5 The cause vvhy, the Scriptures being perfit, yet vve vse other Ecclesiastical vvritings and tradition.
Vincentius Lirinensis in his golden booke before cited, aduersus prophanas haeres•••• Nouationes.Here some man perhaps may aske, for asmuch as the Canon of the Scrip∣tures is perfit, and in all pointes very sufficient in it self, vvhat neede is there, to ioyne therevnto the authoritie of the* 1.1 Ecclesiastical vnderstanding? for this cause surely, for that all take not the holy Scripture in one and the same sense, because of the deepenes thereof. but the speaches thereof, some interpret one vvay, & some an other vvay, so that there may almost as many senses be picked out of it, as there be men. for, Nouatian doth expound it one vvay, and Sabel∣lius, an other vvay, othervvise Donatus, othervvise Arîus, Eunomius, Mace∣donius, othervvise Photinus, Apollinaris, Priscillianus, othervvise Iouinian, Pelagius, Celestius, lastly othervvise Nestorius.* 1.2 And therfore very necessarie it is, because of so great vvindinges and turninges of diuers errours, that the line of Prophetical and Apostolical interpretation, be directed according to the rule of the Ecclesiastical and Catholike sense or vnderstanding.
S. Basil li. de Spiritu sancto cap. 27.Of such articles of religion as are kept and preached in the Church, some vvere taught by the vvritten vvord, other some vve haue receiued by the tra∣dition of the Apostles, deliuered vnto vs as it vvere from hand to hand in my∣sterie secretly: both vvhich be of one force to Christian religion: and this no man vvil deny that hath any litle skill of the Ecclesiastical rites or customes. for if vve goe about to reiect the customes not conteined in Scripture, as being of smal force, vve shal vnvvittingly and vnavvares mangle the GOSPEL it self in the principal partes thereof, yea rather, vve shal abridge the very prea∣ching of the Gospel, and bring it to a bare name.