Master Bezaes sermons upon the three chapters of the canticle of canticlesMaster Bezaes sermons vpon the three chapters of the canticle of canticles

(that is to say, the spirit of man such as it cometh into this world, as the Apostle speaketh, 1. Cor. 2.4.) cannot reveal or comprehend that which is the only and true foundation of the doctrine of salvation, that is to say, of that which is necessarily, & absolutely necessary unto the salvation of all such as are of years of discretion, as the Creed of Athanasius doth witness, and the articles also of our Creed called the Apostles Creed, because it is the summary abridgement of the whole doctrine taught by the Apostles: it followeth that we must draw all this truth from the mouth of the Lord himself, who having spoken unto the fathers in a certain measure, Heb. 1.1. hath finally declared unto the whole world whatsoever is requisite unto our salvation, Joh. 15.15. First by the preaching of his Apostles, who were most faithfully & perfectly taught, yea extraordinarily, & who have with like faithfulness executed their charge, not only in speaking, but also in writing, in such sort that it is a mere phrensy to imagine that they have omitted to preach by mouth, or to set down in writing any one point of the doctrine of salvation. Our adversaries reply at this day hereupon & say, that though happily the Apostles have taught all, yet have they not written all. But when we demand them what the points then are of doctrine which they have omitted in their writings, they stick fast as a man would say in the glue-pot. For ⟨p. 363⟩either nothing of that which they allege appertaineth unto doctrine & the articles of faith: or else it is such as maybe proved to have been forged by this man or by that man, being a thing easy to quote the inventers thereof & the beginning: or else it shall be found to agree no better with the articles of our faith which are the extract of the whole essential doctrine of the Apostles, then light with darkness, falsehood with truth. I know they are too wise to confess thus much. But besides that these things have been so often disputed and clearly proved, that we may say with saint Paul, 2. Cor. 4.3. that if they be obscure and hidden, it is unto them who will not hear them spoken of, or whose eyes the prince of this world hath blinded: we have always offered and do still offer to show and prove them to the eye before a true and Christian council.