Church; still he did not hesitate to arraign the Bishops of that day as Deceivers, Impostors, Pilates. Where then, oh gracious God! was

the Church of Christ, when the eyes of his disciples were blinded against truth, when the People were openly deceived, when Pilate sat in the Judgment Seat, and condemned Jesus and the Members of his Body to Fire and Sword? And which of all these gross errors, I would now ask, have our adversaries at any period reformed, or rather which have they ever acknowledged or confessed?

But now since they claim the entire Possession of the Catholic Church, and stigmatize us who differ from them, as Heretics: Let us examine by what peculiar mark their Church is distin

Albertus Magnus says, "they that now preside over the Church, are Thieves and Plunderers, Robbers, not Guardians; Spoilers, not Protectors; Destroyers, not Shepherds; Deceivers, not Guides; perverting, not teaching the Doctrines of the Gospel. These are the forerunners of Antichrist, the enemies of the Flock of Christ." In Johannem, cap. x.

To the above may be added, the words of William Holcot,"The Priests of this time are like the Priests of Baal; they are Apostate Angels; the Priests of Dagon; the Angels of Hell." In Libro Sapientiæ, lectio 182.

guished as the Church of God: and it is not so very difficult a task to discover God's Church if we seriously and dilgently enquire after it; "for it is established on the top of a Mountain, and exalted above the Hills; is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets." t There, saith St. Augustin, let us seek the Church; there let us decide upon the merits of our cause:‡ and afterwards, he asserts that the Doctrines of the Church are to be proved from the Holy Canonical Scriptures;§ and that whatever is not derived from that source is not the Church.||

I cannot however imagine for what reason our opponents shun with abhorrence the Word of God, as a thief does the gallows; whether it arises from fear, a consciousness of their own

§ Nolo humanis documentis, sed divinis oraculis Sanctam Ecclesiam demonstrari. I will not have the Holy Church de, clared by Man's Judgment, but by God's Word.

S. Augustin. De Unit. Eccl. cap. iii. And St. Chrysostom declares, that "the true Church of Christ can be discovered by the Scriptures alone."

Chrysost. Homil. xix.

De Unitate Ecclesiæ, cap. iv.

K

bad cause, or despair of victory. At the same time perhaps this subject ought not to excite any great degree of astonishment; for it is well known that insects quickly perish if immersed even in the most fragrant Essences: in like manner they feel that their cause must be rendered hopeless, and finally destroyed by God's Word, as it were by Poison.

The most Holy Scriptures therefore (which our Saviour Jesus Christ on all occasions cited as the highest authority, and finally sealed with his most precious Blood, *) are denominated by these men as cold, unmeaning, and useless writings: nay, in many instances, dangerous, and destructive in their tendency; which in

* Our Saviour resigned up his Soul to his Father in the words of David, see Luke xxiii. 46, and Psalm xxxi. v. 5.

+ These expressions are not recorded by enemies but Friends of the Romish Church. Flaccius Illyricus, Jacobus Andreas, and Johannes Brentius, all agree in attributing similar Language to the Popish Writers; the latter adds, "Vociferantur interea, Sacram, Scripturam esse dubiam, ambiguam, Præceptorem mutum, Literam Occidentem, Literam Mortuam," all which terms are cited by Bishop Jewell, in this and the preceding Paragraph.

Johan Brentius, in Præfatione in Jacobi Andreæ libro. contra Hosium.

my opinion is much the same as if they altogether denied their authenticity and Divine origin. And their sole object in acting thus is that the multitude may be deterred from a close examination of the Sacred Volume, from a belief that it contains doctrines injurious to their Interests both here and hereafter. They add likewise a most inappropriate Simile, comparing the Scriptures to a nose of wax, which can be formed and moulded into a thousand shapes, and applied to a variety of Purposes.* Is the Pope ignorant that these assertions are made by his Satellites? That his cause is espoused by such powerful advocates?

Let him then hear with what reverence and piety this subject is discussed by Hosius, a Polish Bishop, whom he has himself pronounced to be a profound and eloquent Scholar, and one of the most able and undaunted Defenders of his Cause. He will, I suspect, be astonished to find a pious man entertaining such impious thoughts, and writing in so contemptuous a style of those very Words which he knew proceeded from the

* Albertus Pighius in Controversia de Ecclesia.

mouth of God himself; especially when his Holiness perceives that this Prelate has identified the whole Popish Party with himself in the opinions here laid down.

66

place any

"We will no longer," says he, reliance on those Scriptures which have received such various and contradictory Interpretations; but rather attend to the voice of God himself than refer to those unprofitable Elements, (or bare words of Holy Writ,) and place our Hopes of Salvation in them. It is not necessary for a man to be well versed in the Law and Gospel, but to be taught of God. It is but lost labour that is engrossed by the Sacred Writings. For the Scripture is but a Creature, and mere bare Letter." These are the words of Hosius, pronounced with the same spirit and disposition as actuated Marcias and Montanus, when (as we

*

* At the Council of Trent, the Bible was called by one Popish Prelate "Atramentum mortuum," dead ink; another said, "Scriptura est res inanimis, et muta," a dumb inanimate thing; and a third impiously mentioned the Sacred Volume as "Nigrum Evangelium," the black Gospel.

Ludovicus in Concilio Tridentino.

+ Hosius in libro de expresso Verbo Dei, sed sub alterius persona, quamvis et ipse alias eadem in eodem etiam libro disertis verbis affirmet.