all being penned by one and the self-same Spirit, it cannot be, but that an industrious and judicious comparing of place with place, must be a singular help for the right understanding of the Scriptures. To this may be added the consideration of any text with the coherence thereof, touching what goes before, and what follows after, as also the scope of the Holy Ghost..... The fourth means are commenters and fathers, who have handled the places controverted, which the parson by no means refuseth. As he doth not so study others, as to neglect the grace of God in himself, and what the Holy Spirit teacheth him; so doth he assure himself, that God in all ages hath had his servants, to whom he hath revealed his truth, as well as to him; and that as one country doth not bear all things, that there may be a commerce; so neither hath God opened, or will open, all to one, that there may be a traffick in knowledge between the servants of God, for the planting both of love and humility. Wherefore he hath one comment at least upon every book of Scripture, and ploughing with this, and his own meditations, he enters into the secrets of God treasured in the Holy Scripture.

The country parson hath read the fathers also, and the schoolmen, and the later writers, or a good proportion of all, out of all which he hath compiled a book, and body of divinity, which is the storehouse of his sermons, and which he preacheth all his life; but diversely clothed, illustrated and enlarged." Country Parson, c. 4, 5.

From the foregoing extract it is evident that Herbert regarded the fathers in the light of mere commentators, and that he had no idea whatever of any authoritative traditional expositions of Scripture.

19. CHILLINGWORTH, CHANCELLOR OF SALISBURY. "The Bible, I say, the Bible only, is the religion of Protestants. Whatsoever else they believe besides it, and the plain, irrefragable, indubitable consequences of it, well may they hold it as a matter of opinion: but as matter of faith and religion, neither can they with coherence to their own grounds believe it themselves, nor require the belief of it of others, without most high and most schismatical presumption. I, for my part, after a long, and (as I verily believe and hope) impartial search of the true way to eternal happiness, do profess plainly, that I cannot find any rest for the sole of my foot but upon this rock only. I see plainly, and with mine own eyes, that there are popes against popes, councils against councils, some fathers against others, the same fathers against themselves, a consent of fathers of one age against a consent of fathers of another age, the church of one age against the church of another age. Traditive interpretations of Scripture are pretended; but there are few or none to be found: no tradition, but only of Scripture, can derive itself from the foundation, but may be plainly proved, either to have been brought in, in such an age after Christ, or that in such an age it was not in. In a word, there is no sufficient certainty but of Scripture only, for any considering man to build upon. This therefore, and this only, I have reason to believe; this I will profess; according to this I will live; and for this, if there be occasion, I will not only willingly, but even gladly, lose my life, though I should be sorry that Christians should take it from me. Propose me any thing out of this book, and require whether I believe it or no, and seem it never so incomprehensible to human reason, I will subscribe it with hand and heart, as knowing no demonstration can be stronger than this-God hath said so, therefore it is true." Religion of Protestants a safe Way to Salvation, c. vii., part 1., § 55.

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20. USSHER, ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH. "The books of Holy Scripture are so sufficient for the knowledge of Christian Religion, that they do most plentifully contain all doctrine necessary to salvation. They being perfectly profitable to instruct to salvation in themselves; and all other imperfectly profitable thereunto, further than they draw from them. Whence it followeth that we need no unwritten verities, no traditions or inventions of men, no canons of councils, no sentences of fathers, much less decrees of popes, for to supply any supposed defect of the written word, or for to give us a more perfect direction in the worship of God and the way of life, than is already expressed in the canonical Scriptures. Finally, these Holy Scriptures are the rule, the line, the square, and light, whereby to examine and try all judgments and sayings of men and angels. All traditions, revelations, decrees of councils, opinions of doctors, &c. are to be embraced so far forth as they may be proved out of the Divine Scriptures, and not otherwise. So that from them only all doctrine concerning our salvation must be drawn and derived that only is to be taken for truth, in matters appertaining to Christian religion, which is agreeable unto them; and whatsoever disagreeth from them is to be refused.....

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There are some hard things in the Scripture that have proper relation to the time in which the Scripture was written and uttered, or which are prophesies of things to be fulfilled hereafter, which if we never understand, we shall be never the worse, for the attaining of everlasting salvation. There are other things in Scripture, belonging unto the saving knowledge of God: all which are dark and difficult unto those whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded. But unto such as are by grace enlightened, and made willing to understand, howsoever some things remain obscure to exercise

their diligence, yet the fundamental doctrines of faith and precepts of life are all plain and perspicuous. For all doctrine necessary to be known unto eternal Salvation is set forth in the Scriptures most clearly and plainly, even to the capacity and understanding of the simple and unlearned: so far is it that the Scriptures should be dangerous to be read of the lay-folks, as Papists hold." The Sum and Substance of Christian Religion, § 1.

21. HALL, BISHOP OF NORWICH.

"Our question is, Whether the Scriptures depend upon the authority of the Church, or the Church upon the authority of the Scriptures:-Hear, first, the ancient Church, with and for us. "The question is," saith St. Austin, "betwixt us and the Donatists, where the Church is. What shall we do then? shall we seek her in her own words, or in the words of her head, the Lord Jesus Christ. I suppose we ought to seek her rather in his words, which is the truth, and knows best his own body; for the Lord knows who are his. We will not have the Church sought in our words." And in the same book, "Whether the Donatists hold the Church," saith the same father, "let them not shew but by the canonical books of Divine Scriptures. For neither do we therefore say they should believe us, that we are in the Church of Christ, because Optatus or Ambrose hath commended this Church to us, which we now hold; or, because it is acknowledged by the councils of our fellow-teachers; or, because so great miracles are done in it: it is not therefore manifested to be true and Catholic: but the Lord Jesus himself judged, that his disciples should rather be confirmed by the testimonies of the Law and the Prophets: these are the rules of our cause: these are the foundations; these are the confirmation." And upon the Psalms,

"Lest thou shouldest err," saith the same St. Augustin, "in thy judgment of the Church; lest any man should say to thee, 'This is Christ,' which is not Christ; or, This is the Church,' which is not the Church; for many &c. Hear the voice of the Shepherd himself, which is clothed in flesh &c. He shews himself to thee; handle him and see. He shews his Church, lest any man should deceive thee under the name of the Church &c." Yet Chrysostom, more directly, thus: "He that would know which is the true Church of Christ, whence may he know it in the similitude of so great confusion, but only by the Scriptures? Now the working of miracles is altogether ceased: yea, they are rather found to be feignedly wrought of them, which are but false Christians. Whence then shall he know it, but only by the Scriptures? The Lord Jesus, therefore, knowing what great confusion of things would be in the last days, therefore commands, that those, which are Christians, and would receive confirmation of their true faith, should fly to nothing but to the Scriptures. Otherwise, if they fly to any other help, they shall be offended and perish; not understanding which is the true Church." This is the old faith; now hear the new, contradicting it and us." Serious Dissuasive from Popery.

22. TAYLOR, BISHOP OF DOWN AND CONNOR.

"It is certain there can be no tradition received as Apostolical at a less rate than the rule of Vincentius Lirinensis. For to prove by Scripture that there are any traditions not written in Scripture, is a trifling folly; since there might be necessity of keeping traditions, before all that which is necessary was set down in writing. So that all the pretensions taken from Scripture in behalf of traditions are absolutely to no purpose, unless it were there said, "There are some things which we now preach to you which shall never be written; keep them:"