the subtile Craftiness of Men and being deceived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the ambiguity of the word true Books which signifies either only such as are read in the Church or such as also are put into the Canon may begin to be conversant in others therefore I intreat you to bear with me if by way of remembrance I write of those things which you know already because of the necessity of so doing and the Benefit of it to the Church Amphilochius and Nazianzen say Ubi Supra It behoves the Christian to learn this that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every Book is not safe which has the venerable Name of Scripture for some are False and Adulterate some of a middle Nature and some Canonical and therefore say they will we number every one of the inspired Books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that you may clearly learn which they are These saith Ruffinus are the Traditions of the Fathers touching the Canonical Books Ad instructionem eorum qui prima sibi Ecclesiae ac fidei Elementa suscipiunt ut sciant ex quibus sibi fontibus verbi dei haurienda sunt pocula Apud Hieron Tom. 4. f. 51. those are the Books which are read in the Church though not Canonical nor sufficient to confirm any Doctrine of Faith and the other are Apocryphal Scriptures which she would not have read and these things I thought fit in this place to signifie for the instruction of those who receive the first Rudiments of Faith Ut scire valeamus quicquid extra hos est inter Apocrypha esse ponendum Tom. 3. f 6. a. that they may know out of what Fountains they must receive the word of God. This Catalogue I have made saith Jerom that you may be able to know that the rest are Apocryphal Note § 10 Fithly That they represent these as the Fountains of Salvation which are diligently to be read and studied by all and as for the rest some of them say that though they were read in the Church not for confirmation of Faith but instruction of Manners yet private Persons should not read them Thus Athanasius having given us the Protestants Canon both of the Old and New Testament he adds These are the Fountains of Salvation so that he who thirsteth let him be satiated with the Oracles contained in them Apud Balsam p. 922. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these alone is contained the Doctrine of Godliness let no Man add any thing to them nor take any thing from them of these our Lord spake when he said to the Pharisees You erre not knowing the Scriptures and when he exhorted the Jews to search the Scriptures P. 36 37. Learn of the Church saith Cyril to his Catechumen which are the Books of the Old and the New Testament and read none of the Apocrypha for why shouldst thou trouble thy self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about controverted Books who knowest not those which are by all acknowledged read these Twenty two Books of the Old Testament study them only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and have nothing to do with the Apocrypha and having given us the same Catalogue of the Books of the New Testament excepting only the Revelations he saith Whatsoever is not read in the Church do not thou read St. Jerom in his Epistle to Paulinus having reckoned up the Books of the Old and the New Testament as we do saving that he saith The Epistle to the Hebrews is by many not reckoned as St. Paul 's saith I intreat thee dear Brother Tom. 3. f. 3. b. to be conversant among these to meditate of them nihil aliud nosse nihil quaerere to know to enquire after nothing else In his Epistle to Laeta touching the Education of her Daughter he gives this Admonition let her shun all Apocryphal Books Caveat omnia Apocrypha c. Tom. 1. f. 21. and if at any time she will read them not for the truth of Doctrine but for Reverence of the Signs let her know they are not their Books whose Titles they bear that there be many ill things in them that it requireth great Wisdom to seek Gold among Dirt. Thus have we in one Century Eusebius of Caesarea the Metropolis of Palaestine Cyril Bishop of Jerusalem § 11 Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium the Metropolis of Lycaonia Nazianzen and St. Basil in Cappadocia Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria Ruffinus Priest of Aquileia in Italy Hilary of Poictiers in France Jerom who lived in Rome France Dalmatia Syria Palaestine who travelled into Cyprus Aegypt Alexandria conversed with all the learned Persons of his Age and lastly the Council of Laodicea received generally through the Christian World deposing their plain Testimonies for the Canon of the Old Testament received by Protestants and as unanimously condemning that of the Trent Council since owned by the Church of Rome And confident I am that the greatest searchers into Ecclesiastical Antiquity cannot produce one Council nor one Testimony of any Father throughout these Four Centuries who purposely treating of or declaring the exact number of the Canonical Books of the Old Testament doth not either expresly exclude or at least omit all or most of all those Books which we stile Apocryphal and which by the New Canon made at Trent Sess 4. are pronounced Canonical and that with an Anathema to every Christian who pro sacris Canonicis non susceperit receives them not as Sacred and Canonical And if all this be not sufficient whosoever will peruse Doctor Cousin's Canon of Scripture will find the same Tradition still continued to future Ages And that the number of the Books of the Old Testament were either expresly or equivalently declared to be those and those only which we receive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 4. in Gen. p. 20. For Century the Fifth St. Chrysostom lays it down as a thing confessed by lla that all the divine Books of the Old Testament were from the beginning writ in the Hebrew Tongue Theodoret twice mentions the sacred and saving Scriptures of the Old Testament In Cant. Cantic p. 985 1077. Cous p. 132. P. 142. P. 145. P. 151 152. P. 154. P. 158 159 161 163. without addition of one of the Apocryphal The number of them is declared to be Twenty two Century the Sixth by Anastasius in the Seventh Century by Isidore in the Eighth Century by Damasus in the Ninth Century by Nicephorus and Agobardus in the Eleventh Century by Giselbertus in the Twelfth Century by Hugo de Sancto Victore Richardus de Sancto Victore by Petrus Comestor John Belith and by John of Salisbury P. 166. P. 174 178. P. 179 188 192 197. in the Thirteenth Century by the Ordinary Gloss in the Fourteenth Century by Nicephorus Calistus and Joannes Armachanus in the Fifteenth Century by Thomas Waldensis Dionysius Carthusianus and Erasmus Others numbring Ruth and Lamentations as Two Books distinct from Judges and Jeremy Prol. Gal. in
And amongst these he reckons the Seven Catholick Epistles of the Apostles Pag. 59. comprised in one Volume which he calls the Sixth Volume of the New Testament Fourteen Epistles of St. Paul comprised in the Seventh Volume and in the Eighth the Revelation of St. John of which he testisieth that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 60. shewed and judged to be his by the Ancient and holy Fathers led by the Spirit of God And then concludes Pag. 61. These are the Canonical Books of the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as it were the first fruits Anchors and supports of our Faith. St. Cyril is another who professeth to write his Catalogue from the Church and to hand down the Canonical Books as she received them from the Apostles the Ancient Bishops and Governors of the Church and he among the Canonical Books of the New Testament reckons the Seven Catholick Epistles and Fourteen Epistles of St. Paul leaving out only the Apocalypse The Council of Laodicea reckons them exactly as St. Cyril doth leaving out with him the Apocalypse not that they question its Authority but because they reckon up only the Books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which ought to be read in the Churches Cyril Catech. 4. p. 38. Concil Laod. Can. 60. among which the Apocalypse was not because it is so very Mystical and accordingly the Council concludes their Canon thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These Books we have received from the Fathers to be read in the Church and yet they do command that nothing should be read there but Canonical Scripture Apud Hieron Tom. 4. f. 51. Ruffinus declares he reckoned the Volumes of the New Testament as they were delivered to the Church of Christ secundum majorum Traditionem and according to the Tradition of the Ancients and then he accounts Fourteen Epistles of St. Paul Seven Catholick Epistles and the Apocalypse saying Haec sunt quae patres intra Canonem concluserunt These are the Books which the Father 's put into the Canon Can. 27. The Council of Carthage undertaking to reckon up the Canonical Books of the New Testament enumerates Fourteen Epistles of St. Paul Two of Peter Three of John One of James and One of Jude and the Apocalypse of St. John as received from the Fathers St. Jerom reckons the Canonical Books of the New Testament after the same manner only saying That the Epistle to the Hebrews was by most shut out of the number of the Epistles written by St. Paul that is some in his time conceived St. Barnabas others St. Clemens either did interpret it from the Hebrew or write it either from the Mouth or from the Notions of St. Paul but then he adds Ep. Tom. 3. f. 13. That the whole Greek Church and some of the Latins did receive it That all the Eastern Churches and all the Churches which used the Greek Tongue did Anciently own it as the Epistle of St. Paul and that he also owned both that and the Apocalypse not respecting the Custom of his present Age but following the Authority of the Ancient Writers who cited Testimonies from both not as sometimes they are wont to do from Apocryphal Books but as from Canonical Scripture And good reason had he to say 1. § 19 Lib. 3. c. 24. That he received the Apocalypse on the Authority of the Ancients when Eusebius expresly declares That a judgment might easily be passed of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Testimony of the Ancients Athanasius that it was determined Synop. p. 60. and demonstrated to be his by the Ancient and Holy Fathers led by the Spirit of God. And indeed Ep. ad C. §. 34. Dial. cum Tryph p. 308. Pag. 373 477 128 347 376 480 486 500 503. Lib. 5. c. 30. p. 485. Pag. 201. 528. Tom. 5. in Joh. Hom. 7. in Jos pag. 269 270 411 510 c. De opere Elem p. 202. de bono pat p. 219. Hist Eccl. l. 4.24 Ibid. c. 26. Lib. 5. c. 18. p. 186. Lib. 7. c. 25. it is cited in the First Century by Clemens Romanus as a Prophetical Writing In the Second Century by Justin Martyr as a Book writ by John one of Christ's Twelve Apostles By Irenaeus in the same Century as the Revelation of John the Disciple of the Lord the Revelation of St. John and he declares it was written by him pene sub nostro saeculo almost in our Age at the end of the Reign of Domitian It is mentioned in the Third Century as holy Scripture and a Prophetick Vision by Clemens of Alexandria as the Revelation of that John who lay in the bosom of our Lord by Origen it is mentioned by Tertullian as the Prophecy the Revelation the Vision of the Apostle John in above Twenty places by St. Cyprian as that Revelation in which we hear our Saviour's Voice and in which he speaks to us Eusebius informs us That Melito Bishop of Sardis writ upon the Revelation of St. John that Theophilus Bishop of Antioch owned it and cited from it many Testimonies Now both these flourished in the middle of the Second Century That Hippolitus the Disciple of Irenaeus did the same And that Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria professed That he durst not reject it by reason of the multitude of Christians who had a veneration for it and that he owned it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the work of an holy Man inspired of God. And judge now whether he had not sufficient ground to say this matter might be decided by the Testimonies of the Ancients That this Book was refused by Marcion the Heretick Contra Marcion l. 4. c. 5. Haer. 51 54. Haer. 30. we learn from Tertullian that it was rejected by the Alogians and Theodosian Hereticks we learn from Epiphanius and St. Austin and that when some Orthodox Christians began to dislike the Doctrine of the Millennium they began also to dispute some the Author of this Book ascribing it to another John Presbyter at Ephesus and others the Authority of it because they could not answer the Testimony produced from the Twentieth Chapter in favour of the Saints Reign on Earth a Thousand Years But then their Arguments against it are only taken from some vain and weak Imaginations of their own Brains as v. g. That St. John here names himself which in his Gospel and Epistles he never doth by which Argument we must reject either the Lamentations or the Book of Jeremy 2. Because he doth not use the same Expressions here as he did there that is in a Prophetick Stile as in a Doctrinal on which account Ecclesiastes and the Canticles cannot be writ by the same Author And 3. Because he writes here better Greek than elsewhere which if so may be because he writes not to the Jews but to the Asiaticks or after he had more conversed with them who spake that Language in its Purity As for those who ascribe
the Greek And that their Versions of the New Testament where they vary Graecis cedere oportere non dubium est must yield to the Greek Copies is without doubt St. Jerom in his Epistle to Lucinius saith Ep. Tom. 1. f. 69. b. That he had Translated most of the Old Testament according to the Hebrew and that he had Translated the New according to the Authority of the Greek Ut enim veterum librorum fides de Hebraeis voluminibus examinanda est ita novorum Graeci sermonis normam desiderat For as the Truth of the Books of the Old Testament is to be examined by the Hebrew so is the Truth of the Books of the New Testament to be examined by the Rule of the Greek In his Epistle to Sunia and Fretela he tells them Tom. 3. f. 28. a. That as in the New Testament if at any time a Question arise among the Latins and there is a diversity among the Copies recurrimus ad fontem Graeci sermonis we recurr to the Greek the Original Language in which the New Testament was writ so in the Old Testament if there be a diversity between the Greek and Latin Copies ad Hebraicam recurrimus veritatem Ep. Tom. 3. f. 10. b. we recurr to the Hebrew Verity In his Epistle to Damasus he saith That he had at his command Translated the Four Evangelists codicum Graecorum emendatâ collatione mending the former Versions by the Collation of the Greek Copies it being the desire of Damasus that because the Latin Copies differed he would shew quae sunt illa quae cum Graeca consentiunt veritate which best agreed with the true Copies of the Greek and indeed saith he If we must trust to the Latin Copies let them who think so say to which for they are almost all different one from the other surely the Scripture of the New Testament being writ in Greek when that differs in the Latin Tongue uno de fonte quaerendum we must have recourse to the Fountain Now by the way they who speak so expresly of the Hebrew and the Greek Verity by which the truth of the Latin Copies is to be examined shew that the Decree of Trent that the vulgar Latin Sess 4. pro Authentica haberetur should in all Readings Disputations Preachings and Expositions be received as authentick and that no Man should dare under any pretence to reject it agrees with Antiquity after their usual manner by way of Opposition and flat Contradiction to it though in this matter I confess they are the more excusable seeing as Espenceus saith In 1 Tim. c. 3. it rendred any of the Latins suspicious to know Greek and it was almost Heretical to know the Hebrew Tongue And as Melchior Chanus doth inform us The School-men for Four hundred Years Loc. Com. l. 2. c. 12. p. 108. retained only the Latin Edition quippe linguae Graecae Hebraicae non habuerunt peritiam because they had no skill in Greek or Hebrew Thirdly § 10 That the Books of the New Testament have been handed down unto us uncorrupted in the necessaries and substantials of Christian Faith and Manners we conclude from Reason grounded upon matter of Fact delivered and testified by the Doctors of the Vniversal Church and we receive them as such from the rational Evidence which Tradition affords in this Case Whence we collect 1. That the Apostles and Holy Spirit which did assist them in inditing of this Canon for the Church's use could not be wanting in causing them to be transmitted to those Christians for whose use they were indited because they could not be wanting to pursue the end for which they were endited Besides that they were actually thus committed to them is the Tradition of the whole Christian World which owned and cited read and received them for such from the Apostles Days as is apparent from the Epistles of Clement Polycarp Ignatius and others who were contemporary with the Apostles and from the works of Justin M. Irenaeus and many others of the Second Century They were read also by the Jews as Trypho doth confess and by the very Heathens at the invitation of the Christians For our Doctrines and Writings saith Justin M. Apol. 1. p. 52. Apol. 2. p. 7. are such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as all Men are permitted to read and if you will vouchsafe to look into them you may learn these things for we do not only read them our selves Ibid. p. 82. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but we bring them to you to peruse knowing that they will be acceptable to all that read them Apol. c. 31. We our selves do not suppress them saith Tertullian and many Accidents do put them into the Hands of Strangers They were attested to by the Sufferings of the Primitive Christians who rather chose to suffer Death than to deliver up these Books which Sufferings they could have no Temptation to endure besides their full Conviction that they were as they always stiled them Passio S. Felicis saepius Deifici libri Scripturae deificae Books which instructed them to lead a Divine Life and which their Persecutors could have had no Temptation to suppress and burn had they not known them to have been the Records of the Christian Faith with which their Faith must live or perish Moreover they contained things of the highest moment and which it was their chiefest interest to be well assured of they being the sole Ground and matter of their support under their sharpest Trials and of their future Hopes and therefore Writings they were concerned to get and hear and read and keep Add to this that they very early were translated into other Languages into the Syriack by apostolical Men saith the Tradition of the Eastern Churches by Men of great Antiquity who lived before the Canon was established as is apparent from their neglecting to translate the controverted Books of the New Testament into the Latin and other Languages Praeleg in Bibl. polyglott 13. p. 91. saith Bishop Walton From the Beginning as we may rationally conjecture seeing the Church of Rome and other Churches which understood not Greek were founded in the Apostles Days or quickly after nor could it rationally be supposed that they were without the Scriptures long Especially if we consider That it was part of their Lord's day Exercise saith Justin Martyr Apol. 2. p. 98. to read the Writings of the Apostles As for the Books themselves we find them mostly written to whole Churches Nations 1 Cor. i. 1. 2 Pet. i. 1. or the whole World of Christians To all that called upon the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place who could not easily have received them had the Apostles by whom they were at first converted given no sufficient indication of them They were Books which could not have been spread abroad as they were in the Apostles Names whilst they were living unless the Apostles had endited them
de Sancto Victore excerpt l. 2. c. 9. That all the Books of the Old Testament are Twenty-two and that there are besides other Books as the Wisdom of Solomon the Book of Jesus the Son of Syrach Judith Tobias and the Books of Mâ—câ—abees sed non scribuntur in Canone but they are not written in the Canon and this he very frequently repeats Richardus de Sancto Victore saith in like manner That the Books of the Old Testament are Twenty-two alii non habentur in Canone others are not put into the Canon though they are read by us as are the Writings of the Fathers and these Books are Wisdom Ecclesiasticus Tobit Judith and the Maccabees John Beleth having reckoned up the Books of the Old Testament and told us they were Twenty-two he after saith expresly De div Officiis c. 60 62. That Tobit the Maccabees Philo and the Son of Syrach were Apocrypha and that hos quatuor quidem non recipit Ecclesia the Church receiveth not these four John of Salisbury in Answer to the Question put to him Ep. 172. Edit Paris 1611. p. 279. Quem credam numerum esse librorum V. N. Testamenti What he believed to be the number of the Books of the Old and the New Testament P. 281. saith That following Catholicae Ecclesiae Doctorem Hieronymum St. Jerom as the most approved Doctor of the Catholick Church in this matter he undoubtedly believed them to be Twenty-two And then of the Books of Wisdom Ecclesiasticus Judith Tobias and the Maccabees he saith Non reputantur in Canone They are not reckoned in the Canon and having added to this account the number of the Books of the New Testament he concludes of them both thus Et hunc quidem numerum esse librorum qui in S. Scripturarum Canonem admittuntur celebris apud Ecclesiam P. 282. indubitata traditio est And that this is the number of the Books which are admitted into the Canon of the Holy Scriptures is what the celebrated and undoubted Tradition of the Church declares The Ordinary Gloss received in this Cent. 13. De libris Bibliae Canonicis non Canonicis and in the following Ages with the general Approbation of the Schools and all the Doctors of the Western Church declareth 1. That the Canonical Books of the Old Testament are only Twenty-two and having reckoned them up in this order viz. Five Books of Moses Eight of the Prophets and Nine Hagiographa he adds That quicquid extra hos est ut dicit Hieronymus inter Apocrypha est ponendum What Books soever there be besides relating to the Old Testament they ought according to St. Jerom to be put among the Apocrypha particularly before the Books of Tobit Judith Wisdom Ecclesiasticus and the Maccabees he saith Here begins a Book qui non est in Canone or qui non est de Canone Ibid. which belongs not to the Canon And again Isti sunt libri qui non sunt in Canone These are the Books which are not in the Canon and which the Church admits as good and useful but not as Canonical He also giveth his Advertisement Ibid. That the Chapters added to Esther and to Daniel are not in the Canon so that in all things he perfectly accordeth with the Church of England 2. As for those Books which are not Canonical he informs us That Ecclesia eos legit permittit the Church reads and permits them to be read by the Faithful for Devotion and Information of Manners but she doth not think their Authority sufficient to prove what is doubtful or matter of dispute or to confirm Ecclesiastical Doctrines And this 3. because there is as much difference betwixt Books Canonical and not Canonical as betwixt what is certain and what is dubious betwixt Books written by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost and Books indited they knew not when or by whom And 4. He professes to have made this distinction and exact numeration of the Books which did and which did not belong unto the Canon because there were many who because they did not spend much time in studying the Scriptures existimabant omnes libros qui in Biblia continentur pari veneratione esse reverendos thought with the Trent Council all the Books contained in the Bible were to be received with a like Veneration not knowing how to distinguish betwixt Books Canonical and not Canonical In the Fourteenth Century Brito a Friar Minorite put forth his Exposition of the Prologues of St. Jerom upon the Bible which were usually joined to the Ordinary Gloss and are still extant in the Works of Nicholas Lyra and in his Exposition of the Prologue upon Joshua he informs us That according to the Hebrews the Books of the Old Testament are divided into the Law the Prophets and the Hagiographa the Law containing Five Books the Prophets Eight and the Hagiographa Nine that the Books of Judith the Maccabees of Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus the Third and Fourth of Esdras and the Book of Tobit Apocryphi dicuntur Quia vero de veritate istorum librorum non dubitatur ab Ecclesia recipiuntur are called Apoorvphal because the Authors of them are not known though they are received of the Church as not doubting the truth of them In his Exposition on the Prologue upon Kings he tells us That the Prologue of St. Jerom was useful ut sciamus librorum Canonis Apocryphorum distinctionem that we might by it know the distinction betwixt the Canonical and Apocryphal Books and that it defends the Holy Scripture against them who introduce the Apocryphal Books for Hagiographa or sacred Writings And in his Exposition upon his Prologue before Daniel he saith Continet liber iste Apocrypham partem Historiam Susannae Hymnum puerorum Belis Draconisque fabulas This Book containeth something Apocryphal viz. The History of Susanna the Song of the Three Children and the Fables of Bell and the Dragon Now this being a work of so great Credit as to be joined to the Gloss and commonly received as Lyra saith must give us the prevailing Judgment of that Age. Nicholas Lyra in his Preface upon Tobit saith That by the favour of God he having writ super libros S. Scripturae Canonicos on the Canonical Books of Scripture from Genesis to the Revelations intended by the same Grace of God super alios scribere qui non sunt Canonici to write upon others which were not Canonical and which are only received in the Church for Instruction of Manners not being by her thought sufficient to confirm doubtful Matters Now these saith he according to St. Jerom in his Prologue on the Kings are Wisdom Ecclesiasticus Judith Tobias and the Maccabees Baruch and the Second of Esdras as he saith in his Prologues to those Books In the beginning of his Notes upon Esra he renews all this saying That he intended though Commenting upon the Historical Books of the Old
Matthew was writ saith the Tradition of the Fathers Theoph. proem in Matth. Athan. Synops p. 155. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eight Years after our Lords Ascension Mark writ his Gospel whilst St. Peter lived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ten Years after our Lords Assumption saith Theophylact. St. Luke writ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fifteen Years after our Lords Ascension Proem in Luc. say Dorotheus and Theophylact. St. John 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thirty two Years after our Lords Ascension saith the same Theophylact. Chap. 7. §. 2. Now these Gospels as I before have proved were by the General Tradition of the whole Church of Christ esteemed sufficiently to contain that Christian Doctrine which the Apostles taught and purposely to have been written to preserve it entire to Posterity Secondly This Argument is wholly overthrown by this one Observation That the Apostles in their Preaching declare that they spake only what was written in the Books of the Old Testament or might be clearly gathered thence When they undertook to prove any Article of Christian Faith they proved it from the Scriptures of the Old Testament When they reasoned with others to bring them to the Faith they did it from the same Scriptures Acts 26.22 1 Cor. 15.2 3 4. saying none other Things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come When they would have their Proselytes confirmed in the Christian Faith 2 Pet. 1.19 they send them to this more sure Word of Prophecy encouraging them to take heed to it as to a Light that shineth in a dark Place And declaring that those very Scriptures which Timothy had known from a Child 2 Tim. 3.15 that is before one Book of the New Testament was written were able through Faith in Christ or the Belief that Jesus is the Messiah promised in them to make him Wise unto Salvation 16 17. That they were profitable for Doctrine and Instruction in Righteousness for Reproof for Correction that the Man of God may be perfect both as to his own Practice Obadiah paraph in locum and his teaching others throughly furnished to every good Work. If then before the Scriptures of the New Testament were written these inspired Persons taught their Converts out of the Old Testament and sent them thither to learn the Truth of what they said and bad them have Recourse unto those Writings as being able to make them Wise unto Salvation and as being more certain and more to be heeded than that Voice from Heaven of which they themselves testified Doubtless when they themselves by the same Spirit had indited the New Testament they must be more concerned that they should be guided by that written Word then also it is evident that they did not invite Men to believe meerly on the Authority or Oral Tradition of the then present Church nor practised any thing whence it might be concluded that after Ages by meer Tradition might be sufficiently instructed in the things which concerned their eternal Welfare Nay they sufficiently declared the contrary by chusing to adhere themselves and call on others to adhere to what was taught concerning the Messiah in the Old Testament when Tradition was so fresh their Authority so fully was confirmed by Miracles and they to whom they spake had the inspired Apostles in any matter of Dispute or Controversy to repair unto Thirdly St. Luke informs us § 15 that he received his Gospel by Tradition Luke 1.2 4. and that he had committed it to Writing that his Theophilus might know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Certainty of those Doctrines in which he had been formerly instructed clearly insinuating that he conceived the written Word a means of adding certainty to what was only taught by Word of Mouth Accordingly Eusebius informs us that he was necessitated to write his Gospel that he might give us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 24. a firm Account of those things which he had learned from his Conversation with St. Paul and with the rest of the Apostles Church History saith of St. Matthew Euseb ibid. That he was constrained to write his Gospel that by so doing he might supply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the want of his own Presence with them and that when he was by Persecution separated from them Opus imperf in Matth. praefat his Converts might not want the Doctrine of Faith but wheresoever they were might retain Totius fidei statum the entire form of Faith. The san Tradition doth inform us See Chap. 7. §. 1 2. That the First Christian Converts when they had heard the Apostles preach the Christian Faith would not be satisfied with receiving it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Oral Teaching but earnestly requested to have it left in Writing with them That the believing Jews Petierunt Matthaeum ut omnium verborum operum Christi conscriberet eis historiam To write the History of all Christ's Words and Works that they might have a compleat System of their Faith. That the Romans earnestly desired Mark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to leave in Writing a Memorial of the Doctrine delivered to them by word of Mouth and never would desist till they had obtained it and that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the light of Piety which would not suffer them to rest satisfied with the Oral Tradition of the Faith that by the same perswasion Hieron Prolog in Matth. Euseb H. Eccl. l. 3. c. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his familiar Acquaintance of all the Bishops of Asia and the Ambassies of many Churches St. John who before had spent all his time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Oral Preaching was at last moved to write his Gospel The same Tradition adds That the Apostles having preached the Gospel committed it to Writing to be the Pillar and the Ground of Faith to future Ages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Anchors and Foundations of our Faith Athan. Synops p. 61. Theophylact. proem in Mat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That from these Scriptures being taught the truth we might not be drawn aside by the Falshoods of Heresies And lastly That if they had not left in Writing what they preached Orig. Dial. contr Marcion p. 59. they had preached Salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only to them who heard them Preach and should have had no care of Posterity because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things only orally delivered would quickly vanish there being no demonstration of their Truth Which words as they expresly do confute the certainty of Doctrines only delivered to Posterity by word of Mouth so the forementioned Traditions do sufficiently inform us what was the Judgment of the ancient Church in this Affair viz. That to ascertain those Christians who were taught the principles of their Religion it was necessary that should be written which they had been taught that they could not well otherwise supply their absence or leave to their Disciples an
Doctrines of the Church of Rome are not received by Tradition from Father to Son since in this matter the Sons have generally entertained a Doctrine their Fathers either knew nothing of or plainly contradicted and that is now become pious and consonant to Ecclesiastical Worship which in St. Bernard's time was Ep. 174. praesumpta novitas Mater temeritatis soror superstitionis filia levitatis A bold Novelty the Mother of Rashness the Sister of Superstition the Daughter of Levity 5. Hence doth it follow that even by the Authority of the heads of the Vniversal Church men may be forbidden under pain of Damnation to Assert the Ancient Doctrine of the Church and may have liberty to contradict it Yea that in the judgment of a great R. Council received by the French as General and bearing that title in all Editions of the Councils that may be agreeable to the Catholick Faith to Reason and to Holy Scripture which is repugnant to the Ancient Doctrine of the Church Catholick for Eight whole Centuries 6. Hence is it manifest that the Trent Council hath given liberty to all her Members to hold that which is opposite to an universal constant unopposed Tradition of the Church for many Ages that is that she hath left them at their liberty to hold the Ancient Faith or hold the contrary 7. Hence it appears that in the Church of Rome Feasts may be instituted in which all men shall be exhorted to praise God for a thing which perhaps never was and of the truth of which none of her Members can be certain certitudine fidei with the certainty of Faith all of them being by this Church permitted to believe the contrary CHAP. III. Fifthly We distinguish betwixt Traditions which though not written in Scripture are left on Record in the Ecclesiastical writings of the first and purest Ages of the Church and such as are so purely Oral Traditions as that we find no footsteps of them in the Three first Centuries much less any assurance they had then any general Reception of the first kind is the Canon of Scripture of the Old Testament mentioned in our Sixth Article § 1. This is proved from the Jews § 2. From the Christians of the Second Century § 3. Of the Third Century § 4. From almost all the celebrated Writers of the Fourth Century § 5. Where also it is observed 1. That these Fathers profess to deliver that Catalogue of them which they had received from Tradition § 6. And that the Books which they rejected as Apocryphal were so reputed by the Church § 7. That the Catalogue they produced was that received not only by the Jews but Christians § 8. That they made it to prevent mistakes § 9. That they represent the Books contained in their Catalogue as the Fountain of Salvation the rest as insufficient to confirm Articles of Faith § 10. The same Tradition still continued to the Sixteenth Century § 11. What the Roman Doctors must do if they would shew a like Tradition for any of their Tenets § 12. The unreasonableness of their pretences to Tradition in this Article Ibid. The Attempts of Mr. M. and J. L. to prove their Canon from the Council of Carthage the Testimony of St. Austin the Decrees of Pope Innocent and Gelasius are Answered § 13. The Tradition touching the Books of the New Testament where it is proved 1. That the Four Evangelists the Acts the Thirteen Epistles of St. Paul the First of Peter and of John were always owned as Canonical by all Orthodox Christians § 14. 2. That it cannot be necessary to Salvation to be assured that the Books formerly controverted belong to the Canon § 15. 3. That we cannot be assured of the true Canon of the New Testament from the Testimony of the Latin Church § 16. 4. That there is not the like necessity that the controverted Books should have been generally received from the beginning as that all necessary Articles of Christian Faith and Manners should be then generally received § 17. That we have cause sufficient to own as Canonical the Books once controverted is proved 1. in the General § 18. 2. In Particular touching the Apocalypse § 19. And the Epistle to the Hebrews § 20. Touching the Epistle of St. James the Second of Peter the Second and Third of John the Epistle of St. Jude § 21. No Orthodox Persons dobuted of them after the Fourth Century § 22. The Romanists cannot prove their Doctrines by any like Traditions and in particular not by such a Tradition as proves the Apocalypse Canonical § 23. The Objection of Mr. M. Answered § 24. AGain § 1 the word Tradition may be applied to signifie either such things as are not written in the Scripture Dist 5. though they are left on Record in the Ecclesiastical writings of the first and purest Ages Vocatur Doctrina non scripta non ea quae nusquam scripta est sed quae non est scripta a primo Autore Bellarm. de verbo Dei non scripto l. 4. c. 2. and from them handed down unto us in the writings of succeeding Ages or else to signifie such things as are said only to be delivered by word of Mouth but cannot by the Records of preceding Ages be proved to have been received as Doctrines generally maintained or practices always observed in the Church of Christ of the first sort is the Tradition of the Canon of Scripture of the Apostles Symbol as a perfect Summary of Doctrines necessary to be believed the Observation of the Lord's Day the Superiority of Bishops over Presbyters the Ordination of Presbyters and Deacons by Bishops only and the like we having full and pregnant evidence from the first Records of Antiquity unto this present time of all these things and whatsoever can be proved by a like Tradition touching a necessary Article of Christian Faith we are all ready to receive but those pretended Traditions of the Roman Church which by no Records of Antiquity can be made appear to have been constantly received by the Church as Apostolical Traditions we have just Reason to reject as being without Ground so stiled For Instance First We receive the Canon of the Scriptures of the Old Testament mentioned in our Sixth Article because it is by written Tradition handed down unto us from the Jews from Christ and his Apostles and from their Successors in the Church and we reject the Canon of the Old Testament imposed upon us by the Fourth Session of the Trent Council partly because we find a clear Tradition both virtually by all who say the Canon of the Old Testament is only that we own and expresly by those who say the others which we stile Apocrypha belong not to the Canon And 1. § 2 We receive our Canon from the Ancient Jews to whom were committed the Oracles of God for their Josephus saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. 1. contra Apion
Euseb H. Eccl. l. 3. c. 10. We have only Twenty two Books which deserve belief among us and then he reckons them up as doth our Article adding that the Books written from the time of Artaxerxes to their days were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so worthy to be credited From Christ and his Apostles Luk. xxiv 27. for the Gospel of St. Luke informs us That Christ beginning from Moses expounded to two of his Disciples in all the Scriptures the things concerning him and also that all things concerning him were written in the Law of Moses vers 44. and in the Prophets and in the Psalms that is in those Books which by the Jews are stiled Hagiographa The Apostles in their Epistles teach 2 Tim. iij. 15. That all Scripture is of Divine Inspiration and that Timothy from a Child had known them and yet he doubtless only knew the Canon then received by the Jews 2 Pet. i. 21. they add That the whole Scripture was a word of Prophecy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apud Euseb l. 3. c. 10. Genebrard Chron. ad An. 3640. Jansen ad cap. 48. Ecclus the Prophecy of Men moved by the Holy Ghost Now Josephus doth inform us That after the Days of Artaxerxes the Jews had no certain Succession of Prophets and it is confessed by many Romanists That from Malachy to John they had no Prophets In the Second Century Onesimus requesteth of Melito § 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Eccl. Hist l. 4. cap. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. Bishop of Sardis a perfect Catalogue of the Books of the Old Testament whereupon this Bishop being to take a Journey into the East went to the place where those things were done and preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. ibid. and learning thence the exact number of them he sent their Names to Onesimus numbring them just as our Sixth Article doth And of this Catalogue Eusebius saith That it contained all the Books of the Old Testament which the Church owned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. and that he thought it necessary to preserve this Catalogue of them in writing to Posterity Here then we find upon the first enquiry after the Death of the Apostles a Catalogue exactly formed from the East and from Jerusalem agreeing with the Judgment of the whole Church of God and as exactly with the judgment of the Church of England In the Third Century Origen informs us § 4 That we must not be ignorant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Psal 1. Ed. Huet T. 1. p. 40 41. that the Canonical Books of the Old Testament are Twenty two according to the number of the Jewish Letters and then he reckons them exactly as we do adding That as these Letters are an Introduction to knowledge and divine Wisdom so these Twenty two Books are an Introduction to the Wisdom of God this saith he is the Tradition of the Jews The Tradition of the Church in the Fourth Century unanimously concurrs with the Article of the Church of England in all the Catalogues then given of the Books of the Old Testament § 5 Eusebius of Caesarea the Metropolis of Palestine who not only hath preserved the Catalogues of Melito and Origen but also doth approve them and saith They were the Books of the Old Testament received by the consent of all and of which he thought necessary to preserve the Catalogue in writing to posterity L. 4. c. 6. elsewhere saith That he is not able exactly to reckon the Governors of the Tribe of Judah that ruled the Jewish Nation after Zorobabel Demonst Evang l. 8. c. 2. p. 368. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because that from his time to that of our Saviour's there was no divine Book written Athanasius in his Festival Epistle gives the same Catalogue which we receive and having finished it he saith Ad Ruffinum Tom. 2. p. 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In these are comprehended the Books of the Old Testament The same Archbishop of Alexandria in his Book stiled a Synopsis of the Holy Scriptures tells us the number of the Books of the Old Testament are Twenty two Ibid. p. 58. and he there reckons them up according to our Article St. Cyril Bishop of Jerusalem speaks to his Catechumen thus Know thou studiously 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Church the Books of the Old Testament read the divine Scriptures the Twenty two Books of the Old Testament interpreted by the Seventy Interpreters Catech. 4. cap. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 36 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by all confessed to be divine Meditate upon these Twenty two Books of the Old Testament and be careful to remember them as I name them and then he reckons them up exactly as we do Epiphanius Bishop of Salamine in the Island of Cyprus in his Book of Weights and Measures Tom. 2. p. 161 162. doth in like manner inform us That the number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Canonical Books of the Old Testament is Twenty two and then he reckons them up as our Article doth St. Cap. 3. Basil Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia in his Philocalia puts this Question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why are the divine Books Twenty two and answers it as Origen had done before him Gregory Nazianzen in his Treatise upon this very subject of the true genuine Books of Scripture Concil Oxon. Tom. 2. part 1. p. 179. declares That the Historical Books of the Old Testament are Twelve and the Metrical are Five and the Prophetical Five and then he names them all according to our Article Amphilochius in his Canonical Epistle to Selcucus gives us the same account of them Apud Balsamon p. 1083. with this only difference that the Book of Esther is said to be not so generally received for Canonical as the rest St. Jerom in several places of his works is so clearly for us that our Article is founded on his Judgment who often tells us That the Canonical Books of the Old Testament are Twenty two or if you will reckon Ruth and the Lamentations as distinct Books Tom. 3. f. 6. a. Ibid. f. 3. a. T. 1. f. 41. a. Apud Hieron Tom. 4. f. 51. they are Four and twenty In his Preface to the Book of Kings in his Epistle to Paulinus to Laeta and in divers places of his other works he is expresly of the same Judgment Ruffinus having numbered the Books of the Old Testament as we do adds That in these Books the Fathers did comprize tha◠number of the Books of the Old Testament St. Hilary saith Prolog Expla in Psalmos That the number of the Books of the Old Testament are Twenty two according to the number of the Hebrew Letters and having reckoned them up as we do saith These compleat the number of the Twenty two Books The Council of Laodicea Decrees Can. 59. That only the Canonical Books shall be read
in the Church and then this Council reckons up the Canonical Books as we do leaving out of their account those which we call Apocryphal Now this Canon being received into the Codex Canonum-Ecclesiae universalis or the Code of the Canons received by the whole Church it must have the force of an Oecumenical Synod and give us the concurring judgment of the whole Church of God on our side And yet for farther confirmation of this matter let these few things be noted First That these Fathers generally say § 6 they deliver these Catalogues as they received them by Tradition and as they were delivered to them by the Fathers and as they were received by the whole Church of Christ * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanasius in his Pascal Epistle speaks thus Because some dare to mix Apocryphal Books with the divine Scriptures of which we are fully assured from the Tradition of them to the Fathers by them who were Eye-witnesses and Ministers of the Word It seemed good to me being exhorted to it by the Orthodox Brethren and having learnt them from the beginning in order to declare which are the Canonical Books delivered as such by Tradition and believed to be of divine Inspiration St. Hilary saith Prolog Expla in Psalmos That they were thus computed secundum Traditiones veterum according to the Traditions of the Ancients These saith St. Cyril are the Books you learn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Church and which we read publickly in the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Catech. 4. p. 37. The Apostles and the ancient Bishops and Governors of the Church who delivered these as the Canonical Books were much wiser than you thou therefore being a Son of the Church do not transgress her Laws or go beyond her Rules Quae secundum majorum Traditionem Ecclesiis Christitradita What are the Volumes of the Old and the New Testament which according to the Tradition of the Ancients are believed to be inspired by the Holy Ghost and delivered to the Churches of Christ It seems convenient saith Russinus here evidently to declare as we have received them from the Monuments of the Fathers and having reckoned up the Books of the Old Testament proceeding to the Books of the New Testament he adds Haec nobis a patribus tradita sunt Apud Hieron Tom. 4. f. 51. a. These are the Books which the Father 's comprized in the Canon these things are delivered to us by the Fathers Note § 7 Secondly That of the Books which we reject and call Apocryphal they also teach that as such they were rejected by the Church that though the Church permitted them to be read yet did she not receive them into the Catalogue of the Holy Scriptures or use them to confirm any Article of Christian Faith and that they spake of them as Books without the Canon Thus Athanasius in his Paschal Epistle saith That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for more exactness sake Apud Balsam p. 921. I add this necessary advertisement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That besides these Books of the Old and New Testament now mentioned as divine Scripture there be other Books which are not put into the Canon which are yet appointed by the Fathers to be read to those who first come to be Catechized in the way of Piety to wit The Wisdom of Solomon the Wisdom of Syrach and Esther and Judith and Tobias and the Book called the Doctrine of the Apostles and Pastor these are read and not to be despised the others are put into the Canon Tom 2. p. 58 59. The very same words he repeats in his Compendium of the Holy Scripture where also afterwards he reckons the Four Books of Macchabees and the History of Susanna among the Books contradicted Baruch and the additions to Daniel among the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament Catech. 4. p. 38. St. Cyril having cited the Canon we receive as that which was delivered to the Church by the Apostles and ancient Governors of the Church adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let all the rest which are extro-canonical be placed in a second Order Gregory Nazianzen having given an account of Twenty two Books of the Old Testament saith You have them all Ubi Supra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that all besides them are not Genuine After his Catalogue delivered from the Tradition of the Fathers Sunt alii libri non Canonici sed Ecclesiastici a majoribus appellati Quae omnia legi quidem in Ecclesia voluerunt non tamen proferriad authoritatem ex his fidei confirmandam Apud Hieron Tom. 4. f. 51. Ruffinus saith You must know that there be other Books which are not Canonical but called by our Ancestors Ecclesiastical as the Wisdom of Solomon the Wisdom of the Son of Syrach Tobit Judith and the Books of Macchabees which they were willing to have read in the Church but not to have produced to confirm Doctrines of Faith the rest they called Apocryphal and would not have read in the Church These things are delivered to us by the Fathers Praefat. in librum Regum Tom 3. f. 6. St. Jerom saith he made his Catalogue ut scire valeamus quicquid extra hos est inter Apocrypha esse ponendum that we might know that all besides these Twenty two are to be deemed Apocryphal He adds Praef. in Esdr Neh. ibid. f. 7 8. That the Books which are not received by the Hebrews are to be rejected by us Christians and that the Church indeed Reads them but receives them not into the Canons Note Thirdly § 8 That they declare not only that these are the Books received into the Canon by the Jews but by the Christians also that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synops Tom. 2. p. 55. the entire Scripture of us Christians saith Athanasius All the Books delivered by the Apostles and ancient Governors of the Church and by the Church to others saith St. Cyril Ubi Supra All the Books delivered to the Church of Christ saith Ruffinus That as for others which we stile Apocryphal Ecclesia nescit Apocrypha Tom. 3. f. 7. a. f. 9. a. the Church owns them not Ecclesia inter Canonicas Scripturas non recipit The Church receives them not among the Canonical Scriptures saith St. Jerom. Note Fourthly § 9 That they declare that they made this Enumeration of these Books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of necessity to prevent mistakes in this Matter and for the good of the Church and that Men might know out of what Fountains they were to draw the Waters of Life Having made mention of the Hereticks saith Athanasius as of Dead persons Apud Balsam p. 920 921. and of our selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as having the Holy Scriptures for Life and because I fear least some harmless Men through their Simplicity and Ignorance may be deceived by
to ground Faith upon For on this ground they proceeded in defining all the Books in our Canon to be Canonical Pope Innocent the First A. D. 402. St. Austin P. Gelasius A. D. 492. confirm the same Canon and the Sixth General Council celebrated A. D. 680. confirms the Council of Carthage and the true Canon is again set forth in the Council of Florence A. 1438. And after these Declarations of the Council of Carthage and Pope Innocent no one pertinaciously dissented from the Canon but such as Protestants themselves confess to be Hereticks J. L. adds That Gregory Nazianzen acknowledged them Canonical and St. Ambrose Lib. de Jacob vitâ beatâ and that since the Churches Declaration no Catholick ever doubted of them Now for Answer to these things let it be noted First That whereas they are pleased to say that it was till the time of the Third Council of Carthage that is till the Fifth Century doubtful and undetermined in the Church whether these Books were Canonical or not because the Church had not then declared them so they by just consequence must grant that the Apostles and all the Ancient Bishops of the Church for Four Centuries knew nothing of the Roman Canon for had they known the Books contested to be Canonical we cannot doubt but they would have delivered them to the Church as such as well as those which we receive and which saith Eusebius were received by the consent of all Lib. 4. c. 26. We therefore are contented to be no wiser than they were and rather chuse to hearken to that advice of Cyril of Jerusalem Read the Twenty two Books of the Old Testament and have nothing to do with the Apocrypha 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the Apostles and ancient Bishops the Rulers of the Church who delivered these Twenty two Books as the Canon were wiser than those that came after them we therefore being Sons of the Church in compliance with his advice will not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 break over the bounds which they have set us especially considering they so expresly have informed us that they delivered this Catalogue of the Twenty two Canonical Books of the Old Testament as they received them from Tradition Obs 1. That they made this Enumeration of them to prevent mistakes in this matter for the good of the Church and that Men might know out of what Fountains to draw the Water of Life and might clearly learn which were Canonical Obs 4. And as the Canon received and owned not only by the Jewish but the Christian Church Obs 3. Secondly The falshood of these bold Assertions hath been shewed sufficiently in what hath been discoursed upon this subject for had the Authority of the Books we stile Apocryphal been undetermined had the true Canon of the Books of the Old Testament been doubtful in the Church till the Fifth Century why did Athanasius think it necessary to advertise Christians that the Books which we reject were not Canonical St. Cyril That they were out of the Canon Nazianzen That they were not Genuine Ruffinus That our Ancestors held them not Canonical not sufficient to confirm Doctrines of Faith St. Jerom That the Church deemed them Apocryphal and received them not into the Canon Why do they add that these things we delivered to them by the Fathers and by them recorded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for more exactness sake and to prevent mistakes Had the Canon of the Books of the Old Testament been till then doubtful and undetermined in the Church why was the Canon produced by Melito Bishop of Sardis judged so exact a Canon of the Books of the Old Testament why do the Fathers of the four first Centuries with one accord declare that the number of the Canonical Books of the Old Testament if Ruth were added to Judges and the Lamentations to Jeremiah Can. 59. were but Twenty two if reckoned separately Twenty four why is it that the Council of Laodicea having said that Christians in the Church ought to read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only the Canonical Books of the Old and the New Testament reckons up the Cononical Books of the Old Testament as we do excluding all that we call Apocrypha as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 books not contained in the Canon Moreover this Canon was received into the Code of Canons of the Vniversal Church both by the East and West the Canons of this Council were confirmed by the fourth General Council of Chalcedon Can. 1. Can. 2. Novel 131. by the Sixth General Council of Trullo by the Imperial Law of the Emperor Justinian and so must give us the Sence and Definition of the whole Church touching this matter Thirdly If that may be doubtful and undetermined in the Church which is so positively asserted so expresly and frequently declared in a matter of Fact as this hath been for the first Four Centuries then I hope we may be permitted to pronounce all those New Articles which the Church of Rome hath added to the Creed doubtful and undetermined in the first Four Centuries at least till they can give us better proof that they were then received than hath been here produced for this Canon and then I think they will be no great Gainers by this false Assertion And sure I am they cannot here pretend Tradition handed down from Father to Son from all the Christians of one Age to all the Christians of the next unless it be asserted that all those Fathers and this whole Council spake these things in a flat opposition to what they had been taught by their Fore-fathers touching the Canonical Books of the Old Testament so that this instance is a full confutation of that idle Dream Fourthly Whereas these Authors have produced some few Testimonies from the Fifth Century in favour of their Canon Let it be noted first That J. L. hath been told already Answ p. 82 83. that neither Gregory nor St. Ambrose have any thing pertinent to his purpose in the places cited and this he by his silence seemeth to confess As for the pretended Definition of Pope Innocent the First made saith J. L. A. D. 370. Cap. 11. p. 22. Schol. Hist p. 118 180 188. though he was only made Bishop of Rome A. D. 402. Bishop Cousins hath proved it to be Spurious as he hath also fully proved the pretended Decree of the Council of Florence to be Bishop Pearson Vindiciae Epist Ignat. part 1. c. 4. a p. 44. ad p. 54. And another Bishop of our Church of unquestionable Credit among all learned Men hath proved beyond all possibility of Contradiction that the Decree ascribed to Gelasius is also Spurious so that we have nothing left to consider but the judgment of St. Austin the Council of Carthage and the pretended confirmation of it Now to these I say Fifthly That were these Testimonies exactly for the Canon of the Church of Rome yet here is neither a Decree of any General Council
nor a Decree received into the Code of Canons by the Vniversal Church as was the contrary Decree of the Council of Laodicea nor were the men that made it likely to judge better what were the Books of the Old Testament received as Canonical than all the Writers now produced for our Canon they whom we have produced as our Witnesses being either men who lived upon or near the place where the Canon of the Old Testament was published and known or travelled many of them thither and one of them on purpose to learn exactly the number of those Books And surely it is too ridiculous to imagine that it should in the Fifth Century be better known in Africa what Books of the Old Testament were Canonical than at Jerusalem Caesarea Alexandria or any of the Eastern Churches Moreover This Canon of the Council of Carthage in the Roman Code lately set forth by Paschasius Quesnel hath only Tobit and Judith and two Books of Esdras of all the Apocryphal Books now Canonized at Rome nor in the Collection of Cresconius Can. 299. an African Bishop is there any mention of the Books of Macchabees or Baruch nor in the Edition of it by Balsamon so that this cannot be a proof that the Trent Canon was received then And lastly 't is true they stile the Books there mentioned Canonical but this may only be in that large Sence in which those Books were sometimes called so which were read in the Church though they were not sufficient to confirm matters of Faith as may be argued from the Reason which they give us why they stiled them Canonical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Balsam in can 27. Concil Carthag viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because we have from the Fathers received these Books to be read in the Church and from the Gloss of Balsamon upon it who to know what Books were Canonical in the strict Sence sends us to the Council of Laodicea Athanasius Nazianzen and Amphilochius who all declared against the Apocrypha and to the last Canon of the Apostles which leaves out most of them And whereas it is added that the Canons of the Council of Carthage were established in the Sixth General Council held in Trullo let it be noted First That at other times the Romanists will by no means admit this Council Can. 36. Can. 13. Can. 55. because it equals the Bishop of Constantinople with him of Rome forbids Priests to be separated from their Wives condemns the received Customs of the Church of Rome and prescribes contrary Laws to her but now because they hope their Forlorn Cause may have some small advantage by it they give it the Title of a General Council Note 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Can. 2. That this Synod in the same Canon in which it confirms the Council of Carthage confirms also the Canons of the Council of Laodicea together with the Canonical Epistles of Athanasius Nazianzen and Amphilochius which number the Canonical Books of the Old Testament as we do rejecting the rest with us as Apocryphal when therefore the Fathers in the Synod confirm the Canons of the Council of Carthage they must either contradict themselves by contradicting the Council of Laodicea and these Canonical Epistles now mentioned and by them equally confirmed or else they must believe that this Canon of the Council of Carthage did not declare these controverted Books to be properly Canonical or divine Scripture but only in that larger sence in which that Name was given to Ecclesiastical Books thought worthy to be read in the Church Fifthly Whereas Mr. M. and J. L. farther assert That after these Books were declared Canonical by Pope Innocent and the Council of Carthage all cited these Books as Scripture none pertinaciously dissented from this Decree no Catholick ever doubted of them we are bound to thank them for their kindness to us in these words in which they plainly have renounced their Title to almost all the best Writers of the Christian World who as the Reverend Dr. Cousins hath demonstrated through every Century till the very Year of the Session of the Trent Council not only doubted of but plainly did reject these Books as uncanonical in the strict acceptation of the Word declaring that they read and cited them indeed as Books containing good instruction but not as properly Canonical or as sufficient to confirm any Article of Christian Faith. Lastly The Testimony of St. Austin in his Book of Christian Doctrine is so inconsistent with his other works and so fully answered by the Reverend Dr. Consins Can. 7. that it is needless to say any thing distinctly to it To proceed therefore to the Books of the New Testament § 14 observe First That the four Gospels the Acts of the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Eccl. Hist l. 3. c. 25. l. 6. c. 25. the Thirteen Epistles of St. Paul the First Epistle of St. Peter and the First of St. John were always 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confessed by all true Christians to be sacred Books of the New Testament and their Authority was never questioned by any person of the whole Church of God. Now sure we have unquestionable certainty of such Books as have been handed down to us by the Tradition of all Ages of the Church inserted into all her Catalogues cited by all her Writers as Books of a Divine Authority and of which never any doubt was made by any Member of the Church of God. Secondly § 15 Observe That it cannot be necessary to Salvation to have an absolute assurance of those Books of the new Testament which have been formerly Controverted by whole Churches as well as private Doctors of the Church for either these Churches had sufficient certainty that the Books which they rejected were Canonical or they had not if they had how could they be true Churches who rejected part of their Rule of Faith when known to be so If they had not it seems not necessary that we at present should be certain of them for why may not we go to Heaven without this assurance as well as they of former Ages Thirdly § 16 There can be no assurance of the true Canon of the Books of the New Testament from the Testimony of the Romish or the Latin Church in any Age because she in some Ages hath rejected from the Canon that Epistle to the Hebrews Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 6. c. 20. which she now receives It was rejected in the Third Century by Cajus Presbyter of Rome by Tertullian in the same Century who also in his Book Cap. 20. de pudicitia insinuates that it was not received as Canonical by some other Churches Origen in his Epistle to Africanus having cited a passage from the Eleventh Chapter of this Epistle adds That it is probable some being pressed with it Pag. 232. may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 embrace the Sentence of them who reject this Epistle as
being not writ by Paul. Now who they were who in this Century did upon this account reject it we learn more plainly from the Writers of the following Century For Eusebius informs us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hist Eccl. l. 6. c. 20. even in his time some of the Romans did reject it as being none of the Apostles Upon which place Valesius notes That it was the Custom of Eusebius to call all the Latins Romans and observes that Ruffinus thus Interprets this very passage Scio apud Latinos de ea quae ad Hebraeos inscribitur haberi dubitationem L. 3. c. 3. I know that the Latins doubt of the Epistle to the Hebrews The same Eusebius informs us Ep. ad Dard. Ep. Tom. 3. f. 24. a. that others did reject it with the Roman Church St. Jerom frequently affirms That eam Latina consuetudo non recipit the Latin Church did not receive it among the Canonical Scriptures Here then we see that they rejected for Two Centuries what afterwards they did unanimously receive as part of the Canon of the New Testament and so her Judgment alone can give us no assurance of the Books of the New Testament because through two whole Centuries she actually erred in her Judgment of them Hence also I inferr that the Church of Christ knew of no Obligation laid upon her in a division of Church Rulers touching any matter Exhort ad Martyr p. 232. to adhere to the Pope and Church of Rome and those which sided with them For in this very Case Origen in the Third Century offers to demonstrate against her that this was truly the Epistle of St. Paul And Jerom bluntly says Although the Latins do reject it yet do I receive it Tom. 3. f. 24. with the Greeks nequaquam hujus temporis consuetudinem sed veterum Scriptorum authoritatem sequens not following the Custom of this time among the Latins but the Authority of ancient Writers Fourthly I add § 17 That there is not the like necessity that any of these controverted Books should be received from the beginning by all Christians as Canonical as that the necessary Articles of Christian Faith and Manners should be received by all Christians For 1. The necessary Articles of Christian Faith and Rules of Christian Life were preached universally to all and so there was no time when any Christian could be ignorant of them without his own fault but the Epistles controverted were only sent to private Christians as the Second and Third Epistles of St. John or to the Churches of the Jews and therefore might with reason for some time be doubted of by other Churches of the Gentiles this being not a weakening but confirmation of our Faith that the first Christians were so careful to see sufficient Evidence before they would receive even the least Epistle into the Canon of the Scripture 2. No Christian Church could need to be told by any other what were the necessary Articles of Christian Faith or Rules of Life since they must always know the Christian Faith and be obliged to practise the Rules of Christian Piety and must be taught them by their Church Guides but 't is not thus with reference to these Epistles for being writ to a particular Society of Christians it was sufficient that this Society could shew De praescript c. 36. as saith Tertullian Authenticas literas corum the Authentick Letters of those Apostles which indited them and could testifie to those who doubted as St. Austin saith De Doctrin Christian l. 2. c. 8. quod ab ipsis Epistolas accipere meruerunt that they received these Epistles from them and read and owned them as their genuine Works when-ever this was done they who before did question them must have sufficient ground to own them as parts of the true Canon and till they had this Evidence they reasonably might continue to doubt of them 3. It is evident from the second Observation that the assured knowledge that these Epistles are Canonical cannot be necessary to Salvation the necessary Doctrines of Christian Faith being according to the general Tradition of the whole Church of Christ Chap. 7. §. 4 5 6 c. Ibid. § 2 3. comprised in the Apostles Creed and all the necessary Rules of Christian Piety being according to the same Tradition fully comprised in the Four Evangelists whereas the actual knowledge of all necessary Articles of Christian Faith and Rules of Christian Conversation must be always necessary there being no possibility of knowing or of doing acceptably the Will of God without them It will not therefore follow because such matters of Fact may for a time be doubtful in the Church matters of Faith may be so that because Churches may be Orthodox and reject some part of the Canon for a Season they may be Orthodox though they reject some necessary Article of Christian Faith. The Romanist I hope will not admit of these Conclusions The Greek Church might reject the Apocalypse and yet be Orthodox ergo she might reject the Trinity and yet be Orthodox The Latin Churches for a Season might reject the Epistle to the Hebrews without blame ergo they might reject the Resurrection of the Body without blame The whole Church did not formerly receive those Books into the Canon of the New Testament she now receives Ergo the whole Church did not formerly embrace those Articles of Faith which now she holds and yet all these conclusions are as good as those the Roman Doctors usually make for receiving all the Articles of Faith imposed at present by the Church of Rome as the Conditions of Communion upon her Testimony that they are such because we do receive the Canon of the New Testament from the Tradition of the Church Fifthly We shall see cause sufficient to embrace as certain § 18 and unquestionable that Canon of the New Testament we now receive notwithstanding any doubts some of the Ancients had touching some lesser portions of it if we consider 1. That most of the Fathers of the Fourth Century who give us Catalogues of the Scripture Canon and they especially who tell us they in making of it followed the suffrage of the Church and the Tradition of the Fathers do accord in giving of that very Catalogue we now receive and owning all those Catholick Epistles which were sometime controverted thus for instance Apud Balsamon p. 922. Athanasius reckoneth the Books of the New Testament as we do numbering as appertaining to the Canon Fourteen Epistles of St. Paul Seven Catholick Epistles and the Apocalypse and saying These are the Fountains of Salvation let no man add unto them or take from them And yet he doth profess to reckon them as they delivered them who were Eye-witnesses and Ministers of the Word and as they by Tradition came down to him In his Synopsis he undertakes to reckon up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Canonical Books of the New Testament defined to be such
most Christian Churches Saint Jerom that in process of time it obtained Authority Estius notes That they who before doubted of it in the Fourth Century embraced the Opinion of them who received it Praefat. in Epist Jacobi and that from thence no Church no Ecclesiastical Writer is found who ever doubted of it but on the contrary all the Catalogues of the Books of Holy Scripture published by General or Provincial Councils Roman Bishops or other Orthodox Writers number it among Canonical Scriptures quae probatio ad certam fidem faciendam cuique Catholico sufficere debet which proof must give sufficient certainty of it to any Catholick The Second Epistle of St. Peter Pag. 58. Apud Cypr. Ep. 75. p. 220. is cited by Origen against Marcian under the Name of Peter Firmilion saith That both Paul and Peter in suis Epistolis Haereticos execrati sunt ut eos evitemus monuerunt in their Epistles condemned Hereticks and admonished us to avoid them which is done by Saint Peter only in this Epistle Eusebius saith That it was commemorated by many and that they who did not reckon it Canonical yet held it very useful on which account Lib. 3. c. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was much studied with other Scriptures The same Eusebius informs us That his First Epistle was always owned by all Christians and thence we may have full assurance of the Truth of this Epistle for there are not saith the Reverend Doctor Hammond greater Evidences of any Epistles being written by the acknowledged Author of it than these Cap. 1. v. 1. The Title of Simon Peter an Apostle of Jesus Christ The Voice which came from Heaven saying vers 17 18. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased we heard when we Peter and John and James were with him in the Holy Mount this second Epistle beloved I write unto you that you may be mindful of the Commandments of us the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour Cap. 3. v. 1 2. All which are certain Demonstrations That Simon Peter the Apostle of our Lord who was with him in Mount-Tabor and there heard the Voice forementioned and who writ the First Epistle to the Twelve Tribes dispersed writ this also Note Lastly That after the Fourth Century § 22 there appears not the least intimation that any of these Books were any longer doubted of by any Orthodox Professor of the Christian Faith they being all received and reckoned as Canonical by the Councils and Fathers who mentioned the Canon of the New Testament Now from these premisses there is just ground to make this Inference and Conclusion That seeing most of the Catalogues of the Fourth Century given by Councils or by Fathers and all the Catalogues of the Fifth Century unquestionably assure us that what was once controverted by some few was afterwards unanimously received by all the Church of God we are sufficiently assured of the true Canon of the Books of the New Testament The evidence now produced even of these controverted Books being sufficient both in the judgment of all Catholicks and of all Christians who on these grounds alone receive them as such to assure us that they are Canonical Scripture for by what reason can any Man evince that ought to be rejected from the Canon which always was received as Canonical by the greatest part of the Church Catholick and being accurately enquired into by those who once were Doubters found such an uncontroulled reception through the whole Church diffused as stifled through all future Ages the least appearance of a doubt Hence then the Roman § 23 Doctors may discern what it is they have to do if they do undertake to shew us such a Tradition for those Roman Doctrines we reject as hath been shew'd for the Controverted Books of the New Testament And 1. It must be owned by them that it cannot be necessary to Salvation to believe or have an absolute assurance that these are true and Apostolical Traditions and therefore Haec est fides extra quam salus esse non potest This is the Catholick Faith without which there is no Salvation must be excluded from the Roman Creed 2. It must be also owned that the pretented Traditions of the present R. Church were for some Centuries controverted and rejected by whole Churches Orthodox and Apostolical and which were as such owned and embraced by all Christians and that some of them were or at least might have been for the first Four Centuries disowned by the Church of Rome as was one of these controverted Books and consequently it must be owned that she could not then be received as Mater Magistra omnium Ecclesiarum the Mother and Mistress of all Churches 3. It must be proved that there was the same necessity that these controverted Books should be known and received from the beginning by all Christians as that the necessary Traditions and Articles of Christian Faith should be so 4. It must be proved that these Traditions were always owned and mentioned as Divine and Apostolical Traditions by many Orthodox Churches and Fathers and even when controverted were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acknowledged by most of the Church Guides To instance in the Apocalypse which Mr. M. on all occasions singles out as a Book whose Authenticalness cannot be better proved than their Traditions let him shew us any such Testimonies from the First Second and Third Centuries for the pretended Traditions of the Church of Rome as we have shewed for the Apocalypse any one that saith of them as Denys of Alexandria doth of the Apocalypse That he durst not reject it by reason of the multitude of Christians who had a veneration for it let him produce the plain Testimonies of the Fathers that the Truth of these Traditions may be decided by the Testimonies of the Ancients that they owned them as Apostolical by virtue of their Testimony that the Ancient and Holy Fathers led by the Spirit of God gave Testimony to them and that they were the Traditions of holy Men inspired by God All these things have been said of the Apocalypse in the Four first Centuries and when Mr. M. can produce any thing of the like nature evidence and strength for any one of his Traditions we will own it as Divine and Apostolical Here then we see the greatest and the plainest difference betwixt the Traditions we receive and own and those pretended Traditions of the Church of Rome which we reject For 1. The Traditions we receive are Traditions handed down in writing to us throughout all Ages of the Church unto this present time the Traditions we reject are only presumptive Traditions such as the Church of Rome presumes to be so but yet they have no Footsteps in the Ancient Records of the Church of Christ which is a demonstration that they falsly do presume they are Traditions for as we could have no just reason to believe those which we own to be
Truth of Faith is sufficiently explained In the same Article our Church having reckoned up the Books of the Old Testament which she esteemed Canonical Art. 6. and which by both Churches are recieved as such she adds the other Books as Hierom saith The Church doth read for Example of Life and Instruction of Manners but yet doth not apply them to establish any Doctrine Such are these following The Third Book of Esdras The Fourth Book of Esdras The Book of Tobias The Book of Judith The rest of the Book of Esther The Book of Wisdom Jesus the Son of Syrach Baruch the Prophet The Song of the Three Children The Story of Susanna Of Bell and the Dragon The Prayer of Manasses The First Book of Maccabees The Second Book of Maccabees Of all which excepting only the Third and Fourth Books of Esdras and the Prayer of Manasses the Council of Trent saith Whosoever shall not receive them as Sacred and Canonical Sess 4. let him be Anathema And yet this Determination is so apparently repugnant to the Doctrine of the Ancient Church that Mr. Du Pin a Doctor of the Faculty of Divinity in Paris and his Majesty's Professor Royal in Philosophy hath entirely given up this Cause unto the Protestants For 1. Whereas it is confessed by all the Learned of both Churches that we in this distinction betwixt Books of the Old Testament Canonical and Apocryphal or not Canonical exactly follow the Canon and the Judgment of the Jews Tom. 1. dissert praelim p. 51. from whom the Christians received the Books of the Old Testament He also saith The Christian Antiquity for the Books of the Old Testament hath followed the Canon of the Jews that no others were cited in the New Testament but those which belonged to the Canon of the Jews That the first Catalogues of Canonical Books made by Ecclesiastical Authors both Greek and Latin comprehend no others in the Canon P. 612 613. In his Abridgment of the Doctrine of the Three first Centuries he saith expresly That the Christians of those times owned no other Canonical Books of the Old Testament but those which belonged to the Canon of the Hebrews and that they sometimes cited the Apocryphal Books but never put them in the number of Canonical Books And whereas Mr. M. and J. L. have had the confidence to say Mr. M. p. 85 86. That after the Declarations of the Council of Carthage Pope Innocent and Gelasius c. no one ever pertinaciously dissented from it but such as Protestants themselves do confess to be Hereticks J.L. c. xi p. 23. until the days of Luther Or that no Catholick after the Church's Declaration in the Year 419. ever doubted of them Qui depuis les decisions des Conciles de Carthage de Rome la Declaration d'Innocent I. n'ont compte que vingt deux ou vingt quatre livres Canoniques de l'Ancien Testament Tom. 1. Diss praelim p. 60. Mr. Du Pin having produced the express words of Gregory the Great after that time to the contrary adds in flat contradiction to them these ensuing words We ought to make the same reflection on all the other Ecclesiastical Authors Greek and Latin which we have produced who After the Decisions of the Council of Carthage and of Rome and the Declaration of Innocent the First have counted only Two or Four and twenty Books of the Old Testament which makes it evident that these Definitions were not yet followed by all Authors and by all Churches till such time as this Matter was fully determined by the definition of the Council of Trent And indeed § 3 the Truth of this Confession is as clear as the Light For as Mr. M. and J. L. confess Vid c. 3. §. 13. Lib. 1. de verbo Dei. c. 20. S. ad alterum That the Canon of Scripture was not defined till the Fifth Century As Bellarmine acknowledgeth That Melito Epiphanius Hilarius Hieronymus Ruffinus in expounding the Canon of the Old Testament followed the Hebrews not the Greeks De locis Theol. l. 2. c. 11. Sect. Quid Ecclesiâ—sticum As Canus excuseth Ruffinus for rejecting with us the Apocrypha because he did it in eo tempore quo res nondum erat definita when this thing was not defined on which account saith he we also do excuse the rest and so all these men virtually confess that there was no Tradition of the Church against us during those Ages So in the following Centuries even till the time that the Trent Council met approved Authors do declare the Doctrine of the Church to have been still according to the Doctrine of this Article and contrary to the Definition of the Trent Council For In the Western Church Primasius a Bishop of the African Church saith Cent. 6. In Apocalyps cap. 4. The Books of the Old Testament of Canonical Authority which we receive N. B. are Twenty-four which St. John insinuated by the Twenty-four Wings Leontius Bizantinus having said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Sectis Act. 2. Let us reckon up the Books received by the Church he adds That the Books of the Old Testament are Twenty-two and concludes thus These are the Books Canonized in the Church of which they that belong to the Old Testament are all received by the Hebrews In the Ninth Century Nicephorus Patriarch of Constantinople Cent. 9. undertakes to reckon up the divine Scriptures which were received and Canonized in the Church and of these in the Old Testament he numbers only Twenty-two as we do Canon Scrip. Chron. p. ult Quibuscontradicitur non recipiuntur ab Ecclesia Bibl. H. Eccl. de vitis Pontif. and among the Books contradicted and not received in the Church he puts the Maccabees Wisdom Ecclesiasticus Esther Judith Susanna and Tobit Anastasius the Keeper of the Library of the Church of Rome among the Books which are contradicted and not received by the Church reckons the Maccabees Wisdom Ecclesiasticus Susanna Judith and Tobit In the Twelfth Century Peter Mauricius Cent. 12. Abbot of Clugny in his Epistle against the Petrobusians tells them they ought of necessity to receive the whole Canon which is received by the Church and then having reckoned up the Canonical Books of the Old Testament as we do he adds That after these Authentick Books of the Holy Scripture Restant post hos Authentiâ—os sex non reticendi libri sapientia c. Pag. 25. c. de Autor Vet. Test there be Six not to be concealed viz. the Books of Wisdom Ecclesiasticus Tobit Judith and both the Books of Maccabees Hugo de Sancto Victore saith Sunt praeterea alii quidem libri ut sapientia Solomonis c. Qui leguntur quidem sed non scribuntur in Canone de scripturis scriptoribus Sacris Cap 6 Prolog in l. de Sacram c 7 And the division he says is made Authoritate universalis Eccl. Didasc l. 4. c. 1.2 Richardus
Holy Spirit dwelling in their Hearts They also add that this written Law was given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constit Apost ibid. p. 349. to supply the defects of the Law of â—â—ature by that God who would not suffer them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be seduced clearly insinuating that Tradition without this written Law was not sufficient to supply the defects of that of Nature or to preserve them from Error As will be farther evident if we consider That both the Antediluvians and they who lived after the Flood and before the Writing of the Law of Moses had generally corrupted their ways and deviated from that Tradition which they undoubtedly received from Adam and from Noah touching the Worship of the true and only God. For even whilst Adam was alive In Gen. 4.26 and had not passed half his days Men began saith the Chaldee Paraphrast to prophane the Name of the Lord Ainsw in Gen. 4. v. 26. by ceasing to pray to him The Hebrew Doctors tell us That in the Days of Enosh the Sons of Adam erred with great Error and the Counsel of the Wise Men of that Age became Brutish and their Error was this They said forasmuch as God hath Created these Stars and Spheres to govern the World and set them on high and imparted honour to them and they are Ministers that Minister before him it is meet that Men should Laud and Glorifie and give them Honour for this is the Will of God that we magnifie and honour whomsoever he magnifies and honoureth When this thing was come up into their Hearts they began to build Temples to Stars and to offer Sacrifice to them and to Laud and Glorifie them with Words and to Worship before them that they might in their evil Opinion obtain favour of the Creator and this was the Root of Idolatry Ibid. And hence in the ancient Commentaries of the Hebrews the Age of Enosh is represented as a wicked Age. In the time of Enoch and before the death of Adam wickedness had mightily prevailed even among the Sons of God or Members of the Church for Enoch is mentioned as the only Man who adhered perfectly to God and of him it is said Wisd 4.10 Vers 11 14. That he lived among Sinners and that God took him away from among the wicked least their evil Example should corrupt his Righteous Soul. After his Assumption we find that Men had generally declined to iniquity that all Flesh had corrupted their Ways Gen. 6.12 excepting Noah and his Family that they had forsaken God and given up themselves to Idolatry saying to God Job 22.17 Depart from us and what can the Almighty do for us About an Hundred Years after the Flood they set themselves with one Consent to build the Tower of Babel in opposition to God and in which say the Hebrews Ainsw ibid. they designed an Idol Temple Nahor and Tharah the Progenitors of Abraham were Idolaters Gen. 31.30 53. and after the Call of Abraham they continued so to be In the Family of Isaac Esau and his Wives were a bitterness of Spirit to Isaac and Rebecca because they served God with strange Service saith the Jerusalem Tergum that is with Idolatry In the Family of Jacob Gen. 31.22 Gen. 35.2 Rebecca steals her Fathers Images In his House were worshippers of strange Gods and Retainers of Idols When the Israelites lived in Aegypt they so complied with their Rites Praepar Evang. l. 7. c. 28. saith Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to forget the Piety of their Fore-fathers They learned in Aegypt Serm. 2. adv Graec. p. 492. saith Theodoret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to worship many Gods with them They committed Whoredom in Aegypt saith Ezekiel Ezek 23 2-19 they multiplied the Whoredoms they had committed in the Land of Aegypt Whence Joshua speaks thus unto them Josh 24.14 Put away the Gods which your Fathers served in Mesopotamia and in Aegypt Here then is Evidence sufficient First That the first Ages of the World were not abandoned only to the uncertainty of Tradition but were guided partly by the Light of Nature and partly by immediate Revelation Tradition being by Divine Wisdom judged a more imperfect Guide than the dim Light of Nature Secondly That when it pleased God to give his People Positive and ceremonial Laws he would by no means leave them to the uncertainty of Tradition but commanded that they should be written in a Book for a Memorial to and for a Testimony against them and should thence be read by and to them that they and the Generations to come might learn them And Thirdly That the Service of the one true God received by Tradition from Adam Enoch and others before the Flood from Noah Melchizedeck Abraham and the Patriarchs after the Flood was presently corrupted and utterly defaced by Idolatry to let us see how insufficient meer Tradition is since even in the Days and Lives of them who lived so long and who delivered this Fundamental Article of Worshipping the one true God unto their Off-spring they saw them running headlong to Idolatry and adding many corrupt Inventions and vain Imaginations of their own unto that Worship they had received by Tradition from them Secondly § 5 Object 2 Mr. M. adds That for above Two thousand Years more P. 415. P. 231. from Moses until Christ's time the Church was governed partly by Writing and partly by Tradition For the Jews had at least two undeniable Traditions For they knew only by Tradition what remedy was to be used to free their Female Children from Original Sin as also to free their Male Children in danger of Death before the Eighth Day This Remedy they knew and observed and were bound to know and observe and yet they infallibly knew it without having any Scripture expressing to them the knowledge of this Remedy or of their Obligation to use it or that it was so necessary for the Salvation of their Children whom they did believe to be in Original Sin and by that debarred from Salvation unless some Remedy were applyed Some Remedy surely was as necessary for the Female as Circumcision for the Male. Shew me this Remedy in Scripture 2. They truly believed some of those bloody Sacrifices to have been appointed to them by God for the expiation of their Sins but they could not believe truly that these Sacrifices could expiate their Sins by their own Virtue they believing then that these Sacrifices had their expiative Virtue from the Merits of Christ Shew me any Text in which this was then written 1. Reply That the Jewish Church until Christ's time was governed partly by Tradition or that Tradition was their partial Rule of Faith in reference to any necessary Doctrines or Rules of Manners will appear a vain Imagination if we consider that in the Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament they are still sent unto the written Word to learn their Duty but never to Tradition the Prophets do exhort them for their direction to repair to the Law Esai 8.20.34.16 Mal. 4.4 and to the Testimonies to the Book of
should arise Or 2. True Rules misapplied and misconstrued and therefore actually false to them who thus mistake the Purpose of them 3. The Admiration of the Persons and the Reverence of the Authority of Men subject to like Mistakes and Errors with us 4. The Advantages we may obtain by the promoting of some Doctrines the Tendency they have to the gratifications of our Avarice our Pride and love of Empire and other sinful lusts 5. The Corruptions in our Manners which dispose and fit us for Delusions 6. That Ignorance and Negligence in reference to Sacred things which rendereth us an easy prey to the Deluders subtilty 7. Lastly The Force and Terror and Torments and Punishments which may be used to affright us into an outward and Hypocritical profession of what we do not from our hearts believe or a concealment of our inward Sentiments I Say these being the chief inducements to a change in Doctrine or in Practice and all these things so palpably and frequently concurring to the establishment of the New Doctrines and the supposed Traditions of the Church of Rome what wonder is it that they should so mightily obtain in the dark Ages of the World and by those methods carry all before them And truly 't is so evident that upon the concurrence of those circumstances the true Faith might decay and Error might be introduced in the Western Churches that the Historians Carol. Mag. Cent. 8. and Writers of those dark and evil Ages do confess it actually was so That the Priests brought into the Church such Doctrines as were never known to Christ and his Apostles Rolwink ad A. Christi 884. That this was tempus pessimum in quo defecit sanctus veritates diminutae sunt a filiis hominum the worst of times in which the Holy man failed and Truth was diminished from the sons of men Baron A. D. 912. Carthus fasciculo temporum ad A. 1000. That the Ancient Traditions were then proscribed That the Christian Faith extreamly did begin to fail and decline from its former vigor neither the Sacraments nor Ecclesiastical Rites being observed Apol. Clerus Leod. A.D. 1066 Matth. Paris in Hen. 3. ad A.D. 1237. p. 438. Alvar. Pelag. de planctu Eccl. l. 2. c. 5. Cent. 14. That the Holy Philosophy by the subtile interpretation of Sycophants began to be corrupted poluted violated with human Inventions and old wives Fables That the spark of Faith began to wax exceeding cold and was almost reduced to ashes so that it scarce did sparkle That the Church was eclipsed with the black mist of Ignorance Iniquity and Error That they did not only not receive sound Doctrine but bitterly persecuted all that resisted the madness of their wills Clemang de Egressu ex Bab. p. 177. Cent. 15. And that following the erring herd men willingly embraced false things for true That the variety of Pictures and Images occasioned Idolatry in the Simple That Apocryphal Scriptures Gerson de defect Eccles Virorum 30. idem de direct Cordis Consid 16. Hymns and Prayers were brought into the Church to the great hurt of Christian faith That there was much Superstition in the Worship of Saints and many Observations without all ground or reason Credulity in believing things concerning the Saints reported in the uncertain Legends of their Lives Ibid. Consid 29 30. dubious opinions of obtaining Pardon and Remission of Sins by saying so many Pater Nosters in such a Church before such an Image as if in the Scripture and Authentick Writings of Holy Men there were not sufficient directions for all Acts of Piety and Devotion without these fabulous and frivolous additaments That sundry lewd assertions Dial. Apol. Judicium de Can. Const prejudicial to the States of Kings and Princes could not be condemned in the Council of Constance though many great ones much urged their condemnation by reason of a mighty Faction which prevailed in it Ibid. That exorbitant Abuses and Errors which were crept into the Church found no amendment nor was a Reformation in things concerning Faith Card. Camer de Squal Ecoles p. 34. and Religion Doctrine and Manners to be expected till the Secular Powers took it in hand That Pagan Abuses and Diabolical Superstitions were so many at Rome that they could not well be imagined Cent. 16. That they were fallen with one consent from Religion to Superstition Bishop of Bitonto and Espencaeus Vide Supra from Faith to Infidelity from Christ to Antichrist That there was such a neglect of the Word as made it necessary that Faith should perish That the Faith and Religion Preached by Christ and settled afterwards by his Apostles and cultivated by their Epistles is so different a thing from that Christianity that is now professed and taught at Rome that if these Holy Men should be sent again by God into the world they would take more pains to confute this Gallimaufry than ever they did to preach down the Traditions of the Pharisees Machiavil Epist ad Zanob Buon Delmont before his works in English or the Fables and Idolatry of the Gentiles and would in probability suffer a New Martyrdom under the Vicar of Christ for the same Doctrine which once animated the Heathen Tyrants against them He that desires to read more of the Confessions made by the few comparatively learned of these Ages of the corruptions both in doctrine and manners and the prodigious ignorance which then obtained may find more than enough in a book Styled Catalogus testium veritatis and Morney 's Mystery of Iniquity OF TRADITION The State of the Question CHAP. I. 1. It is acknowledged that a Doctrine is neither more or less the Word of God for being written or unwritten § 1. 2dly It is proved That the assurance which we have that Scripture is the Word of God is greater than can be produced for any pretended Traditions of the Church of Rome The Grounds of this assurance are 1. The necessity that the Word of God should be preserved in some Records and the certainty we have that actually it was so 2. That the Records of the New Testament averr That they were written by the Servants and Apostles of our Lord whose Names they by a general and uncontrouled Tradition bear and so by Men assisted with the Holy Ghost and writing the Commandments of the Lord. 3. That the matter of them is worthy of the God of Heaven to reveal 4. That they were owned read and appealed to as such by all Christians 5. The Jews and Heathens made their Objections against Christianity out of them and attempted the ruine of the Christian Faith by destroying them and that none of these particulars agree to the Traditions of the Church of Rome rejected by us § 2. For farther Explication of the Question observe 2dly That our Dispute with the Church of Rome is chiefly about doctrinal and not historical Traditions § 3. The uncertainty of
ad Judaeorum codices amplexata est The Church of Rome hath given Patronage to the Censure of Jerom by leaving the Version of the Septuagint which had obtained in the whole Church Catholick and Embracing the Version of Jerom made new according to the Books of the Jews If then the Heathenish Story of the Phoenix could obtain such Credit among the Primitive Fathers as to be gain-said by none but Maximus If the Jewish Fiction of the Cells obtained still greater Credit being only questioned by St. Jerom what Security can we have that other Stories of like Nature are of unquestionable Credit If the sole Assertion of St. Jerom is patronized by the Church of Rome against the constant Judgment of the whole Catholick World if his Translation from the Hebrew which when he made it first was generally Condemned and Censured and for which some charged him with Heresy and all with Innovation Ruffinus ei notam Haereseos impingebat Erasm Arg. Apol. Hierom. adv Ruff. Ep. Tom. 2. f. 82. b. is now made Canonical must not the Church of Rome have changed her Judgment Must she not have rejected the Sentence of the whole Church Catholick of the Five first Ages and given us just Reason to use the same Liberty if we were minded so to do in any other Instance of like Nature For further Explication of this Question § 9 let it be observed that we contend not with the Church of Rome about Ecclesiastical Traditions touching Ceremonials Qu. 4. Dist 3. unnecessary Observations and Constitutions Ecclesiastical such as are the Cross in Baptism Trine Immersion the Renunciation of Satan and his Pomps the Unction of the Baptized Persons the Words used at the Consecration of that and of the other Sacrament the Kiss of Charity the Lent Fast the Worship of God towards the East Prayer standing on the Lord's Day c. but only touching necessary Rules of Faith and Manners In matters of the first kind we say in the words imposed upon St. De Spiritu Sancto c. 27. Basil That the Practice of the Church is sufficient though we cannot tell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from what Scripture we derive these practices but in Matters of Faith we say with the true St. Basil De vera pia fide p. 386. treating upon the Articles of Christian Faith That it is the property of a faithful Steward to deliver nothing to his fellow Servants as part of holy Faith but what is committed to him by his good Lord i. e. what he hath learned from the Holy Scriptures That it is a manifest falling from the Faith and an argument of Pride either to reject any thing that is written or to superinduce any thing that is not written our Lord having said My Sheep hear my Voice Vid. Chap. 10. That the Apostle vehemently forbids that any thing should be added to § 5 or taken from the divinely inspired Scriptures which are Christ's Will and Testament Of matters of the first kind we say with Tertullian De Cor. Milit. cap. 2. that they are such as we think fit to be received and observed in any Church which shall enjoin them sine ullius scripturae instrumento solius traditionis titulo exinde consuetudinis patrocinio Vpon the sole account of Tradition and Custom though Scripture hath said nothing of them In matters of the second kind we say with the same Tertullian L. de praescript c. 15. Cap. 38. Adv. Hermog c. 22. Ep. 118. ad Jan. cap. 5. p. 558. None can discourse of the things of Faith but from the Holy Scriptures That none can have the Integrity of Doctrine without the integrity of those Instruments that what the Scriptures are we are and that we adore the fullness of the Scriptures If the Question were of the first as v. g. Whether on Holy Thursday we should offer in the Morning and after Supper too or fast the Evening and then offer we answer to that Question with St. Austin Si quid horum totum per orbem frequentat Ecclesia If the whole Church doth any thing of this nature it is insolent madness to dispute whether it ought to be done for this is to dispute and trouble the Church about a thing of nought and so to discover an unpeaceable and ungovernable temper of mind Or if the Question were Whether the Sacrament is to be received fasting or not we think it fit to be concluded by the practice of the Vniversal Church Ep. 118. ad Jan. c. 6. p. 559. not contradicted by our Lord's Precepts nor repugnant to Faith or Manners For in such cases St. Austin saith Emendari oportet quod perperam fiebat That which was ill done ought to be amended Cap. 5. ibid. and that none should vary from our Lord's Command But if the Question be of Articles of Faith and necessary Rules of Manners we say with the same St. Austin De Bono Vid. cap. 1. Tom. 4. p. 1018. Wherefore should I teach thee any thing more than that we read in the Apostle for the Holy Scripture fixeth the Rule of our Doctrine lest we should attempt to known more and again If any one I will not say if we Sive de Christo five de ejus Ecclesia sive de quacunque alia re quae pertinet ad fidem vitamque nostram si Angelus de coelo vobis annunciaverit praeterquam quod in Scripturis legalibus evangelicis accepistis Anathema sit De lit Petil l. 3. c. 6. no way to be compared to him who said Though we but if an Angel from Heaven should preach unto you either concerning Christ or his Church or any other thing which belongs to our Faith or Life besides what you have received in the Legal and Evangelical Scriptures let him be accursed In a word the Kiss of Charity the Office of the Diaconess the breaking of the Bread distributed and Baptism by immersion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. 20. which are all Ceremonies and Constitutions mentioned in Holy Scripture Prayer standing on the Lord's Day commanded by the first General Council of Nice Prayer towards the East the Consecration of one Loaf for all the Communicants carrying home the Eucharist to omit many things of a like nature were all of them Customs received generally in the next Age to the Apostles and yet now generally disused by the present Church of Rome which therefore cannot justly blame others for disuse of any Customs of like nature CHAP. II. Fourthly For Explication of the Question observe That the Tradition we admit is the Tradition of all past Ages and not that of the present Church and much less of the Church of Rome § 1. This also is the Tradition pleaded by Origen St. Basil and St. Austin and which 't is suitable to Reason to allow Ibid. The Testimony of the present Church of Rome and her Adherents can be no sure Evidence of true Apostolical Tradition 1. Because
this Revelation to an unknown Presbyter whose Name was John rather than to that Apostle who conversed so long among these Churches they may be easily confuted from this peculiar description of that John who was the Author of this Book Rev. i. 9. he being that John who was banished into the Isle of Patmos for the Word of God Vers 2. and the Testimony of the Truth and who bare record of the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things which he saw which are peculiar to this Apostle of our Lord. 2. § 20 St. Jerom also had good reason to own the Epistle to the Hebrews to be written or at the least composed or indited by St. Paul on the Authority of the Ancient Writers Apud Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 6. c. 25. Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 3. Sect. 12 17 36 43. L. 3 c. 38. Catalo Script verbo Paulus Pag. 247 439. Pag. 53 362 384 514 515 645. Lib. 3. p. 143. Lib. 7. p. 351. Philocal p 10 17. Dial. contra Marc. p. 114. Ep. ad Afric p 232. Seeing as Origen informs us the ancient Christians did not rashly when they delivered it as the Epistle of St. Paul and as Eusebius saith Saint Paul's Fourteen Epistles were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 known and manifest to the whole Christian World. We find it very often cited by Clemens Romanus the Companion and co-worker of St. Paul in his Epistle to the Church of Corinth in which as Eusebius and St. Jerome Note he hath put many notions which are in that Epistle and used many Expressions word for word taken thence In the Second Century it is cited by Irenaeus as a Book written by the Spirit of God and in the close of that Century or the beginning of the next it is Six times cited by Clemens Alexandrinus under the Name of the Apostle Paul or of Divine Scripture Origen saith That the Apostle Paul writ Fourteen Epistles he cites it as the Epistle of St. Paul in his Third and Seventh Book against Celsus in his Philocalia in his Dialogue against Marcian in his Exhortation to Martyrdom in his Epistle to Africanus he undertakes to demonstrate that it was his against such as doubted of it and in his Fifth Tome upon John he declares That the things contained in it are admirable Vid. Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 6. c. 25. and no whit inserior to those which were confessedly writ by the Apostles and that whatsoever Church received it as such was upon that account to be commended That this is the Epistle of St. Paul was in the Fourth Century denyed by the Arians because they were not able to resist the Conviction it affords in the First Chapter of our Lord's Divinity On which account Theodoret speaks thus Proem in Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They ought at least to revere the length of time in which the Children of the Church have read this Epistle in the Churches for from the time that the Churches of God have enjoyed the writings of the Apostles they have reaped the Benefit of this Epistle to the Hebrews or if this be not sufficient to perswade them they should hearken to Eusebius of whom they boast as of the Patron of their Doctrines for he confessed this was St. Paul's Epistle Proem in Ep. ad Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he declared that all the Ancients had the same Opinion of it That they of Rome and other Latins did for a while reject this Epistle will not much weaken this Tradition if we consider 1. That this Epistle was not writ to them but to the Hebrews who as we are informed by Eusebius Embraced it with delight 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 25. That it was rejected by them not that they had any thing to say against it but because they could not answer the Arguments which the Novatian Schismaticks among them produced from the Sixth and Tenth Chapter of this Epistle against receiving lapsed Penitents into the Church whence as Philastrius informs us they rejected it Haer. 88. as thinking it was depraved by the Hereticks or 3. Because it wants his Name which he concealed saith Jerom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Catal. Script Eccl. verbo Paulus because his Name would render it less acceptable to the Hebrew Converts who were offended at his Doctrine of the Exemption of the Gentile Converts from Circumcision and the Observation of the Law saith Theodoret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proem in Ep. ad Hebr. because he was made an Apostle not of the Circumcision but of the Gentiles 4. Because it differs in stile from the rest of his Epistles as indeed it ought to do being writ to the Hebrews accustomed to the Hellenistick Stile but of this the Ancients give this double reason That it was writ by St. Paul in Hebrew translated by others into Greek or because St. Clemens Barnabas or St. Luke did Ibid. Apud Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 6. c. 25. sententias Pauli proprio ornare sermone write down the the Sentences of Paul in their own Words saith Jerom and gave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Phrase and the Contexture saith Origen to to the things spoken by St. Paul. The Second and Third Epistles of Saint John § 21 and that of Jude are so short that it is needless to insist upon it that the Second Epistle of Saint John is cited by Irenaeus and Clemens Alexandrinus in the Second L. 1. c. 13. p. 94. Strom. 2. De carne Christi c. 24. Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 6. c. 24. Apud Cypr. p. 242. De cultu foeminar p. 151. by Tertullian Dionysius of Alexandria and the Council of Carthage in the Third Century and the Epistle of Jude under his Name by Tertullian Concerning the Epistle of St. James the Second Epistle of Peter and the Epistle of St. Jude let it be noted in the general that Eusebus informs us they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 25. Petrus duabus Epistolarum suarum personat tubis Jacobus quoque Judas f. 156. know to most of the Ancients That they are all expresly owned by Origen in his Seventh Honily upon Joshua Of the Epistle of Jude in particular St. Jerom saith That though it was rejected for a while because it cited a passage from the Apocryphal Book of Enoch Catal. Script Eccl. verbo Judas tamen authoritatem vetustate jam usu meruit inter sanctas Scripturas computatur it deserved Authority from its Antiquity and constant use in the Church and is reckoned among the holy Scriptures Sect. 10 12 17 30. Sess 5. The Catholick Epistle of James is cited by Clemens Romanus four several times by Ignatius in his Genuine Epistle to the Ephesians by Origen in his Thirteenth Homily upon Genesis Lib. 3. c. 25. Lib. 2. c. 22. Eusebius saith It was known to most and publickly read in
depends upon this Supposition That as to their Souls they are at present una cum Christo regnantes aeterna felicitate in Coelo fruentes now reigning with Christ and enjoying eternal felicity in Heaven and so admitted already to the Beatifick Vision whereas both Justin Martyr and Irenaeus assert this Doctrine was proper to the formentioned Hereticks they were the Men who said that when Men died Pag. 307. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Iren. l. 5. c. 31. simulatque mortui fuerint dicunt se supergredi coelos ire ad eum qui ab ipsis affingitur patrem their Souls went directly to Heaven and passed above the material Heavens to the Father These Fathers also add That men were first to reign with Christ on Earth Tertullian Origen Ambrose Clem. Romanus Chrysoftom Theodoret Oecumenius Theophylact St. Bernard Stapleton Defens Eccl. Author lib. 1. c. 2. Lactantius Victorinus Prudentius Aretas Euthymius Fr. Pegna direct inquis part 2. c. 21. and so to accustom and fit themselves to reign with Him in Heaven to receive first their Bodies sic venire in conspectum Dei and so to be admitted into the Presence of God and that this was the Doctrine of most of the Ancients is confirmed by their own Writers how therefore could they have any received Tradition that the Saints were to be invoked as reigning now with Christ and being admitted into Heaven and enjoying the Vision of God Moreover § 6 it was the Doctrine of the four Ages next to the Apostles or of the four first Centures that the Day of Judgment was near at Hand and that the World should only last till the destruction of the Roman Empire Lib. 1. vis 3. Thus Hermas to that Question Whether the consummation of all things were at hand § 8 Answers That the end should be when the Tower was Built and perfected sed cito consummabitur and that this would quickly be In proximo est Adventus Domini The coming of our Lord draws nigh saith Tertullian De Spectac c. 30. upon which place De la Cerde notes That all the Fathers spake thus of the Day of Judgment We pray saith the same Tertullian for the Emperors Vim maximam vniverso orbi imminentem Apol. c. 32. and for the State i. e. continuance of the Empire because we know the conflagration of the World which is now imminent and the close of it which threatneth the worst of Evils is retarded by the continuance of the Roman Empire And again we pray for the Emperor Cap. 39. pro statu saeculi pro rerum queite pro mora finis for the continuance of the Age for the quiet posture of Affairs and the delay of the end of the World which shews they thought it was then near And a third time Ad Scap. c. 2. We wish well to the Roman Empire for while the World continueth it shall stand St. Cyprian tells Pope Cornelius That Christi cito approquinquabit adventus Ep. 57. Ed. Ox. Ep. 63. p. 157. Christs coming would soon draw nigh In his Epistle to Caecilius he declares that secundus ejus adventus nobis appropinquat Quoniam in fine atque consummatione mundi Antichristi tempus infestum appropinquare nunc coepit Praefat de Exhort Martyr his second coming to us was near and in his Book of Exhortation to Martyrdom he gives this account of his Writing viz. That he did it because now in the end of the World the time of Antichrist began to approach and Fortunatus had defired him to write something to strengthen the Brethren It also was the general Opinion of the Church § 7 that Antichrist was to come at the close of the World and it was also generally believed that Antichrist was at hand Tertullian declares De fuga in persecut c. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 6. c. 7. Ep. 59. p. 139. Ep. 58. p. 120. Scire debetis pro certo credere tenere occasum faeculi atque Antichristi tempus appropinquasse Ibid. Antichristum jam instare that Antichrist was even then ready to appear Judas a Christian Writer That he was to come in the time of the Emperor Severus St. Cyprian saith That he was now appearing that his Advent was at hand that Christians ought to know and certainly believe and hold that the Day of Trouble mentioned Matthew the 24th began to fall upon their Heads that the end of the World and the time of Antichrist drew near It also was the general Opinion of the Fathers that our Lord was born in the Year of the World 5500 § 8 and that the World should end or be renewed in the Year 6000. That our Lord was Born in the Year 5500 or 5508 or 5509 as the Greeks commonly compute Apud Phot. Cod. 202. p. 525. you may learn from Hippolytus who as Photius notes placed the coming of Antichrist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Five hundred Years after Christ because then the Six thousand years from the Creation of the World being expired the World would end The Fathers who were of this Opinion were very many and * Petav. in Epiph. Haer. 66. n. 50. Feuardentius in Iren. l. 5. c. 28. magni nominis of great repute say Petavius and Sixtus Senensis l. 5. Annot. 190. And they pretended to derive this from plain Texts of Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pseudo Just q. 71. Ambros in Gal. 4.4 Oecum in 1 Joh. 2.18 Hier. in Mich. 4. Epiph. Haer. 66. §. 50. such as When the fulness of time was come In the last Days he spake to us by his Son On whom the ends of the Ages are come Now is the last hour which saith St. Jerom if you divide the whole Six thousand Years of the worlds duration into Twelve parts according to the Twelve hours of the Day must be the last Five hundred Years of them It also was a Doctrine almost generally received among the most Ancient Fathers that the World should end or be renewed after 6000 years 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sect. 15. This Barnabas expresly teacheth in his Epistle saying Attend my Children what he saith that expression he finished in Six Days signifies this That God will finish all things in Six thousand Years for that a Day with him is a Thousands Years he himself testifieth saying A Day shall be as a Thousand Years Wherefore Children in Six days that is in Six thousand years shall all things be Consummated In as many Days as the World was made Quotquot enim diebus hic factus est mundus tot millenis annis consummatur si enim dies Domini quase mille anni c. lib. 5. c. 28. in so many Thousand Years it is consummated for if as the Prophecy saith the Day of the Lord is as a Thousand Years and in six Days were all things made which were made it is manifest that the consummation
nor be esteemed so presently the Charter of the Christian Faith had they been so forgetful as not to make them known to them for whose Sakes they were written They were Books which pretended to a Commission from the Holy Jesus to give Rules of Life and Doctrine to the Christian Churches which none but the Apostles and Evangelists could do all others still pretending to deliver what they received from them Lastly They being written partly to confirm and to ascertain to us the Story of Christ's Birth Life Passion Resurrection and partly to engage us to believe that Jesus was the Christ partly to put an end to those Contentions and to rectify those Errors which had crept into the Church in the Apostles Days and which did need a speedly Reformation partly to give Instructions for the Bishops Priests and Deacons and Governours of the Church how to behave themselves in their Offices partly to justify themselves against false Brethren and deceitful Workers and to preserve their Proselytes from such as did pervert the Faith and partly to instruct them how to bear up in fiery Trials and to support their Souls under the Sufferings and Temptations to which Christianity exposed them and therefore on those Grounds which did require their quick Dispatch upon that Errand and to those Churches for whose use they did intend them it is evident the Apostles must design that early Notice should be given of them and so commit them to their new born Proselytes and Babes in Christ Accordingly the Tradition of the Church assures us that when the Apostles went to preach to the Gentiles they desired them to leave in Writing the things which they had taught Vid. c. 7. §. 1 2. and that in compliance with their Desires they writ their Gospels and having preached the Gospel to them Iren. l. 3. c. 3. Postea verè per voluntatem dei in scripturis nobis tradiderunt fundamentum Columnam fidei futurum They afterwards by the Will of God delivered to them the Gospel they had Preached in Writing to be the Pillar and the Ground of Faith hereafter St. Peter speaks of all the Epistles of St. Paul shewing that at least many of them were then written Euseb Eccl. Hift. l. 3. c. 3. and others of the Ancients that they were all Fourteen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noted by and manifest to all though some doubted whether he were indeed the Author of one of them 2. § 11 It is evident that the immediate succeeding Age could not be ignorant of what was thus delivered to the Church and was commended to them by the Apostles as the Pillar and the Ground of Faith De Praescript c. 36. especially if we consider that the Autographa were still extant saith Tertullian some of those Persons were still living to whom they were directed and with whom they were intrusted and all those Churches still continued flourishing to whom they were sent and to whom they were read in publick and by whom in private 3. § 12 Those Records being once so generally dispersed through places at so great a distance as they were in the Second Century so universally acknowledged and consented to by Men of curious Parts and different Perswasions and repugnant Judgments and great Aversions from each other preserved in their Originals to succeeding Ages multiplied into divers Versions copied out by Christians for their private and for publick use esteemed by them as digesta nostra their Digests saith (a) Adv. Marc. l. 4. c. 3. Tertullian as (b) Concil Carthag apud Cypr. p. 232. Optatus l. 1. libri divini Scripturae deificae say the Martyrs believed by all Christians to be divine saith (c) Euseb H. Eccl. l 6. c. 25.3.25 Orig. contr Cels l. 3. p. 138. Origen And as the Records of their Hopes and Fears and thereupon being so carefully (d) Euseb H. Eccl. l. 4 c. 26. Lib. 8 cap. 11 13. Euseb l. 6. c. 19 p. 222. Justin M. Ap. 2. p. 98. sought after so riveted in their Minds for many say the Ancients had them entirely in their Memory they being so constantly rehearsed in their Assemblies by Men whose work it was to Read and Preach and to exhort to the performance of those Duties they enjoin'd being so frequent in their Writings so often cited in their Confessions Comments Apologies and Epistles of the Christian Worthies Euseb l. 6. c. 19. p. 219. as also in the Objection of those Adversaries to whose view they still lay open It must be certain that they were handed down to the succeeding Generations pure and uncorrupt Indeed these things render us more secure of the Scriptures being preserved entire than any Man can be of the Statutes of the Land or of any Histories or Records whatsoever because the Evidence of it depends upon more Persons more Holy and so less subject to deceive more concerned that they should not be corrupted than that no other Records should and so we must renounce all certainty of any Records or grant the certainty that these are truly what they do pretend And 4. This Corruption of the Word of God § 13 or Substitution of any other Doctrine than that which it delivered could not be done by any part or Sect of Christians but they who had embraced the Faith and used the same Copies of the Word of God in other places of the Christian World must have found out the Cheat and therefore this corruption if at all effected must be the work of the whole World of Christians But can it be supposed that the immediate succeeding Ages should universally conspire to substitute their own Inventions for the Word of God and yet continue stedfast in and suffer so much for that Faith which denounced the severest Judgments against those which should do such things Or that a World of Men should with the hazard of their Lives and Fortunes avouch the Gospel and at the same time make an essential Change even in the Frame and Substance of its Doctrine whilst it yet daily sounded in their Ears employ'd their Tongues and by so doing make it ineffectual both to themselves and their Posterity Can it be reasonably thought that they should venture upon that which were the Gospel true or false must needs expose them to the greatest Evils whilst they continued Abettors of it Moreover had such a thing been done can we in reason think that of those many Thousands who in the Primitive Ages did renounce the Gospel that of those many wavering Spirits those excommunicate Members especially those Hereticks who upon other motives did renounce the greatest part of Scripture can it I say be thought that none of those should publish and disclose the Forgery or answer the Alligations made from Scripture by saying They were Citations of false and of corrupt Scriptures but that such apparent Forgeries should find a general Reception from all that looked into their Truth and be unquestionably received as genuine
by Jew and Gentile Heretick and Orthodox even in those times in which and in those places where they first appeared and by those Persons who immediately before received others as the true and genuine Copies of the Word of God. Lastly § 14 That these Records of the Will of God have not been so corrupted as to cease to be a certain Rule of Faith and Manners we argue from the Providence of God inducing us to judge that the Books thus delivered to us by the Church as genuine are truly so for nothing seems more inconsistent with divine Wisdom and Goodness than to inspire his Servants to write the Scripture as a Rule of Faith and Manners for all future Ages and to require the Belief of the Doctrines the practice of the Rules of Life plainly contained in it and yet to suffer this divinely inspired Rule to be insensibly corrupted in things necessary to Faith or Practice who can imagine that God who sent his Son out of his Bosom to declare this Doctrine and his Apostles by the Assistance of the Holy Spirit to indite and preach it and by so many Miracles confirm it to the World should suffer any wicked Persons to corrupt and alter any of those terms on which the Happiness and Welfare of Mankind depended This sure can be conceived Rational by none but such as think it not absurd to say That God repented of his good Will and Kindness to Mankind in the vouchsafing of the Gospel to them That he so far maligned the good of future Generations that he suffered wicked Men to rob them of all the benefit intended to them by this Declaration of his Will. For since those very Scriptures which have been received for the Word of God and used by the Church as such from the first Ages of it pretend to be the terms of our Salvation Scriptures indited by Men commissionated from Christ and such as did avouch themselves Apostles by the Will of God and his Command for the delivery of the Faith of Gods Elect and for the knowledge of the Truth which is after Godliness in hopes of Life eternal they must be what they do pretend to be the Word of God or Providence must have permitted such a Forgery as rendereth it impossible for us to perform our Duty in order to Salvation for if the Scripture of the New Testament should be corrupted in any essential requisite of Faith or Manners it must cease to make us wise unto Salvation and so God must have lost the end which he intended in inditing of it Again when we consider that in the Jewish Church the Scriptures were until the coming of Christ in very corrupt Times and amongst very corrupt Persons preserved so entire that Christ sends the Jews to them to learn Religion declares that they have Moses and the Prophets and both our Lord and his Disciples confuted and instructed the Scribes and Pharisees and Jews out of them without the least intimation of any corruption that had happened to them we have still greater reason to judge the New Testament sincere since we cannot rationally suppose Providence less careful of the New Testament than of the Old. If against this Argument it be Objected Object that we find by the Citations of the Ancients and by Old Manuscripts that there was a difference betwixt their Copies of the Scripture and those we now use I answer 1. That this is no certain Argument of any such difference seeing the Citation of the Ancients might differ thus by the failure of their Memory it being frequently their Custom to cite the Scriptures from their Memory without inspection of the Book moreover we find by Ocular Demonstration that these various Lectures make no considerable variation in matters of Faith or Manners or if one Text which asserts a substantial Doctrine be variously read so that the matter is thence dubious there are others which assert it without that Variety If then no Writing whilst the Apostles lived could pass for Apostolical and yet destroy or contradict the Faith they taught if their immediate Successors could not be ignorant of what the Apostles committed to them to be read and taught us the Records of their Faith and Doctrine nor would they be induced to deliver that for such which they believed not to be so if neither they could universally conspire to effect this thing nor can it rationally be thought that Providence would suffer them to do so 'T is morally impossible these Writings should be forged or corrupted in matters of Concern or Moment If therefore Mr. § 15 M. will make good his Assertion that they have the same means to shew that their Traditions are true that is truly descended from the Apostles that we have to shew the Copies of the Scripture which we use are not corrupted in substantials he must first own what we have proved of these Copies to be true of his Traditions viz. That they cannot be proved to be true from the Infallibility of the Church and that in any doubt concerning the Truth of them we must have recourse to the Original and Fountain of Tradition not to the Judgment of the present Age as in the proof of the true Copies all Parties are agreed that we must have recourse to Ancient Manuscripts And to the Fountains of the Greek and Hebrew Secondly He must shew what we have done touching the Scriptures concerning his pretended Traditions viz. That these Traditions were owned cited read and received as Apostolical Traditions from the Apostles Days that Jews and Heathens were acquainted with them that they were attested to by the Sufferings of the Primitive Martyrs that they were such as the Apostles desired to leave in writing and which they did so leave according to the Will of God and consequently were not oral Traditions that they were universally acknowledged and consented to by Men of different perswasions preserved in their Originals to succeeding Ages transcribed by Christians for their private and their publick use esteemed by them as their Digests and as deifying Traditions believed by all Christians to be divine and as the Records of their Hopes and Fears that they were carefully sought after and riveted in their minds and constantly rehearsed in their Assemblies by Men whose work it was to read and preach them and to exhort to the performance of those Duties they enjoined that they were frequent in the Writings and often cited in the Confessions and Apologies the Comments Homilies Discourses and Epistles of the Ancient Worthies as also in the Objections of their Adversaries to whose view they still lay open And lastly he must prove they were Traditions which the good Providence of God was as much concerned to keep entire and uncorrupt as to preserve those Scriptures so which by the Will of God were written to be the Pillar and Foundation of the Christian Faith and when we see this task performed we shall be more enclined to admit of the pretended Traditions
be observed by Christians the day of Rest enjoined in the Fourth Commandment must be abolished which was the thing to be proved Thirdly § 12 This will be still more evident from those words of the same Apostle to the Colossians affirming Argum. 3 2 Coloss xiv 16 17. That Christ had blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances which was contrary to us and had taken it out of the way nailing it to his Cross and making thence this Inference Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of the New Moons or of the Sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ Where Note 1st That the hand-writing of Ordinances respecteth Ceremonial Orders for of them only can it be truly said That they were against us and were contrary to us as being Yokes of Bondage and Burthens grievous to be born that they were blotted out and cancelled and nailed to the Cross of Christ and that they were shadows of or shadows in respect of things to come 2dly When it is said Let no Man judge you in respect of these things the meaning clearly is Let no Man censure or condemn the Christian for not observing these New Moons Feasts or Sabbaths Hence then these Arguments result First No Man ought to condemn the Christian for not observing of the Jewish Sabbath because that Christ hath blotted out the hand-writing of ceremonial Ordinances which was against them therefore the Jewish Sabbath was a ceremonial Ordinance therefore 't is blotted out therefore the Christian is not obliged to observe it That which is joined with Meats and Drinks and with New Moons which are things confessedly Ceremonial no difference at all being observed by the Apostle as to their being named hand-writings things cancelled shadows or the like that must be ceremonial that which is a shadow of or in respect of things to come of which Christ by his Advent exhibited the Body that must be ceremonial that must be cancelled and abolished by Christ therefore the Jewish Sabbath must be abolished as being only ceremonial The Answers which the Sabbatarians return to this last Argument are these 1st Answer 1 That the Apostle meaneth here by Sabbaths not the weekly Sabbath of the Jews but the first and last days of the great Jewish Feasts which were by them observed as Sabbaths and are in Scripture sometimes stiled by that Name 1. Reply The Apostle having said before Let no Man condemn you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for not observing of the Jewish Festivals or any part thereof cannot be rationally supposed in the word Sabbaths following to forbid only the same thing 2. In the New Testament the word Sabbath or Sabbaths is used above sixty times and in Fifty six of those places it doth unquestionably signifie the Jewish weekly Sabbath and in the other places the whole week sith then the Sabbath in the New Testament is never used for the first and last days of the Jewish Feasts but ordinarily is there used for their weekly Sabbath we ought in reason to conclude it here importeth the same thing which it is used to signifie where it is mentioned in other places by the Holy Ghost and not conceive it here importeth that which it is never used to signifie in the New Testament that is we ought to judge is signifies the seventh day Sabbath and not the solemn days of the great Jewish Feasts 3. Where-ever the word Sabbath in the Old Testament is mentioned in conjunction with New Moons or Jewish Feasts it doth import the seventh day Sabbath distinctly and separately from all others as will appear from the perusal of all the places where these things are jointly mentioned as v. g. 2 Kings iv 23. Esa i. 13. Esa lxvi 23. Lament ij 6. Ezek. xlv 17. Ezek. xlvi 1. Hos ij 11. Amos viij 5. Being then here mentioned together with New Moons and Jewish Feasts 't is reasonable to conceive it signifies the same thing 4. The Sabbath day in the Old Testament is often contradistinguished to all other solemn Feasts and more particularly to New Moons and anniversary Feasts and therefore being here mentioned with them we may presume it cannot signifie them or any portion of them but rather that it doth import that Jewish Sabbath which in other places is put in opposition to them as for Example 1 Chron. xxiij 31. 2 Chron. ij 4. xxxi 3. Neh. x. 32 33. And lastly Moses having reckoned up the solemn Feasts Leviticus the 23 he adds v. 37 38. These are the Feasts of the Lord which you shall proclaim besides the Sabbath of the Lord seeing then the word Sabbath where-ever it is used in conjunction with New Moons or Feasts in the whole Book of God doth always signifie the Jewish weekly Sabbath we cannot doubt but in conjunction with them here it signifies the same seeing the word is often put in opposition to New Moons and solemn Feasts indefinitely taken what reason have we to conceive that in this place it should be taken for any part or portion of them Some Sabbatarians tell us Answ 2 That by Sabbath here the Apostle understandeth not the weekly but the yearly Sabbaths viz. the seven Years Sabbath and the Sabbath of the Year of Jubilee But the same Observations do confute this Gloss Reply for seeing the word Sabbath in the whole New Testament doth never signifie the yearly Sabbath but still the seventh day Sabbath or the whole week since the word Sabbath when it is joined with New Moons and Feasts as here it is doth always fignifie the seventh day Sabbath this Sabbatarian Gloss must be repugnant to that Sence in which the word is used by the Holy Ghost and therefore contrary to those Rules by which we are obliged to expound the Scripture 'T is Thirdly Answered Answ 3 That the Apostle saith not as the words are rendered Let no Man judge you in respect of a Feast but as they ought to be rendered Let no Man judge you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in part of a Feast New Moon or Sabbath whence they conclude that he intends not the whole Sabbath but that part of it which consisted in offering Sacrifices and this he calls a shadow or a hand-writing of Ordinances This Quarrel at the Translation of these Words is groundless Reply for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth as truly signifie on the account or on behalf or in respect as it doth signifie in part as when the same Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3.10 That which was made glorious had no glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this respect by reason of the Glory that excelleth 2 Cor. 9.3 And again I have sent the Brethren least our boasting of you should be in vain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on this behalf 1 Pet. 4.16 And when Saint Peter saith If any Man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God 〈◊〉
laying this only in those places as the Foundation of the Faith and so going on to other Countries to convert them and surely then the Successors of the Apostles did not doubt but that these Gospels did with sufficient fulness and perspicuity contain the necessary Articles of Christian Faith. Thirdly Of St. Luke the Follower of St. Paul Lucas quod ab illo praedicabatur Evangelium in libro condidit l. 3. c. 1 Irenaeus informs us That he writ in a Book that Gospel which was preached by him he adds That St. Paul neglected not to teach the whole Counsel of God Cap. 14. and that St. Luke neglected not to write what St. Paul had taught and thence inferrs against the Hereticks that they could not pretend to know what was not taught by Paul or was not written by St. Luke Fourthly St. John saith the Tradition of the Ancients was importuned by all the Asiaticks and by the Embassies of many others to write his Gospel and his great care in Composing it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiph. Haer. 51. §. 6. Theoph. proem in Joh. say they was to speak of those necessary things which they had pretermitted who writ before him or of the Deity of Christ which Ebion Cerinthus and other Hereticks denied and the other Evangelists had not so fully spoken to The Martyrology of Timothy Bishop of Ephesus adds That the other Evangelists were brought to him Apud Phot. Cod. 254. p. 1403. containing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The salutary Passion the Miracles and Doctrines of our Lord and that he digested them in order and added his own to them Here then from this Tradion it is plain and obvious to observe First § 3 That it was constantly supposed and looked on by all Christians as a thing most certain that to preserve a Doctrine safe unto posterity to keep it sure and certain 't was not sufficient for them to hear it by the Ear or to receive it by Tradition though from the mouth of an Apostle but that 't was requisite in order to that end that what they heard should be committed to writing that so it might be both to them and others the Pillar and the Ground of Truth Why else do they declare that those things which are only spoken and not written quickly vanish and thence inferr That if the Evangelists intended the Salvation of Posterity they must have written what they preached Why do they say it was necessary for the Apostles when they were about to leave their Converts to commit what they taught in writing to them Why was it that they could not be contented Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 2. c. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the unwritten teaching of the divine Doctrine or in the Romish phrase with the infallible way of oral Tradition but did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desire with all earnestness St. Mark to give them a Digest or Memorial in writing of that Doctrine they had received by word of mouth And why was Peter so delighted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with this desire of the Christians which was a plain renouncing of oral Tradition and a preferring of the written word before it Secondly Hence it is obvious to observe That oral Tradition being thus subject to failure and miscarriage the Wisdom of our God and Saviour thought fit that what was preached by the Apostles should be committed unto writing that it might be unto posterity the Pillar and the Ground of Truth Hence Lib. 3. c. 1. saith Irenaeus they by the Will of God writ the Scriptures for this end They saith St. Austin writ what they knew by the dictates of their Head. He commanded the Apostles to write and what things should be written were chosen doubtless by the Holy Ghost whose Pen-men the Apostles were Proem in Matth. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It was the pleasure of Christ or his Apostles saith Theophylact that the Gospel should be writ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Christians being taught the Truth from them might neither be perverted by Heresies or corrupted in manners Thirdly Hence also it is evident That the things chosen by our Lord and his Apostles and by the Holy Spirit to be written were such as seemed to their Wisdom sufficient for the Salvation of Believers that they contained all which our Lord would have us read concerning what he did or said all that truth which was needful to preserve us from Heresie in Doctrine or Corruption in Manners the whole state or system of the Christian Faith which whosoever did retain could not want Faith even when he wanted Teachers all that St. Peter preached the Foundations of Faith the whole Council of God the salutary Doctrines of our Lord all that was necessary to be known 2. § 4 This will be still more evident from that unquestionable Tradition of the whole Church of Christ for many Centuries that the Apostles Creed as it was first delivered and as it was afterwards explained by that of Nice was a compleat and perfect Summary of all things simply necessary to be believed by Christians That the Apostles and first Preachers of the Christian Faith comprized the Fundamentals of their Doctrine in some Creed System or form of words we learn not only from the Tradition of the Church but also from many passages of Scripture which mention Luk. i. 4. Heb. v. 12. Heb. vi 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words of their Catechism 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the elementary Principles of the Oracles of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of the beginning of Christ or the Foundation upon which Christians grew up unto perfection Rom. xij 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Analogy of Faith according to which all the Dispensers of the word must frame their Doctrine 1 Tim. iij. 15 16. 2 Tim. i. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mystery of Godliness to be preserved in and by the Church the Pillar and the Ground of Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a form of sound words which was delivered to and must be held by all Christians in Faith and Love verse 14. or a brief Summary of the things which were to be believed by all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good depositum or Summary of Christian Doctrine committed to the trust of others or agreed on by the Apostles to be taught by all 2 Tim. ij 2. and which also was by them to be committed to faithful Men able to instruct others in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jud. iij. Philip. i. 27. The Faith once and at once delivered to the Saints which they must hold in a good Conscience and earnestly contend for 2. § 5 That this Creed System or Summary of Faith was by the Apostles delivered to all Churches and was for substance that which is now called the Apostles Creed is also evident from the Tradition of the Church of Christ Irenaeus saith It is the Faith which the Church received
It is saith Hilary Ad. Const Aug. p. 342. 343. the safest course to retain that first and only Evangelical Faith confessed in Baptism and to innovate nothing in it And this he affirms in opposition to the New Creeds so frequent in his Days 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 52. init Ep. ad Epictet Tom. 1. p. 582. a. Epist ad Afric Episc p. 932. The Creed of Nice saith Nazianzen is a short Boundary and Rule of Christian Wisdom It is saith Athanasius sufficient for the destruction of all Impiety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for the confirmation of the true Faith in Christ for the destruction of every wicked Heresie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for confirmation of the ecclesiastical Doctrine The Synod held at Sardis defined That nothing farther should be written of the Faith but that all Men should rest contented with the Faith confessed at Nice Athanas Ep. ad Antioch p. 576. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it was in nothing defective and because if any other Faith should be composed that might be looked upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as imperfect St. De tempore Serm. 115 119 131 Austin saith That the Catholick Faith is made known to the Faithful in the Creed that this Creed is Comprehensio fidei nostrae atque perfectio The comprehension and perfection of our Faith that it is Plenitudo credentium totum continens compendio brevitatis confirmans onnes perfectione credendi The fulness of Believers comprising the whole of their Faith in a compendious brevity Ep. 84. Tom. 3. p. 961. and confirming all in perfect Faith. Theodoret writes to the Bishops of Cilicia that they would require their People tokeep the Nicene Faith entire and undefiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as compendiously teaching the Evangelical and Apostolical Doctrine Damasus closeth his Symbol which for substance is the same with that of Nice Apud Hieron Tom. 4. f. 44. in these expressions Haec crede haec retine believe and retain these things Subject thy Soul to this Faith and thou shalt obtain Life and a reward from Christ which shews he thought this Faith sufficient for that end Ibid. f. 46. Ruffinus informs us that according to the request of Pope Laurence he was to compose something de fide secundum Symboli traditionem of the Faith delivered in the Symbol And of this he declares That it was norma praedicationis the Rule of the Apostles preaching the Rule which they composed credentibus dandam to be delivered to Believers fidei suae indicium the index of their Faith. Petrus Chrysologus saith Serm. 57 58 59 60 61. That it is salutis symbolum vitae symbolum forma fidei credulitatis norma fides quam credimus docemus the symbol of Life and Salvation Ep. 27. ad Pulcher c. 4. p. 492. the Rule of Faith the Faith which we believe and teach Pope Leo That it is a short perfecta confessio and perfect Confession of the Catholick Faith. The Great Council of Chalcedon saith of the Faith of Nice Act. 5. in fine That it sufficeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the perfect knowledge and confirmation of Piety Theodor. Hist Eccl. l. 2. c. 15. The Synod of Ariminum That it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an exact Rule of Faith that of Sardis That nothing was to be added to it Apud Athanas Ep. ad Antioch P. 576. Id. de Synod Arim. Selsach p. 876 878. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because nothing was wanting to it that of Sirmium adds That there was no need of running to Synods that of Nice Having done all things for the Catholick Church a Synod to which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Men assented and all Men judged it sufficient The Ordo Romanus or old Roman Liturgy saith Apud Hittorp p. 38 39. This is that Faith qua credentes justificati sumus by which believing we are justified salutaris sides the saving Faith which the Holy Spirit dictated to the Masters of the Church The summ of our Faith which as they had received so they delivered it unto them Isidore Hispalensis saith of the Apostles Creed De Eccl. Officiis l. 2. c. 22. That they appointed it to be given to Believers as a Rule that it contained few words but in them were contained omnia Sacramenta all the Articles of Faith that they who could not read the Scriptures retaining in their Heart these things might have sufficient and saving knowledge that it contains the Confession of the Trinity and the Vnity of the Church Orig. l. 6. c 19. omne Christiani dogmatis Sacramentum and the whole Christian Doctrine that this Symbol of Faith and the Lord's Prayer Sentent l. 1. c. 21. parvulis Ecclesiae sufficit ad coelorum regna capessenda sufficed to bring the little ones of the Church to the Kingdom of Heaven De Eccles Off. l. 1. c. 16. And of the Nicene Creed he adds That it speaks de omni parte fidei of every part of Faith. Rabanus Maurus in his Book of the Institution of the Clergy Lib. 2. c. 56. transcribes the forecited words of Isidore Regino in the same Century saith That all who come to Penance De Eccl. Discipl l. 1 c. 272. or to receive the Sacrament must be able to recite the Creed and the Lord's Prayer for in the one is contained the Christian Faith in the other we are taught what we are to pray for and that no Man in these matters must pretend the slowness of his Vnderstanding or defect of Memory for these things are so short as that the dullest Man may learn them and yet they are tam magna ut qui eorum scientiam pleniter capere potuer it sufficere ea sibi credatur in salutem so great that whosoever fully understands them will find them sufficient for his Salvation Moreover Ruffinus Isidore and Rabanus Maurus do inform us that the Apostles made this the sign by which he should be known who preached Christ truly secundum Apostolicas literas according to the directions of the Apostles from those deceitful Workers who did not preach him integris traditionum lineis according to the integrity of Tradition Accordingly 5. Observe § 8 That these Fathers do constantly assert this Symbol to be a Test of Orthodoxy and that by which they did prescribe against all Hereticks proving their Doctrines to be new and such as ought to be rejected as being not contained in this Symbol or this Rule of Faith. Irenaeus in his Book against Heresies declares Lib. 3. cap. 3. that it is sola vera vivifica fides the only true and life-giving Faith which the Church received from the Apostles and distributes to her Children That even without arguing we might exactly discern the firmness of the Truth preached by the Church Lib. 1. c. 1. and the falseness of the Heretical perswasions there being nothing of them
the Lord. To remember the Law of Moses which he commanded them in Horeb for all Israel with the Statutes and Judgments as their only certain Rule and Direction Now that the ordinary Succession of Prophets was to cease from the Days of Malachy to the Times of Christ whereas had Oral Tradition also been their Rule the Prophets must have had like reason to call upon them to remember that Moreover God only calls upon them by Moses To do all the Words of this Law which are written in this Book and promiseth his Favour and Acceptance of them upon that account saying If thou shalt hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God Deut. 30.9 10. Vers 15. to keep his Commandments and Statutes which are written in this Book of the Law I will rejoice over thee for Good. See I have set before thee this day life and good and death and evil And David speaketh thus unto King Solomon 1 Kings 2.3 Keep the Charge of the Lord thy God to walk in his ways to keep his Statutes and his Commandments and his Judgments and his Testimonies as it is written in the Law of Moses that thou maist prosper in all that thou dost and whithersoever thou turnest thy self If then the Observation of what was written in the Law of Moses was sufficient to procure Life Favour Prosperity and Acceptance with God surely this written Law must be a perfect Rule and must sufficiently contain all that was needful to be believed or done unto those ends Hence is the King commanded to write him a Copy of this Law in a Book that he might learn to fear the Lord God Deut. 17.18 19. and to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to do them and to perform the words of the Covenant which are written in this Book 2 Chron. 34.31 is to keep God's Commandments his Testimonies and his Statutes with all the Soul and with all the Heart Whereas had Oral Tradition been any part of their Rule they must have been obliged equally to observe what was delivered by it and all God's Statutes and Commandments could not be written in this Book as it is so expresly and frequently declared that they were Our Saviour in like manner bids them Search the Scriptures Joh. 3.39 because they thought in them they had eternal Life in which apprehension had they been deceived as they must have been provided that there was another Law of Oral Tradition given to lead them unto Life eternal our Saviour doubtless would have informed them of this dangerous Error which yet he was so far from doing that when a Lawyer puts the Question to him What shall I do that I may inherit eternal Life Luk. 10.25 26. he Answers What is written in the Law how readest thou This do and thou shalt live Luk. 16.29 And sends the Jews to Moses and the Prophets that by hearing them they might avoid the coming to the Place of Torments but neither he nor his Disciples do ever send them to Tradition or speak one word in approbation of it which is sufficient Evidence that they knew nothing of this Rule of Mr. M. 2dly § 6 The Traditions concerning Doctrines generally believed and Practices needful to be performed among them after the Law was written by Moses and after God had given them a Charge upon the ceasing of the Succession of his Prophets to remember and stick close unto it I say the Traditions which obtained in the Jewish Church as far as we have any certain intimation of them were such as tended to the evacuating of the Law of Moses to the renouncing of the true Messiah and to the introduction of vain Worship and superstitious Observances whence it demonstratively appears that Oral Tradition was not then a certain Rule nor could the Jewish Nation be obliged by divine Precept to receive it as such To make this Evident consider 1. That our Saviour often sends the Jews to Scripture to Moses and the Prophets but never to Tradition 2. That he still represents the great Asserters of Tradition in the Jewish Nation Matth. 15.14.23.16 17 19. Mat. 15.10 11. to wit their Elders Scribes and Pharisees as blind Guides leading of the Blind as Fools and Blind confuteth their Traditions though generally received before all the People Mark 7. Mat. 12.7 Matth. 15.13 justifies his Disciples in the neglect and violation of them pronounces them Plants which his Father had not planted and therefore such as should be rooted up 3dly He plainly tells them That by these Traditions they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transgress make void Mark. 7.10 and null the Commandment of God. He shews this by plain Instances in their evacuating the Fifth Commandment by their Traditions in observing and enjoining such Traditions touching the Observation of the Sabbatick Rest Matth. 12.7 Matth. 12.12 Luk. 6.9 Mark 3.5 Luke 13.15 Matth. 23.16 23. as contradicted that great Law of God I will have mercy and not sacrifice and made it unlawful to do good and preserve Life upon that day and which sufficiently demonstrated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the blindness of their Minds and their Hypocrisie and in absolving them from their Oaths out of an ignorance so Gross as knew not they were virtually made to God. He also charges them that by thus teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men Matth. 15.9 they rendered God's Worship vain 4thly It is extreamly evident that by virtue of some of these Traditions they rejected the true Messiah and stood obliged by them so to do For First It is most certain that the Jews had a Tradition generally received among them That their Messiah should be a Temporal Prince that at his Coming he should restore the Kingdom to Israel he should subdue the Nations under them and should erect a Temporal Dominion in the Jewish Nation over all their Enemies Trypho the Jew declares to Justin M. That Dial. p. 249. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scriptures do compel us to expect a great and glorious Messiah who shall receive as the Son of Man from the ancient of Days an everlasting Kingdom In Celsum l. 2. p. 78. not such a mean despised one as was your Jesus The Jews saith Origen say That their Prophets represent their Messiah to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great Person and a Potentate and Lord of the whole Earth and of all the Heathens and their Armies De Bello Jud. l. 6. c. 31. Josephus confesseth there was an obscure Oracle found in their S. Books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That about that time one of Judea should govern the World. Suetonius and Tacitus say In Vespas c 4. Hist l. 5. That it was in the whole East Vetus constans opinio ut