or void, which is not painted and coloured with the sentences of the new or old Testament. But they are so much the more to be taken heed of, and to be feared, the more secretly they lurke vnder the shadowes of God's diuine law. For they know their stinkes would not easily please any man almost, if they were breathed out nakedly & simply themselues alone, & therfore they sprinkle them as it were vvith certaine pretious spices of the heauenly word: to the end that he which would easily despise the errour of man, may not easily contemne the Oracles of God. So that they doe like vnto them, which when they wil prepare certaine bitter potions for children, doe first anoint the brimmes of the cup with honie, that the unwarie age, when it shal first feel the swetnes, may not feare the bitternes.
5. The cause why, the Scriptures being perfit, yet we vse other Ecclesiastical
writings and tradition.
Vincentius Lirinensis in his golden booke before cited, adversus prophanas hæresum Nouationes.
Here some man perhaps may aske, for as much as the Canon of the Scriptures is perfit, and in all points very sufficient in itself, what neede is there, to ioyne therevnto the authoritie of the [1] Ecclesiastical vnderstanding? For this cause surely, for that al take not the holy Scripture in one and the same sense, because of the deepnes thereof: But the speaches therof, some interpret one way, and some an other way, so that there may almost as many senses be picked out of it, as there be men. for, Nouatian doth expound it one way, & Sabellius, an other way, otherwise Donatus, otherwise Arius, Eunomius, Macedonius, otherwise Photinus, Apollinaris, Priscillianus, otherwise Iouinian, Pelagius, Celestius, lastly otherwise Nestorius.[2] And therfore very necessarie it is, because of so great windings and turnings of diuers errours, that the line of Prophetical and Apostolical interpretation, be directed according to the rule of the Ecclesiastical and Catholike sense or vnderstanding.
S. Basil li. de Spiritu sancto cap. 27.
Of such articles of religion as are kept & preached in the Church, some were taught by the written word, other some we haue receiued by the tradition of the Apostles, deliuered vnto vs as it were from hand to hand in mysterie secretly: both which be of one force to Christian religion: and this no man wil deny that hath any litle skill of the Ecclesiastical rites or customes. For if we goe about to reiect the customes not conteined in Scripture, as being of smal force, we shal vnwittingly & vnawares mangle the Ghospel it-self in the principal parts therof, yea rather, we shal abridge the very preaching of the Ghospel, and bring it to a bare name.
