It is a diabolicall spirit that thinketh that any one thing from God should be without the authority of holy Scripture saith Theophilus of Alexandria The Secular Priests say that Iesuites are d Quodlibet 3. art 3. Statists Atheists Iudasses Others say that their denomination from * Vt à luce lucus dictus ut homo est bâ—mo pictus siâ— Ã Iesu Iesuita Iesu ita is a contrarie for they are more like Esauites Gehezites or Iebusites And I may say the Devill is an invisible Iesuite Iesuites are visible Devils yet they wil be men of God Secondly where is it found that all this counsell of God was â—ver yet written or that S. Paul in this place doth not speake aswell of the unwritten word as of the written word and counsell of God 13. We finde that S. Paul submitted all his doctrine to Reply be e Act. 17. 11. tryed by the Scriptures that he preached nothing but what f â— 2â— 22. was written and that making confession of his faith he saith g c. 24. 14. I beleeve all things which are written and if he had beleeved unwritten Traditions he would have added and I beleeve all the unwritten Traditions but seeing he beleived none of these how can he speak of an unwritten word of God The word of God is not like to a sick mans â—â—ncupative will of which some is written some is unwritteÌ„ only delivered by word of mouth but it is a perfect wil testament it needes not additioÌ„ of things unwritten Thirdly by all Scripture the Apostle meaneth onely the old Reply pag. 133 Testament He then that is well seene in the old Testament alone hath he knowledge of the whole counsell of God 14. In the eight division of this Section we have shewed the contrary but suppose the Apostles meaning is so what doth it make for the Iesuit David had but a part of the old Testament to be his h Ps 11 〈◊〉 â—4 Counseller yet he confesseth that it was so large that he could see i Vers â—6 no end of the perfection of it that by it k Vers 99. he had more understanding then all his teachers and that by it hee l Vers 101. refrained his foot from every evill way thus by it alone he understood the whole counsel of God Againe when the Apostle saith All Scripture the particle Reply All signifieth distributively every parcell of the Scripture not the whole Scripture together collectively but our Adversary will not say that every books of holy Scripture yea every parcell of a booke or chapter is able to instruct the minister of Gods word perfectly 15. This is Ad paucarespicere to stop one gap and to open ten for it overthroweth all his distinctions 1. That of mediate and immediate sufficiencie for every parcell of every Chapter of Scripture hath not a mediate sufficiencie it selfe to make us wise by sending us unto Christ neither doth every parcell send us unto the Church from her to learne Traditions 2. That of counsell written and unwritten for every parcell of every Chapter doth not containe all the written counsell 3. That of profitablenesse and sufficiencie for every parcell of a Chapter is not profitable it selfe for those foure uses to teach reprove correct and instruct 4. That of the man of God a godly man for every parcell is not profitable to enable a godly man to every good work This is to grant us more then wee desire that every parcell of Scripture is profitable for these foure uses how much more then is the whole Canon of Scripture profitable unto the same The words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Scripture are taken heere for the whole body or Canon of Scripture In the same sense Athanasius useth the same words when he saith m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas in Syâ—op All Scripture or the whole Scripture translate it as you please of us Christians is inspired of God and then he addeth and containeth certaine bookes contained in a certaine Canon Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Athanasius is taken for the whole Canon and not for every parcell for every parcell hath not certaine bookes Omnis id est totâ— is the usuall note upon this place but Estius is most plain n Non id velle Apostolum quod una quâ—â—que pars Scripturâ—â— sit utilis â—d istâ— quatuoâ— hic â—nim sensus liq â—do salsus est sed quod in universa Scriptura 〈◊〉 quatuor utilitates reperiantur Guil. â—stius professor Duaâ— The Apostles meaning is not this that every parcell of Scripture is profitable for these foure for this sense is manifestly false but that these foure profites are found in the whole Scripture Heere the Iesuite insultingly taxeth us for minching mangling and chopping of the Scripture when himselfe is guilty of the same of chopping the whole Scripture into severall parcells of a booke and of a Chapter Moreover he seemeth to inferre a sufficiencie where mention Reply p. 133. is made onely of a profitablenes All divine Scripture saith S. Paul is profitable to teach Hence our Answerer deduceth that nothing else is requisite to teach 16. The Iesuite dealeth not sincerely with his Answerer when he not onely seemeth to chop but doth mangle this argument as he did formerly the Scriptures S. Paul saith The man of God may bee perfectly instructed to every good worke by the Scriptures Hence the Answerer inferreth That there is no other word of God which the man of God who must declare the whole counsell of God is bound to teach S. Paul setteth forth at large the profitablenesse of the Scripture for foure uses to teach to reprove to correct and to instruct and sheweth how fully and sufficiently it doth these even that the man of God may bee perfectly instructed to every good worke But the Iesuite repeating the words of S. Paul diminisheth the profitablenesse of the Scripture onely accounting it profitable to teach and explaineth this of sending us unto Christ and Christs sending us to his disciples and the Disciples bidding as to hold fast unwritten Traditions If this be all the profitablenesse of the Scripture then there is little sufficiencie in it but this is not the profitablenesse of which the Apostle speaketh for All Scripture that is as the Iesuite expoundeth it every parcell of a booke and of a Chapter doth not send us unto Christ Christ unto his Disciples and the Disciples unto unwritten Traditions Neither doth the Answerer inferre a sufficiencie from a bare profitablenes the word Profitablenes or sufficiencie is not at all in his argument neither doth he say Therefore nothing else is requisite to teach for this is manifestly false Let the Scriptures be never so profitable and sufficient yet some thing else is required to teach there is required a * Act. 8. 31. Rom. 10. 14. Teacher yea though unwritten Traditions were admitted yet
is lost contained onely leviora things of litle account Å¿ Si canonici ejusmodi libri extitissent ecclesia non fuisset depositi sibi traditi à Deo fidelis custos juxta illud 1. Tim. 6. oh Timoth depositum custodi c. Salmeron prolog 9 caâ— 4 If these bookes saith Salmeron had beene canonicall the Church had not beene a faithfull keeper of that which God committed to her according to that oh Timothie keepe that which is committed to thee It cannot then stand with the care of the Church which is Custes Rotulorum the keeper of Gods oracles that any booke of holy Scripture should be lost t Staplet Defens occles author cont Whitak l. 2. c. 1 It cannot stand with the providence of God which never faileth in things necessary to salvation saith Stapleton And he addeth That the Church is as much to bee blamed if she should lose a booke of Scripture as if she should lose a Sacrament But that we may wrestle the Iesuite with his wrestling argument let him answer this God by his providence and the Church by her care hath preserved the volume of the written word whole and intire so that not one booke of it is lost but many volumes of unwritten Traditions are lost and perished witnesse the five bookes which Egesippus wrote of the unwritten Traditions which the Apostles left unto the Church the which the * Sect. 2. Iesuite alledgeth against us And the booke written by Clemens Alexandrinus of the same subject neither is the Iesuite able to tell us what particular Traditions were contained in these bookes with us therfore the rule of saith remaineth whole intire but part of their rule is lost and perished And thus our Doctrine stands firme and sure notwithstanding all the shifts and cunning windings of this Iesuite there is in the Church perfectio integralis of the whole volume of Scripture not one booke of it is lost and there is in the Scripture perfectio finalis for the Church not one point of faith nor one good worke is there but it may be learned by the Scriptures This one testimony of S. Paul I preferre before the testimony of any Father yet because our Adversaries being convinced by the Scriptures give out that the Fathers are theirs as the Iewes did u Ioh. 8. 39. that Abraham is our Father Wee will therefore bee content to put our selves to be tryed by God and the Countrie not onely by the Scriptures but also by the Fathers whose verdict is returned in the next Section SECT VI. VVherein the Iesuite produceth senselesse exceptions against the Iury of the Fathers giving their verdict against him YOur Masters have told you that you disagree Reply p. 135. from the Doctrine generally received by the Fathers 1. I could tell you if it were not for manners sake that you lye notoriously You read this on the backeside of Constantine his Donation or of some of your golden legends for I am sure none of our Writers tell us so Name one if you can among our many Writers that doth acknowledge our disagreement from the Doctrine generally received by the Fathers in this point and if you cannot wee may easily judge how you will deale with the auncient Fathers when you deale thus with our late writers This is but a Iesuiticall fiction and it is evident that all our writers in combating with you about unwritten Traditions have fought against you at this weapon and have brought into the feild these champions of the truth helping to bring downe to the ground the Tower of Babel this sort of unwritten Traditions 2. Tertullian is the foreman of the Iury concerning whom the Answerer confesseth That hee was an earnest advocate for rituall Traditions unwritten and for doctrinall Traditions written c. In the opinion of the Iesuite this distinction of Rituall and Doctrinall Traditions serveth to no purpose It serveth for the true stateing of this Question It discovereth the Iesuites false stateing of this Question of Rituall Traditions onely And it sheweth his folly in heaping up a number of Fathers defending rituall Traditions unwritten for such are allowed in our Church But why serveth it to no purpose Because both of them may be Apostolicall Reply pag. 135 and are to be regarded as the written word and worthy of the same faith being delivered to the Church by the same Authors Are there no Rituall Ecclesiasticall Traditions to which you give the same credit and authority as to the written word Can those be Apostolicall Or were they delivered to the Church by the Apostles And although all Rituall Traditions were from the Apostles yet they are not to be regarded as the written word All that the Pope saith is not to be regarded as his Cathedrall voyce All that his Majesty saith is not to be regarded as his lawes and statutes The authority of things delivered may bee different although they be delivered by the same authors * Sect. 1. Divil â— the intention of the deliverer or the dignitie of the matter delivered may make the thing delivered more worthy of faith for this is certaine there may be a proposition beleeved in respect of the Author delivering yet the matter delivered may be not worthy to be an article of our faith Yet Tertullian having to deale with Hermogenes the Hereticke in a question concerning the faith presseth him with Answer the argument ab authoritate negativè * Tertul. advers Hermog â— 22. Whether all things were made of any subject matter I have as yet read no where let those of Hermogenes his shop shew that it is written If it be not written let him feare that wâ—e which is allotted to such as adde or take away The Iesuite painteth out an answer unto this and coloureth it with false glosses as if hee had gotten some relicks out of Hermogenes his painting shop It would be too tedious to lay downe all his wordes but the summe is this First this is no thing against us unlesse we should hold that Reply pag. 136. all points of faith are to bee proved by unwritten Tradition onely and none at all by Scripture For what if he presse the Hereticke Hermogenes in one point with the argument ab authoritate negativè must it follow that therefore he thought all points might be proved in the like manner The boyes of the Logicke Schoole doe know that an Inference universall is absurdly deduced from particular Premisses Hath not the Iesuite told us * pag. 126. They that deny unwritten Tradition can have no sure ground for their faith The Popes infallibility is the α and ω the formall reason and onely perswasive demonstration of a Papists faith for although materiale fidei the thing which he beleeveth be a written Doctrine yet firmale fiaei or ratio credendi the reason why he beleeveth it is because the Pope saith it He will not beleeve that there is a written word
and the Cuppe unto the common people In which although you cannot gaine the attestation of all the ages of the Church nor make those new inventioÌ„s to mount up against the curreÌ„t of antiquity yet we know can discover your sluâ—tish tricks in chopping changing in wresting wriâ—ging in boasting bragging of the testâ—monies of antiquity And surely whatsoever you say concerning the holy Scriptures had you any hope of attaining good successe as you have fathered false Traditions on the Apostles so you would not spare to invent false Scripture under the name of Canonicall Authors Wee know your good will by adding Apocryphall bookes unto Canonicall Scripture and by equalizing Papall Decrees and Ecclesiasticall Interpretations with the written word but it is not so easie a thing for you to bring in counterfeit Scriptures as counterfeit Traditions because the Scripture hath more helpes to hinder the effecting of it then Traditions have 1. The Scripture hath Gods providence to preserve it from addition aswell as from diminution but unwritten Traditions want Gods providence to preserve them either from the one or the other where shall wee finde those five bookes of Apostolicall Traditions written by Egesippus which you alledge against us As those are lost so wee may finde many volumes of false Traditions 2. The number of the Bookes of holy Scripture is so well knowne that none can adde unto it but it wil be presently discovered it is not so with unwritten Traditions the Pope himselfe cannot or will not lay downe the certaine definite number of unwritten Traditions and say These no more we hold as unwritten Traditions I desire the Iesuit to doe one thing nay I hold out the flag of desiance and avouch it that hee is not able to doe it To lay downe the definite number neither more nor lesse of unwritten Traditions If he ever reply againe let him not forget this Challenge but I know he dares not for his â—ares to doe it because this is the onely shift they have to colour their new Inventions It is a Tradition So that there may be an addition unto Traditions and yet by the number it shall not be discovered because the number is not yet nor shall hereafter be discovered 3. The Scripture is a thing it selfe extant in faâ—t alwayes visible and not trusting to the bare memory of man or to the attestation of others So that if any adde unto it it will testifie of it selfe and for it selfe but unwritten Traditions taking them at the best hand as they come from their first Authors 〈◊〉 things extant in fact nor alwayes visible but speaking the best of them trusting unto the bare memory of others so that others must testifie for them they cannot testifie for themselves and therefore they are more subject to addition even by those that testifie for them And thus wee have discovered his proofes to be false or impertinent and his three rules to be foolish or impossible That of S. Paul to the Thessalonians of Basil of Chrysostome and of the Councell of Gangers is * Paul to Thes Sect. 3. Divis 1. Basil Sect 6. Divis 10. Chrysost Sect 3 Divis 2. Conc Gang. Sect 9. Divis 2 already answered and now there remaineth onely the Curse thundred foorth by that cursed conventicle of Nice commonly called the second Councell of Nice * Conc Nic. 2. Act. 7. If any man contemne the Tradition of the Church which is authorised either by writing or by custome let him bee accursed 17. We are not nice to deny this conventicle of Nice Reply pag. 172 seeing it was called by an insolent woman Irene domineering over her husband was compacted of a sort of Idolaters and condemned by a better y concil Francos iuxta Maenum an 794. Walafrid Stra. Ado Viennens in Histos Councell This causelesse z Prov. 26. 2. curse we feare not it shall not come upon us but rather like Noahs dove it shall returne from whence it came We feare not Balaams curses though he doe vent them with Bell Booke and Candle for though they curse yet the a Psal 109 28. Lord will blesse But let all Tradition-mongers feare that dreadfull curse which the Lord pronounceth against all such as shall teach prater or contra otherwise or contrary wise then the Scripture expound the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as you will all such are beside the way or in a contrary way Let all such I say feare that curse written by S. Paul b Gal. 1. 8. If wee or an Angell from heaven preach otherwise unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed And lest you should thinke to avoyde this curse in saying S. Paul speaketh not of what was written but of what was preached S. Augustine forewarneth you thus c Si quis siâ—e d Châ—iâ—â—o sive de cius Ecclesia sive de quâ—â—un qâ—e aâ—iâ—â—e qâ—ae pertinet ad si dem vitamque nostram â—n dâ—câ—m si nos sed quâ—d Pau lu◠〈◊〉 it â— Aâ—gâ—us de câ— lâ— vob saâ—nun â—iaveâ—it prae â—â—rqua â—â— qâ—od in Scripturis legalibus eâ—angelicis accâ—pi stis anâ— themâ— sit Aug lib 3. cont liter Pe til c. 6. If any one concerning Christ or his Church or any other thing which â—elongeth unto faith and life I will not say if we but as Paul addeth if an Angell froâ— heaven preaâ—h unto you otherwise then what you have received in the writings of the law and the Gospell let him be accursed And who can declare what curse this iâ— for though there bee no unwritten Doctrines yet there are unwritten d Deut 2â— 6 curses Iâ— the Iesuite have any minde to reply againe let him beginne when he will he shall be answered for this time the combate is ended and the day is ours the Arke standeth and Dagon is fallen the great Fort of Popery is battered downe and all Popery tottereth at the â—all of it In this Adversary we have discovered many shifts but liâ—tle learning a spitefull heart a bâ—â—ter tongue and a brazen fâ—ce are his best arguments His whole discourse like an aiery meteor being composed of a deale of matter imperfectly mixed together is quite vanished as his proofes are weake â—o his position is wicked and therefore let nothing draw thee from Scripture to follow after other Doctrines but let that be the Lyains Lapis the touchstone of truth and then I will say of unwritten Traditions that which Saul said to Ionathan concerning his Kingdome e 1. Sam. 20 31. As long as the Sonne of Ishaâ— liveth thou shalt not be established oâ— thy Kingdome Faults to be amended In the Title page line 17. for were reade are IN the Epistle for Zeâ—â—crates reade Xenocraâ—es Pag. 2. lin 11. for fibolist reade fikher p. 5. lin 27 for that read thus p. 6. l. 2. for Iesuites read Iesuite p. 9 l. 19. for speak reade speake p. 11 l. 10. for as it reade as if it p. 16. l. 18. for Tradition read Traditions p. 1â— l. 32 for the read this p. 32 l. 4. for Leâ—sâ—us read Lenseâ—s p. 41. l. 35. for them reade him p. 54. l. 36. for handleth read â—oldeth p. 84. l. 8. for to to read to p. â—6 l. 6. for wrestling reade wresting p 87 l 24. for wrestle wrestling read wrest wresting p. 135. l. â— for not reade and p. 138. l. 21. for call reade call them p 160. l. 3. for our reade your p. 171 l. 12. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. â—69 l 36. for and the read and to this end the. In the margent P. 6 for 129 read 120. p. 9. for Chrysost reade Chrysol p 36. for sap reade sip p. 57. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 81. for 26. read 96. p 106 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 111. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 111. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 136. for 92 read c. 92 p. 140 for mandatur read mandantur p. 143. for c. â—â— reade 3â— p. 144. for fidelâ— reade fidelibus p. 147 for p. 164. read p. 156. p. 149. for hom 3. reade hom 31. p. 159. for Mat. 12. reade Mat. 2. Adde p. â—0 l 14. All that was inspired was preached p. 27 l. 23. blot out the comma betweene Euchariâ—t fasting and betweene Person Christ. p. 144. l. 30. and after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag 36 marg
be supplied by unwritten traditioÌ„s do not those crosse the perfectioÌ„ of scripture Pull your considering-cap closer to your cockscombe and thinke better upon it This discovereth his shrinking at the first encounter that by his own confession he is good man no body but a shadow but a very phantasticall Adversary For such Traditions are defended by him as crosse both the veritie and perfection of the sacred Scriptures 1. The verity The denyall of the cup to the Laity crosseth this institution k Math. 26. 27. Drinke ye all of this The Councell of Constance took away this l Concil Constan Sess 13. non obstante mandato although Christ the Apostles and the Primitive Church used it Of this nature is the Popes deposing of Kings and his Dispensations contrary to Gods Law 2. The perfection of Scripture is crossed by adding of many bookes which were never inspired by God unto the Canon of Scripture and of many articles of faith unto the faith at once delivered by the Apostles Of this nature is Pius Quartus his new Creed and many points of Religion with you which are prater legem and so crosse the perfection of Scripture although they are not contra legem and so crosse the verity of it These Law-makers are worse then Law-breakers for men actually breake Gods Lawes because of their weakenesse and the hardnesse of Gods Lawes to doe them but these men make new lawes as if Gods Lawes were but foolish and they wiser then God to know what is meet But they crosse not the perfection or truth of Scripture because Reply pag. 116. they helpe us to finde out the true sense in the obscure and controverted letter â— This is neither true nor to the purpose It is nothing to the purpose because the Question is not whether unwritten Traditions be a good help to expound Scripture but whether they are to be accounted as Scripture and as part of Gods Law It is not true 1. Because the Scripture is not an obscure and controverted letter in doctrinall things m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost hom 3. in 2. Thess All those things which are necessary are manifest in them saith S. Chrysostome n In eis quae apertè in Scriptura posita sunt inveniuntur illa omnia quâ— ad fidem c. August de doctrina Christi l. 2. c. 9â— And in those things which are laid downe plainly in Scripture all those things saith S. Augustine are found which appertaine to faith and direction of life 2. Although the Scripture were obscure yet Popish Traditions cannot helpe to finde out the true sense unlesse we should say o Exod. 20. l. Thou shalt not worship an image The sense is Thou shalt worship images p Math. â—â— â—â— Drinke yee all of this That is All shall not drinke of it q Heb. 13. 4. Mariâ—ge is honourable among all It is not honourable among all These are your cursed glosses which corrupt the text and crosse the sense and meaning intended by the Holy Ghost 3. Although the Scripture were obscure and your Traditions did helpe to finde out the sense yet they doe crosse the perfection of Scripture because they are accounted not onely helpes for the interpretations of Gods written Law but even additions to the written Law Interpretation is for things obscure addition is for things imperfect What then will you call your Traditions additions to the Scripture or helpes for the interpretation of it If they be additions then they crosse the perfection of it for that which is perfect needeth no addition If they be helpes for the interpretation only then you shrinke from the Question from the matter delivered as the word of God to the manner of deliverie or of expounding the same Howsoever the Iesuites argument is most false That which helpeth to expound Scripture cannot crosse the perfection of the same Why goodman noddie Doe not all the Arts Tongues Fathers Commentaries helpe to expound Scripture And yet whosoever shall say that all these are the word of God he denyeth the perfection of the Bible We use commentaries upon Aristotles text but he that bringeth the commentarie into the text thereby to supply the defects of it denyeth the perfection of the text Doe not you deale so with the Scripture making unwritten Traditions a part of Gods word that so you may supply the defects of the written word making every idle interpretation as * pag. 124. Reply authenticall as S. Iohns Gospell Doe you not hereby crosse the perfection of the written word So S. Basil telleth us that * Basil de Spirit sanct c pro If unwritten Traditions be neglected the Gospell will incurre no small detriment So we tell you that if Arts Tongues Fathers Councels Commentaries and the like helpes be neglected the Gospell will incurre no small detriment We yeeld to the pen man of that Booke although it was not Basil but a counterfeit that if all unwritten Traditions be neglected if the testimony lyturgie and doxologies of which the author specially speaketh if the customes constitutions orders and ceremonies of the Church handmaides of the Gospell excellent in their use be slighted of all and every man left to himselfe to doe as he list in the manner of Gods service doubtlesse the Gospell will incurre no small detriment and if nothing be received into the Church but what is totidem verbis written in the Scriptures I wonder what kinde of Church we should have Popish Traditions are of another nature they crosse the truth and the perfection of Scripture if we admit such the Gospell will incurre no small detriment And though the Authour of that Booke would have Tradition respected yet hee would not have them accounted Gospell for in the words alledged he distinguisheth them from the Gospell You make no difference betweene unwritten Traditions and the Gospell you give them the same * Sect. 3. nature and quality the same * credite and authority with the Gospell If wee reject such Traditions the Gospell will incurre no detriment And S. Augustine saith * Sect. 4. Then doe wee hold the truth of Scripture when wee doe that that pleaseth the Vniversall Church Where S. Augustine saith so we may goe seeke Reply pag. 116 for the Iesuite citeth not the place but I thinke the place is this Augustin contra Crescon l. 1. c. 33. In this thing wee doe holde the truth of the Scripture when wee doe that which now pleaseth the Vniversall Church The thing is the point of rebaptization in which the Church held the truth of Scripture and determined this point by the authority of Scripture and not of unwritten Traditions so that S. Augustine might truely affirme this He speaketh not of unwritten Traditions they are a thing not pleasing to the universall Church therefore no man can hold the truth of Scripture nor please the universall Church if he hold with unwritten Traditions 9. And now
there must be one to teach them In this Teacher learning is required because it is profitable yet not sufficient to enable him to teach But thus we argue That that is so profitable to to teach to reprove to correct and to instruct that thereby the man of God may be perfectly instructed to every good worke that we say is sufficient Omne sufficiens est utile this Proposition is most certaine Whatsoever is sufficient is profitable and it is not thus to be converted Omne utile est sufficiens northus Nullum utile est sufficiens but thus Aliquod utile est sufficiens Something that is profitable is sufficient So is the Scripture it is a thing so profitable every way that it must needes be sufficient in suo genere for that end there needeth no unwritten word to be taught Such a profitable thing is Godlinesse that it is likewise sufficient it is one of the instances which the Iesuite giveth to prove that the Scriptures are not sufficient because they are said to be profitable Godlinesse saith he is profitable for all things is it therefore so sufficient that nothing else is to bee sought for neither meat drinke sleepe c. The scope of the Apostle is to prove what is both profitable and sufficient for the obtaining of the promise especially of the life eternall can it be denyed that Godlinesse in suo genere is both profitable and sufficient for this As for meate drinke sleepe c. they are helpes of an other kinde they are needefull for a godly man in regard of his weake nature to maintaine his naturall life but not needfull to perfect Godlines to attaine eternall life As Godlines is both profitable sufficient for that end so are the Scriptures for the end of which the Apostle speaketh although helpes of any other kind are required The Iesuite giveth an other instance Learning saith he is profitable to the knowledge of the truth is it therefore sufficient I confesse it is not Is therefore the Scripture not sufficient but onely profitable because some things are profitable but not sufficient I pray you in what mood or figure is this Syllogisme Some things which are profitable are not sufficient but the Scripture is profitable Therefore not sufficient If learning were as profitable as the Scripture is then it were sufficient but it is not by it the man of God cannot bee perfectly instructed to every good worke Finally you either ignorantly or wilfully pervert and Reply p. 134. deprave the sonse and meaning of the Apostles wordes when making him to say that by the Scriptures the man of God may bee perfectly instructed to every good worke you interprete this good worke to bee the ministery of Gods word But Paules meaning was farre otherwise to wit that the Scriptures are profitable to teach to reprove to correct and instruct in the way of righteousnesse that the man of God that is to say a godly man thus instructed may be perfect in his godly life and enabled to every good worke not so much of preaching and teaching as of justice and righteousnes wherein hee was instructed out of the Scriptures 17. For want of new shifts the Iesuite is forced to returne to his old shift but we have * Divis 12. of this Section already started him out of this hole and shewed that by The man of God the Apostle meaneth the Minister of Gods word But supposing this to be the Apostles meaning That a godly man being instructed by others out of the Scriptures may be made perfeet in his godly life and enabled to every good worke What need we more or what neede then is there of unwritten Traditions if not onely initiatively but perfectly a godly life every good worke may be learned out of the Scriptures This coÌ„tradicteth his former distinctioÌ„ of perfectly initiatively quite overthrowes unwritteÌ„ traditioÌ„s the great pillar of Popery unlesse the Iesuite hath this mentall reservation that there is one faith for the Pastor and an other faith for the People one perfection for the Man of God and an other perfection for a godly man one law of workes for the Preist and an other for the Laytie In the last place he commeth to his wrestling argument as he tearmeth it of which he seemeth to be as confident as if it were an invincible Armado and yet with a blast it may be overthrowne When you affirme that the written word alone is sufficient Reply pag. 134 for faith and salvation you must meane either the entire Scripture wholly taken together or some one part thereof onely If the former then you have no sufficient rule of faith left you forasmuch as many bookes of holy Scripture are lost and perished as the * 3. King 4. 32. Three thousand Parables and the five thousand verses written by Salomon * 1. Paralip 29. 29. The bookes of the Prophets Nathan and Gad the bookes of Ahia and the * â— Paralip 9. 29. vision of the Prophet Addo 18. We meane as S. Paul meaneth the whole canon of Scripture or the entire Scripture wholly taken together of which if any part bee lost it being lost before S. Paul wrote this yet the whole Scripture of which he speaketh remaineth still We beleeve not that many bookes of holy Scripture are lost and perished no nor any as for that of Salomon the text doth not say that Salomon wrote but that he * 1. King 4. 32. spake three thousand Parables and a thousand and five not five thousand Songs It may bee they were written yet seeing the Proverbes containe 974. verses Ecclesiastes 222 and the Canticles 116 in all 1312. verses and many verses containe three or foure sayings those things therefore may be contained in them The bookes of Nathan Gad Ahia and Addo are supposed by p 〈◊〉 Semens Bibl. Sanct. l. a. Dorothens in Synopsi some to bee parcells of the bookes of Samuel Kings and Chronicles each of them writing the Acts and mouuments of those Kings under whom they lived All these may be lost and yet not many bookes of holy Scripture lost because those of Solomon as it may be were neither written nor canonicall and those of Nathan Gad c. were written but not canonicall q Alia sicuti homines histericâ diligentiâ alia sicut Prophetas divinâ— inspiratione scribere potuisse Aug. de Civitat Dei l. 18. c. 38. Some things saith S. Augustine speaking of the Prophets they might write by way of history as men other things by divine inspiration as Prophets And the Iesuite Sanctius whose bookes this Iesuite is not worthy to beare saith r Sanctius Iâ—â—olegom in l. Reg. These bookes of Nathan ad c. were like Diaries or an Ephemerides in which the acts of their times were written and he proveth at large that The choyse things in them were transcribed by the penmen of the Kings and Chronicles and that the remainder which
therefore though they be glorious things in your eyes they are not holy That of Origen which the Iesuite alledgeth concerning the baptising of Children that it is a Tradition from the Apostles is * Sect. 4. divis 11. formerly answered Hippolytus the Martyr in his third Homily against the Heresie of Noetus There is one God whom we doe not otherwise Answer acknowledge but out of the holy Scriptures For as hee that would professe the wisedome of this world cannot otherwise attaine hereunto unlesse he reade the doctrine of the Philosophers sâ— whosoever of us will exercise piety towards God cannot learne this elsewhere but out of the holy Scriptures c. All this runneth upon the same straine with that which Reply pag. 13â— you even now produced out of Origen and therefore as you repeate the same so wee returne you the same Answer And withall wee desire you with this holy Martyr to understand whatsoever the Scriptures doe teach For they teach you to holde such Traditions as the Apostles gave whether by writing or by word They teach you to hearken unto the Church 4. Hippolytus here taketh the same oath with Origen both give their verdict against unwritteÌ„ Traditions This is the same strain upon which they run His answer unto that of Origen is already confuted if this be the same as indeed it is no wiser then the former but threed-bare and worne out at the elbowes I need not againe confute it It cannot fit with the wordes of this holy Martyr for as it were ridiculous to say The wisdome of this world may be attained unto by reading the doctrin of the Philosophers then to interpret this Not immediatly by reading their writings but mediatly by going to the living Philosophers So it is as absurd to say Our piety towards God may be learned out of the holy Scripture then to interpret this not immediatly out of the Scriptures themselves but mediatly by going to the Church Yea it is more absurd because the writings of the Philosophers are not so wel able to make a man wise for the world as the Scriptures are to make a man wise unto salvatioÌ„ The scriptures teach us to â—â—ld such traditioÌ„s as the Apostles gave but they taught the same doctrines both by Scripture and by word of mouth This maketh nothing for Popish Traditions such the Apostles never gave by writing or by word of mouth They teach us to hearken unto the Church when the doctrine of the Church is consonant with the doctrine of the Scriptures and not to hearken unto the Church when it teaâ—heth otherwise Å¿ Ien â—3 16. Thus saith the Lord of hostes Hearken not unto the words of the Prophets that prophesiâ— unto you and teach you vanity they speak the vision of their owne heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord. Athanasius in his â—ratian against the Gentiles The holy â— Answer Scriptures given by inspiration of God are of themselves sufficient for the discovery of Truth 5. This is an evident testimony directly opposite to the position of our Adversaries which they have learned from condemned Heretickes t Iren. l. 3. c. 2. That truth canâ—ot be found out of the Scriptures by them that are ignorant of Traditions And yet the Iesuite painteth this likewise with false colours answering First the Scriptures discover this truth That wee must Reply p. 139. â—old fast unwritten Traditions We have oft discovered this to be an untruth and for the better discovery of it wee will observe one thing more from the force of the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Athanasius useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not a mediate sufficiency as if the Scriptures were sufficient for the discovery of truth because they send us to the Church nor such a sufficiencie as needeth any other helpe as if the Scriptures were sufficient for the discovery of truth by having the helpe of unwritten Traditions joyned with them but as Lambine in his notes upon Aristotles Ethickes observeth u Plurâ—bus verâ—â—is haec vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cui nulla respondet Latina est de claranda Est autem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is qui â—â—s bonis contentur satisque copiosè instructus est quique nullas externas opes desiderat Lamb. in Arislot Ethic. â—â— c. 7. This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be expressed by more words for there is no one Latin word that can fully declare it He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is conâ—ent with his owne store and is furnished with enough and with abundant and desiteth no other helpâ— It is such a selfâ—-sufficienciâ— as is in the heavenly Kingdome of which Theophylact saith x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl in Ioh. 18. It is sufficient and needeth nothing Such then is the fulnesse and the selfe-sufficiencie of the holy Scripture that it hath store in it selfe it is fully furnished yea so abundantly that it needeth not the helpe of unwritten Traditions to discover any truth Athanasius here speaketh not of all Truth but of Two speciall Reply p. 130. points of faith onely to wit That Idols are not Gods and that Christ is the onely true God concerning which two articles he wrote thâ—se two bookes to Maearius And for the discovery of those two points the holy Father saith that the Scriptures are sufficient As in these two bookes to Macariâ—s he wrote of these two points and also of many other points for in the first he wrote of the deity of the Father of the immortality of the soule c. And in the second of Christs manhood his incarnation death resurrection c. So here he speaketh not onely of those two points but of all truth in generall that The Scriptures are sufficient for the discovery of truth And therefore in his Tractate of Christs incarâ—ation he taxeth them of great iâ—â—destiâ— which speakâ— the â—hings which are noâ— written Athanasius in that plaâ—e maketh mention not onely of the Reply p. 13â— holy Scriptures but also of the bookes of holy Fathers and to both doth he attribute this sufficiency forasmuch as a man by reading of those bookes may discover the true sense and meaning of the Scripture This is not the true sense and meaning of this Father In the words following though hee maketh mention of the bookes of the Fathers yet he never inteÌ„ded to impart any part of this sufficiency unto them or to make them equall with Scripture as you doe with Traditions but he declareth that they are good coÌ„menâ—aries or helpes for the understanding of the holy Scriptures His words are these There are also many bookes of the holy Fathers in which if a â—an imploy himselfe he may in some sort aâ—taine unto the interpretution of the Scripture It is one thing to say that by reading of the bookes of the Fathers a man may in some sort attain unto the interpretation of Scripture
not in Scripture how can we use them In which words he doth not condemne unwritten Traditions but disalloweth onely jests and light talke in Ecclesiasticall persons whose speech ought to be grave 6. If their light talke be condemned how then can rayling accusations and slanderous speeches against him that wrote so gravely against you beseeme a man of your coate The condemning of merry jests I confesse doth not condemne unwritten Traditions but the medium or argument which S. Ambrose useth against merry jests is as powerfull against unwritten Traditions Thus his argument is framed Whatsoever wee finde not in Scripture we are not to use but I may assume unwritten Traditions are no more found in Scripture then merry jests And therefore we must not use them Thus this learned Doctor condemneth not onely merry jests but also whatsoever is not written in the Scriptures And if in the things of least moment as in the forme of words he wold not have Ecclesiasticall persons goe beyond the limites of the Scripture how much more is it unlawful for them to passe the same bounds in the things of greatest moment as in points of faith and doctrines of salvation Vnto the other sentence of S. Ambrose he returneth his Answer in these words We reade that unwritten Traditions ought to be received Reply p. 141. we reade that they ought not to be rejected they that say they ought to be rejected let them shew it by reading This counterfeit answer is a silly shift It is not the voyce of Iacob but of Esau He still flyeth from the Fathers unto Scripture at which weapon he hath already received the foyle for defence of unwritten Traditions This discovereth that this great pillar of Popery hath no foundation to uphold it in the Scriptures or Fathers It is well * Hilar. l. 3. de Trinit saith S. Hilary that thou aâ—t content with those Answer things which are written And in another place * Idem l. 2. ad Constan Aug Reply pag. 141 he commendeth Constantius the Emperour for desiring the faith to bee ordered onely according to thâ—se things which are written We have often told you that our Traditions in particular are authorised by holy Scripture in as much as it doth send us unto the Church to learne them of her 7. A Iesuites affirmation is no confirmation I confesse you have oft tolde us so and we see that it is your only answere in all your distresses but if you did sweare it as oft as you tell it wee would not beleeve you because your Traditions are not the Traditions of which the Scripture speaketh neither is your Church the Church unto which the Scripture sendeth us There is onely a nominall agreement but a reall difference as betweene Simon Peter and Simon Magus Iudas the Apostle and Iudas the Traytor S. Basil * Basil ho. 29 advers calumn S. Trinit Beleeve those things which are written the Answer things which are not written seeke not S. Basil disputed against the Arian Heresie which denyed the Godhead of Christ Iesus concerning this saith he Beleâ—ve Reply pag. 141 those things which are written the things which are not written seeke not That is seeke not in what manner the Sonne was begotten of his Father Doest thou beleeve that he was begotten Seeke not how Where we see that he speaketh only of such things as concerne the manner how the Sonne was begotten of the eternall Father How can you apply this against Tradition Doe you not observe that this maketh more for Traditions then against them seeing that S. Basil â—ere confesseth of a point of faith to wit that the Sonne iâ— câ—â—ternall with the Father that it cannot be found written 8. Be it so that S. Basil writing of the manner how the Sonne was begotten of the Father saith concerning it The things which are not written seeke not Yet we may well apply this against unwritten Traditions He that beleeveth unwritten doctrines will never say seeke not those things which are not written But if any man were too curious in searching after secret things he would add this seeke not those things which are not written nor taught by unwritten Traditions Neither would any man rest satisfied with this answer if he did beleeve unwritten Traditions but hee might reply why should I not seeke after this though it be not written May not this aswell as many other mysteries be taught by unwritten Tradition The Iesuite forgetteth what he said before * Pag. 1â—9 That the Scriptures are sufficient to prove the Godhead of Christ And that S. Basil * Pag 141. alleadged this text to prove the same In the beginning was the word Yea not remembring his own exposition That S. Basil speaking of the manner how the Sonne was begotten saith seeke not that which is not written he now crosseth all this and telleth us This maketh for unwritten Traditions seeing that S. Basil here confesseth of a point of faith that the son is coeternall with the Father that it cannot be found written We know the maner is not written how the Son was begotten of the Father we are not able to comprehend that unspeakeable generation neither is the manner of it a point of faith But that the Son was begotten of the Father and that he is coeternall with the Father this is a point of faith and written in the Scriptures a Basil de fide The Scripture doth containe all the knowledg of that infinite Dâ—ity so far as such divine Mysteries may be comprehended by an humane nature in this life saith S. Basil * Basil de fide It is a manifest falling from the faith and an argument Answer of arrogancy either to reject any point of those things which are written or to bring in any of those things that are not written The Iesuite doubteth of that booke which wee can prove to be S. Basils but seeing upon better consideration he accepteth of the booke we will spare that labour and heare what he answereth to the matter S. Baâ—ill and the rest of the Fathers did hold that whatsoever was Reply pag. 142. delivered by Apostolicall Tradition unwritten was not absolutely and altogether out of the holy Scriptures no more then what the Embassadour having letters of credence from the King doth deliver is out of the said letters Royall but is virtually and mediately contâ—ined therein Wee dispute not against Apostolicall Traditions prove yours to be Apostolicall and we will receive them Is it not strange that this distinction of containing things â—â—diately and immediately should be sufficient to answere all the testimonies of the Fathers as that the Scripture containeth all things not immediately but mediately and yet none of the Fathers would ever expound their meaning to be so S. Basill compareth the Scripture unto b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Basil de virtut Psal in Prolo ad Psal An Apothecaries shop wherein
coâ—sen Euan l. 1. c. ult They were commanded to write saith S. Augustine g Iren. l. 3. c. 1. They wrote the Scriptures by the will of God saith Irenaus h Christus voluit scribi Euangelium Tâ—eoph praefat in Mat. Christ would have them to write the Gospell saith Theophylast And is not his will a sufficient command Inspiration i 2. Tim. 3. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 21. whereby they wrote the Scriptures is an internall command Hee sent them to preach his faith and to teach all nations Doth this exclude writing May not a man preach teach by writing The Apostles did k Rom 16 26. preach they did l 2. Thess 2. 15. 2. Tim. 3. 17 teach by their Epistles Clemens Alexandrinus Reply pag. 117 in this spake truly m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Strom. l. 1. Preaching is truly an Angelâ—call Scieâ—câ— in some sort and very profitable both wayes whether it â—â— by the hand or by the tongue Tertullian telleth us how the Apostles preached n Tum vivâ quod aiunt voce tum per Epistolas postea Tertul de praescrip c. 21 Aswell by word of mouth as they say as afterwards by Epistles So that preaching and teaching may be diverse wayes by writing as the Apostles preach by their Epistles by practise as Christ preached in his actions which are all for our instruction and not onely by word of mouth Wee have a commandement to heare his holy word and faith commeth by hearing but none can shew I trow where we are obliged to reade or where any commandement is given to propound the word of God to be read 3. It seemeth the Iesuite is more skilfull in Machiavel then in the Bible for if he had ever read it over and remembred Reply pag. 119 what he read he would never avouch this so confidently when as he may reade o Hab. 2. 2. He that runneth may reade it p Ioh 5. 39. Search the Scriptures q Luc. 10. 26. How readest thou r Rom. 15. 4. Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning Å¿ 2. Cor. â— 13 We write no other things unto you then what you read t Col. 3. 16 Lâ—t the word of God dwâ—ll plentifully in you Upon which place S. Chrysostome observeth this u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chry in Col. c. 3 ho. 9. Harken as many as are and are married have children hâ—w he commaundeth them specially to know the Scriptures Timothy himselfe is commanded to reade and to x 1. Tim. 4. 13. Attend upon reading Neither doth hearing of the word exclude reading of the same seeing it may be heard by reading aswell as by preaching y Revel 1 3. Blessed are they that reade and they that heare z Luc. 16. 29. Moses and the Prophets must be heard They are dead but yet when their writings are read then they are heard Certaine it is that the Primitive Church did abound in Reply pag. 118 faith and godlinesse for many yeares before the writings of the new Testament were perfected even by the meanes of unwritten doctrine 4. This is as certaine as all the rest It was not many yeares before the New Testament was perfected before it was perfected the Church had those Bookes of it which were first penned before any were penned the Church had the Olde Testament which Christ commaunded should be a Ioh. 5. 39. searched And the Bereans were commended for b Act. 17. 11. searching into it The Primitive Church did not continue in faith and godlinesse by the meanes of unwritten doctrine for the doctrine taught by the Apostles was first written in the c Rom. 16. 26. Old Testament and after in the New although it may be said to be unwritten in regard of the manner of delivery of it by the Apostles at the first vivâ voce Howsoever the Primitive Church did yet the Church in succeeding ages stood in need of a written word Children at first are taught many things without bookes yet afterwards they stand in need of bookes for their better learning The Primitive Church might doe well enough without Scripture during the life of the Apostles whose preaching was as infallible as their writing yet the Church in succeeding ages could not doe so well without Scripture because no man living since the Apostles had hath or ever shall have the same gifts power authority to deliver points of faith whose words shall be Gospel as the Apostles had And because writing is the best means to preserve doctrine delivered by word of mouth d Respectâ— nostri commodius utilius per Scripturam corleâ—â—em doctrinam à corruptione oblivione interitu conservari quam absque Scriptuâ—â— Gretzer de sens Bellarâ— l. 4. â— 4. The heavenly doctrine saith Gretzer in respect of us is better preserved from corruption oblivion and decay by writing then without writing S. Chrysostome teacheth us this 1. That the singular gifts which the Apostles had might well serve for these times instead of Scripture 2. That the after-times stood in need of Scripture And then hee concludeth e Extremae esse omninò dementiae post quam co redacti sumus ut Scriptis indigeamus â—e secundo quidem hoc remedio ad salntem nostram uti item magni esse criminis per illud auxilium nolle proficere sed quasi fruâ—â—â—à ac vanè posita scripta despicere chrysost hom 1. in Mat. It is the extremity of madnesse now that wee stand in need of Scripture not to use this excellent helpe for our salvation and that it is the greatest fault that can be not to profite by that helpe but to despise it as written in vaine and to no purpose This fit of frensie hath intoxicated the Iesuites braine hee hath accounted the Scripture needlesse and written in vaine Possevine hath written a whole Chapter f Possev Bibliothec select l. 2 c. 16. De necessitate Scripturarum S. Iude thought it needfull g Iude vers 3 To write to the Saints h Luke 1. 3. It seemed good to S. Luke to write his Gospell to prevent false rumours And S. Paul thought it i Philip. 3. 1. The surest way for the Philippians to write unto them If it were needefull good and the surest way then it is now more needefull to have the written word of the Apostles to prevent your false Traditions fathered upon them And * Iren. l. 2. c. â— Irenaeus doth witnesse that in his dayes many nations lived Christianly without the use of the written word onely by the guide of Apostolicall Traditions Sir I must tell you that if you goe on to alleadge the Fathers as you beginne you will gaine little credite by it In your first testimony you cite a counterfeite In your second you omit the place In your third Reply which is this you mistake the * l. 2. c. 3.
fabulous Novelties then Epiphanius especially in Genealogies into which it is probable he was misledde thorough his over-much love of historicall Traditions He taketh upon him to tell who was * Heracles and Astaroth Melchizedecks Father and Mother and who were the wives of * Sanue Asura Barthenoâ— Cain Seth and Noah These were some of his fabulous Novelties grounded upon Tradition without any authority of Scripture for which he deserveth to be censured We are willing rather to cover then to discover the nakednesse of this Father and therefore favourably interpret his words that The Traditions of the Apostles that is their preaching and The succession of true doctrine both which are the same with the Scriptures are the limites of the Church and the boundes of our faith This is consonant with the doctrine of other Fathers m â—criptura est murns adamantinus circum vallenâ—â—eclefiam Chrysoft l. 4. de Sacerdot The Scripture sayth Chrysostome is an adamantine wall environing the Church The Church saith Hierome n Ecclesia non egressa est de fiâ—â—bus suis id est de Scripturis sanctis Hieroâ— l â— c. â— in Mich. is not gone out of her bounds that is out of the holy Scriptures Irenaeus telleth us first that * Iren l. 3. c. 2. Heretickes cannot possibly be convinced by onely Scripture 5. I tell you that you belye this Father this is all that hee saith When Heretickes are convinced by the Scriptures Reply they beginne to accuse the Scriptures Heresie hath alwayes an obstinacie joyned with it this obstinacie and not the insufficiencie of Scripture made the Heretickes not submit unto it S. Steven convinced the Iewes by the Scriptures and so did S. Paul the Athenians yet malice made the Iewes to o Act. 7. 34. Gnash with their teeth at the one and obstinacie caused the Athenians to p Act. 17. 18. rayle upon the other The Scripture is sufficient to convince the whole rabblement of Iesuites although they doe as those Heretickes did accuse it of insufficiencie when as they are convicted by it If the Scripture be not sufficient to convince Heretickes because they raile upon it by the same reason they cannot be convinced by Tradition for Irenaeus sheweth that they did * Iren ibidem likewise oppose Tradition And that they would neither yeeld to Tradition nor to Scripture Irenaus had a better opinion of Scripture then the Romanists have he spent three Bookes in his arguments taken from Scripture against the Heretickes and not three Chapters in his arguments taken from Tradition Erasmus therefore well observeth it q Solis Scripturarum praesidiis pugâ—âsse Iâ—enâ—um adversus catervam Hâ—reticorum Erasâ—â— in Epist ad Triden Epist Iren. praeâ—â—â—â— That Irenaent fought against the roote of Heretickes onely with the strength of Scripture Afterwards reckoning up the Bishoppes of Rome from S. Peter to Elentherius who sate in his time thereby to shewe that there was in the Church a continuall and orderly succession of Bishoppes by whome divine and Apostolicall Traditions were truely preserved There was doeth not proove that there is Reply Rome was once t Rom. 1. 8. famous for her faith but now her obstinacie and apostasie whereof shee was Å¿ Rom. 11. 21. forewarned is manifest and apparent I graunt that from the dayes of S. Peter untill the time of Eleutherius or Iranaeus the Church of Rome preserved Traditions But not such Traditions as are now observed in that Church that Church then was as ignorant of these late inventions as this now Church is wide from those Traditions In his second Chapter hee hath these golden Reply words they are in his fourth Chapter Seeing that these demonstrations are so great wee must not seeke for that truth amongst others which we may easily finde out in the Church By others he meaneth the Valentinians the Marcionists and those Heretickes against whom he disputeth amongst these we must not seeke for the truth Where then In the Church Must we not therefore seeke it in the Scriptures This is to extract drosse out of Irenaeus his gold Is the Church without Scripture And if we finde truth in the Church can we not therefore finde it in the Scripture * Iren ibidem Seeing that the Apostles have laid up fully in her as in a Reply rich store-house all whatsoever belongeth to the truth The preaching and writings of the Apostles which are the same for substance of doctrine are the endlesse treasure laide up in the Church as in a rich store-house These are * Iren. ibidem The things of the Church which wee must love this is the Tradition of truth which wee must lay hould of Namely of the truth preached by the Apostles delivered unto the Church in the Scripture and preserved in the Church this kinde of Tradition Irenaeus commenmendeth by this kinde of Tradition hee condemned the Heretickes and this kinde of Tradition is not of unwritten but of written doctrines even of such doctrines as were coÌ„tradicted by those Hereticks who erred in points of written doctrines * Iren ibidem What if there were a controversie in some small point it selfe must wee not make recourse unto those most auncient Churches and receive from them what wee holde to be certaine and undoubted Not onely in small but even in the greatest Controversies wee collect the testimonies of antiquity wee enquire what the Primitive Church hath taught even as we doe in this great Controversie of unwritten Traditions and we finde that the Primitive Church taught as we teach and therefore we holde it as certaine and undoubted that unwritten Traditions are to bee rejected But the last wordes of Irenaeus * This is answered Sect. â— D. â— What if the Apostles had not left us the Scriptures â—â—written should wee not then bee obliged to follow the rule of Tradition delivered by them unto those with whom they left the Churches in charge These sayth the Iesuite put us in minde of tâ—at I dare say which never came into Irenaeus his minde That the Apostles delivered some things onely to certaine persons which they would not have layde open unto all by writing This is to corrupt Irenaus to sophisticate his golden wordes and to turne them into drosse there is nothing in Irenaeus sounding like unto this but I see as the foole thinketh so the bell tincketh If the Apostles had not written then there had beene unwritten doctrines and now seeing the Apostles have written must there needes be still unwritten doctrines Irenaeus never knew other doctrine delivered by the rule of Tradition then is contained in the Scriptures So Paul to Timothy * â— Tim. 2. 1. Thou therefore my sonne bee Reply p. 1â—5 strong in the grace that is in Christ Iesus and the things that thou hast heard of mee by many witnesses the same commit thou to faithfull men who shal be able to teach others also Here
Lord God of Israel hath entred by it And so are many of our Adversaries who defend that shee vowed perpetuall virginity by these words p Luc. 1. 34. How shall this be seeing I know not man That Sunday ought to be kept holie Reply 14. This is a doctrine warranted by the Scripture S. Augustine thinketh that it was tipisied q August epist 1 9. ad â—anâ—aâ— â— 13. by the â—ight day appointed for Circumcision and that it was taught by Christs resurrection upon that day We finde in Scripture that it is called r Revel 1. 10. The Lords day and upon this Ribâ—â— observeth that I may oppose one Iesuite to another that which this Iesuite cannot see Å¿ Videmus hic etiam tempore Apostolorum Sabbathi solemnitatem mutatam esse in dieâ— Dominicum Riber in Apoc. c. 1. We see even here that in the times of the Apostles the Sabboth was changed into the Lords day We finde that day ordained by S. Paul for t 1. Cor. 16. 1. holy duties so Chrysostome Ambrose Remigius Primasius and many others expound that place And we find the observance of it u Act. â—0 7. by the Apostles themselves in preaching of the word and administring of the Sacrament upon that day That Easter day be celebrated alwayes upon Sunday Reply pag. 126. 15. It is a decent order in the Church to observe the feast of Easter and there is no day fitter then Sunday for it but we deny the observing of it upon Sunday upon another day or upon any day to be a point of faith It is only a custome or ordinance of the Church and therefore commeth not within the compasse of this Question x Controversia de die Paschatis diu â—eterum Ecclesias exercuit Socrat. l. 5. c. 22. This Question about Easter day saith Socrates troubled the Churches a long while The Churches of Asia unto which S. Iohn wrote pleaded his Tradition for the 14. day other Churches observed Sunday alledging the Tradition of Peter and Paul at the last it was determined in the Councell of Nice that it should be kept upon Sunday not as if it were a point of faith but because it was a decent order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c It is a comely order saith Constantine in his letters written to the Bishops that were absent which the Churches of the West North and South doe observe And Epiphanius saith of the Audians y Epiphan in Anacephal They are of the same faith in all things with the Catholicke Church And yet they kept the Passeover as did the Iewes And truely they that deny this to be sound Doctrine cannot Reply possibly have any sure ground for their Faith For how can they prove that they have any word of God at all but onely by the Tradition and authority of holy Church how will they know which bookes of Scripture be canonicall which not c How shall those Heretickes be disproved who denied the Canticles the foure Gospells c How shall those five Gospels attributed unto Thady Thomas Barnabe Bartholomew and Andrew be disproved c but by the authority of the Church Why then doth he condemne such Traditions 16. Such Traditions we condemne not In the stateing of this Question it doth appeare that we allow modum tradendi the manner of delivery of the volume of Gods written word by the authority or testimony of the Church and all this concerneth the manner of deliverie In this the Iesuite not onely belyeth our Doctrine but also shrinketh from the Question hee should prove that unwritten Traditions are the word of God but he goeth about to prove that by an unwritten Tradition namely by the authority and testimony of the Church a man may know that there is a word of God and which bookes are the word of God and which are not All Questions are not to be disputed of saith z Aristot l. 1. Topic. c. 9. Aristotle Of all things this is most sure and ought to be beleeved that the Scripture is the word of God As he that a Hebâ— 11. 6. Will come to God must first beleeve that God is so he that will come to the knowledge of Gods word must first beleeve that there is a word of God and that the Scripture is this word To doubt of this is to deny a most sure principle and to dispute of this is to take away the very ground of this Question If this Question were given Whether Heaven covereth all things if the opponent should argue thus It doth not cover it selfe therefore it doth not cover all things Wee would judge him a sillie Sophister The trifling Iesuite disputeth after the same manner The Scripture doth not discover all points of faith because it doth not discover it selfe to be the word of God But this point is excepted by the Question it selfe for when the Scripture saith b 1. Cor. 15. 27. That all things are put downe under him it is manifest that he is excepted which did put downe all things under him So when we say that the Scripture declareth all points of faith it is manifest that this is excepted it needeth not declare it selfe to be the Scripture or the word of God As the first good is to beloved for it selfe so the first truth is to be beleeved for it selfe saith c Aquinas in Prolog in sent Aquinas The Scriptures are accounted among those things which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be beleeved for themselves yea they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most worthy of beleife being like Principles in an Art which oportet discentem credere the Learner must beleeve as d Basil in Psal 115. Bafill saith So that in this disputation this must be datum a thing granted and taken pro concesso that the Scripture is the word of God e August Confessâ—l 6. c. 5. Heare them not saith S. Augustine who demaund How doe you know the Scripture to be the word of God for that is a thing to be beleeved Yet we wil be content to answere this foolish demaund and to shew by what meanes we know which bookes are canonicall and which are counterfeit We know the Scriptures to be the word of God by those arguments which we finde in them They neede not testify for themselves but it is to be presupposed as a pracognitum that they are the word of God yet they beare witnesse for themselves The Scripture is a witnesse to it selfe saith f Testis est ipsa Scriptura Bellarm de verb Dei â— 1 c. 2. Bellarmine g Humana dicta argumentis testibus cgeâ—â— Dâ—i auâ—em sermo ipse sibi testis est Salvian de gubernatâ— Dei Humane sayings saith Salvian neede arguments and witnesses but the word of God is a witnesse to it selfe h Scotus in prolog in l. 1. sent q. â— Scotus proveth it by eight arguments taken out of the Scripture it selfe the
not exclude his knowledge of those bookes which were penned afterwards But why should not we say That the old Testament alone containeth all things necessary to Salvation seeing Christ saith of it l Ioh 5. 39. Search the Scriptures in them yet thinke to have eternall life and they are they which testify of meâ— Then consequently the new Testament is needlesse saith the Iesuite This consequence is false and absurd you hold that the Pope hath os sapientiam a mouth to utter and wisedome to declare all things necessary to Salvation Will you therefore inferre that Universities Doctors Fathers and all other helpes are needlesse If this consequence be true then this Reply of the Iesuite is needlesse because it containeth no new thing but that which hath beene oft objected What need so many bookes be printed of the same subject in every kinde of learning if this consequence have any truth in it The old Testament may containe all things necessary to Salvation and yet the new be very needefull 1. For confirmation of the same truth both of the Scriptures and of the doctrine contained in them God would have many witnesses of the same truth all the penmen of Scripture writing as it were with the same pen speaking as it were with the same mouth and all testifying the same things that out of the monthes of so many with esses speaking the same things at sundry times in sundry places in sundry languages the whole Scripture might be proved to be the word of God In this store house many weapons of the same kinde are needfull m Cant. 4. 4. A thousand sheild hang therein 2. For the better manifestation and explanation of those things that are contained in the old In the old the new is vayled in the new the old is revealed In the Old some things are delivered obscurely to exercise the learned â—n the new the same things are delivered plainely to edifie the simple 3. For the augmentation of our wisdom knowledge for though the old be able to make us wise unto salvatioÌ„ yet because the Lord would not have us be dwarfes and children in knowledge to have no more wisedome then will keep life and Soule together but to abound in wisedome and spâ—rituall understanding and to bâ— men in knowleâ—ge â—herefore he thought it needfull to adde the new unto he old that we may attaine unto a more perfect mâ—asure of wisedome There are many things in the new which are not so necâ—ssary to salvation but that without the knowledge of thâ—m a man may live the life of grace as a man may â—ive he life of nature without some of his ouâ—ward parts but there is nothing in it which is needelesse The fulfilling of the prophecies contained in the old serveth for confirmation of our faith the narration of Christ his life and death kindleth love in our hearts â— the good we reade is for our imitation the evill for our forewarning His 4th shift is this It is well knowne that S. Paul there may be understood to Reply pag. 1â—1 have taught Timothy that the old Testament was able to instruct him as full that salvation commâ—th by saith in Christ Iesus and not by the law of Moses c And in all this he meaneth no more then what he writeth to â—he Romans c. 3. v. 21. Now the Iustice of God is made knowne without the law being tâ—stified by the law and the Prophets The Iâ—stice I say of God by the faith of Christ 9. I know very well that this is one thing which Timothy might learne both by the old Testament and by the new but that is a false glosse upon this place that This is all which the Apostle meaneth in this place The Apostle sheweth that the Scripturâ—s are able to make us wise unto Salvation through the faith which is in Christ Iesus And againe That by them the man of God may be perfectly instructed to every good worke Here we see that the Apostle teacheth us two things which are necessary for him that is made wise unto Salvation Faith and good workes and that the Scripture effecteth both these In regard of faith teaching whaâ— is to be beleeved reproving what is misbeleeved in regard of workes correcting what is evill instructing what is good He sheweth likewise that Christ Iesus must be the object of our faith and untill we know all this we are not made wise unto salvation Now if the Iesuite will stand unto his exposition That by all this the Apostle meaneth no more but that the old Testament was able to instruct Timothy at full that salvation commeth by faith in Christ Iesus then these absurdities will ensue from hence 1. That there was no Scripture but onely the old Testament when Paul wrote unto Timothy 2. That the Scriptures were able to worke this wisdome and to give this instruction unto none other but onely unto Timothy 3. That the knowledge of this Article Salvation commeth by faith in Christ Iesus without any distinction of come or to come and without any other Article of faith might make Timothy wise unto Salvation 4. That without good workes he might be wise unto salvation and perfectly instructed to every good worke His 5. shift is this Againe the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Reply pag. 132 vulgar Latine Translation rendreth instruere to instruct our Adversaries to make wise may there be understood iâ—itiatively or in a beginning So he that catechiseth a heathen that is desirous to becomâ— a Christian when hee instructeth him in the very fiâ—st point of Christian faith may be said to instruct him or makâ— him wise unto Salvation not perfectly but initiatively So the Scripture saith that Apollos was instructed and taught thâ— way four Lord. Act. 18 24 and that hee was poweâ—full in the Scriptures and yet he knew no more but the baptisâ—e of Iohâ— v. 25. 10. The verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rightly translated to make wise so Cajetan Arâ—as Montanus Salmeron Erasmus with many more doe render it yea the Iesuite himselfe * pag 129. lin 6. confesseth it but here he limitethit with this distinction of initiatively and perfectly So the n Psal 19 1. Rom 1. 20. Heavens may teach an Heathen initiatively the first point of Christian faith but the Scriptures doe more they teach o Prov. 2. 9. Every good way and p 2. Tim. 3. 18. Every good worke They are both for theory and for practise both for faith and for fact they teach reprove correct and instruct the 1. is for confirmation of the truth the 2. for confutation of errors the 3. for correction of abuses the last for direction in good dutyes and all this they doe not onely initiatively but even absolutely perfectly and sufficiently they make the man of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a perfect man q Non simpliciter dixit ut homo
of God and that the Scripture is that word and that these and those Doctrines are delivered in the Scripture unlesse the Church that is the Pope say it and if he say it it is beleeved because Ipse dixit Is not this an unwritten Tradition by which all points of faith must be proved He that truely holdeth the Doctrine of the Romane Church must not beleeve any point of his faith because he beleeveth the Pope hath decreed it aright in decreeing iâ— according to the Scriptures because it is in them contained but he must beleeve that it is contained in the Scriptures because the Pope saith so Is not this to teach that all points of faith must be proved by unwritten Tradition and none at all by Scripture We confesse that in humane writings this argument ab authoritate negativè is not of sufficient force because non omnia vidit Bernardus Neither in the divine writ is it of force against Rituall Traditions yet it is of sufficient force against him that holdeth any one point of faith to bee unwritten aswell as it is against him that holdeth all points of faith to be unwritten Admit unwritten Traditions and then indeede the argument ab authoritate negativè is of no force because Tradition-mongers may answer All points of faith are not proved by the Scriptures but seeing the Scriptures make use of this kinde of argument as in proving the glory of Christ to excell the glory of the Angels because a Hebâ— 1. 5. It was not said to any of the Angels Thou art my sâ—nne this day begate I thee Seeing the Fathers make use of it as b Iren. l. 1. c. 1. Irenaeus c Origen boâ— 5. in Levit. Origeâ— d Hilar. in psal 132. Hillary e August cont liâ—er Petil. l. 30 c. 6. Augustine f Hierom cont Helvid Hierome and now Tertullian Yea seeing our Adversaries themselves make use of it as g Bellarm l. 1 de Rom. Pont. c. 16. Bellarmine and the * Pag. 177. Iesuit how then can this be true that this kinde of argument is of force onely against them that hold all points of faith are to be proved by unwritten Tradition onely and none at all by Scripture In all these places it is but a particular point which is handled and all of them depend upon this universall proposition That which is not written is not to be beleeved As in this of Tertullian in which the Iesuite choppeth Logicke like one that may talke of Robin Hoâ—ds butts and never shot in his Bow In this I say the Boyes of the Logicke Schoole will not say that the Premisses are particular for then Tertullian had no skill in Logicke to argue thus Some things which are not read are to be rejected This is not read Therefore it is to be rejected Let the Iesuitâ— with all his Logicke if he have any frame Tertullians argument into a Syllogisme true both in moode and figure that we may see for our learning whether the Premisses wil be particular and the Inference universall and not rather contrary the Premisses universall and the Inference particular Thus Tertullian disputeth against Hermogenes Whatsoever is not written is accursed This is not written Therefore it is accursed In like manner we dispute out of Tertullian against unwritten Traditioâ—s by the same generall medium Whatsoever is unwritten is accursed The Traditions which we oppose are unwritten Therefore they are accursed Secondly we confesse when any thing is maintained contrary Reply p. 136. to the expresse text of the Scripture as we see in this error of Hermogenes then the argument ab authoritate negativâ— may rightly be pressed according to this example of Tertullian by you produced Some of your Traditions are of this nature as your worshipping of Images and your halfe-communion the one expressely contrary to the second commandement and the other expressely contrary to this text h Math. 26. 27. Drinke yâ—e all of this And if this answer be sound that the argument ab authoritate negativè is onely to bee prest againâ—t such things as are defended contrary to expresse Scripture why then doe the Fathers formerly named use it against such opinions as were defended not contrary to any expresse text of Scripture Tertullian in his booke De Coronâ— out of which presently you shall heare the Iesuite disputing useth this kinde of argument to prove that a Christian may not we are a crowne or garland on his head as the heathen did because the Scripture commandeth it not And yet this is not contrary to any expresse text of Scripture Why doth Cardinall Bellarmine use this kinde of argument not onely against us in the point of the Popes supremacy i Bellarm. de Roâ— Pont. l. 1. c. 16. Because it was not said to any of the Apostles but onely unto Peter Pasce oves meas But also against the Greeke Lyturgies k Bellarm de â—uâ—â— 21. l. 4. c. 13 Because many things in them are not commanded by the Lord And why doth M. Malone himselfe use it against us * Pag. 117. Where doe we read that Christ gave any commandement to his Disciples to write his Gospell And where are wee commanded to read iâ— Yet neither the writing of it neitheir the reading of it is contrary to any expresse text of Scripture Maintaine what you will as a point of Salvation that is not contrary to the expresse text of the Scripture yet if it be not written either expressely or by firme consequence in the Scripture it is threatned with a wâ—e and it may be condemned with this kinde of argument l Isa l. 1. 12. who required this at your hands not onely direct murder expressely contrary to Scripture but likewise pretended religion in burning children in the valey of Ben-hinnâ—â— is condemned by God himselfe because m Iereâ— 7. 31. It is that which hee commaunded them not Such things crosse the perfection of Scripture and are as bad as those things which crosse the verity of it In the * Seâ— that of appealing answered in the former part last place he opposeth those things which Tercullian wrote when he was not a man of the Church but an Hereticke against this which he wrote against an Hereticke Reply pag. 137 He telleth us that there be many points * Teâ—â—â— de Coronâ— Militis which wee dâ—â— hold without any testimony of Scripture onely by the tittle of Tradition defâ—nded by the patronage of Custome And if thou demaundest authority for these out of Scripture thou shalt get none at all Tradition shal be assigned for the Author use and custome for the conformer and faith for the observer of them by these examples then it shal be confirmed that the use and observation of unwritten Tradition may be defâ—â—ded Vnto this he addeth an observation of his owne Behold now how this place produced by our Answerer out of Tertullian against unwritten Traditions
an other to teach that the bookes of the Fathers are to be compared with the Scripture If the Iesuit would say no more of unwritten Traditions then Athanasius saith of the books of the Fathers then the coÌ„troversy were ended for you see he brings not the commentary into the Text but distinguisheth between the coÌ„mentary the Text you make no difference between the one the other but make the interpretation Pag. 124. as authenticall as the Text even as S. Iohns Gospel He attributeth unto the scriptures the sufficiency to discover al truth to be learned to the Fathers the interpretatioÌ„ of Scripture as an help that the same truth may be more easily learned you attribute to the Scriptures a sufficiency only to teach some truths not all truths which are to be learned teach that those truths must be taught by unwritten Traditions Vnwritten Traditions are not therfore only interpretations of Scripture but even additions to it In the last place he objecteth out of Athanasius in this manner Athanasius disputing against the Arians did most frequently Reply p. 119. beate them downe with the authority of the Church of unwritten Traditions Yea hee thought it * Athanas Epist ad Epicteâ— sufficient for their confutation to tell them without any more adoe that their Doctrine was not agreeable to that of the Catholickâ— Church nor yet was held by the Fathers of former ages I thinke it sufficient for your confutation to tell you Opâ—rtet mendacem esse memorem You told us even now in your second Answer That the Scripture was sufficient for the discovery of two truthes whereof one was this That Christ is truely God Did not the Arianâ— deny this article of faith And yet now you tell us That the Arians could not be everthrowne but onely by the help of unwritten Traditions Sir where was your memory when you wrote this Yet for your more full confutation I tell you that in the same Epistle hee saith The fâ—â—th confirmed in the Nicen Councell at which he was present according to the Scriptures was sufficient to beat downe the Arian Heresie And in an other place hee declareth his minde saying y Athanas in Exhort ad monach Let us thinke that the well ordered Canon is sufficient to attaine the knowledge of God And not onely by the Scriptures but likewise by the authority and Tradition of the Church that is the succession of the truth of this doctrine doth he confute them Now good Sr Wiseakers tell me in your wisdome If this holy Father had onely used the Tradition of the Church and not the authority of the Scriptures to beat downe the Arian Heresie would it follow that he could not beat it down by the Scriptures Doth the use of one meanes exclude the possibility of the other Because now we are beating down unwritten Traditions by the Fathers have we not or can we not therefore beat them down by the Scripture Seeing the Arians held such a wicked and manifestly perverse a doctrinâ— therefore saith this holy Father it is sufficient to tell them c. so we thinke it sufficient for confutation of unwritten Doctrines to tell you This Doctrinâ— is not agreeable to that of the Catholicke Church nor yet was held by the Fathers of former ages so farre are we from condemning the Doctrine of the Catholicke Church that by it we condemne this new Doctrine of unwritten Traditions Againe * Idem de decret Synod Nic. cont â—useb Let the Arians answer me if they can where doe Reply p. â—4â— they fiade in the Scriptures this solemne word by what reason doe they hold God to be unbegotten Behold we have evident demonstrations that this our Doctrine was delivered by Traditions from hand to hand by the Fathers We confesse with Athanasius that the wordes unbegotten or â—oessentiall are noâ— written but yet the Doctrine signifiâ—d by these words as we have * Sect. 4. Divis 1â— formerly shewed is written in other words Is the doctrine unwritten because the word is unwritten And is the Doctrine not taught in Scripture because it was preserved in the Church and delivered by Tradition from hand to hand â— Athanasius shall answere for us z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas Epistol de Senten Dionys con Ariaâ— Although I cannot find that word in the Scriptures yet gathering the Doctrine ouâ— of the Scriptures I knowe that hee that is the Sonne and the Word cannot be of an other substance then the Father Lastly * Idem in Epist ad ubique Orthodox The constitutions of the Church saith hee are no novelties lately brought in but they were delivered by our first Fathers Neither did our Faith now beginne but it descended from our Lord by his Disciples unto us When the Arian persecution was so hote against the Catholickes as that Athanasius was thrust out of his Bishoprick and an Arian by Simonie purchased it then this holy Father wrote this Epistle This made him complaine Reply p. 140. that the Constitutions of the Church were overthrowne and a new faith set up by these Intruders What doth this make for unwritten Traditions If it be because the Church hath Constitutions wee graunt it but these are nihil ad rem no points of faith If it be because our Faith descended from the Lord by his Disciples unto us wee graunt this likewise but what is this Even the forme of wholesome Doctrine contained in the Scriptures as it was taught first by the Disciples of our Lord and after preached vivâ voce by the Church Wee plead for the same Faith which was at onâ—e delivered unto the Saints We acknowledge no faith but that which from Christ by his Disciples is descended unto us And wee deny that the Church in after ages had any power to coyne a new Article of faith With you are the Novelties Traditions of a later invention not so old as from the time of Athanasius nor descended from our Lord by his Disciples You have coyned many new Articles of faith What will you say for your Ecclesiasticall Traditions which you make to be of the same faith authority with the written word By the judgement of Athanasius they cannot be points of faith Because our faith descendeth from the Lord by his Disciples unto us S. Ambrose * S. Ambros offi l 1 c. 23 The things which wee finde not in the Answer Scriptures how can we use them And againe * Idem in virgin instit c. 11. I read that hee is the first I read that he is not the second they who say hee is the second let them shew it by reading S. Ambrose instructing Churchmen how they ought to Reply p. 140. carry themselves in their conversation propoundeth the question whether they may use such pleasant mery jests in their speech as the Philosophers doe commend Whereunto he answereth negatively in these words The things which we find
Origen in that Homily writing upon this Text Aaron and his sâ—nnes shall cover the sanctuary and the sonnes of Kohath shall beare it giveth this Allegory which is too weake a foundatioÌ„ for this great pillar of Popery p Cum pleâ—â—s agit â— iâ—plet quae mandatur non tamen coâ—um quae geruntur intelligit rationem quid aliud nisi operta velata sancta sanctorum super humeros pâ—â—tantur Idâ—m ibid When the common people doe those things which are commanded yet understand not the reason of the doing of them what then doe they but carry the sanctuary covered and hidden He speaketh not of any such high mysteries as are not contained in scripture because of their dignity as appeareth by the speciall instance which he giveth of staÌ„ding in prayer this is no such great mysterie it is but an indifferent thing it is allowed by q â—aâ— 11. 2â— the Scripture and yet we read of S. Paules r Act. â—â— â—6 kneeling in prayer between Easter and Pentecost All that can bee gathered out of Origen is this when the common people doe that which they are commanded and yet understand not the reason of it as for example when they stand in prayer at such a time and understand not the reason of it then they doe as it were carry the sanctâ—â—â—y â—â— the holy things covered and hidden But what is all this to unwritten Traditions which are such great and excellent mysteries that neither the thing it selfe to be done nor the reason of the doing of it must be written We confesse the doctrine taught must be fitted to the capacity of the hearers Aaron and his sonnes may be capable of those things that others are not but that there are profound Mysteries and the most excellent things which are not written neither ought to be written in the Scriptures this is more then the Iesuite with all his wit can fish out of Origen Where is the innocencie of Innocent the first if that first Epistle written ad Decentium be truely his It is said therein that none of the Apostles save Peter onely taught in Italy And yet the Scripture teacheth us that S. Paul Å¿ Act. â—â— â—5 taught at Rome Neither doe we read in that Epistle any thing of high mysteries unfit to be written but rather of temporary rites or rituall constitutions not in use in these dayes in the Roman Church it selfe As of anointing the sicke with oyle t Quo non solùm sacerdotibus sed omnibus Christianis uti licet in suâ— aut suorum necessitate Idem ibid. The which was not onely lawfull for the Priests to doe but also for all Christians when themselves or others were in need S. Basil had neede speake for all the rest for all the rest say no thing to the purpose That booke de spiritu Sancto fathered on S. Basil as we have * Sect. â— Div. 10 formerly shewed is in the case of the Post-nati Neither doth the Author of it treat of unwritten Doctrinall Traditions but onely of unwritten Rituall Traditions To blinde the Reader the Iesuite translateth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by that Author Doctrines not onely contrary to the meaning of the Author who distinguisheth betweene Doctrines and Constitutions and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaneth not Doctrines but Constitutions but also contrary to his owne rendering of it by the word * Pag. 1â—â— if truely â—igured Ordinances or Decrees And now S. Basil supposing him to be the Author being in the heate of disputation for these rites and ordinances spake this which the Iesâ—â—â—â— alleadgeth very hyperbolically of them Those are all the Fathers which he alleadgeth to prove the dignity of many mysteries to be such that they ought not to be opened in the Scriptures which are read to the world Diâ—nysins his Hâ—emrchiâ— Basils booke de spiritu Sancto and the first Epistle of Innocent the first with Clement his Strâ—maâ—â— are not generally received in all things and for Origen he saith no such thing This is a thing contrary to the doctrine of the Scripture and of the Fathers Christ saith thus of his doctrine u Ioh. 18. 20. I spake openly to the world And in secret have I said nothing And if he spake any thing privately unto his Apostles yet hee commaundeth them to x Math. 10. 27. speake it in the light and to preach it on the houses S. Paul likewise testifieth for the Apostles that they did teach y Coloss 1. â—1 every man in all wisedome S. Chrysâ—stome on the words of our Saviour observeth why he commaunded his Disciples to preach in the light and on the houses because he would not have any thing hâ—dden or kept in secret And with him Theophilact agreeth what he said to them alone and in one place that he would have them teach with all freedome and with a loude voyce that all might heare Now if the Apostles did speake those things in publicke and before all which they learned from Christ when they were in private and alone with him why should not the same things be written in the Scriptures which are read to the whole world Silence is opposed to speaking aswell as unto writing and the hearing of such things is more like to bring in the contempt of them then reading because all cannot read but all have eares to heare Concerning S. Pauls preaching and writing Nicephorâ—s observeth this z Ea quoque quae secretioris mysteriâ— magisque abstrusa anteâ— silentio praeâ—erierat posteà per sacra scripta sua aut grandioris â—apientiae verbis accuratè declaravit aut saltem parabolarum more taâ—quâ—m per â—nigmaâ—â— adâ—â—bravit Niâ—â—ph l. 2 â—4â— Those hidden mysteries and things more abstruse which formerly he delivered not by word of mouth after by his holy writings he evidently declared them with the deepest words of wisedome or at least by darke sentences by way of Parahles shadowed them And if the Apostles did deliver any divine mysteries of faith by word of mouth which are not contained in holy writ how then could Cyrill teach this a Cyrill Hieroso illuminat cateches 4. de Spir Sancto We ought not to deliver ne minimum quidem aliquid the least thing that can be touching the divine mysteries of faith without the holy Scriptures Neither did this doctrine prosper in the dayes of Prosper for hee saith b Prosp de vocat Gent If the Scriptures speake not who shall speake And if any be so bold as to speake who shall beleeve him saith c Aug hom 96 in â—oh S. Augustine The time was when we might have found this in Aquinas delivered as the doctrine of the Fathers d Non est intel ligendum quod aliquâ— secreta doctrinae taceantuâ— fidelibus parvulis scorsum docenda majoribus sed omnibus fideli proponuntur quae sunt fidei Aquin in 16. Ioh lect 3 We must not understand that there were
was great reason to take away marriage from Preists but there is greater reason to restore it unto them againe And so we proceede to his next Section the title whereof is this SECT VIII For what cause all Heretickes have beene accustomed to reject Apostolicall Traditions WHen I first read the title of this Section I expected no other stuffe then I finde therein even a deale of bombaste to stuffe it out And as the title is a digression so the whole Section consisteth of three digressions from the Question The 1. is of the affinity of Heresie and Idolatrie The 2. about the Interpretation of Scripture The 3. is touching the Translation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tradition Concerning the 1. he beginneth thus The Reader must observe that Heresie is a kinde of Idolatry Reply pag. 15â— for as S. Cyprian observeth * Câ—prian de unit Eccles the enemy of mankinde perceiving how by the comming of Christ and by the preaching of his faith men were drawen from Idolatrie unto the true service of God he be thought himselfe how by a new illusion he might entrap poore soules under the very title and profession of Christianity Heereupon saith S. Cyprian he invented new Heresies and Schismes We confesse all this and are able to prove that with you are these things Idolatrie Heresie onely the title of Christianity or a shew of Godlinesse There was never greater Idolatry among the Heathens then is at this day defended in the Church of Rome for which cause namely for her Idolatry S. Iohn compareth her unto a Revel 11â— Egypt This is descended unto her from the ancient Heathens as this Heresie of unwritten Doctrines to perfect the rule of faith is descended unto her from the ancient Heretickes As for the title of Christianitie and the outward forme of Godlinesse this is all you have to bâ—agge of ye are wolves in sheepes skins ye have the hornes of the Lambe but the voyce of the Dragon as S. Iohn b Revel 13. 11 describeth you Ye speake lyes in hypocrisie as if they were truth And the mysterie of iniquity that is the covâ—rt of pietie is the onely meanes whereby ye entrap poore soules To free themselves from Idolatry he giveth a strange description of it Idolatry placeing a senselesse creature in Gods stâ—â—d doth Reply pag. â—59 give religious worship thereunto A senselesse description and yet as senselesse as it is such Idolatry you are guilty of in worshipping of Idols of silver and gold and of brasse c. If a man worship the Devill is it not Idolatrie Yet he is no senselesse creature Your Demi god the Pope is an hereticall Idoll to whom that may well be applyed which you lay to our charge For he is set up on the altar of your soules and adored as God He is so far besotted with a selfe-liking of his owne opinion that he treadeth under-fooâ— all other authority both divine humane as the power of Scripture of Fathers and of Councels which are nothing without him and he farre above them And yet because he hath some apprehension of the authoritie of holy Scripture â—nd finding it plyable to his humor he admitteth no other Interpreter thereof but himselfe Hence it commeth that these places must needes be understood of him c Concil Later Sess 9. All Kings shall worship him Psal 72. 11. All power is given unto him in heaven and in earth Math. 28. 18. This is the hereticall Idoll whose essentiall parts are Heresie and Idolatry 2. His second digression is about the Interpretation of Scripture and therein hee pusâ—eth himselfe to shew by what meanes it must be interpreted and by what meanes it must not be interpreted It must be Apostolicall Tradition which the ancient Fathers alwayes have taught to bee the certaine â—ule whereby Reply pag. 159 we must finde out the assured sense and mâ—aning of the holy Ghost speaking unto us in the Scripture * Vincent Liâ—in c. 1. Inquiring often saith Vincentius Liâ—inensis with great care of very many holy and learned mâ—n in what sort I might by a certaine and as it were by a generall and regular way discover the truth of the Catholicke faith from the falshood of hereticall perversitie I received still this answere from them all that if I would finde out the deceit of uprising Heresies c. I must fortifie my beleâ—â—e with two things first by the authority of Holy Scripture next by the Tradition of the Catholicke Church But seeing the Canon of Scripture is perfect and sufficient to it selfe for all things what need is there of the authoritie of the Ecclesiasticall interpretation to be joyned with it Because the Scripture is so profound that all men doe not take it in one and the same sense c. If you will stand to the judgment of Vincentius the controversie is thus determined by him 1. That the Canon of Scripture is perfect and sufficient to it selfe for all things Hee beleeved a selfe-sufficiency or an immediate sufficiencie so that there needed no unwritten Traditions 2. The Tradition which he alloweth is that kind of Tradition which we allow the Ecclesiasticall interpretation Not the interpretation of Hereticks of the Pope of the Roman Church but that of the Catholicke Church 3. The end of this kinde of Tradition is that Heresies might be discovered and confuted not to be a rule of faith nor to supply the defects of Scripture as if it were an imperfect rule 4. He doth not account it a good meanes to discover all Heresies but onely uprising Heresies as the Iesuite translateth it that is of new Heresies or Heresies lately sprung up d Ceterùm dilatatae inveteratae hâ—reses nequâ—quam hâc vià adgrediendâ— sunt â—â— quod prolixo temporum tractu â—onga his furandâ— veritatis patuerit occasio Idem de Haer c 39. For far-spread and inveterate Heresies are not to be dealt with all this way saith Vinceâ—tius because by long continuance of time a long occasion hath lyen open unto them unto the Hereticks to steale away the truth Majorum volumina vitiando by corrupting the bookes of the ancient Such heresies he would have coÌ„futed sola Scripturarum authoritate only by the authority of Scripture This â—eresie of unwritten Traditions is not now newly budded our Adversaries have received it from the ancient Heretickes and whatsoever the Heretickes did wee are sure our Adversaries have not beene backeward from corrupting the writings of the ancient they have fitted the monuments of antiquity to their opinion as the Tyrant used to fit his guests to his bed wresting them cutting them off and adding to them c Adscripta sunt Patribus quae ipsis nunquà m ne per quietem quidèm in mentem venerant Ludov. Viâ—es de caus corrupt art many things which the Fathers never dreamed of Yet we except not against this kinde of Tradition we have tryed examined unwritten Traditions by this