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S. Ambrose also to Gratian the Emperour: Let the Scrip∣ture (saithe he) be asked the question, lette the Prophetes be asked, and let Christe be asked. For at that time made the Catholique Fathers and Bishoppes no doubte, but that our Religion mighte be prooued out of the Holy Scriptures. Neither were they euer so hardy to take any for an Heretique, whose errour they coulde not e∣uidently and apparantly reprooue by the selfe same Scriptures.
And wee verily doo make answeare on this wise, as S. Paule did: Accordinge to this waye whiche they calle Heresie, wee doo woor∣shippe God, and the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe: and doo allowe al thinges whiche haue benne written either in the Lawe, or in the Prophetes, or in the Apostles Woorkes.
Gratian the Emperour bucklinge him selfe as it were to encounter with the Heretike, at the firste he geueth meaninge to al to be ware of him, for that he endeuoureth to prooue his false Do∣ctrine, (namely for the first pointe, that the Sonne is vnlike the Father) Versutis disputationibus,* 1.1 VVith suttel and craftie reasoninges. He alleageth to that purpose, S. Paule to the Colossians, Ca∣uere ue quis vos depraedetur pes Philosophiam: Beware that no man spoile you through Phi∣losophie, and vaine deceit, &c. For (saithe be) these Heretikes put al the force of theire poisons in Logike, or Dialectical disputation, whiche by the opinion of Philosophers is desined, not to haue power to prooue, but an earnest desire to destroie and disproue. Hauinge geuen this holesome war∣ninge, lest him selfe might seeme to vse that, whiche he counselleth others to beware of: to with∣de awe the Emperour and al other from the guileful Logike of Arius,* 1.2 at his firste entrie he saithe: I wil not that thou geue credite, Holy Emperour, to argument, and to our Disputation, (then fo∣lowe the woordes. Whereof the Defenders take holde,) Scripturas interrogemus, &c. Let vs aske the Scriptures, let vs aske the Apostles, let vs aske the Prophetes, let vs aske Christe: VVhat neede many woordes? let vs aske the Father, &c.
And to this pointe of our beleefe, whiche is very highe and secrete, is that sayinge of S. Ambrose to be restrained. But that for confirmation of the Truthe in pointes whiche be nearer to common sense, and for confutation of those Heresies whiche be of lesse subteltie, of whiche sorte these Go∣spellers grosse errours be, to this ende that wee ought not to vse the Testimonies of the Holy Fathers against Heretikes,* 1.3 (for whiche purpose they alleage this place:) S. Ambrose neither in al that Booke, neither in al his woorkes speaketh so muche as one woorde.
But contrarie wise in sundry places of that woorke be alleageth the auctoritie of the Nicene Councel, as a Testimonie of good force against the Arians, and declareth a diuine Mysterie to haue benne signified by suche special number of the Fathers there assembled: Sayinge, Sic nempe no∣stri secundum Scripturas dixerunt Patres: Euen thus, accordinge to the Scriptures, haue the Fathers saide. Seruemus Praecepta maiorum, &c. Let vs keepe the Preceptes of our Forefathers, neither with Temeritie of rude boldnes let vs breake the Hereditarie Seales, (he meaneth the Do∣ctrine sealed by the Fathers, and left to the posteritie as it were by Heritage). VVhiche of vs wil be so hardy, as to vnseale the Priestly Booke, sealed by the Confessours, and nowe consecrated with the Martyrdome of many a one? Lo heare ye not Sirs* 1.4 howe muche S. Ambrose is against you?
And though he saye, touchinge this Mysteries Let vs aske the Scriptures, Apostles, Prophetes, and Christe: yet thereby dothe he not quite exclude the Fathers. He saithe not, let vs reiect the Fathers. The Scriptures and the Fathers be not contrary: and therefore thallowinge of them, is not the dis∣alowinge of these. VVho so euer maketh this argument,* 1.5 whiche in your VVoorde is implied, The Scriptures are to be asked, Ergo, the Holy Fathers are not to be asked, maketh a foolishe argument.
The greattest forte hereof is answeared already. S. Ambrose, ye saye, by this appeale to the Scriptures, excludeth not the iudgement of the Learned Fathers, but onely the cau••••lations, and subtileties of Philosophers and Sophisters. For S. Ambrose him selfe is the same treatie often allegeth the Authoritie of the Fa∣thers. Al this, M. Hardinge, is true in deede▪ Notwithstandinge there is a certaine secrete Vntruthe lapped in it. For S. Ambrose allegeth the Fathers, not as Groundes, or Principles, or Fundations of the Faithe: but onely as In∣terpreters, or Witnesses, or Consenters vnto the Faithe: Whiche thinge of our
parte was neuer denied. Nowe, whether S. Ambrose meante thus,* 1.6 or no, let S. Ambrose him selfe he the Iudge.* 1.7 His woordes be these, Sic nempe nostri secundum Scripturas dixerunt Patres: Thus haue our Fathers saide (not of them selues, but) accor∣dinge to the Scriptures. He allegeth the Fathers, not as hauinge sufficient credite and substance in them selues, but onely as Expounders, and Interpreters of the Scriptures.
So saithe the godly Father Athanasius:* 1.8 Nos ista Hausimus à Magistris diuini∣tùs afflatis, qui Sacros Libros euoluerunt: These thinges haue we learned of our Maisters (or Fathers) inspired from Heauen, whiche haue Readde and perused the Holy Scriptures. For S. Augustine very wel saithe,* 1.9 Secundum hos Libros de coeteris Literis, vel Fi∣delium, vel Infidelium liberè iudicamus: Accordinge to those Bookes of the Scriptures wee iudge frankely of al other writinges, whether they be of the Faitheful, or of the Vn∣faitheful. Therefore S. Hierome saithe, Omni studio legendae nobis sunt Scripturae, & in Lege Domini meditandum die ac nocte: vt probati trapezitae sciamus, quis numus probus sit, quis adulterinus: Wee muste Reade the Scriptures with al diligence, and muste bee occupied in the Lawe of our Lorde bothe daie and nighte: that wee maye become perfite exchangers, and be hable rightly to discerne, what Monie is lawful, and what is Counterfaite. S. Hilarie saithe, Hoc proprium est Apostolicae. Doctrinae, Deum ex Lege, ac Prophe∣tis in Euangelijs praedicare:* 1.10 This is the very order of the Apostles Doctrine, in the Gospel to Preache God out of the Lawe and the Prophetes.
Otherwise, touchinge the discourse of natural reason, S. Ambrose saithe, No Creature either in Earthe, or in Heauen is hable to reache the deapthe of these thinges. Thus he saithe: Mens deficit: Vox silet, non mea tantùm, sed Angelorum. Supra potestates,* 1.11 supra Angelos, supra Cherubim, supra Seraphim, supra omnem sen∣sum est: The minde is astonned: the voice faileth, not onely mine, but also of the Angelles. It is aboue the powers, aboue the Angelles, aboue the Cherubius, aboue the Seraphins, and a∣boue al manner vnderstandinge. And therefore he saithe, as it is alleaged once before, Nolo nobis credatur: Scriptura recitetur:* 1.12 Non ego dico à me, In principio erat Verbum, Sed audio: I woulde not, ye shoulde beleeue mee: Lette the Scriptures be readde: I saye not of mee selfe, In the beginninge vvas the VVoorde: but I heare it spoken. And againe he saithe in the same Booke vnto the Emperour Gratian:* 1.13 Facessat nostra Sententia: Paulum interrogemus: Let our Iudgemente stande aparte: and let vs aske S. Paule the question.
But M. Hardinge saithe, VVhoso euer maketh this argumente, whiche in your VVoorde is implied, The Scriptures are to be asked: Ergo, the Holy Fathers are not to be asked, maketh a foolishe argumente.
It seemeth no greate pointe of Wisedome, M. Hardinge, to vpbraide others with folie without cause: God encrease bothe you and vs in al wisedome, and vn∣derstandinge in Christe Iesu. How be it, our Argumente, howe so euer it hathe pleased you to fashon, and to handle it, as we meante it, and made it, had no sutche Folie. Wherefore, what so euer Folie is nowe come to it, it is your owne: it is not ours. For wée denie not the Learned Fathers expositions, and iudgementes in doubteful cases of the Scriptures. Wée reade them our selues: Wée folowe them: Wée embrace them: and, as I saide before, wée moste humbly thanke God for them. But thus wée saie, The same Fathers opinions, and iudgementes, for as mutche as they are sometimes disagréeable one from an other, and sometimes implie contrarieties, and contradictions, therefore alone, and of them selues, with∣out farther authoritie, and guidinge of Goddes Woorde, are not alwaies suffici∣ent Warrantes to charge our Faithe. And thus the Learned Catholique Fathers themselues haue euermore taught vs to esteeme, and to weighe the Fathers.
The Ancient Father Origen saithe thus, as it is reported before; Ex Solis
Scripturis examinationis nostrae discretio petenda est: The discussinge of our Iudgemente, muste be taken Onely of the Scriptures. And againe, Sensus nostri, & enarrationes sine Scripturis testibus non habent fidem:* 1.14 Our Iudgementes, and Expositions without witnesse of the Scriptures haue no credite. Likewise S. Augustine, Ego Solis Cano∣nicis Scripturis debeo sine vlla recusatione consensum: My consent without exception I owe (not vnto any Father, were he neuer so wel learned, but) Onely to the Holy Canonical Scriptures. His reason is this: Nam cùm Dominus ••acuerit, quis nostrum dicat, Illa, vel illa sunt? Aut si dicere audet, vnde probat? For where as the Lorde him selfe hath not spoken, who of vs can saie, It is this, or that? Or if he dare saie so, howe can he prooue it?
And therefore he concludeth directly and in like woordes with S. Ambrose:* 1.15 Ego vocem Pastoris inquiro. Lege hoc mihi de Propheta: Lege de Psalmo: Recita de Lege: Recita de Euangelio: Recita de Apostolo: I require the voice of the Shephearde: Reade me this mater out of the Prophete: Reade it mee out of the Psalmes: Reade it out of the Lawe: Reade it out of the Gospel: Reade it out of the Apostles.
Cap. 2.
Ambres. De Fi∣de Lib. 1. Cap. 4.
Vntruthe.
Nothing.
Vntruth.
Scriptures and Doc∣tours.
Ambr. Ad Cra∣tia. De Fide, li. 1.
Athanas. De Humanitate Verbi.
August. Contra Cresconi. Gram∣ma. Li. 2 Ca. 29. Hierony. in E∣pisto. ad Ephes. Lib. 3. Cap. 5.
Hilari. in Psal. 65.
Ambro. ad Gra∣tianum de Fide, Lib. 1. Cap. 5.
Ambros. De In∣carnationis Do∣minicae Sacra∣cramen. Ca. 3.
Ambros. ad Gra∣tian. Imperator. Lib. 1. Cap. 7.
Origen. in E∣pist. ad Roma. Lib. 10. Cap. 16. Ex Solis. Origen. in Hie∣remt. Homi. 1. August. De Na∣tura & Gratia, Ca 61.
Augustin. in Io∣han. Tracta. 96. August. De Pa∣storib. Ca. 14.