A TREATISE OF THE VNVVRITTEN WORD OF GOD commonly called TRADITIONS Written in Latin by the R. Father Iames Gordon Huntley of Scotland Doctour of Diuinity of the Society of Iesus And translated into English by I. L. of the same Society The second Part of the first Controuersy Permissu Superiorum M. DC XIV THE FIRST CHAPTER Of the true state of the Question HAVING already in the precedent Treatise spoken of the written Word of God and of all other things therunto belonging now it remayneth we speake a litle of the vnwritten word coÌ„monly called TraditioÌ„s But to the end that the state of this controuersy may more easily be vnderstood I will heere set downe foure things diligently to be considered in this matter we treate of The first is that by the vnwritten Word we only vnderstand that which is not written in the old or new Testament for of the vnwritten word of God in this sense is our whole Controuersy in this place Wherefore that obiection of our Aduersaries is both friuolous and nothing worth to wit that the word of God which we call the vnwriten word may be found extant eyther amonge the holy Fathers or in the books of the Councells or other Canons of the Church But this nothing belongeth vnto this purpose for it is sufficient for vs that this word of God is not written in any booke eyther of the old or new Testament 2. The second is that a thing may be coÌ„teined in the holy Scripture 2. wayes The one way is implicite that is to say in some generall principle from whence this other may be certaynly deduced and in this sense we acknowledge that the whole word of God is conteined in holy writ and not only in Scripture but also in the Apostles Creed yea euen in that one article I belieue the Catholike Church so that it be diligently examined and well vnderstood as S. Augustine very well noteth For so sayth Christ the whole Law and Prophets doe depend vpon two precepts of charity as in the same place S. Augustine noteth For seing that the holy Scripture teacheth that we are bound to belieue the Church in all things that it can neyther deceiue vs nor be deceiued as we will euidently proue in the next Controuersy in the 〈◊〉 Chapter it consequently also teacheth the whole and entire word of God seing that all that which is not expressed in the holy Scripture is conteined expresly in the doctrine of the Church the which the Scripture commendeth vnto vs as infallible as S. Augustine very well sayth and declareth in many places For euen as God the Father comprehended in these few words This is my wellbeloued Sonne heare him the whole word of God so Christ proposed vnto vs the whole word of God when he commaunded vs to heare the Church 3. And in this sense do the holy Fathers oftentymes say that all the points of fayth are conteined in the holy Scriptures to wit in that generall principle in the which they admonish vs to belieue the Church but many of the holy Fathers sayings are falsifyed corrupted by Martinê° KeÌ„nitius and some Caluinists as may be seene in Iudocus Ruesten in his first tome defending the Councell of Trent against Kemnitius 4. Secondly a thing may be conteined in expresse words in the holy Scriptures as that Christ is borne suffered and risen againe c. And in this sense we deny that the whole word of God is conteined in the Scriptures That obiection of our Aduersaries by this may easily be answered when they say that we affirme that Traditions are the vnwriten word of God and yet we goe about to proue theÌ„ by Scriptures For we do not proue euery particuler Tradition by expresse words of Scripture but we only deduce and gather them out of it and conuince in generall that there are Traditions 5. The third thing which is to be considered is that our Aduersaries being conuinced by truth doe acknowledge that many things were deliuered vnto vs by the Apostles besids those which are written But say they those were only externall rites and ceremonies seruing only for the ornament or discipline of the Church but nothing concerning doctrine of fayth was deliuered by the Apostles which they haue not set downe in writing So Caluin and some others which follow his opinion Wherfore it remayneth for vs to proue that not only external ceremonies but also those which belong vnto the doctrine of fayth were deliuered vnto vs by the Apostles and that they were neuer expressely set downe in writing 6. The fourth thing is that seing our Aduersaries cannot deny that which was obiected vnto them by Catholikes to wit that the Scripture in many places maketh expresse mentioÌ„ of the word of God preached deliuered and diuulged ouer the whole world as we haue already declared euen out of the holy Scriptures they are wont to answere that long since in the Apostles tyme this word of God was deliuered preached and not written but the Apostles afterwards set downe in writing all the preached word of God or at the least as much therof as was necessary vnto saluation The which solutioÌ„ albeit it be very weake and friuolous seing that it relyeth vpoÌ„ no sure ground yet notwithstanding that it may more fully be confuted we will declare hereafter that many of the chiefest points of faith were not expressely set downe in writing by the Apostles And thus much of the state of this Question CHAP. II. Out of the first and chiefest principles of faith it is clearly conuinced that there are Traditions THE first argument wherby we proue Traditions is taken out of some of the chiefest principles of faith For there are three chiefe and most necessary points of faith yea the thiefe grounds of our whole faith which are not to he found expressely in Scriptures 2. The first that there must needes be some Catalogue or Canon of the sacred Bookes aswell of the old as of the new Testament the which all Christians with an assured faith should imbrace as a most certaine and an vndoubted truth and this is a very necessary point of faith yea of it dependeth the authority of all the bookes of holy Scripture because by this Canon the sacred and true books of Scriptures are discerned and made knowne from all those which be Apochriphall especially because aswell in times past as in these our daies there hath byn so many and so great Controuersyes about the Canonicall and Apochriphall bookes of Scripture and such a Canon was altogeather necessary aswell in the auncient Church before Christ as in our present Church after Christes tyme the which also our Aduersaries themselues haue learned by experience For they haue also placed their new Canon of the bookes of holy Scripture in their Confession made at Rochell and in the later end of some of their Bibles and yet neyther in the tyme of the old Testament nor in the tyme of the
new Law was this Canō euer written downe in the Bibles themselues 2. I know our Aduersaries that they may escape this argument do runne to the inward instinct of the holy Ghost wherby say they we know what booke is Canonicall and what is not But this answere is refuted reiected before where we haue shewed that the holy Ghost doth not moue vs to belieue any thing with the Catholike faith which is not the word of God If therfore the holy Ghost moue vs to belieue that some bookes are Canonicall and some are not it is necessary that this be the word of God We aske therefore of them whether this is the written word of God or the vnwrittē if it be the written word in what Booke or Chapter is it to be foūd if it be no where to be found our Aduersaries must needes cōfesse that by the instinct of the holy Ghost they also belieue the vnwritten word of God or Traditions 3. The second principle of faith is that we must necessarily with an assured and firme faith belieue that all those Bookes eyther of the old or of the new Testament which we now retaine are safely deliuered vnto vs entyre and vncorrupted through so many handes so many ages so many vexations and persecutions of the Christians for otherwyse the whol credit and authority of those bookes will decay and perish But this is no where extant or written for neyther the Prophets or Apostles haue euer written that their bookes should neuer be falsified or corrupted by any yea it appeareth sufficiently by that which hath byn already said that they were falsified and corrupted in many bookes by the Iewes and Heretikes Let our Aduersaries therfore tell vs where it is written that this holy Scripture which we haue now is not corrupted or falsifyed 4. The third principle of fayth is the true sense of the letter For the true word of God consisteth rather in the true sense or meaning of the words then in the words themselues as we haue declared before But the true sense of the words that is to say in what sense or meaning the words are to be vnderstood eyther properly or figuratiuely cannot be had from the holy Scripture alone but also from the doctrine and Traditions of the Church as we haue sayd before in the fourth Chapter wherby it also followeth that the writtē word of God conteyneth in it the least part of the word of God to wit the bare letter only but the word of God preached and deliuered keepeth and professeth vnto vs the cheife part of the word of God that is to say the true natiue sense of the same 5. And this is that which S. Basil sayth that those who reiect the vnwriten points of fayth as vndiscreet persons do wrong and damnify the chiefe parts of the Gospell yea they euen as it were cōtract or bring the whole preaching of the Gospell to the bare name therof 6. Many of our Aduersaries who deale more sincerely with vs conuinced by these arguments do acknowledge that these grounds or principles of our faith are only to be had by Traditions without any written word of God as Ioannes Brentius and Martin Kemnitius who adde also that those Traditions which doe not repugne to the written word of God are to be admitted and receiued of all and those only are to be reiected which are opposit vnto the holy Scriptures 7. But whatsoeuer our Aduersaries do answere it is altogeather necessary that they confesse these three principles of our fayth do belong indeed to the very word of God it selfe They must also needs confesse these are not extant in playne and expresse tearmes in any booke either of the old or new Testament out of which necessarily followeth that the whole intire word of God is not conteyned expresly in the holy Scripture CHAP. III. Wherein it is proued out of other particuler poynts of fayth that there are Traditions THE second argument whereby we proue Apostolicall Traditions is taken out of other particuler poynts of fayth the which almost all our Aduersaryes belieue with vs albeit they be no where expressely conteyned in the Scriptures There are many poyntes of fayth of this sort wherof for example sake we will alledge some few But to the end we may vse our accustomed breuity we will rehearse only those which do also manifestly shew out of this opinion of our Aduersaries that nothing appertayneth to the doctrine of fayth which is not expresly conteyned in holy Scripture there are many greeuous errours and heresies in this our age arisen 2. The first point is that in God there are three persons really distinct among themselues and one only substance for this is no where extant in holy Scripture yea in it nothing is to be found expresly writen eyther of the substance or of the person in that signifycation wherein these words are vsed when we speake of the Blessed Trinity 3. This indeed the Caluinists to their great losse and domage haue sufficiently learned by experience fourty yeares agoe in Transiluania For when one Iohn Huniades whom they called Iohn the secōd King of Hūgary was then Gouernour in Trāsiluania a Coutry or Prouince of Hungary had ordained a publike dispuratiō betwixt the Cal◅inists and the Antitrinitarians that is to say those who oppugned the mystery of the Blessed Trinity and that according to the cōmon doctrine on both syds they should dispute only out of the holy Scriptures the Caluinists could neuer proue out of the Scriptures alone that there is eyther a substance or person in God neyther could they by the Scriptures only declare what is a person or what is a substance 4. Wherefore at the last this was the end of the disputatiō that almost all those which were present iudged that the Antitrinitarians got the victory and that the Caluinists were shamefully ouercome wherupon it came to passe that the sayd Prince of Transiluania of a Caluinist became an Antitrinitarian yea one of their cheife friends in so much that he tooke some publike Churches from the Caluinists and gaue them to the Antitrinitarians and he continued miserably in that wicked heresy euen till death which happened in the yeare 1571. the 14. of March 5. All which things are aboundātly declared by one Ioannes Sommerus Pirnensis in the funerall Oration which he made at his death wherein among other things he affirmeth that the cheife cause why this Prince left the Caluinists and became an Antitrinitarian was this because for sooth in the Scriptures he could fynd nothing of the Blessed Trinity and for that the Caluinists were forced to confesse that the words wherby the mystery of the Blessed Trinity is explicated are not extāt in the holy Scripture but because this funeral Oration is scarse any where to be found least some should thinke that I falsely coyned these things my selfe I will heare set downe his owne words For after he had most
belieue nothing which is not expresly in Scriptures And whereupon Beza himself in his booke which he wrote against the same Ochinus doth testify that Ochinus vsed this argument where Beza also manifestly acknowledgeth that Polygamy is not forbidden in holy Scriptures by any expresse Law The other argument saith Beza of Ochinus is that Polygamy is not forbidden by any expresse law to the contrary but I answere that there are not lawes written of all thinges Thus Beza 3. But afterward indeed Beza goeth about to proue that Poligamy is contrary to the Law of Nature but the same difficulty still remayneth For according to our Aduersaries doctrine all thinges necessary to saluation are expressed in holy Scriptures but the obseruatiō of all things belonging to the Law of Nature is altogeather necessary to saluation therefore the obseruation of these thinges is expressed in Scriptures or els truly many thinges necessary to saluation must be sought for out of the Scriptures Moreouer that Polygamy is vnlawfull is a point of faith but this as Beza confesseth is not expressely contayned in Scriptures therfore all the pointes of faith are not expressely contained in Scriptures 4. The first point of faith is that the Sacrament of Baptisme may only be giuen in water For this point is also very necessary for the Church least so great and worthy a Sacrament be prophaned contrary to the institution of Christ and yet our Aduersaries will neuer be able to proue this out of the Scriptures only who deny that the forsaid place of S. Iohn is to be vnderstood of true water as we haue said before in the second point For the examples of holy Scripture do proue indeed that water is the fit matter of Baptisme but they do not proue that there can be no other matter 5. When Beza did consider this well least that his foresayd principle that we must belieue nothing but Scripture might seeme to be called in question he was not ashamed to write that Baptisme might be giuen in any liquour and by this meanes it wil be true and lawfull Baptisme though it be giuen in milke wyne yea in Inke or any other filthy liquour Thus are our Aduersaryes forced to admit these absurdityes least they might be forced to depart from that their principle of belieuing only Scripture 6. Furthermore to the end that Beza might more easily perswade the ignorant common people to admit this his strange paradoxe addeth presently a very grieuous slaunder against the Catholike Doctors Let water be wanting saith Beza and yet the Baptisme of any cannot be deserred with edification nor must not be I truly would as well and as lawfully baptize in any other liquour as in water neyther are the most superstitious Deuines of any other opinion in these matters Thus far Beza But these thinges which he writeth are most false For there is no Catholike nor Scholasticall Doctor who hath euer eyther thought or written so yea the playne contrary is defined by the Catholike Church as a poynt of Fayth 7. The sixt poynt of fayth is that bread and wyne is only the necessary matter of the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist This poynt of faith is also very necessary for the Church least so great and so excellent a Sacrament should be prophaned yet our Aduersaries will neuer be able to proue it effectually out of Scripture only For by this word Bread any kind of meate is oftentymes signifyed in Scripture of wine it is farre more doubtfull For the Scripture maketh only mention of the Chalice and not of the liquor which was in the Chalice and Caluin himselfe acknowledgeth that those words of the fruite of the vyne were spoken before the institution of this Sacrament 8. The which when Beza easily preceaued heere also he went about to bring in another error least indeed he should be forced to forsake his former principle of belieuing only Scriptures For he was not afraid to write that he erred nothing from the institution of Christ who in the consecration of the Eucharist should vse insteed of the bread appointed for that purpose any other vsuall meate and insteed of the wyne any other ordinary kind of drinke and by this meanes one may consecrate the Eucharist eyther in cheese flesh fish or egges as also in milke water beare or vineger or any other liquor which hitherto was neuer heard of in Gods Church And yet for all this Beza is not ashamed to attribute this most absurd error of his to all the Scholasticall Doctors For of both these errors he treateth in the words before alledged because when he sayth the Scholasticall Doctors were of no other opinion he speaketh as well cōcerning the matter of the Eucharist as of the matter of Baptisme After this manner our Aduersaries do force so many and so great errors out of that their principle of belieuing only Scriptures wherof more might be alledged which for breuities sake we omit 9. But there is one thing I cannot let passe because therby we clearly conuince that the Traditions of the Church do not only contayne vnwritten points of fayth but that which is more euen in our Aduersaries iudgment they change and abolish such things as are expresly commaunded in Scriptures for euen in the Table of the Law of God which is sayd to be written by Gods owne hand in many and manyfest words the keeping of the Sabboth day is comaunded the which notwithstanding now all except a few Anabaptists do confesse to be abrogated by Ecclesiasticall Tradition only without any expresse testimony of Scripture The Anabaptists I say being also deceiued by that Common principle of our Aduersaries of blieuing only Scriptures they go about to bring the obseruation of the Sabboth day into vse and custome agayne and for this cause they are called Sabatharians but not so much the heresy as the madnesse of these men is condemned of all and namely of Luther in his booke against the Sabbatarians in the seauenth Tome CHAP. V. Wherin it is proued that there are Traditions by the testimonies of the holy Fathers THE third argument wherby we proue that all the poynts of our fayth are not set downe in writing by the Apostles is the authority of the aunciēt Fathers who affirme and teach this in many places The which places of the holy Fathers as well the Greeks as the Latins Iodocus Coccius hath very diligently gathered togeather in his booke intitled Thesaurus Catholicus and before him Bellarmine did the same But least we be longer then the order of Epitomes doth permit especially in a thing so manyfest it shall suffice vs to alledg one chiefe Doctor of the Greeke and another of the Latine Church 2. Among the Grecians S. Chrysostome is the most famous who doth not only affirme it but also manifestly proueth it out of holy Scripture For when he expoundeth those words of the later Epistle to the Thessalonians Therefore brethren stand
Diuell himself against Christ vsed this reason It is written God hath giuen his Angells charge of thee therfore cast thy selfe downe headlong Lastly all the arguments indeed which our Aduersaries at this tyme alleadge against vs out of Scriptures and all the errours which they haue inuēted do take their beginning and strength from their new illations and reasons and not out of the bare and playne words of Scripture as will manifestly appeare in euery one of the Controuersies 10. The reason also is manifest why these their collections and reasons are vncertaine and doubtfull For in nothing can one more easily or more often erre then in these illations The which may proceed of many causes eyther because the illation it selfe is bad and Sophisticall or because the place of Scripture from whence it is gathered is falsified by some false exposition therof or because the proposition which is assumed and adioyned to the wordes of Scripture is false and ambiguous or because one or more wordes in that collection are vsed doubtfully that is to say in one sense in the premises and in another in the conclusion or lastly because there hapneth some errour to be in the collection which maketh it weake Sophisticall and erroneous 11. Besides that there are so many and so contrary illations of diuers men that the authority of the Church is altogeather necessary in matters of faith that there may arise a certaine and an vndoubted faith of these matters of which sort Traditions are that is to say the doctrine of the whole Church 12. But when one belieueth such an illation with a diuine or Catholike faith he must needes know two thinges the one is that the expresse place of Scripture from whence this conclusion is deduced must certainly be well vnderstood by him which disputeth the other is that he who maketh such a deduction and collection can neyther deceiue others not be deceyued himselfe But none can know eyther of these without the Traditions of the Church seeing that otherwise there is none which may not be deceiued sometymes All collections therefore which produce or breed fayth in vs do most clearly conuince and shew the authority and necessity of Traditions CHAP. VII Wherein it is proued that there are Traditions by the absurdities which otherwise would follow THE fift argument wherby we proue that many things are to be belieued which are not expressed in holy Scriptures is taken out of the absurdities which do ensue of the contrary doctrine For hauing once admitted that nothing is to be belieued which is not expressed in Scripture all old heresies are renewed and a great vncertaynty and confusion of all things is brought into the Church of God yea euen the way to Atheisme is layd open because hauing once reiected despised the Tradition of the Church all the poynts of fayth from the Apostles tyme till now explicated and proued by the auncient Fathers against heretiks all those things also which were decreed and determined by all the generall Councells in times past against the said heretiks leese their chiefest strength and authority the which notwithstanding our Aduersaries do acknowledge themselues to receiue and belieue 2. Neyther do we know by an assured Catholike fayth whether there were euer any Fathers or Councells but by the Traditions of the Church But neyther do we know any other way but by fayth whether since the Apostles tyme till now there were any Catholikes or not because of those things which were done since the tyme and death of the Apostles there is nothing extant in holy Scripture seeing that all the bookes therof were written before the death of the Apostles But such things as haue byn donne since till now cannot otherwyse be knowne but by the Tradition of the Church 3. Neyther is it sufficient to say that we know these things by the Ecclesiasticall histories For that fayth which proceedeth of histories without the authority or Traditions of the Catholike Church is but an humaine fayth which oftentymes deceaueth others and may be deceiued it selfe and therfore these kind of histories cannot produce a diuine fayth in vs this experience it selfe doth clearly teach vs. For our Aduersaries do somtymes doubt whether S. Peter was euer at Rome or no because forsooth this is not to be found expresly in holy Scriptures wheras notwithstanding it is most assuredly proued and testified in many bookes both of the auncient Historiographers and holy Fathers Why may they not as lawfully call other matters in question which are notwithstanding expressely set downe in other auncient writers Our Aduersaries therfore do make all things very doubtfull and vncertayne whyles they will only belieue and admit the Scripture but now let vs answere their arguments CHAP. VIII Wherein the arguments of our Aduersaries taken out of the old Testament are confuted THE first argument wherby our Aduersaries oppugne Traditions and which they vse very often the which also as inuincible they haue added to the confession of their fayth they take out of those words of Deuteronomy Thou shalt not add any thing to the word which I speake vnto you nor shall you take any thing from it And againe that which I commaund thee do that only neyther add or diminish any thing from it By these places of Scriptures our Aduersaries do inferre that nothing is to be receiued as a poynt of fayth which is not expressely set downe in Scriptures 2. But this argument is erroneous and the weaknes thereof is very great for many causes First because in those words there is no mention made of the Scripture nor of the written word of God but only of the word preached and deliuered viua voce Thou shalt not add sayth the Scripture to the word that I speake vnto you he doth not say that I write vnto you Againe Do only sayth he that which I commaund thee he doth not say that which I write vnto thee 3. Moreouer in these words the holy Scripture doth not only speake of matters of sayth to be belieued but also of ceremonies and customes to be done and obserued but our Aduersaries themselues confesse that these customes may be added by the authority of the Church yea they haue ordeined themselues very many the which they chang euen yet when they please Caluin also acknowledgeth that many vnwritten customes were deliuered vnto vs by the Apostles 4. That also according to the phrase of Scripture is said to be added to the word of God which is contrary opposite vnit For Iosue did not transgresse this commaundement of Deuteronomy when he added his booke to the bookes of Moyses Nor did others transgresse it who added the bookes of the Iudges Ruth and of the Kinges which were not written by Moyses which are also to be belieued as contayning pointes of faith But in these bookes there is nothing contrary to that which Moyses wrote And the Hebrew text agreeth very well to this answere for in both
and hold the Traditions which you haue learned whether it be by word or by our Epistle he writeth thus Hence it appeareth sayth S. Chrysostome that he did not deliuer all things vnto them by his Epistle but many things also without his letters but as well these as those other worthily deserue to be belieued therfore we esteeme the Tradition also of the Church to be worthy of credit It is a Tradition seeke no further Thus S. Chrysostome But it is most certayne that the Apostle and consequently S. Chrysostome also who expoūdeth him doth not only speake of ceremonies and customes but also of poynts of Fayth 3. S. Augustine whom Caluin acknowledgeth to be the best and most faythfull witnesse of antiquity writeth in this manner Many things are not to be found in the Apostles writings nor in the ensewing Councells and yet notwithstanding because they are generally kept through out the whole Catholike Church they are iuged to haue byn deliuered and commended by none but by them Thus S. Augustine Neyther can it be sayd that S. Augustine speaketh of ceremonies and not of poynts of fayah For in that place he proueth against the Donatists that those which were baptized in the accustomed forme and matter by heretikes were not to be baptized againe but none vnlesse he be an Anabaptist will deny that this is a point of fayth CHAP. VI. Wherin euen by the doctrine of our Aduersaries it is proued that there are Traditions THE fourth argument wherby we proue Traditions is taken out of the doctrine of our Aduersaries For all those things which our Aduersaries do affirme to be poyntes of fayth against the Catholike doctrine they teach and belieue them without any expresse Scripture For it cannot be found expressely in Scripture that fayth only iustifyeh that there are only two Sacraments of the new law that none should pray for the dead c. for all these things and many others which they teach against vs they gather only out of Scriptures and that by some false and very weake consequence but it is no where expresly written that fayth only iustifieth that there are only two Sacraments that we must not pray to Saynts or for the dead c. 2. Moreouer there can no Catholike be found who doth not receaue and assuredly belieue the whole authenticall text of the holy Scripture why do they therfore condemne vs when they affirme that nothing is to be belieued besids the text of Scripture wheras the whole Controuersy betwixt them and vs is of the vnwritten points of fayth which we affirme they deny 3. Our Aduersaries being conuinced by this argument do now at the last confesse that not only that is to be admitted and belieued as the pure word of God which is expresly written in holy Scripture but all that also which by a necessary consequence may be gathered out of it 4. But when they answere thus they are forced to depart and forsake that their first principle wherby they affirmed that all the poynts of fayth are expresly conteyned in Scriptures and that they were set downe in writing by the Apostles 5. Furhermore not perceauing so much they ioyne in opinion with vs so that they must needes indeed confesse that the Traditions of the Church are altogeather necessary For such things as are gathered out of Scriptures do rather belong to Traditions then to expresse Scripture For that which only consequently by reasoning discoursing is gathered out of Scripture albeit it very well and necessarily may be deduced from thence is not expressely in Scripture but only obscurly secretly or virtually is conteined therin For no man can truly say that the conclusion which is only inferred out of the premisses is expresly conteyned in the same premisses for otherwise our discourse and arguing were vayne and to no purpose But therfore do we reason and discourse to the end that that which lyeth hidden virtually in the premisses may be expresly manyfested in the conclusion 6. And that we may alleadge an example out of the Scriptures themselues when God the Father sayd This is my welbeloued Sonne heare him Out of these wordes we may very well gather and by a necessary consequence that the whole doctrine of Christ our Lord is to be heard and receiued of all yet none will say that all the doctrine of Christ is conteyned expresly in those few wordes And truely the holy Scripture is so fertill plentifull that many pointes of faith do as yet lye hidden and vnknowne therin which hitherto hath neuer byn gathered togeather by any but these thinges are conteyned virtually and not expressely in it 7. Moreouer after so many debates and contentions after so many bookes set forth against vs after so many slaunders wherby our Aduersaries charge vs as though we taught that the Scriptures are imperfect they at the last returne to our opinion For we do not deny yea we willingly acknowledge that all those things which rightly and without errour are deduced or gathered out of the expresse wordes of the holy Scriptures do belong vnto the written word of God and are contayned in holy writ obscurely not expressely virtually and not plainly For in that God doth reueale any thing in expresse wordes consequently and virtually he reuealeth all things which necessarily and without any errour may be deduced from thence 8. We graunt also that the Scripture consequently mediatly virtually as in a generall principle conteyneth all things necessary to saluatiō yea in that one only article of the Creed I belieue the holy Catholike Church in those few words also of Christ he who heareth you heareth me if the collection be rightly framed as we haue also said before in the 25. Chapter But when these thinges are gathered togeather which are not expressely in Scripture there is scarse any of them which is not vncertayne doubtful without the authority and Traditions of the Church Wherefore these collections do manifestly conuince the necessity and authority of Traditions 9. But that these collections may be vncertayne and deceytfull both experiēce reasō teacheth vs experiēce because almost all Heresies haue had their beginning not from the Scripture alone in it selfe but from these collections badly framed and made For there is not almost any one heresy which is only grounded on the expresse wordes of Scripture without some other collection seing that almost all Heretikes both in tymes past as now also go about to proue and gather their heresies from the Scripture by certayne deceytfull sophisticall argumēts Arius for example out of those wordes of Christ the Father is greater then I did gather but badly that Christ euen according to his diuine Nature was interiour to his Father The new Arians out of those words of the ten cōmaūdemēts thou shalt not haue strāge Gods before me do gather but foolishly that the Sōne is not God the holy Ghost is not God So the
is neuer contrary to the antecedent The Apostle therefore speaketh of doctrine contrary to his and not absolutly of any other distinct doctrine 10. And in this sense the Fathers doe often say that S. Paul affirmed in this place that nothing was to be taught besids that which is in the holy Scripture For so S. Augustine speaketh in one place But in another he clearly explicateth himselfe by this word praeter to vnderstand contra because we must preach nothing contrary to the holy Scripture That this is the true sense and meaning of S. Augustine it is manifest by the words themselues wherby also he proueth that the word praeter in those words of the Apostle doth signify diuers but not contrary thinges For in this manner he writeth when he warneth his schollers to take heed of the opinions of the Manichaeans other heretikes because these are not only distinct but also contrary to those which the Apostles taught Let the admonition sayth he of the holy Apostle neuer depart from your hart If any shall Euangelize vnto you besids that which you haue receiued let him be an Anathema He doth not say more then you haue receaued but besides that which you haue receaued For if he should say that he should be preiudiciall to himselfe who coueteth to come to the Thessalonians that he might supply that which was wanting to their fayth Now he which supplieth addeth that which is lacking taketh not away that which was But he which ouerpasseth the rule of fayth doth not goe on in the way but departeth frō the way That therfore which our Lord sayth I haue yet many things to say vnto you but you cannot beare them now were to be added to those things which they knew and not to be ouerthrowen by those they had already learned Hitherto S. Augustine CHAP. X. Wherein other obiections of our Aduersaries against Traditions are resuted THE fourth argument is deduced out of those words of the Apocalyps which they also cite and alledge in their confessiō at Rochell If any man shall adde to these things God shall adde vpon him the plagues written in this booke But who doth not see that S. Iohn speaketh expresly of the booke of the Apocalyps only and not of the whole Scripture for he sayth I testify to euery one hearing the words of the Prophesy of this booke if any man sall adde to these things c. and in the 19. verse following If any man shall diminish of the words of the booke of this prophecy c. he speaketh therfore only of the propheticall words of the Apocalyps For it is manyfest otherwise out of Ecclesiasticall histories that S. Iohn wrote his Ghospell after the Apocalyps and consequently that he added many things besids the Apocalyps But let our Aduersaries take heed least they incurre those paynes which S. Iohn threatneth to those which adde or detract any thing from the Apocalyps seing that they so often and so bouldly wrest the prophesies of the Apocalyps to many strange senses against the Pope and the Catholike Church 2. Our Aduersaries alledge many other things but their arguments which be of lesse moment are taken out of those places of Scripture which commend vnto vs the great excellency of holy Scripture But all these are very easily confuted by that one ground which as we haue declared before euen our Aduersaries do admit to wit that to the end the holy Scripture be perfect in it selfe and sufficient to euerlasting saluation it is not necessary that it should expresly cōteyne al points of fayth but it is sufficiēt that all such poynts may be deduced by a good consequence out of it But all the Traditions of the Church which belong vnto fayth may be gathered as we haue sayd out of Scripture the which also we declare more at large in euery one of these controuersies Our Aduersaries therfore haue not reason to say that we teach the Scripture to be imperfect or insufficient For as concerning this sufficiency and perfectiō of Scripture they are forced at least to yield and subscribe vnto our opinion herein but these their arguments whereof they make great account we haue therfore alledged to the end all may know how badly they interpret the holy Scriptures and by how friuolous reason they are perswaded to forsake the Catholike fayth 3. But euen this sufficiency of Scripture which they pretēd they proue very foolishly by those wordes of the Apostle wherein he teacheth that the Scripture is very profitable as though forsooth euery thing which is profitable for obtayning some particuler end or purpose were also absolutely sufficient then the which nothing can be spoken more absurdly The head truely is not only profitable but also necessary that a man may liue but who I pray you will say that the head only without the rest of the body is sufficient for the lyfe of man But to our late Aduersaries to the end they may make this their discourse or reason the stronger say that in humane thinges not euery thing which is profitable is also sufficient but in diuine matters whatsoeuer is profitable is also sufficient whervnto Iunius like a fine young stripling addeth that this can be ouerthrowne by no sophistry But who doth not see that the Eucharist by the diuine vertue thereof is profitable to the obtayning of eternall saluation and yet notwithstanding without Baptisme it is not sufficiēt as also without faith and pennance the same may be sayd of Baptisme and of euery booke of Scripture Yea euen the Apostle doth not speake of the whole Scripture as our Aduersaries thinke he doth when he saith that euery Scripture is profitable but of euery particuler part thereof For how could he speake of a thing which was not then extant But as then the Ghospell of S. Iohn was not yet written nor the Apocalyps For these were after S. Pauls death written by S. Iohn hence it is that the Apostle S. Paul doth not say the whole Scripture but euen Scripture inspired by God is profitable For there is not one parte of Scripture which is not profitable vnto vs if it be well vnderstood Yea for all that notwithstanding euery one part precisely in it selfe abstracting from the rest of the Scripture as all do very well know is not sufficient 4 Finally it is also to be considered that all those places wherin the integrity perfection and vtility of the Scripture is commended vnto vs must needes be vnderstood not of the bare wordes only but of the same well and rightly vnderstood But this true vnderstanding of the words cannot otherwise be had then by Tradition and the vnwritten doctrine of the Church it selfe as we haue already declared Wherefore all those places which do commend vnto vs the holy Scriptures do also consequently cōmend vnto vs Traditions and the vnwritten Word of God seing that therein consisteth the principal part of