Search the Scriptures. Or, An enquirie after veritie Discoursing of, and discussing the Scriptures sufficiencie. Perspicuitie. Necessitie. By George Langford, Bachelour of Diuinitie, and minister of Gods Word, at Mortlake, neere London.

Sect. 3.

1 Apocryphall Bookes reiected. 2. The Councell of Trent vellicated. 3. The Councell of Flo∣rence vendicated. 4. The practice of the Church of England cleered.

[Conclusion III] * 1.1NO Writings are Scripture, but such as were written or approued by the Prophets and A∣postles. For, as for those Apocryphall Bookes, imperiously thrust vpon Gods Church by the Triden∣tine Fathers, they are not to bee admitted into the Ca∣non of Faith.

For all the Bookes which doe prophesie of Christ, apud Judaeos sunt, saitha 1.2 Austin, were kept amongst the Iewes: but none of the Apocrypha were written in Hebrew, the language of Canaan. In the eighty fourth Canon attributed to the Apostles, all the Apo∣cryphall Scriptures which wee exclude out of the Ca∣non, are there also casheered, sauing that this Canon constituteh three books of the Maccabees, sacred and Canonicall, whereas the Papists themselues haue euer

acknowledged but two. The Laodicen Councill exclu∣deth all those Apocryphall books, which we extrude out of the Canon: Which Councill,* 1.3 though it was of it selfe Prouinciall, yet is it notwithstanding confirmed in the 6. generall Councill. Trullan. Synod cap. 2. Gela∣sius Bishop of Rome, was more moderate then our mo∣derne Papists, who will not yeeld a hoofe; for he makes onely one booke of the Maccabees Canonicall, and dis∣claimes the booke of Wisedome, not to be Salomons.

Let vs then abhorre this Popish errour; yea, I say, this Popish heresie, & S. Austin shall beare me out in it; for he accounts the ••rescillianists Heretickes,* 1.4 for ma∣king the Bookes Apocryphall of equall authority with the Bookes Canonicall.

But you smell to much of selfe-opinion, sayes our opinionate and obstinate Papist: for how dare you, without a blush so peremptorily contradict so famous & so renowned a Council, as was the Tridentine Synod?

But first, who knowes not that this Councill of Trent is of no antiquitie? it is so young, that it cannot pronounce Shibhol••••h, no not to saue it selfe from the hands o•• the Gileadites. 2. Neuer was there any Popish General Council herein so audacious, so presumptuous, before this of Trent. True it is, that some impudent Papists, boldly, tho blindly, father a like Decree vpon the Councill of Florence; But Bellarmine, the Papists Atlas, as likewise Coccius, the Popes own darling,* 1.5 are more carefull of their credit, and will not affirme it. How durst Driedo repudiate the booke of Baruch, and repute it Apocryphall, after the Councill of Florence had that Councill anathematized such impudent A∣gents? And further tho this Councill had made them Canonicall, yet had it beene little materiall, seeing it was but a small time before the Councill of Trent, not much aboue 100. yeares, the one being assembled in the yeare of Christ, 1436. the other in the yeare of

Christ, 1545. Thirdly, their Fatherhoods of Trent are not able to produce one Father that held them Cano∣nicall, within the time of the Primitiue Churches chaster innocence: no not within foure hundred yeeres after Christ. Fourthly, wee can easily proue, that all thea 1.6 Fathers liuing in the first foure hundred yeers, re∣iected them: and that their authority was doubtfull, litigious, and ambiguous, for the space of sixe hundred yeares after our Sauiour Christs sacred Incarnation. Fiftly, Many of the learned Papists themselues are on our side: Asb 1.7 Caietan,c 1.8 Hugo Cardinalis, Lyra,d 1.9 Lyra∣nus,e 1.10 Sigonius, Arias Montanus, and others, who deny them to be Canonicall Scripture.

I remember indeed, that tho Athanasius would notf 1.11 Canonize these bookes, yet did he bequeath them to Nouices newly cōuerted to the Christian Faith, or such as were after to be baptized. He herein seemes to draw neere to that opinion that theg 1.12 Cardinall afterward learned of St.h 1.13 Jerome; namely, that these Bookes were onely admitted into the Canon of manners, not of Faith. For according toi 1.14 Epiphanius, Ʋtiles quidem & commo∣di sunt isti libri; These Booke are profitable and commo∣dious, but not to be receiued as Canonicall, or reserued in thek 1.15 Arke of the Testimonie.

But if these Bookes bee not Canonicall, say some of our well-respected and well affected brethren, (for so I must still style them, in respect of their conspiring with vs in all points fundamentall) Why should they bee read in the Church of England? To whom I answere according to those words in that sixt Article concluded in that Orthodoxalll 1.16 Conuocation holden at London, in the yeare of our Lord Christ, 1562. These Bookes the Church doth reade for example of life, and instruction of manners: but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine. Saintm 1.17 Cyprian, or Ruf∣finus rather, hauing reckoned vp the number of the

Bookes Canonicall, hath these words: Haec sunt quae Patres intra Canonem concluserunt, ex quibus fidei nostrae assertiones constare voluerunt. Sciendum tamen est, quòd & alij libri sunt, qui non sunt Canonici, sed Ecclesiastici à maioribus appellati sunt: quae omnia legi quidem in Eccle∣sijs voluerunt, non tamen proferri ad authoritatem ex his fidei confirmandam: These are the Bookes which the Fa∣thers haue accounted within the Canon; by which they would confirme the affirmations and assertions of our faith: But we must also know, that there are other Bookes, which are called of the Ancients, Ecclesiasticall, all which were read in the Church of God, but out of them was neuer pro∣duced any demonstration to make good our faith. Heare what Saint Jerome himselfe saith, praefat. in libros Salo∣monis: Hos libros legit Ecclesia, sed eos inter Canonicas Scripturas non recepit: — Legit ad aedificationem ple∣bis, non ad authoritatem Ecclesiasticorum dogmatum con∣firmandam: The Church indeed doth reade these Bookes Apocryphall, but yet reputes them not to bee Canonicall: she reades them to rectifie, to edifie the people, not to testi∣fie, or authoritatiuely to ratifie the principles of our Faith. See Greg. in Iob, l. 19. c. 17. Rodulph. in Leuit. lib. 14. cap. 1. P. Cluniacensis, lib. 1. Epist. 2. Origen apud Eu∣sebium. lib. 6. cap. 25. Cyrillus Hierosolymitanus 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

Nor doe I affirme, that these Apocryphall Bookes are neuer by the ancient Fathers styled Canonicall or Diuine: for then might you produce Saint Ierome and Saint Austin, as witnesses of my witlesnesse heerein. But let learned Whitakers tell you why: He sayes,* 1.18 Ca∣nonicos ab Augustino libros vocari, qui mendacijs fabulis{que} pleni non sunt: Saint Austin cals those Bookes Canonicall, which are not full fraught with lyes, and scaenicall leuity.

A thing is said to bee Canonicall, either 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* 1.19 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, absolutely, or respectiuely; Absolutely that is Canonicall, which is the perfect rule of faith and manners: Respectiuely that is regular, which contay∣ning

some sentences of authentique Writ and Histories Ecclesiastical, hath obtained to be read in holy assem∣blies. As Israel was styled an holy people, not that all were sanctified in the particular, but all in the gene∣rall, in opposition to the Gentiles, who were without the pale of the Church: so are these bookes called Ca∣nonicall, not that all things in them are co••pletely re∣gular but all more regular then the prophane writtings of the Heathenisha 1.20 Prophets, who neuer slept vpon the top of holy Parnassus.

But let such as will not heare Moses and the Pro∣phets, listen a little to the admonition of Caieta••, their owne deare Romish Catholike, and a Cardinall: hee aduiseth all Students in Diuinity,b 1.21 Ʋt quaendo ab anti∣quis interdum dici Canonicos legunt, id de morum, non doctrins Canone intelligant: That they would fauora∣bly interpret the Fathers, when they style these books Canonicall; and not be so farre fore-stald with preiu∣dice, as to make them rules of Faith and doctrine, but of our facts and Discipline.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Quas ita{que} Scrip∣turas dicimus Canonicas, nisi Legis & Pro∣phetarum? Aug. de vnit. Eccl. 16. Conc. Triden. Sess. 4.
• a 1.2

  Omnes literae quibus Christus prophetatus est, apud Judaeos sunt: August. in Psal. 56.
• * 1.3

  Can. 59.
• * 1.4

  Aug. Haeres. 70.
• * 1.5

  Bellar. lib. de verb. Dei. Coccius in The∣sauro Cathol. ••om. 1. Driedo de dog∣mat. Eccles. lib. 1. cap. 4.
• a 1.6

  Nazianz. in carm. de lib. scrip. & poem. Iamb. ad Sel. ucū. Damasc l. 4. de fide. c. 18. Hier. prolog. Ga∣leat. Aug. de ciui. l. 15. c. 23. & cont. Adimant. c. 17. & de doct. Christ. l. 2. c. 8. Greg. in Iob. l. 19 c. 17. &c.
• b 1.7

  Caietan. ad finem Hester.
• c 1.8

  Hugo Cardin. prolog. in Ioshua.
• d 1.9

  Lyranus prolo. in Apocryph.
• e 1.10

  Sigon. in com∣ment. in Seuerū Sulpitium.
• f 1.11

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Athan. in Sy••ops.
• g 1.12

  Caiet. in fine commen. in Hist. v••t. Test.
• h 1.13

  H••er. in prolo. Gal••ato. Tom. 3. p. 6.
• i 1.14

  Epiphan. lib. de mensuris & ponder.
• k 1.15

  Deut. 31.26.
• l 1.16

  Synod. London. An. 1562. Ar. 6.
• m 1.17

  Cyp. su••e Ruf∣fin. in expositione symboli de Cano∣ne Iudaico.
• * 1.18

  Whitaker. contr. Duraeum. & con∣tra Campian.
• * 1.19

  Distinctio.
• a 1.20

  For so S. Paul styles Epime∣nides, Tit. 1.12.
• b 1.21

  Caiet. in com∣ment. in histor. Test. vet.