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
which I will breifly repeat By the Majesty of the Speaker by the titles of the Bookes by the power of the doctrine in the conscience by the simplicity and purity of the stile by the truth of the predictions by the agreement in all things though written by sundry persons in sundry places and at sundry times by the perfection of it and by the testimony which our Saviour giveth unto the i Luc. 24. 27. old Testament k 2. Pet. â— 16. S. Peter to the Epistles of S. Paul and S. Paul to the whole l 2. Tim. 3. 17. Scripture By all these it is more then probable and credible that the Scripture is the word of God These are sufficient arguments to beget an acquired faith in any man if the m 2. Cor. 4. 4. God of this world hath not blinded his eyes so that he cannot n Psal 119. 1â— see the wonderfull things contained in the Law The naturall man is blinde and o 1. Cor. 2. 14. perceiveth not the things of God by his active understanding neither can he conceive them by his passive understanding although they be most evidently revealed and therefore God worketh in his owne an infused faith and openeth their eyes that they may see and beleeve this truth There is p In Scripturis est Sol justitiae August in Psal 80. in the Scriptures the Sunne of righteousnesse as S. Augustine saith a blinde man cannot see this Sunne no more then a blinde man can see the Sunne in the Heavens as therefore the eye of the body must be light that it may see the Sunne so must the eye of the soule be spiritually illuminated that it may see this Sunne of righteousnesse This is wrought outwardly by the word which q Psal 19. 8. giveth light unto the eyes and inwardly by the spirit which r 1. Cor. 2. 11. onely knoweth the things of God and worketh this by Å¿ Origen de Principijs l. 4. c. 1. working upon the spirit and the understanding as Ovigen sayth And when the heart is purified that a man doth the will of GOD then he shall t Ioh. 7. 17. knowe whether the doctrine bee of GOD or no. And as a friend knoweth the voyce of his friend so the spouse of CHRIST and the sheepe of CHRIST know his u Cant. â— â— Ioh. 10. 4. voyce These are the meanes by which wee know the Scriptures to be the Word of GOD by which we know what bookes are canonicall and which are counterfeit And for the manifestation of this truth we doe likewise allow the testimony of the Church these cautions remembred 1. The testimony of the Church is one but not the onely meanes He that knoweth the Sunne to bee the Sunne onely because he is told so and hee that knoweth his horse to be his horse onely because the hostler telleth him so is as wise a man as he that knoweth not the Scripture to be the Scripture but onely because holy Church telleth him so I will demaund one thing of this Iesuite if a man deny the Scripture will he not convince him by the authority of the Church which testifieth for the Scripture And if he deny the testimony of the Church will he not convince him by the authority of the Scripture which testifieth for the Church Thus is he forced to daunce in a circle and in the end to bring all conclusions to be proved by the Scripture We rather hold that the Scripture is the onely meanes to know the Church by then that the Church is the onely meanes whereby to know the Scripture So saith the Authour of the imperfect Worke upon Matthew x Anteâ— multis modis â—stendebaâ—ur quae esset ecâ—lesia Christ quae gentilitas nunâ— autem nullo modo cognos cituâ— volentibus cogâ—oscere quae sit ecclesia Christâ— nisi tantummodò per Scripturas Hom. 49. In former times there were many wayes whereby to know which was the Church of Christ and which was Gentilisme but now if a man would know which is the Church of Christ the Scripture is the onely meanes whereby to know it And S. Augustine sheweth us where we must seeke for the Church y In prâ—scripto legis in Pro phetarum praedictis in Psal morum â—antibuâ— in ipsius pastoris vocibus in Evargelistarum praedicationibus laboribus hoc est in omnibus canonicis sanctorum librorum authoritaâ—ibus Aug. de unitat Eccles c. 16 In the prescript of the Law in the predictions of the Prophets in the Psalmes in the words of the Pastour himselfe in the Sermons and labours of the Apostles that is in the canonicall authority of the holy Bible 2. The authority of the Church is a meanes to declare which is the canonicall Scripture but not to make the Scripture canonicall as he that declareth Ignatius to be canonized for a Saint doth not thereby canonize him it is a good argument not à priori but à posteriori as when the Gold-smith declareth the Gold to be good But the Romanists speake most disgracefully of the Scripture z Scripturas valere quantum fabulae Aesopi si destituantur authoritate Ecclesiae Heâ—man apud Breut in Prolegom That the Scriptures are no better then Aesopes fables if they want the authority of the Church And without the authority of the Church a Se non plus fidei adhibiturum quam Tito Livio Gul. Bailius Catech. contr tract 1. q 12 They will beleeve them no more then Titus Livie Thus I have made good my promise and have runne the wilde goose chase after this Gagler in these three Sections who at last seeing his fault that all this while he hath answered nothing that hath beene objected confesseth That it is time for him to examine the Scripture which is produced against unwritten Traditions In reexamining of what he hath examined it shal be made manifest that SECT V. The Iesuite useth most silly shifts in answering the Scripture which is produced against unwritten Traditions THe three observations gathered by the Iesuite in the beginning of this Section are already answered and therefore I neede not actum agere yet I wil be content to give them a touching answer First the Traditions which we maintaine Reply p. 127. cannot be said to be precepts or commaundements of men but of God himselfe forasmuch as they proceede immediatly from Christ and his Apostles 1. Are your Ecclesiasticall Traditions immediately from Christ and his Apostles Your solemne baptizing of Bells Your Friday faste and the like can you proove thier originall to be immediatly from Christ and his Apostles Secondly that the like our Traditions are not any Reply pag. 128. way contrary or repugnant to the truth of holy Scripture 2. There is neither sense nor truth in this observation The likâ— our Traditions are not is none sense not contrary to the truth of holy Scripture is contrary to the truth That it is a
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
A REIOYNDER VNTO WILLIAM MALONE'S REPLY TO THE FIRST ARTICLE Wherein The Founders of unwritten Traditions are confounded out of the sure foundation of Scripture and the true Tradition of the Church By ROGER PUTTOCKE Minister of Gods word at Novan ACT. 24. 14. After the way which they call heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things which were written Theop. Alexand. in 2. Paschal Diabolici spiritus est extra Scripturarum sacrarum authoritatum divinum aliquid putare Printed at Dublin by the Company of Stationers Anno Domini 1632. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THOMAS LORD VICE-COVNT VVENTVVORTH LORD DEPVTIE GENERALL of the Kingdome of IRELAND LORD PRESIDENT of his MAIESTIES Councell established in the North parts of England and one of the Lords of his MAIESTIES most Honourable Privie Councell RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE Pope affecting a terrestriall Monarchy to be exalted above all that is called God aspiring to a celestiall Hierarchy as God to sit in the Temple of God had never effected the former * 2. Thes 2. â— if the Pope had not eaten up the Emperour might for ever have despaired of the latter if that Church had not overtopt the Scriptures a Omnium Bibliothecas unus mihi videtur 12. Tabularum libellus authoritatis pondere utilitatis ubertate superaâ—â— Tul de Orat. l. 1. I am of opinion saith the Oratour that the little booke of the twelve Tables farre surpasseth all Libraries whatsoever both for authoritie and for perfection If the two Testaments had as they ought to have beene thus accounted of that Church had never b Is 14. 14. ascended aboue the heights of the clouds to be like the most High in her authority and if that Church had not mounted up so high aboue her owne Spheare unwritten Traditions had never gained the credite to be compared for authoritie with the written word and if unwritten Traditions the pillar of Poperie had not beene set up Popery had long ere this fallen to the ground The Persian Magi found out a law that The Kings of Persia might doe what they list by this generall law they concluded c Herodotâ— in Thaâ—â—a That the Persian Monarch might marry his Sister Soule-cheating Iesuites have likewise found an unwritten law that whatsoever the Church doth it must not be questioned and by this generall law they conclude that a man may eate his God and kill his King by this they prohibite the Scriptures and the Cup in the Sacrament by this they condemne marriage in some in a word by this unwritten law they make new lawes which shall bring a man to greater perfection then the Scripture can This is that Trojane horse out of whose bellie there arise these and many more cursed doctrines This is that sandy foundation of the towre of Babell This little which I bring into the Lords store-house may serve as a mattocke to digge up this foundation or as an engine to batter downe this towre And though it bee but little yet a little mite may well bee cast into the Lordes treasurie Among the Heathens as Plinie writeth hee that had not frankincense to offer might offer milke and hee that wanted milke might offer salt And in holy Writ d Levit. 1â— â— hee that had not a Lambe might offer turtles and hee that had not turtles might offer two yong pigeons Whatsoever it is it is the first fruites in this kinde of my labours and the Prodromus of this Kingdome which commeth to Your Honour for protection as the sparrow sledde for shelter to e Aelian l. 13. c 31. Zeâ—ocrates bosome It commeth not as an informer for Your Lâ—â— is f Act. 26. 3. expert in all customes and questions which are among us Nor as a confirmer for no Bariesus or Iesuite of them all is able to turne away Sergius Paulus a prudent g Act. 13. 8. Deputie from the faith But as an humble suppliant 1. Craving pardon of this bold presumption And yet in this I was directed by a * Pindarus famous Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beginne with a glorious Preface If then for the beautifying of the frontispice of this Worke I have beene too bold to praefixe the name of so great a Vice-Roy blame not mee but my director Neither in this have I beene so bolde as this blinde Bayard or proud Iesuite who durst presume to dedicate his Reply unto his sacred Majesty in which hee assigneth no other lott to any * pag. 490. Protestant whatsoever but the very pit of hell 2. Some respect and acceptance of the Worke. As for the Workeman if any glimpse of Your favourable aspect and countenance shall at any time shine upon him it is more then hee can deserve The acceptation of the Worke is the full satisfaction of the Workeman or in the wordes of Seneca h Seneca de benefic l. 2. c. 12. Si gratè hoc non beneficium sed officium meum accipias ejus pensionem solvisti This acceptation and approbation of it may proove profitable unto others howsoever it bee unto mee who by Your example though the subject deserve it not may be drawne to doe the same And yet the subject of this little is great and deserveth no little respect and regard If it were a needelesse i Act. 18. 15. question of wordes or of names Gallio the Deputy would not regard it but it is the greatest Question the ground of all Questions the foundation of Poperie not one braunch but the roote of the Romane superstition the Master-veyne which feedeth all the rest the Goliah of Gath with whom if wee k 1. Sam. 17. â— bee able to fight and to kill him they confesse they will bee our servants for ever And in this beholde a sandie foundation a rotten roote a veyne bleeding and a Goliah vanquished All these are nothing to those two Allectives Your personall indowment and Your Honourable imployment which like two attractive Load stones have drawne it to Your Honourable protection God hath honoured you with grace this grace being wrought in you by the holy Scriptures the word of grace he may haue hope of your gracious acceptance that laboureth to vindicate the Scriptures from that disgrace which gracelesse Tradition mongers bring upon them His Maiestie hath graced you with honor to be under him and over us the defender of the faith That faith which you are to defend by the sword that faith I defend by my pen namely the faith which was once delivered to the Saints and is contained in the holy Scriptures Stapleton would have had the Duke of Parma l D. Staplet Epist dedicâ—t before his worke of lustification to cut all knots with Alexanders sword rather then to appease contention with the harpe of Apollo S. Augustine would have both the sword and the harpe joyned together giveth his reason m August Epist 8. Siterrerentur non docerentur
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
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.
of the Lord that which I delivered unto you And againe * The rest will I set in order when I come 11. What a Sr Iohn is this to commit such an Argument unto paper and inke There must bee unwritten Traditions because S. Iohn would not commit all to paper and inke Who ever held that all written doctrines were contained in the 2d. Epistle of S. Iohn I hope there were more Apostles then S. Iohn and Apostles that wrote more then S. Iohn It were a ridiculous thing in mee if I should argue thus No Iesuite ever had any will to handle the Question of Freewill because this Iesuite had no will unto it What then may wee thinke of this William Summers for his wise argument concerning S. Iohn S. Paul handleth two things in that Chapter Prayer and the Eucharist And unto those some things are accidentall as time place gesture vesture as to pray with faces covered or uncovered and some things are essentiall as the matter and forme of those duties The first of these belong not to this Controversie and therefore the Iesuite shrinketh from the Question in alledgeing these Fathers * Epiph. haeres 61. Epiphanius * Basil de Sp. Sanct. l. 1. c. 29. Basill * Chrysost in cor 11. Chrysostome and * Theoph. in 1 Cor. 11. Theophilact who treate not of doctrinall and essentiall things but of things rituall and accidentall Epiphanius first writeth of those things which the Church holdeth as points of faith concerning these we have spoken saith he Then he proceedeth on to reckon up sundry ecclesiasticall rites or Institutions as Monks Exorcists fasting dayes holy dayes and the like concerning which hee saith a Epiph. ibid. All these cannot be taken out of the Scripture Basils drift in that Booke if hee bee the Author of it is to defend a forme of words or of Syllables used by the Church as whether it were better to say Glory be to the Father and to the Sonne with the Holy Ghost or Glory be to the Father and to the Sonne in the Holy Ghost His whole disputation is about the Syllable cum and that this forme of words may be admitted he proveth because many other things as formes of words and rituall Traditions are admitted although they be not written Theophylact saith It is manifest that the Apostles have not delivered all things in writing And Chrysostome saith They delivered many things without writing But withall he sheweth what those things were b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost ibidem Of other things of no great moment Salmeron calleth them minutiora diminitive things these are his words c Non enim dignum erat ut minutiora haec quae cultum divinum exornant quae temporâ—â— progressu erant vel augenda vel minuenda vel mutanda iâ— melius in Sacris literis ponerentur Salmeron disput 3. in 2. Thes â— It was not meete that these diminitive things which are ornaments for divine worship and in time were either to be increased or diminished or altered to the better should be layde downe in writing The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle d Verse 34. useth importeth the same being commonly used as here so in other * 1. Cor. 16. â—â— 1. Tit. 5. places when Ecclesiasticall orders are spoken of and not in relation unto divine doctrines The essentiall things which appertaine unto these two divine dutâ—es they may be written Although this be S. Pauls first Epistle to the Corinthians either by other Pen-men of Scripture as diverse Sermons of the Apostles are penned by S. Luke or by himselfe in other of his Epistles or else in the same in which hee writeth that which he * Verse 23. delivered even all the essentiall things belonging unto the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord. Reply pag. 1â—â— Eusebius relateth of Egesippus that * Euseb l 4. c. â— he wrote five bookes of such unwritten Traditions as the Apostles lest unto the Church 12. These are the words of Eusebius f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Euseb ibidem In five bâ—okes he wrote an infallible deliverie of the Apostles preaching The bookes are not extant to see what they containe but they seeme to be a divine history rather historicall then dogmatical by Eusebius his citing theÌ„ alwayes in point of g Euseb l. 2. c. 22 l. 3. c. 12 history and by this testimony which S. Hierome giveth of them Hegesippus who lived neare to the Apostles times knitting together all the stories of the Acts of the Church Hegesippus vicinus Apostolorum tempo rum omnes à passione Domini usque ad suam aetatem Ecclesiasticorum actuum texens historias multaque ad utilitatem legentium pertinentia hinc inde congregam quinque libros composuit Hieron in Catalog from the passion of our Lord untill his owne dayes and gathering together in one many things profitable to be read he composed five bookes of them Eusebius saith not that they contained unwritten Traditions there is neither the word Traditions nor unwritten in his words but an Infallible Tradition or deliverie of the Apostles preaching And if an infallible deliverie of the Apostles preaching must needes be of unwritten Traditions then the Acts of the Apostles penned by S. Luke is of unwritten Traditions because it is an infallible delivery of the Apostles preaching A strong lye it is that unwritten Traditions are strongly confirmed by Eusebius either in that or in the next testimony alledged by the Iesuite S. Ignatius was accustomed * Euseb l. 3 c. 30 to exhort all men to adhere unto apostolical Traditions the which Reply pag. 120 saith Eusebius this Father affirmed that formore assurance he had left them in wâ—iting This testimony is most grossely corrupted by the Iesuit Eusebius relateth it in these words Ignatius exhorted to hold fast i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb ibidem The Tradition of the Apostles which for more assurance he thought fit to bee practised or expressed in practise even as hee testified by writing Heere is no mention of Traditions but onely of the Tradition of the Apostles and the doctrine delivered in Scripture is their Tradition Heere is not a word of writing unwritten Traditions as if Ignatius had written a booke of them which is a dreame of this Ignatian brat but that Ignatius testified by writing that hee thought it necessary that the Tradition of the Apostles that is their doctrine should be expressed in practise So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken for expressing by action not by writing As Ignatius did so doe we exhort men by word of mouth to hold fast the Tradition or the doctrine of the Apostles and likewise by writing testifie the same unto them that for more assurance they expresse the same in life and conversation Thus have we runne one course of the wilde-goose chase following this Gaggler thorough the
maketh no more against the same then it doth against Tertullian himselfe His observation is true for Tertulliaâ—s first writings being sound make against his latter workes which were corrupt This booke de Corona was written by him after he became an Hereticks and if that be true which Hil aâ—y telleth of him and of his writings n Consequens error hujus hominis detraxit Scriptis probabilibus authoritatem Hilas in Math can 5. The last â—â—or of this man tooke away the authority of his fâ—rmer probable writings How little credit is then to be given unto this booke which he wrote in the depth of heresie Heâ— wrote it against the Christians who held that it was better for a Christian to weare a Crowne or gaâ—land of flowers upon his head as the heathen did being commaunded by the Emperour to doe so then in such an indifferent thing to oppose his authority and thereby to incurre his displeasure Teâ—â—ulliun held the contrary and having no ground for his opinion in the Scriptures he fled as our Adversaries doe unto Tradition And this made him â—xtoll unwritten Traditions and to affirme that which here the Iesuite alledgeth Thus he that formerly taxed the Hereticks that they were o Tertul. de â—â—esurâ— Câ—â—nâ— Lucifugâ— Scripturarum may bee taxed for the same He that rejected any thing that could not be road in Scripture now beleeveth many things without any testâ—â—â—ny of Scripture He that said p Niâ—il desideâ—amus ultra credeâ—â— hoâ—â—nim priâ—â— crediâ—â—â— â—â—â—sse ultrà quod crâ—dere debemus Tertul de Praescript c. 8. When we beleeve the Scripture we desire to beleeve no more for this we beleeve first that there is no thing else for us to beleeve Now receiveth unwritten Traditions into his beleife And therefore the Iesuite saith well This of Tertulliâ—â— maketh no â—ore against unwritten Traditions then it doth against Tertullian himselfe His former writings being Orthodoâ—â—ll make against his latter which were hereâ—icâ—ll and so they doe against unwritten Traditions There is one thing more which he observeth out of Tereullians words And here by specifying such unwritten Traditions as are Reply pag. 137. observed by faith he giveth â—nhandsome bobbe unto our Answerer when â—e is not ashamed to declare him for an Advâ—cate of unwritten Rituall Traditions onely That Tertullian defendeth onely unwritten Rituall Traditions is a thing most manifest by the particulars which he nameth as To be thrise dipâ— in Baptisme after to â—stâ— a little â—ilke and honey mixed together then not to â—usâ— the body of the party baptised for a weeke after â—ot iâ— fâ—sâ— upon sundayes and to crosse our selves upon every occasion And if thou demaundest authority of Scripture for these and such like Disciplines thou shâ—lâ— got nâ—nâ— at all Tradition shalbâ— assigned for the Author c saith he Now if these be doctrinall Traditions and points of faith why then doe not you use them why is aspâ—rsion used in stead of immersâ—â—nâ— why is the party baptised wâ— shâ—d eâ—e the weeke be out why doe you fast on sundayes And why doe you crosse your selves so little His jest is spoyl'd and the bobbâ— put upon himselfe he promised to * pag. 135. Confirme it by the testimony of this Fathers that â—e allowed Doctrinall Traditions unwritten And yet he bringeth him in as an Advâ—catâ— of Rituall Traditions onely so that Tertullian in this is not so bad as he would make him And for his flout of standing in Herâ—â—genes shop The place becomâ—eth him better such peddling Merchanâ—â— stand in neede of darke shops to â—ell their naughâ—ie wareâ— to their deceived Customers In the two Testaments saith Origen iâ— Levitâ— Hom. 5. Origen every word that Answer apperâ—ineth to God may be discussed and all knowledge of things out of them may be understood But if any thing doe râ—â—aine which the holy Scripture do â—â— not determiâ—â— â—o other third Scripture ought â—â— bee received foâ—â—â—o authoriâ—e any knowledge but that which remaineth we must commit to the fire that is we must reserâ—e it unto God For in this present world God would not have us to know all things 3. In these words â—rigan taketh â—he shmâ— oath which his foreman tooke But the Iesuitâ— cannot sâ—e the wood for trees â—e cannot see how these particulars are applyed And therefore he telleth us a tale of A Painter so unskillfull in his Art that having pâ—inted the images of severall creaturâ—â— he waâ— aâ—â—ustomed to write under every one what they ware aâ— this is â—â—â—erse this is a dâ—ggâ— c. Sr I need not write under that you are a Cocks c. to tell such a tale of a Cocke and a Bull. Like Painter like Replyer in wishing that thâ—â— example had beene folloâ—ed He that cannot sâ—â— how this maketh against unwritten Traditions is as senselesse as the Painters horse and in controversies Asinus ad Lyram His answer is like to be without understanding when he answereth to that which he understandeth not and in this manner We say with Origen that in the two Testaments every Reply pag. 13â— word that appertaineth to God may be discussed and all knowledge of things out of them may be understood either immediately or mediately that is by the helpe of unwritten Traditions unto which the holy Scripture dâ—th expressely send and direct us It is in vaine to call for the weapons of holy Scripture by them to fight for unwritten Traditions seeing you have already received the worst at them The holy Scripture doth not send us to unwritten Traditions to learne the knowledge of God or of any necessary thing unwritten Seeing â—â— it every word that appertaineth to God may be requâ—â—â—d and discussed That which the Scripture leaveth to the Tradition of the Church is either the delivery of Rituall Traditions unwritten or the explanation of Doctrinall Traditions written in the Scripture And suppose the two Testaments did send us unto Doctrinall Traditions unwritten yet to say They are Scripture and no third Scripture because the Scripture sendeth us unto them Is as true as if I should say The Pismire is Scripture and yet no third Scripture because the Scripture doth q Prov. 6. 6. send us unto the Pismire And to say that all things may be required and discussed in the two testamâ—nts Because they send us foâ— helpe unto unwritten Traditions Is as if I should say The gold that is acquired and refined in the Iâ—dies may bee acquired and refined in Spainâ— because Spaine sendeth for gold unto the Iâ—dies The gold saith r Aurum quod â—ueriâ— extra Templum non est sanctificatum Sic omnis qui suerit extra divinam Scripturam quamvis admirabilis videatur quâ—busdam nonest â—nctus Orig. â—om 25. in Mâ—tth Origen which was not in the Temple was not holy so that that is not in the Scripture let it appeare never so glorious unto some is not holy Vnwritten Traditions are not in Scripture and
p. 164. alledge not onely the same Text which ancient Heretickes alledged but also directly in the same sense When S. Augustine urged Maximinus the Arian with unwritten Traditions hee received this Answer from him * Aug. l. 1. cont Max. These sayings which are not in Scripture may not be received of us seeing our Lord warning us doth say Without cause doe they worship me tâ—â—ching for Doctrines the commandements of menâ—â—â—nd is not this selfe-same text the first which you in like manner produce against unâ—ritten Traditions 6. S. Augustine did not urge Maximinus with unwritten Traditions they disputed of unwritten sayings not of unwritten but of a written doctrine by unwritten sayings he urged him Wherefore we say for our selves it is a directlye for directly in the same sense wee alledge it not We alledge it against unwritten Doctrines not against unwritten sayings as that Arian did and we receive unwritten sayings which are not in Scripture although wee refuse to receive unwritten Doctrines This is a verball argument taken â— verbis ad res How can it be in the sâ—â—â— sensâ— and against the same truth when we receiuâ— both the saying and the Doctrine rejected by that Arian Irenaus and Tertullian doe openly make it knowne that the Valentinians Gnosticks and Mareionits condemned unwritten Reply pag. 156 Traditions Hilarie Epiphanius and Augustine doe testifie the same of the Arians S. Basil of the Eunomians The Donatists pleaded onely for Scripture denying the authority of the Church and of Traditions and yet S. Augustine still pursued them with unwritten Traditions 7. In all this the Iesuite harpeth upon three strings 1. That the Hereticks did plead onely for Scripture 2. That they rejected unwritten Traditions 3. That the Fathers pursued them by unwritten Traditions To the first I answer suppose it were so that the Heretickes did plead onely for Scripture are they therefore Heretickes that doe the same What then shall we say of the Fathers who were as earnest to try all controversies by the Scripture as the Heretickes were This maketh men Hereticks saith S. Augustine i Non quod Scripturas non contemnunt sed quod eas non intelligunt Aug. Epist 222. Not because they fly to the Scriptures but because they understand them not The Fathers did not condemne the Hereticks for appealing unto Scripture but as we haâ—â— shewed out of Irenaeus Tertullian for speaking disgracefully of it that truth could not bee knowne out of Scripture by them that were ignorant of Tradition because all things were not delivered in Scripture Theodoâ—et setteth forth the practice of the Heretickes in this manner Å¿ S. vides ni petitisè Scripturis demonstrationibus stultitiam suam constringinum Scripturae recusant scopum usum Si quando vero putart nudum aliquod effatum à genuinâ recisum Orationis sene ad suum propositum accommodant â—uis confirmandis Theodor in opusc cont vanas haeres Whensoever they saw that their folly was discovered by demonstration taken out of the Scriptures then they denyed the scope and the use of Scripture And if at any time they thought that there was any bare saying which being severed from the 〈◊〉 meaning might servâ— for their turne that they made use of to confirme their opinions Yet whensoever they appealed unto Scripture the Fathers accepted of the challenge and â—ought with them at those weapons l Lapidandoâ— esse Haereticos Scripturarum argumeâ—tis Athan. Orat. coâ—t Arâ—an They accouÌ„ted the Scriptures to be the touchstone of truth Heretickes are tâ—â—e stoned with the arguments of Scripture saith Athanasiâ—â— u Sicut salâ—atâ—r vâ—rbo doctrinae suae silentium imposuit Sadducâ— is sic â—aeient Christi imitatores exâ—mplis Sâ—rit turarum quibus oportet secundum sanam doctrinam omnem voâ—em abmâ—â—es ere hâ—raonis Origen tract 23. in Mat. As our Saviour by the word of his Doctrine put the Sadduces to silence so must we by the examples of Scripture if we will be the fâ—llowers of Christ by the which according unto sound Doctrine wee ought to stop the mouth of every proud Pharaâ—h saith Origen S. Augustine did not reject the appeale of the Donatists unto Scripture as if it were coraâ— non Iudice but commendeth it as the best way as appeareth by his Answer unto x Aug. l. 5. contra Donat. c. 2â— Cyprians appeale in the same point unto the same Iudge and by his severall Answers to the Donatists themselves y Sunt libri dominici quorum authoritatiutrique consentimus ibi quaeâ—anius ecclesiam ibi discutiamâ—s causam nostram Idâ—â— de unitat â—cles cap. 3. There are the bookes of the Lord unto whose authoritie wee both submit in them let uâ— seeke for the Church by them let us examine our cause And againe in his sixth Chapter Reade this out of the Law out of the Prophets out of the Psalmes cut of the Gospels and Epistles reade it and wee will believe it The hope of prolonging the controversies of tiring the Orthodoxe this moved the Heretickes to appeale to the Scriptures that so the sentence might not finally passe against them as if the Iesuite being questioned before an inferiour Iudge for his Religion should appeâ—le unto his Majestie to gaine time thereby And as wee see some men that love trouble appealing from Court to Court to vexe their Adversaries though their cause bee never so bad S. Paul z Act. â—5 â—â— appealed unto Caesar so did his enemies was Caesar therefore no sufficient Iudge In like manner as the Fathers appealed unto Scripture so did the Heretickes Is therefore this practice evill Or is the Scripture therefore no sufficient Iudge The more doe appeale unto it the more witnesses there are of the sufficiency of it Origen giveth this reason why the Tempter used Scripture a Origen 〈◊〉 3. in Luc. Because if hee had spoken without booke his words could have had no authoritie You may aswell say that we learned this doctrine from the Devill as from Heretickes It is a truth which the Fathers have taught which the Heretickes acknowledged and the Devil believeth it and he is worse then an Heretick then the Devil that will deny it To the second I answer As all Heretickes rejected not Traditions so all that reject Traditions are not Hereticks Traditions are either written or unwritten they rejected some written Traditions and those were points of faith else they could not be Heretickes but all poinis of faith necessary for all to know as the * pag. â—4â— Iesuite hath confessed are expressed in the Scripture He nameth the Valentinians Guosticks and Marcionites and these taught against the nature of Christ and against the resurrection and the like as he confesseth Againe the Arians and the Ennomians and they taught against the Deitie of Christ and of the holy Ghost And for the Donatists they taught against the unitiâ— of Bapâ—ismâ— All these we have proved to bee written Traditions rejected
by these Hereticks As for unwritreÌ„ Traditions doctrines not taught in Scripture but delivered by word of mouth they rejected them not they laide the foundation and upon their foundation you have built this pillar of your Religion this towre and fort of your salvation This is not onely discovered by Irenaeâ—â— and Tertullian but likewise I may adde S. Augustine who declareth this to be the practice of all Heretickes b Aug. tract 97. in Ioh. All of the most foolish Heretickes use to colour their bold fictions with this saying I have yet many things to say unto you And this very text the Iesuite * pag. 119. likewise useth to the same purpose to colour this bolde fiction of unwritten Traditions therewith Thus the Heretickes yea omnes insipientissimi Haereâ—iâ—i if you will believe S. Augustine agreed in urgeing unwritten Traditions And yet the Iesuite saith they agreed in rejecting unwritten Traditions To the third That the Fathers pursued those Heretickes by unwritten Traditions I answere If a man bee to dispute against an Heathen it is in vaâ—e to presse him by the authority of Scripture which he denyeth Many of the Fathers disputed against Heretickes that did sapere cum Ethnicis as Tertullian c Tertul. de resurrect cain affirmeth and would not bee tryeâ— by the Scriptures but rejeâ—ted them as counterfeit as impâ—rfect and lyable to various interpretations as Ireâ—â—us hâ—th recorded their actions to dâ—pute against sâ—ch by the Scriptures would be but labour lost Cyrill teachâ—th us how to deale with such d Contra coâ— qui â—eriâ—ta non admittunâ— pugâ—ato aâ—â— is non scriptis ex solis ratiocinationibus demonstrationibus Cyril Hâ—erosol catechâ—s 18. Fight against such as deny the Scriptures by unwritten weapons onely by strong reasons and demonstrations Thus Cyrill in the same place prooveth the Resurrection of the Body by the renewing of the Moone as S. Paul proveth it by e 1. Cor. 15. the springing of the Corne. The same Apostle maketh use of Heathen Poets as of Epimâ—nides * Tit. 1. Aratiâ— and * Act. 17. Menander And so the Fathers made use of all kinde of learning by unwritten arguments they proved written Doâ—trines against such as denyed the written word And when the Heretickes appealed from Scripture to unwritten Traditions they purâ—ued them by the true Tradition of the Church which was is the same with that which * 1. Cor. 15. is contained in the Scripture This is nothing for unwritten Doctrinâ—s it onely concerneth modum probandi not rem probatâ—m The thing proved may be written although the mâ—dium or argumentum whereby it is proved be not written What enemies those famous Hereticks Nestorius Eutyâ—hes Reply p. â—â—7â— Dioschorus were unto unwritten Traditions is dâ—scovered by Basil Bishop of Ancâ—ra S. Bernard telleth us the same â—le of certuine Hereticks of his time called Apostolicks who were followed herein by Wicklessâ— as Thomas Waldensis doth recount by the Hussites as Cocklaus beareth witnes from these Bellarmine saith truly thâ— Pâ—otestants did receive their opinion And this is your Pedegree x. We receive not our opinion from man but finde our doctrine delivered in the Scriptures from time to time confirmed by the preaching writings of the Fathers As for Basil Bishop of Ancira he was an idolater and one of that second conventicle at Nice wherein by unwritten Traditions idolatry was established so that his testimony is little worth Those famous Heretickes Nostorius Entyches Dioschorus were not condemned for denying unwritten Traditions but for opposing written Doctrines Although Bernard lived in a declining age yet he defendeth no unwritten Traditions against the Apostolicks but being urged by them to shew where in the Gospell this is written He accepteth of their Appeale to the Gospell prosecuteth them in their appeale and examineth the cause by the Scripture f Beâ—â—ard â—erm 65. in Caâ—â—ic Evangelium appellasts Ad Evangelium ibis Hast thâ—â— appealed unto the Gospell To the Gospell thou shalt goe Wickliffe defendeth no hereticall Doctrine but the doctrine of the Primitive Church as Thomas Waldensis relateth it g Quod nulli quidquam in materiâ— fidei debent definiâ—e nisi ad hoc habent authoritatem Scripturae Tho. Wald. l. 2. Doct. â—id antiq c. 19 That none ought to determine any thing in a point of faith without the authoritie of Scripture If this make Wickliffe an Hereticke what then will you say of Thomas Waldensis himselfe who saith as much if not more against the authority of the Roman Church h Idem ibid. In the doubts of faith we must inquire what the Apostles taught And if any shall aske who shall declare what the Apostles taught He answereth Not the African Church as Donatus said Not the Roman Church as the Iesuite will say but the universall Church not as gathered in a generall Synode which â—ft hath erred but the Catholicke Church of Christ dispersed over the world Where then was the Popes Cathedrall voyce This Doctrin was not then hatcht that whatsoever power is extensivè in the whole Church the same is intensivè in the Pope And that it must be a thing taken pro Concesso that iâ— determining doubts of faith the Pope cannot erre Huss opposed the errors of the Church of Rome and therefore it is no new thing to heare his enemies speake evill of him and of his adherents Finally the Iesuite concludeth with a rotten lye that our pedegree is from those rotten Heretickes It is a Brute raised by a Brute as true as the tale of the Britanes from Brute S. Chrysostome in like manner giveth this for a marke of Answer Antichrist and of all spirituall theeves that they come not in by the doore of the Scriptures * Chrys 〈◊〉 in Ioh. 10 For the Scripture saith hee like unto a sure doore doth barre an entrance unto Heretickes safeguarding us in all things that we will and not suffering us to be deceived Whereupon hee concludeth That who so useth not the Scriptures but commeth in otherwise that is betaketh himselfe to an other and an unlawfull way hee is a thâ—efe To this the Iesuit retnrneth no answer he durst not touch it it discovereth him to be a spirituall theefe and a minister of Antichrist and that things unwritten are an other way and therefore an unlawfull way How this mystery of iniquitie wrought when Antichrist Answer came unto his full growth was well observed by the author of the booke de unitate Ecclesiae thought by some to be Waltram Bishop of Naâ—mburg who speaking of the Monkes that for the upholding of Pope Hildebrands faction brought in Schismes and heresies into the Church noteth this specially of them * lib de unitat Eccles that despising the Tradition of God they desired other doctrines and brought in maisteries of humane institution Waltram his invective against Pope Hildebrand is to no Reply pag. 157 purpose
that they are good subjects The evil of the fact we deny for thogh they used not the word Tradition yet they used such a word as declared the meaning of the holy Ghost in those places What will you say for your vulgar Latin in which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not alwayes translated Tradition but sometimes l 1. Cor. 11. 2. Praecepta in English not Traditions but precepts I may say of the Septuagint as somtimes Galatinus said of the Chalde Paraphrase that it is rather an expositioÌ„ in some places then a Translatiö yet the Apostles in alledging the old Testament did usually follow the m Compare Prov. 3. 34. with I am 4. 6. and Prov 11. 31. with 1. Pet. 4. 18. Septuagint rather then the Hebrew So that Translators may sometimes varie from the originall word yet be blameles aslong as they retain the senâ—e inteÌ„ded by the holy Ghost in that word Thus our Translators have done there is only a verball or grammaticall no reall or doctrinall difference betwixt the original the translation Tradition is a doctrin ordinance instruction or institutioÌ„ again doctrine ordinance instruction or institution is a Tradition And if Beza must be censured for translating it The doctrine delivered not Traditions then what say you to those books which are approved yetrender it by n Syrus Interpres commandements o Vatabl. Bibl. Institutions not TraditioÌ„s If it be a Tradition it is a deliverie a delivery must have somthing delivered it could not be a delivery of rites because they have litle power to keep out the man of sin the Apostle gave that exhortation it must needs be a deliverie of doctrine or a doctrine delivered As for his exception at the change of the number we may account this among the number of his Cavils for by doctrine delivered he meaneth not one singular doctrine but all the whole summe of S. Pauls doctrine Many words grow out of use thorough abuse Tyrannus of old signified a King Hostis a stranger Sophista a wise man he would not bee accounted a wise man that should now english them so So of old Traditio was taken diverse wayes for the manner of delivery either by writing or by word of mouth and for written doctrines aswell as for things unwritten but now our adversaries abuse the word and wheresoever they finde it they apply it to unwritten Traditions therefore our Translators did well not to use this word Tradition which being perverted by our Adversaries might become a stumbling blocke to the Reader but rather to use another word which might agree with the Originall and declare the meaning of the Holy Ghost and yet might not bee so easily perverted to a false meaning This cavilling Martin hath another fling at our Translatours Yea they doe so gladly use the word Tradition when it Reply pag. 162 may tend to the discredit thereof that they put the said word in all their English Bibles when it is not in the Greeke at all as * Coloss 2. 20. why are yee led with Traditions And as another English Translation more heretically Why are yee burdened with Traditions Tell us you that professe to have skill in the Greeke whether the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie Tradition Iustifie your Translation if you can either out of Scriptures or Fathers c. Tea tell us if you can why you translate for Tradition ordinance and contrary for ordinance Tradition Tell me why your vulgar Latine allowed by Clement the eight is guilty of the same fault if it be a fault In it the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which â—ignifieth Customes is translated p Act. 6 14. Traditions and in like manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth Traditions is translated q 1. Cor 11. 2. precepts or customes Tell me that and I will tell you this Tell me why the Translator of Theodâ—ret printed at Cullin an 1573. translateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Traditions and why Hentenius translating Oecumenius translateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Institutions Wee can justifie our Translations by Scripture for it calleth these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t Coloss 2. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doctrines of men and it calleth doctrins of men Å¿ Mat. 1â— Traditions The interpretation of the Fathers doth likewise justifie this translation for S. Ambrose interpreteth this place of such errors Quos humana invenit Traditio which humane Tradition found out What were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythagoraea but the Traditions of Pythagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie ordinances and if ordinances signifie Traditions why may not the word be so translated Why did the Iesuite himselfe not distinguish more accurately in his translations of the Greeke testimonies betweene these words For commonly he translateth * pag. 143. â— pag. 150 1. pag. 155. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctrines and taketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ordinances Preachings and Traditions for the same At last he concludeth this Section with a wise observation of his owne The last Translations correcting all the former doth Reply p. 163. clearely declare what a handsome Scripture the poore people relyed upon all the while before that it was not the pure word of God but the corrupt invention of Translators Here is an handsome observation of as wise a divine as Martin himselfe There is but a verball difference betwixt Tradition ordinance and institution if a verball difference corrupteth a translation and maketh it a false invention and no pure word of God what then shall become of all your Latine Translations They cannot be numbred saith S. t Aug. de doct Christ l. 2. c. 11. Augustine u Hieron praesat in Iosh As many bookes so many severall copies saith S. Hierome Vntill the Councell of Trent decreed the vulgar Latine what pure word of God could the Romane church have yea if a verbal difference corrupt a Translation then at this day they have no pure word of God for the vulgar Latine differeth more from the originall then our English doth Lindanus a Popish Bishop confesseth * Lindan de optim generinterpret l. 3. cap. 1â— It hath many corruptions of all sorts c. some things are translated too intricately some improperly and some not truely And such variety and difference there is betweene the Copies themselves that hardly is one like another Yet if they convert the words and doe not pervert the sense no wise man will call them a corrupt invention of false Translators because the truth of Scripture is the sense and not the words and variety of Translations differing onely verbally doth not hinder but rather doth further us to finde out the true sense if wee will wisely compare them together SECT IX The vvhole summe of the Iesuit's Reply being cast up the remainder is nothing 1. NOthing but insolent bragging and vaine tauâ—ologies doe heere in his last Section at the first light