Scripture

the founda

teach the people, that the Mass ex opere operato, that is, even
for that it is said and done, is able to remove any part of
our sin: or that then any Christian man called the Sacra-
ment his LORD and GOD: or that the people was then
taught to believe that the body of CHRIST remaineth in the
Sacrament as long as the accidents of the bread remain there
without corruption: or that a mouse, or any
other worm
or beast, may eat the body of CHRIST: (for so some of our
adversaries have said and taught) or that when CHRIST
said, “Hoc est corpus meum," this word, Hoc, pointeth not
the bread, but Individium vagum, as some of them say:
or that the accidents, or forms, or shews, or bread and wine,
be the sacraments of CHRIST's body and blood, and not
rather the very bread and wine itself: or that the Sacra-
ment is a sign or token of the body of CHRIST which
lieth hidden underneath it: or that ignorance is the mother
and cause of true devotion and obedience: these be the
highest mysteries and greatest keys of their religion, and
without them their doctrine can never be maintained or
stand upright. If any one of all our adversaries be able to
avouch any one of all these articles, by any such sufficient
authority of Scriptures, Doctors, or Councils, as I have
required, as I said before, so say I now again, I am con-
tent to yield unto him and to subscribe. But I am well
assured that they never shall be able truly to allege one sen-
tence. And because I know it, therefore I speak it, lest ye haply
should be deceived.-Sermon on 1 Cor. xi. 23, preached at
Paul's Cross, on the second Sunday before Easter, 1560.

SANDYS, ARCHBISHOP.

B. 1519. D. 1588.

First, we disagree in the very foundation.

tion of the Romanists) lay one ground, and we, another.

Faith.

They (the

We lay no

one stone but upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, whereupon whoever is builded, 'groweth into an holy temple in the LORD; a temple which no wind, no waves, no storm, no tempest, is able to overthrow. The foundation of our religion is the written Word, the Scriptures of GOD, the undoubted records of the HOLY GHOST.

We require no credit to be given to any part or parcel of
our doctrine, further than the same may be clearly and
manifestly proved by the plain words of the law of GOD,
which remaineth in writing to be seen, read, and examined
of all men.
This we do, first, because we know that GOD
hath caused His whole law to be written: secondly, because
we see that it hath been the practice of all the defenders of
the truth since the beginning, to rely their faith only upon
the Scripture and written word: thirdly, because it is evi-
dent and plain that we cannot receive any other foundation
of heavenly truth, without the overthrow of Christian
faith.-Sermon on Isaiah lv. 1-3.-Sermons, 4to. 1616.

HOOKER, PRIEST AND DOCTOR.

B. 1554. D. 1600.

ciency of

unto the

which it

tuted.

Although the Scripture of GOD therefore be stored with The suffiinfinite variety of matter of all kinds, although it abound Scripture with all sorts of laws, yet the principal intent of Scripture end for is to deliver the laws of duties supernatural. Oftentimes was instiit hath been in very solemn manner disputed, whether all things necessary unto salvation be necessarily set down in the holy Scriptures or no. If we define that necessary unto salvation, whereby the way to salvation is in any sort made more plain, apparent, and easy to be known; then is there no part of true philosophy, no art of account, no kind of science rightly so called, but the Scripture must contain it. If only those things be necessary, as surely none else are, without the knowledge and practice whereof it is not the will and pleasure of GOD to make any ordinary grant of salvation; it may be notwithstanding, and oftentimes hath been demanded, how the Books of holy Scripture contain in them all necessary things, when of things necessary the very chiefest is to know what Books we are bound to esteem holy; which point is confessed impossible for the Scripture itself to teach. Whereunto we may answer with truth, that there is not in the world any art or science, which proposing unto itself an end (as every one doth some end or other), hath been therefore thought defective, if it have not

delivered simply whatsoever is needful to the same end; but all kinds of knowledge have their certain bounds and limits; each of them presupposeth many necessary things learned in other sciences and known beforehand.

In

like sort, albeit Scripture do profess to contain in it all things necessary unto salvation; yet the meaning cannot be simply of all things which are necessary, but all things that are necessary in some certain kind or form; as all things which are necessary, and either could not all, or could not easily be known by the light of natural discourse; all things which are necessary to be known that we may be saved; but known with presupposal of knowledge concerning certain principles whereof it receiveth as already persuaded, and then instructeth us in all the residue that are necessary. In the number of these 'principles one is the sacred authority of Scripture. Being therefore persuaded by other means that these Scriptures are the oracles of GOD, themselves do then teach us the rest, and lay before us all the duties which GOD requireth at our hands as necessary unto salvation. Further, there hath been some doubt likewise, whether containing in Scripture do import express setting down in plain terms, or else comprehending in such sort that by reason we may thence conclude all things which are necessary. Against the former of these two constructions, instance hath sundry ways been given. For our belief in the TRINITY, the co-eternity of the SON of GOD with His FATHER, the proceeding of the SPIRIT from the FATHER and the SoN, the duty of baptizing infants: these with such other principal points, the necessity whereof is by none denied, are notwithstanding in Scripture nowhere to be found by express literal mention, only deduced they are out of Scripture by collection. This kind of comprehension in Scripture being therefore received, still there is no doubt, how far we are to proceed by collection, before the full and complete measure of things necessary be made up. For let us not think that as long as the world doth endure, the wit of man shall be able to sound the bottom of that which may be concluded out of the Scripture; especially if "things

contained by collection" do so far extend, as to draw in whatsoever may be at any time out of Scripture but probably and conjecturally surmised. But let necessary collection be made requisite, and we may boldly deny, that of all those things which at this day are with so great necessity urged upon this church, under the name of reformed church discipline, there is any one which their books hitherto have made manifest to be contained in the Scripture. Let them, if they can, allege but one properly belonging to their cause, and not common to them and us, and show the deduction thereof out of Scripture to be necessary. It hath been already showed how all things necessary unto salvation, in such sort as before we have maintained, must needs be possible for men to know; and that many things are in such sort necessary, the knowledge whereof is by the light of Nature impossible to be attained. Whereupon it followeth, that either all flesh is excluded from possibility of salvation, which to think were most barbarous, or else that God hath by supernatural means revealed the way of life so far as doth suffice. For this cause God hath so many times and ways spoken to the sons of men: neither hath He by speech only, but by writing also, instructed and taught His Church. The cause of writing hath been to the end that things by Him revealed unto the world might have the longer continuance, and the greater certainty of assurance, by how much that which standeth on record hath in both those respects preeminence above that which passeth from hand to hand, and hath no pens but the tongues, no book but the ears of men to record it. The several Books of Scripture having had each some several occasion and peculiar purpose which caused them to be written, the contents whereof are according to the exigence of that special end whereunto they are intended. Hereupon it groweth that every Book of holy Scripture doth take out of all kinds of truth, natural, historical, foreign, supernatural, so much as the matter handled requireth. Now forasmuch as there have been reason alleged sufficient to conclude, that all things necessary unto salvation must be made known, and that God Himself hath

therefore revealed His will, because otherwise men could not have known so much as is necessary; His surceasing to speak to the world, since the publishing of the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST, and the delivery of the same in writing, is unto us a manifest token that the way of salvation is now sufficiently opened, and that we need no other means for our full instruction than God hath already furnished us withal. . . . . And, therefore, they which add traditions, as a part of supernatural necessary truth, have not the truth, but are in error. For they only plead, that whatsoever God revealeth as necessary for all Christian men to do or believe, the same we ought to embrace, whether we have received it by writing or otherwise; which no man denieth: when that which they should confirm, who claim so great reverence unto traditions, is, that the same traditions are necessary to be acknowledged divine and holy. For we do not reject them only because they are not in the Scripture, but because they are neither in Scripture, nor can otherwise sufficiently by any reason be proved to be of GOD. That which is of GOD, and may be evidently proved to be so, we deny not, but it hath in his kind, although unwritten, yet the selfsame force and authority with the written laws of GOD. It is by ours acknowledged (Whitaker adv. Bellarm. qu. 6, cap. 6), "that the Apostles did in every Church institute and ordain some rites and customs, serving for the seemliness of church-regiment, which rites and customs they have not committed unto writing." Those rites and customs being known to be apostolical, and having the nature of things changeable, were no less to be accounted of in the Church than other things of the like degree; that is to say, capable in like sort of alteration, although set down in the Apostle's writings. For both being known to be apostolical, it is not the manner of delivering them unto the Church, but the author from whom they proceed, which doth give them their force and credit.-Laws of Eccl. Pol. I. xiv. 1-5, ed. Keble.