[Scotus examines the question, Utrum beata virgo fuerit concepta in]
[originali peccato. He begins the discussion with observing, Circa]
[primum arguitur quod sicut in Adam omnes peccaverunt (Rom. v.)]
pope, for the devotion of that the grey friars gave him, ye may well think, made an article of the faith.
And finally, as for the miracles, they are to make a man astonied and to wonder, and to draw him to hear the word earnestly, rather than to write it in his heart. For whosoever hath no other feeling of the law of God, that it is good, than because of miraeles, the same shall believe in Christ as did Simon Magus and Judas, and as they that came out of Egypt with Moses, and fell away at every temptation; and shall have 800d Works like unto our popes, bishops, and cardinals. And God. therefore, when the scripture is fully received, there is no need of miracles: insomuch that they which will not believe Moses and the prophets, when the scripture is received, the same will be no true believers by the reason of miracles, though one arose from death to life to preach unto them, by the testimony of Christ.
And again, how doth St Jerome, Augustine, Bede!, and many other old doctors, that were before the pope was crope up.into the consciences of men, and had sent forth his damnable sects, to preach him under the name of Christ, as Christ prophesied it should be, expound this text, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church;” and this text, “Peter, feed my sheep;” and, “All power is given mein heaven and in earth;” and innumerable such texts clean contrary unto all those new old holy doctors, that have made the pope a god? They knew of no power that man should have in the kingdom of Christ, but to preach Christ truly. They knew of no power that the pope should have, to send to pur- — gatory or to deliver thence; neither of any pardons, nor of any such confession as they preach and teach; neither were many that are articles with you, articles of their faith. They all preached forgiveness of sins through repentance toward the law, and faith in our Saviour Christ: as all the scripture plainly doth, and can no otherwise be taken, and as all the hearts of as many as love the law of God, do feel, as surely as the finger feeleth the fire hot.
[non nisi quia fuerunt in eo secundum rationem seminalem, ita fuit in]
[€o beata virgo; ergo, &c. But he proceeds to set aside this and every -]
[other argument and authority; and determines the question in the]
[negative. Lib. mr. Dist. 3. qu. 1.] [1 See Vol. 1. notes to pp. 217, 218.]]
An answer unto Master More’s Third Book
In his third book he proceedeth forth as before, to prove that the opinions which the popish teach without scripture are of equal authority with the scripture. He asketh, What if there had never been scripture written?’ I answer, God careth for his elect; and therefore hath provided them of scripture, to try all things, and to defend them from all false prophets. And I say moreover, that if there had been no scripture written, that God, for his mercy and fatherly love and care towards his elect, must have provided, that there should never have been heresies, or, against all times when sects should arise, have stirred up preachers to confound the heresies with miracles, Take this example: the Greeks have the scripture, and serve God therein, much more diligently than we. Now let us give that there were no scripture, but that we received all our faith by the authority of our elders, and the Greeks by the authority of their elders. When I shall dispute with a Greek about the articles of the faith which my elders taught me, and his elders deny, as ear-confession, the holy pardons of the pope, and all his power that he hath above other bishops, and many other things beside the scripture, which we hold for articles of our faith, and they deny; if there be no other proof of either part than to say, My elders, which cannot err, so affirm;’ and that he should answer, His elders, which cannot err, so deny;’ what reason is it, that I should leave the authority of my elders, and go and believe his; or that he should leave the authority of his elders, and come and believe mine? None at all, verily. But the one party must shew a miracle, or else we must refer our causes unto authentic scripture, received in old time, and confirmed with miracles, and therewith try the controversy of our elders.
And when he asketh, whether there were no true faith from Adam to Noe?’ I answer, that God partly wrote their faith in their sacrifices, and partly the patriarchs were full of miracles, as ye may see in the bible.
And when More, to utter his darkness and blind ignorance saith, that they which were overwhelmed with Noe’s flood had a good faith, and bringeth for him Nicolas de Lyra?; I