INquiring therefore often with great desire , and at●●●ion , of very many excellent , holy and learned men , how and by what means I might assuredly and as it were by some generall and ordinary way discern the true Catholick faith , from false and wicked Heresie . To this question I had usually this answer of them all , that whether I or any other desired to find out the fraud of Hereticks , daily springing up , and to escape their snares , and willingly would continue safe and sound in religion , that he ought two manner of wayes by Gods assistance to defend and preserve his faith , that is first by the authority of the law of God : secondly by the tradition of the Catholick Church .

Here some man perhaps may ask , that seing the Canon of the scripture is perfect and most aboundantly of it self sufficient for all things , what need we joyne unto it the authority of the Church her understanding and interpretation ? The reason is this , because the scripture being of it self so deep and profound , all men do not understand it in one and the same sense , but diverse men diversly this man and that man , this way and that way expound and interpret the sayings thereof , so that to ones thinking , so many men , so many opinions almost may be gathered out of them , for Novatus expoundeth it one way , Photinus another , Sabellius after this sort , Donatus after that : Arius , Eunomius , Macedonius will have this exposition : Appolinarius and Priscillian will have that : Iovinian , Pelagius , Colestius , gather this sence : and to conclude Nestorius findeth out that : and therfore necessary it is for the avoiding of so great windings and turnings of divers errours that the line of expounding the Prophets and Apostles , be directed and drawn , according to the rule of the ecclesiasticall and Catholick sense .

Again in the Catholick Church , we are greatly to consider , that we hold that , which hath been beleeved every where , alwayes , and of all men : for that is truly and properly Catholick ( as the very force and nature of the word doth declare , which comprehendeth all things that be truely universall ) and that shall we do if we follow vniuersalitie , antiquitie , consent . Uniuersalitie shall we follow thus , if we professe that one faith to be true which the Church throughout the world acknowledgeth and confesseth . Antiquity shall we follow , if we disagree not any whit in opinion from them , whom all know that our holy Elders and Fathers reverenced , and had in great estimation . Consent shall we likewise follow , if amongst our forefathers we hold the definitions and opinions of all or almost of all the Priests and Doctours together .

NEither is this any new thing , but alwaies usual in the Church of God , that the more religious a man hath been the more ready hath he alwayes resisted novell inventions , examples whereof many might be brought , but for brevity sake I will onely make choice of some one which shall be taken from the Apostolick sea , by which all men may see most plainly with what force alwayes , what zeal , what indeavour the blessed succession of the blessed Apostles have desended the integrity of that religion which they once received . Therefore in times past Agrippinus of venerable memory Bishop of Carthage , the first of all mortall men maintained this assertion against the divine Scripture , against the rule of the universall Church , against the mind of all the Priests of his time , against the custom and tradition of his forefathers , that rebaptization was to be admitted and put in practise . Which presumption of his procured so great dammage and hurt to the Church , that not onely it gave all hereticks a pattern of sacrilege , but also ministred occasion of errour to some Catholicks . When therefore every where all men exclaimed against the novelty of the doctrine , and all priests in all places , each one according to his zeale did oppose , then Pope Steven of blessed memory , bishop of the Apostolique sea , resisted in deed with the rest of his fellow bishops , but yet more then the rest , thinking it as I suppose , reason so much to excell all other in devotion towards the faith , as he was superiour to them in authoritie of place . To conclude in his Epistle which then was sent to Africk , he decreed the same in these words . That nothing was to be innovated , but that which came by tradition ought to be observed . For that holy and prudent man knew well , that the nature of pietie could admit nothing else but only to deliver and teach our children that religion and that faith which we received and learned of our forefathers , and that we ought to follow religion whither it doth lead us , and not to lead religion whither it please us , and that nothing is more proper to Christian modestie and gravitie , then not to leave unto posteritie our own inventions , but to preserve and keep that which our Predecessours left us . What therefore was then the end of that whole busines ? What else but that , which is common and usuall , to wit , antiquitie was retained , noveltie exploded . But perhaps that new invention lacked patrons and defenders ? To which I say on the contrary , that it had such pregnant witts , such eloquent tongues , such number of defendants , such shew of truth such testimonies of scripture , but 〈◊〉 after a new and naughtie fashion , that all that conspiracie and schisme should have seemed unto me invincible , had not the very profession of noveltie it self , so taken in hand , under that name defended , with that title recommended , overthrowen the very ground of so great a schisme . To conolude , what force had the Councell or decree of Africke ? By Gods providence none , but all things there agreed upon were abolished , disanulled , abrogated , as dreames , as fables , as superfluous . And O strange change of the world , the authours of that opinion are judged and thought Catholicks , the followers accounted and reputed Hereticks , the masters discharged , the schollers condemned , the writers of those books shall be children of the kingdome of Heaven , the maintainers of those books shall burne in Hell . For who doubteth but holy S. Cyprian , that light of all Saints , that lanterne of Bishops , and spectacle of Martirs , with the rest of his companions shall raigne with Christ for ever ? And contrariwise who is so wicked to deny that the Donatists and such other pestilent Hereticks , which by the authority of that Councell vaunt that they do practise rebaptization , shall burn for ever with the Devill and his Angels . Which judgement in mine opinion seemeth to have come from God , for their fraudulent dealing especially , which endeavouring under the cloak of an other mans name cunningly to frame an heresie , commonly lay hold of some dark sayings of one antient Father or other , which by reason of the obscurity may seem to make for their opinion , to the end they may be thought , that whatsoever I know not what they bring forth to the world , neither to have been the first that so taught , neither alone of that opinion : whose wicked device in mine opinion is worthy of double hatred , both for that they fear not to sowe their poysoned seed of herefie amongst others , and also because they blemish the memory of some holy man , and as it were with profane hands cast his dead ashes into the wind , bringing with shame that to light , which rather with silence were to be buried , following therein the steps of their father Cham , who not onely neglected to cover the nakednesse of venerable Noe , but also shewed it to others to laugh at , by which fact of his he incurred so great a crime of impiety that his posterity was subject to the malediction of his sinne : Gen. 9. his blessed brethren doing far otherwise , who neither with their own eyes would violate the nakednesse of their reverend father , nor yet permit it to remain uncovered for others to behold , but going backward as the holy text saith , they covered him : which is as much as to say that they neither approved with heart , nor blazed with tongue the holy mans fault , and therefore they and their posterity were rewarded with their fathers blessing . But to returne to our purpose .

WE have therefore much to fear the sacriledge of a changed faith , of a violated religion : from which fault not only the discipline of the ecclesiasticall decree doth restraine us , but the authoritie also of the Apostles censure deterreth . For all men know how gravely , how severely , how seriously the blessed Apostle S. Paul inveigheth against certaine which with great levitie . Gal. 1. Were so soon transferred from him that called them into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel , which is not another . 2 Tim. 4. That had heaped up to them solves masters according to their own desires , averting their ears from truth , being converted to fables : Having damnation because they have made void their first faith . 1 Tim. 5. Whom those men had deceaved of whom the same Apostle , in his epistle to the Romans thus writeth . I beseech you brethren to mark them that make dissentions and scanda●ls contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them , for such do not serve Christ our Lord but their own bolly : And by sweet speeches and benedictions seduce the hearts of Innocents . Rom. 16. That enter into houses and lead captive silly women loaden with sins , which are led away with divers desires , alwaies learning and never attaining to the knowledge of truth . 2 Tim. 3. Vain speakers and seducers who subvert whole houses teaching the things they ought not for filthy lucre : Tit. 1. Men corrupt in their minde ; reprobates concerning the faith : 2 Tim. 3. Proud , and knowing nothing but languishing about questions and strife of words , that are deprived of the truth , that esteem gaine to be pietie : 1 Tim 6. 1 Tim. 5. And with all idle they learn to go from house to house , not only idle , but also full of words and curious ; speaking things which they ought not : 1 Tim. 1. Which repelling a good conscience have made sh●pwrak about the faith : Whose prophane speeches do much grow to impietie , and their speech spreadeth as a cancre . But that is also worth the noting which is written of them . But they shall prosper no further , for their folly shall be manifest to all as theirs also was . 2 Tim. 2. 2 Tim. 3 , When therefore such kind of men wandring up and downe through Provinces and Cities to set their errors to sale , came also unto the Galathians , who after they had heard them and were delighted with the filthie drugs of hereticall Novelty , casting up againe the heavenly Manna of the Apostolick and Catholick doctrine ; The Apolstle used his authoritie decreeing very severely in this sort . But although ( quoth he ) we or an Angel from heaven evangelize unto you beside that which we have evangelized be he Anathema . Gal. 1.

What meaneth this that he sayeth But although we , why did he not rather say But although I ? That is to say , although Peter , although Andrew , although John , yea finally although the whole company of the Apostles evangelize unto you otherwise then we have evangelized , be he accursed . A terrible censure , for maintaining the possession of the first faith , not to have spared himself , nor any other of the Apostles . But this is a smal matter : Although an Angel from heaven ( quoth he ) Evangelize unto you beside that which I have Evangelized be he Anathema : he was not contented for keeping the faith once planted to make mention of mans weak nature unlesse also he included those excellent creatures , the Angells . Although we ( quoth he ) or an Angel from heaven , not because the holy Angells of Heaven can now sinne but this is the meaning of that he saith : Although ( quoth he ) that might be which cannot be , whosoever he be that goeth about to change the faith which was once planted , be he accursed . But peradventure he uttered those words slightly and cast them forth rather of humane affection then decreed them by any reason grounded in Gods word . God forbid : For it followeth , and that very earnestly urged , very often repeated .