hindred from choosing the best Church amongst many contrary How shall they choose Church from the false shall they know it in examining her doctrine by the Scripture that may not be for the Scripture is a Booke that the people are not permitted to reade and our adversaries affirme that the Church is not subject or bound to the Scripture and that the Church may change the same which God commaunded in the Scripture Shall they discerne the true Church by antiquity and succession nor that for the Syrian and Greeke Churches contrary to the Romish are more ancient then that of Rome deriving their succession from the Apostles and punctually to judge in this succession and antiquitie infinite Histories both Greeke and Latine ought to be read wherein the people vnderstand little or nothing And amongst the Clergie it selfe scarce one of an hundred is found that hath but ordinary or competent knowledge therein Hee that but entreth into the view thereof shall discouer the seat of the Romane Pontifies defiled with heresies and enormous crimes yea mangled and rent with Schismes that are decided by stroke of sword and according to the power of Emperours and Kings doeth the scale weigh downe Shall they haue respect to the generalitie and multitude no Iesus Christ calleth his Church a little flocke Luke 12. 32. and signifieth vnto vs that the multitude and broad way leade to perdition Math 7. 13 14. Shal they giue heed to miracles no the Apostle hath foretold us that the sonne of perdition who is Antichrist shall come with signes and miracles 2. Thess 2. 9. And Iesus Christ admonisheth vs that false prophets shall arise and shall make signes wonders to seduce Math. 24. 24. Now seeing that so many false miracles are wrought and the most predominant Courts of Iustice haue made many Decrees against the workers of them how and by what markes shall the poore people distinguish the true miracles from the false seeing there is no knowledge of the true doctrien declaring Gods will that we should discerne the miracles Deut. 13. v. 1 2 3. Briefly it is certaine that the Scriptures authoritie being no more the foundation and direction of the beleeuers faith all Religion vanisheth and turneth into smoke and there remaines nothing but to beleeue at adventure to follow the generalitie and like blind men to lay hands on him that marcheth next before vs. It is answered that in this perplexitie the people are to follow their Doctors and Pastors for they are the men that vndertake with God for the people What must euery man beleeue the Pastors of his owne countrey must they follow the Church wherein they are borne shall man owe his Religion to his birth or the custome of his countrey or the successe of affaires If it bee answered that by the Pastors and Doctors those of the Church of Rome are to be vnderstood therein lies the poynt of difficultie For the question is if those Doctors bee sound and good teachign the true way of health conformably to the Word of God which they conceale from the people in denying them to reade the holy Scriptures then are the people bound to beleeue that these are good Doctors before they know the good doctrine and that this church is the true church before they know or apprehend the truth They are also bound to beleeue what the church of Rome beleeveth not knowing what that Church ought to beleeue But if it be their tenent that every particular person bee assisted with the Spirit of God to bee able to discerne the true Church why hold they not that hee bee assisted with the same spirit to discerne the true doctrine and to examine it by the holy scriptures seeing that the true Church cannot bee distinguished but by the true doctrine for the true faith is first to be knowne before the true faithfull can be distinguished and the true rule is to be well vnderstood before those that follow it can be knowne Christ must first be knowne before there is possibility of knowing undoubtedly what Church is truely his flocke Adde likewise heereunto that the faith of the Romish Doctors dependeth entirely upon the Popes faith neverthelesse they for the greatest part doe beleeue that the Pope may erre and the Popes themselues doe confesse the same as wee haue elsewhere prooved Yea their errors are condemned by those Councels which the Church of Rome did allow And it is hard to beleeue that he cannot erre who boasteth of his authority and power to change that which God hath ordained to dispense with his commandements Add moreover that the greatest â—â—atterers of the Popes that haue written their histories and liues doe lament the corruption of that seat and complaine of the traffique it exerciseth and of the infamous â—â—ving of many Popes and their intolerable pride for what doth the Pope hee is advanced so far as to call himselfe God and the divine Maiestie to cause himselfe to bee adored to reach forth to Emperours a pantable to be kissed to dispose the crownes and liues of Kings and to release soules out of Purgatory insomuch as from a poore Biship of a citie who in the Primitiue time appeared not but in the martyrdomes is by degrees become a great Monarch of the earth that surpasseth in riches and treasure the greatest Kings of the world These things considered may we fix in our minds a just cause to suppose that the Pope is the same man that the Scripture hath foretold to come into the world to * 2 Thess 2. 7 8. Apoes 13. 11 2. Thess 2. â— 4. 9. Apocal. 17. 3. 4. 9. 18. Apocal. 17. 2. Apocal. 13. 15. lift himselfe up into the shrone of Roman Emperours stile himselfe God vaunt of signes and miracles he that should beâ— cloathed in scarlet should possesse his seat in a towne of seven mountaines which is Romes description should seduce Kings wage war against the Church and vanquish it and all this vnder the name of Christian assuming to himselfe the title and authoritie of Iesus Christ For so saith the Spirit of God in the 13 of the Apocalipse Hee shall haue the hornes of a Lambe but shall speake like a dragon These things having beene foretold aboue fifteene hundred yeares past no man since that time hath so swelled himselfe to so high a pitch as to haue these recived things appropriated vnto him but the Pope of Rome Is it by chance or adventure that such preâ—ogatiues haue met in one man Surely these considerations are sufficient to cause a suspition in â—s that this is the man who should haue more authoritie then the Scripture that would haue himselfe beleeved when hee saith that the Scripture is subject vnto him and that he hath power to change it that is to say to contradict it For no man can extoll himselfe aboue the Scripture vnlesse it bee meerely to impugne it Now though man fearing God and touched with the zeale of his
is rejected and made odious to the people as a dangerous booke I. We haue seene in the former Chapter how our adversaries affirme openly that the Pope and Church of Rome can alter the Lords Institution and nullifie his Ordinance the which being granted it necessarily followeth that the tradition of the Church which correcteth the holy Scripture and altereth what is therein ordained bee of greater authoritie then the Scripture II. When our adversaries vnanimously affirme that the Scripture is not Iudge but that the authority of judging belongeth to the Church heereby they withdraw us from the Scriptures judgement to rely vpon the Churches Tradition for by the Tradition of the Church they onely understand the Lawes of the Church of Rome by the which they would haue us judged III. When they say that the Stapleton lik 2. de authoritate Scripturae cap. 11. Dixâ— et dâ—câ— non taÌ„ ipsius fidei regulam in se esse scripturaÌ„ quam ipsam scripturaâ—uÌ„ reguâ—aÌ„ esse 〈◊〉 Ecclesiâ— Scripture is not the rule of our faith but that it is the faith of the Church that ruleth the Scripture they manifestly preferre Tradition of the church before Scripture for the faith of the Church and Tradition of the Church are all one IIII. These goodly Maximes wherewith they dull our eares Charron aâ— 2. chap de lâ— troisieme verite Nous voulous l'eglise avoir pour nostre regard plus d'authorite que l'escriture That the Church ought to haue more authoritie over vs then the Scripture That it is the Church which giveth authoritie to the Scriptures and that the authoritie of the Scripture over vs is founded vpon the authoritie of the Church what are their meaning other then that the Scripture oweth that authoritie she hath to the Tradition of the Church For the Tradition of the Church is nothing else but the voice and judgement of the Church whereby shee pronounceth as being a soveraigne and infallible Iudge that the Scripture ought to be received V. If the Scripture must bee Staplet lib. 1 de authorit Scriptura c. 9 Ipsis Prophâ—tis è medio â—ublatu â—â—ruÌ„ prophetâ—as à Deo esse credeâ—duÌ„ non est nisi id Ecclesia confiâ—met Synodus Romana sub Gregor 7. Quod nullus liber Canonicus habeatur sine authoritate Papa beleeved because the Tradition of the Church so ordained it what followeth but that Tradition of the Church of Rome is more credible then the Scripture VI. The Iesuite Coster in his Enchiridion chap. 1. calleth the doctrine imprinted in the heart of the Church an other species or kind of Scripture and compareth it also with holy Scriptures The excellence Huius Scripturae praestantia â—ulâ—is partibus suâ—erat scripturas quas nobis in membraâ—â— Apostoli reliquerunt PrimuÌ„ quod illa exarata sit digito dei hac calamis ApostoloruÌ„ saith hee of this kind of Scripture surpasseth much the holy Scripures which the Apostles haue left vs in parchment especially because this is witten with the finger of God the other was written with Apostles pens By his leaue I would willingly aske him whether the Apostles pennes were not guided by the spirit of God VII Carranza in the second Controversie The Church is a rule Nos diâ—imus quod prior regula et notior et multo latior est Ecclesia quam Scriptura canonica â—t hac ab illa debet regulari non è contra that is elder and more knowne yea much more ample then the Canonicall Scripture and this ought to be governed by that but not on the contrary â—n saying that the Church is a rule â—t is evident that by the Church â—ee understandeth the Tradition and lawes of the Church for the persons are not the rule VIII Bellarmine in his fourth QuadaÌ„ sunt Traditiones maiores quod ad obligationeÌ„ quaÌ„ quadam Scripturae booke of the Word of God chap. 6. There are Traditions that are greater then some Scriptures in poynt of obligation IX Salmeron in his first Prolegomenon § Nunc de Nam etsi Eccclesiae ac Scripturae authoritas à Deo sit illa tamen Ecclesia antiquior est atque adeo dignior siquideÌ„ Scripturâ— propter EcclesiaÌ„ contexta est Though the authoritie as well of the Church as of the Scripture bee of God yet the authoritie of the Church is more ancient yea and more worthy for the Scripture is made for the Church By the same reason one might say that subjects haue more authoritie then Lawes and Kings for the people are more ancient then Lawes and Kings and Lawes and Kings are made because of the people Now the authoritie of the Church of Rome cannot bee promoted aboue the Scripture but that by the same reason the authoritie of Tradition in the Church of Rome is to be advanced aboue the Scripture for Tradition is the law of the Church of Rome X. Cordubensis To decide contrâ—versies Câ—dub Art â— cap. 80. Catholicae Ecclesiâ— Traditiâ— est certissâ—â—a regula of the Faith Tradition of the Catholique Church is the most certaine Rule XI Wee haue formerly heard Coster and Salmeron the Iesuites speaking that God would not haue Traditions that are taught out of the Apostles mouth to bee written for feare lest holy things should be given to doggs Herein doe they not clearely signifie that the Scriptures are for the dogs but that God would not haue Traditions to bee in such danger as being more sanctified things and worthy of greater respect XII To what end doe these men say that Iesus Christ hath commaunded the Apostles to preach and not to write but that unwritten Tradition might be preferred before the Scripture and haue much more authoritie XIII Did it ever happen that any of our adversaries haue reported the same of Traditions which they haue said of Scripture Haue they ever called the Traditions a dumbe rule a part or parcell of a rule an ambidexter sword a stone of scandall a nose of wax haue they ever accused Traditions of obscurity of ambiguity or of imperfection as they haue the Scripture XIV But the Iesuite Salmeron shall suffice for all for in the third part of his 13 Tome and 8 Disputation hee treateth of this matter punctually and at large and thus compareth Scripture with Tradition Tradition saith he is aboue all § Estiginâ—◠〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 ad salute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ebidem Pâ—â—â—â— ergo Scriptura â—â—mendat traditione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scripturaÌ„ et ob id magis est necessaria quia ad 〈◊〉 come adandaÌ„ est Scriptura-Necessaria ost 〈◊〉 ad 〈◊〉 du bra qua expresse in scri 〈◊〉 â—on contiâ—ent or nec 〈◊〉 §. Postreâ—â— Ibidem â—ui noÌ„ creditura dirâ—om in ecclesia receta 〈◊〉 scriptura malo 〈◊〉 similes est â—â—lâ—â—â— aebitum reddere si non osteÌ„datur syngraâ—ha cum satu sit idoneos produceâ—â— restes §. Secunda Seâ—unda coÌ„ditio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quâ—â— sit Ser. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § 〈◊〉 Trtia conditio
Councels which the Church of Rome hath approued and by the Popes favorites themselues Wherein also you may perceiue to the number of three and twentie Schismes and many contrary Popes at the same time mutualy entitling themselues Antichrists Yea wherein haue liued many infamous Popes Necromancers Adulterers Murtherers aduanced to the Popedome by whores by Simony and by violence Such as take vpon them the title of God causing themselues to bee adored and Kings to kisse their feete and the Scripture to bee prostrate before them when they enter into the Councels such as vante they cannot erre that they can make another Creed can change Gods ordinances can transport soules out of Purgatory into Paradise and ranke whom they please in the Catalogue of Saints by canonizing them vnder colour whereof they exercise an abhominable commerce and trafficke by Dispensations Absolutions Indulgences Annates Licences and Benefices So as from a poore Bishop of a Citie who was no way eminent but in martyrdomes the Pope is become a puissant temporall Monarch surpassing in riches the greatest Monarchs of the earth To effect so great an alteration it was needfull that Religion should bee changed for the purity and plainnesse of christianity regulated by the Scriptures could not serue to build vp so great an Empire These things haue I amply handled in my first Booke wherein I maintaine the Authoritie of the Scripture Which work went then forth almost the very day that lesuite Regourds Booke against the Authoritie and Perfection of the Scripture was published These two Bookes if any man will compare together shall finde that I answere all that hee pleadeth against the authoritie of the Scripture and that Regourds Booke satisfieth nothing of all that I propose in mine Before that he published his book a Challenge was brought to the Pastors of this Church of Sedan to enter into conference dispute with some Doctors amongst whoÌ„ was Iesuite Regourd wherein they threatned us Wee accepted the Conference the place and day were assigned with all accommodations that after so many Defiances every mans honour should oblige him not to recant Neverthelesse hee durst not appeare and for two severall times failed at the day appoynted But his humour serving him at last to dispute and being thirstie of reputation hee went some where else to discharge his choler and in Conference seiseth upon Monsieur Mestrezat where he received all sort of disgrace so farre forth as his friends were faine to make use of superiour power to draw him from the combate and to hinder the Conference from Printing for it could not be seene but to his dishonour and that in a place where all things were favourable unto him and where the language of Truth is very new and strange And so retired this wittie Doctor as well contented as satisfied being not so wisely advised but to make trophies and signes of victory considering there were so many witnesses CHAP. VIII A Proofe of the same by the practise of the Primitiue Church WEe haue proved by many passages of our Adversaries that in the Church of Rome Traditions are much more esteemed and of greater authority then the Scripture which they so much under-value and charge with a thousand reproaches and that by injustice and most fraudulently the Councell of Trent seemes to make them equall Now are we to proue the same by the practise and maximes of the Church of Rome I. In the first place when our adversaries ground the authority of the Scripture upon tradition of the Church and would haue the Scripture received and beleeved because the Church doth so ordaine it It is evident that they preferre Tradition before Scripture for they make Scripture to depend upon Tradition esteeme Tradition of the Church more worthy of belife then Scripture and beleeue not the Scripture but because the Church of Rome hath so commanded it II. Let vs looke vpon experience and wee shall informe our selues that in the Church of Rome the people is a thousand fold more carefully instructed in Tradition then in the doctrine of salvation contained in holy Scriptures The most ignorant know the meaning of Lent and the foure Seasons they are instructed in the difference of meats they are skilled in Festivall dayes and Eues they goe in Pilgrimage visite the Reliques gaine Pardons purchase Masses Obits and Suffrages for the dead speake of Purgatory mumble over their Chaplet or Beads and their Rosary or our Ladies Psalter and discourse of the Popes succession in Saint Peters Chaire but they are ignorant in the holy Scripture accounting it modestie and humility not to enquire much after it Aske them upon the doctrine of our Redemption in Iesus Christ upon Iustification by faith vpon our free Adoption upon the correspondencie betweene the Law and the Gospell upon the difference between the old and new Testament upon the causes wherefore it was necessary that our Redeemer should bee God and man in the vnitie of person vpon the ends of their Resurrection and Ascension upon the Doctrine of faith and good works which are the poynts wherein consisteth the essence of Christian Religion and you shall finde them as mute as fishes and altogether uninstructed III. Baptisme is a divine Institution but Confirmation such as is practised in the Church of Rome and confection of the Crisome are humane Inventions Yet are they much more honoured then Baptisme for in the Church of Rome a woman yea a Pagan and Iew may baptize and giue that which they haue not and Confirmation is not administred nor Crisome consecrated but by the Bishop with great solemnitie IV. God hath commanded St. Peter and the other Apoâ—â—les to preach the Gospell but gaue them no command to giue Indulgences nor to canonize Saints nor to release soules out of Purgatory nor to consecrate their Agnus Dei and their blessed Beads The first poynt is a commandement of God the other things are humane Traditions which the Pope doth performe with preparation and solemnitie but hee preacheth not the Gospell esteeming the labour of preaching as a thing vnworthy of his greatnesse Insomuch as the Popes are industrious observers of their owne Traditions and adore their owne proper Inventions but dispense with the Lords commandements V. Hence commeth it to passe that the sinnes committed against Gods Law are held to be light in comparison of those committed against the Traditions Decrees and Canons of the Pontifies The inferiour Priests giue absolution of thest of lying and of whoredome which are sinnes against the Law of God but there are cases reserved wherein no man in France can giue absolution but at the poynt of death and they are specified in the Bull De Coena Domini which the Pope thundereth euery yeere on Maunday Thursday before the Paschall The sinnes that are most enormous and whereof no man but the Pope maketh absolution are not murther parricide incest sodomy and perjury but to appeale from the Pope to a future Councell to withdraw Tythes from
should approach and teach them the come that is to say the future â—â— vents of things foretold in the Epistles written by the Apostles as for example that there should arise 1. Tim 4 false Doctors teaching to abstaine from mariage and victual and that the son of perdition should name 2. Thâ—ss 2. himselfe God and should practise with signes miracles to seduce and that the great Whore clothed Apoc. 17. in scarlet sitting in a Towne of seven mountaines should intoxicate Kings and glut her selfe with the blood of the faithfull c. As also the estate and condition of the Christian Church and of the spiriâ—uall kingdome of Iesus Christ which the Apostles did not as then fully comprehend Aboue all they presse the 15. verse of the second chapter of the second to the Thessalonians Therefoâ—e brethren stand fast and hold the traditions which ye haue bâ—ene taught whether by word or our Epistle The word Tradition which the 〈◊〉 Apostle maketh use of doth purport and signifie all instruction In Au I. ch de ceste controverse this sense the Scripture it selfe is a Tradition as wee haue already proved As touching this passage our aduersaries doe inferre that besides the Epistle which S. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians hee had vttered vnto them many things by word of mouth vnto which I shall willingly condescend for wee would not maintaine that the first Epistle to the Thessalonians contained all the doctrine of salvation our dispute is not whether a little Epistle of Saint Paul but whether the old and new Testament containe all that is necessary to salvation therefore this passage is not to purpose Moreouer when the same Apostle did say Hold the traditions which you haue learned by our word or by the holy Scriptures it must not bee thereupon concluded that the mysteries which hee had tolde them were others then those that are written for the same thing may be taught by divers meanes And when the precepts delivered by the Apostles mouth had some disparitie with those that are written wee could say that such things flowing from the Apostles mouth over and aboue that which is found in the Scriptures were not poynts of Faith but Ordinances touching Ecclesiasticall policie Yea when wee shall haue yeelded to our adversaries all that they wish and long for yet is all fruitlesse and nothing done by them unlesse they proue that these Traditions which they say were given to the Thessalonians by mouth are the poynts whereof consisteth our controversie to wit the Popes Supremacie over the Church of the whole world Romish Indulgences single life of Priests the Communion under one kind borrowed Satisfactions a restraint of reading the Scripture Masses without Communicants Prayers wherein the Petitioner understandeth nothing the power of the Pope to release soules out of Purgatory and to depose Kings c. which are Traditions of a new impression and which the Church of the Thessalonians yet subsisting and hath so continued since the Apostle Saint Paul did never beleeue nor as yet alloweth of their validitie but defieth them with all loathing and detestation Saint Ambrose in his Commentarie vpon this place by the Tradition whereof the Apostle speaketh vnderstands the doctrine of the Gospell which our Adversaries would not deny to bee contalâ—nd Ve prasciantia Dei maneat in salute illorum ideirco in traditione Evangelij standuÌ„ ac perseverandum monet in the New Testament To the â—d saith he that the foreknowledge â—f God should remaine in their saluaâ—ion hee admonisheth them to stand â—ast and perseuere in the tradition of â—he Gospell I am of opinion I shall preuent â—ur Adversaries from interrupting â—ee more in the passages which â—hey alleadge Saint Paul saith â—Ve speake wisedome among those that â—re perfect 1. Cor. 2. 6. And againe â—aue before thine eyes and hold fast the â—atterne or forme of sound words which thou hast heard of me 2. Tim. 1. 13. In a third place now I praise â—ou that you remember mee in all â—hings and keepe my Ordinances as I deliuered them vnto you 1. Cor. 11. â— Ergo for so they conclude the things which are preached are difâ—ering from those that are written And what are the things Invocation of Saints seruice to Imageâ— c. In all this what a defect then is of common sense The jaw-bone of Sampsons Asse or Tobiâ— dog might be as well imployed Concerning the words in the 16. of the Acts at the 4. That Paul and Silas passing through the Cities instructed them to keepe the Ordinances decreed by the Apostles and by the Elders of Ierusalem In these Ordinances are vnderstood the restraints of eating blood strangled creatures whereof mention is made in Acts the 15. for in this voyage Paul and Silas were bearers of this Ordinance and Paul waâ— expresly sent to performe thâ— same Now this Ordinance iâ— written as also the alteration waâ— made since the Apostles time anâ— it is but a Ceremony ordained foâ— a time and not a doctrine necessary to salvation and when somâ— Ordinances should be here vnderstood how shall it be proued vnto â—s that these Ordinances are others then those that are written how shall it bee proued vnto vs that these ordinances were invocation of Saints adoration of Reâ—iques the Popes Supremacie â— This will never bee proued CHAP. XVIII An answere to that which is objected unto us that the Church hath beene sometime without the Scripture TO undervalue the authority of the Scripture and to make it annecessary it is objected unto us that the Church from the creation untill Moses for the space of 2454 yeeres hath beene without the Scripture And that as Irenaeus is witnesse from the time of the Apostles and their Disciples â—â—â— nations whercunto the wrirings of the Apostles were not yet at that time come have not omitted conserve the purity of the Gospel To which wee answere that when God speaketh from heaven or sendeth Angels to instruct men concerning his will the Scripture might easily be neglected if at this day God spake from heaven and published his Oracles from above as hee spake heretofore to the Fathers and Patriarchs before Mases we should not seeke for any other instruction But this is no more and God having fully imparted his will unto us by the writings of his Prophets and Apostles we are obliged to follow the meanes wherewith his goodnesse hath furnished us and it is necessary to bee bound and compelled thereunto I say the same of the Church in the Apostles time whil'st it was cleerely illuminated by the preaching and miracles of so renowned instruments of the holy Spirit who were instructed by God in all verity those people which were taught by their mouth made no great esteeme of their writings but God having inspired them to leave in writing the effect of his will wherein he had well tutered them and they having not left behinde them one person of like authority and knowledge
were not sufficient of themselves to expiate the sinnes but that they drew their vertue from the death of Iesus Christ and that those which did eate of the Paschall-lambe were to have respect to Iesus Christ and to understand the signification of this Lambe Now say these men they could not learne this from the bookes of Moses nor from the Prophets therefore they learnt it by the unwritten Tradition In speaking thus they falsific the words of the Apostle Saint Peter who at the 10. of the Acts 43. saith that To Iesus Christ all the Prophets give witnesse that through his name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sinnes And they contradict Saint Paul who at the 26 of the Acts 22. Saith of himselfe that he speaketh no other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did foretell should come to passe They also abuse themselves to thinke that it was then necessary to every one of the faithfull to have a cleere insight and vnderstanding of the sacrifices of the Law and of the Paschall Lambe for the faithfull are not bound to beleeve of Iesus Christ more then that which God by his Word hath revealed unto them If any one about the time of Moses offering sacrifice according to the Law were not instructed in the doctrine of the death of our Redeemer but only beleeved that God through the meanes which hee knoweth to be most agreeable and convenient will forgiue vs our trespasies it were rashnesse to goe about to exclude such a man from salvation and it is certaine that then the faithfull were not without instruction as touching this point for they were prompted by the Scriptures to expect this seed of the Woman which should crush the head of the Serpent and the seed of Abraham wherein all Nations should be blessed Cardinall Perron is aduised of a third Tradition not written in the old Testament which neuerthelesse if we could beleeue it was necessary to saluation He supposeth that it was necessary for the Iewes to beleeue that the fire of their sacrifices after the captiuity was descended from Heaven and that the same continuall fire which was vpon the Altar was conserved by miracle during the tranfmigration Whereupon I say that 2. Macc. I. this miraculous conseruation of the fire being but a Iudaicall fable the Iewes were not bound Hac de revâ—de Rabbi Shelomo in ea 1 Aggai Talmud Tractatu Tukasin 1. fol. 21. Rabbi Moshe Ren Meâ—mon tractat de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beleeue it The charge of the Sacrificers was to put the fire vpon the Altar as it is sayd Leuit. 1. 7. The sonnes of Aaron Nadab and Abihu did sinne not because they placed strange fire vpon the Altar but in putting into their Censers the fire which they tooke from else-where and not from off the Altar Leuit. 10. 1. Looke vpon the 8. of the Apoc 5. Moreouer put the case this fable were admitted for true yet is it not a rule of Religion nor a doctrine of Faith but only a meere History whereof whosoeuer had bin ignorant had not incurred eternall damnation And admit that vnder the old Testament the Church had vnwritten Traditions it should not therefore follow that it was lawfull for the Church of Rome to forge new ones and to equall them in authority to the writings of the Prophets and Apostles CHAP. XX. An answere to our Adversaries affirming that wee receive many Traditions contained in the Scripture OVr Adversaries upbraid us in that we who reject traditions are neverthelesse constrained to admit of many Ye beleeve say they that these bookes are canonicall ye allow of baptizing such as are Heretikes and the baptisme of little infants yee beleeve the procession of the holy Spirit from the Father and the Sonne and the translation of the Sabbath to the Dominicall day and the perpetuall virginity of Mary the mother of Christ yee beleeve that women ought to sing in the Church yee grant the words of Consubstantiation of Trinity of Person and of Sacrament which are not found in the holy Scripture I have already said that we reject not all unwritten Traditions but only those which adde something to the doctrine of salvation contained in holy Scriptures For answere to their objection that wee receive this unwritten Tradition to wit These bookes are canonicall to say so much of the bookes is not to adde to the canonicall bookes And speaking in that manner we are so farre from adding to Scripture that on the contrary it is a declaration that nothing is to be added thereunto and that it is the perfect rule of our faith Yet to have a complete certainety of the sacrednesse of these bookes there must be a stronger testimony then this Tradition An illiterate man not instructed in the knowledge of God receiveth the testimony of the Church of his owne countrey which telleth him that these books are canonicall as a probable testimony and which hee should not willingly contradict but then hee beginneth to have of it a divine testimony and of soveraigne efficacie when the Spirit of God by the Doctrine contained in this Scripture hath enlightened his spirit and inflamed his heart with a secret vertue whereof it is in vaine to dispute with those that feele it not the which cannot serve for a Law to another but serveth to every one of the faithfull in particular to assure his conscience It is also to bee considered that the testimony of shewing such and such bookes to bee canonicall might proceed as well from an hereticall as from an orthodox Church The Apostles received the holy Scripture from the Pharises and Sacrificers who were enemies to Iesus Christ Whence it appeareth that the testimony which the Church affordeth to the Scriptures is not of supreme authority and indubitable but invalid It is by faith that we beleeve that the contents of the Scripture are the word of God which faith is not given by the Church for it is an effect of the Spirit of God Touching the other points I speake of them in generall that if they bee Doctrines and Rules of the Christian faith not contained in the Scripture we are not bound to beleeve them But when every one of these points shall be examined asunder some will bee found contained in the Scripture others are not Doctrines nor Lawes or Rules of the Christian faith nor things requisite or necessary to salvation I am astonished to behold how our Adversaries dare to insert the Baptisme of little infants amongst the unwritten traditions seeing that their selves disputing against the Anabaptists prove it by many passages of Scripture Bellarmine in his eighth Chapter of the first Booke of Baptisme bringeth these proofes of Scripture that Baptisme succeeded Circumcision which was applied to little infants That Iesus Christ at the ninth of Saint Matthew saith Suffer the little ones tâ— come to me c. That in the sixteenth of the Acts Lydia is baptized by Saint Paul
with all her house And that in the same Chapter the same Apostle baptizeth all the family of the Goaler That Saint Paul baptized the family of Stephanus 1 Cor. 1. 16. If these proofes are bad Why doe they make use of them If they be good in their mouthes Why should they not be good in ours As for holding Baptisme of Heretikes to bee good wee account not this article as necessary to salvation Agrippine a man of holy life and Doctrine and Saint Cyprian Saint Firmilian Saint Denis Alexandrine and Saint Basil have dissented in this point from the Church of Rome yet neverthelesse they are held for Saints by our Adversaries Yea more many Councels approved by the Church of Rome ordaine that some Heretikes should be re-baptized by name the Paulianists the Samosetanians the Montanists the Eunomians the Sabellians the Eucratites c. as is to be seene at the nineteenth Canâ— of the first Councell of Nice At the eighth Canon of the Councell of Laodicea At the seventh Canon of the first Councell of Constantinople And in the Epistle of Saint Basil to Amphilochius at the 47. Canon Yet this question shall be found decided in the Scripture by all probability For Circumcision did still continue among the Israelites of the ten idolatrous races who were no more circumcised when they were converted to the true Religion The custome of circumcising the Samaritans againe that were ranged into Iudaisme wherof Epiphanius speaketh in his booâ— of measures and weights practizeâ— upon Symmâ—chus a Traducer of thâ— Scriptures was invented afterwards The same reason is for Baptisme Concerning the procession of of the holy Spirit from the Father and the Sonne it is to be seene in the Councell of Florence that the Latines defending themselves against the Greekes upon this question doe alledge Scripture but this controversei was devised and is sustained with animosity to strengthen the Schisme and it is an easie matter to accord them therein For those who say that the holy Spirit proceedeth from the Father by the Sonne doe say also that it proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne In a matter that passeth our capacities it is better to say little then too much and rather to be ignorant then to contest The change of the Sabbath and observation of the Lords day are plainely enough collected out of the Scripture The Apostle to the Colos 2. 16. saying Let no man judge you in meat or in drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbath dayes forbiddeth to condemne any man that doth not observe a distinction of meats and keepeth not the new Moones not Sabbaths And by the placing of new Moones and the Sabbaths in the same ranke he sheweth cleerely that as Christians were not obliged to keepe the new Moones so were they no more strictly bound to keepe the Sabbaths At the first Chapter of the Apoc. 10. is mention made of our Lords day Vpon which passage the Iesuite Ribera Ribera in cap. 1. Apocal Videmus hîe etiam tempore Apostolorum Sâ—bbaths solemaitatens muâ—aâ—am esse in Dominicam diem speaketh thus Wee see here that in the time of the Apostles the solemnity of the Sabbath was changed to the Lords day This is the first day of the weeke whereon the Christians made their solemne assemblies to celebrate the holy Supper and to contribute their almes as is to be seene at the 20. of the Acts 7. and in 1 Cor. 16. 2. as Thomas and Lombard have declared in their Commentaries upon this Epistle and Estius Comment in 1. ad Corin. cap. 16. Ecclesia iam ab illo tempore caepit vacare diem Dominicam quod in ea resurrexisset Dominus a morte Sic enim appellatur a lohanne Apostole Adocal 1. vt proinde diet Dominica nomen institutioneÌ„ ad Apostoles referendam esse non sit dubium after them one Estius speaking thus The Church from that time began to call it the Lords day because on that day the Lord was raised from the dead For it is so called by Saint Iohn at the first of the Apocalypse Where fore it is not to be doubted but that the name and institution of the Lords day ought to be fathered upon the Apostles Neverthelesse let us grant that no mention is made of this in the Scripture what availeth it against us who affirme that all the Doctrines of the Christian faith are contained in the Scripture For the observation of our Lords day is not a Doctrine but a Law of Ecclesiasticall government The perpetuall Virginity of the blessed Virgine is beleeved in our Churches by way of decencie though it bee not a Doctrine of faith nor a point necessary to salvation Basil in his Homily of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nativity of Christ saith That if it were otherwise yet would it bee nothing prejudiciall to our salvation Howsoever Helvidius had not his perfect senses about him to move so impertinent a question and call into doubt a matter which were better supposed to be true then argued on either side As for singing of Psalmes in our Churches as well by men as by women it is no Article of the Christian faith but an Ecclesiasticall policie and custome which neither addeth to nor substracteth from the Doctrine of faith And this custome is not practised in all our Churches for there are Churches which doe assemble secretly to avoid persecurion as heretofore did Christians under the Pagan Emperours These poore Churches have not the liberty of singing yet are they not the lesse amiable in the sight of God The Apostle to the Colos 3. 16. commandeth us to exhort one the other by Psalmes Hymnes and Spirituall Songs Hee wrote this to the Colossians without distinction of Sex The same Apostle in 1 Cor. 14. 14. and at 1 Tim. 2. 12. forbiddeth women to teach in the Church but not to sing For seeing they partake of the prayers and preaching why not of the praises and actions of thanksgiving If it be a seemely thing and religious in them to chant forth the glorious commendations of God in their house at home why not also in the house of God The termes of Consubstantion and Trinity are words but no Rules nor Doctrines and these words as they adde nothing to the Scripture so they import nothing that is not contained in the Scripture in othertermes The terme of Person is found in Heb. 1. â— for this word hypostasis in Greeke signifieth person They have but little modestie who blush not to demand a passage of Scripture where the word Sacrament may be found The Apostles writing in Greeke regarded not to provide themselves of a Latine word Surely these men speak as properly as if they enquired whether this very word horse is found in Virgil. In the Latine vulgar translation the word Sacramentum is rehearsed some dozen of times and signifieth a mystery or secret Whence it commeth that the mystery of
with the fire of the last judgement Particularly Chrysostome was of opinion that the Soules could not bee tormented without the bodies as hee speaketh in his 39. Homily upon the 1. to the Corintbians And in the same passage where his 3. Homily upon the Epâ—stle to the Philippians is objected to vs hee supposeth that the dead which are comforted by lamentations and prayers are not the faithfull but the infidells So as this passage maketh altogether against the Church of Rome Though Saint Augustine be punctuall and excellent in this subject as we have seene yet they would make him an advocate to plead for unwritten Traditions in matter concerning the faith This holy Father hath beleeved and we with him that the necessary Doctrines which concerne faith and maners are sufficiently contained in the holy Scriptures And for some certaine Customes Ceremonies and outward observations because they are generally received he beleeveth they are derived from ancient unwritten Tradition It becommeth none to gainesay this but frantickes or such as are given to a contradicting humour and are enemies to the peace Good reason for it To give you some instance Aug. ad Ianuar Epist 118. Illa qua non scripta sed tradita custodimus quae quidem toto terrarum orbe servantur dantur intelligi vel ab ipsis Apostolu vel pleparijs Concilijs quoruÌ„ est in Ecclesia saluberrima authoritas commendata atque statuta retine 1. Sicut quod Domini passio et resurrectio ascensio in coelu et adveÌ„tus de coelo Spiritus Sancti anniversaria solemnitate celebraâ—ur It is not commanded in the Scripture to celebrate annually the day of our Saviours Nativity nor of the Paschall nor of the Lords Resurrection nor of Pentecost which is the day whereoâ— the holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles For Saint Augustine in his 118. Epistle bringeth these examples where he saith To stirre up dissentions hereupon for matters in their owne nature not necessary to salvation but authorized by the generall custome of so many ages should be according to my judgment according to the truth a despightfull perversenesse yea a symptome of distraction confounding all concord and quietnesse In like manner doth the Scripture give no charge touching the precise houre of administring the holy Supper Iesus Christ occasionally performed it after Supper to place and substitute the holy Eucharist immediatly to the Paschal Lambe But it appeareth by the History of the Acts that the Apostles were not obliged to this houre and since that time the generall custome was to celebrate it in the morning I say for a man hereupon to separate himselfe from the Communion of the Church and to make a schisme or trouble the peace of the Church in a matter that concerneth not the Doctrine of faith nor is necessary to salvation What is it but stubborne arrogance It is most necessary not to molest the Church for matters not necessary in their owne nature If the mischiefe bee not great for as much as concerneth the Doctrine yet is it of no small importance for what concerneth the manners and the many inconveniences that ensue thereon This is the same that Saint Augustine teacheth in his 118 Epistle to Ianuarius where he argueth the case whether they bee well advised who appoint that on Thursday before the Paschal the holy Supper be twice solemnized that is to say in the morning after evening repast His answer is If Quid horum sit facienuÌ„ si divina Scriptura praescribit authoritas non sit dubitanduÌ„ quin ita facere debeamus vt legimus c. Sioniliter etiam si quid horum totaÌ„ per orbeÌ„ frequentat Ecclesia NaÌ„ hoc quin ita faciendum sit disputare insolentissima insania est the authority of the holy Scripture prescribe what is to be done wee are not to doubt but that wee ought to doe as wee reade c. As also if there bee any thing that the universall Church doth practise thorowout the world For to dispute whether this should bee done or no is a meere lunacie But in other matters as that concerning the houre of the holy Supper which doe vary according to the places he alloweth that every man should follow the custome of his countrey He speaketh of the same otherwhere As in the second booke of QuaÌ„ consuâ—tudineÌ„ credo ex Apostolica traditione vinienteÌ„ sicut multa noÌ„ inveniuntur in literis eorum neque in Concilijs posterioru Et tameÌ„ quia per vniversame custodiuntu Ecclesiam non nisi ab ipsis tradita commendata creduntur Quod vniversa tenet Ecclesia nec Concilijc institutu sed semper retentuÌ„ est no nist auctoritate Apostolica institutuÌ„ rectissimè creditur Apostolis qui deÌ„ nihil exinde praecepâ— king â—t sed contudo alia 〈◊〉 oppnetur Cypriaâ—ab eorum â—ditione ordium â—mpsisse creâ—nda est Si-â—t sunt mul-â—t quae vniâ—ersa tenet Ecclesia at obâ—oc abd Apotolis praecepâ—a bene creduntur quanquaÌ„ scripta non reportantur Baptisme against the Donatists the seventh Chapter Which Custome not to rebaptize Heretickes I beleeve to bee derived from Apostolicall Tradition as many things are not found written in their bookes nor the Councels of posterity after them Neverthelesse because they are kept by the Catholike Church it is beleeved that they were delivered by none but them And in his fourth booke chap. 24. That which the universall Church doth keepe and hath not beene instituted by Councels but hath alwayes beâ—ne preserved is justly beleeved to have beene given for no other Tradition but Apostolicall And in his fifth booke chap. 23. The Apostles have commanded nothing to that purpose speaking of the re-baptizing of Hereticks but we must beleeve that the other Custome which was opposed against Cyprian tooke beginning from their Tradition As there are many things which the universall Church observeth and therefore are beleeved to be instiâ—uted by the Apostles although they appeare not in writing In this Tract he speaketh concerning the Custome of not re-baptizing those who have beene baptized by Heretickes which is no point necessary to salvation For how many men are saved that never heard discourse of this question If a man once baptized bee re-baptized the second time although his second Baptisme be superfluous yet neverthelesse the fault not being in him that is rebaptized he shall not be therefore debarred from salvation Or if the Baptisme of Heretikes be unlawfull yet hee that is converted from heresie to the true faith having received no other Baptisme shall not be deprived of salvation because it happeneth not by his default It is not the privation but the neglect and contempt of Baptisme that impeacheth mans salvation Saint Cyprian and his Predecessour Agrippine and with them all the Bishops of Africke have in this point beene of a contrary opinion to the Romish Church and by expresse Councels have condemned the Doctrine held in that Church Would our
quae traditione commendat est claritas perspa 〈◊〉 Nam primuÌ„ Scripturas 〈◊〉 von cognoscit §. Dâ—â—de Scriptura pâ—test ab haeroticu traili ad qd sibi quisque collibuerit § Tertio quia Scriptura dubioruÌ„ quae pullulabâ—◠〈◊〉 essâ— non â—oterat c. â—â— quia 〈◊〉 aâ—f 〈◊〉 est tum quia muta est c. Hâ—nc in 〈◊〉 Testamento ad EcclesiaÌ„ mettitur qui aliquo 〈◊〉 torquetur oâ— coÌ„stat Act. 15. on autem ad â—â— riptaras quâ— sâ— instar nasi ceret ducuntur quo quis vult c. Ideo protervire voleÌ„tes Scripturis noÌ„ possunt refelli vna ergo traditione â—ugulanaâ— sunt § Quod auteÌ„ Qâ—â—â— hâ—c su fiâ—mior inde â—â—nsâ—are potest quia notior est Ecclesia et ApostoloruÌ„ sanctitas quam scripturae cuÌ„ haec per illam cognoscatur Ibidem Scripturae verae probantur quia sunt coÌ„formes traditioni iam factae things necessary to saâ—vation yea highâ—â— then Scripture it selfe And a little after The Scripture rather recommendeth Tradition then Tradition the Scripture and therefore Tradition is more necessary for Scripture is made to recommend Tradition to vs. And there againe Tradition is necâ—ssary because of many doubts that are not contained nor expresly defined in the Scriptures And againe Hee that beleeveth not the Tradition received in the Church but sâ—archeth the Scripture resemblâ—th an ill debtor who refuseth to pay vnlesse he see a quittance or the bond when as to produce fit witnesses would be enough Which is as much to say as the people may pretermit and balke the Scripâ—ure but must cling close to the Testimony and Tradition of the church of Rome He further alledgeth Tradition is more ancient then Scripture whence hee inferreth that it is more excellent then Scripâ—ure and saith a gaine that the same which recommendeth the Traditions abouâ— Scripâ—ure is their clearenesse and evidence for the people haue no knowledg of the Scripture and the Scripture may bee wrested by the Heretiques to whatsoever they will Hee addeth likewise that the Scripture hath not been able to iudge of doubts because it is difficult and dumbe and that hee that is troubled with any doubt in the new Testament is sent to the Church Actes 15. but not to the Scriptures which like a waxen nose are moulded and twisted at pleasure Whereupon saith hee those that will be perverse cannot bee vanquished by the Scriptures their throats then must be cut by Tradition alone And further That Tradition is more firme then scripture it appeareth in this that the Church and the sanctity of the Apostles is more knowne then Scripture because this is knowne by that Wherein hee speaketh against common sense for it is by the Scripture that wee learne the sanctitie of the Apostles and wee know not that God will haue but one Church in the world if he did not teach it vs in the Scriptures Againe hee dareth to say that the Scriptures are true because they are conformable to the Tradition already made Will wee know if the unwritten Word of God in two Tables ought to be received will we know if the doctrine contained in the Psalmes of David in the Prophets and in the Evangelists bee true let us enquire what the Popes opinion is and what Tradition of the Romish Church is and wee shall soone bee satisfied for say our adversaries the Scripture must be examined by the Tradition of the Church of Rome which is the rule of Scripture and is not ruled by the Scripture Truely these things cannot bee read without horror and detestation Of the selfe same stuffe is that Apostoli non scripserunt omnes quasi ex coÌ„muni consensu partito labore sed tantuÌ„ aliqui pro causa particulari et ad conservandam traditionem which he addeth The Apostles haue not written by one common consent but some haue written for particular respects to preserue Tradition When you heare these kinde of people speake you would say that the Scripture is nothing but a letter of credence to giue authoritie to the Church of Rome and her Traditions Wherefore he concludeth that Ibidem Ideo nen receaenduÌ„ est ab Ecclosia viva traditione erudita vel ob scripturaâ— allegatas no man ought to depart from the Church instructed by living Traditions notwithstanding the allegations of Scripture Hee compareth also the amplitude and large extent of Tradition with the narrow limits of the scripture § Quâ—nâ—ò Traditio multo est vniversalio quam Scriptâ—ra quia ad plura tempora ad plura obiecta et ad lura individua sâ— exteâ—ait Tradition saith hee is much more vnâ—versall then Scripture and reacheth to further time to more matter and more persons then the scripture To bee short if these men were to bee beleeved Tradition comprehendeth all the doctrine of faith and maners but many things are wanting in the Scripture Having in this manner dishonored the Scripture and placed it far below Tradition hee makes them fight and plotteth to haue the allegations of Scripture to be repulsed by Tradition To those saith §. Alias Pâ—tenti scripturaÌ„ opponenda est Traditio hee who demand the Scripture Tradition is to be offered in opposition as if hee should tell us You aske me passages of Scripture but content your sâ—lfe that I alleadge vnto you Tradition and the opâ—nion of the Church of Rome For this is the more necessary rule more ancient more firme more easie more vniversall and by which the truth of the Scripture ought to bee examined Thus is the Word of God handled and it is so come to passe that the same Iesuite in his § Quarto cum Cum Scriptura obscura sit valde nec iâ—dex esse quâ—at c. Proprium ergo et diabolicuÌ„ sensum hâ—bent iâ—â—â—rco peius est illu vacare Scripturis quaÌ„ fabulâ— tenth Disputation having said that the Scripture cannot be Iudge addeth that the Heretiques for so he qualifies us haue a diabolicall sense and doe worse to addict themselues to the Scripture then to apply themselues to fables But nothing doth more plainly shew w th what a loud voice our adversaries cry up the traditioÌ„ of the Church of Rome aboue the Scripture then when they say that the church is not subject nor bound to the Scripture but the Scripture is subject to the church that is to say God is subject to men For our adversaries acknowledge that the scripture is the word of God These Lindan Panopâ—â—n indicâ— tituloruÌ„ lib. 5 cap. 5. are the words of Lindanus in hiâ— Panoplia The Church hath not been EcclesiaÌ„ non esse ex voluntate Christi scripturu allegatam obliged to the Scriptures by Christs will and commandement Coster the Iesuite in his 3. chapter of his Manuall Christ was not willing Christus nec EcclesiaÌ„ suaÌ„ à chartaceâ— scriptis pendere nec meÌ„braâ—is mysteria sua committere voluit that his Church should depend vpon
universall Councels most ancient of greatest authority and which Pope Gregory the first equalleth to the foure Evangelists Pope Gelasius speakes the same for in his Tome of the Bond of an Anathema disputing against one of the foure first Councells to wit against that of Chalcedon where there were sixe hundred and thirty Bishops he urgeth thus The Apostolicall Seat alone dissanulleth that which a Synodall Assembly Quod refutauit sedes Apostolica habere non potuit firmitatem sola rescindâ— qd prater ordineÌ„ congregatio Synodica pisâ— taverit vsurpandum though to haue vsurped against order The subject of his choler against this so famous and honourable assembly was for that in this Councell is framed a Canon ordaining that the Bishop of Constantinople should be equall to the Bishop of Rome in all things and that hee should haue the same preheminences CHAP. XI Of what sort how weake and how vncertaine the foundations are wheron Traditions of the Romish Church are built and of the three maximes that serue for their defence and prop. THe Traditions of the Church of Rome are of so great a number that a meere Catalogue of them would furnish out a large volume The whole rabble of them hath these three maximes for their foundation 1. That the Pope is Successor to St. Peter in the charge of Head of the universall Church 2. Secondly that the Pope cannot erre in the faith 3. That the Apostles haue not set downe in writing all that they did teach by word of mouth Hee that will comprehend the nature of these maximes shall know that they evert the Christian faith and consume all Religion into smoke for if the Maximes wheron all Papistry is founded and all the body of Romish Traditions bee imaginary maximes and purely humane not to giue a worse phrase it is impossible that the Religion which is built thereupon can haue the least tittle of assurance 1. The first maxime that layeth downe the Pope to bee Saint Peters Successor in the charge of Head of the vniversall Church is destitute of all testimony of Gods Word and our Adversaries to vphold it produce nothing but humane testimonies Whence it followeth that it is not an Article of the Christian Faith and that it cannot be beleeved for a certaintie of faith for the Christian faith is grounded upon the Word of God Faith commeth by â—earing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10. 17. But the Church of Rome giveth his maxime not onely for an Arâ—cle of Faith but also for a founâ—ation of all the other Articles of â—aith and of the whole Religion For in the Church of Rome the Popes authoritie is planted to be a Foundation of the Church and of all the doctrine of salvation to the very subjecting of the Scripture that is to say the word of God to his authoritie and to cause that the authoritie of the Scripture depend vpon the opinion of the Church of Rome and all this by vertue of that pretended Succession to St. Peter Briefly our Adversaries make all Christian Religion to hang vpon this poynt as Bellarmine acknowledgeth at the entrance of the Preface in his Books of the Pope speaking thus To say in a word when mention is made of the Etenim de qua re agitur cum de primatu Pontificis agitur breutssime dicam de summa rei christianae â—â— entâ— quaeritur aebeatne Ecelesia diutius consistere an vero dissolui concidere Observ andic est tertia licet force no sit de â—ure diuno RomanisÌ„ PontificeÌ„ ut Romanum Pentificem Petro succecere tamen â—â— ad fidem Catholicam pertinere NoÌ„ enim est idem alsquid esse de fide et esse de ture divine Nec enim de oure divine fuit â—â— Paulus hâ—beret penulaÌ„ est tamen â—â—â— ipsum de fide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 penulam Etsi autem Romanum Pontificem sucâ—edere Petro noÌ„ habeatur expresse in scripturis c. Popes supremacy the summe of all Christianitie is at stake for the question is whether the Church ought to subsist any longer or whether it must bee dissolved and fall Thereunto doe all the Controversies referre and all the Traditions ayme at the profit and greatnesse of the Pope yet the same Cardinall at the 12. chap. of the second Booke of the Pope acknowledgeth that the Scripture maketh no mention of the Popes succession in the place of Saint Peter and that this poyut is not jure divino Neverthelesse hee affiemeth that this succession though it bee not jure divino leaueth not to appertaine to the Catholick faith In the same manner as the Catholicke faith beleeueth that Saint Paul had a Friers weed though that were not jure divine and that God had not commanded any thing to that purpose Hence it is manifest that all the diuine doctrine is founded vpon a plaine humane Tradition to weet a Tradition vnwritten That God hath ordained the Pope of Rome for Successour in the Primacy of Saint Peter Thus you see Tradition grounded vpon tradition that is vpon it selfe and this infinite Masse of traditions is founded vpon a Traditions that is no more jure diuino then Saint Pauls weed whereof never was any diuine Testimony extant I will not at this time enter into proofes of the falsity of this matter which wee haue handled in diuers places especially in my booke that went before and shewed the vntruths by aboundance of reason and authority drawne from antiquity I say but this that the ancient Bishops of Rome were called Successours of Saint Peter in the Bishopricke only of the Citie of Rome but not in the Apostleship nor in the goverment of the vniuersall Church Iust as the Bishops of Ierusalem were called Successors of Saint Iames and those of Antioch of Saint Peter and those of Ephesus of Saint Paul and of Saint Iohn not in the Apostl ship but in the Bishopricke of thâ— townes wherein these Apostles had planted the Church Our adversaries produce not any example or passage of the ancient Church whereby it may appeare that ever the Bishops of Rome attributed any authority to themselues over the Churches that are out of the Romane Empire I say also that when the Bishop of Rome was heretofoâ—e Successor to Saint Peter in place of head of the Church so it was that the heresies which infected this seat as our adversaries themselues doe confesse and the Popes complaine of it and the Schismes which haue rent it there hauing beene two Popes at once sometimes three at the same instant prosecuting one the other to extremity and calling one the other Antichrist did long since breake the chaine of this succession In which Schismes ordinarily the most vicious and most cunning caried it and hee excluded his adversary who had the favour of those Emperours and Kings on whom the fortune of warre did smile This continued straine of succession not being possibly knowen but by the multitude of Histories and Authors both
Greeke and Latine who very often jarre among themselues so far as not to agree vpon the next Successours to Saint Peter it is impossible that the people should know any thing in this succession oâ— should haue any assurance hereof but by the Testimony of those who brag of it and liue by it Moreover our adversaries doe confesse that the Pope and church of Rome may erre in the question de facto Now these questions to weet whetheâ— Saint Peter hath left the Bishop of Rome Successour of his Apostleship or of his Supremacy and whether this succession hath not beene interrupted by Schismes and heresies are questions de facto and consequently of the nature of those wherein our adversaries hold that the Church of Rome may erre And the proofes which our adversaries bring forth are drawne from books which theirselues conuince of falsity and from such fragments as for the most part are supposititious I forbeare to censure any further the certainty of Romish traditions seeing they are all founded vpon one Maxime which is a Tradition humane not vpheld by any Ordinance of God a Tradition which is not an Article of the Christian faith yet at this time is put downe for the ground of Faith a Tradition which is of the nature of those wherein our adversaries confesse that the Church may erre a Tradition whereof the people can haue no certainty nor knowledge but by bookes both Greeke and Latine of infinite length wherein they vnderstand nothing and by the Testimony of those especially who propose it that is to say the Popes who receiuing not the Scripture for Iudge cal themselues supreme Iudges and infallible in all controuersies more especially in that wherein is pleaded their succession and their owne proper authority and infallibility Now it is an easie matter to guesse at what the proceedings of the Enemy of our saluation doe levell Their butt scope is to distill as it were all Religion into a vapour and to make it depend vpon presuppositions not only vaine and vncertaine but also false and imaginary as he that should beare vp an obeliske vpon a smal feskue When some demand Wherefore is it behouefull to receive Traditions the answere is because the Pope hath ordained it Againe if it be demanded whence commeth this authority of the Pope it is answered Because Saint Peter dying hath left the Bishop of Rome Successour of his Supremacy over the Church of the whole world Moreouer when it is asked Can you produce any Ordinance of God for this succession for this point being estated by you for the foundation of the Church and of all the Christian faith it is not credible that God hath ordained nothing of it there they stand caught by the nose not vttering one syllable of the word of God and doe confesse that this succession is not lure diuino nor by the Ordinance of God Only the Popes will bee therein beleeued and call themselues supreme and absolute in a case wherein they are so much interessed and wherein it is disputed of their succession and authority Thus you may see all the Ius diuinum founded vpon a point which is not Iure diuino and all the divine doctrine founded vpon humane Tradition yea vpon humane Testimony the most vncertaine of all for the certainty of the Popes succession is founded vpon the Testimony and authority of the Pope himselfe who is party in this cause and who by this Tradition ruleth and vpholdeth his Empire Nay they doe worse they make not onely these Traditions but the very authority of the holy Scripture to depend vpon this Tradition Let it bee demanded wherefore ought we to beleeue that God hath created man after his owne Image that he hath giuen his Law to Moses in two Tables and that the Sonne of God hath taken flesh in the wombe of the blessed Virgine and is dead for vs It is answered that this is to be beleeued because it is written in the holy Scripture that God hath inspired his Prophets and Apostles Againe let it bee asked wherefore ought the holy Scriptures to bee beleeued and why are wee obliged to put our faith therein The answere Basiliensis ConcilyÌ„ appeÌ„dice Ecclesia Romana sic lequitur Qued autem verum feret Christi EvaÌ„ge leum quâ—mâ—de scire possetu nisi illud vobis patefeeissem Audistu noÌ„nullos ex Apostolu scripsisse Evangelia Sed quoâ—iam quatuer duntaxat approbavi â— Ra vt Evangelia venerantur alia respuuntur is Because the Church of Rome hath so ordained it which hath this authority by vertue of her succession in Supremacy of Saint Peter But vpon this question haue you any commandement from God they answere the holy Scripture indeed speaks nothing of it but the church of Rome is supreme Iudge and hath more authority over vs then the Scripture Neverthelesse in this point it is disputed of the authority of the Church of Rome wherein it is no reasonable thing that shee should bee Iudge much lesse to assigne her selfe Iudge aboue the Scripture Doe but obserue what becommeth of all Christian Religion in the account of these Merchants Their will is that God should bee beleeued because men ordained it and that the diuine truth should haue no other foundation then the evidence and authority of lying men yea such as will bee Iudges in their owne cause and who hauing invented a thousand Traditions all tendiâ—g to their profit hold them all vp by one Tradition alone which hath no other foundation then their owne authority There is no such pernicious stratageme to pervert the Christian Religion as to confound the things that are certaine by vncertaine proofes to plead humane Tradition for their highest and concluding principle and to order that the Christian faith should haue a Maxime that is no Articie of faith and is vpheld by no other authority then of those that publish it and such as by this Maxime enrich themselues and build them vp an Empire on the earth yea all the Churches in the world except the Romish doe reject this Maxime and laugh at this succession as a story contradicted by all antiquity and especially by al the Bishops of Rome who whilst the Romane Empire was in florishing estate never intermedled in any affaire beyond the limits of that Empire as I haue proued at large in my first Treatise The second Maxime is of the same nature and dependeth vpon the first Our adversaries to maintaine all their Traditions say that the Pope cannot erre in the Faith and that likewise by vertue of the same succession For they will haue the Pope Successour not only of the power of Saint Peter but also of his infallibility Now if the Pope should be Successour of the Supremacy of Saint Peter it followeth not thereupon that the Pope cannot erre for hee that is Successour of the charge of another is not therefore Successor of his vertue The Doctors that haue succeeded in the chaire of Moses haue
often corrupted the Law of Moses and haue caused the people to depart out of the way and to stumble at the Law Malach. 2. 8. And the Scribes and Pharisees that were in the Chaire of Moses taught that Iesus Christ was a Seducer And wee haue formerly seene diuers Popes condemned for heresie and impiety by the Councels and many Popes complaining of their Predecessours heresies And seeing that our adversaries confesse that there haue beene multitudes of profane Popes and of infamous life it is hard to beleeue that hee which is not Successour of the good life and of the vertues of Saint Peter can be Successour infallible of his purity in the Faith For if the wicked doctrine of the Leaders of the Church bring in errours their vngodly life bringeth in profanenesse and Atheisme and as the Canon Si Papa hath it in the 40. distinction it casteth headlong innumerable troopes of people into hell it exposeth the Christian Religion vnto Scandall and bringeth errours into the very Faith It being the custome of lewd Pastors to change the doctrine for the better accommodation of their vices and to make it serue their avarice and ambition Let Saint Peter preaching the Gospell bee compared with the Pope that preacheth not at all Saint Peter going on bare foot with the Pope carried vpon Princes shoulders Saint Peter not suffering Cornelius to worship him Act. 10. with the Pope expecting himselfe to bee adored and that Kings should kisse his feet Saint Lib. Sacram. ceremon sect 5. c. 1. 3. Peter reprehending Simon Magus for holding the gift of God purchasable with money Act. 8. 20. With the Pope drayning so much money to himselfe by Absolutions Dispensations Indulgences Annates Archiepiscopall roabes c. Saint Peter recommending chastity to women 1. Pet. 3. With the Pope suffering whoredome and establishing brothell houses publickly at Rome Saint Peter that was married Marke 1. 30. With the Pope forbidding the Clergy to liue in state of matrimony S. Peter who in his second Epistle Chap. 1. Exhoreth the faithfull to bee attentiue to the word of the Prophets With the Pope not allowing the reading of Scripture Saint Peter writing to all the faithfull and commanding them to obey their Kings 1 Pet. 2. 3. and 14. With the Pope exempting the Clergy from subjection to their Kings Saint Peter making no mention in his Epistles of invocation of Saints of adoration of Images of Reliques of Purgatory of Indulgences of the Treasure of the Church of Limbus of the Service in an unknowne tongue of his Supremacie nor usurping any title to himselfe that was not common to the other Apostles with the Pope who teacheth all these things and in his Bulls attributeth to himselfe such titles as Saint Peter never admitted of in his Epistles then may it easily be conjectured what little modicum of assurance there is that the Pope cannot degenerate from the puritie of Saint Peter nor be alienated from his doctrine And note that although Saint Peter was exempted from errour by the continuall assistance of the Spirit of God which Iesus Christ had promised to the Apostles neverthelesse neither hee nor any Apostle vsed this arrogant language vaunting of their impossibilitie to erre As the Pope is the onely Christian Prelate which maketh himselfe to be called God so is he the onely creature which qualifieth himselfe with Infallibilitie to the end to make him resemble God Imitating heerein the false Doctors who taught the Iewes to say The Law shall not perish from the Iere. 18. 18. Priest nor the Counsell from the Wise nor the Word from the Prophet It is not requisite to prooue this Maxime any further That the Bishop of Rome cannot erre in the Faith to bee false and contradicted in the experience of so many ages by so many holy Doctors who haue so often condemned the Bishops of Rome by so many Councels damning the Romish Church and the Bishop of Rome for error and heresie by the testimony of numbers of our adversaries who reject this Maxime and by the confession of the Popes themselues This hath beene amply prooved in my first Treatise Vpon which so false a Maxime are grounded all Traditions of the church of Rome as a multitude of flies sitting vpon a floating planke or a number of Chymera's hanging at a spiders thread which breaketh at a blast It is their plaister for all evill They make new Articles of faith most gainfull to his Holinesse Idolatry Merchandise tyranny corruption of the benefit and nature of Iesus Christ is established And in conclusion they pay us with this maxime that the Church cannot erre and by the Church they understand the Romish and by the Romish Church the Pope of Rome Thus the Romish Church forbiddeth all sorts of errours by an errour in saying I cannot erre supplying with presumption that which is wanting in reason Shee is exempted from giving reason of her doctrine for shee her selfe judgeth that she hath reason Such an errour is the worst of all for by this meanes a man becommeth Iudge of the Word of God and maketh Religion to depend upon his will And hee that saith I cannot erre will never reforme his errour nor subiect himselfe to any rule for he beleeveth himselfe to be the Rule How shall he be raised vp who beleeveth hee cannot fall The third Maxime whereon our adversaries ground their Traditions hath no more certaintie then the other two precedent They presuppose without proofe that Iesus Christ and the Apostles haue spoken many things which they did not commit to writing Vpon this presupposition they build another the most inconsiderate and unreasonable that can bee For they would haue it beleeved that those things which the Apostles did not set downe in writing are the Traditions of the Romish Church at this time and therefore conclude that when Iesus Christ spake severally and apart to his Disciples he conferred with them about the service of Images and adoration of Reliques about Indulgences and superaboundant satisfactions of the Saints which the Pope ought to locke up in his Treasury about Invocation of Saints about the crowning of his Mother in the dignitie of Queene of heaven and of the Angels about private Masses the Communion vnder one kind blessed Beades Agnus Dei c. This is a daring conjecture whereon if the faith of the faithfull bee founded all Religion shall consist of supposition and the Pope shall haue good recreation to invent Traditions which shal turne to his profit for such conjectures are taken for Oracles and layd downe for a foundation of the Christian faith But they are ashamed of this and * contradict themselues for knowing that these Traditions are new Inventions they speake freely that neither Christ nor the Apostles haue taught all either by mouth or by writing and that the Popes from time to time haue added many doctrines essentiall and necessary reserving to themselues the power of altering that which God hath comanded in
the Scripture of adding to the Creed of dispensing against the Apostle and of establishing new Articles of faith aâ— we haue shewed by multitudes of proofes by the practise of the church of Rome So as now wee are not to consider what doctrines haue been taught from the mouth of the Apostles but it is endeavoured to make us receiue all the Traditions which the Popes haue added not onely to the Scriptures but also to the preaching of the Apostles for inviolable lawes and infallible rules Our adversaries then come back to this that the Church of Rome cannot erre in her Traditions for shee cannot erre in this Tradition that shee cannot erre They would haue us beleeue the Tradition of the Romish Church because the Tradition of that Church hath so ordained it So as this third Maxime leadeth vs backe to the second which holdeth that the Pope cannot erre and this Maxime that the Pope cannot erre leadeth us to the first that is to say to the Succession of Saint Peter wherof God ordained nothing from whence they haue made this infallibilitie to spring forth It is lamentable to heare how they speake of the antiquitie of their Traditions yea when they be fresh and moderne They heard their fathers say that they heard from others and they againe from others that the Apostles haue taught these things by mouth onely and did disperse them amongst some few Thus they make a brittle cord which bindeth not the consciences and their beleefe striving to rove backe through fifteene or sixteene ages wherein they see not one jot is lost in the way in stead of beginning at the fountaine to wit at Iesus Christ and his Apostles and to learne in their writings that which they haue taught for a Commandement of the Lord or of the Apostles had in one word freed them from all doubt and difficultie CHAP. XII That our Adversaries alledging the Scripture doe contradict themselues and alledge Scripture for Traditions in generall without touching the particulars wherein they finde the Scripture contrary IT is the propertie of lying to say and unsay involving it selfe in contradictions Our adversaries build the authoritie of the Scripture upon the Tradition of the Church and then contradicting themselues they labour to ground Tradition vpon the testimony of Scripture Their custome is to alledge Scripture not to defend every one of their Traditions in particular but they endeavour to prooue in general that the Scripture speaketh of Traditions approveth them Presupposing without proofe thâ—â— the traditions wherof the Scripture maketh mention are those which in our times are received by the Church of Rome and where of the body of Papistry is compounded And herein they doe wisely For what should they find in the scripture that may be of use to uphold so many new inventions unlessâ— perhaps they would ground the abridgement of the cup upon the words of our Saviour Drinke ye â— Math. 26. 27. of it And upon the words of Sainâ— Paul writing to the people of Coâ—rinth Let a man examine himself 1 Cor. 11. 28. chap. 10. 17. and so let him eat of that Bread an drinke of that Cup. As likewise â— are all partakers of one and the same Bread and one and the same Cup according to the vulgar translation Or they would ground the single life of Priests and Bishops vpon the Apostles Commandement wherein he chargeth a Bishop to bee 1 Tim. 3. ver 2. 4. husband of one wife having his children in subjection with all gravity as also If they cannot containe let them 1 Cor. 7. 9. marry for it is better to marry then to burne Or Invocation of Saints vpon the words of Solomon that God onely 2 Chro. 6. 30 knoweth the hearts of men And vpon those of Saint Paul How shall they Rom. 10. 14 call upon him in whom they haue not beleeved And vpon those words of Iesus Christ When yee pray say Our Father which art in heaven c. Luk. 11. 2. Or private Masses and without Communicants upon this reason that Saint Paul calleth the holy Supper A Communion And upon 1 Cor. 10. 16 this that Iesus Christ giving bread to his disciples hath said Take eat for in their solitary Masses no man assisteth to whom the Priest may say Take Or the power of the Pope to depose Kings and to make them kisse his feet upon these sentences of the Apostles Feare God Honour 1 Pet. 2. 17. the King and vpon this Let every Rom. 13. 1. man bee subiect to superiour powers and vpon the example of Iesus Christ who payed tribute and washed his Apostles feet Or Service and Prayers in a strange language upon that which the Apostle speaketh Except you 1 Cor. 14. 9. 19. vtter by the tongue words easie to bee vnderstood how shall it be knowen what is spoken for yee shall speake into the ayre And I had rather speake in the Church five words with my vnderstanding then ten thousand in an vnknowne tongue Or difference of meates upon that which the Apostle sayth If any of them that beleeve not invite 1 Cor. 10. 27 you to a feast and ye be disposed to goe whatsoever is set before you eate asking no question for conscience sake And upon that which the same Apostle calleth the instructions of those that sayd touch not tast not handle not humane Commandements and doctrines although they were made for devotion and to subdue the flesh as he hath it in the 2 chap. to the Colos 21. 22. 23. Or merite of workes of condignity as they are called or of equivalence and congruity upon the words of our Saviour When you Luk. 17. â—â— shall have done all that is commanded you say we are vnprofitable servants Or workes of supererogation not commanded upon the summe of the Law which inioyneth to love God with all the heart and with all the strength For in these words is commanded all the good that man can doe and upon that where Saint Paul in the 4. to the Phil. 8. chargeth us to addict our selves to all things commendable and vertuous whereupon it followeth that if the works of supererrogation are vertuous and praise worthy they are commanded and vpon this that the perfection of the Angels doth consist in obeying the Commaundement of God Psal 103. 20. and not to doe more then he hath commanded Or borrowed satisfactions upon that which the Apostle testifieth that every man shall carry his owne burthen Galat. 6. 5. and that every man shall receiue his owne proper reward according to his owne labour 1 Cor. 3. 8. Or offerings of Priests in making sacrifices for the living and the dead upon that which Iesus Christ hath sayd Doe this in remembrance of me which is the place for proofe thereof that the Counsell of Trent in the 22. session wil have to be received of every man under paine of an Anathema Or festivall play dayes upon the
after the Apostles did reject all Traditions not contained in the holy Scriptures much more and with stronger reason it standeth that after so many ages transacted there should be lesse probability of cause to make new additions For when shall there be any cessation of adding Bellarmine in his 3. chapter against Barkley perceiuing that the Popes power to depose Kings is destitute of all Testimony of antiquity Non rectâ— dâ— Ecclesia sentit qui nihil admittit nisi quod exprâ—ssâ— in vetâ—râ— Ecclesia scriptuÌ„ aut factum â—sse legit Quâ—sâ— Ecclesia posterâ—â—ris temporis auâ— desiâ—rit essâ— Eclesia aut facultatâ— non habuerit explicandi declarandi constituendi â—tiam et iubâ—ndâ— quâ— ad fideÌ„ et mores Christianos pertinent saith that hee judgeth not soundly of the Church of Christ who admitteth nothing but what he readeth expressely to haue beene done or sayd in the ancient Church As if the Church of the latter time had either discontinued and left off to be a Church or had not the faculty of explicating or declaring constituting and ordaining matters which concerne the faith and manners of Christians Whence it followeth that the Church of Rome is not yet compleate and finished in her perfection seeing that precepts touching the faith and rule of moralitie may be added thereunto as indeed there are yet many that are hot in the forge and freshly hammered upon the anvile of avarice and ambition But this Cardinall ought to consider that seeing this Tradition touching the Popes power to depose Kings maketh the Pope King of Kings It is not just or reasonable that the Pope should be judge thereof nor that he should bee permitted without rendering accompt to any other person to introduce such Traditions without the word of God whereby to enveagle the temporall wealâ—h and to make himselfe the moâ—arch on earth By this very doctrine the Iesuite equalleth in authority the Romish Church of this time to the Church of the Apostles time Yet it is the Church of the Apostles time which regulateth the succeeding ages And those first Heraulds of grace in Iesus Christ are yet seated vpon the twelue thrones ludging the twelue Tribes of Israel From this source proceeded the Bull Exurge which is at the end of the last Lateran Councell placing this amongst the heresies of Luther when he sayd that It is not in the power of the Pope and Church of Rome to establish Articles of faith Hence also proceeded the remonstrance Syn Flor. Sess vlt. Romana Ecclâ—siâ— nâ—cessitatâ— vrgente iurâ— suo partâ—culâ— illam ex filioque Symbâ—lâ— appâ—nere liâ—u â—ssâ— which the councel of Florence published that the Church of Rome had just power to adde to the Creed CHAP. XXIIII How the Texts and Passages of the Fathers which our adversaries alledge for the unwritten Traditions ought to be understood SEeing that in matter of Christian faith and the points necessary to salvation the Fathers doe unanimiously cleaue to the sole word of God contained in the Holy Scriptures it were a strange thing if after this they should seeke to ground themselues upon Traditions and to surmise in matter of salvation another word unwritten Certainely the Doctors who should destroy that which they have built vp ought not to be beleeved by no meanes should they bee credited who credit not themselues Now for the better purging of Three sorts of good Traditions them from this blame it would be necessary to remember that which wee have formerly spoken to wit that we reiect not all sorts of Traditions for the Scripture it selfe is a Tradition which is one reason A second is because there are Traditions which are not matters of Faith nor necessary to salvation but customes and reglements touching Ecclesiasticall policy which wee willingly approove when wee see that they have beene receiued in the auncient Church by a generall consent And Satan having alienated any one of these customes and turned it to Idolatry or converted it to any other end unpractised before wee doe not beleeue that in deserting such a custome Christian Religion is a whit impaired but it were wisely done to barge up that gate against the devill A third is because there are also Doctrines taught in the Scripture which are there not found in the same termes as the Ancients propose them but are therein found in equivalent words or are deduced from thence by necessary consequence If any man will call these doctrines Traditions wee will not quarrell him thereupon provided that he allow such Traditions to be bottomed with the Scripture and there to be found in substance I say then as often as the Fathers mention and give way to Traditions their meaning is of those three sorts afore recited that is to say either of the Scripture it selfe or of customes and reglements of Ecclesiasticall policy and of matters not necessary to salvation or of occurrences contained in the Scripture yet not there found in the same words as the auncients propose them but in substance and â—y consequence to proove the which wee have employed the Chapter following CHAP. XXV A proofe of that which went before SOme doe object Irenaeus unto us who wrote abou the end of the second age that in his 3. book 4. chap. disputing against Hereticks that gave no admission to the Scriptures laboureth to convince them by Traditions that is to say as he expoundeth himselfe by the succession of the doctrine left from hand to hand in the Churches erected by the Apostles What Quid auseÌ„ si neque Apostoli Scripturas quidem reliquissent nobis nonne oporteret ordinem sequi traditionis quam tradiderant â—â—s quibus coÌ„mittehant Ecclesias saith he If the Apostles had not left us the Scriptures would it not have beene needfull to follow the order of Tradition which they delivered to those unto whose trust they committed the Churches And to good purpose he sayd it for if wee had not the holy Scriptures wee should have been constrayned to have recourse vnto weaker meanes and of lesse certainty And it behooveth that when he speaketh in that manner it bee to such as are refractary and averse from the Scriptures but not to vs who cordially embrace them and set up our last rest upon them Moreover from the time of Irenaeas the succession was but short and the memory of things taught by the mouth of the Apostles fresh of the which the remembrance would bee razed and put out if we had not the writings of the Apostles For the continuation of time and the subversion corruption and schisme of so many Churches which then unamimously concurred and are now at variance boasting of their succession maketh this search and examination impossible to the Christian people and full of uncertainty But at length what are these doctrines which Irenâ—us would have to bee taught and learned by Tradition if we had not the Scripture Is it invocation of Saints service of Images adoration of Relickes the
were not Basils owne For saith hee the Authour of these questions seeâ—es unwilling Bellar de Amis grat lib. 1. cap. 13 §. Respondeo to admit of unwritten Traditions But Cardinall Baronius affirmeth that To call this into suspicion or Baron annal tâ—m 3. anno 361. § 52. Hâ—c in dubiâ—â— revâ—casse summa stultitiâ— sit doubt is a notorious sottishnesse And maintaineth these bookes to bee Basils as it is manifested by the stile Saint Hierome in his Catalogue and Phâ—tius in his Bibliotheca put the Aschetickes amongst the Workes of Basil Yea more Gennadius composed Homilies out of pieces of Basils Workes compacted together amongst the which many were taken out of Ascheticks Wherefoer the conjecture of Erasmus is not improbable who made a preface upon Basils booke de Sanct. Spiritu Wherein hee professeth that having translated this booke to the halfe way he perceiued the phrase to alter and to be no more of the same authors for hee could discerne a palpable other vain Moreover though Bellarmine had something wherewith to defame and disgrace this piece of Ascheticks yet could hee cast no aspersion upon his Treatise of the true Faith where Basil affirmeth that it is a manifest revolt from the Faith and a brand of pride and presumption to reject any thing that is written or to introduce any thing which is not written Iesus Christ having sayd My sheepe heare my voyce Nor any upon that place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where Basil speaketh to Eustachius the Physician in his 80. Epist If faith hee custome bee of force for proofe of doctrine it shall bee lawfull for us in this to immitate them Let us then sticke to the arbitration and award of the Scripture inspired by God and hold the free suffrage voice of the truth to be on their sides whose doctrines shall bee found concurring with the divine words Neuerthelesse let vs consider what benefit our adversaries can derive from this passage about the which they make so much bruit and clamour In the first place Basil maketh a recitall of Traditions which he affirmeth to bee of equall authority with the Scripture yet amongst them there are many not approoved by the Church of Rome as prayer towards the East and making conscience to kneele on the Lords day and from the Paschal to Pentecost Most especially it displeaseth our adversaries that Basil in the Eucharist putteth the consecration in the prayer or in the invocation that is to say in speaking to God not in the bread If they beleeve Basil why doe they reject his Tradititions or if they beleeve him not why will they oblige us to beleeve him In the second place all these unwritten Traditions except the last numbred by the Authour of that booke are but ceremonies and lawes of Ecclesiasticall policy not necessary to salvation but subject to mutability and such as consequently make nothing to the purpose For our dispute is not of Traditions that concerne not the Faith and Christian doctrine but of those that concerne the doctrine of salvation not contained in holy Scripture Yet I cannot dissemble that the author of this booke be he Basil or whatere he bee isgreatly mistaken in his not onely equaling but also preferring both in height of dignitie and profoundnesse of mystery certaine petty ceremonies before the Sacred doctrine of our redemption contained in the Gospel Can any man without unsufferable injury not to use a more rigide exclamation equall ye preferre the Customes of standing at prayer on certaine dayes rather then kneeling Of praying towards the East rather then towards the West And of giving a benediction to the water or oyle before the doctrine of the incarnation of the Sonne of God the benefit of this death the justification by Faith the election eternall and the internall seale of the Spirit of God Can any man without impiety change any part or particle of these doctrines But as for those ceremonies they have suffered alteration and the Romish Church it selfe hath disparaged and debased them You see how preposterous and grosse our adversaries are who instead of covering the faults of those graue Fathers doe arme themselues with their drosse and refuse as birds that liue on nothing else but caterpillers And touching the last unwritten Tradition which is that men ought to beleeve in God the Father and in Iesus Christ his Son in the holy Ghost Is it possible that Basil where doe shine so many vertues and perfections never saw this in the Scripture For Iesus Christ saith at the 14. of Saint Iohn You beleeve in God beleeue also in me And in the 5. chap. 23. To the end that all men should honour the Sonne even as they honour the Father And as touching the holy Ghost how oft times is hee called God therefore when the Scripture biddeth to beleeue in God it coÌ„mandeth to beleeve in the holy Spirit Now to excuse Basil we must say that hee calleth Traditions the doctrines that are not found in the Scripture in expresse words but are there in ubstance and in equivalent words And wee doe willingly entertaine such kind of Traditions Only hee is mistaken to have entermingled this high and divine Tradition amongst Customes and Ceremonies indifferent in their nature as things equally necessary and which ought to be regarded with like duty and reverence These words of Saint Hierome in an Epistle to Marcella are alleged Nos vnam quadragesimaÌ„ ex Apostolica traditione tempore nobis â—ongrue ieiunamus unto us Wee fast one terme of 40. dayes at the time that wee thinke meete according to the Apostolicall Tradition This is but a ceremony and not a doctrine of the Christian Faith and we have elsewhere shewed that in the ages Au liâ—â—e de la Nouveaté du Papisme liure 7 en la 5. Conrroversâ— chap. 6. 7. neerest approching to the Apostles the Christian Church fasted but forty houres And that this fast was arbirtary and diversly practised The same Hierome against the Luciferians makes the Hereticke speake thus Knowest thou not that it is the custome of the Churches to impose hands vpon those who are baptized and so to invoke the holy Ghost Doest thou aske me where this is written I answere in the Actes of the Apostles And if there could not bee found authority of Scripture for it the custome generally observed in this point should serue instead of a commandement for many other things in like manner which are kept in use by Tradition in the Churches haue usurped the authority of the written Law as in baptisme to plunge the head three times and beeing come foorth of the washing place â—o taste the conjunction of milke and hony for a signification of infancy not to pray kneeling nor to fast upon our Lords day and through out the whole Quinquagesima or fifty dayes with many other unwritten things which mens indifferent observation doth challâ—nge to it selfe Such is the language of the
Hereticke to whom the Orthodox answereth I dâ—ny not the custome of the Churches to be so c. This passage is considerable For I doubt not but the reading of such passages maketh our adversaries sicke at the very heart seeing that the unwritten Traditions whereof the Fathers do make mention as of Traditions descended from the Apostles are Traditions which the Church of Rome hath rejected and when the ancient Fathers do make recital of those unwritten Traditions they put not invocation of Saints amongst them nor Images of the Trinity nor service to the Images of Saints nor the Communion under one kind nor Romish Indulgences nor the forbidding to read the Scripture without speciall permission nor the Limbus for the Fathers or that for little infants nor prayer in an unknowne tongue nor the assumption of the Virgine Mary bodily into heaven or her Coronation in the Majesty of Queene of Heaven nor Masses without communicants nor the power of the Pope to give and take Kingdomes and to release soules out of Purgatory c. The Reader may note by the way what little reason there is to insert the custome of standing in prayer from Easter to Whitsuntide amongst the Apostolicall Traditions seeing that in the 20. chap. of the Acts 36. and at the 21. chap. 5. the Apostle Saint Paul prayeth kneeling betweene the Paschall and Pentecost as appeareth by the 6. and 16. verses of the 20. chap. As for Hierome his opinion touching these ceremonies and externall obseruations is farre differing from that of Basil if it be true that Basil is the authour of that booke de Sancto Spiritu For marke what he saith in his 28. Epistle to Ego te breviter illud admonenduÌ„ puto traditiones Ecclesiastieas prasertim qua fidei non officiant ita observaÌ„das vt a maioribus tradita sunt nec altorum consue udineÌ„ alioruÌ„ coÌ„trario more subverti Lucinius I thinke is expedient briefely to advertise thee that Ecclesiâ—sticall Traditions especially those which offend not the Faith ought to be observed according as men haue received them from their auncestors And that the custome of some should not bee subuerted by the custome of others contrarily practised Hee will have euery man to follow the custome of his owne Church in matters not contrary to the Faith without taking in ill part that other Churches have a contrary custome which is as much to say that hee accompteth these things indifferent in their owne nature And it is the counsell that Saint Ambrose gave to Saint August Epist 118. ad Ianuarium Cum Romam venio ieiu no sabbate cum hic sum non ieiune Siâ—â—tiam tu ad quam fortè EcclesiaÌ„ vâ—neru eiusmorem serva fi euiguaÌ„ non vis esse sâ—andalo nec quiÌ„quem tibi Augustine saying When I am at Rome I fast on Saturday but whâ—n I am here meaning at Milan I doe not fast So at what Church sâ—euer thou shalt arriue follow the custome of it if thou desirest not to giue occasion of dislike to any man and that no man should scandalize or bee offensiue to thee Pope Gregory the first about the yeere of our Lord 595. sending Augustine the Monke into England not to plant Christianity there for that was brought in long before but to establish the Popes authority to which the Christians of that Iland were not then subject was asked some questions by the sayd Augustine amongst the rest Interrogationes Augustini sub finé operuÌ„ Gregorij Cur cum vâ—a sit sides sunt EcelesiaruÌ„ censuctudines taÌ„ diversa altera consuâ—tude mtssarâ—â— est in Rom. Eeclefia arque altera in Gallica tenetur Resp Nâ—vit c. Sed mihi placet vt siue in Romana fiue in GallicaneruÌ„ seu in qualibet Eâ—clesia aliquid iâ—â—â—â—nisti quod plus eâ—â—nipâ—tets Dâ—â— placere poâ—â—it sollicite eligas marke but the third There being but one faith why are the customes of the Churches so differing and repugnant Why is there one custome of Masses observed in the Church of Rome and another in that of France This Pope that undertooke not to regulate and shape other Churches to the forme of his owne answereth him Your brotherhood knoweth well what is the custome of the Church of Rome wherein you may remember you had your education But I hold it requisite and good if you find any thing either in the Church of Rome or in that of France or in any other which is more pleasing to God Almighty that you make choyse of it with all diligence and respect To celebrate the Masse at this present in France otherwise then according to the Romish order were a flat rebellion and all that the Pope enjoyneth to the Churches which he subjecteth to himselfe by the assistance of Kings and Princes is granted for inviolable and for an Apostolicall Tradition More especially our adversaries doe flourish insultingly with the words of Chrysostome in his 4. Homily upon the 2. to the Thessal Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith hee it appeareth that the Apostles have not taught all by Epistles but that they have also taught many things without writing and aswell these things as those are worthy to bee beleeved I have already sayd that although the intention of Chrysostome should bee to affirme that the Apostle have taught many Doctrines and Articles of the Christian Faith not contained in holy Scripture yet would it not follow that these were the same poynts which they of the Romish Church advance and put forward as invocation of Saints succession of the Pope in the Primacy of St Peter Images Indulgences c. But Chrysostome suffereth us noâ— to doubt of his intention He understandeth only the things that are not necessary to salvation for as touching the Doctrines that are necessary to salvation he affirmeth in the precedent Homily being the third that they are all contained cleerely in the Scripture Observe his words All that is in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divine Scriptures is cleere and legall all things that are necâ—ssary are therein plainely couched Nothing can be uttered more expresly The same Father in his third Homily upon the Epistle to the Philippians speaketh of the commemoration of the dead in the Eucharist in these words It is not without reason that he hath ordained by the Apostles that in thereverend mysteries a commemoration be made of the dead acknowledging that therby much gaine and good accrueth to them But wee must take notice that the prayer which the ancient Church did make for the dead is rejected by the Romish Church of this time For the Church of Rome prayeth only for the soules of Purgatory to the end their torment may be asswaged or consummated But the ancient Church prayed for the Prophets Apostles and Martyrs and humbly besought that those for whom it petitioned should bee raysed to salvation or should rise earlier and at a better houre then the rest or should be more superficially singed