A09453:439
A Reformed Catholic
A reformed Catholic: or, A declaration showing how near we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundry points of religion: and wherein we must for ever depart from them with an advertisement to all favourers of the Roman religion, showing that the said religion is against the Catholic principles and grounds of the catechism.A reformed Catholike: or, A declaration shewing how neere we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of religion: and vvherein we must for euer depart from them with an advertisment to all fauourers of the Romane religion, shewing that the said religion is against the Catholike principles and grounds of the catechisme.
Cambridge: printed by John Legat, 1598Cambridge: printed by Iohn Legat, 1598
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Touching the first conclusion, they believe indeed all the written word of God, and more then all: for they also believe the books Apocryphal, which antiquity for many hundred years hath excluded from the canon: yea they believe unwritten traditions received (as they say) from Councils, the ⟨p. 307⟩writings of the Fathers, and the determinations of the Church: making them also of equal credit with the written word of God, given by inspiration of the spirit. Now we for our parts despise not the Apocrypha, as namely the books of the Maccabees, Ecclesiasticus and the rest, but we reverence them in all convenient manner, preferring them before any other books of men, in that they have bin approved by an universal consent of the Church: yet we think them not meet to be received into the Canon of holy scripture, and therefore not to be believed, but as they are consenting with the written word. And for this our doing we have direction from Athanasius, Origen, Hierome, and the Council of Laodicea. As for unwritten Traditions they come not within the compass of our faith, neither can they: because they come unto us by the hands of men, that may deceive and be deceived. And we hold and believe, that the right Canon of the books of the old and new Testament, contains in it sufficient direction for the Church of God to life everlasting, both ⟨p. 308⟩for faith an manners. Here then is the point of difference, that they make the object of faith larger then it should be, or can be: and we keep our selves to the written word; believing nothing to salvation out of it.
Touching the first conclusion, they beleeue indeede all the written word of God, and more then all: for they also beleeue the bookes Apocriphal, which antiquitie for many hundred yeares hath excluded from the canō: yea they beleeue vnwrittē traditiōs receiued (as they say) from Councils, the ⟨p. 307⟩writings of the Fathers, and the determinations of the Church: making them also of equall credit with the written worde of God, giuen by inspiration of the spirit. Nowe we for our partes dispise not the Apocripha, as namely the bookes of the Macchabees, Ecclesiasticus and the rest, but we reuerence them in all conuenient manner, preferring them before any other bookes of men, in that they haue bin approued by an vniuersall consent of the Church: yet we thinke them not meete to be receiued into the Canon of holy scripture, and therefore not to be beleeued, but as they are consenting with the written word. And for this our doing we haue direction from Athanasius, Origen, Hierome, and the Councel of Laodicea. As for vnwritten Traditions they come not within the compasse of our faith, neither can they: because they come vnto vs by the hāds of men, that may deceiue and be deceiued. And we hold and beleeue, that the right Canon of the books of the old and new Testament, containes in it sufficient direction for the Church of God to life euerlasting, both