Responsio.
When the Apostles had preached certaine yeares, Viua voce, onely by mouth, they committed also vnto writtyng those things which they had preached before, for some of them did write the history of Christ, both of his doyngs and sayinges, other wrote of the doyngs and sayings of the Apostles, other wrote & sent diuers epistles to diuers & sundry nations. Furthermore, for ye confirmation of ye truth, they vsed the testimony of ye old scriptures, both out the law, & also of ye prophets, therfore the church was institute & gouerned wt the self same word before ye gospel was written, wherwith it was directed and ruled after the gospel was written, for it was one & the same as Ireneus doth testifye.* 1.1 Cap. 1. Quae primū concionati sunt apostoli, postea per voluntatem dei scripto nobis tradiderunt, ea{que} literis erant prodita, quae ad salutem nostram videbantur necessaria, vt Iohannes dicit haec scripta sunt vt credatis. These thinges which the Apostles preached first were afterwarde by the will of God deliuered vnto vs in writing, and these things were vttered in letters which were counted necessary for our saluatiō (as Iohn sayth) these things are writtē yt you might beleue. Wherfore the obiection is of no force & very vaine.