Whole Works, Tracts 1 · Tract 4 · Part 1 · Section 15
¶ An other Argument.
AN other like blind reaſō they hauehave Their ſecond reaſō.wherein is all their truſt. As we come out of them and they not of vsus, ſo we receaue the Scripture of them & they not of vsus. How know we that it is the Scripture of God and true, but becauſe they teach vsus ſo? How can we beleue, except we firſt beleue that they be the Church and can not erre in any thyng that perteyneth vntounto our ſoules health. For if a man tell me of a Note here this Popiſh Argument.maruelous thyng, whereof I can hauehave no other knowledge thē by his mouth onelyonly, how ſhould I geue credence except I beleued that the mā were ſo honeſt that he could not lye or would not lye. Wherfore we muſt beleue that they be the right Church that can not erre, or els we can beleue nought at all.
This wiſe reaſon is their ſhoteancre & all their hold, their refuge, to flye vntounto & chief ſtone in their foundation, wheron they hauehave built all their lyes & al the miſchief that they hauehave wrought this viij. hūdred yeares. And this reaſon do the Iewes lay vntounto our charge this day, and this reaſon doth chiefly blynd them and hold them ſtill in obſtinacie. Our ſpirites firſt falſifie the The Pope and his ſect ſay they are the church and can not erre.Scripture to ſtabliſh their lyes. And when the Scripture commeth to light and is reſtored vntounto the true vnderſtā dyng and their iugglyng ſpied, & they like to ſuffer ſhipwracke, then they caſt out this ancre, they be the Church and can not erre, their authoritie is greater then the Scripture, and the Scripture is not true, but becauſe they ſay ſo and admitte it. And therfore what ſoeuer they affirme, is of as great authoritie as the Scripture.
Notwithſtandyng, as I ſayd, the The ſolution.kyngdome of heauen ſtandeth not in words of mās wiſedome, but in power and ſpirite. And therfore loke vntounto the examples of the Scripture and ſo ſhalt thou vnderſtand. And of an hundred examples betwene Moyſes and Chriſt, where the Iſraelites fell from Iohn Baptiſt was a true expoſitor of the law.God & were eue… reſtored by one Prophet or other, let vsus take one: euen Iohn the Baptiſt. Iohn went before Chriſt to prepare his way, that is, to bryng mē vntounto the knowledge of their ſinnes and vntounto repentaunce, through true expoundyng of the law, which is the onelyonly way vntounto Chriſt. For except a man knowledge his ſinnes & repent of them, he can hauehave no part in Chriſt, of Iohn Chriſt fayth Math. xvij. that Math. 17.he was Elias that ſhould come & reſtore all thyng. That is, he ſhould reſtore the ſcripture vntounto the right ſence agayne, which the Phariſeis had corrupt with the leuen of their falſe gloſes and vayne fleſhly traditions. He made croked thinges ſtraight, as it is written, and rough ſmoth. Which is al ſo to be vnderſtand of the Scripture, which the Phariſeis had made croked wreſtyng them vntounto a falſe ſence with wicked gloſes, & ſo rought that no man could walke in the way of them. For The Phariſeis added falſe gloſes to y• Scripturewhen God ſayd, honour father & mother, meanyng that we ſhould obey them and alſo helpe thē at their nede, the Phariſeis put this gloſe thereto, out of their owne leuen ſaying: God is thy father and mother. Wherfore what ſoeuer nede thy father & mother hauehave, if thou offer to God, thou art hold excuſed. For it is better to offer to God, then to thy father and mother and ſo much more meritorious, as God is greater then they: yea and God hath done more for thee then they & is more thy father and mother then they. As ours now affirme, that it is more meritorious to offer to God and his holy dead Saintes, then vntounto the poore liuyng Saintes. And whē God had promiſed the people a Sauiour to come & bleſſe them and ſaue them from theyr ſinnes, the Phariſeis taught to beleue in holy woorkes to be ſaued by, as if they offered and gaue to be prayd for. As ours, as oft as we hauehave a promiſe to be forgeuē at the repentaunce of the hart through Chriſtes bloud ſhedding, put to, thou muſt firſt ſhriue thy ſelfe to vsus of eueryevery ſ…abe, & we muſt lay out handes on thine head and whiſtell out The Pa… doctrine.thy ſinnes and enioyne the penaunce to make ſatiſfaction. And yet art thou but louſed from the ſynne onelyonly that thou ſhalt not come into hell, but thou muſt yet ſuffer for eueryevery ſinne ſeuen yeres in Purgatory which is as whot as hell, except thou bye it out of the Purgatorye.Pope. And it y• aſke by what meanes the Pope geueth ſuch pardon. They aunſwere out of the merites of Chriſt. And thus at the laſt they graūt againſt thēſelues, that Chriſt hath not only deſerued for vsus y• remiſſiō of our ſinnes, but alſo the forgeueneſſe of that groſſe and fleſhly imagined Purgatory, ſaue thou muſt bye it out of the Pope. And with ſuch traditions they tooke away the keye of knowledge and ſtopped vp the kyngdome of heauen that no man could enter in.
And as I ſayd, they taught the people to beleue in the dedes of the ceremonies The Phariſeis and papiſtes agree in the falſe interpreting of y• ſcriptures.which God ordeined not to iuſtifie but to be ſignes of promiſes by which they that beleued were iuſtified. But the Phariſeis put out the ſignifications & quēched the fayth and taught to be iuſtified by the woorke, as ours hauehave ſerued vsus.
For our Sacramentes were once but ſignes partly of what we ſhould beleue, to ſtyrre vsus vp vntounto fayth, and The ſacramentes are ſignes to fayth.partly what we ſhould do, to ſtyrre vsus vp to do the law of God, and were not workes to iuſtifie.
Now make this reaſon vntounto Iohn and vntounto many Prophetes that went before him and did as he dyd, yea and The Pope will by his reaſō make Chriſt and all his Apoſtles heretiques.vntounto Chriſt him ſelf and his Apoſtles, & thou ſhalt finde them all heretickes, and the Scribes and Phariſeis good men, if that reaſon be good. Therfore this wiſe thou mayſt aunſwere. No thankes vntounto the heades of y• Church that the Scripture was kept, but vntounto the mercy of God. For as they had deſtroyed the right ſenſe of it for their lucre ſake, euen ſo would they hauehave deſtroyed it alſo if they coulde, rather then the people ſhould hauehave come vntounto the right vnderſtādyng of it, as they ſlew the true interpretours and preachers of it. And euen ſo no thankes vn to our hypocrites that the Scripture is kept, but vntounto the bottomleſſe mercy of God.
For as they hauehave deſtroyed the right ſenſe of it with their leuē, and as they deſtroy dayly the true preachers of it, and as they kepe it from the lay people, that they ſhould not ſee how they iuggle with it, euen ſo would they deſtroy The Pope and his … would (if they could) deſtroy the ſcripture as well as they deſtroy the preachers thereof.it alſo, could they bryng it about, rather thē we ſhould come by the true vnderſtandyng of it, were it not that God prouided otherwiſe for vsus. For they hauehave put the ſtories that ſhould in many thynges helpe vsus, cleane out of the way, as nye as they could. They hauehave corrupt the Legend and lyues almoſt of all Saintes. They hauehave fayned falſe bookes and put them forth, ſome in the name of S. Hierome, ſome in y• name of S. Auguſtine, in the name of S. Cypriā, S. Dioniſe and other holy men. which are proued none of theirs, partly by the ſtile and Latine, & partly by autenticke ſtories. And as the Iewes hauehave ſet vp a booke of traditions called Talmud, to deſtroy the ſēſe Talmud.of y• Scripture, Ʋnto which they geue fayth and vntounto the Scripture none at all be it neuer ſo playne, but ſay it can not be vnderſtand, ſaue by the Talmud: euen ſo hauehave ours ſet vp their Dunce, their Thomas and a thouſand Dunc….like draffe, to ſtabliſh their lyes, thorough falſifying the Scripture, & ſay that it can not be vnderſtand without them, be it neuer ſo playne. And if a man alledge an holy Doctour agaynſt them they gloſe him out as they do the Scripture, or will not heare, or ſay the Church hath otherwiſe determined.
Now therfore when they aſke vsus Queſtion anſwere.how we know that it is the Scripture of God, aſke them how Iohn Baptiſt knew & other Prophetes, which God A good anſwere to be made to the Papiſtes.ſtyrred vp in all ſuch times as the ſcripture was in like captiuitie vnderunder hypocrites? Did Iohn beleue that the Scribes, Phariſeis and hygh Prieſts were the true Church of God, and had hys ſpirite and could not erre? who taught the Egles to ſpy out their pray? euen ſo the children of God ſpy out their father and Chriſtes elect ſpy out theyr Lord, and trace out the pathes of hys feete and folow, yea though he go vpō the playne and liquide water which will receaue no ſtepe: & yet there they find out his foote, his elect know him, but the world knoweth him not Iohn Iohn. 1…. ☜1. If the world know him not, & thou call the world pride, wrath, enuy, couetouſneſſe, ſlouth, glottony and lechery, then our ſpiritualtie know hym not. Chriſtes ſhepe heare y• voyce of Chriſt Iohn. x. where the world of hypocrits Ioh. 1….as they know hym not, euen ſo the wolues heare not his voyce, but compell the Scripture to heare them and to ſpeake what they luſt. And therfore except the Lord of Sabaoth had leſt vsus ſeede, we had bene all as Sodome and Gomor ſayd Eſay. 1. And euen ſo ſayd Eſa. 1.Paul in hys tyme. And euen ſo ſay we in our time, that the Lord of the hoſtes Rom. 9.hath ſaued him ſeede & hath gathered hym a flocke to whom he hath geuen cares to heare, that the hypocritiſh Wol…es can not heare, and eyes to ſee, that the blynd leaders of the blynd can not ſee, and an hart to vnderſtād, that the generation of poyſoned Ʋipers cā neither vnderſtand nor know.
If they alleage S. Auguſtine which Auguſtine.ſayth, I had not beleued the Boſpell, except the authoritie of the church had moued me. I anſwere, as they abuſe The true meaning of the wordes of S. Auguſtine.that ſaying of the holy man, euen ſo they alleage all the Scripture, and all that they bring for them, euen in a falſe ſence. S. Auguſtine before he was conuerted was an heathen mā and a Philoſopher, full of worldly wiſdome, vntounto whom the preaching of Chriſt is but foliſhneſſe, ſayth Paule. i. Corin. i. …. Cor. 1.And he diſputed wyth blynde reaſons of worldly wiſdome agaynſt the Chriſten. Neuertheleſſe the earneſt liuing of the Chriſten according vntounto theyr doctrine and the conſtant ſuffering of perſecutiō and aduerſitie for their doctrines ſake, moued hym & ſtirred hym to beleue that it was no vayne doctrine, but that it muſt nedes be of god, in that it had ſuch power with it. For it happeneth that they which wyll not heare the worde at the beginning, are afterward moued by the holy conuerſation of them that beleue. As Peter warneth Chriſtē wines that had heathen …. Pet. 3.huſbandes that would not heare the truth preached, to liue ſo godly that they might winne their heathen huſbandes with holy conuerſation. And Paule ſayth, how knoweſt thou Chriſten …. Cor. 7.wife, whether thou ſhalt winne thine heathen huſband, with holy conuerſation mēt he. For many are wōne with godly liuing, which at the fyrſt either will not heare or can not belene. And that is the authoritie that S. Auguſtine meane. But if we ſhal not beleue, tyll the liuyng of the ſpiritualtie conuert vsus, we be like to bide long inough in vnbeliefe.
And whē they aſke whether we receaued the ſcripture of them? I aunſwere, that they which come after receaue the ſcripture of them that go before. And when they aſke whether we beleue not that it is Gods worde by the reaſon that they tell vsus ſo. I aunſwere, that there are two manuer faythes, There are two maner of faithes.an hiſtoricall fayth, and a feelyng fayth. The hiſtoricall fayth hangeth of the truth and honeſtie of the teller, or of the common fame and cōſent of many. An hiſtoricall fayth.As if one tolde me that the turke had wonne a citie, and I beleued it, moued with the honeſtie of the man. Now if there come an other that ſeemeth more honeſt or that hath better perſwaſions that it is not ſo, I thinke immediatly that he lyed and loſe my fayth agayne. And a feeling fayth is, as if a man were there preſent when it was wonne, and there were wounded and had there loſt all that he had, and were taken priſoner there alſo. That man ſhould ſo beleue that all ye worlde could not turne him from hys fayth. Euen likewiſe if my mother had blowen on her finger and tolde me that the fire woulde burne me, I ſhoulde hauehave beleued her with an hiſtoricall fayth, as we beleue the ſtories of the world, becauſe I thought ſhe woulde not hauehave mocked me. And ſo I ſhould hauehave done, if ſhe had tolde me that the fire had bene cold and would not hauehave burned, but aſſoone as I had put my finger in the fire, I ſhould hauehave beleued, A feeling fayth.not by reaſon of her, but wyth a feeling faith, ſo that ſhe could not hauehave perſwaded me afterward the contrary. So now with an hiſtoricall fayth I may beleue that y• ſcripture is gods by the teaching of them, & ſo I ſhould hauehave done though they had tolde me that Roben Hode had bene the ſcripture of God. Which fayth is but an opinion, and therfore abideth euer frutleſſe and falleth away, if a more glorious reaſon be made vntounto me, or if the preacher liue contrary.
But of a feeling fayth it is written. Iohn. 6.Iohn vi. They ſhall be all taught of God. That is, God ſhall write it in their harts with his holy ſpirite. And Paule alſo teſtifieth Rom. 8. the ſpirite Rom. 8.beareth record vntounto our ſpirit that we be the ſonnes of God. And thys fayth is none opinion, but a ſure feling, and The true & ſure feeling fayth.therefore euer fruitfull. Neyther hangeth it of the honeſty of the preacher, but of the power of God and of the ſpirite, and therefore if all the preachers of the world would goe about to perſwade the contrary, it would not preuayle, no more thē though they would make me beleue the tire were colde, after that I had put my finger therein.
Of this ye hauehave an enſample Ioh. 4. Ioh. 4.of the Samaritaniſh wife, which left her pitcher and went into the citie and ſayd, come & ſee a man that hath tolde me al that euer I did, is not he Chriſt. And many of the Samaritanes beleued becauſe of the ſaying of the womā, how that he had tolde her all that euer ſhe did, and went out vntounto him & deſired him to come in, which fayth was but an opinion and no fayth that could hauehave laſted or hauehave brought out fruit, but when they had heard Chriſt, the ſpirite wrought and made them feele. Wherupon they came vntounto the womā and ſayd: we beleue not now becauſe of thy ſaying, but becauſe we hauehave heard our ſelues, and know that he is Chriſt the ſauiour of the worlde. For The feling fayth doth farre excell the hiſtoricall fayth.Chriſtes preaching was with power and ſpirite that maketh a mā feele and know and worke to, and not as the Scribes and Phariſies preached, and as ours make a man ready to caſt hys gorge to heare them raue and rage as mad men. And therefore ſayth y• ſcripture, curſed is he that truſteth in man, and maketh fleſh his arme, that is to ſay, hys ſtrength. And euen ſo, curſed Curſed is he that truſteth in māis he that hath none other beliefe but becauſe men ſo ſay. Curſed were he y• had none other why to beleue thē that I ſo ſay. And euen ſo curſed is he that beleueth only becauſe y• Pope ſo ſaith, and ſo forth thoroughout all the men in the worlde.