Catholique traditions. Or A treatise of the beliefe of the Christians of Asia, Europa, and Africa, in the principall controuersies of our time In fauour of the louers of the catholicke trueth, and the peace of the Church. Written in French by Th. A.I.C. and translated into English, by L.O.

THE SOVTH CHVRCH.

A Luares.s 1.1 It was demaunded of me, whether all those things (that is to say the customes of the Ro∣mane Church) were contained in our Bookes, and whe∣ther they seemed better vnto me, then those which they vse. I answered that I found our bookes reduced into a better order, then their bookes were: because that since the time of the Apostles, wee haue had alwayes great masters and teachers, which were neuer imployed in a∣ny other vocation, but to compose and gather toge∣ther the holy Scriptures, and passages of the Prophets and Apostles, scattered in many volumes. They re∣plied vnto me, that they had fourescore and one bookes of the olde and new Testament, and asked whether we had more: I answered, that we had tenne times more, drawne and extracted out of the olde and new Testa∣ment, enriched with many expositions, wherein was contained very deepe doctrine. Prester-Iohn caused one to tell me, that he was not ignorant of the great quanti∣tie of bookes which we haue; but that he desired verie much to know their names.

Damianus a Goes.t 1.2 The Abyssins say, that they haue all the writings of Moses and the Prophets, and other bookes of the old Testament: the foure Euangelists, and all the Epistles of S. Paul, and that they want not a∣ny booke of the holy Scripture, whereof they recyted a Catalogue in my presence.

Neuerthelesse the Bishop Zaga an Ethiopian, seeme∣eth to count the bookes of the Bible otherwise: for he saith, that in the new Testament there are fiue and thir∣tie:

peraduenture he comprehends those which Alua∣rs saith, that they call Manda and Abetilis, diuided into eight parts: but the same Abyssins doe beleeue, that the holy Scripture is sufficient for saluation without those: for they denie not the name of true Christians, to those that haue not those bookes, and therefore they hold them not to be of equall authority with the o∣ther.

The same Authour saith, that the Abyssins beleeue not that there is any power, whether Councel, or what∣soeuer able to make lawes, which binde the conscience, much lesse such doctrine as is not grounded vpon the Scripture.

Annot. The Ethiopians are of the opinion of the Reformed, if they meane those foure-score and one bookes which are in the Volume of the Bible: for the same number is to be found if one reckon the Epistle of Ieremie for one booke by it selfe, and if one doe seperate the Histories which are not found but in Greeke, added to the bookes of Daniel and Hester. Moreouer it is to be noted, that the Abyssins do limite that which they holde for the word of God, within the number of foure score and one bookes (against the opinion of the word not written) and they demand if the fashion and man∣ner of celebrating the Masse is to be found in the holy Scripture. Aluares a Roman Catholik answereth them cleane besides the matter: saying, that the Romane Church hath Doctors and Teachers, which haue a do∣ctrine farre greater and more perfect, then that of the olde and new Testament. The Reformed Church sub∣scribe not willingly to this Article, for they

make a contrary Article, as hereafter follo∣weth.

Notes

• s 1.1

  Cap. 31.
• t 1.2

  De indor. leg. art. 11.