Surely in all this there is nothing spokē against reading of Homilies, that may* 1.1 not in like manner be alleaged against preaching of sermons, & other godly exercises of interpreting the scriptures: for if Homilies interpreting the scriptures according to the true meaning, & sense of them, be the interpretations of men, and therefore not to be redde in the Church, whose interpretations shall we call Sermons, and other readinges? The one as well as the other is vttered by men, & by men in that order framed. But I thinke that no right and true interpretation of the Scripture is to be* 1.2 compted mans, though it be written, redde, or preached by man, for the spirite of God is the Author of it, & man is but the instrument. The rest of your proofes taken frō the vse of the Church (as you say) be all ab authoritate negatiuè: and most of them ab au∣thoritate hominum: whiche kinde of argument your self haue before vtterly condēned. I haue oftentimes could you that an argument, à non facto, ad non ius (& it is M. Zuin∣glius and other mens iudgement, as well as mine) is good neyther in diuine, nor yet in humane thinges.
So far as I can learne Ionathan the Calday Paraphrast, florished not in Chri∣stes* 1.3 time, (as you say) but. 42. yeares before Christ was borne, and I thinke there is none of these Paraphrastes so faithfull, in interpreting, but that they misse in some places: & you can not but acknowledge, that one good Sermon or Homilie of some