Be never merry but onely then when ye see your Brother in Charity These and some few more Sentences not found in Sacred Writ are imputed to our Blessed Saviour and so is that too by some to Christ by others to some Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be skilfull Exchangers which words are styled in Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Apostolicall expression And the truth is that the Apostles might receive from Christ betwixt his Resurrection and Ascension directions to ordain Rites and Ceremonies that concerned the Administration of God's publick Worship and the exteriour Discipline of the Church and that these Orders and Determinations of his touching the Circumstances of God's Service were delivered to their Successours by word of mouth and were not presently registred we are not forward nor indeed any whit concerned to deny But withall the Church of Rome stands much obliged to prove and that with clear Evidence and unquestionable Authority that those present Traditions of theirs which they do so stifly contend for equall to and in some cases prefer before the written Word are indeed those very Traditions which were recommended to the Church by Christ or his Apostles This I confess the Romanists do pretend and promise to doe but if they fail what then 'T is the confident expression of Bellarmine Non est Audaciae aequare aliquid non scriptum Verbo Scripto 'T is no sawcy thing at all to equall something unwritten to that Word which is written nor doth he think that expression of his too bold Traditio sola sufficit Scripturae non sufficiunt Tradition alone is enough but the Scriptures alone are not sufficient Methinks such persons are much obliged to prove that these Traditions of theirs are indeed of Divine Authority since they have a greater esteem for them then for the known and sure Word of God For if it should happen that these Traditions which are so highly magnified should be found and proved the bare Inventions of men those persons would appear somewhat too bold and sawcy indeed who have preferred them before the certain and infallible Decrees of Heaven This Aquinas well understood and therefore knew himself concerned to maintain the Divine Authority of those Traditions whereof he doth thus pronounce Verbum Dei bifariam dividitur in Scripturam Traditiones The Word of God is twofold Scripture and Tradition Thus Bellarmine too who styles Tradition Verbum Dei non scriptum the unwritten Word of God And their Conventicle of Trent saith that their Traditions were vel ore tenus à Christo vel à Spiritu Sancto dictatae delivered immediately by Christ's own mouth or dictated by his Holy Spirit Thus doth the Church of Rome pretend a full and Divine Authority for several Traditions which they hold though not recorded in our Bibles And if this Assertion of theirs in favour of their Traditions can be proved with as convincing Arguments as those whereby the Authority of the Scripture is confirmed we shall with equall Respect even as the Romanists do embrace them both For though it be certain that the committing of the Word of God to Ink and Paper was an excellent means to preserve it entire and to secure it and us from Frauds Cheats and Falsifications yet the Members of the Reformed Churches have not so far lost their Religion and Reason as once to imagine that the bare writing of the Scripture should create and give it that Authority which is inherent in it Insomuch that if any Traditionall Doctrine or Practice that is now taught and used in the Roman Church can be sufficiently proved to have been originally delivered by Christ or his Apostles we shall as readily believe and doe it as any thing else whatsoever that is required or delivered in any part of the Written Word But if bold and confident Affirmations be enough to justifie Unwritten Doctrines and Vsages what Religion what Sect what Heresie will want such and such Pretences to plead for the Vindication of it self 'T is well known that the very Heathens pretended that as Plato words it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Disposition and Institution of their Laws such especially as concerned their Religion how absurd soever was from God It is the observation of Bellarmine himself In Alcorano passim legimus ipsum Alcoranum de Coelo à Deo missum It was it seems the pretence of that grand Impostour Mahomet that even his Alcoran came down from Heaven and was dictated by God Eusebius tells us that Menander who was indeed but a Sorcerer and the real disciple of Simon Magus did pretend himself to be sent from Heaven And that famous Heretick Cerinthus whose very presence made St. John fly out of the Bath who was an Enemy to the written Word of God did make his Followers believe that he received his Doctrines though detestable enough by Revelation from Angels But what sober person gave any credit to him And what if the case stand thus with the Roman Church what if those Traditions which they father upon Christ and his Apostles were indeed none of theirs Sure we are it was so with those superstitious Jews who in our Saviour's time owned and stifly maintained as the Papists now do a twofold Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a written Law and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an unwritten Law or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secondary Laws 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hearings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law in the mouth and generally styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Traditions These Traditions they received from the great Synagogue that Synagogue derived them from the Prophets the Prophets from the Elders the Elders from Joshua Joshua from Moses and Moses himself from God so they pretended But notwithstanding these fair Insinuations and plausible Pretences of theirs to render their superstitious Rites and Customes the more acceptable to the ignorant and credulous Multitude what was indeed their true Original we learn from Christ and his Evangelists who style them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Traditions of the Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Traditions of the Elders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Traditions of men and our Blessed Saviour speaking to the Pharisees calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your Traditions not Moses his not the Prophets not God's but your own And as it was thus in the Jewish Church so may it well be in the Roman too 't is very probable that many Traditions which there are ascribed to Christ and his Apostles might deduce their Original from some other hand Such counterfeit Traditions do we reade of that were obtruded upon the Church in the Apostles names very early indeed even whilst the Apostles themselves were yet alive So much doth that expression of St. Paul seem to intimate We beseech you brethren that ye be not troubled neither by word nor by letter as from us Grotius tells us Multi fabricabant Epistolas sub Apostolorum nomine There were many
Christ's Miracles are not written yet there are enough recorded to confirm our Faith so St. John assures us These are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christs the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his name And methinks since the Evangelists have written as St. Chrysostom doth express and affirm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so many of Christ's Miracles as are a sufficient ground of Faith such a Faith as will undoubtedly save us we need not run to Traditions for more But however though the Evangelists have omitted such and such of our Saviour's Miracles yet that is no proof that they have also omitted such and such material Doctrines of his that are necessary to Faith Manners and Salvation which must therefore be supplied as the Roman Church pretends by such and such unwritten Traditions But yet 3. There are some other Scriptures urged by our Adversaries which they hope and make poor ignorant souls believe will infallibly doe their work such Texts wherein Traditions are not onely mentioned but in express terms recommended and enjoyned too That of St. Paul is one Stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our epistle The observation of Traditions is that which St. Paul doth here require and elsewhere commend too I praise you brethren that ye keep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the traditions as I delivered them to you Hoc loco se armant Papistae ad tuendas suas Traditiones saith Calvin The Papists arm themselves with this Text to defend their Traditions So doth Cornelius à Lapide who saith but without a warrant Hinc manifestè sequitur non omnia quae fidem mores spectant esse scripta sed multa vivâ voce tradidisse Paulum Apostolos 'T is evident from hence that all things which concern Faith and Manners were not written but that St. Paul and other Apostles did deliver many things by word of mouth And thus Estius observes out of Theophylact whose words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is clear from this Text that St. Paul and other Apostles delivered many things which they committed not to writing and thence Estius doth thus infer Locus hic palà m facit pro Traditionibus non scriptis iisque necessariò tenendis This place is a clear Evidence for unwritten Traditions and proves it necessary to observe them In answer to this Text we shall enquire into these three things 1. We shall enquire what Traditions St. Paul here means what their nature was whether they concerned matters of Faith and any such Points as are necessary to Salvation or whether they respected such things onely as concerned Order and Decency the exteriour Discipline and Government of the Church Let us view the words again and consider what St. Chrysostom thinks concerning them I praise you brethren that ye remember me in all things and keep the traditions c. Here St. Chrysostom puts this Question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What all things doth the Apostle mean He answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St. Paul's discourse had been about not wearing of long hair and not being covered in the Church and for their observation of his Traditions in these matters onely doth he now commend them So thinks St. Chrysostom and learned Grotius is of the same mind too who tells us Hîc significat Praecepta quaedam pertinentia ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St. Paul by his Traditions doth here mean nothing else but certain Rules which he had formerly delivered to the Corinthians concerning Decency and Order And if these be the Traditions in the Text pray who gainsayeth them Not the Church of England no nor the Calvinists neither for doth not Calvin himself thus acknowledg Ego autem non nego quin aliquae fuerint Apostolorum Traditiones non scriptae sed non concedo fuisse Doctrinae partes nee de rebus ad Salutem necessariis Quid igitur quae pertinerent ad Ordinem Politiam I deny not but that there were some Apostolical Traditions unwritten but I do not grant them to be matters of Doctrine and necessary to Salvation But what were they then why such as concerned Order and Government And the truth is that these Traditions mentioned by St. Paul in the forenamed Texts were any other the Romanists can never prove and consequently gain no Advantage from them 2. We shall enquire whether these Traditions mentioned by St. Paul as delivered by word of mouth might not afterwards be written 'T is sure that the Traditions in the Text if as St. Chrysostom and Grotius have conjectured they were onely such as concerned Order and Decency and particularly about wearing of Hair and uncovering the Head in holy Assemblies they are recorded and that in the self-same Chapter too And 't is very possible that whatsoever in any other place St. Paul styles a Tradition might afterwards be written notwithstanding I remember Grotius tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est id quod docetur Whatsoever is taught whether by word or writing is called a Tradition 'T is used in both senses by the ancient Fathers yea and by the Apostles too Thus St. Cyprian Vnde est ista Traditio utrúmne de Dominica Evangelica Authoritate descendens an de Apostolorum Mandatis atque Epistolis veniens Whence is that Tradition comes it from the Authority of our Lord and his Gospel or from the Commands and Epistles of his Apostles 'T is evident by this expression that St. Cyprian acknowledgeth that though this or that be written yet it may be styled a Tradition notwithstanding So he farther explains himself a little after Si ergò aut in Evangelio praecipitur aut in Apostolorum Epistolis aut Actibus continetur observetur etiam haec sancta Traditio Let this holy Tradition also be observed if it be commanded in the Gospel or contained in the Epistles or Acts of the Apostles And that the self-same Truths which St. Paul and other Apostles preached to the world were afterwards written either by themselves or some body else is evident from that expression of Irenaeus Matthaeus in Hebraeis ipsorum linguâ scripturam edidit Evangelii cùm Petrus Paulus Romae evangelizarent fundarent Ecclesiam Post verò horum discessum Marcus discipulus Interpres Petri Ipse quae à Petro annunciata erant per scripta nobis tradidit Lucas autem sectator Pauli quod ab illo praedicabatur Evangelium in libro condidit The same thing is thus attested by Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. St. Matthew wrote his Gospel amongst the Jews in their own language whilst St. Peter and St. Paul preached and founded a Church at Rome And after their departure St. Mark who was the Disciple and Interpreter of St. Peter delivered in writing the things which St. Peter had preached St. Luke also who was the follower of St. Paul compiled in a Book
that Gospel which St. Paul had published So Irenaeus saith again Evangelium quod quidem tunc praeconiaverunt postea per voluntatem Dei in Scripturis nobis tradiderunt That Gospel which the Apostles had then preached they did afterwards deliver to us in the Scriptures and that by the will pleasure and command of God And doubtless St. Paul intimates as much in that expression of his Hold the traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our epistle What he had formerly taught them by word of mouth and what he had already delivered in his former Epistle is here equally called a Tradition For the truth is the Substance of St. Paul's Sermons and Epistles the Subject matter of his Preaching and his Writing was all one This seems clear from that expression of his To write the same things to you to me indeed is not grievous but for you it is safe What same things doth he mean St. Hierom tells us Eadem repetere quae praesens dixeram To repeat the same things with my Pen which I delivered with my Tongue when I was present with you And thus did other Apostles and Evangelists too what they spake at one time that they wrote at another Thus dealt St. Luke with his dear friend Theophilus whom he first instructed by word of mouth but afterwards by writing So Theophylact tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I formerly catechized thee without writing but now by giving thee a written Gospel But what doth this written Gospel contain new lessons or old ones did St. Luke speak one thing and write another No the reason why he wrote Theophylact gives us thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I do by writing strengthen and secure thy mind lest it should forget what things had been formerly delivered by word of mouth So he tells us again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have therefore written thee a Gospel that thou mayest the more firmly remember and keep the things which thou hast been taught by word of mouth And that St. Paul dealt thus with the Churches to whom he preached and wrote we have ground enough to believe 't is more then probable that the self-same Traditions in all necessary points of Faith which he taught them by word of mouth at one time he also penned at another Methinks we may very rationally collect this from what St. Chrysostom saith concerning that speech of St. Paul ye keep the traditions as I delivered them to you Hence that Father thus infers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore at that time St. Paul delivered them many things without writing We grant it but withall we must observe St. Chrysostom's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then at that time an expression doubtless that hath little of savour in it if he doth not mean that what St. Paul did thus deliver by orall Tradition at one time he also wrote at another And although the Epistles of St. Paul being written to particular Churches or Persons upon particular matters in answer to such and such particular Questions and against such and such particular Opinions and Heresies he had not a fair occasion in every or perhaps in any one single Epistle to give an account of every thing relating to Christ and his Religion yet we do affirm that if we take all his Epistles collectively and together we shall find that the whole Summe of that Gospel which St. Paul preached to the world by word of mouth is so fully delivered in them that whosoever shall believe the Truths and perform the Duties contained in them though he know no Scripture besides shall certainly be saved Nor indeed was it necessary that St. Paul should undertake to set down the whole Doctrine of Christ in every or any one of his short Epistles since it was sometimes his command and might always be his just expectation that that Epistle which he wrote to one Church should be communicated to others also for their farther Information too And certainly if all the necessary Points and substantial Parts of that Religion which St. Paul preached to the world by word of mouth were afterwards recorded either by himself in his own Epistles or as Eusebius and Irenaeus testifie by St. Luke in his Gospel the Roman Church will never be able to justifie their unwritten Traditions those at least which they urge as necessary from any one Instance or Expression of St. Paul But 3. We shall enquire whether the Traditions now contended for in the Roman Church be the same or of a like nature with those the observation whereof St. Paul requires from the Thessalonians and commends in the Church of Corinth This Consideration is of great concern for if the Traditions of the Roman Church be of another kind if they shall prove to be the late and new Inventions of men not so much as thought of in the Apostles days the whole case is so altered that I do not see how it is possible for them to find the least Countenance from St. Paul For all that St. Paul doth either require or commend in this matter is the observation of those Traditions onely which he himself who was guided by God's infallible Spirit had delivered to such and such Churches they are his own words Ye keep the traditions as I delivered them and again Hold the traditions which ye have been taught by word or our epistle Here St. Hierom notes Quando sua vult teneri non vult extranea superaddi Whereas St. Paul commands them to observe his Traditions he doth in effect forbid them to introduce strange ones of their own Now whatever Traditions the Church of Rome pretends to have been delivered by St. Paul to the Churches of Christ without being written are of these two kinds 1. 'T is pretended that St. Paul and other Apostles too delivered some unwritten Traditions that concerned necessary Points of Faith Worship Manners and Rules of Righteousness Thus he tells the Corinthians I delivered unto you that which I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures c. and again I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread c. 'T is evident from these Texts that these Traditions which St. Paul delivered to the Church concerning matters of Faith and Worship he received from God and found them suitable to the written Word Now let us consider whether the present Traditions of the Roman Church about matters of Faith and Divine Service be such too if they are we oppose them not They tell us that the Observation of the Lord's day is an Apostolicall Tradition we contradict it not because we find ground for it in the written Word we also find it mentioned by the Primitive and early Fathers Ignatius if yet that Epistle of his be not corrupted tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Jewish Preparation
Apostolicall Institution But however though the Church of Rome may pretend but cannot prove for one St. Chrysostom is not enough Apostolicall Tradition for such and such Doctrines and Practices of theirs yet what Authority from Christ or his Apostles can they plead for those Articles of their new Creed which their Pope Pius the Fourth hath impiously imposed upon the Church of Christ and added to that received Nicene Creed as if it were of equall Credit even with that and to be believed upon penalty of Damnation When St. Paul delivered such and such Traditions to the Christian Church he tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I received of the Lord but could Pope Pius say as much of his and can the present Church of Rome say as much of theirs when in their new-found Creed they teach us to say I profess that there are truly and properly Seven Sacraments of the new Law instituted by Christ Do they indeed gather this Article of their Faith as we do all those in the three received Creeds from clear Testimonies of Holy Writ or do they collect this Doctrine and number of their Seven Sacraments as their Patriarch of Venice is said to have done from that particular expression of St. Andrew when he told his Lord There is a lad here which hath five loaves and two fishes When they require us to say I profess that there is a true proper and propitiatory Sacrifice offered to God in the Masse for the Quick and the Dead do they indeed father this Tradition upon St. Paul who saith Christ was once offered and again Christ by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Again when they teach us to say I profess that in the Eucharist the Bread and the Wine and why not their Water too are transubstantiated into the body and bloud of Christ do they ground this Tradition upon the words of Consecration This is my Body when Scotus himself who was one of their own great Champions hath told the world that the words of Christ do not necessarily import it and that Transubstantiation for which Bellarmine indeed corrects him was no Article of Faith till the Lateran Council When they teach us to say I acknowledge that under one Kind whole and perfect Christ and the true Sacrament is received do they ground that Doctrine upon a Canon established by the Council of Constance or upon the Example and Command of our Blessed Saviour who delivered both the Elements to all his Communicants and gave them this express injunction concerning the Cup in particular Drink ye all of this And that this Command of our Blessed Saviour was observed in the Primitive Church where the Minister according to Christ s own Example delivered the Consecrated Cup to all the Communicants is evident from the Testimony of the most early Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Ignatius and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. saith Dionysius there was then one Cup distributed to all And if this were the known Practice of the Primitive Church what ancient Tradition can the Roman Church produce for their Communion in one Kind onely Again when they bid us say I do constantly hold that there is a Purgatory do they derive this Tradition from the writings of Plato who mentions three Receptacles for departed Souls or from those Expressions of Prophets or Apostles which say of all departed Saints They rest from their labours and of all departed Sinners They shall be turned into hell Once more when they would have us believe that Saints and Angels are to be worshipped that there is a Veneration lawfully paid to the very Reliques of Saints to the Crosse of Christ to the Images of the Virgin Mary c. do they ground this Tradition upon the Second Commandment which they could as willingly blot out of their Bibles as they have done out of some of their Catechisms or upon any Expression of St. Paul both which do flatly condemn the Worshipping of any Creature No 't is well observed by Calvin Sub Traditionum titulo includunt omnes crassas abominationes manifesto Dei Verbo contrarias The Romanists under the name of Traditions do include all their grosse Abominations which are directly contrary to the Word of God and so are far enough from being those traditionall Doctrines or any whit like them of Faith and Worship that are recommended by St. Paul who imposed not any Belief or Practice upon the Church but what was as himself words it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Scriptures But 2. 'T is urged by the Roman Church that St. Paul and other Apostles too delivered some unwritten Traditions to their immediate Successours which concerned the external Discipline Order Policy Rites and Ceremonies of the Church Well and who denieth it not Calvin who though he were a great opposer of superfluous and burthensome Ceremonies doth yet grant thus much Paulus Ecclesiae Corinthiacae primus fundator Itstitutis piis honestis eam formaverat ut decenter ordine illic agerentur omnia St. Paul who was the first Founder of the Church of Corinth did so form it with pious and laudable Institutions that all things there might be transacted without the least Indecency or Disorder So runs that written and well-known Rule of his Let all things be done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decently and in order But besides this Rule that he hath left upon Record he farther tells them The rest will I set in order when I come And what he did or enjoyned to be done in pursuance of this Promise perhaps might be never written But as Calvin demands Quid hoc ad insulsas Ceremoniarum nugas quae visuntur in Papatu quid hoc ad Superstitionem plusquam Judaicam What 's all this to the insipid and foolish Ceremonies of the Roman Church how doth this justifie those Superstitions of theirs that are more then Jewish So numerous are their Ceremonies that I cannot imagine what St. Austine would have said had he lived in our times who thus complained of his own Religionem servilibus oneribus premunt ut tolerabilior sit conditio Judaeorum c. The Condition of the Jews in respect of burthensom Ceremonies was more tolerable then that of Christians I remember Bellarmine reckons up no less then twenty two Ceremonies used in the Roman Church in the Administration of Baptism and tells us that they are all of Apostolicall Institution or at least of great Antiquity some of which are these Exorcisms Salt Spittle Chrism the Wax-taper the white Apparrell and the Kisse c. And as to the Sacrament of the Eucharist the same Bellarmine tells us Apostoli legem condunt ut sumatur ante omnes alios cibos nimirum à jejunis the Apostles established a Law that it should be receiv'd before all other food that is by persons fasting And yet that Rule of St. Paul which the Romanists can never satisfactorily answer stands
upon record to the contrary If any man hunger let him eat at home Hence Luther tells King Henry the Eighth Apud nos non peccat qui modestè ederit biberit ante Communionem With us the man doth not sin who eats or drinks moderately before the Sacrament And 't is well known that the Primitive Christians who were very tender of all Apostolicall Institutions did at least in some places and upon some days in imitation of our Blessed Saviour receive the Sacrament after Supper So much may we collect from that expression of St. Austine who grants Institutum esse multis locis ut die Paschae post refectionem Deo offeratur c. that it was the Custom of many places to offer the Eucharist to God after meat And Sozomen tells us that some also dined before the reception of the Sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They coming together on the Sabbath towards the Evening and having already dined they partake of the Mysteries From this Authority Cornelius à Lapide is forced to acknowledge thus much Perduravit hic mos in nonnullis Ecclesiis per multa secula This Custom of eating before the Sacrament continued in some Churches for many Ages and yet is fasting an Apostolicall Institution is it indeed Consuetudo necessariò servanda a Custom that must of necessity be observed as Bellarmine contends But since Tertullian hath given us a fair Intimation in that expression of his Non sciet maritus quid ante omnem cibum sumas c. that in his time the Sacrament was received before all other food since Nazianzene hath assured us that the Eucharist was celebrated in his Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before Supper and since St. Austine hath told us Per universum orbem mos iste servatur The Custom of receiving the Lord's Supper fasting is observed by the whole Christian Church throughout the World we look upon it as a laudable Practice and use it as an ancient Rite though it will be hard to prove it an Apostolicall Institution For St. Austine's Placuit Spiritui Sancto c. urged by Bellarmine will not evince it no not upon the Principles of his own Church for 't is well known that the Pope and his Councils do commonly ascribe to the Holy Ghost as well their own Determinations as the Tradition of Christ's Apostles But although our receiving the Eucharist fasting were granted to be the Dictate of God's Holy Spirit signified to the Church either by the Apostles themselves or their immediate Successours in that Age wherein the extraordinary Revelations of the Holy Ghost were as yet continued though I say this Ceremony of receiving the Sacrament fasting were certainly of Divine or Apostolicall Institution yet doubtlesse severall Rites recommended and used by the Roman Church in the Administration of this Sacrament are not so For who commands that the Sacramental Bread must needs be broken into three Pieces as if there were some great Mysteries signified by a threefold fraction Who requires the Circumgestation of the Host Who commands the Priest to sign himself the Altar the Book the Elements and all the Congregation with the Crosse Was it some Apostle or their own Alexander which ordained that the Sacramental Wine should be mixed with Water What warrant can be pretended from the command or example of Christ or any Apostle of his for putting the consecrated Bread not into the Hand but the Mouth of their Communicants I remember that Canon of the Council of Altissiodorum a Town in France Non licet mulieri nudâ manu Eucharistiam sumere 'T is not lawful for a woman to receive the Sacrament with a bare and naked hand no if she want her Dominical her linen Gloves non communicet let her not partake of the Sacrament that 's their law I remember also another Canon established by a Council assembled in Constantinople which runs thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Communicant must frame his hands into the figure of a Crosse And how that must be done too there is a Jesuit who thus instructs us Dexterâ superpositâ sinistrae in modum Crucis c. Certainly these Canons are so superstitious that they savour of a Pope rather then an Apostle but however they give sufficient evidence that the Eucharist of old was received by the Communinicants with their Hands not their Mouths The truth is the Roman Church hath no more warrant from any Apostolicall Tradition for these and some other Ceremonies used therein about the Eucharist then they have for their half-Communion whereby against the Institution of Christ the Discourse of St. Paul and the Evidence of Primitive Practice the Laiety are unworthily robbed of half the Sacrament and are admitted onely to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dry Feast indeed 'T is very evident that these and many other Vsages and Doctrines received in the Roman Church are not the Doctrines and Practices taught and required by Christ or St. Paul no such they are as have no Countenance from any clear Text of Prophets Evangelists or Apostles and because 't is so because the Scriptures will never justifie those Practices and Assertions of theirs they are resolved and indeed much obliged in point of honour to seek out for other Arguments to prove them and what they are we shall now consider II. The Champions of the Roman Church do endeavour to prove their Traditions to be Apostolicall by the Testimonies of their own Bishops as if they were Infallible Thus that the yearly Renovation of their Chrism is an Apostolicall Tradition doth Bellarmine offer to prove by the Authority of Pope Fabian who in his second Epistle to the Bishops of the Eastern Church tells them thus Ista à Sanctis Apostolis eorum Successoribus accepimus VobÃsque tenenda mandamus 'T is that which we have received from the Apostles and their Successours and so we require from you its Observation To this he adds the Testimony of Innocent the First who in his first Epistle to Decentius saith Si Instituta Ecclesiastica ut sunt à beatis Apostolis tradita integra vellent servare Domini sacerdotes c. If our Lord's Priests would entirely observe the Institutions of the Church as they were delivered by the blessed Apostles c. Now to these and the like Testimonies of the Roman Bishops which are cited in the defence of such and such Traditions we have two things to answer 1. The Roman Bishops that have pleaded for the unwritten Traditions of that Church are not competent Witnesses nor doth their Testimony deserve to be admitted in matters of this Concern 'T is notoriously known that there are severall Traditions maintained by the Roman Church that are very advantageous to their Bishop and others of their Clergy too and that upon severall accounts That Doctrine which teacheth the Pope's Primacy and Supremacy over all other Bishops and Secular Princes makes much for
means be intreated to sit down so saith the Historian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bishop even begged of him to sit down and ease himself upon a Royal Throne that was there placed purposely for him but he would by no means use it But what was his reason why would he not sit did he chuse to stand barely out of courtesie and complement to the Bishop or the whole Assembly did he stand barely to evidence his Humility and Condescension towards his People No himself gives us another reason for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To stand whilst we hear the Oracles of God is no more then what Religion it self commands us Such was the Judgment and such was the Practice of this renowned and glorious Emperour And yet lest this expression of Reverence towards the Word of God should prove too short some higher ones have been used I remember what Cornelius à Lapide saith of Charles Borromaeus Bishop of Milan Sacram Scripturam ultimis vitae suae annis non nisi nudo capite flexis genibus venerabundus lectitavit he read not the Holy Scripture no not in his Old age but with a bare head and a bended knee Such hath been the Devotion of Saints in former Ages and other Churches but how stands the case with us this day What high Esteem what inward Veneration have we for God's Holy Word Alas 't is but sad to consider that the generality of Christians do commonly reade and hear the Word with lesse regard then the profane Sinner reads his Romance or Play-book We hear the Sermon as if it were but an ordinary Discourse trivial in it self and of no great Concern to us 'T is certain that the looseness of our deportment and carriage in the House of God where the Scriptures are solemnly read and preached is an infallible Symptom of our great Irreverence and doth most surely betray the cursed Indifference and Slightness of our spirits But let us remember what our Saviour himself commands us Take heed how ye hear 'T is impossible to hear with too much Caution we cannot reade with too great Reverence and amongst many Reasons this is one That blessed Word which we reade and hear is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word of Christ V. Since the whole Scripture is undoubtedly the Word of Christ let us consider how much to blame the Roman Church is in equalling their Traditions to it yea and in preferring them before it too That the Roman Church should endeavour by all possible means to keep up and vigorously assert the Credit of their Traditions we cannot wonder because they have no other way to maintain several Doctrines of theirs which they are loath to part with and yet can never prove them by the Written Word Their Doctrines of Indulgences and Purgatory are so advantageous to them that Chemnitius hath adventured to say Coelum potiùs quà m Purgatorium sibi eripi paterentur They would rather part with Heaven then with Purgatory And since this Doctrine is so dear to them who can blame them for magnifying those Traditions of theirs by which alone this and several other gainful Doctrines of their Church are countenanced and supported What a great Esteem they have for their Traditions we learn from their own Authours Methinks Cornelius à Lapide ventures somewhat high when he tells us Lex Tradita aequè obligat atque Lex Scripta The Traditional Law doth oblige as much as the Written That of Aquinas saith the same Traditiones Religione unà cum Scripturis sunt tenendae Traditions are to be observed with the self-same Veneration as the Scriptures themselves But what need I mention particular persons when the Conventicle of Trent which being approved by the Pope is owned by them as the Representative Body of their whole Church hath proclaimed their Determination in this matter to all the World by this Expression Traditiones ac Scripturas ipsas pari pietatis affectu reverentiâ suscipit ac veneratur SS Synodus Tridentina The Holy Council of Trent doth receive and reverence such and such Traditions with the self-same Respect and Devotion which it hath for the Scriptures themselves This Expression of those few Romish Bishops that were now convened at Trent sounds somewhat high and yet methinks Bellarmine as if he were above the Council and willing to shew himself rather Pope then Cardinal outgoeth the Canon of Trent and braves it thus Quaedam sunt Traditiones majores quoad Obligationem quà m quaedam Scripturae There are some Traditions that lay upon us a greater Obligation then some parts of the Written Word It were worth the while to enquire a little what those Traditions should be that are more binding then Scripture it self We cannot reasonably imagine that such a man as Bellarmine that Illustrissimus Cardinalis should be so fond of any Traditions that are merely Ecclesiasticall as to tell the world that the Church or any Member thereof stands more obliged by these then by such and such Texts of Law or Gospell No 't is the ingenuous Confession of this Illustrious Cardinall that Ecclesiasticall Traditions are nothing else but Consuetudines quaedam antiquae vel à Praelatis vel à Populo inchoatae quae paulatim tacito Consensu populorum vim Legis obtinuerunt certain ancient Customes begun either by the Prelates or the People which by degrees through the People's tacit Consent obtained the force of Laws And certainly that such Traditions as are acknowledged to be from men whether the Laiety or the Clergy Councils or Popes should ever be thought more binding then such and such Portions of Scripture which the whole Christian Church doth own and confess to be the infallible Word of God should not easily be affirmed We must therefore grant that those Traditions which Bellarmine asserts to be more obliging then some Portions of Scripture must be of at least an equall Authority with the written Word which cannot be maintained without plain and equall Proofs that such Traditions are Divine or Apostolicall That our Blessed Saviour and his Apostles might doe many Miracles that are not written we are not afraid to grant That our Blessed Saviour and his Apostles might preach many Sermons and deliver several Discourses which are not upon Record we are not unwilling to acknowledg There might indeed be severall Sayings of our Lord 's omitted by the Evangelists as well as that mentioned by St. Paul Remember the words of our Lord Jesus how he said It is more blessed to give then to receive Lorinus observes Non exstat in Evangeliis ista Sententia sed Apostolorum one circumferebatur This Sentence of our Blessed Saviour's is nowhere recorded in the Gospel but was delivered by his Apostles by orall Tradition And perhaps that other Sentence ascribed to Christ though nowhere written in our Bibles might notwithstanding be his too Nunquam laeti sitis nisi cùm fratrem vestrum videritis in Charitate
was the day of Christ's Passion their Sabbath of his Buriall and our Lord's day of his Resurrection 'T is mentioned by Tertullian who saith Die Dominico jejunium nefas ducimus To fast on the Lord's day we count it sin 'T is mentioned by Nazianzene who styles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 'T is from the great Probabilities given us in the written Word and the pregnant Testimonies of Antiquity that the Reformed Church doth observe this Tradition which concerns the Lord's day with greater strictness then the Roman They tell us again that the Baptism of Infants is an Apostolicall Tradition we are so far from contradicting them that we do not onely practise it our selves but maintain it against all Opposers because 't is mightily countenanced in Sacred Writ and commended to us by all Antiquity I remember Dionysius the Areopagite if he that goeth under that name be indeed the man tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Children who were yet uncapable to understand the Mysteries of the Gospel were made partakers of Divine Regeneration and saith that the Church observed this Practice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being taught so to doe by ancient Tradition Accordingly Nazianzene thus adviseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Hast thou an Infant let him be sanctified from his Infancy And so St. Cyprian and other Bishops give their Judgments Prohiberi non debet Infans qui recèns natus c. The Infant that is but newly born must not be debarred from Baptism Whoever denied this was condemned by the Church and accordingly the Council of Carthage which consisted of two hundred and seventeen Fathers passed this Sentence upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whosoever denieth that little Children newly dropped from their Mothers Womb ought to be baptized let him be Accursed These and the like Authorities do induce us to believe that the Baptism of Infants though no-where in plain terms commanded in Scripture is yet a Divine Tradition and upon that well-grounded Confidence our Church doth as constantly practise and as strongly defend it as ever theirs did or can do They tell us again that the Institution of our Christian Festivals and the observation of Lent are Apostolicall Traditions Well though they will find it a difficult task to prove them such though the first Institution of Lent is by some ascribed to Telesphorus and though about the observation thereof there was and that very early too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doubts and various opinions as Irenaeus and Eusebius tell us yet because our Christian Fasts and Festivals are very suitable to Scripture-Rules and were observed as great helps to and expressions of their Devotion and Piety by our religious Ancestours and indeed the Universality of the Christian Church we do readily embrace and practise both But when our Adversaries press upon us under the notion of Apostolicall Traditions many things of Faith and Worship defined in their late Conventicle of Trent though altogether unknown to the first and purest Ages of the Christian Church and contrary to the written Words we find reason to lie under the Anathema's and Excommunication of the Roman Church rather then to comply witâ— it in those Doctrines and Practices of theirs whicâ— are so exceeding far from being Apostolicalâ—â— They tell us indeed that their Veneration 〈◊〉 Saints is practised juxta Catholicae Apostolicae Ecclesiae usum à primaevis Christianae Religionis temporibus receptum according to the use of the Catholick and Apostolick Church and was received from the beginning of the Christian Faith whereas the Invocation of Saints now practised in the Roman Church is not mentioned by any of the Fathers till above two hundred years after Christ and consequently cannot be imagined to be an Apostolical Tradition And as for the Roman Custom of Praying for the dead by the Practice whereof in former Ages they would fain establish their Doctrine of Purgatory and that especially to keep up the credit of their dear Indulgences though we find this excess of groundless and uselesse Charity used in the Christian Church and that somewhat early too though St. Cyprian in the third Century mentions Oblatio pro Dormitione Deprecatio nomine defunctorum though Tertullian in the same Century mentions Oblationes pro defunctis nay more though Dionysius the Areopagite who if he be the man lived in the first Century tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The holy Priest makes an holy Prayer for or over the dead yet none of all these do assert this Practice to have had its Originall from any Divine or Apostolicall Tradition as the Roman Church contends Tertullian indeed concerning this and some other Practices used in his time confesseth thus Si legem expostules Scripturarum nullam invenies If you require a Scripture-command for this and that there is none to be found upon which score he ascribes these things to Tradition but whence that Tradition took its rise he doth not tell us But the truth is St. Chrysostom doth who in the behalf of persons deceased in the Guilt of sin exhorts his hearers thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us assist and succour them to our utmost power But what can surviving persons doe for the relief of departed Sinners he answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let us both pray for them our selves and beseech others to doe so too And that the Dead should be particularly remembred in the Prayers of the Church at the celebration of the Lord's Supper he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was ordained by the Apostles and that not in vain And that this Practice spred and continued in the Church after St. Chrysostom's time is evident from that expression of St. Austine Non parva est universae Ecclesia Authoritas quae in hac consuetudine claret ubi in precibus Sacerdotis quae Domino Deo ad ejus Altare funduntur locum suum habet etiam commendatio Mortuorum 'T is clear indeed from these words that to remember the dead in their most solemn Prayers at the celebration of the Eucharist was grown in St. Austine's time the generall Custom of the Church but that this Custom had its Originall from the Apostles he doth not say Nor indeed could this be the Institution of the Apostles that there should be a particular Commemoration of the dead and a solemn form of Prayer put up to God on their behalf at the administration of the Lord's Supper if that Observation be true which Chemnitius ascribes to St. Hierom St. Gregory and others in these words Apostolos ad solam Orationem Dominicam celebrâsse actionem Mysteriorum Divinorum If this be so that the Apostles themselves used no other Prayer but the Lord 's alone at their Celebration of the Eucharist how can it be imagined that those solemn Supplications which in after-times were made for the dead at the Altar should be of
No man shall be admitted to accuse a Bishop till first his quality be duely examined nor shall every fellow be suffered to exhibit Articles against the Governours of the Church And as every man might not accuse a Bishop so whosoever wrongfully did it though it were but a Bishop elect and yet to be ordained he was severely punished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let his Penalty be a long Excommunication So saith the Canon-Law So then since there is an Indictment of no less Crimes then Atheism and Heresie drawn up and exhibited against several Bishops and those of the Roman See too who claim a Superiority over all Bishops besides as being the onely Successours of the Prime Apostle and the immediate Vicars of Christ 't is of a considerable Concern that what is thus alledged against them be well proved too And here that Pope Marcellinus offered Incense to Idols might be proved with ease and evidence enough but because he did it barely for fear of Diocletian and afterwards repented and became a Martyr we pass him by Rhenanus saith of Pope Zephyrinus Episcopus Romanus Montanizat The Bishop of Rome embraceth the Heresie of Montanus So Tertullian who was too much of the same Opinion witnesseth too That Pope Honorius the First was a Monothelite and denied the distinction of two Wills in Christ we have the Testimonies of Pope Agatho Leo the Second Adrian the Second besides the Evidence of the Sixth General Council wherein he was publickly condemned for an Heretick That Pope Liberius and his Antipope Felix were Arrians is testified by Athanasius and St. Hierom too Nor need we be ashamed to produce the Testimony of Calvin and Erasmus who do both affirm that Pope John the Twenty second denied the Immortality of the Soul And what if we mention that Expression of Picus Mirandula Alium meminimus Pontificem qui nullum Deum credens c. We remember another Pope who believing that there is no God c. But that of the Council of Basil must not be forgot which having voted a General Council to be above the Pope could not possibly give a better Reason for it then this Multi Pontifices in Errores Haereses lapsi esse leguntur c. 'T is recorded that many Popes have fell into Errours and Heresies c. And the truth is there is no Pope who stifly maintains those Doctrines which assert the worshipping of Angels Saints Images Reliques a Morsel of Bread or a Consecrated Wafer but is a down-right Heretick and since he is so we cannot so far betray our own Reason as to rest satisfied and be convinced that such and such Doctrines which have no Countenance in Scripture are Apostolical by the Testimony of any Roman Bishop who notwithstanding the Pretence of his Infallibility is proved to be obnoxious to gross Errours even Heresie and Atheism it self as well as other men But III. The Champions of the Roman Faith do endeavour to justifie their unwritten Traditions by the Testimonies of the Fathers who are produced as Witnesses which seem in their account to speak a great deal for them Thus Bellarmine cites Ignatius who is an early and substantial Witness indeed as being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Coetane Collegue and Scholar of the very Apostles themselves and of him Eusebius thus records 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He exhorted the Christians to stick fast to the Traditions of the Apostles and that they might be preserved incorrupt not long before his Martyrdom he judged it necessary that they should be written This Testimony is clear for traditions and so is that of Dionysius the Areopagite too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The first Founders of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy the Apostles delivered to us Heavenly Mysteries by Instructions written and unwritten according to the Sacred Laws And thus great St. Basil too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To persevere in unwritten Traditions I think 't is Apostolical And so Tertullian also mentions several particular Observations quas sine ullo Scripturae Instrumento solius Traditionis titulo exinde Consuetudinis patrocinio vindicamus c. which the Church practised and defended without the Authority of any Scripture upon the bare credit of Tradition and the Patronage of Custom c. Now this being Argumentum Achilleum one of the strongest Arguments which the Romish Church can possibly urge for their Traditions we shall give an Answer to it in some distinct Particulars 1. Whatever Traditions are expresly and dogmatically delivered by the Vniversality of the ancient Fathers we do readily embrace own and defend That Expression of St. Basil the Great we do willingly close with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Old Doctrines are to be reverenced and for as it were their hoary Antiquity they deserve a Veneration But withall those Doctrines that may justly challenge a respect for their Age must be such as were generally received believed and practised according to that Rule which Vincentius Lyrinensis gives us Id teneamus quod semper quod ubique quod ab omnibus creditum est Let us hold that which hath been believed at all times in all places and by all Christians And for this St. Austine gives this Reason Illa quae non sunt scripta sed tradita custodimus quae quidem toto terrarum orbe observantur dantur intelligi vel ab ipsis Apostolis vel plenariis Conciliis quorum est in Ecclesia saluberrima Authoritas commendata atque statuta retineri sicuti quòd Domini Passio Resurrectio Ascensio in Coelum adventus de Coelo Spiritûs Sancti anniversariâ Solennitate celebrantur siquid aliud tale occurrerit quod servatur ab universa quácunque se diffundit Ecclesia This Expression commends the belief and practice of those Traditions supposing them to be the Institutions either of the Apostles themselves or ancient General Councils which were unanimously observed by the universal Church But now that such and such traditional Doctrines and Vsages were indeed generally received by the whole Christian Church we must have clear Proofs from credible Witnesses that have given Testimony thereunto throughout all the respective Centuries and Ages of the Church This is no more then was urged long since by Gregory Nyssene for the Ratification and full Establishment of all such Vsages and Doctrines as pretend to Antiquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this and nothing lesse is sufficient for the Proof of our Assertion that we have a Tradition derived to us from the Fathers as it were a certain Inheritance descending by entail from the Apostles by those Saints who were all along their Successours And this is the onely thing which we demand from the Roman Church being ready to acknowledge the Truth of all Doctrines and the Equity of all Practices which the Vniversality of the Fathers have left upon Record as things believed and done in the first and purest Ages of the Church And thus to doe
Works of all Catholick Writers but chiefly those of the ancient Fathers to be purged and made clean from blots and stains of Errours that is from every thing that contradicts the Superstitions of the Roman Church But if it were a thing indeed so commendable to purge the Fathers yet is it a thing praise-worthy to falsifie and forge them too St. Chrysostom left upon record an Expression which the Roman Church doth no way like and that was this In times of Heresie there is no means to find out the Truth save onely the reading of the Scriptures Bellarmine confesseth Totus hic locus è quibusdam codicibus nuper emendatis sublatus est This whole Passage is left out of some Editions newly set forth and corrected But how comes St. Chrysostom thus to deserve the Spunge The Cardinal gives this Reason Hoc Testimonium non est Chrysostomi This Testimony is not Chrysostom's but whose then Ab Arrianis locus hic insertus This place was inserted into St. Chrysostom's Works by the Arrians and therefore deserved rather to be expunged then believed We see what liberty the Romanists take to themselves to raze and blot out such and such Passages of the Fathers which make against them upon a groundless pretence that those Passages were inserted by some Heretick or other and can they then justly complain of us if we are not willing to credit some Expressions of ancient Authours upon which they ground those Doctrines and Practices of theirs which we reject since we have too much reason to believe that those Expressions are corrupted falsified and forged and that by some of their own Church That the Roman Catholicks have indeed miserably corrupted the ancient Writers in their Editions we are sufficiently convinced by the Testimony of our learned Doctour Featly who hath traced them through the several Ages of the Church and discovered to the world this unworthy dealing of theirs by giving us particular Instances and naming the Treatises and Expressions of several Fathers which their Adversaries as well as ours have abused perverted and corrupted thus or thus That of Ignatius is one who bespeaks Virgins thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In your Prayers set Christ before your eyes and his Father c. To evacuate this great and ancient Testimony against the Invocation of Saints and Angels a late Popish Edition printed at Lyons reads it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In your Souls set Christ before your eyes c. Again those words of our Blessed Saviour The flesh profiteth nothing Tertullian thus expounds Caro nihil prodest ad vivificandum scilicet The flesh profiteth nothing that is to quicken so saith the true Tertullian but a former Edition of theirs set forth at Paris though mended since by Rigaltius contrary to the meaning of Christ and Tertullian too reads it thus Caro nihil prodest sed ad vivificandum The flesh profiteth nothing save onely to quicken Once more our learned Authour mentions those words of St. Cyprian too Post gustatam Eucharistiam After the eating of the Eucharist which the Popish Edition at Paris to countenance a Ceremony of theirs changeth thus Post gestatam Eucharistiam After the Circumgestation of the Eucharist Nor can this Change be imputed to the mistake of the Presse because their Authours own and endeavour to justifie the Alteration These and a great many more Corruptions Forgeries and Falsifications of the ancient Fathers are reckoned up in that learned Treatise which give us fair warning not to believe every Testimony which our Adversaries pretend to produce out of such and such old Writers set forth by themselves for the justification of those Traditions for which they can bring no good warrant from the written Word of God For since 't is undeniable that they have notoriously abused the Records of Antiquity by suppressing changing and inserting what and where they pleased we have abundant cause to believe that these Alterations are made in those very places which they commonly cite in their own defence they being too wise to forge any counterfeit Deeds and suborn any other false Witnesses then such as are designed to speak for their Advantage But IV. The Champions of the Roman Church endeavour to justifie their Traditions by the Testimony and Authority of such and such Councils To which we have two things to reply 1. We cannot imagine but that whole Councils may erre in their Judgments and be mistaken in their Canons Decrees and Constitutions That no meer man save onely the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles ever was Infallible is acknowledged by some learned persons even of the Roman Church If Cajetane were not perfectly of this mind what means that Expression of his Solis Sacrae Scripturae Authoribus reservata est haec Authoritas ut ideo sic credamus esse quia Ipsi sic scripserunt That we should certainly believe things to be thus and thus barely because 't is so written by such and such is a Privilege peculiar to the Pen-men of Holy Writ alone Surely then that Assertion of Gratian mentioned by Bellarmine seems somewhat sawcy Epistolas Pontificum Decretales numerari debere inter Scripturas Canonicas The Pope's Decretal Epistles ought to be reckoned amongst the Canonical Scriptures And methinks the Cardinal himself seems somewhat confident when he speaks thus indifferently of Scriptures and Councils Vtraque sunt infallibilis Veritatis aequè certa They are both of infallible Truth and equally certain But if Cardinal Cajetane were in the right if all those Bishops and Doctours of whom Councils have consisted were but men subject to Mistakes and Errours in their own particular persons how the whole collective Body of any Synod should in the result prove infallible the Church of Rome will never be able to shew by any such clear Evidence as may satisfie a sober and impartial man We do not deny but that there is much of Truth in that Assertion of St. Austine Conoiliorum in Ecclesia saluberrima est Authoritas The Authority of Councils is of great Advantage to the Church of God we do with all thankfulness to Heaven acknowledge and own the Four first General Councils that of Nice which vindicated the Divinity of Christ against Arrius that of Constantinople which asserted the Divinity of the Holy Ghost against Macedonius that of Ephesus which maintained the Unity of Christ's Person against Nestorius and that of Chalcedon which asserted the double Nature of Christ against Eutyches So venerable is the Authority of these Four Councils that we do not quarrel with that high Expression of that good Emperour Justinian if rightly understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We receive the Doctrines of these Four holy Councils even as not in equality but similitude the Holy Scriptures and observe their Canons as so many Laws Accordingly Evagrius tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Emperour commanded that the Decrees of these Four Councils should be read
publickly in the Churches But although these Councils deserved this great Respect as keeping close to the Word of God yet other Councils which the Roman Church makes much of did not so That Councils may possibly erre and recede from Scripture-Rules St. Hierom declared his Judgment in that Expression of his cited by Chemnitius Spiritûs Sancti Doctrina est quae Canonicis literis prodita est contra quam siquid statuant Concilia nefas duco That is the sure Doctrine of the Holy Ghost which is delivered in the Canonical Writings against which if Councils determine this or that I count it wicked And did not their famous Council of Constance when three Popes were upon the stage at once John set up by the Italians Gregory by the French and Benedict by the Spaniards define contrary to the Word of God not to mention the case of John Husse and Jerom of Prague when they forbad all Priests under the Penalty of Excommunication to administer the Eucharist in both Kinds to the Laiety And was not this Canon so contrary to the general Custom of Antiquity that we must either grant the Primitive Church to have been mistaken in their old universal Practices or else this Council to have been erroneous in this new Constitution Indeed the Roman Church doth very well approve the Council of Constance in their Sacrilegious Decree which robs the People of half the Sacrament but I remember the Roman Church doth also condemn the self-same Council for that Definition of theirs whereby they robbed the Pope of more then half his Authority For when the Council of Constance had passed their Judgment and declared that the Authority of Councils is superiour to that of Popes and when the Council of Basil had ratified and solemnly confirmed the same Assertion in opposition to these two Councils the last not then dissolved Engenius the Fourth calleth a Council at Florence which by a contrary Vote sets the Pope above the Council So then here is Council against Council Canon against Canon directly contradicting one another in the self same matter and since 't is so we have all reason to conclude either that some of these Councils were in an Errour or else that all Logicians are certainly so who tell us that two contrary Propositions though possibly both may be false yet both can never be true together But the truth is 't is observed that there was such Ambition such Animosities and Factions discovered in several Councils that were convened in several Centuries that Gregory Nazianzene had he lived in later Ages might have had far more just occasion for those Complaints of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I never saw an happy Issue of any one Synod whatsoever which did not rather augment then remedy Evils Upon which score he thus resolves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If I may but write the Truth my purpose is to decline all Conventions of Bishops whatsoever But what is his Reason 'T is clear enough that this excellent Person did highly esteem the Council of Nice for he doth not onely call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Holy Council but he also tells us that those three hundred and eighteen Bishops were such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom the Holy Ghost had brought together and as for the Council of Constantinople the Argument of his Epistle to Procopius tells us that he himself was magna Concilii pars a very great man in it and if so what occasion had he to write such unkind things of Councils Himself informs us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There was so much Dissension and such Ambition in them as was beyond expression And certainly if such an eminent Person as Gregory Nazianzene who was deservedly styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Great Theologue or Divine of that Age found cause enough to blame some early Councils of those Times had he lived to see the Decrees and Canons established by the several Factions of later Conventions he would never have thought them as the Romanists contend to be Infallible True it is St. Austine tells us Concilia posteriora prioribus apud Posteros praeponuntur Men that live in later times are apt to prefer later Councils before those that are more ancient but what reason is there for it That of Justellus is certainly true concerning these later Councils Non sunt ejusdem fidei dignitatis cum prioribus illis Quatuor Oecumenicis c. They are not of the same Credit Faith and Honour with the Four first General Councils And if so since there are some just grounds of Suspicions and Jealousies concerning their Determinations who shall perswade us that they are Infallible But 2. What if it appear that Councils are not onely fallible but that they have been most miserably corrupted and forged too What sure warrant have we for such and such Practices not recommended in Sacred Writ from the Authority of Councils when such and such Constitutions Decrees and Canons have been ascribed to such and such Councils which indeed were never theirs We reade that Zosimus Bishop of Rome sent his Legats to the sixth Council of Carthage with Instructions to maintain the Primacy of the Roman Bishop as the onely Judge in cases of Controversies and Appeals and for that Prerogative of his they pretended a Canon of the first Nicene Council which was indeed a very fair Plea had it been true because the Acts of that Council were not onely confirmed by the Emperour but received by the universal Church What particular Canon of the Nicene Council was pleaded for the Primacy of the Roman Bishop Bellarmine tells us Habemus Nicaenum Concilium illum ipsum sextum Canonem c. We have on our side the Nicene Council and that very sixth Canon c. The Canon is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Design of this Canon was onely this that the Bishops of Alexandria and Antioch and all other Metropolitans should still govern the Churches within their respective Provinces as the Bishop of Rome was wont to govern those within his These being the express words and this being the undoubted Sense of the Canon the Council of Carthage answered Faustinus Philippus and Asellus who were the Pope's Legates that although they had strictly searched all Registers and examined the most authentick Copies of the Acts of the Nicene Council which they had received from Cyril Bishop of Alexandria and Atticus Bishop of Constantinople yet they could find nothing done by that Council to establish or countenance the Primacy of the Roman Bishop nor that the Bishops of Africa were obliged by any Canon of the Nicene Council to appeal and be subject to the See of Rome But the Primacy of the Pope being a Point of great Concern to the Roman Church and there being nothing more likely to establish it then the Authority of the Nicene Council which is received by the universal Church what greater Service could any man doe for the Bishop of