〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Let olde customes preuaile , and ●ere away the victory .

Arrius was a proud new fangled man , a disobedient person vnto his Bishopp , which made much of him at the beginning , before he toke harte of singularite vpon him , and promoted him to the honorable rome of a priest in Alexandria . Wel may I vse the worde , honorable , for at those dayes , priesthood was so taken among all Christians . Alexander then which was Bishopp of Alexandria a very meeke and reuerend Father , understanding his priest Arrius to busie him selfe with new inuentions , first gently and fatherly , he warned him : and when Arrius proude harte and gloriouse , would be nothing the better for sweete wordes and admonitions : the wise and blessed Bishopp gathering a Synode of his clergie iustly did excommunicate , that singular and blasphemous heretik . But for all the excommunicating of the heretik , both he and his heresy had a great sort of euill partakers with them : so far forth , that it was necessary , to call a generall Councell , to the determining of the Catholike faith , and condemning of new found learning . In which Councell the holy fathers against the new termes of Arrius , did principally alleage , the traditions of the Apostles , and customes , manners , and lawes of the holy writers before their daies .

And although they had Scriptures for them against Arrius , yet the chefest stay of their cause , was grounded vpon the catholike receaued faith . For herein consisted the vnrulines of Arrius , that expounding the Scriptures vntruly , according to his owne fancy , he would not be reformed , by the interpretation of old fathers , and submit his faith vnto their iudgementes . Which yf he would haue done , the churche of God had neuer ben so much trobled , with that abhominable heresy . ●rid and 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 . And that , not onely Arrius , but al his felowes besides , were so affected towardes them selfes and their owne deuises , and against the expositions of fathers : it appeareth plainly by an Epistle of Alexander Bishopp of Alexandria , 〈…〉 14. writen vnto Alexander Bishopp of Constantinople , in the which , towardes the later end with in two leaues , these faultes of the Arrians be declared .

Thus then loe the Arrians , being so much selfe minded , what better remedy might the reuerend fathers of Nice haue against them , then to bring furth the former receaued doctrine and manner : to establish that with their decree ? For , if natural reason shall preuaile : the Christian faith can not be so wel perswaded , or rather it can not be perswaded at all . If by Scriptures only , the treuth shal be decided : then shal ther neuer be found any end , wher both parties alleage the wordes of Scripture for them selues . why the heretikes admit only scripture , and the fathers old customes also . Only therfor tradition , custome , and manner , is that thing , which killeth the heretikes hartes ( and therfore they will not be iudged but by expresse Scripture only ) and it is the thing , which defendeth the Catholike Christians , and therfore gladly doe they folow the waies of the auncient fathers . Which thing is plainly proued by this honorable Councell of Nice , about which our talke is . For , as it appeareth by the actes of the same Councell , after long disputation and learned , betwene certaine philosophers , ( hired of purpose by Arrius , in defence of his cause ) and most excellent fathers inspired with the holy ghoste , for the vttering of the truth : It pleased ( saieth the history ) all the fathers vnto one , In 〈◊〉 Conc. Niceni that like as it was deliuered from the holy fathers and successors of the Apostells : so they should decree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( wich is to say the equality of substance in God the Sonne with the Father ) and prouide it to be put , in the Crede of the Church . Against which worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and decree of the fathers , what did Arrius or any of his sect afterwardes alleage , to the reprouing therof ? ( And you in the meane time ( my welbeloued frind . N. ) thinke it not long which is not vnprofitable , and chose out the tyme to reade that quietly , which the cause requireth that I should write plainly . ) What did the Arrians then ( sayd I ) argue against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ? what was their chefest & best reason ? for soth this onely , that it was not in Scripture . O M. Iuell , that your eloquence had not ben born at those daies : you would haue stode greatly against them with your , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Let old customes and manners win and preuail . But yet you may doe good seruice in these daies , to perswade with the multitude of them , which take them selues wiser then all other , which haue ben these nine hundred yeres , and which will beleue nothing but the writen worde and bare letter : that olde customes must be regarded and preferred also .

I mislike not the saying , but it agreeth not with your person , as I beleue . Catholikes may , all the company of them , alleage truly both scripture and custome . heretikes , doe pretend Scripture onely , and that yet not truly , but custom they can neuer alleage at all . This we haue receaued from the Apostells and their successors , saith the Councell of Nice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is not in all the scripture , saieth the heretike . And as euery cuntry , is distincted one from a nother , by proper and peculiar language : so doth the Catholike euer speake after the voice of the Churche , and the heretike bableth onely after the letter of the boke . Reade you the fifth Chapter of the Tripartite history the fourth boke . There it is plaine , that Constantin the great , did put a chaplaine of his in trust , for the deliuery of his testament , Hist. trip . li. 4. ca. 5. to Constantius his sonne . which chaplaine , being in deede an Arrian , and hauing accesse to the Emperor and acquaintance with him , by occasion of the testament , perceauing also the yong Emperor his mind to be vnstable and wauering , To refuse vnwriten verities , the old w●nt of heretikes . what persuasion did he vse first of all as you think ?

He saied ( as Theodoretus testifieth ) they were to blame , which had put the worde , Consubstanciall , among the articles of the faith .

And why so ? which worde ( saieth he ) is not writen in all the Scripture . Loe here is his greatest reason , and such in deed as becometh heretikes most of all . Let vs goe yet forward , and seke whether any mo heretikes will vse that reason . And where shall you more plainly find this matter , then where the very pack of them is gathered together . In a confession of a faith , which was made at Sirmium , Constantius him selfe being present , with to many Arrian Bishoppes , after other thinges , this decree foloweth .

As for the worde ( substance : ) bicause , Trip. hist. lib. 5. c. 20 being simply put furth by the fathers , it is not knowen of the common people , and it maketh a scandalum and offence : and bicause , neither the Scriptures haue this worde in them : it pleaseth vs , it should be abrogated , and hereafter no mention at all to be made of substance in God , bicause the Scriptures diuine , do in no place make mention of the substance of the father and the sonne . You may see what great price they made of this argument ( it is no Scripture , ergo no matter of faith . ) bicause that in so few lines , they doe twise repete the selfe same reason . Which vndoutedly was then , and is now , the very principall ( but not most surest ) stay , of all vnconstant mindes . As in the same boke againe , see what a nother company of scismatikes do speake for them selues , against the Councell of Nice ? We ( say they ) which are gathered together in Seleucia , Trip. hist. lib. 5. c. 34 which is in Isauria . we haue yesterday , which was the fifth before the Kal. of Octobre , geuen all diligence , according to the Emperor his will , to kepe straitly the ecclesiastical peace , and to thinke earnestly vpon the faith , as our welbeloued Emperor Constantius hath commaunded , according to the sainges of the prophetes and Ghospells , and to bring furth nothing , besides the Scriptures in the matter of the faith Ecclesiastical . This againe doth proue my purpose , that it is propre to the heretikes to appeale to the scriptures onely , bicause they are quickly condemned by tradition , custome , and manner .

To conclude therfor this place , Arrius being so proud , as we haue said , hauing many textes of Scripture for him : as he vnderstood them which toke him selfe to be best learned , the Councell of Nice defining the consubstantiality of God the Sonne with the Father : bicause they had so receaued it from the Apostells by their successors , the same Councell being allwaies reproued of heretikes , for that it defined that matter as an article of faith , which was not in Scripture : I aske now , what it is like that the Councell did meane , when it should say , Let old customes and manners preuaile ? Can it well be vnderstood otherwise , ( if the wordes be taken generally , as you M. Iuell doe alleage them ) then after this sort ? that for as much as heretikes can alleage for them selues Scripture , and will not be brought down from their priuat sense to vnderstand those Scriptures , as old blessed fathers haue interpreted them , that herefor to make an end , and to stopp the mo●thes of all arrogant persons , we will and define , that old fassions , old customes , auncient interpretations , and so furth , shal preuail ? For the question here in this Councel , was not , of custome & custome , tradition & tradition , which should preuaile : for the Arrian did medle with no tradition , or former custome , or vsage . Neither was the question , in comparing former vsage with some late writers inuention : for Arrius would alleage no one mans writing , taking him felfe to be better learned than all other . and if he would haue alleaged his owne authority only , that had ben so folishe and diueli●he , that it was to be reserued for Luther ( or some other of the priuy counsell of Antichrist : ) Wherin then was the strife ? not in those two pointes which I haue named , but in this onely , that wheras Arrius would be tried by scriptures only , and plentifully brought them out , for a shew of his defence , and wheras vnder the letter of the scripture , he vttered his blasphemous sprit , and went against the plain traditions , and lessons of the Apostells and fathers of Christ his Church . therfore ( saieth the Councell ) Let old customes and manners preuaile , what the Councell meaneth sayng , let old customes preuaile . which is to say , we alow scripture , and we alleage scripture , but after that sort , that we must not , ne will admit any thing contrary vnto the Apostolike faith receaued , for as concerning your text , ( Sir Arrius ) where you say , Iohan . 14. Pronerb . ● The father is greater then I am . And againe , God made me in the beginning of his waies , with such like , they must be vnderstood as our ●decessors , maisters and fathers haue deliuered vnto vs . neither must you ( bring you in neuer so many places of the old or new testament ) think therfor , that you may conclud a sense and meaning contrary to the old faith . Away with this pride of yours , submit your vnderstanding to the faith of the Churche , leue of your new termes of extantibus and non extantibus , receaue the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and consubstancialitie ( which word although it be not expressed in Scripture , yet it is in tradition , ) Consent and agree with the Councell of the whole world . These wordes loe and such like , doe expresse truly , what the fathers should meane in saing , Let the old customes preuaile . And this being proued , to be the very meaning of that worthy sentence , what hath M. Iuell doon , in setting it before his sermon in the first shew therof ? is it put there , to be laughed at , or to be folowed and regarded ? If to be laughed at : the Councell of Nice is not so simple a thing . If to be folowed : why are the Catholikes reproued then , for defending auncient traditions ? and why are the heretikes honored which will haue nothing but ●he bare text onely , together with their priuat comment vpon it ? If customes , manners , fashions , vsages ( call it as you will ) if they must preuaile : wherfore doe we all this while , contend with the Protestantes , vpon verities writen and vnwriten , vpon traditions and vses of the Catholike Churche ? Euery boke almost which is of common places , hath the question of Scripture and tradition moued therin , which nedeth no more to be any question , you being so well acquainted ( M. Iuell ) with the Protestantes , and hauing so great credit among them , as they lightly can geue to such a person . For at one worde you shall end the whole matter , perswading them , that old customes and fashions must preuaile , which in my minde I thinke to be impossible , ( but nothing is hard perchaunce , to you , ) for this is clere euen in sight , the last and third communion is preferred before the second , the second better estemed then the first , and if a new one come furth , you shall ( I warrant you ) see it plainly proued , that , quite against your will , and against the Councell of Nice , the old fashions shall not be preferred . And this much hitherto I haue saied , as concerning old customes , supposing and graunting , that the Councell of Nice might vse that sentence , as M. Iuell alleageth it , for a generall conclusion and determination , whereas in very dede those wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ar onely mentioned in the beginning of the sixt Canon as concerning one especiall matter , about the prerogatiue of the sees of the Bishopp of Antioch and Alexandria , and should not therfore be drawen vnto a generall sentence . But we shall meet again with M. Iuell , vpon this point , before the end , I thinke , and therfore now , will I turne ouer the lease , and consider his sainges , and apply som answers , and infer , so well as I can , som obiections against him . When so euer any ordre , geuen by God , is broken or abused , Iuell . the best redresse therof is , to restore it againe into the state that it first was in at the begnining . If you take the paines leisurly to consider the illation of this conclusion , you shall perceaue the wordes of the blessed Apostle vnto S. Timothe , the first epistle & chapter , to haue in these our daies the persons vnto whom they may and must be applied . 1. ad Tim. cap. 1. The end of the commaundement is charite , which cometh out from a pure harte , and good conscience , and vnfained faith● from which certen men wandering a side , are turned vnto vaine talke , coueting to be teachers of the law , not vnderstanding , ( yet ) neither the thinges which they speake , neither vpon what thinges they make affirmations M. Iuel here in the wordes which I haue recited , maketh mention of an ordre geuen by God , and of ordre broken , and of redresse of the same by retorn to the first institution . In whiche sainge can he tell what he speaketh ? or what , and wherfore he affirmeth ? what ordre geuen by God , did he talk of before , to bring in the wordes thus , when anye ordre geuen by God is broken ? &c. In the third leafe he saith , that S. Paule had appointed the Corinthias as touching the Sacrament , that they shold all eate and drink together . Doth he call this , the ordre geuen by God ? I beleue verely , that what soeuer S. Paule appointed , the same did come from God , as the principall gouernour of his churche . But for all that , there is great difference , betwixt the commaundmentes expressely geuen by God , A difference betwen th● commandementes of god & the ordinances of men . & ordres set by men as ministers of God . For with the one kind , non can dispence , withowte especiall licence from God . and in the other kinde , the heades of the church haue the power in ther owne handes , without further question , to sett and remoue , plant and pull vp , as they shal see it profitable for the present state of the churche . Wherfore although the blessed Apostle did neuer make such ordres vpon his own head , as did not agree with the will of almighty God : yet ( properly to speak ) an ordre geuen by God , is so to be taken , that , without all exception , it must be kept and folowed , without speciall reuelation for the discontinewing of the same ordre . And ordres which men appoint , may be chaunged again by men . What then meaneth M. Iuell by these wordes , When any ordre geuen by God is broken ? and let him plainly also shew , wherin the ordre consisted , and who did break it ? The ordre was this , ( as it appeareth by the learned commentaries of the blessed fathers vpon that .xj. chapter of the first to the Corinthians . Theoph. cap. 11. 1. ad Cor. ) On their holy daies and appointed feastes , ( according to an old custome of the Churche ) the Corinthians did vse , riche and poore , altogether in common , to eate & drink . and that , of common meates and drinkes .