66 peian. gæva depravatione corruptis ac perturbatis rivulis, ad cer- BOOK tam divinæ voluntatis notitiam habendum, esset recurren- IV. dum. Nam ut sanctus ille martyr Cyprianus scribit, a ❝ Sia Ad Pom❝ ad divinæ traditionis caput et originem revertamur, cessat 66 error humanus, et sacramentorum cœlestium ratione perspecta, quicquid sub caligine ac nube tenebrarum obscu"rum latebat, luce veritatis aperitur. Si canalis aquæ quæ "copiose prius et largiter perfluebat subito deficiat, nonne "ad fontem pergitur, ut illic defectionis ratio noscatur, "utrumne crescentibus venis in capite siccaverit, an vero “integra inde et plena percurrens in medio itinere desti"terit, &c. Quod et nunc facere oportet (inquit) Dei sa"cerdotes præcepta divina servantes, ut in aliquo si nuta- 127 "verit et vacillaverit veritas, ad originem, dominicam et 66 evangelicam et apostolicam traditionem, revertamur. Et "inde surgat actus nostri ratio, unde ortus et origo sur"rexit." 66 a Medicum. Et Basilius, ille magnus Cypriano compatiens, scribens ait, a❝ Non putamus justum esse, obtinentem apud ipsos Ep. 80. ad “consuetudinem, legem et regulam facere recta doctrinæ. Eustach. Igitur Scriptura divinitus inspirata arbiter a nobis con"stituatur; et apud quos inventa fuerit dogmata, divinis "sermonibus concordantia, his omnino etiam veritatis suffragium accedat." Hæc ille. 66 Quorum sanctorum patrum authoritatibus admonemur, quod quotiescunque à sanctis et immaculatis Domini viis humana negligentia et cæcitate deflexerimus, ut in eas iterum redeamus, scrutandas esse, quæ de ipso testimonium perhibent, sanctas Scripturas, inspiciendaque antiquissima testimonia; à quibus, Cypriano teste, ortus et origo religionis nostræ surrexit. Hiis divinæ sanctæque antiquitatis testimoniis, si firmiter adhæserimus, certi de vero Dei cultu et religione, et securi esse possumus; etiamsi humanarum rerum et ordinationum monumenta, temporis edacitate consumpta, depravata sint. Hi enim perennes et inviolabiles fontes assiduè diesque noctesque petendi sunt. Et aquâ ab his fontibus profluente et derivata, putet nostri (quos inimici hostesque nostri Philistini injectis sordibus coinqui BOOK naverunt) perpurgandi sunt; ut his salutiferis fontibus IV. (unde æternam vitam hauriemus) repleantur. Hoc argumentum copiosam mihi materiam suppeditat (si in eo longior esse vellem) vobis ante oculos proponere, quibus nos Antichristus præstigiis callidè delusit, tenebrisque ac caligine palpabili in atros suos carceres duxit captivos. Quæ gaudii infiniti, et summas Deo gratias agendi, maxima nobis causa esse debet; quod profligatis illis plusquam Cimmeriis tenebris, ineffabilis veritatis suæ splendor nobis tandem illuxit. Prætereà, accingere nos, totisque viribus ac apparatu insistere, debemus, ut et caliginosis mundi ac Diaboli potentiis fortiter resistamus, et divini verbi veritatem ab improbis et sceleratis nostris adversariis toties oppugnatam, tueamur atque teneamus. Hinc enim et nostra spes atque exultatio, (qui veritatem amplectimur,) et eorum confusio sequetur, qui, cordibus in affectatâ quadam et supinâ ignorantiâ cæcitateque conclusis, oculos ad contemplandum evangelici luminis fulgorem, neque volunt neque possunt patefacere. Sed ne ulterius in hac re pergam, me hic contineo, hancque magni momenti materiam his relictam et reservatam cupio, quibus et locus commodior, et otium uberius, quàm mihi hoc angustissimo temporis curriculo circumscripto suppeditabitur. Ut igitur ad id accedam quod est præsentis instituti, quodque hæc reverenda vestra frequentia coronaque requirit. Synodus hæc nostra, ut scitis, in duas societates (quæ duobus domiciliis, superiori nempe et inferiori, segregantur) divisa est. Ut igitur in consiliis atque deliberationibus de ecclesiasticis causis capiendis unanimes ac concordes esse possimus, et ad vitandas in cunctis nostris disceptationibus altercationes atque lites, superiori hujus conventui, adhibitis quibusdam ad id designatis, ego præsidebo, ut omnia nostra dicta, responsa, et colloquía, nulla confusione perturbata, sed rectè atque ordine fiant. Eodemque modo vos inferioris concilii, dilecti fratres, summa cura niti debetis, ne litibus et querelis de rebus tantis habendi conferendique inter vos, sermones repleantur, sed ut omnia moderatè prudenterque inter vos gerantur. Itaque, ne contentio oriatur inter vos, neve bonum ve IV. strum maledicentiæ sit obnoxium, eligendus inter vos est BOOK aliquis spectatæ gravitatis, pietatis, prudentiæ et doctrinæ vir, ad Prolocutoris officium toto hujus Synodi tempore exequendum: qui et vestras disceptationes, ne aut longius producantur, aut acrius vehementiusque tractentur, temperet; et vestra nobis desideria, nostraque vobis vicissim monita, exponat atque referat, magnum hujus generis hominum in vestro cœtu numerum habetis, ex quibus optimi alicujus dilectum facere possitis. Itaque vos horter moneoque in Domino, fratres, ut ad hujusmodi idoneum virum deligendum quam primum conveniatis: eumque die Mercurii proximo nobis iterum huc, post ejusdem diei meridiem, congregatis, præsentetis. Quo etiam tempore in hujus Convocationis negotio ulterius progrediemur, prout locus et tempus vetusque consuetudo postulat. Dixi. odal. Fr. can. Car A protection granted by the Archbishop to the servant of the Dean of Gloucester, during the Convocation. MATTHÆUS, divina Providentiâ Cantuar. Archiepi- MSS. Synscopus, dilectis mihi in Christo Majori et Ballivis civitatis Atterbury, pen. Rev. Winton, eorumque officiariis et ministris quibus- S.T. P. Decunque sal. gratiam et benedictionem. Cum in Parlamento liol, tento apud Westmonast, anno regn. felicissimæ memoriæ Dom, Henrici VI. nuper Regis octavo, ca. 1. inter alia statutum et stabilit. fuerit, quod vocandi in futurum ad Convocationem Cleri prætextu brevis regii, eorum servientes et familiares ead. libertate veniendo, expectando et sedendo, plenè gaudeant, et utantur, perpetuis futuris temporibus, qua gaudent, et gaudere consueverunt, sive gaudere debent in futurum, proceres, magnates et communitas regni Angliæ, ad Parlamentum dom. Regis vocati sive vocandi, prout per statutum prædict. plenè liquet et apparet: Vobis et cuilibet vestrum tenore præsentium significamus et innotescimus, quod Magister Laurentius Humfrey, Decanus ecclesiæ cathedralis Gloucestren. prætextu brevis regii BOOK nobis directi, ad Convocationem Cleri nostræ provinciæ Cant. IV. in ecclesia cathedral. D. Pauli London. nono die præsentis mensis Maii inchoatam et celebratam, per nos vocatus existit, atque expeditioni causarum et negotiorum in ead. Convocatione tractandor. operam et industriam dat, et impendit: quodque Jacobus Massam fuit et est famulus et serviens dicti Magistri Laurent. Humfry Decani Gloucestren. antedict. et eid. Decano obsequitur, et ad civitatem London. in obsequio dict. Decani venit, et ibidem spectat in præsenti in ejus servitio: prout dict. Jacobus Massam coram nobis corporale præstitit juramentum. Quocirca vobis et cuilibet vestrûm tenore præsentium strictè præcipiendo mandamus, quatenus eund. Jacobum Massam, durante Convocatione prædict. ead. libertate et immunitate, veniendo, expectando et redeundo, plenè gaudere, ut juxta formam statuti prædicti, absque arrestatione vel molestatione quacunque, permittatis. In cujus rei testimonium, &c. Dat. Maii 16. Number LXXXIII. Archbishop Parker's Preface before a new translation of the OF al the sentences pronounced by our Saviour Christ in his whole doctrine, none is more serious, or more worthy to bee borne in remembrance, than that which hee spake openly Joh. v. in his Gospel, saying, Scrutamini Scripturas, quia vos putatis in ipsis vitam æternam habere, et illæ sunt, quæ testimonium perhibent de me. Search yee the Scriptures; for in them yee think to have eternal life, and those they bee which bear witnes of me. These words were first spoken unto the Jewes by our Saviour; but by him in his doctrine meant to all. For they concern al of what nation, of what tongue, of what profession soever any man bee. For to al belongeth it to bee called unto eternal life, so many as by the witnes of the Scriptures desire to find eternal life. No man, woman, or child, is excluded from this salvation; and therfore to every of them is this spoken; proportionally yet, and in their degrees and ages, and as the reason and congru IV. ity of their vocation may aske. For not so lyeth in charge BOOK to the worldly artificer to search, or to any other private man so exquisitely to study, as it lyeth to the charge of the public teacher to search in the Scriptures, to bee the more able to walk in the house of God, (which is the Church of the liv- 1 Tim. iii. ing God, the pillar and ground of truth,) to the establishing of the true doctrine of the same, and to the impugning 129 of the false. And though whatsoever difference there may be betwixt the preacher in office, and the auditor in his vocation, yet to both it is said, Searche ye the Scriptures, 1 Tim. iii. whereby ye may find eternal life, and gather witnesses of that salvation, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. For altho' the Prophet of God, Moses, biddeth the king Deut. xvii. The Scripwhen he is once set in the throne of his kingdome, to de- tures to be scribe before his eyes the volume of God's law, according to read by al. the example which he should receive of the Priests of the Levitical tribe, to have it with him, and to read in it al the dayes of his life, to thend that he might learn to fear the Lord his God, and to observe his lawes, that his heart be not advanced in pride over his brethren, nor to swarve either on the right hand or on the left; yet the reason of this precept, for that it concerneth al men, may reasonably be thought to be commanded to al men, and al men may take it to be spoken to themselfe in their degree. Tho' Almighty God spake to his servant Josue in precise words, Non re- Jos. i. cedat volumen legis hujus ab ore tuo, sed meditaberis in eo diebus ac noctibus, &c. Let not the volume of this book depart from thy mouth, but muse therin both dayes and nights, that thou mayest keep and perform al things which be written in it, that thou mayest direct wel thy way, and understand the same: yet as wel spake Almighty God this precept to al his people in the direction of their wayes to himward, as he meant it to Josue. For he that hath care of 1 Pet. v. Ephes. vi. all, he accepteth no man's person; his wil is, that al men 1 Tim. ii. should be saved, his wil is that al men should come to the way of truth. How could this be more conveniently declared by God to man, then when Christ his wel-beloved Son, our most loving Saviour, the way, the truth, |