Prophet Isaiah saith, "Erunt omnes docti à Deo :" "They shall be all taught of God."

"Si

But God hath not bound himself that his Spirit should evermore dwell in Rome, but upon the lowly, and humble-hearted, that trembleth at the word of God. (Isa. Ixvi.) Chrysostom saith, "Qui propria loquuntur, falso prætendunt Spiritum Sanctum.""They that speak of themselves falsely,pretend the Holy Ghost." And again, " Si quid præter Evangelium sub titulo Spiritûs obtrudatur, ne credamus. Quia sicut Christus legis et Prophetarum impletio est, ita est Spiritus Evangelii."-" If any thing be brought unto us under the name of the Holy Ghost, besides the Gospel, let us not believe it. For as Christ is the fulfilling of the law and the Prophets, so is the Holy Ghost the fulfilling of the Gospel."

OF THE AUTHORITY OF THE FATHERS.

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Sr. Ambrose, ye say, by this appeal to the Scriptures, excludeth not the judgment of the learned fathers, but only the cavillation and subtilties of philosophers and sophisters. For St. Ambrose himself in the same treaty often allegeth the authority of the fathers. All this, Mr. Harding, is true indeed, notwithstanding there is a certain secret untruth lapped in it. For St. Ambrose allegeth the fathers, not as grounds, or principles, or foundations of the faith, but only as interpreters, or witnesses, or consentees unto the faith; which thing of our part was never denied.

Now whether St. Ambrose meant thus, or no, let St. Ambrose himself be the judge. His words be these: "Sic nempe nostri secundum Scripturas dixerunt patres."—" Thus have our fathers said (not of themselves, but) according to the Scriptures." He allegeth the fathers, not as having sufficient credit and substance in themselves, but only as expounders and interpreters of the Scriptures.

So saith the godly father Athanasius: "Nos ista hausimus à magistris divinitùs afflatis qui sacros libros evolverunt."-" These things have we learned of our masters (or fathers), inspired from Heaven, which have read and perused the holy Scriptures." For St. Augustine very well saith, "Secundum hos libros de cæteris literis, vel fidelium, vel infidelium liberè judicamus."" According to these books of the Scriptures, we judge frankly of all other writings, whether they be of the faithful, or of the unfaithful."

- Therefore St. Jerome saith, "Omni studio legendæ nobis sunt Scripturæ, et in lege Domini meditandum die ac nocte; ut probati trapezitæ sciamus, quis nummus probus sit, quis adulterinus."-" We must read the Scriptures with all diligence, and must be occupied in the law of our Lord both day and night, that we may become perfect exchangers, and be able rightly to discern what money is lawful, and what is counterfeit."

St. Hilary saith, "Hoc proprium et Apostolicæ doctrinæ, Deum ex lege, ac Prophetis in Evangeliis prædicare."-"This is the very order of the Apostle's doctrine in the Gospel, to preach God out of the law and the Prophets."

Otherwise touching the discourse of natural rea- · son, St. Ambrose saith, No creature, either in earth or in heaven, is able to reach the depth of these things. Thus he saith, "Mens deficit, vox silet, non mea tantum, sed angelorum; supra potestates, supra angelos, supra cherubim, supra seraphim, supra omnem sensum est."-" The mind is astonished, the voice faileth, not only mine, but also of the angels: it is above the powers, above the angels, above the cherubims, above the seraphims, and above all manner of understanding." And therefore he saith, as it is alleged once before, "Nolo nobis credatur; Scrip

tura recitetur, non ego dico à me, 'In principio erat verbum,' sed audio."" I would not ye should believe me; let the Scriptures be read; I say not of myself, In the beginning was the word,' but I hear it spoken."

And again he saith in the same book unto the Emperor Gratian, "Facescat nostra sententia, Paulum interrogemus."-"Let our judgment stand apart, and let us ask St. Paul the question." But Mr. Harding saith, Whosoever maketh this argument which in your word is implied, the Scriptures are to be asked, ergo, the holy fathers are not to be asked, maketh a foolish argument."

It seemeth no great point of wisdom, Mr. Harding, to upbraid others with folly without cause; God increase both you and us in all wisdom and understanding in Christ Jesus. Howbeit, our argument, howsoever it hath pleased you to fashion and to handle it, as we meant it and made it, had no such folly, wherefore whatsoever folly is now come to it, it is your own, it is not ours. For we deny not the learned fathers' expositions and judgments in doubtful cases of the Scriptures. We read them ourselves, we follow them, we embrace them, and, as I said before, we most humbly thank God for them. But thus we say, The same fathers' opinions and judgments, forasmuch as they are sometimes disagreeable one from another, and sometimes imply contrarieties and contradictions, therefore alone and of themselves, without farther authority and guiding of God's word, are not always sufficient warrants to charge our faith. And thus the learned catholic fathers themselves have evermore taught us to esteem and to weigh the fathers.

The ancient father Origen saith thus, as it is reported before: "Ex solis Scripturis examinationis nostræ discretio petenda est."-"The discussing of our

judgment must be taken only of the Scriptures.” And again," Sensus nostri et enarrationes sine Scripturis testibus non habent fidem."-" Our judgments and expositions without witness of the Scriptures have no credit." Likewise St. Augustine, "Ego solis canonicis Scripturis debeo sine ulla recusatione consensum.” "My consent, without exception, I owe (not unto any father, were he never so well learned, but) only to the holy canonical Scriptures." His reason is this: "Nam cum Dominus tacuerit, quis nostrum dicat, Illa vel illa sunt? Aut si dicere audeat, unde probat?"-" For whereas the Lord himself hath not spoken, who of us can say, It is this, or that? Or if he dare say so, how can he prove it?"

And therefore he concludeth directly and in like words with St. Ambrose, Ego vocem pastoris inquiro: Lege hoc mihi de Propheta; lege de Psalmo; recita de Lege; recita de Evangelio; recita de Apostolo." I require the voice of the shepherd. Read me this matter out of the Prophets; read it me out of the Psalms; read it me out of the Law; read it me out of the Gospel; read it out of the Apostles."

OF FAITH AND ASSURANCE, OR CERTAINTY OF SALVATION.

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Two other great quarrels Master Harding moveth : the one of only faith; the other, as he calleth it, of the presumptuous certainty of salvation; wherein judge thou uprightly, good Christian reader, how just cause he hath to reprove our doctrine.

As for the first hereof, St. Paul saith, "Justificamur gratis ex gratia ipsius."-"We be justified freely by his grace; we judge that a man is justified by faith, without the works of the law; we know that a man is not justified by the works of the law,

but by the faith of Christ." (Rom. iii.) Mr. Harding will say, Yet hitherto of Sola fides, that is, of only faith, we hear nothing. Notwithstanding, when St. Paul excludeth all manner of works besides only faith, what else then leaveth he but faith alone?

Howbeit, if it be so horrible an heresy, to say, we be justified before God by only faith, that is to say, only by the merits and cross of Christ, let us see what the holy learned fathers of the church so many hundred years ago have taught us thereof.

St. Ambrose saith, "Justificati sunt gratis quia nihil operantes, neque vicem reddentes, soli fide justificati sunt dono Dei."-" They are justified freely, because, working nothing and requiting no-" thing, they are justified by only faith through the gift of God." Again : Sic decretum est à Deo, ut, cessante lege, solam fidem gratia Dei posceret ad salutem."" This was God's determination, that, the law ceasing, the grace of God should require only faith unto salvation." And again, "Sola fides posita est ad salutem."-"Only faith is laid or appointed unto salvation."

St. Bazil saith, "Novit se esse inopem veræ justitiæ; sola autem fide in Christum esse justificatum."-" He knoweth himself to be void of true righteousness, and to be justified by only faith, in Christ."

sed

Theodoretus saith, "Non ullis operibus nostris, per solam fidein mystica bona consequuti sumus." "Not by any works of ours, but by only faith, we have gotten the mystical good things.'

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Nazianzenus saith, Δικαιοσύνη καὶ το πιςευσαι Món; Credere solum est justitiæ."" Only believing is righteousness."

Origen saith," Ubi est gloriatio tua? Exclusa est. Dicit sufficere solius fidei justificationem; ita ut credens quis tantummodo justificetur, etiamsi nihil boni operis fecerit."" Where now is thy boasting (of