus it is in their Bibles and so make their Bibles the rule and ground of their peoples faith And no other infallible rule of faith their common people can pretend to haue Moreouer if they make the matter or true sense of Scripture the rule of faith as commonly they doe they cannot denie but Scripture truly translated hath the same matter which the original hath SECOND SECTION Sometimes denie it WHitaker Contro 1. q. 2. c. 7. We make no edition of Scripture authentical but the Hebrew in the old and the Greek in the New Testament Translations if No translation authentical they agree we allow them if they differ we reiect them Ibid. c. 8. We doe doe not say that we must stand to our translations as authentical of themselues but we appeal to the fountaines onely as truly authentical C. 9. Authentical Scripture must come imediatly from the Holie Ghost C. 10. onely authentical is Canonical Et ibid. q. 5. c. 9. The ignorance of the original toungs Hebrew and Greek hath caused manie errors And thus al Protestants should say becaus
P. 76. Faith is of scriptures heard P. 108. Faith is begotten not of testimonie of the Church but onely out of scripture P. 122. The The â—â—elie sufficient means scripture is the most strong the most effectual I ad also now the onely sufficient means to beleue P. 130. Our faith relieth vpon the scriptures alone P. 165. scriptures are the foundations of our faith P. 167. The scripture is the beginning of beleuing The same he hath p. 168. P. 173. The formal cause of our Scripture the formal cause of beleef faith is not the voice of the Church but Gods word reuealed in the scriptures Potter sec 5 p. 8. The principal motiue and last obiect of beleif is the diuine last obiect authoritie of the scripture it self P. 10. The cheif principle ground on which faith rests and for which it firmely The ground of faith assents vnto those truths which the Church propounds is the diuine reuelation made in scripture sec 7. p. 95. The creed conteines onely the material The formal obiect obiect of faith The scripture is further the formal obiect of faith or the motiue and ground whervpon faith is grounded being both the obiectâ—m quod in respect of things therin reuealed and obiectum Obiectum quod and quâ— quo in respect of that diuine veritie and authoritie which reueals them Laude Relat. sec 16. p. 84. Tradition of the present Church is the first moral motiue to beleue but the beleif it self That the scripture is the word of God rests vpon the scripture P. 89. Doe Faith resolued into Scripture you grant as you ought to doe that we resolue our faith into scripture as the ground and we wil neuer denie that Tradition is the key that letts vs in Sec. 18. p. 123. The Prophets testimonie was diuine into which namely their writings the Iewes did resolue their faith Hooker l. 2. § 7. Scripture is The ground of al beleef the ground of al beleif Chillingworth c. 3. § 32. p. 149. I can not know anie doctrin to be a diuine and supernatural truthe but becaus the scripture saies so And where saies it that it is the word of God Vttermost formal cause of faith Morton to 2. Apol. l. 1. c. 37. Papists are forced against their wil to grant that thè vttermost formal cause of Catholik faith doth not consist in the authoritie of the Church but in scripture Ib. The diuine authoritie of the scripture by vertue of the holie Ghost doth imprint in the minds of the hearers the last formal Last formal cause cause of faith And l 5. c. 11. scripture is to the faithâ—ul the supreme Iudge euen concerning vs in which our consciences doe last rest In his Appeal l. Last rest and resolution 3. c 15. sec 5. In the doctrin of scripture mens consciences may take their last rest and resolution White in his Table before his way The last resolution of our faith is into the authoritie of the scripture And yet they cannot denie but the authoritie of the Scripture is create For they were written by men And so the formal cause the vttermost formal cause the last formal cause the last rest Create authoritie the vttermost formal cause of Protest faith the last resolution of their faith is create authoritie and not Prima veritas it self as they pretend and condemn Catholiks for onely saying that the create authoritie of the true formal cause but say not as Protestants say of Scripture the vttermost the last formal cause the last resolution of our faith Besids Protestants make Protestants inferences out of humane Principles the last resolution of their faith their own Inferences partly out of some humane principle to be equal and equiualent vnto express Scripture or word of God as is shewed before c. 3 sec 2. and so make their own Inferences and those partly out of humane Principles the formal cause the vttermost the last formal cause that into which their faith is last resolued and withal teach that L. 1. c. 18 n. 1. the Inference cannot be more certain then the Principle out of which it is inferred How then can their faith haue more certaintie then humane as Chillingworth confessed c. 8. sec 2. SECOND SECTION Sometimes denie it CHillingworth c. 2. n. 159. p. 116. For other reasons I conceaue this doctrin that Scripture is the rule of faith Not fundamental becaus if a man should beleue Christian religion Scripture no fâ—ndamental doctrin wholy and entirely and liue according to it such a man though he should not know or not beleue the Scripture to be a rule of faith no nor to be the word of God my opinion is he may be saued so that the books of Scripture are not so much the obiects of our faith as the instruments of conueying it to our vnderstanding and not so much of the being of Christian doctrin as requisit to the welbeing of it Ireneus tels vs of some barbarous nations that beleued the doctrin of Christ and yet beleued not the Scripture to be the word of God For they neuer heard of it and faith comes of hearing God requiring of vs vnder pain of damnation onely Not damnabâ—e not to beâ—eue the Scripture to beleue the verities therin conteined and not the diuine authoritie of the books wherin they are conteined Ibid. n. 32. p. 65. Which Scripture we beleue not finally and for it self but for the matter conteined in it We Scripture not last obâ—â—st of faith are to beleue it not as the last obiect of out faith but as the means of it Ibid. Natural reason built on principles common Natural â—eason last â—eâ—oluâ—◠〈◊〉 of â—rotest faith to al men is the last resolution of our faith of the Scripture into which the Churches authoritie is but the first inducement n. 115. p. 96. By you as wel as by Protestants al is finally resolued into reason Baro in his Apologie pro disput de obiecto fidei p. 48. Laicks beleue the doctrin which is proposed to them to be beleued to be in the Protest beleue Scripture but with 〈…〉 ne faith Scripture onely with humane faith Behold first That Scripture is the rule of faith is no fundamental doctrin Secondly one may be saued though the beleue not the Scripture to be the word of God Thirdly books of Scripture are not so much obiects of our faith as instruments therof Fourthly are not so much of the being of Christian faith as of the wel being of it Fiftly God requires not vnder pain of damnation to beleue the diuine authoritie of Scripture Sixtly we beleue not the Scripture finally and for it self Seauently It is not the last obiect of faith Eightly natural reason is the last resolution of Protestants faith of the Scripture Ninthly Laicks beleue their doctrin to be in the Scripture but with humane faith And can that which is such be the formal
not written that we say is bastard Beza in Rom. 1. v. 17. Christians acknowledg no other obiect of faith but the written word of God Perkins in his Reform Cath. Contro 20. c. 2. We acknowledg the onely written word of God Wherfore ether there is some point of faith nay the cheifest point of al an vnwritten word of God or this point That the scripture is the word of God is no point of faith with Protestants Which Chillingworth c. 2. § 4. seemeth plainly to teach where he saieth The controuersies wherin the scripture it self is the subiect of the question cannot be determined but by natural reason § 32. The scripture is none of the material obiects of our faith Scripture no material obiect of faith § 51. Tradition by which Scripture is known is a Principle not in Christianitie but in reason § 159. God requireth of vs vnder pain of damnation onely to beleue the verities therin conteined not the diuine authoritie of the books wherin they are conteined And the same insinuate Whitaker Hooker and White cited supra c. 8. sec 2. Who say that Scripture may be known by reason and light of nature to be the word of God So that the most necessarie most sure prime great main ground of Protestants faith is a principle of natural reason and no obiect of diuine faith or which we are bound to beleue vnder pain of damnation Surely I see not how Protestants can make agree these two main points of their doctrin There is no word of God vnwritten necessarie to be beleued and That scripture is the word of God is a word of God vnwritten necessarie to be beleued The first is the common doctrin of al Protestants who therfore denie that there is anie tradition that is word of God vnwritten necessarie to be beleued and say the Scripture is the perfect and entire rule of faith conteining al that is necessarie to be beleued The second also is their vsual doctrin For that with them it is a word of God That the Scripture is the word of God is euident both becaus they put the Canon of Scripture in their Confessions of faith as a parte of their beleif and Sup n. 7. also because Laude loco cit calleth it a prime principle of faith And Vsher That of al things this ought to be beleued And seing they say their beleif of al other points dependeth on this I suppose they wil not denie this to be a point of faith or Gods word and say it is but a humane principle or word of man That this point is not written is euident For no where it can be shewed and also because Laude White and others cited supra c. 5. sec 2 confess that it is no where written in Scripture And if it were anie where written we could proue Scripture by itself which Whitaker Feild Hooker Couel Chillingworth and others cited c. 5. doe denie And that they account this point necessarie to be beleued I need not proue becaus they account it the most necessarie of al and on which dependeth whatsoeuer els they beleue 9. An other proof that the Scripture doth not sufficiently propose al points of faith may be taken from the Protestants confession That they cannot deduce most of their points of faith in which they differ from vs out of Scripture by anie necessarie Inference but by adding to Scripture some humane principle As they caÌ„not infer out of that saying of Scripture Doe this in Commemoration of me that the Eucharist is not substantially the bodie of Christ but by adding this humane principle A Commemoration cannot be substantially the thing which is commemorated And the like wil appeare in their proof of other their points of faith if they be brought into syllogistical forme And how can that be saied to propose See Vvhites 〈◊〉 16 p. 138. sufficiently al points of faith which doth but partly propose them and needeth the addition of another How can it be called the perfect rule of faith which needeth addition seening we haue shewed before out of the Fathers and their own confession that a Rule needeth no addition C. 5. sect 2. Nay how can they say they beleue those conclusions as points to be infallibly beleued which they being fallible men doe also infer partly out of fallible and humane principles seeing as Laude saieth sec 16. § 3. This is an inuiolable See him sect 19. p. 125. ground of reason That the principle of anie conclusion must be of more credit then the conclusion itself And the same say Whitaker Contro 2. q. 5. c. 18. l. 〈◊〉 de Script p. 166. 392. 416. Potter sec 5. p 14. 15 33. 40 Morton to 2. Apol. l. 1. c. 37. Chillingworth Fallible Principles can neuer produce an infallible conclusion c. 2. p. 57. and others commonly Thus haue we proued that Scripture doth not sufficiently propose al points of faith now we wil proue that it doth not propose to al men SIXTEENTH CHAPTER That Scripture doth not sufficiently propose points of faith to al men capable of external proposal 1. THat Scripture doth not sufficiently propose points of faith to al men who are capable of external proposal is euident in the blinde and those who cannot read For the blinde cannot so much as see the letters of the Scripture and those who cannot read cannot see their signification or what they signifie Therfore Scripture of itself doth propose nothing sufficiently vnto them If anie answer that Scripture may be read to them and so propose sufficiently to them I reply First that if Scripture cannot propose to them but by some others reading of it of itself alone it cannot propose and so can be no Rule of faith to them becaus a Rule needeth no help to direct And yet White in his Defense c. 24. p. 105. saith This Rule of faith is of such nature as it is able to direct al men yea the simplest and vnleaâ—nedest aline Secondly that according to Protestants al men are fallible and may read wrong ether of purpose or of ignorance And the Scriptures proposal were not infallible if it vsed a fallible help Surely the blinde or ignorant men can haue no greater assurance then moral that the Reader readeth true For what diuine infallible assistance can he be thought to haue in reading true And it were madness to say he hath diuine assistance in reading true and to denie that the true Church of God hath the like assistance in teaching true 2. And as D. Potter saieth sec 5. p. 7. The assent of diuine faith is absolutly diuine which requires an obiect and motiue so infallibly true as that it nether hath nor can possibly admit anie mixture of error or falshood And he should haue said it cannot possibly admit anie mixture of fallibilitie And doubtles anie particular mans reading is fallible How then can the blinde or ignorant men haue faith absolutly diuine whose motiue is Gods
If anie obey not our word note him And 1. Ioan. 4. v. 6. who knoweth God heareth vs who is not of God heareth not vs In this we know the spirit of truth and spirit of error Where doubtles he speaketh of infallible knowledg of God by hearing him and infallible knowledg could not haue been by hearing him if he had not been infallible in teaching Gods truth And these testimonies of scripture doe not only proue that God can giue to men diuine and infallible authoritie or veracitie but also that he hath giuen it to some 4. That the holie Fathers thought that God can giue diuine or infallible authoritie or veracitie to men wil be euident out of their testimonies a Infra c. 7. hereafter brought to proue that he hath giuen such to the Church And Reason conuinceth that he can giue such authoritie or veracitie to men because it implieth not contradiction For what contradiction can be pretended that God can if he please effectually assist some so that they teach nothing in matters of faith but truth as he efficaciously assisteth the elect that they cannot be led into error Math. 24. And his effectual assistance maketh their authoritie or veracitie to be so diuine Infallible as we desire and is sufficient to be an external ministerial or subordinat cause of diuine and infallible faith For it implieth contradiction that who is efficaciously assisted by God to say but truth should lie And I take it to be so euident that God can giue such authoritie or veracitie to his Church or to men as I think scarce anie Protestant wil haue the face â—o denie it For this is not to make men or the Church Primam veritatem prime veritie as Whitaker fondly argueth l. 2. de scrip p. 230. but only a secondarie veritie or veracitie subordinat and depending vpon Gods prime veritie or veracitie If God can giue to men endles eternitie and yet not make them Gods why can he not also giue them infallible veritie or veracitie and yet not make them Gods or Prime veritie If he can make weakmen not to fall why can he not make the Church not to err in points of faith If he can make that the elect who are the principal part of the Church shal not be led into error Matth. 24 why can he not make the Church it self § 45. Naye so manifest it is See infra c. 15. and Cal uin in Luc. 10. v. 16. that God can giue to men this kinde of diuine veracitie or infallibilitie as Protestants themselues sometimes confess that he hath giuen it to men For thus Whitaker l. 3. de scripturâ p. 395. The testimonie of the holie Diuine Ghost is internal of the Apostles external both in their kindâ—s diuine Sufficient l. 2. p. 310. the authoritie alone of the Apostles sufficed to cause faith l. 1. p. 46. The Apostles authoritie was so great that you might safely beleue their preaching for it self P. 49. though the Apostles were men yâ—t they were so extraordinarily gouerned of the holie Ghost Râ—lied on their testimonie that most certaine faith relied on their testimonie P. 51. The Apostles for their fulnes of the holie Ghost by certaine Marks deserued assured authoritie so as we beleue them alone Controu 2 q. 3. c. 5. the Apostles did consigne the canon as most certaine organs of the holie Ghost endued with diuine authoritie l. 1. de Scrip. c. 8. p. 86. it was safe to Diuine beleue Paul but speaking Laude Relat of the Controu sec 16. p. 81. If the speech be of the prime Christian Church the Apostles disciples and such as had immediat reuelation from heauen no question but the voice and tradition of this Church is diuine not Simply dâ—uine aliquo modo in a sort but simply P. 84. In the voice of the primitiue and Apostolical Church there was simply diuine authoritie P. 85. we resolue only into Resolue into Apostolical tradition prime tradition Apostolical and scripture it self P. 91. Euerie assistance of Christ and the blessed Spirit is not enough to make the authoritie of anie companie of men diuine and infallible but such and so great an assistance only as is purposely giuen to that effect Such an assistance the Prophets vnder the old testament and the Apostles vnder the New had P. 102. we haue a double diuine Diuine testimonie altogeither infallible to confirme to vs that scripture is the word of God The first is the tradition of the Apostles themselues The other the Scripture it self And into these we doe and may safely resolue our faith Sec. Safely resolue into Tradition 18. p. 123. The Prophets testimonie was diuine Sec. 33. p. 239. Al the places Diuine ether speak of the Church including the Apostles as al of them doe and then al grant the voice of the Church is Gods voice diuine and Infallible Potter sec 5. p. 5. The prime Church I call that which included Christ and the Apostles who had immediat reuelation Simply diuine from heauen the voice and testimonie of their Church is simply diuine and Infallible Ibid. p. 30. Their general Councels authoritie is immediatly deriued and delegated from Christ sec 1. p. 25. The high preist in cases of moment had a certaine priuiledg from error if he consulted the diuine oracle by the iudgement of Vrim or by the breast plate of iudgment wherin were Vrim and Thummim wherby he had an absolutly infallible direction If anie such Absolutely infallible promise of God to assist the Pope could be produced his decisions might then iustly pass for oracles without examination Behold the high Priest in cases of moment had a priuiledg from error had an absolutly infallible direction and if the Pope had such his decisions might pass for oracles Humfrey ad Rat. 3. Camp p. 214. Rock of faith we confess the Apostolik Church to be the rock of our faith Chillingworth c. 2. paragrapho 138. we saie that Infallibilitie continued in the Church euen togeither with the scripture so long as Christ and his Apostles were liuing And parag 155. As the Apostles persons whiles they were liuing were the only iudges of controuersies so their writings now they are dead are the onlie Rule to iudg them by Feild lib. 4. of the Greater then scripture Church c 11. If the comparison be made between the Church including the Euangelists we denie not but the Church is of greater authoritie antiquitie and excellencie then the scripture of the new testament White in his waie p. 74. The Apostles teaching was infallible Behold the authoritie the testimonie the voice the tradition of the Prophets Apostles Euangelists and of the Primitiue Church is altogeither infallible is diuine not in a sorte but simply as Gods voice is a sufficient cause of faith is to be beleued for it self for which alone we may beleue into which we maie resolue our faith the rock of faith
the new Testament and in S. Ireneys time no Scripture amongst some Barbarians and yet there wanted not then some necessarie means of getting faith For there were faithful men in al those times and places 3. Thirdly Preachers or Pastors are necessarie to the Church in ordinarie course Therfore preaching also is necessarie The consequent is euident For why should preachers be necessarie if preaching for which preachers are be not The Antecedent is cleare both out of manie places in Scripture and out of the definition of the Church where Ministers of the word and of Sacraments are put as an essential parte of the Church where nether Scripture nor reading of it is put as anie parte thereof and also out of the confessions of Protestants as we shal see in the next Chapter If anie say that before Scripture was written Gods ordinarie means and necessarie for vs was preaching but after Scripture was written the reading of it is the necessarie ordinarie means of faith First I answer he voluntarily saieth that God hath changed his necessarie ordinarie means of causing faith Secondly Scripture neuer can be the vniuersal necessarie means of causing faith becaus it cannot be such to blinde men or to such as cannot read nay nor to anie that vnderstand it not in the original toungs according to the opinion of Protestants Besids See l. 2 c. 2. sect 2. it is absurd to say that after Scripture God had altered his ordinarie necessarie means of engendring faith For why should he alter it What proof is there that he did alter it Where is his word that saieth it 4. Fourthly sowing is necessarie in ordinarie course that the seed doe grow but preaching is compared in Scripture to sowing Therfore it is necessarie in ordinatie course that Gods seed or word doe grow in mens hearts FOVERTEENTH CHAPTER That the true Church of God is a necessarie proposer of points of faith proued by plain confession of Protestants 1. THat the Church is so necessarie a proposer of points as without her proposal in ordinarie course we can haue no diuine faith is so manifest as Protestants sometimes doe plainly confess it For thus Luther tom 1. fol. 54. The ministration of the word by a priest is necessarie to faith Tom. 2. l. contra Church conceaued by vocâ—l word Catharin fol. 140. The Church is conceaued framed nourished generated conserued by the vocal word Tom. 5. in c. 1. Zachariae fol. 516. Albeit God can teach men the Gospel without preaching yet he wil not doe it And ibid. praefat in Catechesim fol. 645. There are some this day euen of the Gentrie who dare say they haue no need of Pastors or preachers but that books suffice out of which anie man may learne the same things by himself without anie teaching And in colloquio marpurgi in Hospin part 2. fol. 77. Lutherans and SacramentariaÌ„s agreed That the holie Gost ordinarily speaking giueth faith to none vnles the vocal word goe before Kemnitius 2. parte Exam. tit de Sacram. ord p. 391. God vpon his certain Decree hath determined to dispense those things which belong to our saluation not infusing into mens minds inward peculiar reuelations without anie means but by the external ministerie of the word Caluin 4. Instit c. 1. § 4. The knowledg of the visible See him 1. Inâ—â—â—t c. 7. § 3. l. 4. c. 1. §. 5. in Actor c. 16. v. 17. Church is profitable yea necessarie to vs seing there is no other entrance vnto life vnles she conceaue vs in her wombe beare vs and fâ—ed vs with her duggs And ibid. § 5. Howbeit Gods power is not tied to external means yet he hath tied vs to the ordinarie means of teaching Ether pride or emulation or sloth driueth manie to perswade themselues that by priuate reading and studying they can profit enough In 1. Tim. 3 The office of ministring doctrin which God hath put in his Church is the onely instrument of truth Onlie Instrumental Preaching is before faith that it perish not out of the memorie of men The ministerie of the word being taken away Gods truth wil fal Ibid. Paul simply meaneth that becaus faith is by hearing there wil be no faith without preaching Beza epist 20. Iâ— it clear that faith is of hearing and therfore it followeth that preaching must goe before faith Fayus in enchiridio disput 66. The necessitie of Ecclesiastical ministerie appeareth by that that without it we cannot haue knowledg and vnderstanding ether of the word of God or of his â—il reuealed to vs in it Whitaker l. 3. de Scriptura p. 413. We alconfâ—ss the testimonie of the Church to be most necessarie by which men by Christs apointment may be brought to beleue P. 499. we affirme the ministerie of the Church to be verie necessarie l. 1. de Script p. simply we cannot beleue without the ministerie of the Church P. 39. we beleue not I confes vnles the Church by preaching teach vs. P. 106. The ministerie being taken away nether faith nor charitie nor obedience nor anie other vertue wil remaine safe See him p. 46. 106. 108. 111. l. 3. p. 369. I confess that the ministerie of the Church is most necessarie for to beleue the Scriptures l. 3. p. 478. I affirme determine hold that there is no entrance to saluation without the ministerie of the word Ibid. By ministerie of Pastors we assent to the Scriptures nor is it to behoped that without this ministerie we can haue faith And p. 477. It is true that without the ministerie there is no entrance to saluation and that this ministerie is not but in Pastors Contro 2. q. 3. c. 11. p. 332. By the preaching of Pastors the gates of heauen are in a sorte opened so that without the ministerie of the word no entrance to saluation can be for anâ—â— Ibid. q. 5. c. 19. p. 550. Without preaching of the Gospel we neuer come to saluation Fulk of succession p. 30. Saluation of people can neuer be procured without preaching And p. 163. No Christian wil denie but that preaching is necessarie for building of the Church Latimer in his sermons fol. 38. Take away preaching and you take away faith And fol. 99. The office of preaching is the onely ordinarie means by which God hath decreed that we be saued Cartwright in Hooker l. 5. p. 230. No saluation to be looked for where no preaching is Item Reading cannot begin the work of saluation it cannot breed and cause faith without sermons And the Puritans in whitgifts Answer to the admonition p. 53. Reading is not feeding Field in his Appendix part 2 p. 21. The tradition of the Church is a necessarie means wherby the books of Scripture may be made known The Churches proposiug of things is a necessarie condition without which ordinarily men can not beleue Potter sec 5. p. 5. We doe not depriue the Church of that prerogatiue and office which Christ hath giuen it Faith comes by
need had he to say Al power in heauen and earth was giuen to him for to giue mere humane power to his Apostles and also what humane power could be fit or sufficient to teach and administer diuine word and Sacraments And if Christ gaue to his Apostles true diuine authoritie to preach his word and administer his Sacraments he gaue them also true diuine authoritie to testifie that it was his word and Sacraments which they administred becaus the end of their preaching was to perswade men that it was his word and Sacraments which they administred and God giuing diuine authoritie to the means must needs giue the like authoritie to the end becaus he more desireth the end then the means and therfore wil not giue less authoritie to obtaine the end then he doth to obtain the means 3. Secondly Protestants say manie things of the Churches authoritie which must needs argue it to be diuine For Whitaker l. 1. de Script p. 11. and 19. saieth It is sacriledg not to receaue the Churches testimonie of the Sacriledg not to receaue the Churches testimonie Scriptures Tailor l. of libertie of prophesying sec 9. n. 2. The authoritie of the Church is diuine in its original for it deriues immediatly from Christ Potter sec 1. p. 10. The good Spirit of truth and loue euer assists and mantaines that great bodie the Catholik Church Sec. 5. p. 20. The whole Church cannot so err as to be destroied For then our lords Promise of her stable edification shold be of no value P. 21. Nor hath the Church vniuersal the like assurance from Christ that she shal not err in vnnecessarie additions as she Assurance from Christ hath for her not erring in taking away from the faith what is fundamental and necessarie It is comfort enough for the Church that the lord in mercie wil secure her from al capital dangers P. 22. That the Church shal neuer be robbed of anie truth necessarie to the being of the Church the promses of Christ assure vs. P. 30. Their General councels authoritie is immediatly deriued and deriued and delegated from Christ Laude in his Relation sec 21. p. 170. That the whole Church cannot err in doctrins absolutly fundamental seemes to be clear by the promise of Christ Mathew 16. The gates of hel c. Ibid. This power By Christs â—romise of not erring is in it partely by this promise of Christ Sec. 16. p. 61. The vniuersal Church deliuers those supernatural fundamental truthes by promises of assistance Sec. 33. p. 231. For this necessarie truth the Apostles receaued the promise for themselues and the whole Catholik Church Sec 38. p. 355. The Catholik Church of Christ Infallible assistance promised in things absolutly necessarie onely had infallible assistance promised And Chillingworth c. 5. p. 277. That there shal be by diuine prouidence preserued God hath promised absolutely in the world to the worlds end a companie of Christians who hold al things precisely and indispensably necessarie to saluation and nothing ineuitably destructiue of it this the Doctor affirmeth that God hath promised absolutely And is her authoritie not diuine which not to receaue is sacriledg Is not she diuinely infallible who is infallible by Christs absolute promise and the Spirit of truth his efficacious assistance What mean we by Diuinely infallible but infallible in this sort Doth not Laude sec 16. p. 91. say That so great assistance of Christ and the B. spirit as is purposely giuen to that effect that the authoritie of anie companie be diuine and infallible enough And doe not the forsaid Protestants confess that such assistance of Christ and of the B. Spirit is purposely giuen to the Church in fundamental points of faith How then can they denie that her authoritie in such points is diuine and she diuinely infallible in them 4. Thirdly Protestants are sometimes ashamed to say the Authoritie or testimonie of the true Church is mere humane and doe but restrictly say that it is diuine Whitaker contro 1. q. 3. c. 11. p. 331. It is a slander that we make the Iudgment of the Church mere humane which surely is fals Laude in his Relat. sec 16. n. 19. The tradition of the present Not more humane Church is not absolutely diuine And n. 21. The voice of the Church is not simply diuine Sec. 10. n. 11. The Churches authoritie is not simply diuine Sec. 19. n. 1. The testimonie of the present Church is not simply diuine Potter Sec. 5. p. 15. That the Church is infallible we doe not absolutely deny we onely deny the Church to be absolutely infallible Which is tacitly to confess that the authoritie or testimonie of the Church is truely diuine in some degree For what is not meerly humane and onely denied to be simply diuine is in some degree truly diuine And what authoritie is in anie degree truly diuine by Gods special assistance implieth contradiction to deceaue But why doe Protestants vse these ambiguous and equiuocal termes not simply not absolutely which they condemne in others and doe not speak out and Vvhitaker l. 3. p. 419. Laude Relat sec 33. p. 247 tel plainly whether authoritie of the Church in matters of faith be truly diuine by Gods efficacious assistance or no. For if it be truly diuine in anie degree by Gods efficacious assistance that sufficeth to vs becaus it implieth contradiction that such diuine authoritie should deceaue or be deceaued And as Chillingworth c. 3. § 33. p. 175. saieth The Apostles could not be the Churches fundation without freedom from error in al those things which they deliuered constantly as certain reuealed truthes For if once we suppose they may haue erred in some things of this nature it wil be vtterly vndiscernable what they haue erred in and what they haue not And in like manner I say of the Church That she could not be the pillar and ground of diuine truth without freedom from error in al things which she deliuereth as diuine truthes 4. Fourthly they grant that the The Rule of faith tradition and doctrin of the Church is the rule of faith and of iudging controuersies by White in defense of his way c. 3. p. 339. I grant that the doctrin of the Pastors of the true Church such as succeed the Apostles is the rule and means of faith And c. 37. p. 356. That the Churches doctrin is the rule I deny not Chillingworth l. 2. n. 155. Vniuersal tradition is the rule to iudge al controuersies by And c. 3. p. 148. We beleue canonical books vpon vniuersal tradition But the doctrin or tradition of the Church could not be the rule of diuine and infallible faith or of iudging controuersies in such faith if it were not also diuine and infallible For a rule must be as diuine and infallible as that is which is ruled by it And as Chillingworth saieth c. 3. p. 148. cit An authoritie subiect to error can be
or beleued with diuine faith EIGHTENTH CHAPTER Hovv vve are to ansvver that question VVherfore or hovv vve beleue or knovv the Church to be Infallible 1. OVT of that which hath been hitherto saied is clearly answered that question How or Wherfore we beleue or know the true Church of God to be absolutly infallible in al which she teacheth as matter of faith Laude sec 16. p. 60. saieth The tradition of the Church taken alone cannot be a sufficient proof to beleue by diuine faith that Scripture is the word of God For that which is a ful and sufficient proof is able of it self to settle the soule of man which Tradition is not alone able to doe For it may be further asked why we should beleue the Churches Tradition And if it be answered Becaus the Church is infallibly gouerned by the holie Ghost it may be demanded How that may appeare And if thâ—â— be demanded ether you must say you haue it by special Reuelation or els you must attempt to proue it by Scripture And the verie offer to proue it by Scripture is a sufficient acknoâ—ledgment that the Scripture is a higher proof then the Churches tradition which in your own ground is or may be questionable til you come thither Besids it is an inuiolable ground of reason that the Principles of anie conclusion Thus he whose words I haue related at large that I might not seem to dissemble the difficultie 2. First therfore we must note that Beleef and Knowledg are different For Beleef is a simple assent for the authoritie of the speaker Knowledg if it be not of such things as are euident of themselues as that the whole is greater then a parte and such like is discursiue inferring one thing out of an other Therfore these are different questions Wherfore we know the Church to be infallible in al matters of faith and Wherfore we beleue her to be so infallible And we wil answer to both questions differently and distinctly To the question Wherfore we beleue the Chrch to be infallible I answer that if you demand the material Gods vocal word the material obiect of faith obiect of my beleef therof it is Gods vocal word vttered to me by the Church For as is shewed before out of the Apostle Faith is of hearing and Hearing is by the vocal word of God vttered by the Church And for this vocal word of God as his testimonie the Church was beleued to be infallible before there was anie Scripture and of the aforesaied Barbarians who had no Scripture and could be so beleued though al Scripture should perish And this Luther and other Protestants before cited doe confess when they say The Church is conceaued bred by the vocal word of God Supra c. 14. â— 1. and 3. 3. And if you ask the formal obiect for whose authoritie we beleue the Church to be thus infallible I answer For the authoritie of God principally and for the authoritie of the Church which is the pillar and ground of faith subordinatly As we beleue what the Embassador saieth principally for the King who sent him and subordinatly for the authoritie of the Embassador himself as apointed by the king And as before anie Scripture was written Prophets were beleued not for anie Scripture but principally for the authoritie of God who sent them and secondarily for their own Prophetical authoritie instituted by God Wherfore we need not as Laude thinketh proue the Church to be infallible ether by special reuelation or by Scripture as Chillingworth saieth c. 3. p. 141. Becaus beside the priuat word of God which is by special reuelation and his publik written word Publik vocal word of God Videsup c. 14. n. 1. which is Scripture there is also his publik vocal word which he vttereth and speaketh by the mouth of the Church as wel as there is his written word which he wrot by Vvhitak l 3. descript p. 414. Spiritus per as Ecclesia loquitur â—ic etiam cont 1. q. 3. c. 11. cont 2. q. 4. c. 2. Quâ— ecclesiam audiunt Christum ipsum audiunt the hands of his prophets and Euangelists And Gods word by whom soeuer it is ether spoke nor written is of equal authoritie and his vocal word equally to be beleued as his written Wherfore we haue no need to proue the Church to be infallible by the Scripture as there was no need nor possibilitie by it to proue that or anie other point of faith before anie Scripture was written vnles it be against such heretiks as beleue the Scripture but beleue not the Church But Catholiks doe onely confirme their faith which before they had of the infallibilitie of the Church by Gods vocal Gods vocal word confirmed by his written word vttered by the Church by his written word of the Scripture As we vse to be confirmed in the beleef of a thing which a man doth not only say by word of mouth but also by writing 4. And moreouer it is not alwaies necessarie as laude thinks that the mean of knowing be more known then the thing known by it as when they mutually make each other known as Relatiues and the Cause and proper Effect doe For in these a Circle is not vitious As from a Father we proue a sonn and from a sonn à Father From Rational Risible and from Risible Rational from the suns rising the Daie and from the Daie the suns rising And as Whitaker saieth contr 1. q. 3. c. 3. of the old and new Testament Something 's mutually proue each other The old and new Testament doe mutually confirme one the other In other matters this mutual confirmation would not auaile but in this it auaileth much For none is so fit a witnes of God and of his word as God in his word And contro 2. q. 5. c. 18. As the cause doth bring forth and shew the effect so the effect in like manner doth illustrat the cause Ibid. c. 9. Relatiues are not before or after one the other And lib. 3. contra Dureum sec 3. doth this seem ridiculous to the to seek the word out of the word White in his Defense p. 301. It is no more a Circle in vs to proue our Spirit by the Scripture and again to be assured of the Scripture by the Spirit then it is in discours to goe too and and fro between causes and effects The like he hath in his way p. 117. Field in his Appendice part 2. p. 16. That the cause may be proued by the effect and the effect by the cause and that such a kinde of argumentation is not a circulation but a demonstratiue regress that two causes may becauses ether of other we make no question Caluin 1. Instit c. 9. § 3. God hath ioyned together the certaintie of his word and Spirit with a mutual knot The samesay I of Gods vocal word vttered by the Church and his written word signed by the Euangelists that
Preacher nor is in ordinarie course necessarie to engender diuine faith as we shal clearly proue hereafter neuertheless becaus the letter of Scripture is a Proposal of points of faith though we cannot properly enquire whither Scripture propose al points of faith becaus that is the parte of a Proposer yet we may wel enquire whether in Scripture or by Scripture al points of faith which are anie wayes necessarie te be beleued of anie kinde of men be sufficiently proposed as Protestants commonly affirme and Catholiks euer deny So that whether the letter of Scripture be a Proposal of points of faith or a Proposer of them we may enquire whether by Scripture al such necessarie points be sufficiently proposed or no. Yet before we enquire this we wil shew the vncertaintie of Protestants touching al things belonging to Scripture that euen therby it may clearly appeare that howsoeuer they say that the Scripture is the Iudge the entire Rule or Al-sufficient Proposer of al matter of faith they can indeed think nothing less FIRST CHAPTER VVhether S. Iames Epistle be Canonical Scripture and Gods vvord or no FIRST SECTION Protestants sometimes affirme CALVIN in praefat in epistolam â—acobi I doe willingly without controuersie embrace it Epistle of S. Iames becaus I finde no sufficient cause to reiect it Whitaker ad Rationem 1. Campiani We receaue it and number it among the Canonical books For whatsoeuer Luther or anie other thought of it yet our Churches doe willingly embrace it Contro 1. q. 1. c. 16. our Church receaueth al and onely those books of the New testament which the Councel of Trent receaued If Luther and others who follow Luther otherwise thought or wrote of some books of the New testament as the Epistles of Iames and Iude let them answer for themselues Nether need we cite anie more becaus both the French English and Holland Confessions account S. Iames Epistle Canonical SECOND SECTION Protestants sometimes denie LVther in c. 22. Genes to 6. fol. 282. Iames concludeth il It Luther said S. Iames dâ—ated followes not as Iames doateth Therfore the fruits doe iustifie Let therfore our aduersaries be packing with their Iames And praefat in Epistol Iacobi I doe not think this was written of anie Apostle for this cause For it is directly against S. Paul and al other Scripture it attributeth Iustification to works Melancthon de sacris Concionibus to 2. fol. 23. If it cannot be mitigated with some exposition as that of Iames you see c. such simply are not to be receaued Magdeburgians Cent. 1. c. 4. The Epist of Iames doth not a little stray S. Iames ascribeth iustification to workes from the Apostolical doctrin whiles it adscribeth iustification to works and not to faith alone And Cent. 2. c. 4. The Epistle of Iames adscribeth iustice to works against S. Paul and al other Scriptures Pomeranus the first Protestant Pastor of Wittenberg in c. 4. Epist S. Iames erreth ad Rom. By this place thou maiest espie the error of the Epistle of Iames in Iâ—â—erreth ridiculously which thou seest a wicked argument beside that he ridiculously inferreth he citeth Scripture against Scripture which the Spirit cannot suffer Wherfore it cannot be numbred among the books which preach iustice Confessio Heluetica c. 15. The same he S. Iames saied not contradicting the Apostle otherwise he were to be reiected Which they would neuer say if they were assured that it were Gods word For I suppose they would not reiect Gods word in anie caâ—e Musculus in locis Tit. de Iustificatione they obiect to vs the places of Iames. But whosoeuer he was though â—e taught differently from Paul he could not preiudice truth And he addeth Impertiâ—ently That he impertinently bringeth in the example of Abraham that he abuseth the word Faith and setteth down a sentence different from Apostolical doctrin And Tit. de Scripturis plainly aâ—uocheth that he holdeth it not for Authentical Hence it is euident that Protestants agree not about their Canon or Rule of their faith For Lutherans reiect S. Iames Epistle as also diuers others which Caluinists account parte of the Rule of their faith and parte of Gods word Euident also that Caluinists must iudge their brothers Lutherans to haue a most desperate cause For as Whitaker writeth Respon ad Rat. 1. Campiani who cannot defend their religion vnles they laie violent hands vpon the Scripture and break the sacred authoritie of diuine books they must needs haue a naughtie and desperate cause But so doe al Protestants who denie S. Iames Epist Morton to 2. Apol. l. 1. c. 1. Al corruption of Gods word deserueth Gods thunderbolt And the same Whitaker l. 2. de Script p. 218. It is most of al necessarie that the Sic etiam cont 1. q. 3. c. 3. A certain Canon most necessarie certain Canon of Scriptures be vndoubted among Christians But so it is among Protestants For they are not agreed about the certain Canon of Scriptures And yet as Laude saieth sec 38. n. 8. What scripture is Canonical is a great point of faith Sec. 3. n. 12. If she the Church at this day reckons vpmore books within the Canon then heretofore she did then she is changed in a main point of faith the Canon of scripture And Hooker l. 1. § 14. Of things necessarie the very chiefest is to know what books we are bound to esteeme holie See infra c. 15. n. 7. SECOND CHAPTER VVhether al things that are in Scripture be plain and easie to be vnderstood or no FIRST SECTION Protestants sometimes affirme LVther de seruo arbitrio to 2. fol. 426. It is published by the wicked Sophisters that some things in Scripture are hard and that al are not open Ibid. fol. 440. I say of al the No parte of Scripture obscure Scripture I wil not haue anie part of it to be saied obscure In psal 37. to 3. fol. 10. If anie of their Papists number appeal and say we need the exposition of Fathers the Scriptures are obscure Thou shalt answer that this is fals No book in al the world is more clearly written then the Scripture which if it be compared with al other books is like to the sun before al other light Whervpon said Tailor in his Epistle dedicat of his libertie of Prophesing p. 47. so confident Luther sometimes was as he said he could expound al Scripture Gerlachius to 1. Disp 1. p. 9. We say al the Scripture is so clear as it Al scripture clear needeth no interpretation at al. Zanchius de Scriptura to 8. col 408. How can the Scripture be called obscure in anie parte of it Et col 409. If the Scripture be not obscure in anie parte as we shewed before much less in In euerie parte those things which are necessarie to Saluation Whitaker contro 1. q. 4. p. 341. Al the Scripture The whole Scripture is plain and clear Plessie of the Church c. 5. p.
line and In euerie line leaf of the bible proclaimes it to be the word of God The scripture by its own light shewes it self to be the word of God In his Defense p. 285. The scriptures haue in them a light and an authoritie of their own sufficient to proue themselues to be the word of God and to giue infallible assurance to al men of the true sense p. 15. I denie that the Canonical books cannot be proued to be by themselues secluding Church authoritie and tradition P. 282. The authoritie and teaching of the Church is not alway nor simply necessarie to shew al men the light of the scripture or so much as to point to it For ether by immediat light of Gods spirit or by the light of nature it may be known to be Gods word And p. 277. he saieth that assurance of By light of nature the true sense of the Scripture is very By onelie â—eading ordinarily had without al motion of the Church whatsoeuer by onely reading See him c. 20. p. 169. Field Appendice parte 2. p. 14. It Euident by itself is euident in it self that God speaketh in the scripture and reuealeth those things which we beleue which is that which we say Bel in his Downfal of Poperie art 7. p. 135. The scriptures Canonical are discerned from not Canonical euen of themselues like as light is discerned from darknes Protestants in Colloq Ratisbon Thesi 1. p. 19. Credit is to be giuen to the scripture for it self and sess 10 p. 314. The authoritie of the Gospel of Mathew is gathered out of the scripture it self Chillingworth c. 4. § 53. The doctrin it self is very fit and worthie to be thought to come from God SECOND SECTION Protestants sometimes denie it HOoker Couel Laude White Chillingworth and others related in the former Chapter sec 2. who denie that Scripture can be sufciently known by it self denie that it sufficiently sheweth or proueth it self And the said Laude Relat. sec 16. p. 8â— We doe not say that there is such a light in Scripture as that euerie man vpon the first sight must yeeld to it Ibid. p. 70. No created thing alone can giue No created thing can giue witnes to it self witnes to it self and make it euident nor one parte testifie for an other and satisfie where Reason wil but offer to contest sec 38. n. 6. We beleue Scripture to No particular text for proof of Scripture be Scripture and by diuine and in fallible faith too and yet we can shew no particuler text for it Feild in Appendice part 2. p. 21. Tradition of the Church necessarie The tradition of the Church is a necessarie means wherby the books of Scripture may be deliuered vnto vs and made known Potter sec 5. p. 8. That Scripture is of diuine authoritie the Beleuer sees by Found by help of the Church that glorious beam of diuine light which shines in the Scripture though found by the help and direction of the Church without and of grace within Chillingworth c. 2. § 46. p. 69. That the Diuinitie of a writing cannot No wiseman saieth be known from it self alone but by some extrinsecal authoritie you need not proue for no wise man denies it Ibid. § 3. p. 53. The controuersie wherin the Not but by natural reason Scripture is the subiect of the question cannot be determined but by natural reason § 8. p. 55. It can neuer be proued by Scripture to a gainsayer that the book called Scripture is the word of God So also § 27. p. 63. § 29. p. 64. sec 52. p. 72. Ibid. § 155. p. 114. A written A written rule needeth some thing els rule must alwaies need something els which is ether euidently true or euidently credible to giue attestation to it And the same mean al other Protestants cited before l. 1. c. 14. who say That the attestation of the Church is necessarie for to know the Scripture to be the word of God and that the Church is as it were the key or dore to enter into the knowledg of the Scripture For how should the Churches attestatioÌ„ be necessarie to know the Scripture to be the word of God if it can be known to be such by itself SEAVENTH CHAPTER VVhether Scripture be the true Iudge of Controuersies of faith FIRST SECTION Protestants sometimes affirme WHitaker Contr. 1. q. 5. c. 7. The second argument wher with the Iesuit proueth that Scripture cannot be Iudge and Interpreter of Scripture is this becaus in euerie wel ordered common wealth the Iudge and law are different wherfore seing scripture is the law it can be no way Iudge And he answereth The Scripture iudg Interpreter andrule diuine law is the iudgment the Iudge the Interpreter and the rule And c. 8. The Chief Iudge of Controuersies must haue these three First that we certainly know that his sentence is true and that we ought to submit to it Secondly that there is no appealing from his sentence Thirdly that he be not partial And al these hath the scripture and the Holie Ghost speaking in scripture Contro Supreme iudge 2. q. 5. c. 5. In al Controuersies we appeal to the scripture as to the supreme Iudge l. 2. contra Dureum sec 41. Austin wold haue the scripture to be witnes I make it Iudge l. 3. de Scriptura p. 409. I wil haue the scripture alone and the Holie Ghost speaking in scripture the Iudge of al doctrines Zuinglius in Disp 1. to 2. fol. 625. No iudg but Scripture I wil admit no other Iudge beside the Scriptures Confessio Heluetica c. 2. We suffer no other Iudge in matter of faith but God himself pronouncing by the Scriptures what is true what fals Dauenant de Iudice Controuersiarum c. 2. p. 65. We must need admit the Scripture for Iudge and also for Rule of Iudging Laude sec 26. p. 194. To settle Controuersies in the Church there is a visible Iudge and Infallible but not liuing And that is the Scripture And sec 25. p. 157. he saieth The Scripture is the Iudge Item sec 39. p. 386. Morton to 2. Apol. l. 5. c. 1. Scripture is the Supreme and infallible iudge of the Church to the learned in obscure matters and to the vnlearned in clear And c. 13. Then you acknowledg it Scripture to be the publik iudge God keep youin this minde Ibid. The Fathers in al difficulties against Heretiks appealed to the scripture as to the supreme iudge See him l. 2. c. 1. and his Appeal l. 3. c. 15. sec 5. White in his way p. 14. The scripture onely is the iudge and Rule of faith See Melancthon in locis c. de Ecclesiâ SECOND SECTION Sometimes denie it PRotestants in Colloq Ratisbon sess 1. p. 38. It is one thing to shew the Iudge an other to shew Iudg and Rule different the Rule So the Rule is not Iudge
authoritie of beleuing And ibid. c. 4. p. 392. Our faith must relie vpon an external a Chilling c. 1. n. 7. Laude sect 33 p. 2. 8 Field l. 4. c. 7. infallible means and which is an external infallible means causeth faith Potter sec 5. p. 7. The assent of diuine faith is absolutly diuine which requires an obiect and motiue so infallibly true as that it nether hath nor can possibly admit anie mixture of error or falshood And what external means had men to beleue ordinarily before there was Scripture but the Church For what external infallible cause did they beleue but for the Church or was the beleif of euerie man for those 2400. yeares Prophetical or miraculous without anie external infallible motiue or cause What motiue so infallibly true as that it could not possibly admit anie mixture of error or falshood had the ordinarie Beleuers before there was anie Scripture beside the Church EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER That Scripture hath not proposed points of faith in al places vvhere faith vvas had 1. THis is euident by the testimonie of S. Ireney who l. 3. c. 4. saieth that in his time manie Barbarous Nations beleued in Christ Augustin l. 1. de Doctr. Christ. c. 39. without letters or inck which made Whitaker Contro 1. q. 6. c. 7. to confess that some Barbarous men for a time wanted Scriptures and that for a Scripture not simply necessarie time doctrin may be conserued entire without writing and that hence is rightly concluded that Scripture is not simply necessarie And l. 1. de Script c 14. sec 4. p. 159. Those Barbarians of whome Ireney speaketh who had saluation written in their hearts were indeed true Christians though they knew not Scripture But saieth he they were not simply ignorant of the Scripture becaus they held the doctrin of the Scripture But I replie that Scripture and doctrin of Scripture are different and relatiuely opposit Moreouer the doctrin of Scripture is no Proposer to beleue but the thing proposed to be beleued And we speak of the Proposer of points of faith not of points of faith or doctrin of faith proposed Though therfore these Barbarians beleued the doctrin which is in Scripture yet they beleued not it by means of Scripture We therfore ask by what infallible external means they beleued it if not by the Church For some infallible means they must haue had to beleue in ordinarie course as Whitaker and Potter cited in the former Chapter confess and is euident And howsoeuer the doctrin or sense of the Scripture may be saied to be the Scripture becaus it is the more principal parte of Scripture yet in this question of the Proposer of points of faith it ought not to be meant by the word Scripture becaus the doctrin of Scripture is the points of faith and is that which is to be sufficiently proposed and beleued and so it is not the Proposer but the Proposed Wherfore Whitaker So also Vvhite in his Vvay p. 2â— and in his Defensep 259. loco iam citato and Contro 1. q. 3. c. 10. equiuocateth For when Catholiks argue that the Church is ancienter then Scripture becaus it was before anie Scripture Or that Scripture is not necessarie to faith becaus diuers Nations beleued without Scripture he answereth that the Church is not ancienter then the word of God None beleued without knowledg of that doctrin which is in Scripture For Scripture is Vvhitaker Contr. 2 q. 5. c. 19. Praedicatio verbum â—c iptum ratione differuns not the word of God or doctrin of God simply taken but the word or doctrin of God written Wherfore it is a Sophisme à Coniunctis ad diuisa to speak of Gods word simply when he should speak of Gods word written For Catholiks speak of the word or doctrin of God written not simply taken and confess that the word of God simply taken is ancienter then the Church and that none can beleue without this doctrin becaus it is that which is to be beleued And they ask what is the infallible external cause for which this doctrin or word of God was beleued of those Barbarians seing that could not be the letter of God or the Scripture which they had not Ether therfore they beleued the word of God and doctrin of Scripture for no external infallible cause and so they beleued miraculously and extraordinarily or they beleued it for the infallible authoritie of the Church When therfore Whitaker saieth that Scripture is the L. 1 de Scrip. c. 11. sec 1. Contr. 1. q. 6. c. 9. 14. Caluin 1 Instit c. 6. §. 2. Vide supra c. 5. sec 1. onely sufficient means to beleue ether he meaneth by Scripture the letter of Scripture or the sense if the letter those Barbarians had not nor blinde and ignorant men haue that means to beleue if the sense that is not the means to beleue but the obiect to be beleued and we ask what is the infallible external means for to beleue this sense For as Whitaker saieth l. 1. de Script p. 151. Wee seek some external means for which we beleue the Scripture And Contro 2. q. 4. c. 3. To interpret Scripture without means is Enthusiastical Anabaptistical and extraordinarie For the spirit now teacheth only by means and such as the means are such must needs be the Interpretation 2. Protestants Confessions that al things which are to be beleued are not in Scripture are related supra c. 5 sec 2. to wit That al things absolutly cannot be proued by scripture not al things simply that it is not an absolutly perfect Rule not safe to iudge by Scripture alone that scripture cannot assure vs cannot proue itself to be Gods word That Schisme cannot be decided by scripture NINTEENTH CHAPTER That Scripture doth not clearly enough propose al points of faith 1. THat Scripture doth not clearly enough propose al points of faith is euident First becaus as we haue already proued it teacheth not al points of faith immediatly and much less so clearly as is necessarie to beget diuine faith of them al Secondly becaus Scripture nowhere saieth that it teacheth al points of faith so clearly And therfore Protestants can haue no diuine faith that it teacheth al points so clearly as is necessarie to faith Thirdly becaus the Scripture itself saieth that in it are some hard and difficult things 2. Petri 3. And Acts 8. When S. Phillip had asked the Eunuch whether he vnderstood what he read in Scripture He answered And how can I vnles somes hew me and the place which he read was of the passion of Christ which is a most necessarie point of faith Whervpon Whitaker l. 2. de Scriptura p. 229. saieth The Eunuch without Philip nether beleued nor vnderstood what was sufficient to saluation And yet he was a pious man And Luke 24. Iesus beginning from Moises and al the Prophets interpreted to them in al Scriptures which were of him And what