This is that cordial and absolute respect even unto admiration that your Catholics bear unto the Scripture: And he that doth not admire it, seems to me to be very stupid. It contains some small part of the mysteries of Christian Religion, the great treasure of them lying in your Traditions; and thereupon he concludes, Canonem seu Regulam fidei exactissimam non esse Scripturam, sed Ecclesiae judicium; that the Canon or most exact Rule of Faith is not the Scripture but the judgement of the Church; Much to the same purpose as you plead in your Fiat and Epistola. Pighius another Champion of your Church, Ecclesiast. Hierarch. Lib. 1. c. 4. after he hath given many reasons to prove the obscurity of the Scripture, with its flexibility to every mans sense, as you know who also hath done, and referred all things to be determined by the Church, concludes, Si hujus Doctrinae memores fuissemus, haereticos scilicet non esse informandos, vel convincendos ex Scripturis, meliore same loco essent res nostrae; sed dum ostentandi ingenii & eruditionis gratia cum Luthero in certamen discenditur Scripturarum, excitatum est hoc quod, proh dolor, nunc videmus incendium. Had we been mindful of this Doctrine, that Heretics are not to be instructed, nor convinced out of the Scriptures, our affairs had been in a better condition then now they are: but whilst some to show ⟨p. 357⟩their wit and learning would needs contend with Luther out of the Scriptures, the fire which we now with grief behold, was kindled and stirred up. And it may be you remember who it was that called the Scripture Evangelium nigrum, and Theologiam atramentariam, seeing he was one of the most famous champions of your Church and Cause. But before we quite leave your Council of Trent, we may do well to remember the advice which the Fathers of it, who upon the stirs in Germany removed unto Bononia, gave to the Pope, Julius the third, which one that was then amongst them afterwards published. Denique say they in their letters to him, quod inter omnia consilia quae nos hoc tempore dare possumus omnium gravissimum ad extremum reservavimus. Oculi hic aperiendi sunt, omnibus nervis adnitendum erit ut quam minimum Evangelii poterit (praesertim vulgari lingua) in iis legatur Civitatibus, quae sub tua ditione & potestate sunt, sufficiatque tantillum illud quod in missa legi solet, nec eo amplius cuiquam mortalium legere liceat.
This is that cordial and absolute respect even unto admiration that your Catholicks bear unto the Scripture: And he that doth not admire it, seems to me to be very stupid. It contains some small part of the mysteries of Christian Religion, the great treasure of them lying in your Traditions; and thereupon he concludes, Canonem seu Regulam fidei exactissimam non esse Scripturam, sed Ecclesiae judicium; that the Canon or most exact Rule of Faith is not the Scripture but the judgement of the Church; Much to the same purpose as you plead in your Fiat and Epistola. Pighius another Champion of your Church, Ecclesiast. Hierarch. Lib. 1. c. 4. after he hath given many reasons to prove the obscurity of the Scripture, with its flexibility to every mans sense, as you know who also hath done, and referred all things to be determined by the Church, concludes, Si hujus Doctrinae memores fuissemus, haereticos scilicet non esse informandos, vel convincendos ex Scripturis, meliore same loco essent res nostrae; sed dum ostentandi ingenii & eruditionis gratia cum Luthero in certamen discenditur Scripturarum, excitatum est hoc quod, proh dolor, nunc videmus incendium. Had we been mindful of this Doctrine, that Hereticks are not to be instructed, nor convinced out of the Scriptures, our affairs had been in a better condition then now they are: but whilest some to shew ⟨p. 357⟩their wit and learning would needs contend with Luther out of the Scriptures, the fire which we now with grief behold, was kindled and stirred up. And it may be you remember who it was that called the Scripture Evangelium nigrum, and Theologiam atramentariam, seeing he was one of the most famous champions of your Church and Cause. But before we quite leave your Council of Trent, we may do well to remember the advice which the Fathers of it, who upon the stirs in Germany removed unto Bononia, gave to the Pope, Julius the third, which one that was then amongst them afterwards published. Denique say they in their letters to him, quod inter omnia consilia quae nos hoc tempore dare possumus omnium gravissimum ad extremum reservavimus. Oculi hic aperiendi sunt, omnibus nervis adnitendum erit ut quam minimum Evangelii poterit (praesertim vulgari lingua) in iis legatur Civitatibus, quae sub tua ditione & potestate sunt, sufficiatque tantillum illud quod in missa legi solet, nec eo amplius cuiquam mortalium legere liceat.
