A

CONFUTATION

OF

UNWRITTEN VERITIES.

[It is stated in the title-page that this Confutation of Unwritten Verities was" made by Thomas Cranmer, late Archbishop of Canterbury," and "translated and set forth by E. P." Strype goes farther, and supposes that it was not only "made" by the Archbishop, but published by him in Latin in 1547. Yet it certainly was not "made" by Cranmer in its present form: for the Preface and some other parts were avowedly written by the translator. And it may be doubted, whether it was ever prepared by hin for publication at all; no complete copy of it in Latin, either printed or in manuscript, having been yet discovered. The citations however, of which the work chiefly consists, are for the inost part to be found in one of the Archbishop's Common-place books in the British Museum, arranged under the same heads as in the Confutation. And hence perhaps it may be conjectured, that, according to his usual practice, he formed a collection of authorities on the subject for his private use; that this collection fell after his death into the hands of the person designated by the letters E. P.; and that it was moulded by him, by addition, omission, and transposition, into the shape in which it now appears. Under these circumstances it cannot safely be quoted as evidence of Cranmer's tenets, and perhaps it scarcely ought to be admitted into a collection of his works. It has however been usually classed among them; and he certainly brought together most of the materials from which it was composed. It has therefore been reprinted entire; the parts which were added by the translator, as far as they can be ascertained, being distinguished by a smaller type.

Strype has ascribed to Cranmer another tract on Unwritten Verities, published anonymously in 1548. But he does not bring forward any evidence in support of his opinion; and as he has manifestly fallen into much confusion on this matter, his judgment is of no great weight. And it is clear that the Confutation here reprinted is the only work on this subject by the Archbishop, which was known to his contemporary Bale. It has therefore been considered, that there is no sufficient authority for inserting the anonymous tract, attributed to him by Strype, in the present Collection. It will be found however in the Appendix. See Tanner, Biblioth. art. Cranmer; Strype, Cranmer, pp. 160. 171. 397; Memorials, vol. ii. p. 136. and App. AA; Bale, Script. Brit. Catal.; Ames, Typ. Antiq. vol. i. p. 583. ed. 1785. vol. iii. p. 1563. ed. 1790.]

A

CONFUTATION

OF

UNWRITTEN VERITIES,

BOTH

BY THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

AND

MOST ANCIENT AUTHORS,

AND ALSO

PROBABLE ARGUMENTS AND PITHY REASONS;

WITH

Plain Answers to all, or, at the least, to the most part and strongest Arguments, which the Adversaries of God's Truth either have or can bring forth

for the proof and defence of the same Unwritten Vanities,
Verities, as they would have them called.

MADE BY

THOMAS CRANMER,

Late Archbishop of Canterbury, Martyr of God;

And burned at Oxford for the Defence of the true doctrine of our Saviour Christ.

[This tract has been reprinted from the first edition published by E. P. in the reign of Queen Mary. In 1582 it was attached to A Discoverie and Batterie of the great Fort of unwritten Traditions, Done by Martin. Chemnitius in Latin, and translated into English by R. V. London, Thos. Purfoote and Wm. Pounsenbie. It was also printed separately by Purfoote in 1583. Ames, Typ. Ant. Cambr. Publ. Lıbr. F. 3. 27.]

THE CONTENTS a.

FIRST, The Preface of the translator to his countrymen and brethren of England.

Ch. I. That the word of God, written and contained within the canon of the Bible, is a true, sound, perfect, and whole doctrine, containing in itself fully all things needful for our salvation.

[A conjecture has been hazarded in a preceding note, that this Confutation was compiled from a collection of authorities still preserved in the British Museum. (Royal MSS. 7. B. xi. xii.) A list of the principal heads under which these authorities are arranged, is subjoined. It will assist the reader in forming a judgment on the validity of the conjecture, and will also give him some insight into Cranmer's studies on other subjects. It will be found to be more copious than the Table of Contents which is prefixed to the manuscript in the Museum, and which has been printed by Strype, (Life of Parker, App. N°. 23.) The additions are distinguished by brackets. The articles marked with an asterisk exist in the original Table, but are not in the same handwriting as the rest.

"Collectiones ex S. Scriptur. et Patribus.

"TABULA REPERTORIA.

"1. Sacræ Scripturæ intellectus et utilitas, p. 9.

"2. Quod auctorum scripta sine verbo Dei non sunt accipienda pro "articulis fidei, p. 15.

"3. Scripturæ confirmantes idem, p. 16.

"4. Doctores idem probantes, p. 19.

"5. Rationes in idem, p. 42.

"6. Conciliorum decreta sine Scriptura non sunt accipienda pro

"ticulis fidei, p. 47.

"7. Veteres Canones abrogati, p. 48.

"8. Ex angelorum oraculis non licet idem facere, p. 53.

"9. Nec miraculis idem probare fas est, p. 54.

"10. Nec etiam apparitio mortuorum id ipsum satis astruit, p. 59.

"11. Sed ne consuetudini hac in re fidendum est, p. 62...

arti

"12. Objectiones, quod præter Scripturæ auctoritatem recipiendi sunt

"novi articuli fidei, p. 65.

"13. Traditiones non scriptæ, p. 75.

"Ex Tertullian. Anglice, p. 93.

"14. Rationes in idem, p. 94.

[Baptismus parvulorum, p. 97.

"Baptizati ab hæreticis non sunt rebaptizandi, p. 98.]

"15. Nec miracula, nec Christi professio, nec locus, nec externum "aliquod, faciunt hominem sanctum aut Deo gratum, sed ob"servatio mandatorum Dei, p. 99.