feare to doe the like as hee that offendeth against the common order of the Church hurteth the authoritie of the magistrate and woundeth the consciences of the weake Loe Traditions not onely auowed but maintained the infringers censured So that but reade ouer your Position againe That Apostolicall traditions and auncient customes of the holy Church are not to be receiued nor doe oblige vs compare that with this decision and then giue your Catholike honesty the lye Euery particular or national Church hath authority to ordaine to change and abolish ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained onely by mans authoritie so that all things be done vnto edification Nor is this against your Catholique Doctrine or practise and yet this is all that our Church deliuereth touching traditions in their publique authorised receiued constitutions Priuate opinions if there be any tye vs no more then they doe you Nay we deale more sincerely and positiuely than you doe distinguishing Traditions for plainenesse sake whereas your Fathers of Trent giue this onely in commaund That Traditions be receiued as the Scripture playing fast and loose in ambigiuous termes not differencing humane diuine Apostolicall Apotacticall Christian Paganish generall particular free of necessity temporary or permanent Traditions Can you or any Papist defend this The Popish Doctrine thus deliuered is not onely contrary to expresse words of your owne Bibles but to pietie and religion to sense and reason that any idle fantasticke foolish impious prophane humane inuention for your words runne generally and extend to all should be receiued as Holy Scripture but the protestant doctrine declared as before is not contrary to expresse words of our Bibles 2 Thessal 2. 15. Therefore Brethren stand fast and hold the traditions which yee haue receiued whether by word or by our Epistle Therefore c. Wee deny not obedience vnto this exhortation but indeauour to stand fast in the word of truth and hold fast all those Traditions which Saint Paul deliuered either by word or writing All Protestants giue due respect to such diuine authority Shew any that doth not and you say somewhat But good Sir Gagger Hee that refuseth those manifold botcheries and brokerages of your Romish Church and casteth them off as impious and ridiculous doth not streight transgresse this Apostolicall direction no more than he that reiecteth a counterfeit Passe made by some jarkman vnder an hedge for a Rogue doth resist lawfull authority Proue your Tradition such as you pretend then see what we will say vnto you 2 Thessal 3. 6. Now we command you brethren in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ that you withdraw you selues from euery brother that walketh disorderly and not after the Tradition he receiued of vs. Which we receiue and obey But Tradition may runne for Example here in effect not according to our example And so Saint Chrysostome vpon the place or it may be something extant also in writing or order prescribed them by the Apostle temporary and occasionall or of morall dispensation If you can name it wee will not refuse for our conclusion differerh not from yours Traditions are to be receiued and doe oblige vs but you must let vs know them and their credite first 1 Cor. 11. 2. I praise you brethren saith the Apostle that you remember mee in all things and keepe the Traditions as I haue deliuered them vnto you So hee would vs were hee now liuing so would hee not you that haue broken them for that which hee deliuered vnto them that hee receiued of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 23. and that which hee receiued was touching the whole intire communion the Cups as well as the Bread you haue broken this Tradition through your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and presumptions But can you resolue mee what Tradition hee meaneth heere perhaps they were Temporall and not intended for vs. If such your owne rule is They oblige not It may be no vnwritten Traditions but the written word at least such things as be written now Howsoeuer the allegation is not to purpose for it doth not proue what the Protestants deny and that which it proueth they deny not That Traditions are to be kept 2 Timoth. 2. 2. Where there is no expresse mention of Traditions but onely of things receiued from Saint Paul by which Traditions peraduenture not written are meant and peraduenture things written who can tell whether these or those shew them and we refuse them not Iohn 20. 30. and 21 25. are both to one purpose Tradition is in neither text expressed nor to be collected from either for neither text is for Tradition both one other intimate no more but that all which Christ did or said is not recorded in the Gospels Doth any ideot belieue the contrary This fellow might begge vs if wee said or taught that Christ did nor said any thing but that is written Till then himselfe may be begged for a foole that would put vpon vs this vnhandsome beliefe All that Christ did or said is not written therefore any thing must be receiued that is pretended to be Tradition Apostolicall or Diuine 1 Cor. 11. 34. Paul saith The rest I will set in order when I come Therefore you may goe learne to bake a batch of Bread or goe drinke an health to the Vicar of St. Fooles with your Host of Holborne The inference is Saint Paul had not ordered all till hee came when hee came hee made good his promise and set all things in order at Corinth therefore any thing though neuer so absurd which Papists pretend as Tradition must be receiued as Gods word 1 Timoth. 6. 2. Saint Paul saith nothing of Tradition except these words will beare out Tradition These things teach and exhort which things are written not vnwritten For These things doe designe things there remembred Saint Iohn 2. Epist 12. saith He had many things to write vnto them which hee would not commit to paper but come himselfe and teach them by word of mouth which hee repeateth Ep. 3. vers 13. Therefore hee wrote not all things vnto them And who saith hee did therefore what our Gagger is a goose no other sequell and so hee must stand vntill hee shew that some of his Romish Traditions were part of that which Saint Iohn would not write vnto them but teach them by word of mouth Act. 16. 4. and 15. 28. Wee reade of no Traditions wee doe of Decrees ordayned in the Councell at Ierusalem but the mischiefe is they are written and yet so our Gagger and his Comerades keepe them not For tell mee did you neuer eate a Goose or her pudding Capon Hen or Chickens at your Bottle-Ale house in Partridge-Ally if not there nor otherwhere I haue nothing to say to you But if so I returne it to your teethe you belie vs in that which you doe your selues The Traditions Apostolicall and auncient customes of the holy Church oblige you not For among these Decrees or as you will
wee must relye vpon the iudgement of the Church and her Pastors There be moe Pastors in the Church then the Pope though he be granted first he is not all There be moe Churches then his Church what hath Pope Vrban one man to doe with Pastors with the Church but that which wee know well enough by Pastors and Church in conclusion you meane the Pope I could interpret Saint Anselme well enough as that if a Controuersie were referred by the Church or an Heresie to be corrected in the Church which touched the case of the Catholicke Church it could not be put ouer more fitly to any one man by the Church representatiue in a Councel then vnto the Pope first Bishop of Christendome of greatest not absolute power amongst Bishops But I know your Saint Anselme well enough This was not his meaning he was partiall post natus not fit to speake in this cause nor amongst the Fathers A great Bishop I grant him He was Archbishop of Canterbury no great Doctor but respectiuely considering the barbarous times in which hee liued farre from being one of the ancient Fathers or their grand-child He liued in the dayes of King Henry the first and was a factionist for Pope Vrban his good Lord and Master So aske my fellow if I be a thiefe your bottle-ale Hostesse where you vse it seemeth to meete in Partridge alley with your gossips is well enough acquainted with these passages and can tell you as much as Saint Anselme could if an Heretick aske her who is Supreame ale-canner on Earth shee will answer no doubt why who but his holinesse In this case I beleeue them both alike as good reason for one as for other Sure yours are no better then those Corkes with which your Hostesse vseth to stop her bottles but agree as you can you and your Hostesse we proceede to the next Proposition III. That Apostolicall traditions and ancient customes of the holy Catholique Church are not to be receiued nor doe oblige vs THis is also contrary to the expresse words of our owne Bibles How wherefore we shal see when we can In the interim thus wee draw on Traditions are of two Sorts in the writings of Antiquity as the word is ambiguous of two significations There are Traditions writteÌ„ improperly so called and there are Traditions vnwritten deliuered from hand to hand The name is sometime applyed to the one and sometime attributed to the other you meane not here Traditions written I know it no more doe we we agree to take it of vnwritten Traditions in opposition vnto Scripture as where Tertullian speaketh in his Book de coronâ militis thus Scripturam nullam invenies Traditio tibi praetenditur euictrix Scripture for this you can finde none the originall came from Tradition Traditions are considered Originally in their Authors Christ the Apostles the Church priuatemen which haue their authority more or lesse answerable to the worth of their Originals Againe they are considered materially in regard of what they treat of what they containe whereof they are of Orders Rights practices opinions in common vse and custome amongst men Traditions instituted by our Sauiour euen in points of beliefe Faith haue Diuine authority as his written word hath Traditions deriued from the Apostles haue equall authority with their Preachings and their writings I approue that processe of the Controuersor The authority of Gods Word is not because it is written but because it commeth from God Traditions of the Church haue such authority as the Church hath all binde and oblige as they were intended and as their extent is For they must be considered not onely from the Author but from the End Some were intended to be Permanent others onely to be transient for a Time onely or else for euer Some vniuersall some onely Partiall for the Catholique or else a priuate Church Such variety and difference is in Traditions which this Hudler confoundeth to deceiue his Nouice with indistinctions Now the question is not whether there be Traditions or haue beene heretofore we doe grant it in euery kinde that either there are or haue beene Traditions of Christ his Apostles the Church priuate men The question is not of what authority they are we grant their authority is from and as the Authors but the question is of their Credit and Extent First whether the pretended Traditions of Christ and his Apostles were indeed so ordained or deriued as they are pretended or rather counterseits and suppositions Proue them true vndoubted and we rise vp vnto them Secondly to what ends they were instituted whether to last and indure euer or for a time whether to supply the defects of Scripture not else sufficient for the end This we denye for it is our Position that the written Word of God without vnwritten Traditions is perfect and absolute and sufficient for the end whereto it was intended To make the man of God absolute in euery good worke Abuse not your selues nor your Proselites here slander not nor belye vs giue vs any Tradition of Christ or his Apostles giue vs good euidence for what you say goe proue it conuincingly to haue come from them by Scripture Fathers consent of Antiquity can you aske any more and we receiue it with both our armes as Gods holy Word and Institution Quae vniuersa tenet Ecclesia ab Apostolis praecepta benè traduntur quanquam scripta non reperiantur Though I finde it not vpon record in Scripture yet I receiue it as proceeding from the Apostles if the vniuersall Church imbrace it said Saint Augustine and I subscribe vnto it bring vs any such Tradition so accepted so receiued so commended and you shall see wee will reuerence it as much as you or more but if you giue me copper in stead of gold pardon me if I beleeue you not nor receiue it for pay Ecclesiasticall constitutions are moe more certaine of the same authority with the Churches written Lawes which binde generally if made for generall obligation or else particularly if they haue but locall and confined limitation omni modo bind they doe vnto obedience so long in such sort so farre forth as the authors did intend till the same authority disaâ—ow them which gaue vnto them being at the first In the 34. Article to this purpose wee reade of and concerning Ecclesiasticall Traditions It is not necessary that Traditions and ceremonies be in all places one or vtterly like for that at all times they haue beene diuers and may be changed according to diuersities of Countries times and mens manners So that nothing be ordained against Gods word Your Catholique cares be they round or long cannot be offended with this position I thinke Whosoeuer through his priuate iudgement willingly and purposely doth openly breake the Traditions and ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnant vnto the word of God and be ordained and approued by common authoritie ought to be rebuked openly that others may
sanctifieth but the true employment of the thing We neuer read it warranted that creatures may bee abused or ms-imployed Are they not therefore fooles to returne your owne words vpon your self that produce these passages for such stuffe as holy bread c which as they are vsed in your Antiques may with reason be hooted at by Boyes Holy bread with you is an apish Imitation of that antient practice in the Primitiue Church whereby a part of the consecrated Host in and for the Sacrament called Eulogia was sent vnto the adjoyning parishes or diocesses and imparted vnto strangers that came vnto them as a signe pledge and assurance of mutuall loue and confederation in the same faith a thing prohibited afterward in the councell of Laodicea but re-assumed and long time frequented in the Church which growing at last into disuse in the Latine Church especially Bread began to bee blessed indeed but not consecrated for or in the Communion which in Paulinus Augustine and others is named Eulogia or Panis Catechumenorum The Catecumeni beeing not baptized could not bee imparted with the body of Christ but receiued Bread blessed by the Priest for their vse and eating as an assurance of that Communion whereof in due time they were to be made partakers The later Church abused this practice of the Antients imploying it as spells or amulets to cast out diuils to heale diseases to keepe men from danger whereto nor God nor man had designed it antiently The forme of consecrating it is this in Burchard Cap. 28. Lord God Almighty vouchsafe to blesse this Bread with thy holy and spirituall benediction that it may become health of soule and body vnto all a defence and safegard against all diseases and all the assaults and deceits of the enemie through our Lord Iesus Christ thy Sonne the Bread of Life who came downe from Heauen brought life and saluation into the world who liueth and raigneth with thee for euer Was any thing thus consecrated 1. Tim. 4. 4. Mat. 23. 17. 19 Or any water any where to the like purpose to bee sprinkled in houses to driue away Fayries and Hobgoblins to remoue the lets and impediments which might hinder the receiuing of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar to put out the guilt and tainture of originall sinne I finde no such thing in Scripture or the Primitiue times I doe in the Rituals and Pontificals of the Pagans Nam et sacris quibusdaminitiantur Isidis alicuius aut Mithrae Ipsos etiam Deos suos lauationibus efferunt villas domos templa totasque vrbes asperginâ— circumlatae aquae expiant passim Tertullian speaketh of Pagan superstitions and it agreeth vnto your fopperies point by point Such hallowing and sacring of the Creature as of ashes bells and other bables are farre enough remooued from that sanctification of the Creature in Saint Paul vnto holy and religious or common vses Saint Paul neuer baptized or blessed a bell to cleere the ayre asswage stormes and tempests help against lightning and thunder driue away diuels and wicked spirits that would hinder good Christians from going to Church or righteous soules from passing through the ayre into Heauen Such old wiues tales I finde not in Saint Paul nor in Saint Basil whom we are directed to see Lib. 2. de baptismo but for what or where-about I professe my ignorance I cannot tell and yet I haue Basil and haue read him Transeat therefore till I know what and where I should see Basil I must suspend my answer vnto his authority XXXIII That children may bee saued by their parents faith without Baptisme THe man when hee vndertook this gagging taske opposed himselfe intentionally against our Church in which regard with what face with what forehead can he thus impudently bely vs knowing in his conscience our Doctrine our practice to the contrary and that wee haue beene put to maintaine and iustifie it against schismaticall humors not Papists but Puritans at home In the very first Instep to the forme of Administration of Baptisme wee professe All men be conceiued and borne in sinne wee adde alledging our Sauiours words None can enter into the Kingdome of God except he bee regenerate and borne anew of water and the holy Ghost Beeing assured that as Truth hath spoken it so it is impossible ordinarily for a man to bee saued that is not baptized Vpon which perswasion of that necessity of water and the holy Ghost wee following the vse and warrant of Antiquity haue tolerated practised and defended priuate Baptisme at home by Lay-people and yet this shamelesse Detractor chargeth vs to hold That children may bee saued by the Parents faith without Baptisme as if it were vnnecessary One man peraduenture thought so that the children of the Faithfull that were in Christ might ordinarily be saued without Baptism I say peraduenture for it appeareth not that he held it of ordinary course nor referred it to the Parents faith but vnto that Couenant of grace I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed as euen Bellarmine his Aduersary confesseth touching him who yet is nothing vnto vs. Touching the necessity of Baptism there hath bin variation euer in the Church and yet euer a necessity held vpon all hands more or lesse For Antiquity supplied the want of water by blood Martyrs not baptized went to heauen The ineuitable want of water by the Spirit in desire and assured faith if it might bee had in Christ the Author and End of it For as in little Infants the faith of the Church and those that present them to be baptized is by God reputed their owne so the willingnes and desire of the same Church of their Godfathers and Parents is reputed theirs So that no absolute necessity in opinion of Antiquity and indispensable was held of our Sauiours Asseueration Except a man bee born anew of water and the holy Ghost he cannot enter into the Kingdome of heauen Which necessity thus qualified by Antiquity some late Writers haue qualified further vpon other grounds as namely that supposed Decree of God touching absolute necessity of saluation which admitted yet includeth a subordination of meanes As Paul and his company were determinately saued from perishing by sea yet he told them it could not be except the Sailers staied so nor Gods Decree be accomplished without means which is water and the holy Ghost ordinarily Others it may be haue qualified it from the state faith and interest of their parents which if it be so is but a priuate opinion of some men not the doctrine of this or any Protestant Church that I knowe You would bee loth to maintain all priuate opinions in the Church of Rome The most that wee haue said thereof is Of the will of God to impart his grace vnto infants without Baptism in that case the very circumstance of their naturall birth may serue as a iust argument Whereupon it is not to be mis-liked that men in charitable presumption do gather a