A

CONFUTATION

OF

UNWRITTEN VERITIES,

BY DIVERS AUTHORITIES, DILIGENTLY AND TRULY GATHERED TOGETHER OUT OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES AND

ANCIENT FATHERS.

That the word of God written, contained within the Canon of the Bible, is a true, sound, perfect, and whole doctrine, containing in itself fully, all things needful for our sal

vation.

THE FIRST CHAPTER.

DEUT. iv. Ye shall put nothing to the word which I command you, neither take aught therefrom; that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you.

Deut. xii. You shall not do any thing, that we do here this day, every man what seemeth him good in his own

eyes.

Ibid. Whatsoever I command you, that take heed you do only to the Lord; and put nothing thereto, nor take aught therefrom.

Deut. xviii. The prophet which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that speaketh in the name of strange gods, that prophet shall die.

Prov. xxx. All the words of God are pure and clean; for he is a shield unto all them that put their trust in him. Put thou nothing unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Jer. xxiii. Hear not the words of the prophets that preach

unto you and deceive you: for they speak the meaning of their own hearts, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.

Matt. v. Whosoever teacheth and keepeth the same, (speaking of his commandments,) shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matt. vii. Whosoever heareth these my words, and doeth the same, shall be likened unto a wise man, that buildeth his house upon a rock; and abundance of rain fell, the floods came, the wind blew, and beat upon the same house; and it fell not, because it was grounded on a sure rock.

Matt. xv. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, howbeit their hearts be far from me: but in vain do they serve me, teaching the doctrines and precepts of men.

Matt. xxviii. Go ye, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, &c.; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.

Mark xvi. Go ye into all the world, and preach my Gospel to all creatures.

John v. He that heareth my word, and believeth in him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into damnation; but is escaped from death to life.

John v. Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

John xx. These are written, that you might believe that Jesus is Christ, the Son of God; and that, in believing, ye might have life through his name.

Acts xx. I have spared no labour, but I have showed you all the counsel of God.

Acts xxvi. I have obtained help of God, and continue unto this day, witnessing both to the small and to the great, saying none other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come.

Rom. x. Faith cometh by hearing; hearing cometh by the word of God.

Rom. xiv. Whatsoever is not of faith, the same is sin. 2 Cor. i. We be not lords over your faith, but helpers of your joy.

Gal. i. Though we ourselves, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached, let him be accursed.

2 Tim. iii. Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, which also were committed unto thee, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and forasmuch also as thou hast known the holy Scriptures of a child, which are able to make thee learned unto salvation, through the faith which is in Christ Jesu. For all Scripture, given by inspiration of God, is profitable to teach, to improve, to amend, to instruct in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, and prepared to all good works.

1 Pet. iv. If any man speak, let him speak as the words of God.

2 John. If any man come unto you, and bring not this learning, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed. For he that biddeth him God speed, is partaker of his evil deeds.

Apoc. xxii. If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book : and if any man shall minish of the words of this prophesy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from those things which are written in this book.

That the writings of the old Fathers, without the written word of God, are not able to prove any doctrine in religion.

THE SECOND CHAPTER.

must be

IRENEUS, lib. ii. cap. 46. To lean to the Scriptures of God, Doctrine in which is the certain and undoubted truth, is to build a man's religion house upon a sure and strong rock. But to leave that, and grounded lean to any other doctrines, whatsoever they be, is to build upon the Scriptures a ruinous house upon the shattering gravel; whereof the only.

We may

not build our faith

Idem, in Epistola 72. Happy is he that soweth upon the water where the ox and the ass treadeth; that is, upon that upon men's people which only followeth the doctrine of both the Testaments, and not upon the vain traditions of men.

traditions.

stles taught

TERTULLIAN, in the Prescriptions of Heretics, p. 95. It is not lawful for us to favour any doctrine at our pleasure, nor yet to choose what any man hath brought in of his own The Apo- mind. We have the Apostles of the Lord for our aunothing thors, which did not elect any thing, that they would bring in, of their own heads; but taught faithfully to all nations, learned of that doctrine that they had received of Christ. Therefore although an angel from heaven should preach any other thing, let us hold him accursed.

but that

which they

Christ.

The first

lief is, that,

And a little after he saith, We need to use no curiosity point of be- after Jesus Christ, nor make further search after the Gosafter the pel: for when we believe, we desire to believe no more. Gospel, none other For first we believe this, that there is nothing else that we thing is to ought to believe.

be believed.

There is no

Idem, of the Flesh of Christ, p. 20, against Apelles, certainty in which said, that the angels had a bodily substance, which Scripture they took of the stars. Tertullian answereth, that there is defineth no certainty in this matter, because the Scripture declareth

that the

not.

The Law, the Pro

phets, and

it not.

The same, to Praxeas, p. 418. Let this be a general rule, indifferently determined beforehand against all heresies, that the Gospel that is true, whatsoever is first; and that to be forged, whatsoever cometh after.

are the first

doctrines, and there

fore true.

Our words,

ORIGEN, in his first Homily upon Jeremy. We must without needs call the holy Scriptures to witness; for our judgare not to ments and expositions, without these witnesses, are worthy be believed. no credit.

God's word,

That which cannot be

proved by the Scrip

ture, leave to God.

Idem, upon Leviticus, in his fifth Homily. If the holy Scripture do not determine any thing, we ought not to admit any other writing for the stablishing of our doctrine: but as for the rest, let us leave it to God.

The same, upon the third chapter to the Romans. After