by these Hereticks As for unwritreÌ„ Traditions doctrines not taught in Scripture but delivered by word of mouth they rejected them not they laide the foundation and upon their foundation you have built this pillar of your Religion this towre and fort of your salvation This is not onely discovered by Irenaeâ—â— and Tertullian but likewise I may adde S. Augustine who declareth this to be the practice of all Heretickes b Aug. tract 97. in Ioh. All of the most foolish Heretickes use to colour their bold fictions with this saying I have yet many things to say unto you And this very text the Iesuite * pag. 119. likewise useth to the same purpose to colour this bolde fiction of unwritten Traditions therewith Thus the Heretickes yea omnes insipientissimi Haereâ—iâ—i if you will believe S. Augustine agreed in urgeing unwritten Traditions And yet the Iesuite saith they agreed in rejecting unwritten Traditions To the third That the Fathers pursued those Heretickes by unwritten Traditions I answere If a man bee to dispute against an Heathen it is in vaâ—e to presse him by the authority of Scripture which he denyeth Many of the Fathers disputed against Heretickes that did sapere cum Ethnicis as Tertullian c Tertul. de resurrect cain affirmeth and would not bee tryeâ— by the Scriptures but rejeâ—ted them as counterfeit as impâ—rfect and lyable to various interpretations as Ireâ—â—us hâ—th recorded their actions to dâ—pute against sâ—ch by the Scriptures would be but labour lost Cyrill teachâ—th us how to deale with such d Contra coâ— qui â—eriâ—ta non admittunâ— pugâ—ato aâ—â— is non scriptis ex solis ratiocinationibus demonstrationibus Cyril Hâ—erosol catechâ—s 18. Fight against such as deny the Scriptures by unwritten weapons onely by strong reasons and demonstrations Thus Cyrill in the same place prooveth the Resurrection of the Body by the renewing of the Moone as S. Paul proveth it by e 1. Cor. 15. the springing of the Corne. The same Apostle maketh use of Heathen Poets as of Epimâ—nides * Tit. 1. Aratiâ— and * Act. 17. Menander And so the Fathers made use of all kinde of learning by unwritten arguments they proved written Doâ—trines against such as denyed the written word And when the Heretickes appealed from Scripture to unwritten Traditions they purâ—ued them by the true Tradition of the Church which was is the same with that which * 1. Cor. 15. is contained in the Scripture This is nothing for unwritten Doctrinâ—s it onely concerneth modum probandi not rem probatâ—m The thing proved may be written although the mâ—dium or argumentum whereby it is proved be not written What enemies those famous Hereticks Nestorius Eutyâ—hes Reply p. â—â—7â— Dioschorus were unto unwritten Traditions is dâ—scovered by Basil Bishop of Ancâ—ra S. Bernard telleth us the same â—le of certuine Hereticks of his time called Apostolicks who were followed herein by Wicklessâ— as Thomas Waldensis doth recount by the Hussites as Cocklaus beareth witnes from these Bellarmine saith truly thâ— Pâ—otestants did receive their opinion And this is your Pedegree x. We receive not our opinion from man but finde our doctrine delivered in the Scriptures from time to time confirmed by the preaching writings of the Fathers As for Basil Bishop of Ancira he was an idolater and one of that second conventicle at Nice wherein by unwritten Traditions idolatry was established so that his testimony is little worth Those famous Heretickes Nostorius Entyches Dioschorus were not condemned for denying unwritten Traditions but for opposing written Doctrines Although Bernard lived in a declining age yet he defendeth no unwritten Traditions against the Apostolicks but being urged by them to shew where in the Gospell this is written He accepteth of their Appeale to the Gospell prosecuteth them in their appeale and examineth the cause by the Scripture f Beâ—â—ard â—erm 65. in Caâ—â—ic Evangelium appellasts Ad Evangelium ibis Hast thâ—â— appealed unto the Gospell To the Gospell thou shalt goe Wickliffe defendeth no hereticall Doctrine but the doctrine of the Primitive Church as Thomas Waldensis relateth it g Quod nulli quidquam in materiâ— fidei debent definiâ—e nisi ad hoc habent authoritatem Scripturae Tho. Wald. l. 2. Doct. â—id antiq c. 19 That none ought to determine any thing in a point of faith without the authoritie of Scripture If this make Wickliffe an Hereticke what then will you say of Thomas Waldensis himselfe who saith as much if not more against the authority of the Roman Church h Idem ibid. In the doubts of faith we must inquire what the Apostles taught And if any shall aske who shall declare what the Apostles taught He answereth Not the African Church as Donatus said Not the Roman Church as the Iesuite will say but the universall Church not as gathered in a generall Synode which â—ft hath erred but the Catholicke Church of Christ dispersed over the world Where then was the Popes Cathedrall voyce This Doctrin was not then hatcht that whatsoever power is extensivè in the whole Church the same is intensivè in the Pope And that it must be a thing taken pro Concesso that iâ— determining doubts of faith the Pope cannot erre Huss opposed the errors of the Church of Rome and therefore it is no new thing to heare his enemies speake evill of him and of his adherents Finally the Iesuite concludeth with a rotten lye that our pedegree is from those rotten Heretickes It is a Brute raised by a Brute as true as the tale of the Britanes from Brute S. Chrysostome in like manner giveth this for a marke of Answer Antichrist and of all spirituall theeves that they come not in by the doore of the Scriptures * Chrys 〈◊〉 in Ioh. 10 For the Scripture saith hee like unto a sure doore doth barre an entrance unto Heretickes safeguarding us in all things that we will and not suffering us to be deceived Whereupon hee concludeth That who so useth not the Scriptures but commeth in otherwise that is betaketh himselfe to an other and an unlawfull way hee is a thâ—efe To this the Iesuit retnrneth no answer he durst not touch it it discovereth him to be a spirituall theefe and a minister of Antichrist and that things unwritten are an other way and therefore an unlawfull way How this mystery of iniquitie wrought when Antichrist Answer came unto his full growth was well observed by the author of the booke de unitate Ecclesiae thought by some to be Waltram Bishop of Naâ—mburg who speaking of the Monkes that for the upholding of Pope Hildebrands faction brought in Schismes and heresies into the Church noteth this specially of them * lib de unitat Eccles that despising the Tradition of God they desired other doctrines and brought in maisteries of humane institution Waltram his invective against Pope Hildebrand is to no Reply pag. 157 purpose
fabulous Novelties then Epiphanius especially in Genealogies into which it is probable he was misledde thorough his over-much love of historicall Traditions He taketh upon him to tell who was * Heracles and Astaroth Melchizedecks Father and Mother and who were the wives of * Sanue Asura Barthenoâ— Cain Seth and Noah These were some of his fabulous Novelties grounded upon Tradition without any authority of Scripture for which he deserveth to be censured We are willing rather to cover then to discover the nakednesse of this Father and therefore favourably interpret his words that The Traditions of the Apostles that is their preaching and The succession of true doctrine both which are the same with the Scriptures are the limites of the Church and the boundes of our faith This is consonant with the doctrine of other Fathers m â—criptura est murns adamantinus circum vallenâ—â—eclefiam Chrysoft l. 4. de Sacerdot The Scripture sayth Chrysostome is an adamantine wall environing the Church The Church saith Hierome n Ecclesia non egressa est de fiâ—â—bus suis id est de Scripturis sanctis Hieroâ— l â— c. â— in Mich. is not gone out of her bounds that is out of the holy Scriptures Irenaeus telleth us first that * Iren l. 3. c. 2. Heretickes cannot possibly be convinced by onely Scripture 5. I tell you that you belye this Father this is all that hee saith When Heretickes are convinced by the Scriptures Reply they beginne to accuse the Scriptures Heresie hath alwayes an obstinacie joyned with it this obstinacie and not the insufficiencie of Scripture made the Heretickes not submit unto it S. Steven convinced the Iewes by the Scriptures and so did S. Paul the Athenians yet malice made the Iewes to o Act. 7. 34. Gnash with their teeth at the one and obstinacie caused the Athenians to p Act. 17. 18. rayle upon the other The Scripture is sufficient to convince the whole rabblement of Iesuites although they doe as those Heretickes did accuse it of insufficiencie when as they are convicted by it If the Scripture be not sufficient to convince Heretickes because they raile upon it by the same reason they cannot be convinced by Tradition for Irenaeus sheweth that they did * Iren ibidem likewise oppose Tradition And that they would neither yeeld to Tradition nor to Scripture Irenaus had a better opinion of Scripture then the Romanists have he spent three Bookes in his arguments taken from Scripture against the Heretickes and not three Chapters in his arguments taken from Tradition Erasmus therefore well observeth it q Solis Scripturarum praesidiis pugâ—âsse Iâ—enâ—um adversus catervam Hâ—reticorum Erasâ—â— in Epist ad Triden Epist Iren. praeâ—â—â—â— That Irenaent fought against the roote of Heretickes onely with the strength of Scripture Afterwards reckoning up the Bishoppes of Rome from S. Peter to Elentherius who sate in his time thereby to shewe that there was in the Church a continuall and orderly succession of Bishoppes by whome divine and Apostolicall Traditions were truely preserved There was doeth not proove that there is Reply Rome was once t Rom. 1. 8. famous for her faith but now her obstinacie and apostasie whereof shee was Å¿ Rom. 11. 21. forewarned is manifest and apparent I graunt that from the dayes of S. Peter untill the time of Eleutherius or Iranaeus the Church of Rome preserved Traditions But not such Traditions as are now observed in that Church that Church then was as ignorant of these late inventions as this now Church is wide from those Traditions In his second Chapter hee hath these golden Reply words they are in his fourth Chapter Seeing that these demonstrations are so great wee must not seeke for that truth amongst others which we may easily finde out in the Church By others he meaneth the Valentinians the Marcionists and those Heretickes against whom he disputeth amongst these we must not seeke for the truth Where then In the Church Must we not therefore seeke it in the Scriptures This is to extract drosse out of Irenaeus his gold Is the Church without Scripture And if we finde truth in the Church can we not therefore finde it in the Scripture * Iren ibidem Seeing that the Apostles have laid up fully in her as in a Reply rich store-house all whatsoever belongeth to the truth The preaching and writings of the Apostles which are the same for substance of doctrine are the endlesse treasure laide up in the Church as in a rich store-house These are * Iren. ibidem The things of the Church which wee must love this is the Tradition of truth which wee must lay hould of Namely of the truth preached by the Apostles delivered unto the Church in the Scripture and preserved in the Church this kinde of Tradition Irenaeus commenmendeth by this kinde of Tradition hee condemned the Heretickes and this kinde of Tradition is not of unwritten but of written doctrines even of such doctrines as were coÌ„tradicted by those Hereticks who erred in points of written doctrines * Iren ibidem What if there were a controversie in some small point it selfe must wee not make recourse unto those most auncient Churches and receive from them what wee holde to be certaine and undoubted Not onely in small but even in the greatest Controversies wee collect the testimonies of antiquity wee enquire what the Primitive Church hath taught even as we doe in this great Controversie of unwritten Traditions and we finde that the Primitive Church taught as we teach and therefore we holde it as certaine and undoubted that unwritten Traditions are to bee rejected But the last wordes of Irenaeus * This is answered Sect. â— D. â— What if the Apostles had not left us the Scriptures â—â—written should wee not then bee obliged to follow the rule of Tradition delivered by them unto those with whom they left the Churches in charge These sayth the Iesuite put us in minde of tâ—at I dare say which never came into Irenaeus his minde That the Apostles delivered some things onely to certaine persons which they would not have layde open unto all by writing This is to corrupt Irenaus to sophisticate his golden wordes and to turne them into drosse there is nothing in Irenaeus sounding like unto this but I see as the foole thinketh so the bell tincketh If the Apostles had not written then there had beene unwritten doctrines and now seeing the Apostles have written must there needes be still unwritten doctrines Irenaeus never knew other doctrine delivered by the rule of Tradition then is contained in the Scriptures So Paul to Timothy * â— Tim. 2. 1. Thou therefore my sonne bee Reply p. 1â—5 strong in the grace that is in Christ Iesus and the things that thou hast heard of mee by many witnesses the same commit thou to faithfull men who shal be able to teach others also Here
5. quaestâ— 5. ar 1. There are Principles plainely laid downe in Scripture which are the grounds of many other articles as of two natures and one person in Christ and of the necessity of the baptisme of Children c and of many other doctrines not expressely written and yet firmely drawne from Scripture Such aâ—e many other points as that of the consubstantialitie Reply pag. 126 of the Sonne with the Father The proceeding of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Sonne as from one beginning That the Father is unbegotten 12. These three points which concerne the glorious Trinity Father Sonne and Holy Ghost we beleeve them to be articles of our faith and to be written though not formally yet virtually in the Scriptures and it may be that the spirit of contention moveth the Iesuite to strive about the forme of words and not about the forme of doctrine contained in those words unbegotten consubstantiall c S. Augustine disputing about the same words saith * Quid enim contentiosiue quam ubi dâ—re constat certare de nomine August ad Pascent Arian Epist 174. What is contention if this be not to strive about words when we agree about the thing The words themselves are not the points of faith the Church beleeved the same points of faith before the same words were used but the doctrines contained in those words are the points of faith And if he will say the doctrines are not written because the words are not written he may aswell say the Trinity of Persons and the Vnitie of Essence are unwritten doctrines because the words Trinity and Vnity are not written It is the doctrine of Devils first to teach that these things are not written that so men may doubt of them and after deny them What a gappe is here layd open to let in Paganisme Atheisme Iudaisme and sundry sorts of heresies Let him then recant his error least he be burnt for an Hereticke Bellarmine makeâ—h a better confession saying y Retinentur à nobisilla nomina Essentia Homousios Hypostasis Persona c quia etsi in Scripturis non â—abentur â—amen habentuâ— corum semina â—quivalentia Bellann de Christo l. 2. c. 2 We retaine these words Essence Consubstantiall Hypostasis Person c because we finde words which are aquivalent unto them in Scripture although the Scripture doth not containe these same words That of the Consubstantiality of the Sonne with the Father is proved out of the Scriptures by Tertullian in a z Tertul. adâ— Praxâ—am treatise written for that purpose a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodor Dialog â— For this we will produce demonstrations out of the holy Scripture saith Theodor. â— disputing against Arius concerning this point b Quomo â—o dicis in Scripturis Hoâ—ousion non inveniâ—i quasi aliud â—it Homousion quam quod dicit Ego de Patre exivi et Ego Pater unum sumus Ambrosâ— de fide cont Arianâ— c. 5. How doest thou say saith Ambrose the word Consubstantiall is not found in the Scriptures as if Consubstantiall were any thing but this I came forth from the Fathâ—r And I and the Father are one c Adverâ—us impietatem Haereticorum Paâ—res novum nomen condiderunt Homousion sed non rem novam tali nomine signaverunt Hoc enim vocatur Homousion quod est Ego Pater unum sumus unius videlicet ejusdenque substantiae August tract 97. in Ioh To crosse the impietie of the Heretickes the Fathers invented a new word Consubstantiall but that new word signified no new thing For Consubstantiall and this is all one I and the Father are one to wit one in substance saith S. Augustine And he urgeth the Arians to consider this d August Epist 174. If any where in Scripture they can finde two called one who are not one in substance And againe hee provoketh them to try this point not by any e August cont Maximin l. 3. c 14. Councell but by Scripture And Bellarmine telleth us hee had good reason to doe so f Quia in illis quâ—â—ionibus exstabant in Scripturis clarisâ—ima testimonia Bellarm de verbo Dei l. 4. c 11. Because in that question the Scripture afforded most evident testimonies That the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne S. Augustine in sundry places proveth it by the Scriptures g Cum per Scripturarum Sacraruâ— testimonia docuissem de urroâ— procedere Spiritum Sanctum August de Trinit l. 15. c. 27. Seeing that I have taught saith he that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from them both And againe h Spiritum Sanctum esse Patris Filiâ— a Patre Filio mitti atque procedeâ—e ab utâ—oque sanctae Scripturae testimonijs clatius demonstremus Aug Tract 99. in Ioh. That the Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Sonne and is sent forth from the Father and the Sonne and that hee proceedeth from them both let us demonstrate it more clearely by the testimonies of holy Scripture And this point Bellarmine prooveth by i Bellarma de christ l. â— c. â—â— Scripture And that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from them both as from one beginning this is not expressely written yet by undeniable consequence it is gathered out of Scripture Petrus Damianus useth this argument k Cum Filius dicit Ego Pater unum sumus Quomodo potest Spiritus Sanctus ab eo quod unum est procedere non procedere Pet Damian l. 3. Epist 1. Seeing the Sonne saith I and the Father are one How can the Holy Ghost proceede from that which is one and likewise not proceede l Melch Canus locorum l. â— c. 2. Melchiâ—r Canus reckoneth this among those things which without losse of Salvation may bee left doubtfull and a man may bee ignorant of And it is the last Article of Faith revealed to the Church yet not by unwritten Tradition but by firme consequence out of the written word That the Father is unbegotten is likewise a written doctrine for though the word unbegotten is not written yet the doctrine taught us by that word is written and wee dispute not of words but of doctrines That the mother of God remained a perpetuall Virgin Reply pag. â—â—6 13. We say with S. Augustine m August de natur grat c. 36. Wee are not willing to move any question about the mother of God for the honour wee beare unto her Sonne But seeing wee must declare what wee thinke wee thinke her to be a blessed Virgin because the Scripture doth not teach the contrary and because wee are commaunded to hold those things which are of n Phil 4. 8. good report If it bee an unwritten Tradition then S. Ambrose was mistaken who alledged this text to prove it o Ezek. 44. 2. Ambros epist 81. This gate shal be shut and shall not be opened and no man shall enter by it because the
Lord God of Israel hath entred by it And so are many of our Adversaries who defend that shee vowed perpetuall virginity by these words p Luc. 1. 34. How shall this be seeing I know not man That Sunday ought to be kept holie Reply 14. This is a doctrine warranted by the Scripture S. Augustine thinketh that it was tipisied q August epist 1 9. ad â—anâ—aâ— â— 13. by the â—ight day appointed for Circumcision and that it was taught by Christs resurrection upon that day We finde in Scripture that it is called r Revel 1. 10. The Lords day and upon this Ribâ—â— observeth that I may oppose one Iesuite to another that which this Iesuite cannot see Å¿ Videmus hic etiam tempore Apostolorum Sabbathi solemnitatem mutatam esse in dieâ— Dominicum Riber in Apoc. c. 1. We see even here that in the times of the Apostles the Sabboth was changed into the Lords day We finde that day ordained by S. Paul for t 1. Cor. 16. 1. holy duties so Chrysostome Ambrose Remigius Primasius and many others expound that place And we find the observance of it u Act. â—0 7. by the Apostles themselves in preaching of the word and administring of the Sacrament upon that day That Easter day be celebrated alwayes upon Sunday Reply pag. 126. 15. It is a decent order in the Church to observe the feast of Easter and there is no day fitter then Sunday for it but we deny the observing of it upon Sunday upon another day or upon any day to be a point of faith It is only a custome or ordinance of the Church and therefore commeth not within the compasse of this Question x Controversia de die Paschatis diu â—eterum Ecclesias exercuit Socrat. l. 5. c. 22. This Question about Easter day saith Socrates troubled the Churches a long while The Churches of Asia unto which S. Iohn wrote pleaded his Tradition for the 14. day other Churches observed Sunday alledging the Tradition of Peter and Paul at the last it was determined in the Councell of Nice that it should be kept upon Sunday not as if it were a point of faith but because it was a decent order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c It is a comely order saith Constantine in his letters written to the Bishops that were absent which the Churches of the West North and South doe observe And Epiphanius saith of the Audians y Epiphan in Anacephal They are of the same faith in all things with the Catholicke Church And yet they kept the Passeover as did the Iewes And truely they that deny this to be sound Doctrine cannot Reply possibly have any sure ground for their Faith For how can they prove that they have any word of God at all but onely by the Tradition and authority of holy Church how will they know which bookes of Scripture be canonicall which not c How shall those Heretickes be disproved who denied the Canticles the foure Gospells c How shall those five Gospels attributed unto Thady Thomas Barnabe Bartholomew and Andrew be disproved c but by the authority of the Church Why then doth he condemne such Traditions 16. Such Traditions we condemne not In the stateing of this Question it doth appeare that we allow modum tradendi the manner of delivery of the volume of Gods written word by the authority or testimony of the Church and all this concerneth the manner of deliverie In this the Iesuite not onely belyeth our Doctrine but also shrinketh from the Question hee should prove that unwritten Traditions are the word of God but he goeth about to prove that by an unwritten Tradition namely by the authority and testimony of the Church a man may know that there is a word of God and which bookes are the word of God and which are not All Questions are not to be disputed of saith z Aristot l. 1. Topic. c. 9. Aristotle Of all things this is most sure and ought to be beleeved that the Scripture is the word of God As he that a Hebâ— 11. 6. Will come to God must first beleeve that God is so he that will come to the knowledge of Gods word must first beleeve that there is a word of God and that the Scripture is this word To doubt of this is to deny a most sure principle and to dispute of this is to take away the very ground of this Question If this Question were given Whether Heaven covereth all things if the opponent should argue thus It doth not cover it selfe therefore it doth not cover all things Wee would judge him a sillie Sophister The trifling Iesuite disputeth after the same manner The Scripture doth not discover all points of faith because it doth not discover it selfe to be the word of God But this point is excepted by the Question it selfe for when the Scripture saith b 1. Cor. 15. 27. That all things are put downe under him it is manifest that he is excepted which did put downe all things under him So when we say that the Scripture declareth all points of faith it is manifest that this is excepted it needeth not declare it selfe to be the Scripture or the word of God As the first good is to beloved for it selfe so the first truth is to be beleeved for it selfe saith c Aquinas in Prolog in sent Aquinas The Scriptures are accounted among those things which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be beleeved for themselves yea they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most worthy of beleife being like Principles in an Art which oportet discentem credere the Learner must beleeve as d Basil in Psal 115. Bafill saith So that in this disputation this must be datum a thing granted and taken pro concesso that the Scripture is the word of God e August Confessâ—l 6. c. 5. Heare them not saith S. Augustine who demaund How doe you know the Scripture to be the word of God for that is a thing to be beleeved Yet we wil be content to answere this foolish demaund and to shew by what meanes we know which bookes are canonicall and which are counterfeit We know the Scriptures to be the word of God by those arguments which we finde in them They neede not testify for themselves but it is to be presupposed as a pracognitum that they are the word of God yet they beare witnesse for themselves The Scripture is a witnesse to it selfe saith f Testis est ipsa Scriptura Bellarm de verb Dei â— 1 c. 2. Bellarmine g Humana dicta argumentis testibus cgeâ—â— Dâ—i auâ—em sermo ipse sibi testis est Salvian de gubernatâ— Dei Humane sayings saith Salvian neede arguments and witnesses but the word of God is a witnesse to it selfe h Scotus in prolog in l. 1. sent q. â— Scotus proveth it by eight arguments taken out of the Scripture it selfe the
of God and that the Scripture is that word and that these and those Doctrines are delivered in the Scripture unlesse the Church that is the Pope say it and if he say it it is beleeved because Ipse dixit Is not this an unwritten Tradition by which all points of faith must be proved He that truely holdeth the Doctrine of the Romane Church must not beleeve any point of his faith because he beleeveth the Pope hath decreed it aright in decreeing iâ— according to the Scriptures because it is in them contained but he must beleeve that it is contained in the Scriptures because the Pope saith so Is not this to teach that all points of faith must be proved by unwritten Tradition and none at all by Scripture We confesse that in humane writings this argument ab authoritate negativè is not of sufficient force because non omnia vidit Bernardus Neither in the divine writ is it of force against Rituall Traditions yet it is of sufficient force against him that holdeth any one point of faith to bee unwritten aswell as it is against him that holdeth all points of faith to be unwritten Admit unwritten Traditions and then indeede the argument ab authoritate negativè is of no force because Tradition-mongers may answer All points of faith are not proved by the Scriptures but seeing the Scriptures make use of this kinde of argument as in proving the glory of Christ to excell the glory of the Angels because a Hebâ— 1. 5. It was not said to any of the Angels Thou art my sâ—nne this day begate I thee Seeing the Fathers make use of it as b Iren. l. 1. c. 1. Irenaeus c Origen boâ— 5. in Levit. Origeâ— d Hilar. in psal 132. Hillary e August cont liâ—er Petil. l. 30 c. 6. Augustine f Hierom cont Helvid Hierome and now Tertullian Yea seeing our Adversaries themselves make use of it as g Bellarm l. 1 de Rom. Pont. c. 16. Bellarmine and the * Pag. 177. Iesuit how then can this be true that this kinde of argument is of force onely against them that hold all points of faith are to be proved by unwritten Tradition onely and none at all by Scripture In all these places it is but a particular point which is handled and all of them depend upon this universall proposition That which is not written is not to be beleeved As in this of Tertullian in which the Iesuite choppeth Logicke like one that may talke of Robin Hoâ—ds butts and never shot in his Bow In this I say the Boyes of the Logicke Schoole will not say that the Premisses are particular for then Tertullian had no skill in Logicke to argue thus Some things which are not read are to be rejected This is not read Therefore it is to be rejected Let the Iesuitâ— with all his Logicke if he have any frame Tertullians argument into a Syllogisme true both in moode and figure that we may see for our learning whether the Premisses wil be particular and the Inference universall and not rather contrary the Premisses universall and the Inference particular Thus Tertullian disputeth against Hermogenes Whatsoever is not written is accursed This is not written Therefore it is accursed In like manner we dispute out of Tertullian against unwritten Traditioâ—s by the same generall medium Whatsoever is unwritten is accursed The Traditions which we oppose are unwritten Therefore they are accursed Secondly we confesse when any thing is maintained contrary Reply p. 136. to the expresse text of the Scripture as we see in this error of Hermogenes then the argument ab authoritate negativâ— may rightly be pressed according to this example of Tertullian by you produced Some of your Traditions are of this nature as your worshipping of Images and your halfe-communion the one expressely contrary to the second commandement and the other expressely contrary to this text h Math. 26. 27. Drinke yâ—e all of this And if this answer be sound that the argument ab authoritate negativè is onely to bee prest againâ—t such things as are defended contrary to expresse Scripture why then doe the Fathers formerly named use it against such opinions as were defended not contrary to any expresse text of Scripture Tertullian in his booke De Coronâ— out of which presently you shall heare the Iesuite disputing useth this kinde of argument to prove that a Christian may not we are a crowne or garland on his head as the heathen did because the Scripture commandeth it not And yet this is not contrary to any expresse text of Scripture Why doth Cardinall Bellarmine use this kinde of argument not onely against us in the point of the Popes supremacy i Bellarm. de Roâ— Pont. l. 1. c. 16. Because it was not said to any of the Apostles but onely unto Peter Pasce oves meas But also against the Greeke Lyturgies k Bellarm de â—uâ—â— 21. l. 4. c. 13 Because many things in them are not commanded by the Lord And why doth M. Malone himselfe use it against us * Pag. 117. Where doe we read that Christ gave any commandement to his Disciples to write his Gospell And where are wee commanded to read iâ— Yet neither the writing of it neitheir the reading of it is contrary to any expresse text of Scripture Maintaine what you will as a point of Salvation that is not contrary to the expresse text of the Scripture yet if it be not written either expressely or by firme consequence in the Scripture it is threatned with a wâ—e and it may be condemned with this kinde of argument l Isa l. 1. 12. who required this at your hands not onely direct murder expressely contrary to Scripture but likewise pretended religion in burning children in the valey of Ben-hinnâ—â— is condemned by God himselfe because m Iereâ— 7. 31. It is that which hee commaunded them not Such things crosse the perfection of Scripture and are as bad as those things which crosse the verity of it In the * Seâ— that of appealing answered in the former part last place he opposeth those things which Tercullian wrote when he was not a man of the Church but an Hereticke against this which he wrote against an Hereticke Reply pag. 137 He telleth us that there be many points * Teâ—â—â— de Coronâ— Militis which wee dâ—â— hold without any testimony of Scripture onely by the tittle of Tradition defâ—nded by the patronage of Custome And if thou demaundest authority for these out of Scripture thou shalt get none at all Tradition shal be assigned for the Author use and custome for the conformer and faith for the observer of them by these examples then it shal be confirmed that the use and observation of unwritten Tradition may be defâ—â—ded Vnto this he addeth an observation of his owne Behold now how this place produced by our Answerer out of Tertullian against unwritten Traditions
an other to teach that the bookes of the Fathers are to be compared with the Scripture If the Iesuit would say no more of unwritten Traditions then Athanasius saith of the books of the Fathers then the coÌ„troversy were ended for you see he brings not the commentary into the Text but distinguisheth between the coÌ„mentary the Text you make no difference between the one the other but make the interpretation Pag. 124. as authenticall as the Text even as S. Iohns Gospel He attributeth unto the scriptures the sufficiency to discover al truth to be learned to the Fathers the interpretatioÌ„ of Scripture as an help that the same truth may be more easily learned you attribute to the Scriptures a sufficiency only to teach some truths not all truths which are to be learned teach that those truths must be taught by unwritten Traditions Vnwritten Traditions are not therfore only interpretations of Scripture but even additions to it In the last place he objecteth out of Athanasius in this manner Athanasius disputing against the Arians did most frequently Reply p. 119. beate them downe with the authority of the Church of unwritten Traditions Yea hee thought it * Athanas Epist ad Epicteâ— sufficient for their confutation to tell them without any more adoe that their Doctrine was not agreeable to that of the Catholickâ— Church nor yet was held by the Fathers of former ages I thinke it sufficient for your confutation to tell you Opâ—rtet mendacem esse memorem You told us even now in your second Answer That the Scripture was sufficient for the discovery of two truthes whereof one was this That Christ is truely God Did not the Arianâ— deny this article of faith And yet now you tell us That the Arians could not be everthrowne but onely by the help of unwritten Traditions Sir where was your memory when you wrote this Yet for your more full confutation I tell you that in the same Epistle hee saith The fâ—â—th confirmed in the Nicen Councell at which he was present according to the Scriptures was sufficient to beat downe the Arian Heresie And in an other place hee declareth his minde saying y Athanas in Exhort ad monach Let us thinke that the well ordered Canon is sufficient to attaine the knowledge of God And not onely by the Scriptures but likewise by the authority and Tradition of the Church that is the succession of the truth of this doctrine doth he confute them Now good Sr Wiseakers tell me in your wisdome If this holy Father had onely used the Tradition of the Church and not the authority of the Scriptures to beat downe the Arian Heresie would it follow that he could not beat it down by the Scriptures Doth the use of one meanes exclude the possibility of the other Because now we are beating down unwritten Traditions by the Fathers have we not or can we not therefore beat them down by the Scripture Seeing the Arians held such a wicked and manifestly perverse a doctrinâ— therefore saith this holy Father it is sufficient to tell them c. so we thinke it sufficient for confutation of unwritten Doctrines to tell you This Doctrinâ— is not agreeable to that of the Catholicke Church nor yet was held by the Fathers of former ages so farre are we from condemning the Doctrine of the Catholicke Church that by it we condemne this new Doctrine of unwritten Traditions Againe * Idem de decret Synod Nic. cont â—useb Let the Arians answer me if they can where doe Reply p. â—4â— they fiade in the Scriptures this solemne word by what reason doe they hold God to be unbegotten Behold we have evident demonstrations that this our Doctrine was delivered by Traditions from hand to hand by the Fathers We confesse with Athanasius that the wordes unbegotten or â—oessentiall are noâ— written but yet the Doctrine signifiâ—d by these words as we have * Sect. 4. Divis 1â— formerly shewed is written in other words Is the doctrine unwritten because the word is unwritten And is the Doctrine not taught in Scripture because it was preserved in the Church and delivered by Tradition from hand to hand â— Athanasius shall answere for us z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas Epistol de Senten Dionys con Ariaâ— Although I cannot find that word in the Scriptures yet gathering the Doctrine ouâ— of the Scriptures I knowe that hee that is the Sonne and the Word cannot be of an other substance then the Father Lastly * Idem in Epist ad ubique Orthodox The constitutions of the Church saith hee are no novelties lately brought in but they were delivered by our first Fathers Neither did our Faith now beginne but it descended from our Lord by his Disciples unto us When the Arian persecution was so hote against the Catholickes as that Athanasius was thrust out of his Bishoprick and an Arian by Simonie purchased it then this holy Father wrote this Epistle This made him complaine Reply p. 140. that the Constitutions of the Church were overthrowne and a new faith set up by these Intruders What doth this make for unwritten Traditions If it be because the Church hath Constitutions wee graunt it but these are nihil ad rem no points of faith If it be because our Faith descended from the Lord by his Disciples unto us wee graunt this likewise but what is this Even the forme of wholesome Doctrine contained in the Scriptures as it was taught first by the Disciples of our Lord and after preached vivâ voce by the Church Wee plead for the same Faith which was at onâ—e delivered unto the Saints We acknowledge no faith but that which from Christ by his Disciples is descended unto us And wee deny that the Church in after ages had any power to coyne a new Article of faith With you are the Novelties Traditions of a later invention not so old as from the time of Athanasius nor descended from our Lord by his Disciples You have coyned many new Articles of faith What will you say for your Ecclesiasticall Traditions which you make to be of the same faith authority with the written word By the judgement of Athanasius they cannot be points of faith Because our faith descendeth from the Lord by his Disciples unto us S. Ambrose * S. Ambros offi l 1 c. 23 The things which wee finde not in the Answer Scriptures how can we use them And againe * Idem in virgin instit c. 11. I read that hee is the first I read that he is not the second they who say hee is the second let them shew it by reading S. Ambrose instructing Churchmen how they ought to Reply p. 140. carry themselves in their conversation propoundeth the question whether they may use such pleasant mery jests in their speech as the Philosophers doe commend Whereunto he answereth negatively in these words The things which we find
was great reason to take away marriage from Preists but there is greater reason to restore it unto them againe And so we proceede to his next Section the title whereof is this SECT VIII For what cause all Heretickes have beene accustomed to reject Apostolicall Traditions WHen I first read the title of this Section I expected no other stuffe then I finde therein even a deale of bombaste to stuffe it out And as the title is a digression so the whole Section consisteth of three digressions from the Question The 1. is of the affinity of Heresie and Idolatrie The 2. about the Interpretation of Scripture The 3. is touching the Translation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tradition Concerning the 1. he beginneth thus The Reader must observe that Heresie is a kinde of Idolatry Reply pag. 15â— for as S. Cyprian observeth * Câ—prian de unit Eccles the enemy of mankinde perceiving how by the comming of Christ and by the preaching of his faith men were drawen from Idolatrie unto the true service of God he be thought himselfe how by a new illusion he might entrap poore soules under the very title and profession of Christianity Heereupon saith S. Cyprian he invented new Heresies and Schismes We confesse all this and are able to prove that with you are these things Idolatrie Heresie onely the title of Christianity or a shew of Godlinesse There was never greater Idolatry among the Heathens then is at this day defended in the Church of Rome for which cause namely for her Idolatry S. Iohn compareth her unto a Revel 11â— Egypt This is descended unto her from the ancient Heathens as this Heresie of unwritten Doctrines to perfect the rule of faith is descended unto her from the ancient Heretickes As for the title of Christianitie and the outward forme of Godlinesse this is all you have to bâ—agge of ye are wolves in sheepes skins ye have the hornes of the Lambe but the voyce of the Dragon as S. Iohn b Revel 13. 11 describeth you Ye speake lyes in hypocrisie as if they were truth And the mysterie of iniquity that is the covâ—rt of pietie is the onely meanes whereby ye entrap poore soules To free themselves from Idolatry he giveth a strange description of it Idolatry placeing a senselesse creature in Gods stâ—â—d doth Reply pag. â—59 give religious worship thereunto A senselesse description and yet as senselesse as it is such Idolatry you are guilty of in worshipping of Idols of silver and gold and of brasse c. If a man worship the Devill is it not Idolatrie Yet he is no senselesse creature Your Demi god the Pope is an hereticall Idoll to whom that may well be applyed which you lay to our charge For he is set up on the altar of your soules and adored as God He is so far besotted with a selfe-liking of his owne opinion that he treadeth under-fooâ— all other authority both divine humane as the power of Scripture of Fathers and of Councels which are nothing without him and he farre above them And yet because he hath some apprehension of the authoritie of holy Scripture â—nd finding it plyable to his humor he admitteth no other Interpreter thereof but himselfe Hence it commeth that these places must needes be understood of him c Concil Later Sess 9. All Kings shall worship him Psal 72. 11. All power is given unto him in heaven and in earth Math. 28. 18. This is the hereticall Idoll whose essentiall parts are Heresie and Idolatry 2. His second digression is about the Interpretation of Scripture and therein hee pusâ—eth himselfe to shew by what meanes it must be interpreted and by what meanes it must not be interpreted It must be Apostolicall Tradition which the ancient Fathers alwayes have taught to bee the certaine â—ule whereby Reply pag. 159 we must finde out the assured sense and mâ—aning of the holy Ghost speaking unto us in the Scripture * Vincent Liâ—in c. 1. Inquiring often saith Vincentius Liâ—inensis with great care of very many holy and learned mâ—n in what sort I might by a certaine and as it were by a generall and regular way discover the truth of the Catholicke faith from the falshood of hereticall perversitie I received still this answere from them all that if I would finde out the deceit of uprising Heresies c. I must fortifie my beleâ—â—e with two things first by the authority of Holy Scripture next by the Tradition of the Catholicke Church But seeing the Canon of Scripture is perfect and sufficient to it selfe for all things what need is there of the authoritie of the Ecclesiasticall interpretation to be joyned with it Because the Scripture is so profound that all men doe not take it in one and the same sense c. If you will stand to the judgment of Vincentius the controversie is thus determined by him 1. That the Canon of Scripture is perfect and sufficient to it selfe for all things Hee beleeved a selfe-sufficiency or an immediate sufficiencie so that there needed no unwritten Traditions 2. The Tradition which he alloweth is that kind of Tradition which we allow the Ecclesiasticall interpretation Not the interpretation of Hereticks of the Pope of the Roman Church but that of the Catholicke Church 3. The end of this kinde of Tradition is that Heresies might be discovered and confuted not to be a rule of faith nor to supply the defects of Scripture as if it were an imperfect rule 4. He doth not account it a good meanes to discover all Heresies but onely uprising Heresies as the Iesuite translateth it that is of new Heresies or Heresies lately sprung up d Ceterùm dilatatae inveteratae hâ—reses nequâ—quam hâc vià adgrediendâ— sunt â—â— quod prolixo temporum tractu â—onga his furandâ— veritatis patuerit occasio Idem de Haer c 39. For far-spread and inveterate Heresies are not to be dealt with all this way saith Vinceâ—tius because by long continuance of time a long occasion hath lyen open unto them unto the Hereticks to steale away the truth Majorum volumina vitiando by corrupting the bookes of the ancient Such heresies he would have coÌ„futed sola Scripturarum authoritate only by the authority of Scripture This â—eresie of unwritten Traditions is not now newly budded our Adversaries have received it from the ancient Heretickes and whatsoever the Heretickes did wee are sure our Adversaries have not beene backeward from corrupting the writings of the ancient they have fitted the monuments of antiquity to their opinion as the Tyrant used to fit his guests to his bed wresting them cutting them off and adding to them c Adscripta sunt Patribus quae ipsis nunquà m ne per quietem quidèm in mentem venerant Ludov. Viâ—es de caus corrupt art many things which the Fathers never dreamed of Yet we except not against this kinde of Tradition we have tryed examined unwritten Traditions by this
the Scripture The custome or practise of the Church to pray for them at a set time as when the divine mysteries were in celebrating is no point of doctrin but a custome or ordinance of the Church The reasons given by these three Fathers of this practise were different being compared by themselves or with the reasons given by our Adversaries Chrysostome e Chrys hom 2â— in Act. because the damned soules might receive some ease thereby this was but one Doctors opinion S Augustine denyed case of torments yet held it good for f Aug. Enchir. ad Laur c. 108. release of lighter sinnes which Gods Children might beare with them oâ—t of this world into that hidden receptacle Epiphanius denyed â—ase of torments or release of sinne after death and yet held it good for g Epiph. haer 75 testifying of our faiâ—h concerning the happy state of them that die in the Lord. Our Adversaries deny these reasons and give another for the more speedy deliverance of the Soules in Purgatory from all torments The Primitive Church held no Purgatory and yet held prayer for the dead our Adversaries hold if no Purgatory no prayers for the dead These grounds being laid I answer to all that he objecteth out of those three Fathers 1. That they called it an unwritten Tradition I conâ—esse it that to pray for them at such a set time they accounted it an unwritten Tradition but withall they placed it among the customes or ordinances of the Church 2. That it was an universall Tradition It is true the practise was observed by the whole Church but the reasons of it were different 3. That they accounted it a necessary Tradition Not as if it were a necessary doctrine or a point of Salvation but necessary in regard that the Church had received it as a generall custome and that upon good grounds and therefore every man might not at his owne will and pleasure spurnâ— against it 4. They placed the denyers of this doctrine among Heretickes as we read of Aer us Heretiâ—kes commonly as they are contrary to thâ—â—aiâ—h of the Church so they will be contrary to the ordinances of the Church and thereforâ— wee mâ—st â—ot thinke that every thing which is condemned in Heretickes is hâ—resie nor that all were Heretickes indeed who are placed among Hereticks But suppose it were so that Aerius was an Heretick in deed because he denied the practice of the church in this point I am sure then you are Arch-Hereticks who farre outstrip him in this If he were over shooes because he held the prayers for them that were in blisse to be unprofitable you are over head and eares in the same heresie because you h Azoâ— Instit Moral To. 1. l. 8. c 20. hold prayers for them that are in blisse to be impious and absurd I have contracted my answer to this point in which the Iesuite is somwhat large because I would not fore-stall the market and though I have gleaned in a most plentifull field yet I would not gather all because I must leave it for him that commeth after me S. Hierome telleth us that * Hieron epist 54. ad Maâ—cell Lent is an Apostolicall Tradition Reply â— 166. necessary to be kept And againe * fore going Section that the unwritten customes of the Church doe receive the force of a law 4. In what sense S. Hiâ—rome calleth it Apostolicall wee have * Sect 4. Div. 9. formerly shewed We deny it not to be an unwritten Tradition But for the necessity of it that it should be of absolute necessity as a point of faith or as a matter of salvation that we deny We say with S. Hierome it is necessary to be kept conditionally not absolutely as in regard of the ordinance of the Church wheresoever it is commaunded and in regard of loving society wheresoever it is observed If it be absolutely necessary how can you so easily dispence with it He sendeth us to seeke for his other testimony of S. Hierome in his eight Section but you may aswell finde a candell sieve in a country towne as any such thing in his fore-going Section I finde the same words inhis 3d Section but they are the words of the Hereticks and not of Hierome When Eusebius affirmeth The Apostles delivered some Reply p. 166. things without writing as it were a law unwritten No man can be found so grosse witted but may understand he meant necessary articles 5. This is a grosse conceit of a nimble pated Iesuite to thinke whatsoever is as a law must needes be a necessary article of faith The Apostles delivered some things without writing as befitting those times places not intending thereby to make them parts of the divine law those things may be as law as humane lawes which are mutable not as the divine law which is immutable and unchangeable The Church in these daies may alter the orders customes which have been as law in former times and may ordaine such rites and customes as shal be as law for after-times yet such things are not necessary doctrines nor points of faith It is not in the power of the Church to cross the truth of Scripture by making that to be no point of faith which was a point of faith neither can the Church crosse the perfection of Scripture by making that to be a point of faith which was no point of faith i Teâ—tull de veland Virg. c. 1. The rule of faith saith Tertullian is alwayes without change or alteration other things which are of discipline and behaviour admit of change correction The Apostles commanding the believing Gentiles to abstaine from things strangled c prohibite this as a k Act. 15. 28. necessary thing If the Iesuite be so grosse witted as to thinke whatsoever is called necessary is necessary to salvation and is a point of faith let him hereafter take heede how he feedeth upon rabbets capons and the like strangled meat lest hee eate his owne damnation Lorinus may be his Master-Iesuite he teacheth him it was l Lorin in Act. 15. but a positive law though it was called necessary If there be no carnall Israelite in the Church saith S. m Aug. cont â—aust l. 32. c. 13 Augustine what Christian need to observe this to â—ate no birds but onely such whose blood is poâ—red out It is an absurd thing in this Iesuite from a conditionall necesâ—itie in regard of the authority of the Commaunder or of the infirmity of the weake to inferre an absolute necessitie in regard of salvation This hee hath done in those former proofes and yet wee shall have more of it Eusebius meaneth necessary things for hâ—e produceth Reply pag. 166 the necessitie of Priests abstaining from Marriage * Euseb de demonst Evang. l. 1. c. 8. Now they that are employed in the preaching of the Gospell doe necessarily abstaine from marriage And the second Councell * Conc. Carthag 2.
of Esau we expected to heare the continuall tâ—stimony of the Church aâ— least to heare some of the 6000 or 7000 chaires or one of the many millions of subordinat Churches we heare only the testimony of a â—esuite who will make no bones oâ— it to lye for the good of the Church Partâ—rit Oceanus prodit de gurgite squâ—lla Our excâ—ptions have prevented his testimonie you may aswell aske the daughter if the mother be an whoore Thais or Lais will never condemne her selfe Neither doth he tell us what the Church saith by her testimonie but it is a â—esuiticall description of the voyce of the Church An uniforme consent hath not beene continually in all ages in the Church about such Rituall Traditions it selfe as the Apostles have delivered unto the Church He that knoweth any thing in antiquitie cannot bee ignorant of that dissent in the Church about the observation of Easter day Six or seven thousand Chayres and Episcopall Successions derived without any interruption from the Apostles and their Successours and of many millions of subordinate Churches This is like the eleven thousand virgins Where shall wee finde them Were there so many Apostles did they sit in so many Chayres and are there so many Chayres that can be derived successively from the Apostles without any interruption The Roman Church is none of these in which there hath oft beene a personall interruption and at this day there is a doctrinall interruption in succession from S. Peter Through which as through so many conduit pipes the Traditions of the Apostles have with a great uniformitie sliden thorough all ages unto us It stands you upon to prove this for we deny it It is false impossible and improbable False because the Romane conduit pipe is so stuffed up with mire and filth that the water which passeth thorough it is the water of Marah and not the water of life her Traditions are not Apostolicall but Apostaticall Impossible because if this Iesuite were as strong as Sampson as wise as Salomon as long lived as Methusalem and did nothing but study this point all his life yet he is not able to declare what was beleeved and practised continually thorough all ages with an uniforme consent in those 6000. or 7000. Chayres and many millions of subordinate Churches And it is improbable that things unwritten trusting to the bare memory of man for their preâ—ervation should continually in all ages thorough thousands and millions of Churches with such an uniformity slide unto you seeing it is most certaine vox audita perâ—t The Iesuite foreseeing that this rule would not hold frameth his second rule after this manner Those matters were not trusting unto the bare memory of Reply p. 170. man for their preservation but were surely stamped in the custome dayly practise of the Church never to be obliterated but it was continually extant most apparantly at every houre and moment 14. This rule is likewise lyable to the same exceptions It is false 1. Because our Adversaries hold many things to be unwritten Traditions which cannot be seene in the dayly practise of the Church and are not continually extant most apparantly at every houre and moment Such are those Traditions which the Iesuite hath * Pag. 126. alleadged as That the Father is unbâ—ggottâ—n that the Sonne is consubstantiall with the Father that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne as from one beginning These things wee beleeve we see them not how then can they be seen continually extant most apparantly Such likewise are those secret and hidden mysteries which for their dignity least they should be contemned by too much familiarity as the Iesuite hath * Pag. 155. said were not to be written If they might not bee read then surely they ought not to be continually extant most apparantly at every houre and moment 2. Because Custome is not to be the rule of faith unlesse we have the authority of the Scripture for that custome n Basil epist â—0 It is not good saith Basil to make custome the law and rule of true doctrine the Scriptures inspired by God must be the Iudge 3. Because such Traditions as are now defended in the Romane Church were not continually observed in all the Churches of God 4. Because all the points of faith which were surely stamped in the dayly practise of the Church were likewise more surely stamped in the holy Scriptures The Apostles did not write their Traditions in letters of paper and inke but in the heart and forehead of the Church saith the Iesuite because the Apostle saith * 2. Cor. 3. 3 you are manifest to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us Those things were written in their hearts therfore they were not written in paper inke this inference is so absurd that with all the paper and inke in the world he can never make it good Whatsoever is written in the Scriptures ought to be written as it were in our hearts and on our foreheads thus we read of the blessed virgin she laide up in her o Luc. â— 19. heart those things which are written With the heart we p Rom. 10. 10. beleeve Doe we therefore beleeve things unwritten No for those things are written that we may q Ioh. 20. 31. beleeve The writing of things in the heart doth no more exclude writing in paper and inke then it doth exclude teaching by word of mouth S. Paul calleth the Corinthians his Epistle because in their practise he read the doctrine which he taught them he may aswell inferre therefore S. Paul did not write two Epistles unto the Corinthians in paper and inke The instances given by the Iesuite of the baptizing of Children and of the observing of Sunday are of this nature things seene in practice and things written in the Scriptures This is so evident that after all his labour and toyle to prove unwritten points of faith he concludeth with us against himselfe in these very words * pag. 171. All those points of Christian Religion which doe absolutely belong unto the naked Theorick or speculation of our faith are touched either directly or indirectly in the the Scripture and those articles which are reserved unto sole Tradition are rituall points This sheweth that there is some hope of the man for hee renounceth all Doctrinall points of Popery and onely holdeth with it in such Rituall points as are unwritten As this is false and therefore is no rule in it selse so it is impossible to be knowne and therefore it is no rule unto us Can a man be at every houre and moment in those thousands and many millions of Churches to see their practise most apparantly extant You tell us that the Iewes had unwritten Traditions aswell as the Christianâ— among which this was one r Bellaâ—â— de verbo Deil. 4. cap. 4. The remedy for originall sinne in women and as you cannot tell us by the dayly practise and
custome of that Church what the remedy was so if we should aske you what the practise of the primitive times in all those Churches was If you have no better rule then the practise it selfe in many things you may answer ignoramus It is likewise improbable that the custome and practise of so many Churches being not written though it were never so apparant and common to themselves should with such an uniformitie descend downe unto us What is more common and usuall in dayly practise then speech language Yet all languages are corrupted and have lost their originall puritie notwithstanding the common use of them and the purity of the ancient languages as of the Hebrew and the Greeke is best preserved by the writings of the old and new Testament Traditions were in use from Adam unto Moses and those Traditions might have beene seene in the dayly practise of the Church yet the Lord seeing this was not a sufficient meanes to preserve the purity of those Traditions gave a more ordinary helpe of extraordinary meanes as of Dreames Visions and Râ—velations and as these extraordinary mâ—anes failed so the Lord perfected the Canon of Scripture as the best meanes to preserve the puritie of doctrine And when these meanes failed saith S. Chrysostome Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost hom c. in Math. It was necessary that there should be Scriptures and written tables and such admonition aâ— is according unto them Were those things sâ—amped in the practise and written in the heart of many men or of one If of many hardly could there be an uniforme consent for so many men so many mindes if of one then when this one dyeth the Church must needes lose a great part of her necessary Doctrine And thus it appeareth that neither mâ—morie nor practise without writing is sufficient but that writing is the surest and the onely sufficient meanes to preserve from time to time and at all times the purity of Doctrine in the Church from oblivion alteration and decay Wherefore God gave this commandement unto Moses t Erod 17. 24. Write this for a remembrance in a booke And to the Prophet Isaiah u Isa 30. 8. Write it before them in a table and note it in a booke that it may be for the last day for ever and ever In perpetuam rei memoriam The Iesuite likewise foreseeing this addeth his 3d. rule in these words God hath ordained that from age to age the said Rituall Reply pag. 17â— or practicall Traditions should be corrâ—borated by the written attestation of the Saints and holy Doctours whose uniforme relation in matters universally practised by the Church of their times whereof they were eye witnesses themselves is a warrant of it selfe infallible 15. I his rule is lyable to more exceptions then the former It is impertinent because he pleadeth the written attestation of the Doctourâ— for Rituall Traditions whereas hee should plead for unwritten Doctrinall Traditions It is improbable that God hath ordained the Doctours of the Church to write those things which he would not have his Apostles to write It is false 1. Because all the Saints and holy Doctourâ— have not given a written attestation for unwritten Traditions 2. An uniform-relation is not found among them that have written of Rituall Traditions 3. All rituall Traditions have not beene universally practised by the Church 4. If all this were tâ—â—e yet this is not a warrant of it selfe infallible An humane testimony is fallible and cannot beget faith for * Rom. 10 17. Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God The testimony of the Doctours is but the word of man and as men they might erre The Apostles could not erre in their delivery yet the choyse men to whom those supposed Traditions were delivered might erre in not understanding the Apostles aright or in not remembring those things which they heard and understood if they to whom those things were delivered by the Apostles immediately did not erre in their relateing of the same things unto others yet those relators after them might erre in processe of time and so at length false Traditions might bee fathered upon the Apostles Yea they did erre in relateing false Traditions What say you to Irenaus his Tradition that Christ lived 50. yeares And to Clemens Alexandrinus that hee preached but one yeare Their warrant therefore is not of it selfe infallible who were themselves fallible and sometimes deceived by their owne errours or by false relators It is likewise an impossible rule to be knowne because some Saints and Doctours did not write all that did write we have not all that wee have is not truely from them many counterfeit things have beene fathered on them and many true things corrupted in them all that are truely theirs doe not declare the universall practise in every age all that declare the universall practise doe not declare any practise of many Popish Traditions which are observed in this age All of them he cannot name if hee can name them yet he never saw them if he saw them yet he never read them These things we write not to contemne the testimonie of the Church nor her practise nor the writings of the Fathers for both the testimonie and the practise of the Church and the writings of the Fathers plead for our cause but to give that honour unto the Scripture which is due to shew the shortest and easiest way to enâ— thiâ— and all other Controversies and to manifest to the world the thrasonicall bragges and great boastings of thousands and millions of this bankrupâ— Iesuiticall merchant wâ—o answereth an objection and objecteth one thing moâ—e and so concludeth with a curse He fâ—ameth his objection and answere in this manner How idle and ridiculous an objection iâ— it to say that if Reply pag. 171 way be given unto Apostolicall Traditions unwritten there is nothing so â—bsurd but may be broght in by this gate As though iâ— lay in the power of any whosoever to make a new invention to mount vp against the current of Antiquitie to gaine the attestation of all the ages of the Church The like argument may be urged against the writings of the Apostles for why may not false Scripture he invented but only because it is impossible for the like frand to recâ—ile back through former ages 16. We dispute not against Traditions meerely because they are not written but because they are not from the Apostles yet are preteÌ„ded by you to be froÌ„ the Apostles If we give way unto such there is nothing so absurd but it may enter in at this wide gate which leadeth to perdition â—f this do â—rin be sound in the general whatsoever the Râ—maÌ„ Church saith is an Apostolicall TraditioÌ„ is so indeed then any particular evill may enter thereby This is a budget wide enough to hold all the devillish devises that can be as deposing of Kings adoring of Images forbidding of marriage unto Priests
be supplied by unwritten traditioÌ„s do not those crosse the perfectioÌ„ of scripture Pull your considering-cap closer to your cockscombe and thinke better upon it This discovereth his shrinking at the first encounter that by his own confession he is good man no body but a shadow but a very phantasticall Adversary For such Traditions are defended by him as crosse both the veritie and perfection of the sacred Scriptures 1. The verity The denyall of the cup to the Laity crosseth this institution k Math. 26. 27. Drinke ye all of this The Councell of Constance took away this l Concil Constan Sess 13. non obstante mandato although Christ the Apostles and the Primitive Church used it Of this nature is the Popes deposing of Kings and his Dispensations contrary to Gods Law 2. The perfection of Scripture is crossed by adding of many bookes which were never inspired by God unto the Canon of Scripture and of many articles of faith unto the faith at once delivered by the Apostles Of this nature is Pius Quartus his new Creed and many points of Religion with you which are prater legem and so crosse the perfection of Scripture although they are not contra legem and so crosse the verity of it These Law-makers are worse then Law-breakers for men actually breake Gods Lawes because of their weakenesse and the hardnesse of Gods Lawes to doe them but these men make new lawes as if Gods Lawes were but foolish and they wiser then God to know what is meet But they crosse not the perfection or truth of Scripture because Reply pag. 116. they helpe us to finde out the true sense in the obscure and controverted letter â— This is neither true nor to the purpose It is nothing to the purpose because the Question is not whether unwritten Traditions be a good help to expound Scripture but whether they are to be accounted as Scripture and as part of Gods Law It is not true 1. Because the Scripture is not an obscure and controverted letter in doctrinall things m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost hom 3. in 2. Thess All those things which are necessary are manifest in them saith S. Chrysostome n In eis quae apertè in Scriptura posita sunt inveniuntur illa omnia quâ— ad fidem c. August de doctrina Christi l. 2. c. 9â— And in those things which are laid downe plainly in Scripture all those things saith S. Augustine are found which appertaine to faith and direction of life 2. Although the Scripture were obscure yet Popish Traditions cannot helpe to finde out the true sense unlesse we should say o Exod. 20. l. Thou shalt not worship an image The sense is Thou shalt worship images p Math. â—â— â—â— Drinke yee all of this That is All shall not drinke of it q Heb. 13. 4. Mariâ—ge is honourable among all It is not honourable among all These are your cursed glosses which corrupt the text and crosse the sense and meaning intended by the Holy Ghost 3. Although the Scripture were obscure and your Traditions did helpe to finde out the sense yet they doe crosse the perfection of Scripture because they are accounted not onely helpes for the interpretations of Gods written Law but even additions to the written Law Interpretation is for things obscure addition is for things imperfect What then will you call your Traditions additions to the Scripture or helpes for the interpretation of it If they be additions then they crosse the perfection of it for that which is perfect needeth no addition If they be helpes for the interpretation only then you shrinke from the Question from the matter delivered as the word of God to the manner of deliverie or of expounding the same Howsoever the Iesuites argument is most false That which helpeth to expound Scripture cannot crosse the perfection of the same Why goodman noddie Doe not all the Arts Tongues Fathers Commentaries helpe to expound Scripture And yet whosoever shall say that all these are the word of God he denyeth the perfection of the Bible We use commentaries upon Aristotles text but he that bringeth the commentarie into the text thereby to supply the defects of it denyeth the perfection of the text Doe not you deale so with the Scripture making unwritten Traditions a part of Gods word that so you may supply the defects of the written word making every idle interpretation as * pag. 124. Reply authenticall as S. Iohns Gospell Doe you not hereby crosse the perfection of the written word So S. Basil telleth us that * Basil de Spirit sanct c pro If unwritten Traditions be neglected the Gospell will incurre no small detriment So we tell you that if Arts Tongues Fathers Councels Commentaries and the like helpes be neglected the Gospell will incurre no small detriment We yeeld to the pen man of that Booke although it was not Basil but a counterfeit that if all unwritten Traditions be neglected if the testimony lyturgie and doxologies of which the author specially speaketh if the customes constitutions orders and ceremonies of the Church handmaides of the Gospell excellent in their use be slighted of all and every man left to himselfe to doe as he list in the manner of Gods service doubtlesse the Gospell will incurre no small detriment and if nothing be received into the Church but what is totidem verbis written in the Scriptures I wonder what kinde of Church we should have Popish Traditions are of another nature they crosse the truth and the perfection of Scripture if we admit such the Gospell will incurre no small detriment And though the Authour of that Booke would have Tradition respected yet hee would not have them accounted Gospell for in the words alledged he distinguisheth them from the Gospell You make no difference betweene unwritten Traditions and the Gospell you give them the same * Sect. 3. nature and quality the same * credite and authority with the Gospell If wee reject such Traditions the Gospell will incurre no detriment And S. Augustine saith * Sect. 4. Then doe wee hold the truth of Scripture when wee doe that that pleaseth the Vniversall Church Where S. Augustine saith so we may goe seeke Reply pag. 116 for the Iesuite citeth not the place but I thinke the place is this Augustin contra Crescon l. 1. c. 33. In this thing wee doe holde the truth of the Scripture when wee doe that which now pleaseth the Vniversall Church The thing is the point of rebaptization in which the Church held the truth of Scripture and determined this point by the authority of Scripture and not of unwritten Traditions so that S. Augustine might truely affirme this He speaketh not of unwritten Traditions they are a thing not pleasing to the universall Church therefore no man can hold the truth of Scripture nor please the universall Church if he hold with unwritten Traditions 9. And now
gratiae majorisque authoritatis quam Ecclesia quae nunc est Driedo de Eccles dogm l. 4. c. 4. Because the Primitive Church by reason of the college of the Apostles had more grace and more authoritie then the Church which now is but be it spoken of the Church that now is as long as the Church heareth Christ and delivereth nothing but his embassage hearing her we heare Christ but if once she speake of her owne head and goe beyond beside or contrary to her commission if wee heare her wee heare not Christ Did the Iewes heare Christ when they heard Iudas with his Quid dabitis If our teachers become Arians Nestorians or Pelagians must wee heare them No If it be Paul himselfe more If it bee an Å¿ Gal. 1. 8. Angell from heaven shall teach other doctrine then is contayned in the Scriptures let him be accursed Hee is rather to bee accursed and accounted as an Reply pag. 117 * Matt. 18. 17. Insidell who wilfully refuseth to hearken to the Church In that Text our Saviour speaketh not of matters of faith but of fact as of the meanes of ending strife betweene party and party And as it is in inferiour Courts they may heare and judge some things as Batteryes Blood-sheddes and the like but may not judge of Felony Treason and the like So it is with the Church shee may heare and determine in matters of fact as to compose strife and he that will not in such a case hearken unto her let him be no better then an Infidell but if she take too much upon her as that God must say whatsoever she saith that all her wordes are Gospell * pag. 124. as sure as S. Iohns Gospell and if she dare adde unwritten Traditions to Gods written Law the point of greatest consequence and the cheifest Article of the Romane faith she extendeth her authority beyond her power and in such a case none but wittalls will listen unto her But the Church is * 1. Tim. 3. 5. it is vers 15. the foundation Reply pag. 117. pillar of truth To speake properly t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in 1â— Tim. hom 11. Truth is the foundation and pillar of the Church as S. Chrysostome saith And the Replyer oft a lyer now telleth truth This title doth properly belong unto God himselfe Then it is improperly given unto the Church but the question is in what respect whether in regard of her nature or of her dutie In regard of her nature saith the Iesuite Because shee is indued from above with the Spirit of truth which never faileth to teach her all truth I may safely grant this yet deny unwritten verities because they are not truth but very lyes never received from the spirit of truth nor taught by the Church unto her followers This title is given unto the Church rather in regard of her dutie for as the Magistrate is said to be u Rom. 13. 3. A terror not to the good but to the evill Not because he is alwayes so but because he ought to be so so this title is given to the Church not in regard of her infallible nature which never faileth but in regard of her office and dutie which is to upholde the truth and to preserve the truth in which she may sometimes faile The Apostle calleth the Church of Ephesus where hee left x 1. Tim. 1. 36 Timothy and where Timothy was resident when S. Paul wrote unto him the ground and pillar of truth yet that which S. Paul y Act. 20. 19 feared is come unto it it is not now the pillar of truth but is fallen froÌ„ the truth So is the Church of Rome fallen from the truth into many errors of which this doctrine of unwritten Traditions is not the least 2. Thus much I have well considered and the more I consider I see the more dunsery and the lesse divinitie In his ensuing observations he laboureth to tread downe the authority of Scripture even as in his precedent observations hee laboured to make the authority of the Church to mount up unto heaven The first is this Christ never Reply p. 117. wrete any his doctrine himselfe As he spake by the mouth of all his Prophets and Apostles so he wrote by their hands S. Pauls Epistle written by z Rom. 16. 22. Tertius unto the Romans is accounted part of Pauls writings aswell as the Epistle to Philemon which was written with a Vers 19. his owne hands so the Scripture may bee said to be written by Christ being written by the Apostles and Prophets who were his hands S. Augustine will teach him to speake b Nequaquam dicendum est quod Christus non scripserit quandoquidem memora ejus id operata sunt quod dictante capite cognoverunt quicquid enim ille de dictis sactis suis nos le gere voluit hoc scribendum illis tanquam suis manibus imperavit Aug. de consens Evang l. 1. c. ult Say not by any meanes that Christ hath not written because his hands wrote that which the head did dictate unto them and whatsoâ—ver he would have us to reade touching his words or workes that he commanded them to write as it were with his owne hands c Haee ille doctè eleganter c. Tanto magis dicen dum est Christum scripsesse per Iuangelicrum Scriptores ut per manus suas quanto illi ne verbum unum aut iotâ— unum de suo spiritu Evangelio addiderunt Saâ—mer Proleg 26. Tom. 1. These things saith Salmeron S. Augustine spake learnedly and eloquently And he addeth this reason By so much the rather we must say that Christ himselfe wrote by the writers of the Gospell as by his owne hands in as much as they added not one word it selfe nor the least letter of â—heir owne to the Gospell Gregorie de Valentia saith d Planâ— instar calami cum usurpatur à Scriptore quo illud Davidis spectat lingua mea calamus scribae velociter scribentis nec enim alium hoc loco scribam significat praeter ipsum Deum Greg. de Val. Annal. fid l. 8. c. 5. They wrote even as the pen which the writer useth unto which David alludeth Psal 45. 2. my tongue is the penne of a ready writer he meaneth here no other writer but God Neither is it any thing materiall whether we say Christ wrote it himselfe or the Apostles wrote it as long as we are sure they had Christs commandement for the writing of it But this the Iesuite denyeth Wee doe not reade that ever he gave commandement to his Disciples to commit any part thereof unto writing S. Iohn was eleven times e Revel c. 1. 11. 19. c. 2. 1. 8. 1â— c. 3. 1. 7. 14. c 14. 13 c. 19. 9. c. 21. 5. coÌ„manded to write Is the Revelation of Iesus Christ no part of his doctrine f Aug. de
coâ—sen Euan l. 1. c. ult They were commanded to write saith S. Augustine g Iren. l. 3. c. 1. They wrote the Scriptures by the will of God saith Irenaus h Christus voluit scribi Euangelium Tâ—eoph praefat in Mat. Christ would have them to write the Gospell saith Theophylast And is not his will a sufficient command Inspiration i 2. Tim. 3. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 21. whereby they wrote the Scriptures is an internall command Hee sent them to preach his faith and to teach all nations Doth this exclude writing May not a man preach teach by writing The Apostles did k Rom 16 26. preach they did l 2. Thess 2. 15. 2. Tim. 3. 17 teach by their Epistles Clemens Alexandrinus Reply pag. 117 in this spake truly m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Strom. l. 1. Preaching is truly an Angelâ—call Scieâ—câ— in some sort and very profitable both wayes whether it â—â— by the hand or by the tongue Tertullian telleth us how the Apostles preached n Tum vivâ quod aiunt voce tum per Epistolas postea Tertul de praescrip c. 21 Aswell by word of mouth as they say as afterwards by Epistles So that preaching and teaching may be diverse wayes by writing as the Apostles preach by their Epistles by practise as Christ preached in his actions which are all for our instruction and not onely by word of mouth Wee have a commandement to heare his holy word and faith commeth by hearing but none can shew I trow where we are obliged to reade or where any commandement is given to propound the word of God to be read 3. It seemeth the Iesuite is more skilfull in Machiavel then in the Bible for if he had ever read it over and remembred Reply pag. 119 what he read he would never avouch this so confidently when as he may reade o Hab. 2. 2. He that runneth may reade it p Ioh 5. 39. Search the Scriptures q Luc. 10. 26. How readest thou r Rom. 15. 4. Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning Å¿ 2. Cor. â— 13 We write no other things unto you then what you read t Col. 3. 16 Lâ—t the word of God dwâ—ll plentifully in you Upon which place S. Chrysostome observeth this u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chry in Col. c. 3 ho. 9. Harken as many as are and are married have children hâ—w he commaundeth them specially to know the Scriptures Timothy himselfe is commanded to reade and to x 1. Tim. 4. 13. Attend upon reading Neither doth hearing of the word exclude reading of the same seeing it may be heard by reading aswell as by preaching y Revel 1 3. Blessed are they that reade and they that heare z Luc. 16. 29. Moses and the Prophets must be heard They are dead but yet when their writings are read then they are heard Certaine it is that the Primitive Church did abound in Reply pag. 118 faith and godlinesse for many yeares before the writings of the new Testament were perfected even by the meanes of unwritten doctrine 4. This is as certaine as all the rest It was not many yeares before the New Testament was perfected before it was perfected the Church had those Bookes of it which were first penned before any were penned the Church had the Olde Testament which Christ commaunded should be a Ioh. 5. 39. searched And the Bereans were commended for b Act. 17. 11. searching into it The Primitive Church did not continue in faith and godlinesse by the meanes of unwritten doctrine for the doctrine taught by the Apostles was first written in the c Rom. 16. 26. Old Testament and after in the New although it may be said to be unwritten in regard of the manner of delivery of it by the Apostles at the first vivâ voce Howsoever the Primitive Church did yet the Church in succeeding ages stood in need of a written word Children at first are taught many things without bookes yet afterwards they stand in need of bookes for their better learning The Primitive Church might doe well enough without Scripture during the life of the Apostles whose preaching was as infallible as their writing yet the Church in succeeding ages could not doe so well without Scripture because no man living since the Apostles had hath or ever shall have the same gifts power authority to deliver points of faith whose words shall be Gospel as the Apostles had And because writing is the best means to preserve doctrine delivered by word of mouth d Respectâ— nostri commodius utilius per Scripturam corleâ—â—em doctrinam à corruptione oblivione interitu conservari quam absque Scriptuâ—â— Gretzer de sens Bellarâ— l. 4. â— 4. The heavenly doctrine saith Gretzer in respect of us is better preserved from corruption oblivion and decay by writing then without writing S. Chrysostome teacheth us this 1. That the singular gifts which the Apostles had might well serve for these times instead of Scripture 2. That the after-times stood in need of Scripture And then hee concludeth e Extremae esse omninò dementiae post quam co redacti sumus ut Scriptis indigeamus â—e secundo quidem hoc remedio ad salntem nostram uti item magni esse criminis per illud auxilium nolle proficere sed quasi fruâ—â—â—à ac vanè posita scripta despicere chrysost hom 1. in Mat. It is the extremity of madnesse now that wee stand in need of Scripture not to use this excellent helpe for our salvation and that it is the greatest fault that can be not to profite by that helpe but to despise it as written in vaine and to no purpose This fit of frensie hath intoxicated the Iesuites braine hee hath accounted the Scripture needlesse and written in vaine Possevine hath written a whole Chapter f Possev Bibliothec select l. 2 c. 16. De necessitate Scripturarum S. Iude thought it needfull g Iude vers 3 To write to the Saints h Luke 1. 3. It seemed good to S. Luke to write his Gospell to prevent false rumours And S. Paul thought it i Philip. 3. 1. The surest way for the Philippians to write unto them If it were needefull good and the surest way then it is now more needefull to have the written word of the Apostles to prevent your false Traditions fathered upon them And * Iren. l. 2. c. â— Irenaeus doth witnesse that in his dayes many nations lived Christianly without the use of the written word onely by the guide of Apostolicall Traditions Sir I must tell you that if you goe on to alleadge the Fathers as you beginne you will gaine little credite by it In your first testimony you cite a counterfeite In your second you omit the place In your third Reply which is this you mistake the * l. 2. c. 3.
for l. 3. c. 4. place I subscribe to what Irenaeus saith And I beleeve that by Apostolicall Tradition that is the preaching of the word many nations were converted to the faith of Christ not by unwritten doctrines but by delivering written doctrines in an unwritten manner Irenaeus sheweth k Iren. l. 3. c. 1. First that the Apostles preached the Gospell and that afterward they delivered the same unto us in writing The same things the Pastours of the Church who might have the written word although the persons taught had it not delivered unto the People Irenaeus sheweth what those things were which were l Iren. l. 3. c. 4. written in their hearts without inke or letters They did beleive m In unum Deum sabricatorem coeli terrae omnium quae in eis sunt per Christâ—â—â— Iesum Dei filium c. Iren. ibid. In one God maker of heaven and of earth and of all things in them by Iesus Christ the Sonne of God c. These were the Traditions which they beleived and if any would have taught them otherwise they * Iren. ibid. would have stopped their eares as Irenaeus sheweth and have fled from them as they would from you and from your unwritten Traditions * Iren. l. 3. c. 4. Irenaus demandeth How should we dâ—e if the Apostles had written nothing at all' must wee not then follow the rule Reply pag. 118. of Tradition delivered unto them to whom the Apostles committed the charge of the Churches 5. We reject not this kinde of Tradition which is the succession of true doctrine in the Church And what shall we doe seeing the Apostles have written Is it not our dutie to follow the rule of Tradition delivered in their writings and not onely to take that course now that the Apostles have written which Irenaeus prescribeth if the Apostles had not written What if the Scripture should be consumed so that not one Reply Coppie thereof should be extant which is possible And what if a man had lost the true sense and meaâ—ing of the Scripture how shall he finde it out must he not as Irenaeus saith Follow the order of Tradition delivered by the Apostles unto those unto whom they committed the Churches The 1. hypothesis is absurd and impossible The Sunne may aswell be pulled out of the heavens and the skyes fall as the Scripture perish n Staplet coâ—t Whiâ—ak de authorit Script l. â— c. 1. s â— If it should GOD himselfe must faile in his providence saith Stapleton The 2. hypothesis is possible A man may lâ—se tâ—e true meaning of the Scripture and the order of Tradition delivered by the Apostles is one but not the onely meanes to finde it out and how shall a man finde out this order of Tradition in the originall of it better then by the Scripture it selfe So that when all is done the Scripture is the best interpreter of it selfe o Legitima sine periculo est expositio scripturae secundum ipsas scripturas Iren. l. 4. c 63. The exposition of Scripture according to the Scriptures themselves is the most surest saith Irenaeus The Apostles have written their writings are preserved the true meaning of them is well knowne Yet we reject not this meanes but doe follow the order of Tradition delivered by the Apostles as long as wee follow their writings for both by preaching and by writing they taught the same Popish Traditions are not of this order they were never taught by the Apostles nor by them to whom the Apostles committed the care of the Churches but onely of old by Heretickes and of late by an Anti christian faction Moreover S. Augustine teacheth us that there be many Reply pag. 118 points of faith for which wee have no written word * Aug. epist 128 In those things of which the holy Scripture saith nothing what course are wee to holde that which is used by the Church throughout all the world is to bee observed saith S. Augustine and it would be insolent madnesse to dispute against the same 6. The Iesuite mistaketh both the * Epist 128 for 118. place the point S. Augustine speaketh not of points of faith at all but onely of some rituall points or customes then in use as of the use of holy dayes of receiving the Eucharist fasting and the like These come not within the compasse of this controversie And as it is madnesse to dispute against these things so it is litle better in him then madnesse to dispute about these things and to call these things points of faith For * Aug. de bap cont Donatist l. 4. c. 24. whatsoever the Church universall doth holde if it Reply be not found or dained by some Councell but hath been alwayes in use it is most justly beleeved to bee a Tradition of none other but of the very Apostles themselves S. Augustine treateth in this place of the Baptisme of Children and calleth it Traditum apostolicâ autheritate A thing delivered by Apostolicall authoritie or an Apostolicall Tradition And are not written doctrines delivered by Apostolicall authority S. Augustine did not account Baptisme of Children to be an unwritten Tradition as appeareth by the arguments taken out of the Scriptures which he useth wee neede not goe farther then this Chapter to finde one p Si quisquam hac in re authoritatem quaerat divinam c veraciter conjicere possumus quid valeat in parvulis baptismi Sacramentum ex circumcisione carnis quam prior populus accepit Augus ibidem If any man saith he desire divine authority in this point we may truely conjecture how powerfull in Children the Sacrament of Baptisme is by the circumcision of the flesh which the Iewes received And this is accounted by q Bellarm. l. 1. de Baptism c. 1 Bellarmine a strong argument to confirme this point In the next testimony S. Augustine writing of the custome or practise of not rebaptising those that have been baptised by Heretickes so that they have beene baptised in the name of the Trinity saith r Quam consueâ—â—dinem credo ex Apostolicâ— Traditione venientem Aug de baptism cont Donat. l. 2. c. 7. Which custome I beleeve came from Apostolicall Tradition * Aug. ibid Even as many other things are not found in the writings of the Apostles nor in the Councels of following ages yet because they are held by the whole Church they are beleeved to have beene delivered and commended by the said Apostles It is a weake argument drawne from custome to Articles of faith from practise to the doctrine of the Sacraments Wee read nothing for point of practise whether those that have beene baptized by Heretickes have beene rebaptized or no Yet the doctrine in this point is sufficiently taught in Scripture We beleeve it Å¿ Propter folidissima manifestâ—ssrâ—â— scripturarum fundamentâ— et testimonia Tiâ—â—â—aâ— defens Triden ad articul de
Charactere because of the most solide Reply and most manifest testimonies of the Scripture as one of your owne hath said t â—â—â—videar humanis argumentis id agere etc. ex â—vangelio profero certa documâ—â—â—â—a Aug. l. 1. de Bapt. â—ont Donat. c. â— Least I should seeme to deale in this onely by humane arguments saith S. Augustine I will bring most sure arguments out of the Gospell And in the wordes following he bringeth in this Text. u Luc. 9. 50. Forbid him not for he that is not against us is with us By which hee overthroweth the maine argument of the adverse parties who helde That the things of Christ could not bee had out of the Church And in his answer to this question whether it were better to baptise or not to baptise such he hath these words x Recurrens ad illam stateram dominicam ubi non ex humano sensu sed authoritate divinà return momenta pensantur invenio de â—â—raque te Domini sententiam Aug. l. 2. de bapt cont Donat c. 14. Looking to the divine measure that is the Scripture whereby things are measured by divine authoritie and not by humane opinion I finde the judgment of the Lord concerning both And he concludeth this question with these words y Perspectis Scripturarum testimonijs potest etiam dici quod veritas declaravit hoc sequimur Aug. l. 4. de bapt cont Donat. c 7. Having searched the testimonies of the Scriptures I may say we follow that which the truth declareth Thus it appeareth by the judgment of S. Augustine that the point of doctrine is written although for point of practise we reade nothing in the writings of the Apostles 7. That the holy Ghost is to be adored and that the Father is unbegotten and unborne I beleive those as the Articles of my faith but I will never beleive him that saith * Aug. cont Maximinum l. 3. c. 3. S. Augustine held them to be unwritten articles These words The holy Ghost is to be adored The Father is unbegotten I confesse are not written verbatim yet there are other words written which doe import the same and are equivalent unto them And may we not understand some words which we reade not out of those words which we reade saith S. Augustine a In verbis Scripturarum non est Evangeliuâ— sed in sensu Hicroâ—â—m in Galat. c. 1. The words are not the Gospell but the sense of Scripture is the Gospell saith S. Hierome So I Reply pag. 119 may say the forme of words is not the article of faith but the thing signified by those words else the Church believed not these two articles untill this forme of words was z Quasi non ex ijs quae legimus aliqua etiam quae non legimus intelligamus Aug. ibidem used The holy Ghost is to be adored The Father is unborne As for the article of faith signified by these words The holy Ghost is to be adored S. Augustine prooveth it out of the Scriptures in which it is written in an other forme of words b Glorificate ergo Deum in corpore vestro ubi delucidè ostend it Deum esse spiritum sanctum glorificandum scilicet in corpore nostro Aug. cont Maxim l. 3. c. â—1 Glorifie therefore God in your body this evidently declareth that the holy Ghost is God and that he must be glorified in our bodies saith S. Augustine And againe c Glorifieate Deum portate in corpore vestro Quem Deum nisi Spiritum sanctum cujus corpora nostra dixerit esse templum Aug. epist 66. Glorifie God in your body whom doth he meane but the holy Ghost whose temple he calleth our bodies And concerning the words Coessentiall Vnbegotten and the like hee saith d Etiasi vocabula ista ibi non inveniuntur fieri potest ut illud inveniamus cui haec vocabula rectè adhibita indicentur Aug. epist 174. Although those words are not found in Scripture yet we may finde that which is intended by those words This then was the opinion of S. Augustine that the doctrine signified by those words was written in other words although those words themselves were not written And as S. Augustine answereth Pascentius the Arian so I may answere the Iesuite e Quid contentiosius est quaÌ„ ubi de re constat certare de nomine Aug. ibidem What is more contentious then to strive about words when the thing meant by them is manifest 8. It is not An other point of faith which S. Augustine handleth in the next testimony but the point of rebaptization * Aug. de unit Eccles c. 19. This neither of us both can finde written expressely and evidently in the Scripture And this is not spoken concerning the doctrine but concerning the practise in this point as appeareth by S. Augustines answer to the Heretickes demaund f Cum in scripturis non inveniamus aliquos ad Ecclesiam iam transisle ab Hereticâ— sicut ego dico aut sicuâ— tu dicis esse succeptos Aug. ibidem Seeing now we finde not any in the Scriptures to haue for saken the Heretickes and come home to the Church and to have beene received either as I say or as you say This point of fact may well be distinguished from the point of faith the doctrine may be written though Reply the practise is not written Howsoever we graunt it that the practise is not written neither is the doctrine written expressely and evidently That the baptised by Heretickes shall not be rebaptised Yet S. Augustine from most certain principles and by most evident consequences out of the holy Scripture concludeth the doctrine of this point The praâ—tise of the Church herein being according unto the truth of Scripture S. Augustinâ— might very well oppose the practise of the Church against the Heretick tel him * Aug. â—bidem Thou must beleeve the Câ—urch which if thou refuse to doe thou doest not oppose thy selfâ— against me or against man but Reply even against our Saviour himselfe to thy everlasting damnation The baptisme of Children of which S. Augustine writeth in the next testimony is no unwritten doctrine but a point established likewise both by the authority of the Scriptures and of the Church and S. Augustine did well to declare the authority of the Scriptures and of the Church in this point saying * Aug. serm 14. de verb. Apost Such force hath the authority Reply of the Church and the fixed rule of truth that is the Scripture against this bulwarke against this impregnable wall who so advanceth himselfe he shall be broken and burst in peeces As this is most truely affirmed by S. Augustine so it is as impertinently alledged by the Iesuite Reply Is it not recorded in the Acts of the Apostles that * Act. 1. 3 Christ after his passion shewed himselfe alive to his Apostles being seene
of the Lord that which I delivered unto you And againe * The rest will I set in order when I come 11. What a Sr Iohn is this to commit such an Argument unto paper and inke There must bee unwritten Traditions because S. Iohn would not commit all to paper and inke Who ever held that all written doctrines were contained in the 2d. Epistle of S. Iohn I hope there were more Apostles then S. Iohn and Apostles that wrote more then S. Iohn It were a ridiculous thing in mee if I should argue thus No Iesuite ever had any will to handle the Question of Freewill because this Iesuite had no will unto it What then may wee thinke of this William Summers for his wise argument concerning S. Iohn S. Paul handleth two things in that Chapter Prayer and the Eucharist And unto those some things are accidentall as time place gesture vesture as to pray with faces covered or uncovered and some things are essentiall as the matter and forme of those duties The first of these belong not to this Controversie and therefore the Iesuite shrinketh from the Question in alledgeing these Fathers * Epiph. haeres 61. Epiphanius * Basil de Sp. Sanct. l. 1. c. 29. Basill * Chrysost in cor 11. Chrysostome and * Theoph. in 1 Cor. 11. Theophilact who treate not of doctrinall and essentiall things but of things rituall and accidentall Epiphanius first writeth of those things which the Church holdeth as points of faith concerning these we have spoken saith he Then he proceedeth on to reckon up sundry ecclesiasticall rites or Institutions as Monks Exorcists fasting dayes holy dayes and the like concerning which hee saith a Epiph. ibid. All these cannot be taken out of the Scripture Basils drift in that Booke if hee bee the Author of it is to defend a forme of words or of Syllables used by the Church as whether it were better to say Glory be to the Father and to the Sonne with the Holy Ghost or Glory be to the Father and to the Sonne in the Holy Ghost His whole disputation is about the Syllable cum and that this forme of words may be admitted he proveth because many other things as formes of words and rituall Traditions are admitted although they be not written Theophylact saith It is manifest that the Apostles have not delivered all things in writing And Chrysostome saith They delivered many things without writing But withall he sheweth what those things were b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost ibidem Of other things of no great moment Salmeron calleth them minutiora diminitive things these are his words c Non enim dignum erat ut minutiora haec quae cultum divinum exornant quae temporâ—â— progressu erant vel augenda vel minuenda vel mutanda iâ— melius in Sacris literis ponerentur Salmeron disput 3. in 2. Thes â— It was not meete that these diminitive things which are ornaments for divine worship and in time were either to be increased or diminished or altered to the better should be layde downe in writing The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle d Verse 34. useth importeth the same being commonly used as here so in other * 1. Cor. 16. â—â— 1. Tit. 5. places when Ecclesiasticall orders are spoken of and not in relation unto divine doctrines The essentiall things which appertaine unto these two divine dutâ—es they may be written Although this be S. Pauls first Epistle to the Corinthians either by other Pen-men of Scripture as diverse Sermons of the Apostles are penned by S. Luke or by himselfe in other of his Epistles or else in the same in which hee writeth that which he * Verse 23. delivered even all the essentiall things belonging unto the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord. Reply pag. 1â—â— Eusebius relateth of Egesippus that * Euseb l 4. c. â— he wrote five bookes of such unwritten Traditions as the Apostles lest unto the Church 12. These are the words of Eusebius f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Euseb ibidem In five bâ—okes he wrote an infallible deliverie of the Apostles preaching The bookes are not extant to see what they containe but they seeme to be a divine history rather historicall then dogmatical by Eusebius his citing theÌ„ alwayes in point of g Euseb l. 2. c. 22 l. 3. c. 12 history and by this testimony which S. Hierome giveth of them Hegesippus who lived neare to the Apostles times knitting together all the stories of the Acts of the Church Hegesippus vicinus Apostolorum tempo rum omnes à passione Domini usque ad suam aetatem Ecclesiasticorum actuum texens historias multaque ad utilitatem legentium pertinentia hinc inde congregam quinque libros composuit Hieron in Catalog from the passion of our Lord untill his owne dayes and gathering together in one many things profitable to be read he composed five bookes of them Eusebius saith not that they contained unwritten Traditions there is neither the word Traditions nor unwritten in his words but an Infallible Tradition or deliverie of the Apostles preaching And if an infallible deliverie of the Apostles preaching must needes be of unwritten Traditions then the Acts of the Apostles penned by S. Luke is of unwritten Traditions because it is an infallible delivery of the Apostles preaching A strong lye it is that unwritten Traditions are strongly confirmed by Eusebius either in that or in the next testimony alledged by the Iesuite S. Ignatius was accustomed * Euseb l. 3 c. 30 to exhort all men to adhere unto apostolical Traditions the which Reply pag. 120 saith Eusebius this Father affirmed that formore assurance he had left them in wâ—iting This testimony is most grossely corrupted by the Iesuit Eusebius relateth it in these words Ignatius exhorted to hold fast i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb ibidem The Tradition of the Apostles which for more assurance he thought fit to bee practised or expressed in practise even as hee testified by writing Heere is no mention of Traditions but onely of the Tradition of the Apostles and the doctrine delivered in Scripture is their Tradition Heere is not a word of writing unwritten Traditions as if Ignatius had written a booke of them which is a dreame of this Ignatian brat but that Ignatius testified by writing that hee thought it necessary that the Tradition of the Apostles that is their doctrine should be expressed in practise So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken for expressing by action not by writing As Ignatius did so doe we exhort men by word of mouth to hold fast the Tradition or the doctrine of the Apostles and likewise by writing testifie the same unto them that for more assurance they expresse the same in life and conversation Thus have we runne one course of the wilde-goose chase following this Gaggler thorough the
on both sides and yet these and many such things were defended by some of the Fathers 2. We confesse that the Fathers are Patrons of Traditions of such Traditions as we allowed in the * Sect. 1. Diâ—is 4. stateing of the Question and not of Popish Traditions for all our Writers have disputed by the testimonies of the Fathers against unwritten doctrinall Traditions learned Whitaker shall answere for himselfe and for all the rest c Conâ—edimus defensas esse Traditiones à Patribâ—â— sed â—â— modo â—uod dictumest at quod aiâ— Patres non oppugnare illud falâ—um est Whâ—â—akeâ— controvers 1. de verbo Del non scâ—â—pto q. 6. c. 1â— Wee confesse that the Fathers defended Traditions but they were such Traditions as we defend But whereas you say that the Fathers did not oppugne Traditions it is false What now may we thinke of the Iesuite who falsely chargeth both the Fathers and our Writers He verifieth the saying The Monke of all men and the Iesuite above all Monkes is most impudent This babling prater or prating babler may bragge that He hath the consistorie of Antiquitie and that we are The babling upstarts Wee cannot tame his tongue from rayling for as he observeth out of S. Hilary * Hilar. de Triâ—iâ— l 3. Desperation bringeth alwayes with it selfe an unbridled boldnesse and professed impietie leâ—peth beyond the bounds of all shame This is true of him although S. Hilary hath no such words in that booke He deserveth the whetstone for his impudent lying and the cucking-stoole for his shamelesse scoulding And for his excusing of the most reverend Primate to those of his owne side and to the outlandish Doctours hee hath more need to excuse himselfe 1. To those of his owne side who stand for the perfection sufficiencie and prerogative of the sacred Scripture d Scriptura sufficleuter continet doctrinam necessariaâ—â— viatori-Scotus in prolog in 1. sentent â— â— The Scripture saith Scotus sufficiently containeth the doctrine necessary for him that is in his trauell e Sacra Scripturâ— est regula fidei cui nec addere nec subtrahere licet Aquin 〈…〉 ar 9. The holy Scripture saith Aquinas is the rule of faith to which we must not adde and from which we must not substract f Loquitur Deus in Scripturis it a copiose quod non oportet Deum iterum loqui nobis aliquod necessarium 〈◊〉 habeantur Aâ—ton part â— 3. tiâ— 1â— c. 3. God speaketh in the Scripture saith Antoninus and speaketh so copiously that he need not speake againe unto us any thing that is necessary seeing all such things are in the Scriptures Thus God hath made the g Ioh. 1. 5. light tâ— shine in darkenes And how can the Iesuite reconcile himselfe unto these men who denyeth that which they affirme 2. To all the outlandish Doctors who preferreth himselfe all his Countreymen before all other writers of what Countrey soever That they are partakers of that benigne and blessed influence which it pleaseth the heavens to distill into the Irish disposition This is good Divinity The heavens distill this influence of grace The outlandish Doctors are beholding unto him for his good opinion of them in that Ireland or the Irish disposition is made partaker of this influence before all other Countreyes and Countreymen whatsoever This is to make all other places and persons like h â— Sam. 1 21. The mountaines of Gilboa upon which there falleth neither dew nor raine And only Ireland to be like the Reply pag. 112. 1â—3 hill of i Psal 133. â— Hermon the dew whereof watereth other hills And how shall we excuse him in these things 1 Be pleased to remember that he left his native soyle and wenâ— over seas to write this booke by means whereof he leâ—t his wits behinde him and deprived himselfe of this blessed influence if he had remained at home he might perhaps have received some of this benigne influence which it pleaseth the heavens to distill upon his native Climate 2. That those of his owne side speake of the susticiency of Scripture in things necessary in doctrines of salvation but he denyeth the sufficiency of Scripture in rituall points which are the Traditions which he defendeth this will appeare in the examining of his next Section which is SECT IIII. Of the nature and quality of unwritten Traditions 1. THe subject of this and of the former Section is the same and therefore I wil answere the Iesuite as S. Augustine did Iulian upon the like occasion a Replicas quae superiore disputatione consumpta â—unt August cont Iulian. l. 4. c. 18 Thou replyest those things which are already coÌ„futed We * Sect. 2. D. 1. have answered the argument drawne froÌ„ the infallibility authority of the Church yet here againe the Iesuite reneweth it The Catholick Church cannot erre and therefore whatsoever she delivereth Reply p. 1â—4 as a point of faith or an interpretation of any obscure passage of Scripture we must beleeve it as fire as that S. Iohns Gospell is Scripture Sir you reckon without your Hoaste for the Catholicke Church never taught unwritten Traditions And according to your own sayings and tenents unwritten Traditions were of no authority for the first 300. yeares for if it be the Catholicke Church that must give authority to an unwritten Tradition and if the iudgement of the Catholicke Church could not then be heard but in a generall Councell and if there were no generall Councell untill about 300. yeares after Christ what nature or quality what credit or authority had unwritten Traditions untill that time Traditions likewise which are particular not observed by the Catholicke Church but onely in some Churches which by your doctrine are parcels of the unwritten wordâ— must needs want their authoritie because they are not delivered by the judgement of the Catholicke Church Neither is any Church on earth so infallible as that it cannot erre in delivery of a Tradition or exposition of an obscure passage of Scripture The Church which hee meaneth hath erred in many foolish and ridiculous expositions What shall we thinke of that exposition which is so famous among the Franciscans upon this text Revel 7. 2. From the East that is b Ab ortu solis id est decivitaâ—ate Assissij in Oriente posita asceâ—dit Angelus id est Franciscus puritate sanctitate Angelis consiâ—oilis cum signo Dei vivi id est cum stigmatibus Iesu Christi conformit Francis l. 1. from the city Assissium which is in the East the Angell ascended that is Francis like unto the Angels in purity and sanctitie with the Seale of the living God that is with the wounds of Iesus Christ Is this exposition as true as S. Iohns Gospell Besides the testimonie of the Church I have diverse arguments to perswade me that S. Iohns Gospell is canonicall the testimony of the Church is but one argument and such an one
as may sometime deceive a man and therefore though the exposition be true yet how can I be as sure that it is true as I am that S. Iohns Gospell is canonicall I like better of that saying of Marsilius c Dict a Christi five Dei non vera sunt causaliter â—o quod â—iâ—dem testificatur Ecclesia Catholica vero testimonio sed testimonium Ecclesiae causaliter verum est dum dicit dicta christi vera propteâ— veâ—tatem dictorum christi Marsil Desensor pacis part 2. cap. 19. The words of Christ or of God are not therefore made true because the Catholicks Church by a true testimony giveth her testimony unto them but the testimony of the Church is therefore true when shee speaketh the true words of Christ because of the truth of Christs words And as S. Augustine said * August cont epist fundament c. 5. That hee beleevea the Gospell Reply pag. 114. by the authority of the Church so are we to beleeve the Traditions which the Church propoundeth unto us as the word of God 2. I wish our Adversary to consider two things which make the meaning of S. Augustine most evident 1. That S. Augustine speaketh of the primitive Church d Augustinus ibidem Ecclesiam sumit proâ— primitivâ— congregatione fidelium qui Christum viderunt audieruÌ„t sui testes sueruÌ„t Gerson de vitâ spirit lect 2 dâ— S. Augustine saith Gerson in that place taketh the Church for the primitive congregation of the faithfull who did see heare and were witnâ—sses of Christ What is this to the now Roman Church Have you the same power and authority which that Church had Your own Driedo telleth you no. e Ecclesia primitiva propter collegium Apostolorum majoris erat gratiae majorisque authoritatis quam Ecclesia quaenunc est Driedo de dogma l. â— c. 4. The primitive church by reason of the colledge of the apostles was of greater grace and of greater authority then the Church which now is If the Iesuite speake of the Traditions delivered by that Church we refuse them not let him prove this or that to be a Tradition delivered by the Apostles and we will beleeve it but if he speake of the now Roman Church his argument is of no force and as S. Augustine beleeved not the Gospell by the authority of that Church so wee will not beleeve the Traditions taught by her 2. That this was the occasion why he alledged the authority of the Church S. Augustine had beene for nine yeares a Manichee and now having to deale with the Manichees to convert them hee propoundeth unto them the authoritie of the Church to move them even as in the time of his heresie it moved him This he speaketh of the time past I had not beleeved the Gospell if the authority of the Church had not moved me But afterward being converted and made a Bishop he maketh a better confession saying f I am credere coeperam nullo modo te fuisse tributurum tam excellen tem illi scripturae per omnes jam terras authoritatem nisi per ipsam tibi credi per ipsam te quaeri voluâ—sses Aug. confess l. â— c. 5. Now I began to beleeve that thou wouldest not have given so excellent authoritie unto the Scripture it selfe â—ver the whole world but that by it thou wouldest be beleeved and by it thou wouldest be sought This is all that can be gathered out of S. Augustine that the Church is a good motive to perswade men to beleeve the word of God and not that it is such a Doctor that can give such lawes as shal be equall with the word of God S. Augustine confesseth that he had an other motive to perswade him to beleeve besides the authoritie of the Church g Se Carthagine motum esse disputatione cujusdam Elpidij cui Manichâ—i imbeâ—illa responsione restiterint August confess l. 5. c 11. Being at Carthage he was moved to beleeve by the disputation of one Elpidius whose arguments the Manichees were not able to answere But every mover is not a Law-giver h 1. Pet. 3. 1. The honest conversation of the wife may move the husband to beleeve must he therefore beleeve whatsoever she shall say I may aswell inferre thus the testimonie of the Iewes moveth us to beleeve the old Testament therefore we must beleeve their Cabbala their Masoreth and all their unwritten Traditions We are willing to i Math. 22. 21. give unto Cesar the things which are Cesars and unto God the things which are Gods and therefore wee give unto the Church the ministery to allure us and to move us to beleeve the word of God and to the Scripture the dignity and authority to be the onely word of God If the Church were bound not onely to preserve the sacred Reply pag 124 writings but also to deliver the forme of wholesome doctrine contained in them why should she not be likewise bound to preserve the sacred Traditions and to deliver the forme of wholesome doctrine in them contained And why should not we receive them upon her credit 3. If unwritten Traditions had beene committed to her trust there is no doubt but that she ought to preserve them and to deliver them as shee received them to keepe nothing backe but to deliver the whole counsell of God and to teach the forme of wholesome doctrine whether written or unwritten but unwritten Traditions are no wholesome doctrine they are part of that poysonous potion that bewitching doctrine which is in the golden cup of that glorious Religion for outward shew of the Scarlet coloured beast of Rome And though it were true that the Church received unwritten Traditions and that she is bound to teach them yet how can I be assured that this or that is a true Tradition as sure as I am of any written article of my faith That Christ dyed I beleive because the Scripture saith it that this is a Tradition you beleive it because a Father the Fathers or the Church saith it Can a man beleive that testimony which may be false as sure as he beleiveth that cui non potest subesse falsum No humane testimony can beget that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or full assurance which a divine Testimony doth k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Clemons Alex. Strom. 1. 7. Wee regard not an humane testimonie let us confirme the question by the Word of GOD which is the surest demonstration yea the onely demonstration saith Clemens of Alexandria It is l 2. Pet. 1. 19. more sure then the testimonie of men and of Angels Epiphanius layeth downe these for the limites and bounds Reply pag. 125 of our faith * Epiph hâ—res 55. Apostolicall Traditions and the holy Scriptures and the succession of doctrine by which Gods truth is fortified on every side that no man should be deceived with fabulous novelties 4. None of the Ancient were more deceived with
the Apostle delivered some mysteries unto Timothy willing him to open them not to all by writing but to choyse men who might teach them by word of mouth unto others 6. To the same purpose did the Hereticks of old alledge this text and were condemned by the Church for it as Tertullian t Tertul. de praescript c. 25. beareth witnesse Timothy heard Paul's doctrine both by his preaching and by his writing The many witnesses of his doctrine were u Act. 26. 11. Moses and the Prophets as he testifieth of himselfe and sundry r Anselm Bruno Aquinas Interpreters so expound this place The same doctrine he would have Timothy to teach unto faithfull men not because they were such mysteries as were unfit to be opened unto all by writing but because they were not fit being holy things to be opened by all by speaking as by the ignorant and prophane persons unto such saith the Lord y Psal 50. 1â— What hast thou to doe to take my worde in thy mouth seeing thou haâ—est to be reformed Paul before having shewed that there is required in a Teacher both ability to teach and z 1. Tim. c. 3. faithfulnesse in teaching and now Timothy himselfe being an Over-seer of Gods Church he therefore exhorteth him to make choyse of such men as were fit for the Ministerie who were to be teachers of others and unto these to teach the same doctrine which he taught him that so they might be faithfull teachers of others It cannot then le denyed but that many commandements Reply p. 125. and holy mysteries are preserved in this store-house of the Church without writing 7. Here the Iesuite equivocateth in the words commandements and mysteries as appeareth by the instances which he alledgeth of which some are points of faith as that the Father is unbegotten The Sonne is consubstantiall with the Father c. which are taught us sufficiently by the Scripture although they be not written verbatim in the Scripture Some are not points of faith as The Lenten Fast The celebrating of Easter day upon a Sunday c. And such commandements may be preserved in the Church without writing And first he beginneth with the point of rebaptization Such is the rebaptizing of those that have beene baptized Reply pag. 126 by Heretickes as witnesseth S. Augustine * August cont Crescen l. 1. c. 33. Although no example heereof is brought out of holy Scriptures yet doe wee follow the truth of the same holy Scriptures in this point whilst wee doe that which now pleaseth the whole Church which the authoritie of Scriptures doth commend 8. The doctrine of rebaptizing is a point which the authority of Scripture doth commend Many texts of Scripture are alledged for the proofe of this point in an Index in some of your owne a Index Bibl. Sixt. Ephes 4. 5 Heb. 6. 6 10. 16. Gen 17. 14 1. Cor 10. 2. Bibles S. Augustine deemed this point rather to be an obscure Question then a point of faith b Quaestionis hujus obâ—curitas prioribus Ecelesiae temporibus ante schisma Donati magnos viros magnâ— charitate praeditos Patres Episcopos inter se compulit salvâ paâ—â— discepâ—â—re Aug. l. 1. de Bapt con Donat. c. 7 The obscurity of this Question in the former times of the Church even before the Schisme of Donatus caused great men and men abundant in charitie even Fathers and Bishops to differ among themselves the bond of peace not being broken saith S. Augustine Howsoever we distinguish betweene the precept and the practise betweene the doctrine and example of the doctrine It is evident that S. Augustine speaketh of the practise or example Although no example hereof is brought out of holy Scripture c. And though we finde not the example of this doctrine whether those have beene rebaptized who were first baptized by the Heretickes as we reade not whether those that have beene baptized by murderers and adulterers have beene baptized againe or no yet the precept or doctrine may be and is sufficiently declared in many places of Scripture by sound inference although it be not expressely written Those that have beene baptized by Heretickes shall not be baptized againe The next testimony concerneth the same point * Aug. 〈…〉 de Bapt. cont Donat c. 1â— The Apostles commaunded nothing hereof yet the Reply custome which was herein opposed against Cyprian is to bee believed to proceede from their Tradition even as many things bee which the Church handleth and are therefore well beleeved to bee commaunded of the Apostles although they be not written And unto it we returne the same aunswer that the Apostles commaunded nothing hereof in expresse words and that the Scripture doth not afford one example of this point but it doth not follow therefore it is an unwritten doctrine Cyprian was one of the Fathers and Bishoppes of the Church who held that they were to be rebaptized S. Augustine dissented from his opinion and yet both consented to have this Question determined by the Scriptures c Vnde est haec Traditio c. Cyprian Epist 74. ad Pomp. Whence is this Tradition saith Cyprian Is it from the divine authoritie of the Gospell or from the commandement and Epistles of the Apostles d Bellarm. l. 4. de verbo Dei c. 8. Bellarmine confesseth that here Cyprian speaketh of the Scripture and so doth S. Augustine commending Cyprian e Quod autem nâ—â— admonet ut ad fonâ—â—m recurramus id optimum est Aug l. 5. de Bapt. cont Donat. c. 16. Because he would have recourse in this unto the fountaine c. for that is the best course And by this authority drawne out of the fountaine f Ephes 4. 5â— There is one Lord one Faith one Baptisme hee confuteth his opinion And not onely by one but g Adjunctis Scripturaâ—m testimonijs ostendimus Aug. l. 6. c. 1. Wee prove it by testimonies of Scripture heaped together saith S. Augustine And in the Chapter alleadged by the Iesuite thus he writeth h Contra mandatum est quod veniâ—ntes ab Haereticis si jam ab illis Baptismum Christi acceperint baptiâ—antur quia Scripturarum sanctarum testimonijs non solum ostenditur sed planè ostenditur mulâ—os Pseudo-Christianos quamvis non habeant â—andem charitatem cum sanctis sine quâ nihil prosunt quaecunque sancta habere potuerint Baptismum tamen â—omâ—uâ—â—â— habere cum â—anctiâ— Aug. l. 5. c. â—3 It is contrary to the commandement that those should bee rebaptized which returne from the Heretickes if they haue the Baptisme of Christ because it is not onely proved but plainely proved by the testimonies of holy Scripture that many false Christians may have the same baptisme with them although they have not the same charitie with the Saints without which the holy things which they have cannot profite them By this clause If they have the baptisme of Christ he
greater sinne for a Priest to be married to a wife then to live in fornication with many whores that it is worse for a Lay-man not to make his auricular confession once in the yeare then to live in sinne all the yeare that it is a greater sinne to eate flesh in Lent then to be drunken in the Lent and to breake a Saints day then the Lords day these Traditions are contrary and repugnant to the truâ—h of the holy Scriptures * Chrysostoâ—e and Hierome answered Sect. 3. Diâ—is â— Repâ—y pag. 128. Thirdly that our Traditions doe not any way derogate from the fullnesse or perfection of the written Word 3. Traditions are additions to the written word if they bee so then they derogate some way from the perfection of it for that that is perfect needeth no addition And this addition of unwritten doâ—trines to the written Word not onely crosseth the truth of the Scripture in the generall commaund which forbiddeth a â—evel â—â— â—â— â—euter 12 3â— Addition and Substraction but likewise derogateth from the perfection of it for if the Scripture be a covenant then b Gal â— 15. No man must adde unto it c Chrysost hom 12 in Philip. If it bee a Canon it admitteth neither addition nor substraction if it should it ceaseth to bee a Canon saith Châ—ysostome They rather bring unto us the whole complement of Reply pag. 1â—8 Scripture as this example follâ—wing will most plainely declare His Majâ—stie sendeth over into thâ—s Kingdome our of his trustie Counsellours wiâ—h his Royall Letters unto his Subjâ—cts wher in hee prâ—scribâ—tâ— unto them not onely expresse Lawes himselfe but also commaundeth them to fullfill whatsoever shal be enjoyâ—ed them by his said Counseller to whom hee hath imparted his whole will and pleasure Can it bee said I pray you that the subjects of Ireland by obeying unto such things as are commaunded by the said Embassadour doe derogate any thing unto the fulnesse and perfection of His Majesties Letter This his royall argument like Goliaâ—â— sword shall undoe himselfe Be it to The Scriptures are the royall letteâ—s or the grand commission and the Church is the trusty frâ—â—nâ— the Embassadour or Commissioner Now I demauâ—d 1. Is not the authority of the Commissioner or of the Embassadour from his commission or his letters and not the authority of the commission or letters from the commissioner or Embassadour So if this similitude hold the authority or credite of the Church is from the Scriptures and not the authority or credite of the Scriptures from â—he Church 2. May not an Embassadour as many have goe beyond his commission and deliver things contrary to the trust committed to him and so become an Impostor So the Church of Rome is gone beyond her commission hath delivered these things which are contrary to the written word and in this she is a grand Impostor Similitudes are a weake foundation to uphold this pillar of Traditions upon which the weight of all other controversies doth depend especially such a similitude as this which wanteth feet to uphold it selfe 1. Kings of themselves know not all things which are fit for their subjects neither can they fore-see what passages will happen betweene their Commissioners and their people and therfore they are forced to leave many things to the discretion of their Embassadours but it is not so with the King of Kings hee hath revealed all things necessary for his people to the pen-men of Scripture and they according to that revelation have written all things d Aristot de Rhetor. l. 1. c. 1 The best Lawes saith Aristotle determine all things themselves and leave very little to the discretion of the Iudges The Law of God is the best and the most perfect Law how then can there be so many and so great things left to the discretion of the Church 2. The Lawes of Kingdomes are subject to mutation and addition so that his Majesty may send over Commissioners for this purpose but the Law of God is an e Revel 14. 6. eternall Gospell the faith of the Church was f Iude vers 3. at once delivered unto the Saints in the holy Scriptures as it is here confessed by the Iesuite In these letters it is true he hath expressed his Lawes and Commaundements himselfe yet forasmuch as all things are not so manifestly therein described that our feeble understanding may attaine unto the knowledge of his heavenly will by the same alone he himselfe commaundeth us to be ruled by his Church Can any Protestant say more God himselfe hath expressed his Lawes and Commandements in the Scripture And againe All things are therein described though not so manifestly This I confesse doth not derogate from the perfection of Scripture but it over-throweth the Iesuite and his cause because all things are therein described and there is onely required the interpretation of things obscure which no Protestant denyeth because all things are not therein so manifestly described 4. The truth hath convinced the Iesuite yet malice hath set his witts a raveing and his tongue a rayling on his Adversary of most grosse vanity of great madnesse of ostentation and of not touching the point at all But who can with patience endure to heare this animal bray thus It seemeth he is touch'd to the quick and that maketh him kick as if he were madde if he be not it is because his owne conscience is past feeling and yet he taketh upon him to be the Iudge of an other mans conscience He that citeth Scripture more for shew then to purpose taxeth his Answerer For alledging so little Scripturâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Reply pag. 119. and to so little purpose for bringing in his proofes out of Scripture so scanâ—ly who sometimes is puft up with no thing but Scripture The Roman Tradition mongers have lâ—arned the trick of the Iewish Cabbalists to call those of the adverse part Scripturians or men puft up with Scripture Call them as you will I had rather be filled with Scripture then with the puft-paste of Traditions or the puftcrust of humane inventions Neither is the most reverend Primate to be blamed for alledging in this point but a few texts of Scripture because brevity was the thing which he intended in the beginning of this Worke. If he alledged but one text to the purpose Chrysostome pleadeth 1 Chrysoâ—â—â— hom â—6 ad â—â—pul Aâ—â—otheâ— his excusetâ— What have I to doe with multitudes I had rather have one pâ—â—â—ious 〈◊〉 thâ—â— many halfe 〈◊〉 And I thinke a judicious Reader will like better of his little to great purpose then of the Iesuites great deale to little purpose But it is to little purpose for first that text of Matth. 15. In vaine doe they worship me teaching for Doctrines Reply pag. 119. the commaundements of men is farre from proving any thing against us seeing that by it onely such humane Traditâ—ous are reproved aâ— are repugnant to the Law of God 5. Iewish Traditions
is lost contained onely leviora things of litle account Å¿ Si canonici ejusmodi libri extitissent ecclesia non fuisset depositi sibi traditi à Deo fidelis custos juxta illud 1. Tim. 6. oh Timoth depositum custodi c. Salmeron prolog 9 caâ— 4 If these bookes saith Salmeron had beene canonicall the Church had not beene a faithfull keeper of that which God committed to her according to that oh Timothie keepe that which is committed to thee It cannot then stand with the care of the Church which is Custes Rotulorum the keeper of Gods oracles that any booke of holy Scripture should be lost t Staplet Defens occles author cont Whitak l. 2. c. 1 It cannot stand with the providence of God which never faileth in things necessary to salvation saith Stapleton And he addeth That the Church is as much to bee blamed if she should lose a booke of Scripture as if she should lose a Sacrament But that we may wrestle the Iesuite with his wrestling argument let him answer this God by his providence and the Church by her care hath preserved the volume of the written word whole and intire so that not one booke of it is lost but many volumes of unwritten Traditions are lost and perished witnesse the five bookes which Egesippus wrote of the unwritten Traditions which the Apostles left unto the Church the which the * Sect. 2. Iesuite alledgeth against us And the booke written by Clemens Alexandrinus of the same subject neither is the Iesuite able to tell us what particular Traditions were contained in these bookes with us therfore the rule of saith remaineth whole intire but part of their rule is lost and perished And thus our Doctrine stands firme and sure notwithstanding all the shifts and cunning windings of this Iesuite there is in the Church perfectio integralis of the whole volume of Scripture not one booke of it is lost and there is in the Scripture perfectio finalis for the Church not one point of faith nor one good worke is there but it may be learned by the Scriptures This one testimony of S. Paul I preferre before the testimony of any Father yet because our Adversaries being convinced by the Scriptures give out that the Fathers are theirs as the Iewes did u Ioh. 8. 39. that Abraham is our Father Wee will therefore bee content to put our selves to be tryed by God and the Countrie not onely by the Scriptures but also by the Fathers whose verdict is returned in the next Section SECT VI. VVherein the Iesuite produceth senselesse exceptions against the Iury of the Fathers giving their verdict against him YOur Masters have told you that you disagree Reply p. 135. from the Doctrine generally received by the Fathers 1. I could tell you if it were not for manners sake that you lye notoriously You read this on the backeside of Constantine his Donation or of some of your golden legends for I am sure none of our Writers tell us so Name one if you can among our many Writers that doth acknowledge our disagreement from the Doctrine generally received by the Fathers in this point and if you cannot wee may easily judge how you will deale with the auncient Fathers when you deale thus with our late writers This is but a Iesuiticall fiction and it is evident that all our writers in combating with you about unwritten Traditions have fought against you at this weapon and have brought into the feild these champions of the truth helping to bring downe to the ground the Tower of Babel this sort of unwritten Traditions 2. Tertullian is the foreman of the Iury concerning whom the Answerer confesseth That hee was an earnest advocate for rituall Traditions unwritten and for doctrinall Traditions written c. In the opinion of the Iesuite this distinction of Rituall and Doctrinall Traditions serveth to no purpose It serveth for the true stateing of this Question It discovereth the Iesuites false stateing of this Question of Rituall Traditions onely And it sheweth his folly in heaping up a number of Fathers defending rituall Traditions unwritten for such are allowed in our Church But why serveth it to no purpose Because both of them may be Apostolicall Reply pag. 135 and are to be regarded as the written word and worthy of the same faith being delivered to the Church by the same Authors Are there no Rituall Ecclesiasticall Traditions to which you give the same credit and authority as to the written word Can those be Apostolicall Or were they delivered to the Church by the Apostles And although all Rituall Traditions were from the Apostles yet they are not to be regarded as the written word All that the Pope saith is not to be regarded as his Cathedrall voyce All that his Majesty saith is not to be regarded as his lawes and statutes The authority of things delivered may bee different although they be delivered by the same authors * Sect. 1. Divil â— the intention of the deliverer or the dignitie of the matter delivered may make the thing delivered more worthy of faith for this is certaine there may be a proposition beleeved in respect of the Author delivering yet the matter delivered may be not worthy to be an article of our faith Yet Tertullian having to deale with Hermogenes the Hereticke in a question concerning the faith presseth him with Answer the argument ab authoritate negativè * Tertul. advers Hermog â— 22. Whether all things were made of any subject matter I have as yet read no where let those of Hermogenes his shop shew that it is written If it be not written let him feare that wâ—e which is allotted to such as adde or take away The Iesuite painteth out an answer unto this and coloureth it with false glosses as if hee had gotten some relicks out of Hermogenes his painting shop It would be too tedious to lay downe all his wordes but the summe is this First this is no thing against us unlesse we should hold that Reply pag. 136. all points of faith are to bee proved by unwritten Tradition onely and none at all by Scripture For what if he presse the Hereticke Hermogenes in one point with the argument ab authoritate negativè must it follow that therefore he thought all points might be proved in the like manner The boyes of the Logicke Schoole doe know that an Inference universall is absurdly deduced from particular Premisses Hath not the Iesuite told us * pag. 126. They that deny unwritten Tradition can have no sure ground for their faith The Popes infallibility is the α and ω the formall reason and onely perswasive demonstration of a Papists faith for although materiale fidei the thing which he beleeveth be a written Doctrine yet firmale fiaei or ratio credendi the reason why he beleeveth it is because the Pope saith it He will not beleeve that there is a written word
contradict any of these For if we goe about to reject such customes as are not delivered by writing accounting them to be of little force we shall unawares daâ—â—age the Gospell very much and bring the preaching thereof unto a bare name of words Neither are we content with such things onely as the Apostles or the Gospell doth expresse but we say many things both before consecration and after of great avayle for that Mysterie which we have received by Tradition without writing What a Bull-head is this to confound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constitutions and Doctrines as if they were the same whereas they differ very much S. Basil in the subsequent words distinguisheth them saying h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem ibid. Constitution is one thing Doctrin is another thing Constitutions are the ritâ—â— customes decrees or ceremonies of the Church so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated a i Luc. â— 1. dâ—creâ— and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 k â—phes â— 15â— ordinances Doctrines are the points of salvation perpetuall and not changeable as the Ceremonies are And in the very words alleadged S. Basil distinguisheth them for he saith not Vnwritten Traditions are Gospell but If we reject them and account them of no force we may daâ—â—age the Gospell and bring Preaching to a bare name We should soone see this if there were no Ecclesiasticall orders What kinde of prayers or preaching or administration of the Sacraments would there be if every man might be his own carver in these things Surely there would be a Babell of confusion Quot capita tot placita The Iesuite in favour of his cause corruptly translath S. Basil in this manner * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Doctrines and Institutions which are preached in the Church some of them wee have out of the written word and some out of the Tradition of the Apostles Whereas S. Basil is thus to be translated The Institutions and Doctrines which are preserved in the Church these that is the Doctrines wee have out of the written word those that is the Institutions we have by the Tradition of the Apostles So that the doctrine of S. Basâ—l in this differeth nothing from our doctrine That the unwritten things which come by Tradition are the rites ceremonies or institutions which are preserved in the Church of which sort he reckoneth these Signeing with the crosse praying towards the East standing in prayer betweene Easter and Pentecost thriâ—e dipping of the party baptised a certaine forme of prayer both before and after consecration These we confesse are not written but they all are Rituall Traditions and belong not to our controversie The Doctrines of which we dispute are taken out of the written word this is the doctrine of S. Baâ—il to which wee suâ—scribe There is one thing in that of S. Baâ—il which he uttered unadvisedly That both the Institutions and Doctrines had equall force unto Godlinesse But we must consider that S. Baâ—il being in the heat of disputation in defence of these orders of the Church spake thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but after being in more coole blood he speaketh like himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for having shewed that some things are given by word of mouth he sheweth that those were not necessary things saying l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Idem in Râ—â—ul coâ—tract can 1. Concerning thâ—se things which are given without writings the Apostle Paul hath given â—â— this rule All things are lawfull but all things are not expedient We deny not the lawfull use of Ecclesiasticall ordinances but that they should be so expedient as to be of equall force unto Godlinesse with the writen Doctrines this is denyed not onely by us but even by the wisest Papists themselves And in the practise of the Roman Church many of the unwritten constitutions of which Basil speaketh are not observed as m Durand de ritib. Eccl. l. 1. cap. 3. praying standing to the East and n Catech Rom. de Baptis The thrise dipping of the party baptised This omission o Bellat de verbo non script l. 4. c. 7. Bellarâ—â—â—â— excuseth by distinguishing the observation of them from the first Institution of them And if they be not necessary for our observation how can they be of equall force unto Godlinesse At last S. Baâ—il concludeth thus * Idem ibid The day would fayle Reply p. 144. me if I should take upon me to number up all the unwritten mysteries of the Church I ommit the rest Onely I demaâ—nd in what written word have we the very profession of our faith to belâ—eve in the Father and the Sonne and the Holy Ghost As for the rest we have answered And for the profession of our faith we professe this faith that all the points of faith contained in the Creed are taught us in the Scriptures It is the confession of the Iesuite in another * Pag. 146. place As for example the Creed the Scripture declareth plaine enough Vnto whose confession I might adde that of Cyrill p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Cyril Catech. 5â— The choyse things of the whole Scripture being knit together make up the forme of our creed And that of S. Augustine q Aug. l. 1. ad Catechum de Symbol The words of the Symbolâ— are seatteâ—ed in the Scriptures and from them collected into one So that by the profession of our faith S. Baâ—â—l doth not meane the Articles of faith contained in the Creed but that profession or manner of reciteing it which the Church required of those that were baptised when they came to the yeares of discretion as we require in confirmation or else the whole frame Syntaxe and forme of words as they are kâ—it together in the Creed And this we confesse is not written verâ—atim altogether in any one part of Scripture but it is taken out of diverse parts of Scripture and collected into one forme of words Clement of Alexandria upon the words of the Apostle to Reply pag. 144 the Romans c. 1. I deâ—ire to see you that I may impart unto you some spirituall gift for your confirmation * Clem Alex Stro l. 5. Such gifts aâ— these saith Clement could not be published openly by writing being a Tradition which he desired to deliver unto them being present and not by Epistle 11. What spirituall gift S. Paul meaneth he declareth in the next verse r Rom. 1. 12. That is that I may be comforted together with you by our mutuall faith Comfort was that spirituall gift which he desired to impart unto them and to receive from them and this could not be done so well by writing as by mutuall speech and conference It was not to teach any unknowne unwritten doctrine unto them for that he might have delivered unto Phebe the bearer of his Epistle and she unto them Yea Paul professeth of them that they were
with the Iesuite In Theodoret we meet with these kinde of speeches * Theodor. dialog 1. By the Answer Scripture alone am I perswaded * Idem in Genes q 45. we ought not to seeke those things which are passed in silence but rest in the things which are written Vnwritten Traditions are not passed in silence by the Reply pag. 145. Scripture neither â—ought you to gainsay them if you wil be perswaded by the Scripture And truely we may not doubt of the meaning of Theodoret if wee note well what hee recordeth in his Historie to wit that the Fathers of the Nicen Councell condemned the Arians by unwritten Tradition 15. As unwritten Traditions are not Scripture so they are not contained in Scripture I confesse the Scripture doth not passe them in silence no more then it doth Iudaâ— but it is to condemne them The Scripture doth containe some Traditions such are written Traditions and such was the Tradition established in the Councell of Nice against which the Arians disputed This Iesuite hath gathered his basket of scraps from Bellarmines full table out of whom hee might have learned to cite the place aswell as the words The words are these * Theodor. l. 1. c. 1. By unwritten words yet some bookes reade it by written words pioâ—sly understood they were condemned It is not materiall how we reade it either by written words or by unwritten words for our Question is not of unwritten words but of unwritten Doctrines The unwritten words were Coessentiall or Consubstantiall which words though they are not written letter for letter in Scripture yet the Doctrine signified by those words is written in other words as we have oft showed and once more will make it appeare Athanasius was one of the Nicâ—nâ— Councell and the wordes cited out of Theodoret are taken out of * Athanas in Epistol ad Afros Athanasius and yet the Iesuite hath * pag 119. formerly declared unto us the judgement of this holy Father That the Scriptures are sufficient for the discovery of this truth that Christ is God So that by the opinion of this holy Father the Arians might be condemned by Scripture aswell as by unwritten words the wordes being unwritten and yet the doctrine written Theodoret in the same Chapter cited by the Iesuite addeth this out of Athanasiâ—â— that they of that famous Councell Gathered testimonies out of the Scriptures and by them condemned the Arians Adde unto this the grave oration which the great learned Emperour Consâ—antine made in that Councel in which he concludeth with this exhortation unto which they all yeelded * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodor. l. 1. c 7. Let us resolve the things in question by the divine Scriptures In those things saith S. * August de doct Christian l. â— c. 9. Reply pag. 146. Augustine which are plainely laid downâ— in the Scriptures all those things are found which appertâ—ine to faith and direction of life Can you inferre therefore that Traditions are not necessary Answer and may you not inferre also that therefore your Doctrines deduced by sound inferences are as needlesse S. Augustine speaketh in this place not of all and every point in particular but onely of such points as are generally necessary for every one to know as the Creed the ten Commandements and the like 16. Vnwritten Traditions and sound inferences differ as much as truth and errour sound Inferences are plainly though not expressely word for word contained in the Scriptures but for unwritten Traditions there is neither plaine nor expresse warrant in them You declare S. Augustines meaning contrary to his minde hee speaketh of all things you of some things appertaining to all persons hee speaketh of the Scripture that in some places it is plaine in other places obscure you of points of faith which are necessary for some but noâ— for every one to know he saith in the plaine places all things that appertaine to faith are lâ—ide downe you say all plaine points of faith are laide downe in Scripture Is there not a plaine difference betweene your interpretation and S. Augustines text Wee know that there are some things necessary some things not necessary to be knowne Whosoever will be saved saith Athanasius in his Creed which is sung in your Church it is necessary that he holde the Cutholicks faith Other things there are which are not necessary y Athanas ad Scrap We must know that God iâ— and that be is a rewarder but how wee neede not know saith the same Father And S. Augustine writing of the Question how the soule becommeth tainted with originalâ— sinne saith z Credo etiâ—m divinorum â—loqâ—oruâ— clarisâ—imâ— authoritâ—â— esset si â—oâ—o illâ—â— sine dispendio promissâ— salutiâ— ignorare â—on possâ—â— August l. â— de peccat merit c. ultimo I beleeve that the Scripturâ—â— would â—ikewise declare this plainely if it were a thing of which a man could not be ignorant without the lesse of salvaâ—iâ—â— But this doctrine was never knowne to S. Augustine neither doe wee receive it That there should bee paints of faith which are necessary for all and those should bee contained in the Scriptures and that there are points of faith not necessary for all but onely for some and those should not bee laide downe in the Scripture a â—phes 4. 5 There is one Lord one faith one baptisme As one Lord of Priest and people and one baptisme for all so but one faith for all even an * Verse 1â— unity of faith for Pasters Teachers and for the Saints How can this faith be Catholicke if the same faith be not necessary for all his onely answer must be this That unwritten Traditions are no part of the Catholicke faith that they are not generally necessary for all to know if they were they would bee found among those things which are plainly laid downe in Scripture b Vna fideâ— quia unum idem creditur à â—unctis fidelibus unde catholicadiâ—tur Aquin. in Ephes 4. There is one faith saith Aquinas because one and the same thing is beleeved of all the faithfull and therefore it is â—alled Catholickâ— There is no specificall but only a graduall difference betweene the faith and knowledge required of the Priest and of the people and the Scripture maketh both the man of God and a godly man perfect and thoroughly furnished to every good worke This answer of the Iesuite is not unlike that answer made by a Chaplia of Bâ—shop Bâ—â—ners unto the Martyr Haâ—kes c Fox his Acts. pag. 1586. That the Scriptures are sufficient for salvation but not for instruction And I answere as the Martyr did God send â—e the salvation and you the instruction If in the things plainely laide downe in Scripture all things are found which are generally necessary for every one to know why then doe you teach That it is not found in Sâ—ripture that the * pag.
because they are all one with those things that be expressely written As for example Whether Children shal be baptised or no Or whether the baptised by Heretickes shal be rebaptised or no We read no expresse commandement nor evident practise either way yet by sound consequence these points may be determined out of the Scripture And of this in this testimony S. Augustine disputeth against the Dâ—â—atists Reply pag. 14â— The third is against the Non-conformists * Aug Epist â—â— ad Casul In thâ—se things whereof the Scripture hath deliveâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Gods people and the 〈◊〉 of our Aâ—â—â—estâ—râ— are to be held for a law In this he disputeth of the rites customes or constitutions of the Church and specially of the Saturdayes fast concerning which in the same Epistle â—e giveth this advice Let the â—aith of the universâ—ll Church â—â— one alâ—hough the unity of faith be â—â—â—nded upon with diverse observations by the 〈◊〉 thâ—â— which is true in the faith is â—â— way 〈◊〉 Here he distinguisheth these observations of the Church from â—â—th â—â—ith is one they are diverse they are not of faith but attend upon faith So that they are to bee held for 〈◊〉 yet not for the law of faith which is of divine â—ight universall and bindeth all but as the law of man which is but of humane right particular to some places like the Law of Gâ—â—all kinde and bindeth not all like the by-lâ—wes of a Corporation The fourth testimony which he citeth out of Augustine I finde it in his 118. Epistle and it is * Sect 2. Div. 6. formerly answered * Aug ad Inquisit laâ—â—aâ— l. 1. c. 1 All those things which we hold without writing onely by unwritten Tradition were commended and ordained either by the Apostles themselves or by generall Councells All such things are not Doctrinall but Rituall Traditions not points of faith but orders and constitutions for the Church This appeareth both by the words allâ—adged and by the subsequent words in the same Epistle Wee see in the words alleadged S. Augustine cannot well tell upon whom to father such things but he leaveth it doubtfull it may be they were from the Apostles and it may be they were ordained first of all by generall Coâ—â—â—lls But all points of faith are elder then the eldest Councell The Iesuite himselfe telleth us out of Aâ—hanasius * Pag. 140. It is not nâ—wâ—dayes that our faith received its beginning but it is derived from the Lord himselfe And Athanasius himselfe was one of the first generall Councell That of Gerson iâ— most câ—rtaine c Nec Papa neâ— generale Concilium potest facere aliquid esse de side quod antè non â—uâ—t Gerson part 1 de err cirâ—a pâ—aecept Non Occides Neither the Pâ—pâ— â—or any generall Councell can make that to be a point of faith which was not so before And in the words immediately following S. Augustine declareth what such things were as were delivered without writing As the Passion reâ—â—â—rection and ascensâ—â—â— of our Lord and the descâ—nsion of the holy Ghost are yâ—â—rely solemnely celebrated These Feastâ— put us in minde of greater things but the Feasts themselves aâ—â— to be accounted but as rites and ordinances belonging to the Church The fifâ— is against the Doâ—atists and it is like wise * Sect. 4. Div. â— formerly answered The Apostles have not commanâ—ded any thing in this poinâ— but that customâ— which was opposed unto Cyprian must be held to have taken its originall from their Tradition The point of rebaptization is the point of which he dispâ—teth concerning which we oft declared the judgment of S. Augustinâ— to be this that the Apostles expressely commaunded nothing in this point and yet that this point may be determined by sound inference out of the holy Scripture The sixt is this He would not beleeve the Gospell it selfe but that the authority of the Church moved him The summe of our former * Sect. â— Div. 2 answere unto this is this S. Augustine spake this of the time when he was a Manichee but after his conversion he maketh a better confession He speaketh of the primitive Church not of the now Roman Church That power which he ascribeth unto the Church is to be a mover to perswade us to beleeve not to be a law-giver to coyne Articles of our beleefe The 7th is likewise * Sect. 4. Div. 8 answered Although we have no certaine example hereof out of Scripture yet we hold the truth of the Scripture in this thing when wee doe that which now pleaseth the universall Church The Example which is sought for is an example how those were received when they returned to the Church who were baptised by Heretickes whether they were rebaptised or no We confesse the Scripture giveth no example how they were received but none can inferre because the Scripture containeth not an example in this point therefore it containeth not the Doctrine of this point The 8th is likewise * Sect 2. Div. â— formerly answered This neither thou nor I can fiâ—de plainly and evidently in the Scripture This is against the Dâ—natists in the same point and I returne the same answere This that is an example of this how they were received into the Church that were baptised by the Heretickes neither thou nor I can finde in Scripture Yea we confesse the point of Doctrine is not written plainely evidently and expressely word for word but by sound consequence it is deduced from the Scripture And now let the understanding Reader judge of the reason that moved the Iesuite to object all those testimoniâ—s which were formerly answered surely it was onely to make his promise good to heape up a number without any regard of their nature He mustereth his testimoniâ—s as some Captaines when their companies are not full muster their Souldiours presenting some of them three or foure times over The 9th is this * Aug. l. â— cont Crese â— I receive not that which Cyprian held because Reply p. 14â— it is not received by the Church And I receive not that which is held by the Iesuite because it is not received by S. Augustine Doe I therefore hold unwritten Traditions Cyprian held rebaptization Augustine held the contrary and confuteth him by the authority of the Church but doth the use of one meanes exclude the power of another Because he confuted him by the authoritie of the Church could he not therefore confute him by the authority of Scripture Cyprian would have this question to be tried by the Scripture f Cypâ—ian epist 74. ad Pompâ—ium whence saith he is this Tradition Is is descended from the authoritie of our Lord and the Gospell or doth it come from the Acts or Epistles of the Apostles And a little after Let us goe to the fountaine to the Evangelicall and Apostolicall Tradition This is so evident that Bellarmine confesseth g Bellar de verbo non script l.
4. c. 8. He speaketh of the Scripture And S. Augustin approveth of his admonition h Aug. de bapt cont Donat. l. 5. c. 26. That which Cyprian admonisheth us That we should have recourse to the fountaine to wit to the Apostolicall Tradition that is best and ought to be done So that in S. Augustines judgment this point may be determined by the Scriptures He accounted the testimonie of the Church one good meanes but the testimony of the Scripture the best meanes to judge it by The 10th is this * Aug. in Psal 57. The truth surely harboureth in the belly Reply p. 148. of the Church The truth is while Christ is the head and husband of the Church truth must needs harbour in the belly of that Church but if Antichrist become the head husband of a Church truth cannot harbour in the belly of that Church The man of sinne the Sonne of perdition doth set as God in the Roman Church which was once â— The â— Thes 1. 4. temple of God He equalizeth all his Decrees and his Cathedrall voyce with the voyce of God sounding in the Scriptures She was along while like a woman sicke of a timpany or some swelling disease and at length brought forth a monster k Nec Deus es nec homo quasi nevter es inter utruâ—que Clemen proem in Glos Neither God nor man but a nevter betweene both And this monster is the Father of this monstrous doctrine of unwritten Traditions The 11th followeth * Aug. epist 56 The whole height of authority and light of reason for the reparation of mankinde consisteth Reply only in the saving name of Christ in his one onely Church As we give unto God the things which are Gods so to the Church the power belonging to her that is the supreame power and absolute authority unto Godâ— and under God a subordinate power and ministeriall authoritâ—â— unto the Church And this is all which S. Augustinâ— meaneth He addeth the 12th * Aug cont Fausâ— Manich l. 11. c. 2. Thou seest of how great forcâ— in Reply p. 149. thâ—â— matter the authoritie of the Catholicke Church is which by the orderly succession of Bishops from the most assured soaâ—â— of the Apostles unto these our dayes and by the consent of so many nations and people is confirmed As in all things wee give due respect unto the authoritie of the Catholicke Church so likewise we doe in this point of which S. Augustine speaketh which is of the truth of holy Scripture that it is the word of God We confesse the authority of the Catholicke Church is of great fâ—rce to confirme our faith in beleeving which is the Scripture and what is the true meaning of it yet her authority extendeth not it selfe so farre as to adde unwritten Traditions to the Scripture or to give any other interpretation of the Scriptures then is contained in them Her authority is one meanes but noâ— the onely meanes to confirme this point for in the same place S. Augustine sheweth that there are other meanes likewise as Searching into other copies of the Scripture and comparing the copies with the originall And yet this is nothing to the Roman Church it is not the Catholicke Church in it there is no orderly successioâ— if there be it is not from the most assured seats of the Apostles but from a doubtfull seat of an Apostle in it the consent of nations and people is not to be heard but onely the voyce of the Pope is to be regarded And to make up his Bakers douzen hee concludeth with this * Aug. cont Iul Pelag. l. 2. cap. 1. It is necessary that all Christian people preferre the judgment Reply pag. 149 and testimonies of holy Fathers before your Novelties and choose rather to adheare unto them then unto you I should but slander you with an action of truth if I should say Popery is a Novelty Vnwritten Traditions are novelties We have ever preferred the testimonies and judgements of holy Fathers before such Novelties and if wee will adheare unto them we cannot adheare unto unwritten Traditions You preferre Novelties before the judgements and testimonies of the holy Fathers The Popes Cathedrall voyce is preferred before the judgements and testimonies of all Councels and holy Fathers and this is a Noveltie never heard of untill it was hatcht of late noâ— much aboue an 100. yeares since in the Lateran Councell l Melch Canus Ioc theolog l. â— c. 5. In generall Councels saith a flatterer of the Pope matters are not to be judged by the number of suffrages but by the weight Pondus autem dat summi Pontific is authoritas but the authority of the Pope maketh up the weight So that among the Fathers and in Councells hee hath not onely a negative voyce to stop that which they conclude but even a divine voyce farre transcendent aboue them all As Pharaohs leane kine eat up the fat so hath he eaten up the authoritie of Church and Fathers And as Iacke Cadâ— would have all written law banished that the law might proceede out of his mouth even so dealeth the Pope Thus we have sifted your â—eapâ— and finde it but chaffe and cast up your number and finde it nothing but cyphers The testimonies are weapons whereby Heretickes and Schismaticks such as deny the true doctrine of the Church may be wounded and put to flight but unto us who defend S. Augustines doctrine they are defensive and not offensive And if dropping of testimonies out of S. Augustine might beare away the bell I dare hazard the game upon it to drop three for one but I dare not take that liberty unto my selfe as the Iesuite doth to be both Respondent and Opponent least I should be censured for gresling from the right rule of answering wherefore I tie my selfe to answer those testimonies which follow * Chrysol ser â—5 S. Peter Chrysologus A Christian minde knoweth not Reply p. 149. how to dispute against such things as are strengthned by the Tradition of the Fathers 21. The same Christian minde is in us for we dispute not against such things Chrysologus his sermon was upon that text of S. Iohn * Ioh. â— 1. There was a Feast of the Iewes This gave him occasion to discourse of holy dayes and specially of such fistivall dayes as were strengthned by the tradition of the Fathers and long continuance These we account as ordinances of the Church and give that respect unto them as is due but we dare not give them that authoritie which belongeth to the word of God as to be points of Reply p. 149. faith or necessary doctrines S. Leo affirmeth * Leo serm â— Thâ—t true learning doth acknowledge and piety doth embrace that which Tradition hath long since dâ—creed and custome hath established * Leo de Iejun Pentecost Neither is it to bee doubted but whatsoever is observed by the
154 Traditions Neither doth he finde fault with Heretickes for maintaining unwritten Traditions but onely because they â—â—aintained such Traditions as were unknowne to the Church and onely knowne to themselves and were different or repugnant to the faith delivered in the Scriptures As Tertullian * ibid. confesseth That although the Apostles delivered some things to their domesticall friends as I may call yet wee â—â—â—sh beleeve that they did not deliver such things as should bring in another rule of faith different and repugnant to that which they generally propounded iâ— publicke 4. It is confessed that when Tertullian was an Hereticke then he maintained unwritten Traditions against the catholicke Doctrine but now writing against Heretickes he is a bitter enemy of them and of unwritten Traditions Mali coâ—vi malum ovum the Heretickes first hatched this broode and our Adversaries have reared them * Sect. 2. Their agreement may be seene in many things 1. They held that all things were not delivered by writing so doth * Pag. 125. this Iesuite 2. That thâ—se things were high Mysteries so doth * Pag. 155. thâ— Iesuite 3. That it was unfit those high Mysteries should be written â—â—ast they should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so doth the Iesuite 4. They pleaded 〈◊〉 quity for their unwritten Traditions that from the begining those things were delivered unto them so doth the Iesuite in every page 5. They pretended the consent of Doctrine with the Scriptures and with the Church although their Doctrine was different and repugnant to the Scriptures and to the Tradition of the Church so doth the Iesuite continually bragge of their consent with the Scriptures and with the Tradition of the Church and yet we have in many particular unwritten Traditions shewed their contrariety both to the Scriptures and to the Tradition of the Church As therefore Tertullian did not finde fault with those Heretickes absolutely for mantaining unwritten Traditions but because they defended such Traditions as make up another rule of faith and were different or repugnant to the Scriptures as appeareth by that which the Iesuite citeth out of him and also for defending Mysteries delivered in secret as appeareth by that which he addeth in the same place m Dominus palam edixit sine ulla significatiâ— one taciti sacramenti ipse praeceperat si quid in tenebris in abscondito audissent in luceâ— in tectis prâ—â—dicarent c. Ipse docebat luceâ—am 〈◊〉 sub modiâ— abstruâ— liceâ—â— â—ed in candelaâ— brum constiâ—â—â— ut luceat oâ—nibus qui â—unt in domo Tertulâ— ibid. The Lord spake openly and not in hidden Mysteries he commanded that whatsoever they had heard in darknesse and in secret they should preach it in the light and on the house-top And againe He taught them it was not lawfull to put a candle under a bushell but in a candlesticke that it may give light unto all that are in the house So we condemne not all unwritten Traditions we use some and allow of them these we account to be ordinances of the Church to be Rituall and not Doctrinall Traditions but we finde fault with you for defending such Traditions as make up another rule of faith as that the rule of faith necessary for all to know should bee contained in the Scriptures and that there is another rule of faith necessary for some but not for all which cannot be found in the Scriptures but is to be learned by unwritten Traditions as the Iesuite * Pag. 146. hath taught us To make the Scripture a rule for some points of faith and to make unwritten Traditions a rule for some other points of faith this is to bring in another rule of faith Againe we finde fault with you as Tertullian did with those Heretickes for defending Traditions different and repugnant to the Scriptures and to the Tredition of the Church and for maintaining many hidden Mysteries delivered and kept in tenebris unknowne to the Church of God and onely made knowne to the papall faction Finally we paralell you with those Heretickes in this they alleadged these texts We speake wisedome among them that be perfect O Timothy keepe that which is committed to thy trust And againe That good thing which was committed unto thee keepe The very same Texts doe our Adversaries as * Bellarm de verb. Dei l 4. c. 5. â— Bellarmin and this * pag 125. 158. Iesuite usually alleadge against us even unto the same purpose To prove the dignity of many mysteries to be such that they require silence and that it is unmeete they should be opened in the Scriptures which are read to the whole world and therefore can onely be learned by Answer unwritten Traditions Wherein they consider not how they make so neere an approach unto the confiâ—es of some of the ancientest Heretickes that they may well shake hands together The Iesuites consider well enough that they are out of all Reply p. 155. danger of approaching unto the confiâ—es of ancient Heretickes whilest they follow the approved Doctrine of the ancient Fathers who constantly avoâ—ch the dignity of many mysteries to be such that they require silence and ought not to be opened in the Scriptures which are read to the whole world Doth not * Dionys eccl Hier c. 1 Dionysius the disciple of S. Paul deliver the sâ—me doctrine Dâ—th not †Clem Stro l. â— Clement of Alexandria * Origtho 5 in 〈◊〉 Origen †Innoc. 1 in epist 1. Innocentius the first deliver the same S. Basil shall answer for all the rest * Basil de 〈…〉 27. The Apostles and the Fathers who in the beginning of the Church did prescribe certaine rules and institutions did preserve the dignity of the Mysteries by keeping them hidden and in silence c. 5. As the Heretickes so the Iesuites doe claime the patronage of the Fathers in this poinâ—and yet for this very thing the Fathers did condemne the Heretickes You may well shake hands with Heretickes in alleadging and commending that worke of the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy which was at first alleadged by the Heretickes and condeâ—â—ed by the Catholickes as I have * Sect. â— Div. 2 formerly shewed and it is certaine that it was not written by Dionysius S Pauls convert but rather by some notorious Hereticke Your worship wanted your considering cap to consider how neâ—re in this it selfe you doe approach unto the confines of anâ—cient Heretickes Your second approved Author is not approved in all things his Strommaâ—â— are Aenigmaâ—â— as n Idem l. â—â— Strom. That Christ preached but one yeare And that the Gentiles were saved by Philosophie And that Christ seemed to hunger and thirst but did not so indeede Yet I thinke the Iesuite chargeth him with an error of which he is not guilty for I finde no such Doctrine expressely delivered by him but rather the contrary that the Scripture containeth many o Idem ibid. deepe and unsearchable mysteries
Tradition of the Church and notwithstanding all your corruptions of the writings of the ancient yet there remaineth enough to finde out the deceit of unwritten Traditions Let the Scripture have the first place which Vincentius assigneth unto it that so God the Father of our faith may have the first audience theâ— let the Tradition of the Church come up in the reare to back that which the Scripture teacheth But the Iesuite would have all done by the Church and nothing by the Scripture For our Saviour fore-seeing the presumptuous and rasâ— Reply pag. 160 boldnesse which some would take upon them to interpret the meaning of his written word hath ordained that his Church should be provided of a singular meanes to finde out and to declare the true meaning thereof being alwayes endâ—ed with that supâ—rnaturall gift which our Saviour imparted unto his Disciples when * Luâ— 24. 45. he opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures That which our Saviour fore-saw we see in you A presumptuous and â—ash boldnesse in interpreting Scripture Christ saith of himself All power is given unto me in Heaven and on earth This is presumptuously applyed to the Pope S. Iohâ— saith I saw another Angell come from the East which had the seale of the living God This is rashly boldly applyed to S. Francis And yet the Church interpreteth both these places of Christ The Church hath his supernaturall gift but what Church f Tho. Wald. l. 2. doct fid entiq c. 19. Not the African Church as Donatus said nor the Roman Church as the Iesuite meaneth But the Catholick Church of Christ dispersed over the world As Thomas Waldensis saith And where wilt thou finde or how wilt thou know which is this Church The author of the imperfect Worke on Matthew hom 49. answereth The Scripture is the onely way whereby to know which is the true Church of Christ And againe The Lord knowing that in the last dayes there would be such a confusion commandeth Christians to fly onely vnto the Scriptures For if they doe otherwise They shall perish saith he not knowing which is the true Church by that meanes shall fall into the abomination of desolation which shal stand in the holy places of the Church He sheweth that the Scripture must not be interpreted by privat imagination privat fancie or privat spirit Can he charge us with this Interpretation of Scripture is a g 1. Cor. 12. gift of the spirit He that denyeth this is an Heretick The same spirit that inspired them must interpret them This spirit which like the h Ioh. 3. 8. winde bloweth where it listeth may blow on private men Private men having this spirit may discerne the sense and meaning of the Scriptures aswell as the Priest either grant this or else condemne i Act 18. Apollos Aquilâ— and Priscilla who are commended in Scripture for this yea condemne the Homilies of Leâ— the Emperor commended by Gretzer in his edition of those Homilies or else grant this that private men may discerne the sense and meaning of the Scriptures When private men through the helpe of Gods â—pirit doe discerne the sense and meaning of the Scriptures and deliver the sense intended by the Holy Ghost will you call this privat imagination privat fancie privat spirit It is the doctrin of the Devil of Antichrist which possesseth our Adversaries perswadeth them that their doctrine must not be examined nor their Spirit tryed but whatsoever Interpretation their Church that is the Pope giveth of any part of Scripture be the Interpretation never so private never heard of before never so contrary to the exposition of the Fathers yet it must be believed as sure as that S. Iohns Gospell is Scripture And neither S. Iohns Gospell nor any part of Scripture is by them accounted true because it is written but it is accounted true because it so pleaseth the Pope What then he alledgeth out of S. Augustin may fitter be aâ—plyed unto them then unto us * Aug Ep. 222. They are Heretickes not because they contemne not the Scriptures for so S. Augustine is to be read but because they understand them not aright Againe * Aug. tract 18. in Ioh. Good holy Scripture is not rightly understood what is wrongfully understood is audaciously affirmed by them And againe * Aug. cont Faustum This doth not please them because it is written but it must therefore be true Scripture because it pleaseth them If S. Augustine were now alive to â—ee the doctrine practice of the Roman Church he could not more fitly expresse it then he doth in these sayings His third digression is about the translation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wheresoever the Scripture speaketh against certaine Traditions Reply p. 161. of the Iewes partly fcivolous partly repugnant to the Law of God there all the English translations follow the Greek exactly never omitting the word Tradition For example Mat. 15. Contrarywise wheresoever the holy Scripture speaketh in commendation of Traditions there all their Translations agreâ— not to follow the Greek but for Tradition they translate ordinance or instruction as 2. Thes 2. 15. c. any word else rather then Tradition Insomuch that Bezatranslateth it Traditam 2. Thess 2. 15. doctrinam the doctrine delivered putting the singular number for the plurall and adding Doctrine of his owne 3. This is transcribed out of Gregory Martin a learned divine as he stileth him who is censured by one of his own side for an k The treatise of renunciat ignorant divine But all his geese are swans as the proverb is Asinus asinum scabiâ— one good turn requires an other he could doe no lesse then afford him some worthy title who stored him with such a deal of worthy matter He harpeth much upon Allour Translations and yet I know but only of one TranslatioÌ„ the Bishops as they call it which was published by authority untill after the daies of cavilling Martin As that translatioÌ„ doth justifie our doctrin so we are able to justifie that all other our translations in this point from the slanders of this Martin We confesse the fact in those places cited by Martin the Translators have not englished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Traditions D. Fulk who hath discovered Martins discovery to be an heap of senselesse cavillations confesseth the same This I observe to free that learned Dr * yet M. Fulk saith it is found there If he give not us an instance let him give himselfe the lie from this marginal note in which setting aside all good manners the he is given him He hath answered for himselfe in his confutation of Martins discoverie in these words I say there is no law nor statute made against it but the word Tradition may be used by our Translators This is no more then if I should say Papists may be suffred to live as good subjects not
present themselves Folly is so â—eâ—pely rooted in him that though he were brayed in a morter his foolishnesse will not depart from him As for bâ—aggs they are essentiall to him and therefore confute him never so evidently by the Scriptures and by the Fathers yet a man may aswell make a scould lâ—ave rayling as make him leave his bragging I will not actum agere answere that againe which hath beene already three or foure times answered yet that the Reader may see that I have not lefâ— one testimonie it selfe unanswered the margine * Ignatius sect 2. the lasâ— testimonâ— Terâ—ul sect 6. Divis â— Eureb sect 6. Divil 12. doth direct him where hee shall finde these testimonies taken out of Ignaâ—ius Tertullian Eusebius Epiphanius Basil Chrysostome and Augustine already answered Epiph. sect 2. Divis 11. Basil sect 6. Divis 10. Chrys sect 3. Divil 2. August sect 4â— Divis 8. The pleading is ended and the verdict is given against you conclusum est in causâ all your witnesses come too late and your testimonies a day after the fayre but because we are willing to give you a full hearing you shall have your witnesses examined The Fathers of the Councell of Gangers doe pleade our cause as if they had beene fie'd to that end * Conc. Gang. can ult We desire that all Reply p. 164. things delivered by the Scriptures and Ecclesiasticall Traditions by Apostolicall Traditions it is in the Greeke be observed in the Church 2. The Eustathians against whom this Councell proceeded erred both in point of Doctrine and in Ceremonies in doctrine absolutely condemning the Christian duty of fasting and the honourable state of marriage in all men in ceremonies they allowed not the received kinde of apparel but would have a strange kinde brought into the Church Against the first their errors in doctrine these Fathers pleaded the Scripture against the latter their error in Ceremonies they alleadged the Tradition of the Apostles And therefore desired that All things should be observed in the Church which were delivered by the Scriptures and by Apostolicall Tradition You have need to fee these Fathers again for this which they have pleaded is nothing for you Some Protestants tell us that in these sayings the Fathers Reply pag. 165 doe not speake of points belonging unto faith 3. It seemeth you answer without taking out the copie of our Answer What we have answered we have will ever make it good that in many places where the Fathers speake only of rituall Traditions you alleadge them as patrons of doctrinall Traditions unwritten Wee say not in all those places they speake not of points of faith in some they doe in some places they doe not And here againe he bringeth in the same witnesses to bee reexamined as Basil concerning the worshipping of the Holy Ghost Augustine for rebaptization Tertullian touching prayer for the dead Epiphanius about single lift Chrysostome Augustine and Epiphanius about prayer for the dead those points saith he they accounted necessary and unwritten Traditions S. Basil being duely sworne testifieth this that the worship which is due unto the holy Ghost is taught in Scripture but for the use of this syllable Cum in this forme of words Glory be to the Father and to the Sonne cum spiritu sancto with the holy Ghost this forme of words hee confesseth is not written but that it may be defended by Tradition S. Augustine confesseth the same concerning the point of Rebaptization that although this forme of words Those that returne from the Heretickes shall not bee rebaptiâ—ed be not written yet from most certaine grounds of Scripture he concludeth the same And no Protestant saith this is not an article of faith Tertullian is onely an advocate for Rituall Traditions unwritten And the anniversary oblation or yearely prayer for the dead at such and such times is not to be reckoned among the points of faith but among the Customes or ordinances of the Church Epiphanius saith that the obligation to abstaine from marriage is such in those that have so vowed that it is a finne to marry after single lifâ— is vowed The Popish practise declareth it to be no sinne else how could a Cromer de rebus Polon lib. 4. Benedict the 9th dispense with Casimirus the heyre of Polonia to marry after his vow It is the Popes dispensation which is above law which maketh it lawfull This is a case of Conscience as we hold which may be determined though it be not expressely written by sure and certaine principles of the Scripture in this manner If the vow be solemnely made and the party by any meanes be able to keepe it it is unlawfull to marry although the Pope would dispense with it but if not we say with Epiphanius b Epiph. haer 61 It is better to marry after the vow at length to returne home to the Church though he be laâ—e then alwayes to be wounded with inward darts And wherein doth this differ from the Scriptures conclusion c 1. Cor. 7. 9. It is better to marry then to burne S. Chrysostomes saying that the Apostles have not delivered all things by writing cannot prove that they did not deliver all their doctrines or all necessary things by writing because all things which the Apostles delivered were not doctrines nor things necessary And yet the Iesuite to helpe his lame dogge over the stile corruptly readeth S. Chrysostomes words in stead of All things he readeth All their doctrine saying the Apostles have not delivered all their doctrine by writing Epiphanius and Augustine are in the like manner to bee answered they say the Apostles delivered many things without writing Hence the Iesuite inferreth that they delivered many points of faith or doctrines of salvation without writing I may aswell inferre the Iesuite is an animal ergo an asse But Chrysostome Augustine and Epiphanius saith he tell us in particular that the Custome of the Church in praying for the dead is a Tradition given by the Apostles unto the Church without writing If it bee a Tradition given without writing how then can you make good this part of your Challenge For the confirmation of all the points of our Religion of which prayer for the dead is one I will produce good and certaine grounds out of the holy Scriptures if the Fathers authority will not suffice If you can bring no Scripture for this point then you must eat these words if you doe produce Scripture then it was not given without writing Qui benè distinguit benè docet here wee must needs distinguish the point it selfe of praying for the dead from the Custome of the Church in praying for them at set times this custome we must distinguish from the reasons of it as they are given by these three Fathers their reasons we must distinguish from the reasons given by our Adversaries The point it selfe how we may pray for them is grounded on d 2. Tim. 1. 1â—
and the Cuppe unto the common people In which although you cannot gaine the attestation of all the ages of the Church nor make those new inventioÌ„s to mount up against the curreÌ„t of antiquity yet we know can discover your sluâ—tish tricks in chopping changing in wresting wriâ—ging in boasting bragging of the testâ—monies of antiquity And surely whatsoever you say concerning the holy Scriptures had you any hope of attaining good successe as you have fathered false Traditions on the Apostles so you would not spare to invent false Scripture under the name of Canonicall Authors Wee know your good will by adding Apocryphall bookes unto Canonicall Scripture and by equalizing Papall Decrees and Ecclesiasticall Interpretations with the written word but it is not so easie a thing for you to bring in counterfeit Scriptures as counterfeit Traditions because the Scripture hath more helpes to hinder the effecting of it then Traditions have 1. The Scripture hath Gods providence to preserve it from addition aswell as from diminution but unwritten Traditions want Gods providence to preserve them either from the one or the other where shall wee finde those five bookes of Apostolicall Traditions written by Egesippus which you alledge against us As those are lost so wee may finde many volumes of false Traditions 2. The number of the Bookes of holy Scripture is so well knowne that none can adde unto it but it wil be presently discovered it is not so with unwritten Traditions the Pope himselfe cannot or will not lay downe the certaine definite number of unwritten Traditions and say These no more we hold as unwritten Traditions I desire the Iesuit to doe one thing nay I hold out the flag of desiance and avouch it that hee is not able to doe it To lay downe the definite number neither more nor lesse of unwritten Traditions If he ever reply againe let him not forget this Challenge but I know he dares not for his â—ares to doe it because this is the onely shift they have to colour their new Inventions It is a Tradition So that there may be an addition unto Traditions and yet by the number it shall not be discovered because the number is not yet nor shall hereafter be discovered 3. The Scripture is a thing it selfe extant in faâ—t alwayes visible and not trusting to the bare memory of man or to the attestation of others So that if any adde unto it it will testifie of it selfe and for it selfe but unwritten Traditions taking them at the best hand as they come from their first Authors 〈◊〉 things extant in fact nor alwayes visible but speaking the best of them trusting unto the bare memory of others so that others must testifie for them they cannot testifie for themselves and therefore they are more subject to addition even by those that testifie for them And thus wee have discovered his proofes to be false or impertinent and his three rules to be foolish or impossible That of S. Paul to the Thessalonians of Basil of Chrysostome and of the Councell of Gangers is * Paul to Thes Sect. 3. Divis 1. Basil Sect 6. Divis 10. Chrysost Sect 3 Divis 2. Conc Gang. Sect 9. Divis 2 already answered and now there remaineth onely the Curse thundred foorth by that cursed conventicle of Nice commonly called the second Councell of Nice * Conc Nic. 2. Act. 7. If any man contemne the Tradition of the Church which is authorised either by writing or by custome let him bee accursed 17. We are not nice to deny this conventicle of Nice Reply pag. 172 seeing it was called by an insolent woman Irene domineering over her husband was compacted of a sort of Idolaters and condemned by a better y concil Francos iuxta Maenum an 794. Walafrid Stra. Ado Viennens in Histos Councell This causelesse z Prov. 26. 2. curse we feare not it shall not come upon us but rather like Noahs dove it shall returne from whence it came We feare not Balaams curses though he doe vent them with Bell Booke and Candle for though they curse yet the a Psal 109 28. Lord will blesse But let all Tradition-mongers feare that dreadfull curse which the Lord pronounceth against all such as shall teach prater or contra otherwise or contrary wise then the Scripture expound the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as you will all such are beside the way or in a contrary way Let all such I say feare that curse written by S. Paul b Gal. 1. 8. If wee or an Angell from heaven preach otherwise unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed And lest you should thinke to avoyde this curse in saying S. Paul speaketh not of what was written but of what was preached S. Augustine forewarneth you thus c Si quis siâ—e d Châ—iâ—â—o sive de cius Ecclesia sive de quâ—â—un qâ—e aâ—iâ—â—e qâ—ae pertinet ad si dem vitamque nostram â—n dâ—câ—m si nos sed quâ—d Pau lu◠〈◊〉 it â— Aâ—gâ—us de câ— lâ— vob saâ—nun â—iaveâ—it prae â—â—rqua â—â— qâ—od in Scripturis legalibus eâ—angelicis accâ—pi stis anâ— themâ— sit Aug lib 3. cont liter Pe til c. 6. If any one concerning Christ or his Church or any other thing which â—elongeth unto faith and life I will not say if we but as Paul addeth if an Angell froâ— heaven preaâ—h unto you otherwise then what you have received in the writings of the law and the Gospell let him be accursed And who can declare what curse this iâ— for though there bee no unwritten Doctrines yet there are unwritten d Deut 2â— 6 curses Iâ— the Iesuite have any minde to reply againe let him beginne when he will he shall be answered for this time the combate is ended and the day is ours the Arke standeth and Dagon is fallen the great Fort of Popery is battered downe and all Popery tottereth at the â—all of it In this Adversary we have discovered many shifts but liâ—tle learning a spitefull heart a bâ—â—ter tongue and a brazen fâ—ce are his best arguments His whole discourse like an aiery meteor being composed of a deale of matter imperfectly mixed together is quite vanished as his proofes are weake â—o his position is wicked and therefore let nothing draw thee from Scripture to follow after other Doctrines but let that be the Lyains Lapis the touchstone of truth and then I will say of unwritten Traditions that which Saul said to Ionathan concerning his Kingdome e 1. Sam. 20 31. As long as the Sonne of Ishaâ— liveth thou shalt not be established oâ— thy Kingdome Faults to be amended In the Title page line 17. for were reade are IN the Epistle for Zeâ—â—crates reade Xenocraâ—es Pag. 2. lin 11. for fibolist reade fikher p. 5. lin 27 for that read thus p. 6. l. 2. for Iesuites read Iesuite p. 9 l. 19. for speak reade speake p. 11 l. 10. for as it reade as if it p. 16. l. 18. for Tradition read Traditions p. 1â— l. 32 for the read this p. 32 l. 4. for Leâ—sâ—us read Lenseâ—s p. 41. l. 35. for them reade him p. 54. l. 36. for handleth read â—oldeth p. 84. l. 8. for to to read to p. â—6 l. 6. for wrestling reade wresting p 87 l 24. for wrestle wrestling read wrest wresting p. 135. l. â— for not reade and p. 138. l. 21. for call reade call them p 160. l. 3. for our reade your p. 171 l. 12. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. â—69 l 36. for and the read and to this end the. In the margent P. 6 for 129 read 120. p. 9. for Chrysost reade Chrysol p 36. for sap reade sip p. 57. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 81. for 26. read 96. p 106 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 111. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 111. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 136. for 92 read c. 92 p. 140 for mandatur read mandantur p. 143. for c. â—â— reade 3â— p. 144. for fidelâ— reade fidelibus p. 147 for p. 164. read p. 156. p. 149. for hom 3. reade hom 31. p. 159. for Mat. 12. reade Mat. 2. Adde p. â—0 l 14. All that was inspired was preached p. 27 l. 23. blot out the comma betweene Euchariâ—t fasting and betweene Person Christ. p. 144. l. 30. and after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag 36 marg
Fathers speaking of the Scriptures as they are Reply p. 168. compared with the writings of men which are but of humane authority say that the Scriptures alone have the prerogative of undoubted truth our Adversaryes give forth that the Fathers hereby doe reduce the certainty of all truth unto the sole Scriptures absolutely 9. As comparisons are odious especially with the Scriptures so this observation is ridiculous we have oft shewed that the Fathers doe give unto the Scriptures not only a coÌ„parative certainty infallibility above the writings of any Doctors whatsoever but likewise do attribute unto them the only assured certainty and the absolute infallibility When S. Peter saith e 2. Pet. 1. 1â— Wee have a more sure word with what doth he coÌ„pare the certainty of the Scriptures only with the writings of the Doctors of the Church No but even with this voyce or unwritten word when it was first spoken This is my welbeloved son Then it was not certaine whether it were the voyce of God or no it might have beene the voyce of an Angell but at that time the writings of the Prophets concerning Christ were more sure because there was more certainty assurance that the Scriptures were the word of God then that this voice was the word of God S. Peters supposed successor holdeth many unwritten Traditions such as God never spake such as the Doctors of the Primitive Church never delivered unto him and all those he would have to be as sure and certaine as Gods written word And suppose the Doctors of the Primitive Church had delivered these Traditions are they therefore as certaine and infallible as the Scripture The Iesuite affirmeth it * Pag 171. if truely figured These Traditions being corroborated by the written attestation of the Saints and holy Doctors this is a warrant of it selfe infallible and undâ—â—bted The Cardinall denyeth it even in this his observation for he granteth us that though the certaintie and infallibilitie of all truth is not to be reduced onely and absolutely unto the Scriptures yet hee holdeth that the Fathers did esteeme the Scriptures to bee more certaine and infallible then the â—ritings of the Doctours of the Church or writings of humane authoritie Here is Manasseh against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasseh and both against the truth The written attestation of the Doctors is the best authority which the Iesuite can produce for unwritten Traditions thiâ— written attestation is not so certaine infâ—llâ—ble as the Scripture as the Cardinall confesseth then the consequence is sure that unwritten Traditions are not as certaine infallible as the Scripture consequently the certainty infallibility of all doctrine must be reduced only absolutely to the Scripture As for the obedience due unto the commandements of the King given onely by word of mouth whensoever it is proved that God gave necessary commaundements onely by word of mouth which are not written and that the unwritten commandements of the Roman Church are the same wee will give obedience to them 4. When the Fathers disputing with Heretickes doe Reply pag. 168 argue as they say adhominem that is when they urge them out of their owne erroneous principles and provoke them unto the sole authority of the written word our Adversaryes step forth and will have this kinde of arguing to bee universall withall whereas this is the conclusion to bee draweâ— from hence Therefore the Fathers admitted no meane to bee with the Heretickes for tryall of true doctrine but onely the Scriptures For the Heretickes for the most part in the beginning of their disputations would disavâ—w all authoritie of Tradition and of Church save onely that of the Scripture c. Therefore the Fathers to keepe their noses to the grindlestone did onely presse them with Scripture 10. This observation is a very heape of untruths 1. That the Heretickes for the most part in the beginning of their disputations were accustomed to reject Tradition and to flye unto Scripture onely As the Heretickes were many and their opinions different so their practice was diverse the Cardinall cannot prove that tenne of the hundred in the beginning of their disputations did renounce Tradition and onely betooke themselves to Scripture It was rather their practice to alledge Tradition of their owne and never to forsake that fastnesse untill they were beaten out of it They were as earnest pleaders for unwritten Traditions and as great enemies against the Scripture as our Adversaries are or can be And therefore in regard of the first they were stiled f Hieronym l. 2. in Eâ—av c. 3. Deutorotae Tradition-mongers and in regard of the latter they were called g Tertullian de resurrect carâ— Lucifugae Scripturarum owles flying from Scripture 2. That it was an errâ—neous principle in the Heretickes to flye only unto Scripture I reade of the Fathers condemning of Heretickes for flying from Scripture for not understanding the Scriptures for misinterpreting of them but I never read where they were condemned by the Fathers for flying to the Scriptures It is true that the Iewish Cabbalists would reproach those that were given unto the Scriptures with this nickname of Karaim as Roman Traditiâ—n-mâ—ngers call us Scripturiaâ—s but the Fathers never accounted it an error S. Augustine hath cleared this to be no error in coÌ„mending h Aug l 5 cont Donat. c 26. Cyprians appeal unto the Scriptures i Aug. epist 1â—2 this maketh men hereticks saith he nor because they do not contemne but because they do not understand the Scriptures These two untruthes we have * Sect 7. Div. 7 already fully confuted 3. That the Fathers admitted no other meane for tryall of true doctrine with the Heretickes but onely Scripture I will not question the truth of this conclusion because it serveth to our purpose 1. To shew that this is no erroniâ—us principle to flye only â—nto Scripture 2. It overthroweth what the Iesuite affirmed * pag. 153. 156. that the Fathers still produced unwritten Traditions against the Heretickes and that they made Tradition and not Scripture the onely meanes whereby to try true doctrine with Heretickes 3. It manifestly declareth what the Fathers thought of the sufficiencie of Scripture seeing they durst try the points in controversie betweene them and the Heretickes even at their owne weapons and by their owne principle supposing Scripture to be their weapon and their principle As therefore the Fathers dealt with the Heretickes pressing them onely with Scripture so might wee deale with you but we have beene content to bee tryed both by the Scripture and by the Tradition of the Church delivered by the mouth not onely of twelue but also of CCCXVIII Fathers giving their verdict against you 5. When the Fathers doe dispute of a custome or question Reply pag. 169 not yet determined by the Church and consequently Tradition cannot be alleadged for the same then the Fathers provoke their Adversaryes unto Scripture onely And
this our Adversaryes enlarge unto all articles of faith As in that of S. Hierome which the Iesuite addeth in the margine That God was borne of a virgin we beleeve because we read it that Mary did marry after she was delivered we beleeve not because we read it not 11. The Fathers provoke their Adversaries unto Scripture only not only in doubtful questions not determined but likewise in points of faith determined by the Church out of the Scriptures The first Councell of Nice determined this point That the Sonne is consubstantiall with the Father and yet about an 100. yeares after S. Augustine disputing against Maximinus the Arian about the same point provoketh k August cont Maxim l. 3. c. 14 him unto Scripture onely The Iesuit's instance of the perpetuall virginity of the blessed Virgin cannot agree with the observation of the Cardinall If it was a question not determined in the Church when S. Hierome wrote against Helvidius why then doth the Iesuite insert it into his * ag 126. Catalogue of unwritten Traditions For as Iulius Rugerius once one of the Popes Protonotaries observeth l Iâ—l Ruger de lib. Canoniâ—is A Tradition is of no force if it have not beene beleeved even from the times of the Apostles 6. When the Fathers cry out upon the abominable impostures Reply p. 169. of the Heretickes who â—athered upon the Apostles execrable Traditions our Adversaries make use of this against such Catholicke and Apostolicke Traditions as the universall Church in all ages and thoroughout all nations hath evermore observed 12. We admit all Catholicke and Apostolicke Traditions and yeeld to the doctrine of the Catholicke Church if by the Catholicke Church he doe not meane the Roman Catholicke Church The Traditions of that Church are as execrable and abominable as those Traditions which were invented by those Hereticks and we have just cause as the Fathers did to cry ouâ— against such Traditions These are the fraudulent inventions by which these Tradition-mongers seeke to avoyde the verdict which the Fathers have given against unwritten Doctrines whose fraud and craftinesse do â—like wise appeare in alleadging the testimonies of the Fathers for unwritten Traditions for as wee have discovered in the stateing of this Question wheresoâ—ver the Fathers use the word Tradition meaning thereby eiâ—her the manner of delivery or the matter delivered eithâ—r Rituall Traditions unwritten or Doctrinâ—ll Traditions written all those places without any respect to thâ— sense most senselesly and deceitfully they produce for their unwritten Traditions When the Fathers use the word Tradition for the delivery of the written word in writing by the Apostles or for their delivery of the same things which are in the word by preaching or by practise or for the Churches delivery of the written word or of written doctrines either expressely written or by consequence deduced or delivered in an unwritten forme of words or for the succession of true doctrine in the Church or for unwritten rites and ordinances used by the Church all such places they alleadge against us for their papisticall Traditions We confesse that which followeth in his Reply That Reply pag. 170. the condition of being written or not written belongeth nothing at all unto the nature of a precept but onely unto the manner of delivery and therefore if once we be assured it was delivered we must not doubt of it This is the true state of the Question whether the Apostles did deliver such things or no Prove this that the Apostles did deliver such doctrines as are not contained in the Scriptures that your unwritten doctrines are the same and we will make no doubt of them To prove this the Iesuite propâ—undeth three rules whereby we may be certainely assured of this 1. By the testimonie of the Church vivâ voce 2. By the dayly and constant practise of the Church 3. By the written attestation of the Saints and holy Doctours His 1. rule is thus squared Seeing our Adversaryes have Reply pag. 170 no other warrant for the written word but the continuall testimonie of the Church thoroughout all ages having the same authoritie for the unwritten word why doe they not embrace the same 13. If we had as good authority for the one as we have for the other we would embrace it for the written word we have more sure grounds then the testimonie of the Church as we have * Sect. 4. Div. 16 shewed but for unwritten Traditions we have not so much as the continuall testimony of the Church throroughout all ages Produce if you can the continuall testimony of the Church thoroughout all ages for adoring of Images for denying the Cuppe and the Scriptures unto the common people and marriage unto Priests To prove unwritten Traditions by the testimonie of the Church is to prove idem per idem for they account the testimonie of the Church an unwritten Tradition This is to prove obscurum per obscurius because it is a most diâ—â—icult thing to finde out the continuall testimonie of the Church thorough all ages Howsoever we put it to the tryall of the Church exceptis semper excipiendis 1. That it be the testimony of the truly Catholicke Church not of the Roman Catholicke Church whose fame is crackt and â—he is â—mficti praviâ— tenax the case is her owne and shee must not be a witnesse in her owne cause m Aug epist 9. If one false thing bee found in the Scriptures saith S. Augustine what authoritie can there be in them In the Roman Church there is at the least one false Tradition which is not from the Apostles as the taking away of the Cuppe and then what authority can there be in her testimony 2. The testimony of the Church must be beleeved the Iesuite might spare his labour in proving it but it cannot beget that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full assurance which the Scripture doth so that I may easily answer his question What deposition of witnesses I pray Reply p. 170. you can be more certaine and authenticall then tho voyce of the whole Church Why the voyce of the Scripture is a more â—ure word holy men may be deceived in some things and their aâ—â—irmation maketh a thing probable but the Scripture is infallible so certaine as non potest â—ubesse falsam the Scriptures affirmation is a most certaine demonstration And now having made our exceptions let us heare the continuall testimony of the Church The voyce of the Church is an uniforme consent and agreement of six or seven Reply p. 170. thousand Chayres and Episcopall Successions derived without any interruption from the Apostles and their successours and of many millions of subordinate Churches â—hâ—rough the which as thorough so many câ—nduit pipes ordained assisted and authorized by the holy Ghost for this effect the Traditions of the Apostles have with a great uniformity sliden and â—â—owen through all ages unto us This is not the voâ—ce of Iacob but