After that by hiding & burning the Scriptures, by threatening and murdering of men for reading of them, they cannot attain to the causing of such a night of ignorance, wherein they might do all things without controlment: there remained one only engine, which Satan (with all his Angels) having framed and hammered upon his lying forge, hath furnished them of. This engine is the defacing, & dis-authorizing of the Scriptures, as it were the taking from them, their girdle or garter of honour, by a false surmise of corruption of them, in the languages wherein they were first written. Which abominable practise being attempted in th'old testament ⟨p. 93⟩by Lindanus, (whom some term Blindasinus) is now assayed in the new by the Jesuits, who of others (for their deadly hatred of the trueth) are not called unfitly Jebusites. First therefore, or ever we come to their particular arguments, whereby they would (as it were) cover the head and majesty of th'authentical copies in the Greek to bring them to subjection unto th'old translation: we think it not amiss, to set down the general doctrine, that no one oracle or sentence of God can fall away. Whereby it will be evident that the holy Scriptures, both in the old & new testament written in their original tongues, cannot either by addition, detraction or exchange be corrupted. Whereunto the consideration of th'author of them, ministereth a substantial proof. For seeing they are of1 God, all whose works remain for ever: it followeth that all the holy scriptures, being not only his handiwork, but as it were the chief and master work of all other, must have a continual endurance. And if there be not ⟨p. 94⟩the least and vilest creature in the world, which either hath not heretofore, or shall not hereafter (by the mighty hand of God upholding all things) be continued: how much less is it to be esteemed, that any sentence of God, wherein a greater glory cometh to him, and greater fruit to his people then of many of those creatures, which (for these two ends) he doth so carefully continue, should perish and fall away. Secondly they all are written generally for our instruction, & more particularly for admonition and warning, for comfort and consolation, &c: unless we will say that God may be deceived, in his purpose and end wherefore he ordained them:
After that by hiding & burning the Scriptures, by threatning and murdering of men for reading of them, they cannot attaine to the causing of such a night of ignorance, wherin they might doe all thinges without controulment: there remayned one onely engine, which Satan (with all his Angels) hauing framed and hammered vpon his lying forge, hath furnished them of. This engine is the defacing, & dis-authorizing of the Scriptures, as it were the taking from them, their girdle or garter of honour, by a false surmise of corruption of them, in the languages wherein they were firste written. Which abominable practise being attempted in th'old testament ⟨p. 93⟩by Lindanus, (whom some term Blindasinus) is nowe assayed in the new by the Iesuites, who of others (for their deadly hatred of the trueth) are not called vnfitly Iebusites. First therfore, or euer we come to their particular arguments, whereby they would (as it were) couer the head and maiestie of th'authentical copies in the Greek to bring them to subiection vnto th'olde translation: we think it not amisse, to set downe the generall doctrine, that no one oracle or sentence of God can fall away. Whereby it will be euident that the holy Scriptures, both in the old & new testament written in their original tongues, cannot either by additiō, detraction or exchange be corrupted. Wherevnto the cōsideration of th'autor of them, ministreth a substantiall proofe. For seing they are of1 God, all whose workes remaine for euer: it followeth that al the holy scriptures, being not only his handiework, but as it were the chiefe and master worke of all other, must haue a continuall endurance. And if there be not ⟨p. 94⟩the least and vilest creature in the world, which eyther hath not heretofore, or shall not hereafter (by the mightie hand of God vpholding all thinges) be continued: how much lesse is it to be estemed, that any sentence of God, wherin a greater glory commeth to him, and greater fruite to his people then of many of those creaturs, which (for these two ends) he doth so carefully continue, should perish and fall away. Secondly they all are written generally for our instruction, & more particularlie for admonition and warning, for comfort and consolation, &c: vnles we will say that God may be deceiued, in his purpose and end wherefore he ordeyned them:
- 1Psal. 111. •
