proposed to the Councell and when these were afterwards to be read in full Councell the Fathers gaue their suffrage by the word Placet without scruple or difficultie therein receiving the said Decree as a Law already ratified by the Popes Legats Before the fourth Session was held where in was established the Decree touching Traditions some selected Doctors were assembled to frame this Dectee which was for a long space debated Some interposing that it was necessary a Decree should be made wherein it should be declared that all the Catholike doctrine is founded upon Tradition in regard that the Scripture it selfe is not to bee beleeved but by the leaue and meanes of Tradition that ministreth authoritie unto it Vincent Lunel a Cordelier was of opinion to make a Decree of the authoritie of the Church before Traditions should bee mentioned because these are grounded upon the authoritie of the Church and the Church is that which afforâ—eth all authoritie to the Scriptures To which opinion the Legats would not condiscend fearing that heereby the memory of the Councels of Constance and Basill should be revived which haue adjudged and definitiuely determined that the soveraigne authoritie of the Church abideth in the Councell and not in the Pope and that the Pope is subject to the Councell and that to enter into dispute hereon were to signifie that it is not yet knowne who should be Iudge But Anthony Mariner the Carmelite a sage and learned man was of opinion that nothing at all should be spoken of Traditions alleaging that without all doubt God under the old Testament had commanded Moyses to write his Booke of the Law charging the Kings to reade it carefully and to put a copy of it into the Arke of the Covenant but saith that under the new Testament the Scripture is not necessary in respect that Iesus Christ hath written his doctrine in mens hearts without need either of Tables Arke or Booke Hee further saith that if there were no Scripture at all yet the Church should loose nothing of her perfection It is true that God hath not forbidden his Apostles to write but so also is it certaine that they haue not written by his commaundement and it is an abuse to say that God hath commaunded them to write one part of the doctrine and forbidden them to write the other Againe he presseth that if any man he of a contrary opinion he should haue too maine difficulties to vnfold the one to declare the things forbidden to be written the other to tell us who hath made those men that came after the Apostles so adventurous and bold to commit to writing that which God had forbidden his Apostles to write Lastly he sayth that if any man avowed it to bee chance and without expresse commandement from God that some things haue been written and others not hee should accuse the providence of God in taking no care of so important a matter and should call into doubt the assistance of the holy Spirit that hath instructed the Apostles to write For these reasons was he of opinion to make no comparison of Traditions with the Scripture since by this meane also they might passe over the Scripture But Cardinall Poole an English man and third Legat did utterly renounce this opinion Yet for alâ— that there was a decree framed wherein without mentioning the authoritie of the Church or that Traditions are aboue the Scripture it is averred that simply the Scripture and Traditions ought to be received with equall pietie and reverence Which is a perpetuall rule that the Councell hath observed to devise emptie Decrees not expressing the moity of the church of Romes opinion and that in ambiguous words to the end that upon all occasions they may make Interpretations fit for their owne turnes CHAP. V. That our Adversaries say there are doctrines and articles of Christian Faith yea in the very essentiall things which the Apostles haue neither taught by mouth nor writing OVr Adversaries are not contented to accuse the Scripture alone of imperfection but they finde also a deficiency in the Aposties preacaing and say that they haue not taught all by word of mouth So as by their account the holy Scripture and Apostolique Traditions coupled together make no an entire body of the Christian doctrine They also freely conâ—â—sse that the Popes haue added from age to age divers Traditions according as they haue thought them necessary and that not only â—â— things of lesse importance but also in matters essentiall to the Christian faith Bellarmine in his 4. Booke of the § Est aut eÌ„ Prior partitio Traditionum est in diviâ—as Apostoâ—â—â—as Ecclesiastiâ—as Vnwritten word of God chap. 2. calleth some Traditions Divine which Iesus Christ hath taught by mouth haue not been set downe in writing Others he calleth Apostolique which the Apostles haue taught by word of mouth and never wrote them And the last hee calleth Ecclesiasticall which hee Ecclesiastica Traditiones proprie dicuntur consuetudines quaedâ— antiqua veâ— a Praesulibus vel á 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 paularim tacito consensa populorum vâ—m legis obtinuerunt Ideâ— habâ—t Saâ—meron Tom. 13. Disp 8. saith are introduced from ancient customes by the Prelates or by the people and creepingly by the silent and vnquestioning agreement of the people haue gayned as it were strength of law In which distinction hee clearely acknowledgeth that the Traditions which he stileth Apostolique are not Divine and that Ecclesiasticall are neither Divine nor Apostolicall Whence it is manifest with what subtiltie our adversaries commonly attribute the title of Apostolicall to all Traditions indifferently as if they were all derived from the Apostles and how falsely they comprehend Traditions under the title of The vnwritten word of God when as by their owne confessions a great part of these Traditions is not the Word of God For Traditions that are not divine are necessarily humane And this is evidently seene in the Prayer Bookes for certaine houres and the duties wherwith they charge the people unto whom they first commit Gods ten Commandements and then the commandements of the Church which is an argument of their confession that the commandements of the Church are not Gods commandements In this interim the Councell of Sess 4 Trent at the before recited place maketh no difference betweene Traditions avouching that theâ— are all received with like affectioâ— of pietie and reverence as the holâ— Scripture equalleth those Ecclesiasticall Traditions brought in bâ— the Popes at severall times to thâ—â— ten commandements of the divine Law and to the Doctrine of the Gospel written in the New Testament The same Cardinall disputing against Barkley touching the Popes power to depose Kings and cause them to bee killed as also concerning his authoritie over all the Temporaltie of the world not finding either in Scripture or in ancienâ— History of the Church any passage or example to countenance and underprop so abhominable a Bellarm. in Barkl cap. 3 Non
the great Whore the signification of the seuen stars and the Sense or exposition of the dreames are called Sacraments Apoc. 3. 1. and 17. 7. Dan. 2. 18. Touching the Holy Supper which wee call Sacrament herein wee follow the custome and by the word we vnderstand no other thing but that which Iesus Christ calleth a memoriall or commemoration saying Doe this in remembrance of me CHAP. XXI A proofe of the sufficiency and perfection of the Scriptures by the Testimony of God himselfe speaking in the Scriptures WEe haue offered to your vnderstandings both the novelty and falshood of Romish Traditions and have proued that they are neither Diuine nor Apostolicall It is therefore to be concluded that we ought entirely to adhere to the word of God contained in the Holy Scriptures for in two wayes when the one is blocked vp there remaineth but the other that is passable Our aduersaries themselues aide vs in this point The Popes hauing made so many decrees and decretals and extravagants yet they dare not call these decrees the word of God Yea they produce no other booke then the Scripture that beareth this title of the word of God or of the Testament or Couenant of God This single proose may suffice vnlesse we would embrace the word of men for a rule of faith Our aduersaries againe tell vs that the Holy Scripture cannot testifie of it selfe and when it is â—aile ' Iesuite 〈◊〉 1. traittâ— de son Catechisme Bellarm. lib. 4 de Verbo Dei cap. 4. § Quartâ— called Holy and Divine It is â— more to be credited then Titus Livius or Mahumets Alcoran But let them know that this is Gods true Prerogative to be Iudge and witnesse in her cause who being the party offended will not forget at the last day to be Iudge of those that have offended him Hearken to that of Iesus Christ speaking at the 8. of S. Iohn 14. Though I beare record of my selfe yet my record is true and worthy to be beleeued For God is not therefore to bee the lesse beleued because there are so many incredulous and vnbeleeuing and the perversity of man shall neuer despoile God of his right It is a non sequitur and an vnjust inference that because of the malice and depravednes of man the dominion of God should suffer dimunition Therefore wee will not feare to alledge the Scripture for proofe of the perfection of the Scripture Wee know that the authenticke Testimony which God giueth to his word can be no way taxed or iustly suspected The Apostle Saint Paul in the 2. to Tim 3. 15. speaketh thus to his disciple Timothy From thine in fancie thou hast knowne the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise vnto saluation through faith which is in Christ Iesus Now what need we seeke any further then to bee so instructed as that wee may be able to attaine vnto saluation by our beleefe in Iesus Christ To shifâ— off this passage of Saint Paul to Timothy our aduersaries tell vs that Saint Paul speaketh not in that place but onely of the bookes of the old Testament and yet at that time the greatest part of the new was written But I am contented to grâ—â—t what they say for it maketh against them being assured that if the sole bookes of the old Testament can make a man wise to saluation much more and with stronger râ—ason shall the old and the new coupled together make vs wise to saluation The Holy Scripture neuer saith that vnwritten Traditions can make vs wise to saluation The Apostle had neuer sayd that the Scripture can make vs wise to salvation if it instructed vs but by halfes and if it were needfull for vs to seeke the other part of our instruction in another word that is vnwritten Where they say that Timothy could not learne out of the olde Testament the immortality of the soule nor Paradise nor the resurrection c. It hath bin formerly confuted Of the resurrection of Iesus Christ and of his death the Prophets speakâ— most clearely and all the sacrifices lead thereunto And when these things were lesse plainely and expressely set downe yet God required not of our forefathers before the comming of Christ a greater knowledge then that which was reuealed vnto them There are those who play the Sophisters vpon this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed by the Apostle and doe render it to instruct and not to make wise Wherein their owne Bible â—â—sâ— lâ— 18. an Grâ—c Phanâ—â—â—ni lâ—xâ—con 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teacheth the contrary for at the 19. Psal 7. There is in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the vulgar translation Sapientiam praestans parvâ—lis that is to say giuing wisedome to the simple And at the 119. Psal 98. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where Pagnin rendreth it tu me sâ—pientiâ—rem reddidisti inimicis meis Thou hast made mee wiser then minâ— enemies But vpon the point it commeth all to one for it sufficeth vs to bee instructed to saluation Saint Paul speaketh not of any curtal'd or halfe instrâ—ction Hee is instructed to salvation who hath sufficient instruction to bee saved and whosoever is not wise to salvation is not instructed to salvation so are they one and the same thing But if the Scripture could make Timothy wise to salvation why should it not be as well sufficient to make others wise to salvation For if any man profit therein lessen then Timothy the reason is not because it is more perfect for one then for another but because one bringeth to it more light of spirit more affection and more attention then another and because God conferreth his knowledge more abundantly upon those that feare him and humbly crave the gist of understanding 2. The Apostle Saint Paul at 1 Cor. 4. 6. limiting the power of the Pastors of the Church saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man thinke above that which is written there it is above that which is written and not above that which I have written And whosoever imputeth to Beza that he translated it above that which I Iehan Iaubert pa. 306. have written is a detracting Calumniator 3. The same Apostle at Act. 26. 22. protesteth Hee never taught any thing save onely such things as the Prophets and Moses had foretold should come to passe He then confined his preaching to the Scriptures And he shall be a good Minister of Christ who after the example of Saint Paul shall bee able to say that hee never taught any thing except those things which Moses and the Prophets and Apostles disciples of the Prophets have taught If it be moreover objected that Saint Paul being restrained to the writings of the Prophets it shall follow that the writings of the Apostles who have written since the Prophets are unprofitable I will answere that the Apostles have written the same things that the Prophets have written for as much as concerneth the substance of salvation but they have
added thereunto much more cleerenesse and light 4. Yet the same Apostle at Act. 20. 27. speaketh to the Ephesians I have not shunded to declare unto you all the counsell of God Whereupon it followeth that the essentiall things of faith which Salmeron formerly told us were added since the Apostles time and not taught of them either by mouth or by writing are not of the counsell of God Of which additions in matters of religion of the greatest importance we have already vouched many examples especially out of the confession of our Adversaries themselves It would bee impertinent to reply that by the same reason it should bee said that the Gospel of Saint Iohn and the Apocalypse are not of the counsell of God because they were noâ— then written when Saint Paul said he had declared all the counsell of God For these two bookes containe not any doctrine which is not found in the other bookes of the new Testament and which the Apostles have not taught by mouth and by writing 5. At Deut. 4. 2. and 12. 3. God speaketh thus Ye shall not adde to the word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it Hee doth not say you shall not change or alter any part or you shall not teach any thing to the contrary but you shall adde nothing and diminish nothing As to diminish defalse something from the Law of god is not to foist in a contrary câ—mandement so also to adde doth not signifie to impugne Put the case it were not forbidden to adde and that it should bee spoken thus You shall change nothing of my word yet the Pope would still be culpable of having infringed this restraint by attributing to himselfe the power of changing the Lawes and Ordinances of God and of dispensing against the Apostle In the bookes of the hourely prayers of our Lady according to the custome of Rome the ten Commandements of God are placed in the entrance The third is couched in these termes Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath and festivall dayes Can any thing bee more plainely added to the Commandement of God Therefore if it were prohibited to adde to the Law of Moses without which was then no Doctrine of salvation there is no colour or appearance that at this time the Law of Moses the Prophets the Evangelists and Apostles are not sufficient and that it is lawfull to adde unwritten Traditions thereunto And let it not seeme strange that the bookes of Moses alone were then sufficient unto salvation for whosoever will examine the books of Ioshua of the Iudges of the Prophets who did set forth their writings afterwards shall finde that they adde nothing to the Doctrine of salvation which is contained in the bookes of Moses onely they adde some confirmatory examples of the promises and menaces of God some histories of the chastisements judgements and deliverances of the Chuâ—ch some Prophecies and future events some particular expositions of that which the law of Moses spake in generall and some commaundements made to some particular one which were not generall Lawes nor perpetuall in the Church As for the Oracles which God gave amongst the Cherubins they were not Doctrines nor Canons of Religion but answeres upon future successes or upon the estate of the present affaires of peace or warre It is true that Iesus Christ and the Apostles have since given a more ample instruction but I say that whilst the Church had no other divine bookes but those of Moses they were sufficient to salvation for the Church ought to be contented with that measure of knowledge which God hath revealed But in succeeding ages if God revealeth something more then he had done before and pâ—esenteth himselfe more obviously to humane understandings this falleth out necessary for those unto whom Gods pleasure is to have himselfe manifested That Noses hath not distributed unwritten Traditions to the people see his owne testimony at Deut. 31. 24. in these words And it came to passe when Moses had made an end of writing the words of the Law in a booke untill they were finished that he commanded the Levites which bare the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord saying Take this booke of the Law and put it in the side of the Arke c. 6. After the death of Mâ—ses God gave to Ioshua no other precept or document â—hen this very booke as hee himselfe speaketh to Ioshua in the first Chapter Be strong and courageous that thou mayest observe to doe according to all the Law which Moses my servant commanded thee turne not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest This booke of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night Surely God in this Law of Moses commandeth to obey the Soueraigne sacrificing Priest as also the Leuites and the Iudges not when they should adde to the Law of God but when they should teach this Law as it is said at the 17. of Deut. 9. and 11. Where also the Kings are commanded to haue the booke of the Law of God alwayes before their eyes and to read therein all the dayes of their life verse the 18. and the 19. 7. None of our adversaries durst yet deny that the doctrine of the Gospell is sufficient to salvation or gaine-fay that the Gospell is found whole and entire in the new Testament Otherwise the title were false and we should be forced to change the inscription and set it downe part of the Gospel untill the Pope doth publish the second part or else bee compelled to seeke the other part of the Gospel in the unwritten word which is not to bee found For our aduersaries would never suffer it to bee compiled and reduced into one body nor doe they divulge any booke which is called the word of God except the Holy Scripture Some answere that the bookes Iehan Iaubert p. 308. of the Gospell which are in the new Testament doe containe all the Gospel but implicitely that is to say after an involued and imbroyled manner the force of conscience hath extorted those words from them for if the service of Images adoration of Reliques Pardons of one hundred thousand yeeres single life of Priests succession of the Pope in the Apostleship of Saint Peter restraint of reading the Scripture c. are contained in the bookes of the new Testament they must bee lurking after an inveloped and obscure manner for no man could euer descry them to bee therein Those that extract oyles and salts out of the stones would idly imploy their knowledge therein For to speake in generall without any specification that the Scripture approoueth Traditions is but a mockery under this vaile or shaddow there is neither tyranny nor idolatry nor bartering traffique but may abound and bee practised in the Church presupposing without proofe that these are the Traditions which the Scripture meaneth for the Pope so
iudgeth of them who cannot erre in the Faith though all these Traditions tend onely to his profit 8. I affirme the same of the title of the whole Bible being called the Testament or Covenant of God which Title must bee changed if the Scripture be but a part of Gods Testament It were deluding of the World to call contract of marriage a parchment that containeth but the moyetie of the clavses of the contract or to call Testament that which is but a part of the disposall of the last will 9. Towards the conclusion of the Apocalips the Lord Iesus speaks as followeth I testifie vnto euery man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this booke If any man shall adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke Vpon which passage the Councell of Friuly speaketh thus Concilium Porojuliense Nam in Apocalypsi Iohannes Apostolus sub vnius libri appellatione de tota vtriusque Testamenti se is contestatus est dicens Si quis apposuerit ad hac apponet Deus omnes plagas scriptas in libro hoc In the Apocalips Iohn the Apostle vnder the name of one booke hath protested concerning the whole series or prosecvâ—ion of both Testaments saying If any man adde to these things God shall adde to him the plagues that are written in this booke 10. The Apostle Saint Iohn at the 20. Chapter of his Gospell 31. saith These things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ and that beleuing yee might haue life through his Name Vpon which passage Cyrill of Alexandria Cyrill lib. 12. in IohaÌ„ cap. ultimo Non igitur omnia qua fecit Dominus coÌ„scripta sunt sed qua scribentes taÌ„ ad mores quaÌ„ ad dogmata putaverunt sufficere vt recta fide operibus as virtute rutil aÌ„tes ad regnum coelorum pervâ—niamus speaketh in this maner All things which our Lord hath done are not written but those things onely which they that did write them haâ—e beleeued to be suffâ—cient to the end that shining in true faith workes and vertue wee may attaine to the Kingdome of heauen 11. Our Lord Iesus at the 15. of Mat. 3. spake to the Pharisees Why doe ye transgresse the commandement of God by your Tradition Observe here that hee saith not yee contradict but ye transgresse the commandement of God by your Tradition Foâ— indeed the Pharisaicall Traditionâ— were for the most part simple aditions to the Law of God having appearance of devotion thingâ— no otherwise forbidden but aâ— God forbiddeth to adde to hiâ— word as to fast twise in a weeke to lengthen out their fringes anâ— Phylacteries of their garments tâ— wash themselues at returne froâ— market scrupulously to cleane thâ— pots and to accompt their pacâ— vpon the Sabbath 12. The Apostle to the Coloâ— chap. 2. 8. Beware lest any man spoâ— you through Philosophy and vaine â—â—ceit after the Tradition of men Aâ— that our aduersaries may not comâ— here to distinguish humane Trâ—ditions from those which â—â— Church of Rome will have to â—â— imbraced for divine and Apostolicall the Apostle specifieth and chiefely condemneth certaine traditions found to be amongst those that are taught by the Church of Rome to wit service of Angels observation of Feasts and the ordinance of those who vsing a distinction of meats did say eate not touch not tast not And this not because they thought the meates to be hurtfull or polluted in their nature but as the Apostle saith teaching these doctrines through voluntary deuotion and humblenesse of spirit in that they no way spare the body nor haue they respect to the fulnesse of the flesh 13. The same Apostle to the Ephesians 2. chap. 20. groundeth our faith upon the Prophets and the Apostles Being built saith he vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles If our faith be grounded upon the unwritten word it is behouefull there be another foundation then the Prophets Apostes For if our adversaries say that S. Paul understandeth the Church to be grounded upon the word of the Apostles aswell written as unwriten they oblige themselues to say the same of the doctrine of the Prophets and also to forge unto us Prophetical Traditions unwritten which were never mentioned or spoken of about Saint Pauls time morâ—ouer we have formerly heard our adversaries maintaining that there are more things essentiall in Religion then the Apostles have taught by mouth or writing 14. At the 16. chapter of Saint Luke 26. the wicked rich man being in hell requesteth Abraham that one amongst the dead should be sent to his brethren to give them advertisement and warne them of their duties least that they should tumble into the like torment to whom Abraham maketh answere They haue Moses and the Prophets let them hearken to them Which is cleerely to say that they ought to content themselves with the Doctrine of Moses and the Prophets which was read in the Synagogues every Sabbath without expecting other revelation For Iesus Christ speaketh of â—he unhappie rich man as of a man that had lived under the old Testament during the time that the Church had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no other Doctrine but that of the bookes of Moses and the Prophets Chrysostome doth so understand it in his Commentary upon Galat. 1. Abraham being required to send Lazarus answereth they have Moses and the Prophets if they hearken not to them nâ—ither will they beleeve the dead raised up to life Now Iesus Christ bringeth in Abraham speaking thus to declare that hee would have more faith ascribed to the Scriptures then if the dead were called backe to life 15. At Gal. 1. 8. Though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which wee have preached unto you let him be accursed The vulgar translation of our Adversaries interpreteth this passage as we doe Licet nos aut Angelus de coelo evangelizet vobis praeterquam quod evangelizavimus vobis anathema sit Consider now that this translation which the Councell of Trent declareth to be onely authenticall rendereth it praeterquam not contra that is to say other then but not contrary For though this word praeter sometime signifieth contra yet praeterquam cannot be so taken and praeterquam quod can import nothing else but other then that So though the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. in Ep. ad Gal. Nâ—que enim si contraria soluÌ„ praedicaverint intulit sed si Evangelisaverint praeter id quod ipsi evaengeli savimus hoe est fi plusculum quippiam ipsi adiecerint Tertull. de praescr ca. 8 Hoc â—rius credimus non esse quod vltra credere debeamus Et cap. 14. Nihil vltra scire omma scire est Et cap. 29. Etsi Angelus de coelo aliter evangelisaverit vltra quaÌ„ nos anathema sit signifieth sometimes contra yet our
A LEARNED TREATISE OF TRADITIONS LATELY SET FORTH in French by PETER DU MOULIN And faithfully done into English by G. C. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 5. 34. Si aut Evangelio praecipitur aut in Apostolorum Epistolis aut Actibus continetur c. Observetur divina haec sancta Traditio Cypr. Epist 74. ad Pomp. LONDON Printed by Aug. Mathewes for Humphrey Robinson at the signe of the three Pigeons in Pauls Church-yard 1631. TO THE RIGHT Honorable my singular good Lord ROBERT Earle of Lindsey Baron of Willough by Bâ—akâ— Ershy Lord great Chamberlaine of England and Lord high Constable for this time being Lord Lieutenant of Lincolne-Shire and Vice-Admiâ—aâ—â— for the Coasts of that County Lord Worden of the Forest of Waltham Knight of the most noble Order of the 〈◊〉 and of his Majesties most Honorable privie Counsell My most honoured LORD IT is well knowne that your Lord ship can as readily interpret my Author in his owne language iaiome as being thus changed into our native and most familiar tongue Neverthelesse I have adventured asking pardon if my boldnesse give distaste to style your Lordship the Maecenas of this my handiworke My weakenesse and want of skill in every respect together with my forwardnesse and presumption to intermeddle out of my element have prompted me to flye to the sanctuary of your Lordships protection Such as expect that I should rather dedicate some Tacticks or booke of Chevalry to your Lordship may take this for satisfaction that I have well observed your true devotion to Religion which is the best ornament and addition to your Honour and great is the happinesse when Religion and Military profession are met in so Heroique a Center The variety arising from this copious subject of Traditions will invite your Lordship to read DU MOULIN with delight but their modern incrochment I meane the Romish upon the Church their presumptuous comparison with the sacred Scripture will force your Lordship to reject them with scorne and greatest loathing Cast your eye upon this little volume and vouchla e it your favourable opinion such countenance will giv it life receive it into your Lordships pat oâ—age for to that end I have presented it and in that security I humbly leave it recommending your Lordship to Gods holy safeguard Your Lordships most humble and faithfull Servant G. C. To the Reader COurteous Reader When you set apart some houres for serious studies imploy a few to the reading of this short Enchiridium a most exact survey of Romish Traditions You will finde them here arraigned by divine testimonies of Scripture by solid interpretations of the Fathers by effectuall perswasions of reason by the ridiculous impossibilities of their owne sufficiency and by the selfe-contradictions and confessions of all Projectors and Founders of them The Frontispice doth shew my Authour to bee French and I have copied out his sense into our mother Tongue as neere to life as my running pen would give mee leave If any man objâ—ct Whaâ— need of 〈◊〉 amidit so many unparallei'd Original composed by the 〈◊〉 of our Church at home I answer wiâ—h a quâ—st Is it not pity â—o learned a booke amoâ—st us refoâ—mâ—d Christian should be guilty of that Anâ—â—christian Traditiâ—n cast upon the Scripture Not to be published in a knowne tâ—ngue 〈◊〉 let me not wade over deepe into the commendation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 left a consure of Tractet fabrilia or some 〈◊〉 c. recoile upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man ought to guide himselfe by the measure of â—is owne ability It is true that I was never worâ—hy to make this holy Knowledge my Profession vet my zâ—ale to it is such hat if I may nor act he part of an Encomiasles in the merit of DU MOULIN and hi Work I must take leave to gaze on him with silent admirat on and passing over particularities with this briefe Character onely to point at him For generall and profound schese ship hee is Extra invidtae aleam doctus What can bee said more Let it suffice that I have named him Qui cognoist son nom assez entend son renom His meere name is the individuall cognizance of his same Pardon me if I yet stretch a nore higher in praise of him it is his due it cannot bee omitted without a nationall ingratitude And what should it be but his ingenuous perseverance to this very day in vindicating the sacred honour of his late Majestie the learned King IAMES of most happy and immortall memory from the unjust redargution of Cardinall Perron in a booke which hee hath written against the said late King as by those often quotations in this Treatise expresly made may plainely appeare In the last place my friendly Reader if you afford mee a favourable construction of this my undertaking and connive at such errours as you meet with you have done to my wishes and in requitall I passe my word that whatsoever is lame and defective or verbally mistaken at the Presse in this translated forme you shall finde supplied in the reall goodnesse of the Authors matter Reade and profit G. C. Errata Page 136. line 14. themselves never appeare reade themselves appeare not p. 183. l. 1. as r us p. 194. l. 11. word r. world p. 195. l. 13. containe r. continne p. 196. l. 3. in eist r. insist p. 221. l. 13. stromatae r. stromata l. 20. book of history r. of his history p. 239. l. 3. asleepe r a sleepe p. 245. l. â—â— as for that r. for example that p. 294. l 2. contractions â— contradictions p. 298. l. 4. aâ—guments r. arguments p. 312 l. 19 hath determed r. hath beene determined l. 22. ceterminations r. determinations p. 314 l. 4. passe r. passage p. 319. l. 11. non plus to r. non plus is to l. 22 touch r couch p. 320. l. 12. for used r. for be used p. 336. l. 9. Dotanists r. Donatists p. 348. l. 4. barge r. barre A Table of the Chapters in this Treatise of TRADITION Chap. 1. COncerning the nature of this Controversie p. 1. Chap. 2. Of the word Tradition p. 22. Chap. 3. The beliefe of our Churches The Calumny of Regourd p. 24. Chap. 4 The opinion of the Romish Church That our Adversaries with one consent accuse the Scripture of insufficiency c. pag. 31. Chap. 5. That our adversaries say there are Doctrines and Articles of Christian Faith yea in the very essentiall things which the Apostles have neither taught by mouth nor writing pag. 45. Chap. 6. A proofe of the same because our Adversaries doe affirme that the Pope and the Church of Rome may change that which God commandeth in the Scriptures and infringe the Apostles Commandements p. 60. Chap. 7. Passages extracted one of the writings of our Adversaries which prove that in the Church of Rome Traditions are without comparison more esteemed then the holy Scripture and the Scripture charged with Injuries Regourds boldnesse to defame the same
lawfull to adde diminish or change Hereby we intend not absolutely to reject all Tradition for if there bee a Tradition that addeth nothing to the Scripture but serveth onely to maintaine her authoritie and perfection wee imbrace that most willingly Such a Tradition is that the Books of the old and new Testament are sacred and Canonirall This Tradition is so far from adding to the Scripture that on the contrary it sayeth that nothing ought to be added thereunto Neither is it without the compasse of the Scripture seeing that it springeth and results from the perfection of the Scripture it selfe and the credit or testimony that a Church bee it true or false conferreth upon these Bookes is but a probable and humane testimony vntill God giving efficacie to this Scripture to touch and stirre vp devotion imprinteth in it a more effectuall perswasion For it is not the Church that giveth faith but the spirit of God that worketh in our hearts by his powerfull word As a river that passeth through a towne is sufficient to refresh and water it throughout yet notwithstanding is it behoouefull that some Pipe or channell should conduct it from the source into the place so the holy Scripture is sufficient to instruct vs to salvation neverthelesse it must come to vs as it were by the course of successiue Tradition Such a Tradition addeth no more to the Scripture then the channell addeth to the water of the River Also when wee reject unwritten Traditions we intend not to reject all the words that are not found in the Scripture in regard that wee may there finde the matter in substance and equivalent termes and that these words doe add nothing to the doctrine of salvation contained in the Scriptures Such are the termes of Gods providence and of the Immortalitie of the soule Likewise the words of Trinitie Consubstantiall and the Procession of the holy Ghost words profitably imployed by our forefathers to make that perspicuous which is contained in the Scriptures and to shut vp heretikes into a more narrow strait Also wee willingly admit of unwritten Traditions which concern not the doctrine but onely the Ecclesiasticall pollicie and outward order in regard that such Lawes and Customes are not given for absolutely necessary and equalled with the doctrine of salvation as also because they serue not the Pastors use for traffique avarice or ambition and that in this order and outward pollicie there is nothing dishonest and contrary to good morality or that may expose the Christian Religion to ridiculousnesse and lastly because that with these Ceremonies and observations the multitude is not excessiue neither doe they divert the piety by postures of the countenance or the spirituall service by corporall exercise For as the Romans having conquered a Province did amuse the people with Sports and pompous Triumphes feasting them with their spoyles whilst they were then busie in plotting and aggravating the peoples servitude so doth the enemie of our salvation amuse the people by the splendour of Ceremonies whilst hee then inthralleth consciences and tacitely insinuateth idolatry to which the very inclination of the people doth much contribute For a man naturally loveth rather to recreate his sense then to instruct his understanding to behold publike spectacles then heare wholesome doctrines to admire pictures then edifie by good precepts and findeth lesse difficultie to shape stones to the image of man then to unshape or reforme man to the image of God Our confession then rejecteth onely the Traditions that adde something to the doctrine of faith manners contained in the Scripture and which are given forth to supply that which is thought to be wanting in the doctrine of the holy Scriptures The Iesuire Regourd in his booke Pag. 786. 787. intitled Catholike Demonstrations in the sixt Demonstration proposeth salsely our Beliefe Hee alledgeth the wordes of the fift Article of our confession of the faith where hee makes vs say that the Word of God contained in the Bookes received by vs is guided with all veritie and containeth all that is necessary for the service of God and for our owne salvation and that by it all things ought to be examined and squared Antiquity Customes the Multitude humane Wisdome Iudgements Sentences Edicts Decrees Councells Visions Miracles But he changeth the words of our Confession by a most notorious falsification for we say only that these things must not bee opposed against the Scripture Marke our very words It is not lawfull for men nor Angals to adde thereunto nor diminish nor change Whence it followeth that neither Antiquitie nor Customes nor the Multitude c. ought to be opposed against the holy Scripture We condemne not Antiquitie nor Councels as Regourd imposeth upon vs but wee say that hee that would oppose these things against the Scripture ought not to bee beleeved Wee affirme this because our Adversaries say that the Romish Church may change that which God hath commanded in the Scripture dispense Gods word contrary to the Apostle and estaâ—lish new Articles of Faith wherof we haue set downe multitudes of proofes in the forepart of our first Booke and will produce more here following CHAP. IV. The opinion of the Romish Church That our Adversaries with one consent accuse the Scripture of insufficiency and of not containing all the doctrines necessary to salvation WHen our Adversaries dispute against Pagans and compare the holy Scripture with humane wisedome they exalr the sanctitie perfection authoritie perspicuity and divine efficacy of the holy Scripture yea you would imagine they accorded with vs and borrowed our termes But when the question is of comparing the Scripture with the church of Rome then alter they their language debasing the dignitie of the Scripture to the end to magnifie the authoritie of the Pope They vphold that the Scripture is not Iudge that this title appertaines unto the Pope and to the Prelates which he authoriseth then I say they make all authoritie of the Scripture to depend upon the power and testimonie of the Romish Church They accuse the Scripture of incertitude of being depraved of obscuritie of insufsiciencie and imperfection But if one represent vnto them their owne proper words wherein they commend the perfection of the Scripture and acknowledge that it containeth all that is necessary to salvation they haue an evasion ready at hand for they say that the Scripture may bee called â—erfect because she referreth to the â—hurch which supplyeth all her â—efects Wherein they apparantly â—putradict themselues For if the Scriptures send back to the church to learne of her wherein they are de fectiue by the same message and â—â—nding backe they confesle their â—wne imperfection The Merchant that sendeth away his Chapman to another shop to finde that which hee hath not in his owne by this dismission hee confesseth that his owne shop is ill furnished And if it be sufficient for the Scripture to be called perfect when as she sends is to the Church it
is most cerâ—aine that instead of all the Scripâ—ure one sole line might suffice spcaking thus Goe but to the Church of Rome and shee will teach you all things infallibly Now to vnderstand what is the imperfection where of our adversaries accuse the Scripture let vâ—â— obserue what they discourse vpon the same The Councell of Trent in the fourth Session pronounceth that the Church shall receâ—ue and honour the vnwritten Traditions with equall affection of piety and reverence as the holy Scripture The hallowed Synod say these Fathers Omnes libros tam veterus quam novi Testamenta nec non Traditiones ipsas tum ad fiaem tum ad mores pertinentes tanguam vel ore tenus à Christo vel à Christo vel à spiritu sancto dictatas pari pietatis affectu ac reve reÌ„tia suscipit ac veneratur receaues and honoureth with like affection of godlinesse and reverence all Bookes as well of the Old as the New Testament and the Traditions appertaining to faith and manners as dictated onely by the mouth of Christ or by his holy spirit Yea by this decree the commandements of the Church of Rome are equall to the Law of God and the doctrine of the Gospell contained in the New Testament By this rule the Invocation of Saints commanded by Tradition ought to bee done with like pietie and reverence as the Invocation of God commaunded in the holy Scripture By the authoritie of this Councell Catechismus ad pa ochos ex Decrete Conâ—tly arid Py 4. Pont. Max. iussis editus Omnis aoctrinae ratio quae fidelibus trâ—aeda sit quod in Scripturam traditionésque distributum est a Catechisme was framed which in the very entry and be ginning placeth this Maxime that all doctrine which ought to be given to the faithfull is contained in the Word of God which is divided into Scripture and Traditions whence grew vp the distinction of the word written and unwritten Gregory de Valentia the Iesuite in the fift Booke of his Analysis and Scripturans non esse sufficientem fides regulaÌ„ quta non continet omnia Title of the third Chap. The Scripture is not a sufficient rule of faith for it containeth not all things Cardinall Bellarmine a Iesuite in his Booke of the Vnwritten word Scripturas sine Traditioniâ—us nec fuisse fimpliciter necessarias nec sâ—fficientes Chap. 4. The Scriptures without Traditions are not simply necessary nor sufficient And there againe he calleth the Scripture regulam non totalem sed partialem a rule not entire but a piece or parcell of a rule The Iesuite Baile in the 9 question of his Catechisme I will make you poynt it with your finger that the Scripture is not sufficient Peter Charren in the fourth Chap. of his third Verity saith that to require all to bee proued by Scripture is an vniust demand And not much after The Scripture is nothing but a little par cell of truth revealed Part. 3. disp 8 § 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stultum est omnia ab Apostolus scripta putare vol omnia abâ—â—is tradita 〈◊〉 Etin iniurtam vergerat agentis râ—velantis Spiritus Et insuave esset natura nostre quae omnia simul non capit Salm ron the Iesuite in his 13. Tome of the first Booke of his Commentaries vpon the Epistles of Saint Paul It is a sottishnesse to thinke that the Apostle haue written all things or haue given all by Tradition that would turne to an injury against the holy Ghost operating and revealing and it would bee a thing repugnant to our nature that comprehenaeth not all things at a clap Of which vn written Traditions that haue been started since the Apostles time he fercheth some examples to wit the Ecclesiasticall § Quint. opus Hierarchy that is to ay the Papall Monarchy with the subordinate degrees the service of Images and §. Postremo the suffrages of the dead the Masse and manner of sacrificing and the §. Porro Tradition that Iesus Christ hath made a sacrifice in bread and wine that he then made the Chrisme c. Hee rendreth the reason why these things should not be written to the end that the Commandement §. Quint. opus Haec literis coÌ„signari minimè debuerisnt â—â— soruaretu praecepiuÌ„ Christi Nolite dare sanctum canibus of Iesus Christ bee kept who chargeth in this manner Giue not to dogs that which is holy Vpon this Iesuites reckoning the doctrine of the birth and death of our Saviour was given to dogs when it was digested in writing And God gaue his Law to dogs when he wrote it in two Tables But as for the Papall Hierarchy Image-service Romish Indulgences Invocation of Saints c. God would not haue such holy things to be cast to dogs nor hath he permitted them to be written And there againe Waxing insolent § Tertio Protervire voientes scriptuâ—â— refelli non possunt idea una tradiâ—â—one lugulandi sunt and froward they cannot bee vanquished by the Scriptures therfore must their throats be cut with one Tradition alone Coster a Iesuite in the Preface of Pâ—aefat Enchiâ—â—d Nostri toporis haretici ad solas Sâ—ipturas tanquam ad laxum adharescunt Idem cap de sacra script In membranis tam nâ—vi guae veteris Test aÌ„ multa desiderantur In ea tamen oâ— nta non contineri valde impudeÌ„ter affirmare non verentur A Christe videtur cautum ne omniâ— fider dogmata scriptu coÌ„mendarmtur dum ait Nolite dare sanctum canibus his Manuell The Heretiques of our time doe sticke to the Scriptures as to a rock That displeaseth the Doctor for saith hee In the Parchments as well of the Old as New testament many things are wanting And further they feare not to affirme with great impudence that all things are contained in the Scripture And a little after It seemes that Iesus Christ forbad all the doctrines of Faith to be couched in writing when hee sayd Giue not to â—ggs that which is holy As if the Scripture were made for the dogs And who may these dogs bee but the Christian people Now seeing that Iesus Christ hath given the Scripture to these dogs that is to say to the people wherefore doth the Pope take from them that which Iesus Christ hath given unto them in debarring them of the reading Reason would require that our Adversaries specifie vnto vs what are the Doctrines that are wanting in the Scripture and that they make us a catalogue of their Traditions But they haue not dared to doe it hitherto fearing to affright the people with the multitude of doctrines which they haue patched to the word of God We learne by the History of the Hist del Concilio Trident. lib. 2. Ann. 1546. Councell of Trent that besides the publike Sessions of the Councell they caused Congregations to be made of Prelates and Doctors to make draughts of the Decree which should bee
recte de Ecclesia sentit qui nihil admit tit nisi quod expresse in veteri Ecclesia sumpenÌ„ aâ—t factuÌ„ essâ— legit quasi Ecclesia osterioris temporis aut desierit esse Ecclesia aut facuitate non habeat explicaâ—â— et acclarandi costiruenat etiam 〈◊〉 qua au 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christianon perâ—â—onâ— doctrine defendeth himselfe in this manner He judgeth not rightly of the Church who admitteth nothing but what hee expresly readeth to haue â—en practised or done in the ancient â—hurch as if the Church of these â—tter times had câ—ased to be a Church â— had not power to vnfold and dâ—clare â—a to establish and ordaine the things â—â—at appertaine to fayth and manners â—f Christians This power then of â—he Pope over the life and crowne â—f Kings is not a divine Tradition â— or Apostolike but Ecclâ—siasticall â—rought in by the church of Rome â—n latter times that is to say by â—he Pope And when our adversaries attribute to the Pope the power of adding to the Creed and of making articles of Faith it is apparant that they hold the Pope able to bring in Traditions essentiall to Christian faith which the Apostles haue neither written nor taught by word of mouth This is that which Thomas Aquinas Them 2. â—â— qâ— 1. are 10. Ad solam ar theritate 〈◊〉 â—â—◠〈◊〉 is pertinot noua editie symboli sicut alia omnia qua pertinent ad toram Ecclâ—siam teacheth in the second part of his Summs saying It belongeth sâ—lely to the authority of the soveraigne Pope to make a new edition of Creed as also all things that concerne the vniversall Church Vpon which passage Andradius that assisted at the Counsell of Trent spake thus in the second Booke of the defence 〈◊〉 Pontifices â—â—lte defini 〈◊〉 qua anto 〈◊〉 symbolâ— fidei 〈◊〉 consu 〈◊〉 of the Tridentine faith The Romane Pontifies in defining many things which had been formerly hidden haue accustomed to augment the Creed This question hath been moved to the Councell of Florence betweene the Greekes and Latines the Latines maintaining against the Greekes that the Pope and church of Rome may adde to the Creed Finally in the last Session is concluded in favour of the Latines Ipsi necessitate â—â—gente iure suo particulaâ— illam ex filioque symbolo app◠〈◊〉 licuisso that the Church of Rome hath right of power to adde to the Creed and in the margent is noted Rom Pontificis potestas the power of the â—ope for by the church you must â—understand the Pope To this doth the Iesuite Vasques â—gree who disputing of the Apoâ—les commandement that biddeth â—he people of Corinth 1. Cor. 11. vers 28 to eate of this bread and Vazques Tom. 2. Disp. 216. NuÌ„ 60. Licet coÌ„cederemus hoc fuisse ApostoloruÌ„ praceptuÌ„ rithilomâ—n us Ecclesia summus PoÌ„tifex potuerunt illud iÌ„ustis de causis abrogare Neque enim maior fuit porestas Apostolorum quam Ecclesia Pontificu in ferendu praceptis drinke of this cup speaking thus Though we should graunt that it hath been the Apostles commandement yet neverthelesse the Church and the sove raigne Pope were able to abolish this commandement vpon just reasons for the power of the Apostles to giue commaundements hath not been greater then that of the Church and the Pope Seeing therefore that the Pope hath as much power over the Church as the Apostles and that the Apostles haue had the power to forme a Creed and to establish in the Church Articles of Faith which had not beene written before nor taught by word of mouth in the Church it followes that the Pope hath the same power and that he can forma a Creed or adde to that which the Apostles haue formed and can ordaine matters which the Apostles haue neither written nor taught by mouth Whereupon Leo the tenth in his Bull Exurge which is annexed to the end of the last Lateran Councell thundereth and pronounceth an anathema again â— Luther for having spoken amongst other things Certum est in manis Ecclesis aut Papa proorsus noÌ„ esse 〈◊〉 artiâ—ulos fides that it is no way in the power of the Church or of the Pope to establish articles of faith Salmeron the Iesuite is expresse in his 13 Tome and the third part Disp 6. â— est ergo Doctrina â—dei admitit additioneÌ„â— essentialius of the sixth Disputation saying The doctrine of faith suffereth addition in the things that are essentiall These words are worth observation for if you beleeue this Iesuite the Pope and Church of Rome â—â—ay adde to the Traditions that â—re called Apoâ—tolicall and to the â—â— written word not only matters â—ccidenâ—all but also essentiall not â—aught by the Apostles Which â—ikewise doth iâ—feere that the Aâ—ostles haue not taught all that is â—ecessary to Christian Religion â—nd that then there wanted someâ—hing that was essentiall in the doctrine of the Apostles § Atque hoc c. Nec sub Apostolu omnia occur runt vt possent ab en omnia decidi Et in alio statu erat Ecclesia sub Apostolu quam sit modo vel fuenâ—â— post illa tempra Deinde natura nostra non omnia simul doceri potest c. In iniurtam igitur spiritus sanctâ— qui vngit vnctione â—a membra Christi qui vsque modo operatur reiicitur quicquid non est dudum ab Apostolis c. Possunt ergo esse nâ—uae traditiones ad fidem mâ—res spectaÌ„tes licet ab Apostolu noÌ„ sint conditâ— aut explicatâ— The same Iesuite in his 8. Disputation giues a reason why the Apostles haue not written nor preached all things The affayres saith hee in the Apostles time diâ— not so hit and fall out as that all things could bee decided and the Church at that time was of a condition differing from her now prâ—sent estate and from her estate since that very time Moreouer our nature cannot apprehend all things at once but by progresse and succession of time neither is it capable of all truths at a time c. It were then to abuse the holy Ghost that anâ—oynteth Christs members with oyntment and that operateth vntill thiâ— instant to reject all that hath not beeâ— spoken by the Apostles Whereupon he concludeth therefore may therâ— bee new Traditions concerning faith and manners though they were never made or explicated by the Apostles Now I leaue to judge with whaâ— conscience it may be maintained that the Traditions are ancient and Apostolicall seeing that our adversaries doe confesse that there are many of them moderne and new whereof the Apostles never spake word And to the ende that no man may conceaue these new Traditions to be spungie of no weight unnecessary or unessentiall to christian Religion he speakes directly that the new Traditions are touching faith and manners and that the â—â—ctrine of the Christian faith reâ—â—veth yet an addition even in â—ings that are essentiall
yea and â—ore expresly in the same 8. Disâ—tation §. Tertio varia Hins 〈◊〉 gi potest non omâ—â—a tradita esse ab Apostolu sed â—â— quâ— tunc â—eÌ„porâ— necessaria â—â— quâ— ad salutem credentâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence saith he may be colâ—cted that the Apostles haue not giuen â—l by Tradition but onely the thingâ—â—at then were necessary and that were â—oper for the beleevers salvation Acâ—ording to this Iesuites Tenet the Apostles haue not taught all that â—s necessary in these our dayes and â—here are now articles of faith necessary to salvation which in the Apostles time were not necessary Of the number of these new Traditions neither written nor preached by the Apostles and that are now decreed for necessary and essentiall to Religion are Romish Indulgences and Treasure of the Church wherein the Pope gathereth vp the superaboundance of satisfactions made by Saints anâ— Monkes and distributes them â—â— others by his Pardons to satisfiâ— the justice of God This is an essenâ—iall doctâ—ine of the Romish Religion and the arch or Buttresâ—â— that shoreth â—p Papisme For iâ— there any thing of more importance in Religion then the remission of sinnes and the meanes to satisfie the justice of God yet in this while our adversaries doe confesse that this is a new Doctrine and that there is found no trace or footstep of it in all Antiquitie as we shall hereafter discover When we produce the Councell of Laodicea and multitudes of Fathers Meliton Origen Eusebius Athanasius Epiphanius Hierome Gregory Nazianzen Hilary Ruffin c. that unanimously exclude the Books of Macabees out of the list of Canonicall books our adversaries â—nswer that then the apprehensions â—â—d opinions were much differing â—r that the Church had not yet â—ecided any thing vpon this point â—ere then by their own confession â—â— a Tradition which the Apostles â—ever taught nor decided either by â—outh or writing to wit that these Bookes of Maccabees are canonicall which they doe now falsely â—nsert amongst the Apostolicall Traditions In this classe I ranke Invocation of Saints adoration of Reliques and Images the painted Trinitie the power of the Pope to dispense with oathes and vowes to dispose of kingdoms and depose Kings to canonize Saints to release distressed soules out of Purgatory the Communion under one kinde the Limbus for little Infants private Masses particular mens prayers and publique service in an unknowne tongue the assumption â— the Virgin Mary bodily into heâ—ven together with her coronatioâ— in the dignity of Queen of heaven and Lady of the world and many other the like things wherein â— this present they make Gods Service to consist of these is the body of Papistry composed and herein are the people more carefully instructed and exercised then in the Doctrine of salvation contained in the holy Scripture All which are new Traditions and unheard of in the ancient church yea and that by the confession of our adversaries as we shall proue in fit place It would bee very proper and convenient to know when the Christian doctrine shall be perfect and whether the Popes shall ever be able to add new articles of faith thereunto And if it be so that the Apostles â—e neither taught by mouth or â—iting all the Doctrines essenâ—ly belonging to Christian â—th it would bee necessary to â—derstand whether the Apostles â—ew the Doctrines which thâ—y â—ue not taught for if they knew â—em why did they not publiqueâ— teach them why haue they â—ssembled Doctrines essentially â—elonging to Religion But if â—hey knew them not it must bee â—cknowledged that the Popes surâ—asse the Apostles in knowledge â—nd that Saint Paul deceiues himselfe when hee delivereth that hee had taught the Ephesians all â—he counsell of God Actes 2. vers 27. CHAP. VI. A proofe of the same because our aâ— versarâ—es doe affirme that the Popâ— and the church of Rome may changâ— that which God commandeth in thâ— Scriptures and infringe or nullâ—â— the Apostles commandements WHosoever teacheth thingâ— contrary to the Apostles consequently teacheth things that are differing and repâ—gnant The Traditions whereby the ordinance of Iesus Christ and the Apostles is changed and abrogated cannot be Apostolicall Traditions unlâ—sse we would haue the Apostles to be contrary to themselues Seeing then the Pope church of Rome attribute to themselues the power of altering the Apostles ordinances by their Traditions it followeth that they may make traditions â—â—ich the Apostles neuer taught â—â—er by mouth or writing This â—hat which is practised in the â—â—rch of Rome and that our adâ—saries doe openly maintaine We haue already heard the Ieâ—e Vasques speaking that the Vasques Tom. 3. disp 216. Num. 60. â—â—rch and soveraigne Pontifie may â—â—ish and breake the Apostles comâ—dement because the Apostles power â—iue precepts hath not been greater â—â— the Popes The Councell of Trent in the Pâ—â—terâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potestatâ—m pâ—rpeâ—â— in Ecclesia fâ—issâ— vt â—â— Sacraâ—â—tâ—râ—â— disp 〈◊〉 sâ— v◠〈◊〉 substantia â—â— sâ—â—â—ueret vel mâ—tares qua suscipientium vti â—itaâ—i magis expâ—â—râ— iudicâ—â—et â— Session chap. 1. 2. declareth â—t this power hath the Church aâ—â—â—es had in ministring of the Sacraâ—â—ts saving their substance to â—râ—â—e or alter that which shee judgeâ—â—â—st expedient for the vtility of thâ—se â—t receiue them This Councell â—deed specifieth that exception â—eir substance remaining safe but â—e Pope assumeth power to himâ—â—fe to judge and define in the authoritie of a Iudge what things â—â— Sacraments are essentiall or whether they bee so or no. By thâ— meanes hee boundeth his powâ—â— with what limits hee pleaseth anâ— changeth matters essentiall inâ— matters accidentall As for exaâ—ple it is essentiall to the Sacrameâ— of the holy Supper to be a signifâ—catiue signe of our participatioâ— of the body and blood of Iesâ— Christ This signification is dimâ—nished to the people by the privâ—tion Perron against the king of great Bretany in his Treatise of the Communion under both kinds p. â—108 of the Cup as Cardinall Perron ingenuously acknowledgethâ— It is essentiall to the Sacrament 〈◊〉 bee taken for the remission of sins â— as it was first instituted by thâ— Lord Now this essence is chaâ—ged in the Masses that are said â—â— the corne for horses and diseaseâ— sheepe for the successe of a voyagâ— c. It is likewise essentiall to thâ— holy Supper to be a communioâ— â—â—e Apostle telleth vs 1. Corinth â— The bread which wee breake is it â—he Communion with the bodie of â—â—st for as much as wee that are â—y in number are one bread and one 〈◊〉 This communion is aboliâ—d in private Masses where no â—â— doth communicate where 〈◊〉 man doth assist And these â—rds of the Institution Take eate 〈◊〉 become ridiculous since no 〈◊〉 is there either to take or eate â—â—e reall and propitiatory sacriâ—e of Christs body is it not of 〈◊〉 essence of the Masse yet is â—â—re an addition to the Lords Inâ—tution wherein is neither menâ—n made of sacrifice or of sacriâ—â—ing his
body or of making any â—lation to God The Pope then 〈◊〉 the Sacraments changeth essenâ—all things as well as accidentall â—nd by the way obserue but the â—ride of this Councell and detestable impietie to bee of opinioâ— that the Church of Rome knoweth better then Iesus Christ whâ— is expedient for the peoples saâ— vation Doeth not the Councell Constance in the thirteenth Session Lieut in Primitiva Ecclesia hususmodi SacramentuÌ„ reciperetus a fidelibus sub voâ—aque specis c. confesse that in the primitivâ— Church and consequently in thâ—â— of the Apostles this Sacrameâ— is to bee received by the faith full under both kinds yet after wards forbad the Cup to bee â—â—ven to the people This Tradiâ— tion which a little while sinoâ— hath changed the Apostles observation cannot bee an Apostolical Tradition The Glosse vpon the Canorâ— Lector in the foure and thirtieth Distinction of the Romish Decree saith that Papa dispensat contra Apostolum the Pope dispenseth againâ— the Apostle Pope Innocent the third saith in Innocent 3. Decret Deconcess prabend tit 8. cap. Proposuit SecunduÌ„ planitudinem potestat is de iure supra ius possumus dispensate manner Wee may according to fulnesse of our power dispose of the 〈◊〉 and dispense aboue the Law And â—reover the Glosse of the Docâ—rs addeth For the Pope dispenâ— against the Apostle and against the Testament as also in the vowes and â—hs And the Glosse of the Caâ—â— Sunt quidam in the 1. question the 25. cause Papa dispensat in angelio interpretando ipsum the â—pe dispenseth in the Gospell in â—ving it interpretation Cap. Quantà personam Non enim homo sed Deus separat ques Romanus Pontifox qui noÌ„ purs hominis sed veri Dei viceÌ„ gerit in terris EcclesiaruÌ„ necessitate pensata dissolvit In quae verba Glossa sic habet Etiam aliquid est secunduÌ„ quod homo tit de haret cum Christus Et est verus Deus verus homo gerens veri Dei vicem Vnde dicitur habere coeleste arbitriuÌ„ Etiam naturaÌ„ rerum immutat substantialia vnius reâ— applicando aly Et de nullo potest aliquid faecere Et sententiaÌ„ qua nulla est potest facere aliquam Quia in his qua vult ei est pro rations volunâ—as Nee est qui ei dicat cur ita facu ipse enim potest supra ius dispensare IdeÌ„ de iniustitta potest facere iustitiam In the first booke of Gregory the â—nth decretall at the 7. title Chap. â—e 3. wee haue an Epistle of Innoâ—nt the 3. where hee speaketh â—us Those which the Bishop of Rome â—th separate it is not a man that sepaâ—teth them but God For the Pope holeth place on earth not simply of a man â—ut of true God Which the Glosse â—xplaineth by the example of Iesus Christ who is very God at very man informing vs likewiâ— that the Pope though hee bee verâ— God yet leaueth not to bee somâ— thing the same that man is In proâ—secution where of the same Glossâ— declareth how far forth the Pope power doth exâ—end which is Thâ— he hath celestiall goverment and therâ— fore may change the nature of thingâ— applying the substance of the oâ—e to thâ— other of nothing can create something and a Decree that is void hee caâ— make it in force for in matters the hee will haue come to passe his will iâ— his reason and no mâ—n questioneâ— him wherefore doe you that for he caâ— dispense aboue the Law and of in iustice can make iustice and proueth all this by multitudes of Canons and Decrees Cardinall Bellarmine speakes as much in the 31. Chap. against In bono sensu dedit Christus Petro potestatem faciendi de peccato non peccatum de non peccato peccatum Barkley In good sense and judgement â—rist hath given to Peter and conseâ—ently to the Pope the power of maâ—g that to bee sinne which is no sinne It â—d that which is no sinne to be sinne It no wonder then if by the same â—wer he can make iustice to be inâ—tice and sinne to be no sinne that â— can nullifie the Apostles ordiâ—nces and make them vâ—iust as so cancell the old Traditions and Bell. lib. 4. de Pontet cap. 5 Si Papa erraret in pracipiendo vttia vel prohibenao virtutes teneretur Ecclesia credere vitia esse bona virtutes malas nisi vellet contra conscientiaÌ„ peccaro â—stablish new The same Cardinal â—roceedeth so farre as to say if â—he Pope erred in commanding vices â—nd forbidding vertues yet the Church â—hould bee obliged to beleeue that the â—ices are good and the vertues evill â—nlesse it would sinne against the â—onscience Andradius in his second booke of the defence of the Tridentiue Minime vero maiores nostri religione pietate excellentes ApostoloruÌ„ haec quamplurima alta decreta refigere in aniâ—mum induxissent nisi intelleâ—cissent c. Liquet eos minima errasse qui dicunt Rom. Pontif posse nonnunquam in legibus dispensare à Paulo primis 4. Concilijs Cum certuÌ„ sit noÌ„ omnia quae Apostols institueruÌ„t iure divino esse instituta faith acknowledgeth that His ancestors men excelling in piety haue broken and annulled many Decrees of the Apostles And moreover pronounceth this sentence It is evident that those haue not erred who say that the Romish Pontifies can sometimes dispense with obeying the Law of the Apostle S. Paul and the fower first Councells Whereupon Cardinall Tolet in his first booke of Sacerdotall institution Chap. 68. giveth this reason For all that the Apostles haue instituted is not ordained jure diuino that is to say it ought not to bee held for the word of God Now amongst the Apostles ordinances to discerne such as are jure diuino from those as are not the Church of Rome hath no other rule but the Popes will and pleasure who can make a commandement of the Apostle to bee or not to bee held for the word of God This venerable Cardinall giveth vs the Apostles commandement for an example 1. Timot. 3. Let the Bishop bee husband of one wife For the Pope can admit and allow of bigamies to the Priesthood Cardinall Perron in his booke against the King of great Bretaine Lib. 2. Observat 3. cap. 3. pag 674. makes a Chapter expresly to that purpose entitled Of the authority of the Church to alter matters contained in the Scripture And in the same booke in the Chapter that handleth the Communion vnder both kinds hee saith that when in Pag. 1109. 1115. the forme of the Sacraments some great inconveniencies are mett withall the Church may therein dispense and alter And speaking of the Lords commandement Drinke yee all of it hee maintaineth that this precept was not immutable nor indispensable alleadging that the Church hath judged that there may bee dispensation for it Charles Bovius in his obseruations vpon the 24. Chap.
defaults are therein found and giueth God thankes for it to the end that men finding no stedinesse or certainty in the Scripture may subiect themselues to the tyrannie of the Church that is to say of the Pope and there to find instruction these are his words The prouidence Demonstr 2. § 5. p. 128. of God to constraine vs yet more powerfully to vndergoe the yoke of the Church with humility and simplicity permitteth that there bee not only some alteration in certaine parcels of the Scripture and in some copie but the more the bookes of the Scripture are dispersed the more they shall alter and perish by tract of time whether they be in originall tongues or translations Without doubt hee that reioyceth at the deprauations which he imagineth to bee in Scripture and at the losse of some bookes and prayseth thererein the prouidence of God would much more solace himselfe and reioyce if all the Scripture were abolished For to what purpose serveth it if Tradition of the Church of Rome bee a perfect rule more certaine and of more authority then the holy Scripture and if the Pope iudge soueraignly and infallibly of all the points of faith for hee hath forbidden the people to reade the Scripture as a booke not onely unnecessary but also dangerous and that which hath made a great breach in the Popedome The same Iesuite pleaseth himselfe with this conceit of his inculcating it with often repetition As in the third Demonstration when he hath said that a man cannot assure himselfe of the sense of the Greeke Testament because it first was written without accents and distinctions whereon depends the sense hee addeth It is a worke of the providence of God to stoope our mindes and inclinations to the soveraigntie of the Church that is to say of the Pope who by consequence hath more authoritie then the Apostle S. Paul speaking to the Corinthians not that wee have dominion over your faith 2. Cor. 1. 24. But may not wee affirme it with more probability to be a worke of Gods providence that hee hath suffered so many schismes and heresies so much simony uncleannesse of life and crueltie to haue infected the seat of Rome whereby to referre us to the Scripture to make vs forsake those wicked guides and to subject us to his holy word and that God by his providence hath permitted that the Popes themselues haue confessed their owne errours And lastly that the Popes sycophants haue recorded unto us their crimes and heresies as I haue proved in my first Booke In short to bee throughly informed with what spirit this Iesuite is lead it is but to reade the same that hee hath written in his third Demonstration pag. 190. They cause them saith he to renounce the Church pretending that it consisteth of men that are faultie and lyers vnder a faire semblance of Scripture and vnder a plausible promise to governe all by the word of God But the truth is they depute a bleare-eyed Leah vnto them in lieu of a faire Rachel and submit faith to the soveraigne command of the will of Ministers who put into their hand a Scripture that is humane erronious mutable subject to correction c. This miserable Iesuite wil one day render an account to God of so damnable a speech wherein hee compareth the holy Scripture to bleare-eyed Leah and the Church of Rome to beautifull Rachel It is very false that wee renounce the Church but yet we maintaine that it ought to be subject to the Scripture and we renounce the doctrine of those who say that the Scripture is subject to the Church of Rome for God cannot be subject to men As for the soveraigne power of the Ministers function that might well bee retorted upon us for a reproach if wee boasted amongst us that they cannot erre that they haue power to change Gods commandements conteined in the holy Scriptures to adde to the Creed and to make new articles of faith or if we should stile our selues Iudges infallible and soveraigne of the poynts of faith Wee leaue these usurpations and proud titles to the Pope by the which hee exalteth himselfe aboue God Onely wee exhort the people to beleeue the Word of God contained in holy Scriptures wherein if wee finde any obscure passages wee take not upon us to bee Iudges of the sense and to determine it with authoritie It is enough that as much as therein is perspicuous and plaine not needing the helpe of an Interpreter is sufficient for our salvation And to contest much about Translations wee busie not our selues for the Translation approved by the Church of Rome fufficeth us discovering clearely therin the very condemnation of Papistry All Translations agree in the matters necessary to salvation and the originall texts both Hebrew and Greeke are at this day familiar and agreeing to our Translation Of these things haue I treated at large in my first Booke of The Iudge of Controversies and haue discussed all the slender objections wherein our Adversaries doe side with Pagans and Infidels and endeavour to extenuate the firmnesse and authoritie of the Scripture which Saint Paul calleth The divine Oracles Rom. 3. 2. and The Scripture diuinely inspired 1. Tim. 3. 16. which I say Iesus Christ himselfe hath uttered holding vp his owne vocation by the testimony of the Prophets and by it hath repelled the temptation of the Deuill Math. 4. Yea S. Paul saith that the Scripture can make a man wise to saluation and is most proper for mans accomplishment in euery good worke without it wee haue not meanes to know that God will haue but one Church in the world And when our aduersaries haue wretchedly reuiled it yet are they afterwards constrained to returne vnto it and to beg of it though with an ill stomacke some clauses of Text to found their Church vpon the Scriptures authority without it Christianity had beene long since abolished The diuine efficacy of it is manifest in this that the Pope hath suppressed it so as the people may not see it yet when God is pleased to lay it open to the peoples view and that it be translated into vulgar tongues Papistry doth immediatly vanish in many Prouinces Yea if Emperours and Kings had not hastened to succour vsing both fire and sword and the rigour of Inquisitions without doubt Papistry had beene vtterly extinguished Wherefore it is no maruell if the Pope by his scouts labour to blemish the Scripture rendring it doubtfull and without authority which vngodly instruments at this day borrow the weapons of Pagans who to restore Paganisme and ruine Christianity haue had no surer course then to difsame the holy Scripture Loe whither Satan strives to leade vs Hee striues to shake the only foundation of Christian religion to the end that the people distasting the Scripture may for their faith and saluation relye vpon the conductors of the Romish church wherein haue liued multitudes of Popes notorious heretickes and so iudged by the
commandement of God speaking Exod. 20. 9. sixe dayes shalt thou labour Or the power of the Pope to set at liberty under ground and to give Indulgences to the dead upon that which Iesus Christ sayth Math. 18. 18. Whatsoever yee shall bind and loose on earth c. Or cases reserved to the Pope upon the words of our Saviour uttered to all the Apostles Whose sinnes soever yee shall pardon they shall Iohn 20. 23 be pardoned Or images of the Almighty upon that which God discoursing to the People of Isreal giveth the reason why in speaking to them from heaven he suffered none to see any image or resemblance For Deut. 4. 23. feare sayth hee Lest yee might forget the Covenant which he made with you and make you a graven image or the likenesse of any thing male or female Or establishing of brothell-houses at Rome by the authority of his holinesse vpon the commandement Thou shalt not commit adultery Deut. 4. 13. Or the doctrine of the Councell of Trent affirming in the fift Session that covetousnesse is no sinne upon the law of God speaking Thou shalt not covet and upon the Deut. 5. 21. testimony of the Apostle saying that he hath learnt out of the law that covetousnesse is sinne Rom. 7. 7. Or forbidding the People to read the Scripture upon that which is written in the Apocal. Blessed is Apoe 1. 3. he that readeth and they that heare the words of this prophecy and upon the example of the people of Berea who Acts 17. 11. searched the Scriptures daily and upon the commandement made to Kings to reade carefully the booke of Deut. 17. 18. the law of God Or swearing by reliques upon the commandement of God Thou Deut. 10. 20. shalt feare the Eternall and sweare by his name Or Purgatory upon that which the Lord sayd unto the Thiefe upon the Crosse Thou shalt be with me Luk. 23. 43. this day in Paradise and upon the Luk. 17. 22. example of Lazarus whose soule was carried by the Angells into Abrahams bosome imediately after his death and upon the Apostle Saint Iohn speaking That the blood 1 Iohn 1. 7. of Iesus Christ purgeth us from all sin Or the sacrifice of the body of Iesus Christ in the Masse upon that which the Apostle to the Hebrews speaking of the sacrifice of the death of Iesus Christ made up on the Crosse declareth that We Hebr. 10. 10 14. are sanctified through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all Hebr. 9. 25. 26. and that Iesus Christ offereth not himselfe ofien for as it is ordained for all men to dye once so Christ hath beene offered once to take away our sinnes making the sacrifice of Iesus Christ no more reiterable then the death of men Without all doubt if contrariety to the Scripture can give authority to the Romish Traditions these traditions which I have specified ought to bee of great authority Yea to summe up all our adversaries are too licencious and rash in their conjectures and I cannot conceave that they beleeve it themselves when they would have vs to beleeve that Iesus Christ speaking in private with his Disciples did conferre about the service of Images and great Pardons to bee made by the Pope of Chaplets and Blessed-beads of lessening the torment of Soules in Purgatory by Masses and Indulgences c. To what may this tend but to expose Iesus Christ to laughter or to delight themselves in faining matters without proofe and to allure those that will bee deluded to beleeve things that are incredible for such kind of presuppositions worke their effect according as he is awed that propoundeth them CHAP. XIII That our adversaries to distinguish the good Traditions from the bad doe give vs a Plea wherein they wholly convict themselves TO discerne the good Traditions from the bad our adversaries lay downe certaine Pleas which wee hold fit to have strictly examined They say that the Traditions ought to bee both receaved and beleeved to be divine which have alwaies beene approoved by the vniuersall Church as Vincentius Lyrinensis confirmeth it allowing that to bee received for truth which hath ever beene beleeved wholly and by all and Saint Augustine in his Epistle 118. If the Si quid horuÌ„ rota per orbeÌ„ frequentat Ecclesia hoc quin it a facienduÌ„ sit disputare insolentissima insaniae est Quod vâ—iversa tenet Ecclesia nec CoÌ„cilijs institutuÌ„ sed semper retentuÌ„ non nisi au horttate Apestolica tradituÌ„ certisimè creditur Church throughout the world observe any thing it is a distracted impudence to dispute whether it ought to be so or no and in his 4. Booke against the Donatists Chapter 4. That which the universall Church holdeth and hath not beene instituted by Councells but ever maintained is to bee beleeved in all just reason not to have beene ordained by other power then the Apostolique Authority Now though these passages of Saint Augustine bee unseasonably alledged because they speake of customes not necessary to salvation indifferent in their nature or of opinions without the knowledge wherof a man may be saved as we shall hereafter discover yet I say that by this Plea the Traditions of the Church of Rome doe fall to the ground and are not currant or receiueable for it is easie to prove that they have not beene received from the beginning by the Catholike Church How is it that Purgatory which 1. Purgatory is by interpretation a subterraneall fire where the soules of the faithfull are purged by orment could be beleeved in the ancient church seeing that a great part of the Fathers did beleeve that the soules could not be tormented without the bodies And that the Masse prayeth for soules that sleepe in a peaceable rest it being a cleere case that when this piece was patched to the Canon of the Masse the Church of Rome did not beleeve that the soules of the faithfull were tortured in a fire Pope Gregorie the 1. In his Dialogues sâ—ateth Purgatory in the smoake of baths and in the wind for this underground fire was not yet devised and yet this time was so far advanced as to the yeere 590. of our Lord. Invocation of Sts. was unknown 2. InvocatioÌ„ of Saints under the three first ages of the Christian Church and more then halfe of the fourth Cardinall Befla in his third booke of worshipping Saints Chap. 9. saith that When the §. Pratercacum scribetentur scriptura sancta 〈◊〉 coeperat usus vovends sanctia holy Scriptures were written the custome was not yet to make vowes to Saints Which is as much to say in plaine termes that about the Apostle time Saints were not called on nor did the Apostles who survived the Virgin Mary addresse their vowes unto her And Cardinall Perron to whom this commendation Du Perron coÌ„rre le Roy de la Grand Bretagne
Pag. 1009. Et quat aux auteris plus proches du siecle Apostouque encore qu'il ne s'y trouue pas de vestages de vesta coustume c. Pag. 994. Quelques particuliers 〈◊〉 que les ames des fideles 〈◊〉 point la visin is Diâ—â— avant is augament final c. L'Eglise n'avcit point incore prononce la decisian la dessus is due to be the best versed in the study of the Father's confesfeth freely that in the Authors neerest approching to the Apostles time there appeareth no trace of this custome of invoking Saints Yea he acknowledgeth that then when S. Augustine wrote which was some 420. yeeres after the birth of our Saviour the doctrine of those which hold that the Saints know not the occurrences of things acted here below was not condemned and that the Church had not yet made a decision thereupon and indeed all that our Adversaries alledge out of the Fathers of the three first ages and more then halfe the fourth upon this question are passages ser ving to prove that the Saints pray for us which is a point that willingly wee condiscend unto but not to prove it behovefull for us to invoke the Saints nor to allow them a religious service The approbation of the bookes 3. Maccabees of Maccabees amongst other books Divine and Canonicall is inserted by our Adversaries in their unwritten Traditions Yet this is not a Tradition received from the beginning by all the Catholike Le Concile de Laodiceâ— Can. 58. Melâ—â—â—â— aâ—â—gué pur Eusebe â—â— 5. libâ—â—â— foni histoirà chap. 24. Origene surâ—â—s primier Ps 〈◊〉 par Eâ—seb lib. 6 cap. 24 Tertull â—â— 4 liure de ses Carmes Eujebe Chron. Olymp. 116. 〈◊〉 Cateeltesi quarta Athanas Epost 39. Synops Na-Zianz Caâ—â—â—n Epiph. de mensuris et ponderibus Hilar. prologo Psalmorum Church the Councell of Laodicea rejecteth them and Meliton Bishop of Sardius neere the time of the Apostles and Origen and Tertullian and Eusebius and Athanasius and Cyril of Ierusalem and Hilarie and Gregorie of Nazianzene and Amphilochius Bishop of Iconia and Epiphanius Bishop of Salamine and Philustreus Bishop of Bresse and Saint Ierome in Prologâ— Galeato and in his Preface upon the Bookes of Salomon and Ruffin upon the Lords Prayer all of these were persons remarkeable in the third and fourth ageâ— Yea and Pope Gregorie the 1. who wrote neere upon the end of the fifth age in the 19. of his Morals Chap. the 17 as we have proved elsewhere in amplemanner wherefore this is no Tradition received wholly and at all times by the Church universall By this very Plea the Romish 4. Indulgences Indulgences ought to be rejected the which Indulgences I understand to bee a Tradtion wherewith the Pope heapeth up the superfluity of the satisfactions of Iesus Christ and the Saints to the treasure of the Church and convertech them to payment for others by his Indulgences which he hoardeth in certaine Churches of Rome and causeth that the people from all parts repaire thither to purchase pardons I say that these Indulgences are new and that neither the Apostles nor their disciples did convert the superaboundance of the sufferings of Abrabam or of Saint Iohn the Baptist or of the Virgine Mary to payment for others and kept no treasury to hold the superabounding satisfactions of the Saints and gave no pardons of one or two hundred thousand yeeres as the Pope doth and that these Indulgences have beene altogether unknowne in the first ages of the Christian Church by the plaine confession of our Adversaries Cardinall Cajetan in the 2. Chap. of his Treatise of Indulgences hath these words * De ertu IndulgentiaruÌ„ si certituâ—â— habert posset veritati indà ganda opem ferret Verum quia nulla sacra Scriptura nulla priscoruÌ„ Doctoâ—uÌ„ GraecoruÌ„ aut Lâ—â—inoruÌ„ au 〈◊〉 asscripra hane ad nostraÌ„ deduxit notitiam sed hee solum a treemtis ennâ— scriprurae coÌ„mendatuÌ„ de ve tustus Paâ—â—tbus c. Gabrtel Biel Lect. 57. Decendum quod ante tempora B. Gregorij modicus vel â—ullus fuit vsus Indulgentiarum Nuâ—â—â— autem crebrescit 〈◊〉 vsuâ— quiae sine dubiâ— Ecclesia habens spiritaÌ„ sponsi sut Christi et idcirco non errans c. Navan us Coment de Iobel â—t Indutg pag. 545 Quate autent apud antâ—qâ—os tam rara apud recentiores taÌ„ frequens sit Indulgentiarum mentio docuit ille vit sanctissimus c. Iâ—hannis Roffensis c◠〈◊〉 ea de re verboruÌ„ summa est Quod non certo constat à 〈◊〉 primuÌ„ tradi coeperint c. Quod multa aâ— Evangelijs â—t alijs scripturu nuÌ„c sunt â—xcusa â—ucuâ—â—ntius intellectu perspicacius quaÌ„ fuerunt olim Quod nemo â—â— dubitat orthodoxus an Purgatâ—rium sit de quo tameÌ„ apud priscos illos nulla vel quaÌ„ rarissima fiebat mentio Quod non fuit tam necessaria siue Purgatâ—rij siue Indulgâ—tiâ—rum fides explicita in â—rimitiua ecâ—lesia atque â—unc est c. Anton. Sum. â—â— S. Theolog. art 1. tit 10. 3. de Indul. l. 202. Veâ—tijs ann â—82 5. bridgeent of Cup. If we could have any certainty concerning the originall of Indulgences it would helpe as much in the disquisition of the truth but we have not by writing any authority either of the holy Scripture or of ancient Doctors Greeke or Latine that affordeth us the least knowledge thereof Gabriel Biel Lect. 57. upon the Canon of the Masse We must confesse that before the time of Gregory that is to say in the six first ages the use of Indulgences was very little or none at all but now the practice of them is growne frequent for without doubt the Churoh hath the Spirit of Christ her Spouse and therefore erreth not Navarrus the Popes Penitentiary What is the cause that among the ancients so little mention is made of Indulgences and among it the moderne they are in such use Iohn of Rochester most holy and reverend for his dignity of Bishop and Cardinall hath taught us the reason saying that The explicite faith whether it bee of Purgatory or of Indulgences was not so necessary in the Primitive Church as now And a little after Whil st there was no heed taken to Purgatory no man enquired after Romish Indulgences because thereupon dependeth the properâ—y and worth of them Antonine Archbishop of Florence whom the Pope canonized for a Saint speaketh to the same purpose Touching Indulgences we have nothing expresly recited in holy Scripture although the saying of the Apostle be alledged upon this subject 1 Cor. If I have pardoned any thing I have done it for your sake in the person of Christ Nor are found at all in the writings of the ancient Doctors but of the moderne It is therefore no small abuse to place Indulgences amongst Apostolike Traditions Of the same ranke is that Tradition which excludeth the people from the communion of the Cup it
Heretickes had recourse to Tradition and the unwritten word and that Clemens Alexandrinus suffered himselfe to bee too much carried away in the same THe custome of Heretickes both ancient and moderne is when they are at default in Scripture to have recourse to Traditions Iosephus in his 3. booke of Antiquities ch the 18. affirmeth that The Pharisees had very many observations by the successive Tradition of their Fathers which are not written in the law of Moses Whereupon Iesus Christ at the 15. of Saint Matt. the 3. 9. accuseth them to have transgressed the Law of God by their Tradition which Pharisaical Traditions were doctrines that for the most part commanded things not expresly forbidden in the Law of God as to clense their Pots and Vessell to wash their bodies at returne from Market to lengthen out their Phylacteries to fast twice in a weeke to poure forth longer prayers then ordinary to make conscience of healing the sicke or journeying more then two miles upon the Sabath This I observe to the end it may not be sayd that Iesus Christ condemneth them only for teaching things expresly forbidden in the law of God Tertullian in his booke of prescriptions chap. the 25. telleth us that the Heretikes of his time affirmed Non omnia volunt illv amnibus revelasle quaedaÌ„ enim palam universis quadaÌ„ seeretò at paucio demandasse That the Apostles had not revealed all things to all but that they had commanded some things openly and some in secret and to few But the same Tertullian after hee had written this booke applieth himselfe to defend the heresies of Montanus by the unwritten word speaking in the second Chapter of his booke of Monogamy that Christ De vtroque aute Daminus promus is avit Adouo habeo multa qua loquar ad ves c. pronounced his opinion thereupon when he sayd I have many things to tell you but you cannot at this time beare them away Irenaeus lived at the same time who in his first Booke and fourth Chap. saith that The Carpocratian Iesum in mysterio discipulu suis seersim lequmtum illes expostulasse vt dignis assentsentibus searsum hac tradereÌ„t Heretikes affirmed that Iesus had spoken in private to his Disciples and had required of them that they should teach these things a part to the worthy and to such as give their approbation thereof and in his 2. ch of the 3. booke Cum ex scriptur is arguuntur in accusationem convartuntur scripturarum quasi noÌ„ rectè habeant neq sint ex authoritate et quia varia sunt dicta quia non possit ex hu inventri veritas ab his qui nesetant traditionem Non enim per literat traditaÌ„ illaÌ„ sed per vivam vocem When they are confuted by the Scriptures they revile and turne againe to accuse the Scriptures themselues as if they were not as they should be and had not sufficient authority and because matters therein are diversly spoken and that in them the truth cannot be found by those who are ignorant of Tradition which they say was not giveÌ„ by writing but viva voce by word of mouth Some twenty yeeres after the death of Saint Iohn one of his disciples named Papias Bishop of Hierapolis addicted himselfe to the unwritten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Traditions the which were Parables and strange doctrines and other fabulous devices as Eusebius witnesseth at the last Chapter of the 3. Booke of his Ecclesiasticall History Clemens Alexandrinus a most worthy Author to be read but one who hath his infirmities venteth many vaine things and false doctrines drawne from Tradition as for example that the Greekes were justified by Phylosophy that Iesus Christ descended into hell to Preach to the Iewes that the Apostles also descended thither to Preach to the Gentiles and many other the like fancies all his bookes of his Stromatae are full of them especially the sixth The followers of Artemon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onones insipientisiumi haretici audacias sigm â—toruÌ„ suorum juas maxime exhorret sensus humanus has occasione EvaÌ„gelica colorare nituntur vbi Dominus ait adhuc multa habeo vobis dicere sed non potestis portare mado quasi hae ip a sint qua tune discipuli portare non poterant heretick teaching matters not contained in the Scripture professed that They did exercise them from their predecessors yea from the Apostles as Eusehius hath it in the 5. booke of history chap. the 25. Saint Augustine writing vpon Saint Iohn at his 97. Treatise hath these words The most senselesse Hereticks who would be called Christians strive to colour their bold inventions which are abhorred by humane sense with the pretext of this evangelicall sentence where our Lord speaketh I have yet many things to tell you but you cannot beare them at this time as if these were the same things which the Apostles could not then carry we shall not therefore affront or wrong Cardinall Bellarmine if we ranke him amongst those which Augustine calleth most senslesse Hereticks seeing that hee speaketh as these hereticks imploying the same quotation to proove Romish Traditions speaking thus in the 5. Chapter of his Esse aliquas veras traditiores probatur testimonys ScripturaruÌ„ Primum est Iohan. 16. Multa habeo veâ—is iâ—erâ— sed non potestâ—â— portare moda booke of the unwritten word It is prooved by testimony of Scripture that there are some true Traditions the first testimony is at the 16. of Saint Iohn I have many things to tell you c. Thus have the ancient Heretickes no want at all of Disciples CHAP. XVII An examination of the passages of Scripture whereon they found Traeditions OVr adversaries ground the authority of the Scripture upon unwritten Tradition whence it followeth if they had but reason for it that unwritten Tradition is not grounded upon the Scripture they contest therfore against themselves when they endeavour to ground Tradition upon the Scripture but let us heare their proofes In imitation of the ancient Heretickes they alledge these words of our Lord Iesus to his Apostles at the 16. of Saint Iohn verse 12. I have yet more things to tell you c. This is the passage that served the ancient Heâ—erikes turne to proove their Traditions as Tertul. witneâ— fâ—th in his booke of Prescriptions Chap. 22. such imaginations if men would beleeve them are The succession of the Pope in the Apostleship of Saint Peter invocation of Saints service to images the power of the Pope to draw soules out of Purgatory c. And they pronounce this without any proofe save only because theirselves doe say it and the Pope will have it fo to be unto whom these Traditions are very gainefull But wee had rather beleeve in Iesus Christ who expoundeth himselfe in the same place for at the verse following he declareth to his Disciples that the spirit of truth
Adversaries translation admitteth not this exposition Chrysostome in his Commentary upon Gal. 1. understandeth it the same way saying The Apostle saith not if they declare things contrary or if they pervert all but if they preach never so little other then we have preached or if they have altered any thing be it never so little And Theophilact after him The Apostle hath not said if they preach onely things contrary but if they preach other then that which wee have preached that is to say if they adde never so little more thereunto Tertullian in his booke of Prescriptions at the eight Chapter speaking of the Scripture In the first place wee beleeve that wee ought not to beleeve other then this And at Chap. 14. To know no other then this is to know all And at Chap. 29. If an Angel from heaven preach other then c. And truly the reason is plaine for if our Adversaries confesse that Saint Paul hath preached all that is necessary to salvation as well by mouth as by writing it followeth that hee not onely forbiddeth here to teach contrary to that which he hath taught but also that he forbiddeth to adde thereunto It is objected that Paul himselfe hath added to that which hee did preach when he wrote more Epistles after that to the Galathians and that Saint Iohn after him wrote the Apocalypse and are not therefore accused The vanity of this objection answereth it selfe for nothing can appeare wherein Saint Paul in his last Epistles or Saint Iohn in the Apocalypse have added to the Doctrine of salvation which Saint Paul had preached by mouth and digested into writing and which was already contained in the bookes of the Apostles and Evangelists written before this Epistle In summe what availeth it to dispute whether the Apostle condemneth those that preach other then or contrary to that which St. Paul had preached seeing that whatsoever is other then the Doctrine of the Gospel concerning our salvation is also contrary in as much as God forbiddeth to adde thereunto It is an unnâ—cessary worke to rehearse the passages of the Fathers who affirme that the Apostle condemneth those who taught contrary to that which he himselfe hath taught no man denieth it for whosoever preacheth contrary to that which Saint Paul taught preacheth also other then the Doctrine of the Apostle and addeth contrary things thereunto contractions being also additions to the Scripture Our Adversaries being repulsed from this refuge or starting hole finde out another and say that Saint Paul condemneth those who taught other then or contrary to that which hee had taught concerning the Doctrine of the Gospel but Saint Paul himselfe hath not set downe all in writing which hee hath taught this is that which they say without proofe or reason For who told them that Saint Paul was tender and forbare to booke downe all the Doctrine of the Gospell in writing Did hee it in spleene or was it of forgetfulnesse or fearing lest the people might become too expert in the Doctrine of the Gospel Surely they that speake thus are bound to open unto us some particular points that make a part of the doctrine of the Gospell which Saint Paul would not set downe in writing Is it invocation of Saints or papall Indulgences adoration of reliques succession of the Pope in the Apostleship of Saint Peter religious sâ—rvice of Images single life of Priests prayer in a tongue which the supplicant understaÌ„deth not or Masses to free soules out of Purgatory no Christian will beleeve it of these unlesse it bee such a one as hath a mind to bee deceived And this inconsiderate presupposition must be countenanced by some other proofe besides the testimony of our adversaries Saint Augustine gave no credit to August lib. 3 contralueâ—as Petiliani cap. 6. Si quis siue do Christo sive de eius Ecclesia sivâ— de quacunque alia re qua pertinet ad fideÌ„ vitamque nostrâ—m non dâ—â—am si nos sed quod Paulus adiecit si Ange us â—e coelo vobis annuntiaverit praâ—erguam quod in scripturu legalibus et Evangelicis accepistu anathema sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it for he expoundeth this passage unto us by way of paraphrase If any man whether it concerneth Christ or his Church or any other thing appertaining to faith or government of life I speake not if any of us but that which Paul hath suggested if an Angell from heaven declare unto you other then you have received in the Scriptures concerning the Law and the Gospell let him be an Anathema And Chrysostome in his exposition upon the 1. chap. to the Galathians Saint Paul prefeâ—reth the Scriptures before Angels descending from heaven and that most justly And a little after Wherefore he denounceth that if any man preach unto you other then I have preached unto you c. To conclude how should those poynts before recited have beene preached by Saint Paul considering that in his Epistles there is found a flat condemnation of their doctrines If beside the holy Scripture there be some other word of God it were fit our adversaries should lay them in view fairely above board for the better avoidance of ail strife and controversie arising from them But they cannot Only they would have the Church of Rome to be beleeved and especially the Pope who is circumspect enough not to pronounce his owne condemnation nor to abolish the Traditions that are so beneficiall unto him Yea our adversaries themselves refute this when they say that the Apostles have not taught by mouth nor composed in writing all that is essentiall to Christian Religion CHAP. XXII Whether to ground a Doctrine it be lawfull to use words equivalent to those that are found in the Scripture or to vse consequences and Anguments SOme smattering and unquieâ— Iesuites perceiving themselves weake in the combate by the pressure of the evidence of truth have thought vpon a cavilling and impertinent course whereby to entangle the disputation at the very entrance and to prevent ever comming to the true scanning or examination of the doctrine Their cunning sleight is alwayes to question and interrogate insteed of keeping themselves to a regular and methodicall argumentation and as soone as wee open our mouthes they call to us Shew me that which you say word by word in the Scripture Now if there want but a syllable or if it happen that we use these words that is say or by consequent they fall into laughter and say that a Coach drawne by Horses is a consequent and so breake off alledging they have reduced us to consequences If we quote some passage of Saint Matthew or of Esay they aske whether the booke bee Canonicall if wee answer yea they require a passage of the Scripture that saith Saint Matthew is Canonicall If wee expound one passage by another they say shew mee a passage that alloweth this passage to bee expounded by that If we make an argument though it be
upon Ne putemus in verbis scripturarum esse Evangelium led in sensu non in superficie sed in medulla non in sermonum folijs sed in radice rationis the 1. chap. to the Galat. Let us not thinke that the Gospel consisteth in the bare words of the Scripture but in the true meaning and signification not in the superficies but in the very marrow not in the leaues decked with words but in the roote of solid reason The Fathers and ancient Councells were ignorant in such kind of importunate and unmannely divinity when they defined by the Scripture in the first Nicene councell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Sonne is consubstantiall with the Father And when the first Councel of Ephesus decreed against Nestorius that the Virgin Mary might and ought to bee called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deipara Mother of God The Arians pressed Athanasius to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quomodo â—â—cu in Scripturis 〈…〉 Ego de 〈◊〉 Pater vnum sumus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non potest aliquid certü esse certitudine fidei nisi aut immediate contineatur in verbe dei aut ex verbo dei per avidentem coÌ„sequentiam deducatur c. Neque de hoe principio vel Catholici vel haretici dubitant Salmer proleg 9. prima quinquagena Can. 7. Non tantuns diuinam authoritatem habent siâ—â— ea tenenda Sunt qua in Scripturis expresse conâ—â—entur sed etlam ea omnia qua exilla necessaria euidenti consequentia deducuntus qua doctrina a magno ille Theologo Gregorie ad nos deriuat a est Et Paulo post Dupliciter aliquid esse in Scriptura dicitur aut quia est expresse in ea contentum et in sensu literals deinde omne quod virtute in ea coÌ„tentum est necessaria consequentia extractum Atque his duobus modis agere licet in haeretieos Vazq in 1. Partem Thomae Tomo 2. Disp 110. cap. 1. §. Quarto Nihil refere haue vacam non esse in Scriptura fi vox â—â— signifieat quod Scriptura decet shew them this word consubstantiall in the Scripture to whom Athanasius answereth in his booke of the decrees of the Nicene councell Though the very words be not so couched in the Scripture yet they haue the sence and vnderstanding of the Scripture Gregory of Nazianzen at the end of his Sermon touching Cyprian calls the verbalists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hunters after syllables and words And in his 37. Oration which is the fifth concerning Theology he faith that the loue of the letter is to them a shadow or cloake for impiety Ambrose in his booke concerning the Faith written against the Arians chap. 5. How doe you say that consubstantiall is not in the divine Scriptures as if consubstantiall were any thing else but I am issue of the Father and the Father and I are one We learn out of Photius his Bibliotheca that Theodoret composed an expres treaty vpon this subject the inscription whereof is Against these who affirme that wee ought to relye on the words without having regard to the matter signified Touching this point we have the most learned of our adversaries on our side Bellarmine in his 3. booke of justification chap. 8 Nothing can bee sure in certainty of Faith unlesse it bee contained immediatly in the word of God or drawne from the word of God by some evident consequence Salmeron in his 9. Prolegomenon Not onely the matter which is immediatly conteined in the Scriptures hath divine authority and ought to be allowed with faith but also all things that are drawn from thence by necessary euident consequence which doctrine hath bin derived vnto us from Greg. that great Divine And a little after a thing is sayd to be in the Scripture two manner of wayes partly because it is therein contained expressely and in the litter all sence partly because it is contained vertually therein and is drawne from thence by necessary consequence now it i Ì„s lawfull to dispute with Heretickes both these wayes Hee bringeth Purgatory merrits and satiffactions for examples wordes that himselfe confesseth not to be in the Scripture but may be drawn from thence by consequence Iesuite Vasquez It importeth not whether the word be in Scripture or no so as that which it signifieth be in the Scripture Iansenius Bishop of Gant affirmeth the same at the 107. Chapter of his Harmony Our confession is frivolously obiected unto us which saith in the 5. Article that the Scripture is the Rule of all verity containing all that is necessary for the service of God and our salvation to the which it is not lawfull to adde diminish or alter For if these Novice Doctors affoorded themselues the leasure to read the following lines they should there find that wee avow the three Creeds to wit the Apostles the Nicene and the Athanasian Which notwithstanding are not found in the Scripture in such and so many words And in the Article following wee approve of that which hath bin determined by the ancient councels touching three persons in one individuall essence yet the determinations of Councels are not found to bee in the Scripture in the same termes Our confession confineth uâ—â—â— more to the Scripture then the Councell of Trent bindeth our adversaries to the word written and unwritten Yet they would not be interrupted thereupon nor that we should enjoyne them to shew euery word spoken by them to be in so many syllables in the written word or in that which is not written Whereas they suffer us not to bring one passage of Scripture for exposition of another unlesse wee suddenly bring a third that saith this passage expoundeth that By such proceeding they take away and extingnish all meanes of expounding Scripture by Scripture wherein also they contradict the Elders and Doctors of the Church of Rome who grant that Scripture shall bee interpreted by Scripture as we have mentioned in my former booke of the Iudge of Controversies Chap. 4. For the exposition of these words This is my body we allege the passage of the Apost saying This Bread which we breake Is it not the Communion in the body of Christ Likewise When youshall eat of this Bread or drinke of this Cup you shall declare the death of the Lord. Hereupon these youngsters require a passage which saith that these two last passages are the exposition of the first Wee answere that it is not needfull for it is sufficient that these three passages speake of the same thing For to understand the Doctrine of the Euchariâ—â— it is behoovefull to collect together all that the Scripture maketh thereof mention seeing that passages so comparatively united doe manifest and interpret one the other These new Disputants in rejecting all syllogismes and all arguments are obstinate and unexcusable For by what reason can they banish the use of reason from Divinity It were fitter for them to addresse themselves to the Thomists and Scotists
prove the insufficiency of the Scripture whose actuall perfection and absolute sufficiency they exalt above all upon all occurrences and tracts concerning the doctrine of salvation Clemens Alexandrinus in the sixt booke of his Stromata Wee say nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the Scriptures Tertullian in his booke against Hermogenes wrote before hee became Scriptum esse doceat Hermogenis officina Si non est scriptum timeat vae illud adijcientibus auâ— detrahentibus destinaetum a Montanist Hereticke in his 22. chap. The shop of Hermogenes declareth to us that it is written but in case it be not written let that woe denounced against those which adde or diminish be a terrour vnto them But when hee afterwards slid away into heresie he betooke himselfe to maintaine his doctrine by vnwritten Traditions For in his booke of Monogamy which he compiled being an Hereticke at the 2. chap. hee transmitteth vs to Tradition alledging these words of our Lord I have many things to tell you but you cannot carry them away at this time which is the passage that our adversaries ordinarily produce for Hippol. tome 3. Biblioth PatruÌ„ pag. 20 21. Edit Col. Vnus Deuâ— est quem non altunde agnâ—scimus quam ex S. 〈◊〉 Qutadmodum n. si que vellet sapientiam huius saculi exercere non aliter hoc coÌ„sequt poterit nisi dogmata Philosophorura legat sie quicunque volumus pietateÌ„ in Deum exercere non aliunde discemus quam in Scripturis divinis Athan. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ambros Quae in scripturis sanctis non reperimus ca queÌ„admodum â— surpare possemus Hillar Te admiror fideÌ„ tantum secuÌ„dum ea qua scripta sunt desideranteÌ„ Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrill Hier. Catech. 4 c. de Spir. S. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cvrillus Alexandr Gla. Phyr Dist 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Traditions Saint Hippolytus There is but one God whom wee know not by other meanes but by the sacred Scriptures Even as he that would exercise the wisedome of this age cannot seeke and obtaine it but by reading the opinions and precepts of Philosophers so all of us that would practise true Piety towards God can learne and comprehend it no way else but by the holy Scriptures Saint Athanasius in the beginning of his oration against the Gentiles The holy and devinely inspired Scriptures are sufficient to cause the truth to bee vnderstood And in his booke of our Saviours Incarnation Are you so inordinatly desperate as to relate things that are not written and to keepe your vnderstanding at such distance from true piety Ambrose in his first booke de officijs cha 23. How can wee alledge things not found to be in holy Scriptures Saint Hilary in his second booke against Constantius I doe admire thee O Emperour Constantius shewing thy desire that men should beleeve according as it is written Basile is excellent heereupon towards the end of his Ethicks which are among his Ascheticks If saith hee all that is not of Faith be sinne as the Apostle speaketh and faith commeth by hearing and hearing from the word of God all that is without or beside the holy Scripture devinely inspired not being of faith is sinne And againe in his Treatise concerning Faith It is a manifest revolt from the faith and a capitall crime of pride and presumption to reject any thing that is written or to bring in any thing unwritten See also the same Father amongst his more compendious rules in the 95. definition Saint Cyrill of Ierusalem is no lesse expresse This good man in his fourth Catechisme instructeth people in this manner Touching the divine and sacred misteries of the faith the least matter is not to bee taught without the holy Scriptures nor suffered to be brought in after any sort whatsoever either through probability or through words fitly disposed Yea put no confidence in mee that speake unto you these things unlesse I give you proofe of that which I preach unto you out of the holy Scriptures for the integrity of our faith consisteth not in designes or conferences artificially invented but in proofe drawne from the divine Scrptures And Cyril of Alexandria in the 2. booke upon Genesis How can we admit of that which the holy Scripture hath not said or range it amongst absolute verities And in his seventh booke against Iulian The holy Scripture is sufficient to make those wise most approved and of able understanding who are therewith educated and instructed Theodoret in his first Dialogue Theod. Dialog 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et Dial. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et in Psa 95 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bellar. dâ— verbo dâ—i lib. 4. cap. 11. intituled De Immutab Bring not humane reasons to me for I beleeve not in any thing but the holy Scriptures And in his second Dialogue I am not so rash as to affirme any thing wherein the sacred Scripture is silent Chrysostome upon the second Epistle to the Thessalonians the second Chapter All things that are in the divine Scriptures are cleere and sincere every thing that is necessary is therein plaine And upon Psalm 95. When any thing is spoken without the Scripture the very cogitations of the hearers are lame The same Father in his third Homily upon the second to the Corinthians calleth the Scripture an exact ballance the rule and square of all things He saith not as Bellarmine falsifying this passage doth make him that the Scripture is the most exact rule of all but that it is the ballance square and rule of all things Saint Hierome upon the first Chapter of the Prophet Aggay Hieron Sed alia qua absque authoritate testimonie scripturarum quasi traditione Apostolica sponte reperiunt percutit gladius Det. Ecclesia Christi c. non est ogressa de finibus suts id est de Scripturis sanctis The things which they invent and forge of themselves as by an Apostolicall Tradition without the authoritie and testimony of the holy Scriptures are stroken and dashed by the very sword of God And upon the Prophet Micah l. c. 1. The Church of Christ is not strayed out of its limits that is to say from the holy Scriptures So as to bring any thing from without the Scripture in the Doctrine of salvation is to wander out of the bounds that God hath prefixed to the Church The same Father against Helvidius As wee deny not that which is Hiero in Heluid Vt hac quae scripta hunt non negaâ—us ita ea â—ua non sunt script a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deum esse de â—â—gane credimus quia legimus Maria â—â—â—â—â—sse post portum non eredimus quia non legimus August Evangalista tastatur multa Dominum ChristuÌ„ it dixisse et secisse qua non scripta sunt electa sunt autem qua scriberantur qua salutâ— cradentium
Communion under one kind or the Romish Indulgences no such matter it is the doctrine touching the Creation and touching the nature and office of Iesus Christ contained most cleerely in the Scripture which appeareth not only for that heerein hee skirmisheth and contendeth against the Hereticks erring in these poynts but also in that he sayth that wee ought to seeke these things by Tradition if wee have not the Scriptures acknowledging that these things are taught by the Scriptures Assuredly Irenaeus by Tradition intendeth not to speake of any addition to the Scripture but hee speaketh of the succession from hand to hand whereby the doctrine of the Gospell was trayned on to his time and in this very place speaking of certaine barbarous people that had received the Gospell by Tradition without Scripture he interpreteth the articles of this Tradition which are the articles of the Apostles Creed Also it is not amisse to have the Reader advertised that Irenaeus in these same bookes which hee hath written against the Hereticks treateth concerning Traditions not contained in the holy Scriptures which the Church of Rome approoveth not Hee teacheth that Soules separated from the bodies have Iren. lib. 2. cap. 62. Plonipimi Dominus 〈◊〉 animas charactereÌ„ corporis in que etiam adaptentur custodire cundem Et cap. 63. Per hac manifestissime declaratuÌ„ est et perseverare animas et noÌ„ de corpore in corpus transire et habere hominis figuram Iren. lib. 5. cap. 5. lib. 5. cap. 31. Iren. lib. 4. cap. 30. Iren. lib. 5. cap. 33. 34 35. feet and hands and a corporall figure He holdeth that the Soules issuing out of the bodies mâ—uut not vp to Câ—lestiall glory but into a terrestriall Paradise And that Before the publication of the Law no Law was given to the Fathers because they were just and the Law was not ordained for the just who had no need to be admonished by written letters But when justice was lost in Aegypt then God gave his Law unto the people The same Father teacheth that the kingdome of Iesus Christ ought to endure no longer then one thousand yeeres which is an errour of the Chiliasts and that they shall then feast themselves with delicate Wines and exqusite Viands So litle certainety there is in men as soone as they start aside from the sacred Scripture With what conscience can our adversaries Iren. lib. 2. cap. 57. Ecclesia non invocationibus Angelicts faciens aliquid sed â—â—uÌ„dè purè manifestè â—rationes dirigens ad Deminum c. alledge Irenaeus in the behalfe of Traditions seeing his are so distastfull to them Hee also condemneth Invocation of Angels and the hautinesse of Victor Bishop of Rome as Eusebius recordeth it in the 5. booke of his history chap. 25. They serve also their turnes upon the testimony of Clemens Alex to backe their Traditions Euseb in the 6. book of his Ecclesiastical history chap. 11. remembreth onâ— passage of him where he reportet◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that his brothers importuned him to teach them the Traditions which he had heard by the ancien Priests But he maketh no mention whether these Traditions werâ— matters not contained in the Scriptures Now the Reader may herâ— note upon what groundworke Papisme is buâ—lt our adversaries to shoulder it up doe scrape together the most excrementall scumme of the Fathers like to the carraine-Crowes that forsake trees beautified with delicious fruit to cast themselves downe upon noy some carcasses Observe this Clement full fraught with his idle and extravagant Traditions fitting to his purpose this passage of the 1. to the Strem. lib. 5. Corinthians Wee declare Wisedome among the perfect as our adversaries Clem. Alex. Serom. lib. 1. pag. 137. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 PLurima eiusimodi habeÌ„t lib. 1. Strom. pag. 121. seq eait Comeli mana et li. 6 Idem lib. 2. StroÌ„ pa. 173. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strom. lib. 3. pag. 193. Strom. lib. 4. pag. 217. Strom. lib. 5. pag. 252. Strom. lib. 6. pag. 270. doe in like manner Listen then to his Traditions Hee holdeth that the Greeks that is to say the Pagans were justified and saved by Phylosophy That there are foure persons in God That the Angels are fallen from their purity by their cohaâ—itation with Women That the death of Iesus Christ did not come to passe by the will of God That afflictions doe not seize upon us through Gods will and command but that he no way hindereth it and by his simple permission That God is a body That the Apostle Saint Paul exhorted the Christians to read the bookes of the Grecians of the Sybills and of Hystaspes That Christ had foretold to the Iewes which should be converted that their sinnes should bee pardoned them within two yeeres That Christ hath preached to the Iewes which were in hell and that the Apostles also descended into hell to preach to the Gentiles to worke their conversion And in the same sixt booke of his Stromata speaking of a sage or wise man in this present life saith he is not subject to any passion or alteration and that hee is without Strom. lib 6. pag. 276. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joy or feare or confidence to be short hee maketh him a God in the shape of man and calleth such a man a Gnosticke and will have him to bee skilled in Musicke and in the Mathematicks in Logicke and Astronomy Hee affirmeth that God Strem. lib. 6. pag. 284 hath given the Sunne and Moone to the Pagans to worship them to the end they might not bee without a Religion And speaketh of gods in the plurall as if there were many of them Are these the Traditions which our adversaries obtrude upon us to proove the insufficiency of the Scripture or if these displease them why doe they relye vpon the authority of one that relye coyneth Traditions whereof the memory should be buried for everlasting At the same time Tertullian wrote his booke de Militis Corona In the 2. chap. of the same booke hee fileth up a long list of unwritten Traditions which are that in Baptisme the Christians of his time renounced the Divell and his pompe and his Angels that they were plunged three times into the water that they tasted the miscelane or hotchpot of milke and hony that they made conscience of washing themselves seven dayes after that they participated of the Sacrament of the Eucharist in the assemblies made before day and would not receive it from any hand but of those that did preside that they made offerings so they called the gifts which the people did present for the defunct upon the day of the Nativity one day every yeere By the day of Nativity hee understandeth that day whereon the memory of Martyrs was yeerely celebrated as also whereon Offâ—ings were made and Almes given in memory of them Further more hee addeth the Tradiâ—ion wherein they accompt it a foule
oâ— Ecclesiasticall policy Now thâ— Traditions of our adversaries arâ— of another nature They put fore most the Popes succession in thâ— Apostleship and supremacy of Sâ— Peter over the universall Church vpon which Tradition they make all religion to depend Yea they maintaine that the Church is founded not only vpon Saint Peter but also vpon the Popes that are his pretended successors They stuffe our eares with Invocation of Saints with religious service to Images and with adoration of Reliques which are Traditions that shake and totter the service and religious adoration due to God alone and doe establish articles of the Christian faith to weet that the Saints doe know our hearts and that wee must imploy them for mediators and that they can heare our prayers effectually So likewise doth the Church of Rome tell us of superaboundant satisfactions of the Saints which the Pope gathereth into the Treasure of the Church and distributeth them amongst others by his Indulgences This Tradition ushereth in three new articles of faith The first is that man by his punishments and afflictions can satisfie God more then his sinnes doe merite The second is that God receiveth the satisfactions of another for payment of our sinnes The third is that God hath established the Pope to bee distributor of the satisfactions of another and commandeth him to gather them together into the treasure of the Church What is all this but a new Gospell Certainely if these Traditions be true the holy Scripture is a booke very imperfect in the principall materialls of Christian faith For what is there more important then the remission of sinnes Also the Tradition of Monasticke vowes layeth downe this Doctrine which is a new article of faith to weet that man can performe workes of supererrogation that is to say more good workes and more perfect then those which God hath commanded in his Word I say as much of the Communion under one kind wherein is impleaded the abridgment of the moity of the Sacrament instituted by the Sonne of God Not to speake of so many other Traditions which are not only additions to the Scripture but meerely diametrall contradictions to it This also is worthy of consideration that when the Fathers doe rehearse some examples of unwritten Traditions they doe not mention those of the Romish Church at this time but others that the Church of Rome hath disestemed and observeth not as prayer towards the East The prohibition of fasting on the Lords day The custome to pray standing on the same day and from the Paschall to Pentecost The custome of tasting the milke and hony after Baptisme and not to bee washed seven dayes after The prayer for the deceased Saints to the end they may be raysed at a happyer houre and in their sleep of rest they may find refreshment with such like matters which the Church of Rome hath pretermitted because they served not the Popes turne but hath invented others that are more gainefull and better accommodated to the profit and exaltation of the Pope and all the Roman Clergy CHAP. XXVIII of the multitude of Traditions in the Church of Rome THe saying of Cornelius Tacitus Ann lib. 3. In corruptissima republtca plurima leges is very true that the worst and most corrupted Republiques are those which have most lawes For in the same proportion that vices waxe strong the lawes also are multiplyed especially when the Lawes themselves become vices and mischieses are applyed for remedies If this bee true in humane affaires much more in Divine and in the Doctrine of salvation It is certaine that in civill affaires posterity instructed by experience hath often redressed the occurrences changing them into better and hath cured old evills with new lawes But as for the Doctrine of salvation delivered by God himselfe this will admit of no alteration without infinite impiety It is not for Subjects to adde to the lawes of their Soveraigne nor for Men to presume to bee wiser then God It will be found that all the Traditions which men have added to the Scripture are so many infringements of the Law of God which under the colour of adding thereunto doe overturne that which God hath established and are so many artificiall meanes through a glorious pompe to dazell the eyes of the People and to amuse them whilst they are seduced and lastly to enrich and exalt the Clergie For the Prelates of the Church of Rome carnestly bent to their profit have taken sufficient notice that the Gospell in its simplicity could not serve to build up their Empire And although this numberlesse rhapsody of Traditions should not bee woven by a fraudeulent workemanship yet the confounding multitude of new ordinances smothereth the old and causeth that things necessary cannot bee discerned from superfluous and that Iesus Christ is scarce knowne among the Saints and the absurdity of many new inventions by their addition doe call the ancient Doctrines into suspicion and weaken their certainety Especially when they make the true knowledge of Divine doctrine to depend upon the authority of humane Tradition and God to bee beleeved because men have so ordained it as it is now practised in the Church of Rome Adde to this the inclination of man to worship his owne proper inventions and to till and improve that most industriously which hee himselfe hath planted For as the earth nourisheth nettles which her selfe hath produced much better then good plants that are strange and brought from farre so the spirit of man is restlesse in taking care that the lawes be observed which he of himselfe hath invented much more then those which Iesus Christ hath brought from heaven especially when these new Doctrines are gainefull to the projectors and a prop to their dominion Hence it commeth to passe that in the Church of Rome the doctrine of the Gospel which consisteth of rules few easie is a clasped book to the people and the commandements of God are of little moment but the Traditions though toilesome and almost innumerable are most religiously observed and with marvellous obedience Amongst all the Religions that ever were in the world the Romish in multitude of Lawes and Traditions beareth the Bell away the number of them being so great as scarce an age will suffice to learne them And it had beene very requisite that when the Councell of Trent did establish Commissaries to attend the censure of prohibited bookes it should have established other Officers immediatly to collect together the unwritten Traditions and to put them in order for seeing that by the authority of this Councell the Romish Traditions were declared to be of equall authority with the Scripture it was convenient that these Traditions being digested into a body should have beene annexed to the Scripture to the end to have the body of Christian Religion entirely together But they gave their minds to be neglectfull in this point for feare of affrighting the people with many myriads of Traditions of prodigious