An answer to a certain book, writtenAn answere to a certeine booke, written

For Elijah coming before the last judgement are alleged sundry Doctors.¹ So then belike all is safe on their side, if they can approve their opinions and expositions by Testimonies of some Doctors. But this will not serve, unless the Doctors saying be warranted by Gods word, as we have a thousand times told them. Now this imagination of Elijah coming is by the words of our saviour Christ plainly confuted, who teacheth that Elijah, ²according to the prophecy of Malachi, was come already: and the Apostles understood that he meant of John the Baptist, who was Elijah, not in person, but in spirit and power. Then the prophecy of Elijah coming being fulfilled in John Baptist, as our saviour himself hath taught, vain is it to dream of an other coming then that, whereof no word can be found in all the scriptures of God. Wherefore as you compare the fathers with us, to make your cause seem the more probable, so will I compare the scriptures with the fathers, whose authority is much more incomparably above theirs, then theirs is above ⟨p. 386⟩ours, by how much God is more above man, then one man is above another.

For Elias comming before the last iudgement are alledged sundrie Doctors.¹ So then belike all is safe on their side, if they can approoue their opinions and expositions by Testimonies of some Doctors. But this will not serue, vnles the Doctors saying be warranted by Gods worde, as we haue a thousande times tolde them. Now this imagination of Elias comming is by the wordes of our sauiour Christ plainlie confuted, whoe teacheth that Elias, ²according to the prophecie of Melachie, was come alreadie: and the Apostles vnderstood that he meant of Iohn the Baptist, whoe was Elias, not in person, but in spirite and power. Then the prophecie of Elias comming being fulfilled in Iohn Baptist, as our sauiour himselfe hath taught, vaine is it to dreame of an other comming then that, wherof no worde can be found in all the scriptures of God. Wherefore as you compare the fathers with vs, to make your cause seeme the more probable, so will I compare the scriptures with the fathers, whose authoritie is much more incomparablie aboue theirs, then theirs is aboue