sense you can take out. But, my lords, remember that our God is alive, whose cause we defend, afore whom I dare well say, you are already confounded in your conscience; wherefore doubt you not, but that terrible vengeance hangeth over you, if you repent not, which when it cometh, cometh sharply. How are ye able to defend a thing, that ye cannot prove openly by Holy Scripture? say what you will, your conscience will murmur and grudge, and will never be satisfied with men's dreams, nor yet with tyranny. Think you that your laws, and your inventions can be a sufficient rule for Christian men to live by? and to save their conscience thereby? think you that your cause is sufficiently proved, when you have compelled poor men by violence to grant it? then may we destroy all Scripture, and receive alone your tyranny." Treatise on Justification.

8. NICHOLAS RIDLEY, BISHOP OF LONDON, MARTYR.

"The holy Catholic, or universal Church, which is the communion of saints, the house of God, the city of God, the spouse of Christ, the body of Christ, the pillar and stay of the truth; this Church I believe, according to the creed....... The guide of this Church is the Holy Ghost. The marks whereby this Church is known unto me in this dark world, and in the midst of this crooked and froward generation, are these; the sincere preaching of God's holy word, the due administration of the sacraments, charity, and faithful observing of ecclesiastical discipline, according to the word of God... . . . . . . . “ In times past" (saith Chrysostom), "there were many ways to know the Church of Christ, that is to say, by good life, by miracles, by chastity, by doctrine, by ministering the sacraments. But from that time that heresies did take hold of the churches, it is only known by the Scriptures, which is the true Church. They have all things

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in outward show which the true Church hath in truth. They have temples like unto ours, &c." And in the end concludeth, "therefore only by the Scriptures do we know which is the true Church."

Now we have no need to say, Who shall climb into heaven, or who shall go down into the depth, to tell what is needful to be done? Christ hath done both, and hath commended unto us the word of faith, which also is abundantly declared unto us in his word written, so that hereafter, if we walk earnestly in his way, to the searching out of his truth, it is not to be doubted, but through the certain benefit of Christ's Spirit, which he hath promised unto us, we may find it, and obtain everlasting life. Should men ask counsel of the dead for the living? saith Isaiah. "Let them go rather to the law and to the testimony, &c." Christ sendeth them, that be desirous to know the truth, unto the Scriptures, saying, "Search the Scriptures." I remember a like thing well spoken of Hierome, "Ignorance of the Scriptures is the mother and cause of all errors." And in another place, as I remember in the same author, "The knowledge of the Scriptures is the food of everlasting life.".......Christ would have the Church, his spouse, in all doubts to ask counsel at the word of his Father written, and faithfully left and commended unto it both Testaments, the Old and the New. Neither do we read that Christ in any place hath laid so great a burden upon the members of his Spouse, that He hath commanded them to go to the Universal Church. "Whatsoever things are written (saith Paul) are written for our learning." And it is true that "Christ gave unto his Church some apostles, some prophets, and some evangelists, some shepherds and teachers, to the edifying of the saints, till we all come to the unity of faith, &c." But, that all men should meet together, out of all parts of the world, to define the articles of our faith, I

neither find it commanded of Christ, nor written in the Word of God.

Now that councils have sometimes erred, it is too manifest.........But here, peradventure, one man will say unto me "We will grant you this in provincial councils, or councils of some one nation, that they may sometimes err, forasmuch as they do not represent the universal Church: but it is not to be believed, that the general and full councils have erred at any time." Here, if I had my books of the councils, or rather such notes as I have gathered out of such books, I could bring something which should serve for this purpose..... Our learned ancient fathers and bishops of England did not stick to affirm that a general council might err." Second Conference with Latimer.

Of the universal Church, which is mingled of good and bad, thus I think: Whensoever they which be chief in it, which rule and govern the same, and to whom the rest of the whole mystical body of Christ doth obey, are the lively members of Christ, and walk after the guiding and rule of his word, and go before the flock towards everlasting life: then, undoubtedly, councils gathered together of such guides and pastors of the Christiar. flock, do indeed represent the universal Church, and, being so gathered in the name of Christ, they have a promise of the gift and guiding of his Spirit into all truth........Ye will say, where so great a company is gathered together, it is not credible, but there be two or three gathered in the name of Christ. I answer, if there be one hundred good, and two hundred bad, forasmuch as the decrees and ordinances are pronounced according to the greater number of the multitude of voices, what can the less number of voices avail? It is a known thing, and a common proverb, "Oftentimes the greater part overcometh the better." First Conference with Latimer.

9. HUGH LATIMER, BISHOP OF WORCESTER, MARTYR.

"If we (saith St. Austin) which are not worthy to be compared to him that said, "If we,' but that also which forthwith he addeth, if an angel from heaven shall teach anything, besides that ye have received in the Scriptures, of the Law and Gospel, accursed be he." Our Diotrephes (Gardiner) with his Papists are under this curse. But how are the Scriptures (say they) to be understood? St. Austin answereth, giving this rule, "The circumstances of the Scriptures (saith he) enlighten the Scriptures, and so one Scripture doth expound another, to a man that is studious, well-willing, and often calling upon God in continual prayer, who giveth his Holy Spirit to them that desire it of him." So that the Scripture is not of any private interpretation at any time. For such a one, though he be a lay man, fearing God, is much more fit to understand Holy Scripture, than any arrogant and proud priest, yea, than the bishop himself, be he never so great and glistering in all his pontificals. But what is to be said of the Fathers? how are they to be esteemed? St. Austin answereth, giving this rule also, that we should not, therefore, think it true because they say so, do they never so much excel in holiness or learning but if they be able to prove their saying by the canonical Scriptures, or by good probable reason; meaning that to be a probable reason (as I think) which doth orderly follow upon a right collection and gathering out of the Scriptures." First Conference with Ridley.

"I would not stick to affirm, that the more part of the great house, that is to say, of the whole universal Church, may easily err.....But it is demanded, whether the sounder or better part of the Catholic Church may be seen of men or no? St. Paul saith, "The Lord knoweth them that are his." What manner of speaking is this, in commendation of the Lord, if we know as

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well as he who are his? Well, thus is the text, "The sure foundation of God standeth still, and hath this seal; The Lord knoweth them that are his. And let every man that nameth the name of Christ, depart from iniquity." Now how many are there of the whole Catholic Church of England, which depart from iniquity? How many of the noble men, how many of the bishops or clergy, how many of the rich men or merchants, how many of the Queen's counsellors, yea, how many of the whole realm ? In how small room, then, I pray you, is the true Church within the realm of England? And where is it? And in what state?" Second Conference with Ridley.

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10. CRANMER, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.

What Church it is that cannot err.

"All the rest of the preface containeth nothing else, but the authority of the Church, which (Smith saith) cannot wholly err; and he so setteth forth and extolleth the same, that he preferreth it above God's Word, affirming not only that it is the pillar of truth, and no less to be believed than Holy Scripture; but also that we should not believe Holy Scripture but for it. So that he maketh the word of men equal, or above the word of God. And truth it is indeed, that the Church doth never wholly err, for ever in most darkness God shineth to his elect, and in the midst of all iniquity he governeth them so with his holy word and Spirit, that the gates of hell prevail not against them. And these be known to him, although the world many times know them not, but hath them in derision and hatred, as it had Christ and his apostles........This holy Church is so unknown to the world, that no man can discern it, but God alone, who only searcheth the hearts of all men, and knoweth his true children from others, that be but bastards. This Church is the pillar of the truth, because it resteth upon God's word, which is the true and sure