1. The name of the holie scriptures are giuen vnto the Apocrypha, which are named parts of the old testament.
No more disgrace intended, or done the Canonicall scriptures by our reverend fathers, which drew the forme of the Commu∣nion booke, then was either done or intended by those auncients, who many hundred yeares agoe did giue that name to the book, we call Apocriphall. And sure we are neither of them haue dis∣graced the scriptures of the Hebrue Canon, by this appellati∣on as they and wee vnderstand it. The reason wherefore they did call these Apocripha holie scriptures is threefold,* that is to say namely because of the occasion 2. the argument 3. the vse. The occasion was this, because, when the Iewes were diui∣ded into 2. orders, some vsing their hebrue tongue and abiding in Iewrie kept the hebrue text of the scripture pure without anie addition at all, others of them speaking Greeke and liuing in other places abroad and not in Iewrie, vsed the Greeke scripture, and translation, hence was it that the auncient christian Church had from the Ie wes a diuerse canon one hebrue and another Greeke, which canon the Christian Church made not, but receiued it made, as the Iewes deliuered it, which in the Greeke tongue so inlarged with the rest of the Bible, if the auncient Christian should haue cut out, they had done two iniuries at once to the Iewes, from whome they re∣ceiued them, and to the Christians to whome they were deli∣uered, and they made conscience to offend thus publiklie, hereupon these bookes remained as they were deliuered. The second rea∣son is their argument, because they intreat not of thinges pro∣faine, but sacred and holie. The third reason because of their vse and place. They were still bound next after the scriptures in hebrue and stand as a partition wall or merestone twixt the old and new testament. So as they haue the name of Page 177sacred and holy Scriptures, partly because alway in the Gréek Canon, partly because they teach vs to liue soberly, godly, and righteously in this present world, which is the direct purpose of the scripture, partly because they should distingiush from the pro∣phane, partly because read in ye Church publike to preferre them before other ecclesiasticall writings of the Fathers, alway pro∣uiding they know their place not before, but after the other Ca∣nonicall Scripture of the olde Testament, which their veris name Apocripha puts them in minde that they so doe. Our bre∣thren (knowing this to be the iudgement and interpretation of our Church) might haue eased themselues of this toiling obiectiō & indured the name of holy Scriptures giuen to those Bookes be∣ing (as it is) giuen 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, humanitus, humano iudicio, graeco canone for these speeches Ma∣ster Iunius vseth of, taking holy Scripture in a signification at large for the reasons before mentioned, and among those rea∣sons this we are not to hold the least of them, because these books as it appeareth haue béene thought to fore (though not Canoni∣call) yet so farre foorth as they agrée with the Canonicall, as a kindely issue, & liuely branches or stemmes of the other. Now as the Apostle saith in another case we shall not vnfitly applie here. If the roote be holy the branches are holy,* euer re∣membring this withall that the roote beareth them,* and not they the roote. Wherefore without offence be it vnderstood in this construction, if anywhere they be (as the information here pretends) named parts of the olde Testament, the meaning is in no other sense,* then as they are called holy Scripture & as Dru∣sius a very learned, painfull, and diligent Reader of antiquities deliuereth in other terms to the like effect. viz, That they all at this day belong to the olde Testament. But hi∣therto of this point Reade more part. 1. cap. 10.11.21. pag. 97.125. &c.
