Very rightly and aptly doth Chrysostom write against these men.  “Heretics,” saith he, “shut up the doors against the truth:  for they know full well, if the door were open, the Church should be none of theirs.”  Theophylact also:  “God’s Word,” saith he, “is the candle whereby the thief is espied.”  And Tertullian saith, “The Holy Scripture manifestly findeth out the fraud and theft of heretics.”  For why do they hide, why do they keep under the Gospel which Christ would have preached aloud from the housetop?  Why whelm they that light under a bushel which ought to stand on a candlestick?  Why trust they more to the blindness of the unskilful multitude, and to ignorance, than to the goodness of their cause?  Think they their sleights are not already perceived, and that they can walk now unespied, as though they had Gyges’ ring, to go invisibly by, upon their finger?  No, no.  All men see now well and well again, what good stuff is in that chest of the “Bishop of Rome’s bosom.”  This thing alone of itself may be an argument sufficient that they work not uprightly and truly.  Worthily ought that matter seem suspicious which flieth trial, and is afraid of the light.  “For he that doeth evil,” as Christ saith, “seeketh darkness, and hateth the light.”  A conscience that knoweth itself clear cometh willingly into open show, that the works which proceed of God may be seen.  Neither be they so very blind but they see this well enough, that their own kingdom straightway is at a point if the Scriptures once have the upper hand:  and that, like as men say, the idols of devils in times past, of whom men in doubtful matters were then wont to receive answers, were suddenly stricken dumb at the sight of Christ, when He was born and came into the world:  even so they see that now all their subtle practices will soon fall down headlong upon the sight of the Gospel.  For Antichrist is not overthrown but by the brightness of Christ’s coming.

As for us, we run not for succour to the fire, as these men’s guise is, but we run to the Scriptures; neither do we reason with the sword, but with the Word of God:  and therewith, as saith Tertullian “do we feed our faith; by it do we stir up our hope, and strengthen our confidence.”  For we know that the “Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation;” and that therein consisteth eternal life.  And as Paul warneth us, “We do not hear, no, not an Angel of God coming from Heaven, if he go about to pull us from any part of this doctrine.”  Yea, more than this, as the holy martyr Justin speaketh of himself, we would give no credence to God Himself, if He should teach us any other Gospel.