pretended Paracler which might be such an holy Ghost as Å¿ Epâ—ph here 's 2â— that of Simon Magâ—â— was or such a one as was carried in poste in a cloke-bagge from Rome to Trent The Heretickes t Terâ—â—â— de â—â—retâ— 50. Nâ—â—â—â— heresâ—â—â—â— Alphabâ—â—â— Grâ—â—â—rum compâ—sâ—â—runt c. Marcus and Câ—lâ—barsuâ— did 〈…〉 new heresie out of the Greeke Alphabet maintaining that the truth could not bee found out without these characters and that the fulnesse perfection of 〈◊〉 wâ—â— contained in these letters for which cause Christ said I am 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 The Hereticks 〈…〉 Apelles Mareâ—â—â— â—â—thsuch like did boast that they had receiued many doctrines and 〈◊〉 without scripture u Euseb bist lib. 5. c. 28. Eusebius â—els vs that the Hereticke Aâ—â—â—mâ—â— did beast that his doctrine was 〈◊〉 from the Apostolike 〈◊〉 x Clem. Alex. 〈◊〉 lib. 7. 〈…〉 did glory in that he had a certain Glaucus for his teacher who had serued as an interpretor to S. Peter that Valentine did vaunt to haue been Saint Pauls auditor that the Marcionites did brag that they were the disciples of them that had seene and heard the Apostle Matthias of whom they held obserued and teached their doctrine In a word as the Scribes and Pharisies esteemed the traditions of the Elders the Râ—bbines their Cabala the Moutanists the new Comforter these Hereticks their reuelations and traditions to be necessary to saluation without the which the truth could not bee learned out of the Scripture So the Papists doe maintaine that the sacred and Canonicall Scripture is not sufficient to prooue matters of faith and charity and therefore haue recourse vnto traditions and the vnwritten word which are necessary to saluatioÌ„ But as the holy Fathers did accuse that iustly Samosateâ—us y Euseb hist lib. 7. cap. 30. because that departing from the Canonicall bookes hee had been author of an hereticall doctrine and had not followed the Apostolicke doctrine Euen so may wee accuse the Papists who haue corrupted the word of God by their traditions and fables and straying from the Scripture haue strayed from the truth And surely it is no maruell if they erre so long as they forsake the sea-manâ— compasse without the which all things are to vs vncertaine yea rather it were a wonder yea more then a wonder if without that compasse they could hold their course and not suffer ship wracke against the rockes the sands and the vnknowne shores of humane traditions For as z Plutar. in vita Thesei in princip Plutarke saith The Histriographers which doe set â—ooâ—th the description of the earth in figure are wont to place in the lowermost part of their mappes the farre distant regionâ— vnknowne vnto them and to marke in the margent such like notes and reasons as these beyond these countries are nothing but deep dry sands without water full of soule ill fauoured venomous beasts or much mud vnnauigable or Scythia forsaken for cold Euen so say wee The Scripture is a map containing a description of the place of our soiourning here in this vale of misery of our iourney to our heauenly Ierusalem containing all thinge necessary for vs in this our pilgrimage both for our instruction and saluation Beyond the Scripture and without the mappe there of as in the lowermost parts and borders of mappes there is nothing but â—â—rra incognita vnknowne land and dry deâ—â—res full of barres sands of humane traditions nothing but stinking pooles full of venomous and cruell beasts that is to say of false opinions and detestable heresies nothing but vnknowne and doubtfull waies the mother of all kind of errors Beyond this Scripture there is nothing but scriptura incognita the vnknowne and vnwritten word and traditions dangerous gulphes and whirle-pooles where the anker of our faith can haue no hold where all our sounding plummets are found too short and where wee must of necessity make shipwrack of our faith and therefore wee keepe our selues within the mâ—ppe and compâ—sse of the Scripture the sea-mans compasse the rule of our sobriety the bridle of our discourse the limit of our faith for our safety lest wee should bee tossed and cast vpoÌ„ some vnknowne coasts so perish a August Hypognost articul 6. Sede in portu fidei catholicae vbi te nuâ—â—a possit fluctuosae curiâ—sitatis tempestas turbare vel mergere we rest our selues in the hauen of the Catholicke faith where no tempest of troublesome â—â—â—â—sity 〈◊〉 either trouble or drowne vs. If then they aske vs why we retaine not their doctrine their determinations decrees Councels and traditions we answere that we receiue them not because they are not described nor contained in the mappe of the holy Scripture if they accuse vs b Matth. 15.2.3 Marke 7.5.7 as the Pharisies and Scribes did the Disciples of Christ because wee walke not according to the traditions of the Elders but transgresse them wee will answere them with Christ Why doe you also transgresse the commandement of God by your tradition In vaine doe ye worship God teaching for doctrine the commandements of men If they reproue vs because we c Fox pag. 1441 Boner will haue no more then Scripture teacheth but euen as Christ hath left it bare we will answere d Thomas Hawkes He that teacheth vs otherwise wee will not beleeue him If they call vs Hertickes wee will confesse with Saint Paul that e Act. 24.14 after the way which they call hereâ—ie so worship we the God of our fathers beleeuing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets Nay they themselâ—es are Heretickes because they doe not beleeue all the things that are written in the Law and the Prophets f Fulke against the Rhemists Tit. 3.10 but doe obstinately defend grieuous errours against the manifest authority of the holy Scriptures and detract from them and adde vnto them teaching another doctrine another Gospell and therefore are accursed for it g Gal. 1.8 any man preach another Gospell vnto you then â—hat which you have receiued let him be accursed And h Reuel 22.18.19 if any man adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke If any man shall take away from the words of this booke God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this booke But the Romanists doe not only detract from Scripture and adde vnto it but they peruert it also by their false glosse and irregular expositions which they i 2. Pet. 3.16 wrest vnto their owne destruction as S. Peter saith witnesse the point of Euangelical Counsels which they display to set forth their workes of supererogation the supererogation of their workes placing them aboue the perfection of the Law the Law of perfection though some of them denie any perfection in them and maintaine that they doe auaile but instrumentally
Heathens in their Antichristian proceedings worthie of for not onely refusing to enter into this spirituall Paradise of holy Scripture but also for defacing and burning it Surely they deserued to bee shut out of the heauenly Paradise their names to be defaced out of the booke of Life and they to be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone and there to burne for euer and euer For if any y Reuel 22.19 man take away from the words of the booke of this Prophesie which is not so much as to deface or burne the whole booke God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy Citie Neither were these alone for others reiected the booke of God either in whole or in part though not with such contempt and contumely z Epiph. lib. 1. tom 2. haeres 21. Omnem vero qui veteri Testamento credit mortem subire Simon Magus with the Simonians his disciples Cerdon Carpocrates Basilides a August de bono Perse lib. 2. c. 11. Maniches and Marcion with their Sectatores reiected all the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament b Epiphan lib. 1. tom 2. haeres 33. The Prolemaits refused the fiue bookes of Moses The Sadducâ—s receiued onely the fiue bookes of c Caluin in harm Euang. Ioseph Antiquit lib. 18. c. 2. Paulus Eber. de Relig Repub. Iudaeor Moses so did the d Epiph lib. 1. tom 1. haeres 9. Samarits though e Cyril catech 18 some hold they receiued the Prophets also whereas the e Cyril catech 18 Apelleans reiected both the Law and the Prophets The Nicolaitaus reiected the booke of Psalmes some of the Rabbins denied the booke of Iob. Porphiry despised Daniel the Anabaptists refuse Ecclesiastes and the booke of Canticles f Tertul. aduers Iudaes Againe the Iewes condemned the whole new Testament The g Irenae lib 1. c. 26. Solo eo quod est secundum Mathaeum Euangeliâ— vtuntur Ebionites of the Euangelists embraced onely the Gospell of Saint Matthew Câ—rinthâ—â— receiued none but Marke h Tertul lib. de praescrip haeres c. 51. Irenae lib. 3. c. 11 Cerdon and Marcion onely Luke The i Ibidem Valentiniâ—â—s the Gospell of Saint Iohn onely k Epiphan lib. 2. tom 1. haeres 51. The Allogians of all other hated Saint Iohns Gospell The Tatians accepted onely the Acts of the Apostles which booke of all others the l Eusebius Seâ—eriâ—â— hereticks reiected and the m August lib. de vtilit credendi Manichees refused so did n Tertul. de praescript hares Cerdon The Ebionits o Irenae lib. 1. c. 26. Apostolum Pâ—ulum recusant Apostatam eum legiâ— dicentes could not away with any of S. Pauls workes p Epiph. lib. 2. tom 3. hâ—â—res 42. The Marcionits receiued but ten of Saint Pauls Epistles reiecting those vnto Timothie Titus and the Hebrewes q Irenae lib. 1. c. 29. defacing also those places both in Saint Luke and the Epistles which they embraced that concerned either the Diuinitie or Humanitie of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which r Tertul. aduers haeret c. 51. Solum Euangelium Lucae nec tamen â—â—tum recipit Apostoâ—â— Parliâ—â—que â—â—â—â—es neque totas Epistolas sumit Cerdon his Master practised before neither embracing al Saint Pauls Epistles nor wholly those he embraced Others reiected S. Iames Epistle and S. Iude others the two last Epistles of S. Iohn yea some all Saint Iohns Epistles with his booke of Reuelations as Å¿ Epiphan â—â—m 1. lib. â— haeres â—1 the Aâ—â—ogians which booke t Tertul. 〈…〉 Cerdon also reiected On the otherside others haue added vnto the booke of God other bookes as necessarie vnto saluation The Gospels of Iames Peter Andrew Barnabas Nicodiums the Canons of the Apostles the Acts of Paul Peter Philip Andreas Thomas * Epiphan haeres 61. which two last bookes the hereticks called Apostolici did vse very much and did take from thence their heresies The Reuelations of Peter Paul Philip Thomas Steuen the Reuelations Doctrines Manifestations Mysteries Traditions of Montanus Marcion Maniches Valentinian Ebion Apâ—lles and such like hereticks and so diuers haue added diuersely vnto the Word of God their owne words and traditions whereas the Lord saith u Deut. 4.2 Ye shall not adde vnto the Word which I commaund you x Reuel 22 1â— for if any man adds vnto these things God shall adde vn-him the plagues that are written in this booke Notwithstanding as the ancient hereticks haue delt impiously with the Scripture by their additions traditions as also by their substration and detraction so doe the moderne hereticks namely the Papists deale with the Scripture detracting from it and adding to it for as Saint y Hyeron apolog contra Ruff. c. 11. Istae machinae haereticorum i. magistrorem tuorum sunt vt conuicti de prefidia ad maledictase conferunt Ierome saith this is the practice of hereticks that when they are conuinced of trachery they betake themselues to railing so these wranglers perceiuing themselues conuinced by the Scripture doe as they of whom z Jrenae lib. 3. c. 2. Irenaeus speakes set vpon the Scripture it selfe taxing it of ambiguitie and as hauing no authoritie intending as Saint a August lib. 2. de nuptijs concupisc c. 33. Turrianus lib. 1. cont sadeel pag. 99. Ekcius in Enchir loco commun Pighius lib. 1. Eccles histor c. 2. Mortuum atramentum Euangelium nigrum theologia atrameniraria Res nauimis muta nasus cereus regula lesbia Delphicus gladius O Quantum nâ—bis profuit fabula ista de Christo Austin saith no other thing then to bring the authoritie of the Scripture to naught therefore they called the Scripture dead inke a certaine bare letter a dead letter that killeth the blacke Gospell and inkie Diuintie a dead and dumb thing an vncertaine mutable mute and dumbe Iudge a nose of waxe a leaden ruler Sphinxes riddle a sword in a mad-mans hand the apple of discord yea a Fable by Pope Leo the 10 O what aduantage hath this Fable of Christ brought vs being of no more credit and authoritie then the Fables of Aesop without the approbation of the Pope and of the Church And these reproches and blasphemies are not maintained by the vulgar â—ort onely but also yea especially by their Diuines Popes Bishops Cardinals for Cardinall Bellarmine and Cardinall du Perron haue written against the sufficiency and perfection of the Scripture the one spending a whole Chapter the other a small Treatise to proue the insufficiencie and imperfection thereof whereas it is the All sufficient word of God the true and perfect rule of our vnderstanding the pillar of our faith the firme and sure anker of our hope and saluation sufficient both for our saluation which some Papists doe confesse and for our instruction which they denie witnesse Bâ—â—â—â— who examining that glorious Martyr Master Hawkes Fâ—x pag.
1440. pag. 1441. said that he was a right Scripture man and would haue nothing but Scripture and his Chaplaine said he would haue nothing but his little pretie Gods Booke and is it not sufficient saith Master Hawkes for my saluation Yes saith he it is sufficient for our saluation but not for our instruction Master Hawkes answered God send me the saluation and you the instruction And surely it is sufficient not onely for our saluation but also for our instruction for if it sufficeth for saluation how can it bee insufficient for our instruction therefore the Apostle Saint Paul teacheth vs both the one and the other saluation and instruction by the Scriptures for first he saith d 2. Tim. 3.15 the holy Scriptures are able to make vs wise vnto saluation through faith which is in Christ Iesus Behold here the Scriptures are sufficient for our saluation and not onely for our saluation but also for our instruction for he saith able to make vs wise vnto saluation that is to instruct vs to saluation yea in the next verse he saith that the e vers 16.17 Scripture is profitable for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect Behold the Scriptures sufficient and profitable for our instruction and not onely profitable to the man of God to the Doctor the Minister and the learned but also profitable to the ignorant simple and vulgar sort for f Psal â—9 7 it maketh wise the simple and therefore the reading thereof appertaineth as wel vnto the ignorant and vnlearned as vnto the learned for if it appertaine but vnto the learned to reade the Scriptures it appertaineth then vnto none to reade them for no body is learned before he haue read them we reade not the word of God because we are learned but to become so And therefore the Papists doe wrong the people of God depriuing them of the reading of the Scripture lest say g Hosius in loc Com. they the Porters Coblers Bakers should be Prophets farre vnlike to Moses h Numb 11.29 who wisht that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit vpon them but very like the Bâ—silidians whose steppes they follow who as i Jrenae lib. 1. cap. 23. Ephiph haeres 24 Irenaeus and Epiphanius write did hide their doctrines We are men said Basilides all the rest are hoggs and dogges * Matth. 7.6 Cast not therfore said he your pearles before swine nor giue that which is holy vnto doggs which was to confesse openly * Bernard in Cant. serm 65. At istud apertè faâ—eri est se non esse de ecclesia qui onmes qui de ecclesia sunt canes censet porcos that he himselfe was not of the Church calling all those that are of the Church swine and dogges Yea in hindering the people of God to enter into this sweete Paradise of holy Scripture they are like the Scribes and Pharisees their forefathers against whoÌ„ our Sauiour Christ pronounceth this woe k Matth. 23.13 Woe vnto you Scribes and Pharisies hypocrites for ye shut vp the kingdom of heauen against men for ye neither goe in your selues neither suffer yee them that are entring to goe in Besides as they haue detracted from the Scripture by their blasphemous reproches accusing it of insufficiencie and imperfection so haue they also added vnto it l Cicero orat 44. in Anton. Philip secunda Is Caesaris leges easque praeclares euertie For as Marcus Antonius did abolish the excellent Laws of Caesar m Testamentum irrituÌ„ fecit Ibid. and made void his Testament n Ibid. Acta Caesaris pacis causa confirmata 〈◊〉 à senatu quâ—â— quidem Caesar egisset non eâ— quae Caesarem egisse dixisset Antonius c. yea when the Senate had ratified the Actes of Casar hee added to Caesars Actes what hee listed and would haue it to stand as sure as if Caesar himselfe had enacted it So these haue indeuoured to abolish the Law of God to make void the Testament of our onely Caesar and Sauiour Christ and haue added to his Testament what they listed and will haue them to stand as sure as if Christ had enacted them yet they would make vs beleeue that they doe o Ibid. Et tu in Caesaris memoria diligens tu illum amas mortuum much in remembrance and honour of Christ and that they loue him for first they adde vnto the Canonicall books of the Scripture other books that are not Canonicall but Apocrypha because they finde in those bookes many things to serue their turnes for the maintaining of their heresies which they cannot shide at all in the Canon of the Scripture Secondly because this is not sufficient they adde their traditions and determinations yea their gospels wheras all addition of Gospels to the onely true Gospell is execrable Some as the begging Friers disciples of Saint Dominick and Saint Francis inuented and published forth a booke ful of horrible blasphemies which they named the Gospâ—ll of the holy Ghost or the euerlasting Gospell full of their own â—ables and abominable errors teaching that Christs Gospell was not to be compared vnto it and that the Gospell of Christ should bee preached but â—â—â—â—ie yeeres so they opposed the Gospell of their holy Ghost to the true Gospell of the holy Ghost their eternall Gospell 〈◊〉 that Gospell which is called p 〈◊〉 14.6 the euerlasting Gospell to be prâ—â—ched vnto them that dwellâ—â— the earth and to euery Nâ—â—ion and kindred and tonguâ— and â—â—ple and that euen unto the ende of the world whâ—â—â—â— their gospell was of the Deuill that impure spirit was not an euerlasting Gospel but was soon refuted by Guiliâ—â—â—â—â— de â—â—â—ctâ— Amâ—re condemned by the Pope secretly burnt Others call the Determination of the Church the Gospell some â—â—â—â—taining that the Popes Decrâ—â—all Episties are to bee counted among the Canonicall books and made equall with the Scripture Some making their humane ordinances equall with the Scripture in authoritie Others pâ—â—â—eâ—â—ing them before it and maintaining that the authoritie of Ecclesâ—â—sticall tradition hath more force and â—fficâ—cie to assure â—ur faith in all câ—â—â—trouersies then the Scripture Thus the heretiâ—â—es in q Irenae lib. 3. cap. 2. Non pâ—ssiâ— ex hijs iâ—â—euiri veritâ—â— qui â—esciâ—â—â— traditianeÌ„ Nâ—â—â—â—im per literas tra 〈◊〉 sed per 〈◊〉 vocem Ireâ—â—â—â—s time maintained that the truth could not be found in the Scripture by such as were ignorant of tradition and the great mysteries of faith were noâ— by the Apostles committed to his Disciples but by word of mouth and not by writing r Epiph. heres 48 August haeres 26 Moutanâ—â— confessed that he admitted all the Scripture yet hee seined ouer and besides that the Comforter was come to perfect that which was but begunne and so did adde vnto the doctrine of the old and new Testament cerâ—aine other obseruations of his
which lighteth euery man that commeth into the world Seuenthly that the fathers are so many in number their writings in like manner that though a man had an iron body he could not take the paines to reade them all and though he had a memory of steele he could not remember the expositions of all of them that there is no man liuing which hath them all no man liuing which hath read all those we haue yea I suppose and presume that I may say truely that all the liuing together haue not read them all whereas all can and may reade the Scripture ouer and ouer euery one oftentimes learne by it with prayer and labour all that is necessarie for their saluation Eightly lastly that the Scriptures are snatched out of the peoples hands deteined in such a brutish ignorance that they cannot know if the things written by the Fathers are of the Scripture or no the meanes to reade the Fathers is taken away from them so that they cannot know how they expound the Scriptures and therefore it is a meere mockerie to send the ignorant to the Fathers which they haue neuer read which they cannot reade though they would and dare not reade them though they could and whom they cannot vnderstand though they should reade them and therefore are taught to referre themselues in all these things to that which their Pastors and Doctors will make them beleeue II. This is the sense of that which followeth in the Pastorall letter where to that which hath been said that we ought not to speake of the Scriptures otherwise then the fathers expound them is added And besides your spirituall Fathers Pastors and Doctors that are instituted of God grounded on the lawfull succession of the Apostles to expound and interpret it to you f Malach. 27. Labia Sacerdotis custodient scientiam ex ore eius legem requirent The Priests lipps shall keepe knowledge and they shall seeke and aske the Law at his mouth III. We ought not to take away from the true Pastors and Doctors any thing of that which God giues them Saint Paul saith of himselfe and of all g 1. Cor. 4.1 Let a man so account of vs as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God and elsewhere h 2. Co. 5.19.20 God hath committed vnto vs the Word of reconciliation We therfore are Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by vs. We ought then to account and esteeme of them and to put them in another ranke then priuate persons are we are to heare them with attention and reuerence in the declaration of their commission And if we honour the Ministers and Ambassadours of a Prince for the Princes sake who sends them how much more shall we honour and reuerence the Ministers of Christ Iesus who is the i Acts 3.15 Prince of life and hath written on his thighe k Reuel 19.16 The King of Kings and Lord of Lords for Christ Iesus sake But they ought also to know that they are but Ministers of Christ therfore are not Lords and Masters ouer the Church which is the body and spouse of Christ that they are the Ministers of Christ therfore are called administerium non ad magisterium to serue and that with labor and paines like those which row in shipps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greeke word beareth and not to gouerne and play the Regent according to their owne fancie and affection that they are stewards of the great mysteries of God of the great mysteries of the Gospel the which they must distribute that is to say preach and apply it to the vse and saluation of the Saints That they are the Ambassadors for Christ and therefore they ought to produce their letters and patent of their commission and declare faithfully the substance of the same without any addition diminution or changing thereof They are no more priuiledged then Saint Paul was who l 1. Cor. 11.23 receiued of the Lord that which he deliuered vnto them and m Acts 26.22 Rom. 1.22 hath giuen nothing but that which was written touching the substance of the doctrine And of that whereof euery one had the copie in hand to examine if he kept himselfe in the precincts and compasse of his charge and commission as n Acts 17.11 they of Berea did with praise and commendation IIII. Therefore the Apostle hauing declared what is their charge and function and the dignitie or excellencie thereof giues them this admonition o 1. Cor. 4.2 Moreouer it is required in Stewards that a man be found faithfull faithfull in care in labor and especially in the preaching of the will of God in purenesse and simplicitie without any mixture of humane traditions his will say we wholy comprehended in the Scriptures of the which God will that all should haue copie as being all his children and hauing right and reason to know the contents of his Testament to the ende that if they which are but his Teachmen and Heralds doe interpret other language then his relate and deliuer otherwise then that which he hath giuen in writing and hauing sent the copies throughout all the world they be not heard what succession soeuer they pretend Aaron from and by whom the Leuiticall succession began p Exod. 32.4 made a golden calfe and notwithstanding the Leuits who were inferiour vnto him would not be partakers of his sinne q but obserued the words of God and kept them If a prophet or a dreamer of dreames did arise amongst the people and made signes and miracles and hee say let vs goe after other Gods and let vs serue them God commanded to put such a one to death and saith to the people r Thou shalt not hearken vnto the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreames c. Yee shall walke after the Lord your God and feare him and keepe his commandements and obey his voyce and you shall serue him and cleaue vnto him In like manner the Prophet Isaiah sends them to ſ Isai ◠20 the Law and to the testimony saying If they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Saint Peter also to the Pastors and Ministers t 1. Pet. 4.11 If any man speake let him speake as the oracles of God And Saint Iohn writing to a woman and in her person to all u 2. Iohn 10. If there come any vnto you and bring not this doctrine receiue him not into your house neither bid him God speede V. Neither is there any succession that is free or can priuiledge them Vriah the high Priest descended by succession from Aaron builds contrary to Gods commandement an Altar according to the patterne of that of Damascus and sets it in the Temple x 2. King 16.11 according to all that the King Ahaz had sent from Damascus Caiphas hauing the succession with the Scribes and