name no more and only such as Protestants themselves repute Hereticks those Arch-Enemies of the Doctrine of Grace so abundantly delivered in Sacred Writ yet fly thither also to set up Nature against it as St. Austin who best knew relates of them in these words Let us say they the L. de Nat. Grat. 39. Pelagians believe what we read what we read not let us believe unlawful to maintain Thus Scripture was their Sword and Buckler against the definitions of the Church whereby they were condemned neither could they so escape the brand of Heresie And Protestants taking up the same Weapons in the same manner to uphold themselves against the Faith and practice of all Ages by treading in the steps of such Predecessors shew sufficiently of what Generation and Spirit they are and seem justly involv'd in the same condemnation Thus having made good the first thing I promis'd in this Section namely that the common course of Hereticks is to have recourse to sole Scripture and to urge it as Interpreted by themselves against the Churches sense and judgment to speak any thing of the second to wit the different Faith and Practice of the Christian World would be but actum agere a superfluous labour being so largely before declared Sect. 5. of Trad. and the two last Sections of the Churches Authority in the handing of Tradition and the Infallibility or Authority of the Church and thither I refer the Courteous Reader Only for the present give me leave to say that I carefully comparing both these together found manifest different Rules of Faith without any possibility of reconcilement old and new Hereticks appealing to Scripture and resolute to be tryed by nothing else without any visible Judge to interpret them The Ancient Fathers and present Catholicks asserting the word of God whether written or unwritten as delivered to us by the universal Tradition of the Church and declared by her voice in approved General Councils to be the only sufficient and sure foundation of Christian belief I found that if these built their Faith on solid and safe Principles as it appeared to me they did the other must needs rely on an uncertain and groundless foundation for their Religion and having a desire to be numbred with the Saints not Hereticks of old I found I could not be so except I did relinquish Protestancy and unite my self to the Roman Church of the same belief and practice with Primitive Christians SECT III. A declaration of the English Protestants Doctrine how and why they make Scripture the only Rule of Faith FOr the clearer handling of this point and prevention of all mistakes I shall faithfully deliver what the Protestant Church of England teaches Principally in this main fundamental of her Religion and not injure it or her to the best of my judgment by any Observations made thereon First she teaches That Holy Scripture doth explicitly contain all things necessary to Salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith or be thought requisite and necessary to Salvation This the Composers of her Articles do teach and this they must teach who will make the written Word an entire Rule of Faith that is comprehending all points necessary to Salvation Now in all reason to satisfy those whom they would perswade to be of this belief it ought to be made evident that the Apostles in their Writings did intend plainly and perfectly to comprize whatsoever is necessary to be believ'd and practis'd by all Christians and deposited them in the Church as a complete Rule of Faith for the tryal of all Doctrines she also receiving it for such and practising accordingly in all Ages Which once done their position is then a most clear and rational inference But this being impossible for them to prove because contradicted by the Faith and practice of the Primitive Church which could not be ignorant of all Apostolical Doctrines and Constitutions and also of present Catholicks receiving them from her by an uninterrupted visible Tradition must needs be a false and most dangerous Principle though laid for the foundation of their Religion Secondly for a further ground-work she teaches That General Councils may and have erred even in things appertaining to God That is in matters of Faith as well as of Fact as her own Expositions more freely express her meaning A Doctrine the first Reformers would never have given place in the foundation of their Spiritural building even for their own sakes but that it was not possible their new Fabrick of Faith could stand for any considerable time without fall of the Churches Authority Were not they then sit men to be credited if General Councils may err But that which follows Wherefore things ordained by them as necessary unto Salvation have neither strength nor Authority unless it may be declared that they be taken explicitely out of Holy Scriptures Is the very quintessence of Anarchy and Rebellion so destructive of all Government though an Engine made only to batter down the Church that were it put in practice as here taught confusion would cover the face of the earth and the World would run quickly back into its first Chaos For if things ordained by General Councils have neither strength nor Authority unless it may be declared that it is made out to every private Judgment that they are taken out of the Holy Scriptures I demand by whom this may be or must be declared Now let it be considered that Church Governours are instituted by Jesus Christ having the Keys of so wonderful and transcendent power committed to their hands That whatsoever they Mat. 18. 18. shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever they shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven With a promise from Christ That where they meet in his Name he will be in the midst of them and ver 19. that he will be always with them to the Mat. 28. 20. Worlds end And that the Holy Spirit shall guide them into all Truth Joh. 16. 13. I say let this be consider'd and if the Decrees of such a Tribunal ordaining concerning points of Faith and proposing them to all Christians to be believ'd as the revealed will of God by his word from Heaven and necessary to Salvation have no strength nor Authority 'till it may be further declared that they are taken out of Holy Scriptures those that require this condition to make them obligatory cannot possibly give any reasonable satisfaction to this demand unless they find out such a Judge who is fitter and in all probability more likely not to err or deceive us in teaching what are revealed Truths But how impossible this is to be done any one of an ordinary understanding may without much study determine Yet while they are in vain attempting it if men should take their word as too many have already in denying
1. AN Introduction pag. 1. Sect. 2. A prepatory discourse to Church-Tradition and what it is pag. 6. Sect. 3. Vniversal Tradition demonstrated Infallible pag. 12. Sect. 4. Vniversal Tradition the Churches Rule of Faith in all Ages pag. 22. Sect. 5. Tradition asserted against Protestants by Scripture and the notable advantages thereof above writing pag. 32. Sect. 6. An introductive discourse concerning the judiciary power of the Church pag. 49. Sect. 7. That there is a supream Visible Judge to decide Controversies in matters of Religion instituted by Christ Infallible in all points of Faith with an obliging power to belief and obedience under pain of damnation made apparent from Scripture Some Reasons thereof pag. 51. Sect. 8. The Churches Authority or Infallibility taught and asserted by the Ancient Fathers pag. 63. Sect. 9. The said Authority of the Church clear'd and demonstrated by the constant practice of all Ages pag. 63. Sect. 10. A further declaration of the Churches Authority or Infallibility in General Councils from Antiquity pag. 84. The second Motive shewing the Protestant Faith without foundation Sect. 1. An Introduction to the following Discourse pag. 97. Sect. 2. Hereticks from the beginning were accustomed to appeal to Scripture as the sole Rule of Faith whereby they would be judged the Catholick Church always believing and practising the contrary pag. 101. Sect. 3. A declaration of the English Protestants Doctrine how and why they make Scripture the only Rule and Judge of Faith Sect. 4. That the Holy Scriptures are not the sole and perfect Rule of Faith pag. 125. Sect. 5. That Divine Scripture is not nor can be a Judge to determine Controversies in Religion pag. 132. Sect. 6. That private Reason in Controversies of Faith is not the Interpreter and Judge of the true sense of Scripture to rely upon for our Salvation pag. 148. Sect. 7. An answer to some of the principal places of the Scripture upon which Protestants rely for their Rule and Judge of Faith pag. 188. The third Motive shewing the Heretical Schism of the English Protestant Church Sect. 1. The nature of Schism and Heresie declared from Scripture and the Ancient Fathers pag. 188. 2. The Protestant Church of England is notoriously guilty of Schism and Heresie by their separation from the Roman pag. 203. Sect. 3. Wherein the Protestants plea that they did not separate from the Church but were forcibly cast out from her Communion and therefore the Schism not imputable to them c. pag. 212. Sect. 4. Wherein is show'd the emptiness of the Plea that they did not separate from the Vniversal but the particular Church of Rome pag. 217. Sect. 5. The Vindication of the word Catholick to its notion as us'd by the Church pag. 224. Sect. 6. Wherein the Protestants Plea of pretended errors to justify their separation from the Roman Church is confuted pag. 252. Sect. 7. Wherein the Protestants Plea that the PopesVuniversal Pastorship is an usurp'd Power crept into the Church and therefore without Schism might be forsaken is refuted pag. 273. Sect. 8. Wherein the Popes universal Jurisdiction in Gods Church is further manifested and made good from Councils and the Ancient Fathers grounded on Scripture pag. 282. The fourth Motive shewing Miracles wrought in the True Church Sect. 1. A preliminary Discourse pag. 209. Sect. 2. That Miracles were always vouchsafed to the true Church pag. 316. Sect. 3. Wherein the nature of true Miracles is declared pag. 322. Sect. 4. Some reasons of Gods proceeding in this manner pag. 331. Sect. 5. Some undoubted and most famous Miracles relating to the present Controversies between us and Protestants pag. 340. The fifth Motive shewing the eminent Sanctity taught and practis'd in the Roman Church Sect. 1. An Introduction pag. 367. Sect. 2. A further Declaration of the Sanctity taught and practis'd in the Roman Church pag. 371. 3. A further prosecution of this Motive from the new Doctrines and profane practice of Heretical Communions pag. 379. The Conclusion pag. 393. ERRATA PAge 38. l. 27. r. fallible p. 44. l. 12. r. other p. 63. l. 3. r. Catholick Church p. 73. l. 3. r. Parish p. 75. l. 10 dele in Councils p. 78. l. 26. r. lowd p. 82. l. 15. r. meanest p. 86. l. 2. dele of l. 3 dele that p. 89 l. 10. r. nonnunquam p. 90. l. 14. r. by general p. 112. l. 13. dele or p. 119. l. 20. r. a too notorious imposition p. 122. l. 2. dele of p. 127. l. 24. r. be p. 148. l. 3. r. absurdness p. 149. l. 21. dele the p. 151. l. 1. r. authoritatively p. 165. l. 22. dele the p. 176. l. 14. r. deceiving l. 15. r. obscure p. 178. l. 20 r whom p. 182. l. 6. r. puts him in mind p. 188. l. 3 r. versâ— p. 192. l. 11. r. but p. 216. l. 15. r. from Christ p. 218. l. 3 dele a p 223. l. 10. r. their p. 230. l. 4. r. reason thus satisfy p. 241. l. 23. r. danger p. 267. l. 14. r. mazes p. 277. l. 21. r. the least p. 294. l. 25. delâ— it p. 303. l. 18. r. by the divine p. 329. l. 15 r. possible not only to p. 333 l 22. r. if incredulous p. 342. l. 21. r. on Berengâ—riuâ— p. 352. l 3. r. say p. 354. l. 23. r. apposite p. 357. l. 13. r. purified p. 303. l 15. r. Case p. 379. l. 3. r. declaime p. 386. l. 1. r. of a â—â—â—â—smatick p. 395. l. 1. r. prosperity p. 398. l. 8. r. unwilling The First Motive SECT I. That the two chief externe Grounds or Motives of Credibility leading to the Truth of what Christ and his Apostles taught the World are Universal Tradition and Church Authority GOD who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke unto the Fathers by his Prophets last of all in the fulness of Time reveal'd his Will unto us by his Son So that the Word was made Flesh not only as a Saviour to lay down his own Life for our Redemption and Suffer for us but also as a Law-giver to instruct us what we must believe and do for his sake and our own good if we will be sav'd Before this last and perfect revelation of all supernatural means to attain to Life deliver'd to the World by Christ the Jews were the peculiar people of God their Synagogue the true Church and their Ceremonial Rights the True Worship instituted by God himself to continue in force during that Pedagogie But the eternal Sun of Righteousness appearing those Shadows were in him fulfill'd and so vanish'd to give place unto the Gospel whose glorious Beams were to Enlighten those that sat in Darkness and the shadow of Death to the uttermost Corners of the Earth Hereupon there being a change of the Law it was necessary there should be a Translation of the Priesthood also the time being now come foretold by Malachy That from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof Gods Name should be great
among the Gentiles and they should Sacrifice in every place and Chap. 1. 11. a Pure Offering should be offer'd to his Name a new form of Worship prescrib'd a new form of Government erected new Sacraments instituted new Precepts deliver'd Councels super-added agreeable to the Evangelical Law And in a word a Catholick Church founded to continue for ever This Church of Christ as it is one body so likewise it was of one heart and of one mind while Apostolical purity remain'd unspotted The Professors were all united in the same Faith Worship and Government holding close to Church-Tradition the Pillar and ground of Truth without any rent or Schism Till among Act. 20. 29. 30. themselves arose Wolves in Sheeps-cloathing not sparing the Flock teaching perverse things to draw away Disciples after them That is who set up a Congregation of Christians separated from the Communion of that Church which was founded by Christ and his Apostles And so by this means unity being destroy'd and Faith perverted Heresie shut up the gate of Heaven against false Christians as Infidelity did against Unbelievers A sad case this yet not so much to be wondred at seing the Apostle tells us Opportet esse Haereses There must 1 Cor. 11. 19. be Heresies for the Tryal of others and greater glory of the Truth And therefore the true Church hath in all Ages been more or less vex'd with them But never more then in these last and perillous days which since Luther's Apostacy from the Church of Rome have produc'd such an innumerable brood of New Gospels and Sects all pretending to believe and practice those Doctrines and that Worship which were taught by Christ and his Apostles and to be the only true Church of God or at least the purest Members of it Now it being acknowledg'd on all hands that they only are the true Church who believe and observe all points taught by Christ and his Apostles necessary to Salvation and 't is impossible contrary Beliefs and Worships should be all true and come from the Fountain of Truth Christ Jesus those whom a more serious desire and care of their Eternal Good may excite to seek for satisfaction in so important a business shall upon diligent inquisition by the blessing of God find that the chief externe grounds or evidence ordain'd by Christ for the guiding us in the knowledge of what was taught and left by him to be believ'd and practis'd to the Worlds end and consequently also for discerning which is the true Church among so many Pretenders are those according to which the Church of Rome regulates her Faith and Worship namely Universal Tradition and the Authority of the present Church as shall hereafter be made manifest And the farther they search into the Rule of the Protestant Religion that is sole Scripture interpreted by private Reason or Spirit exclusively to Tradition and Church Authority the more they will see such unsteady Maxims are destructive to Faith and manifestly leading to endless Divisions and Errors in matters of Religion This Conviction I had in examining the Fundamentals of the Roman and Protestant Religion and therefore am not to be blam'd for the Change I made and to my understanding whosoever searches as I did will easily receive the same satisfaction SECT II. A Preparatory Discourse to Church-Tradition and what it is THo' whosoever examines aright the Motives of Christian belief cannot rationally but become a Catholick that is find evidence how he may come to the certain knowledge of what Christ and his Apostles taught the World yet Faith is not grounded on Reason but Authority and that no less then Divine which excludes all possibility of Errour Whatever it is that brings men to know what they must believe Faith hath for its formal Object Divine Revelation into which it finally is resolv'd So that we believe nothing as of Faith but what is revealed and because it is revealed by Essential Verity who can neither deceive nor be deceived Catholicks then believe by Divine Faith Truths only revealed by Almighty God wherein Protestants agree with us But Catholicks believe the same Truths as they are ascertained declar'd and handled down to us by the Testimony of the Church wherein Protestants are defective the difference thefore between us in Faith arises chiefly from hence in that we use not the same externe Medium to convey unto our understandings the knowledge of what Truths are revealed and what not For could we once agree about this latter we should soon be of one Heart and of one mind in all points of Faith especially when once this Medium is proved to be infallible As to this Medium therefore Catholicks regulate their Faith by the Rule or Standard of Tradition and church-Church-Authority as the externe Proponent of Faith a Proponent also evidenced to them by the same Rule to be Infallible and thus they safely rely on the Testimony of Tradition and Church Authority in Declaring and Expounding both the Sense of Scripture and all other Christian Misteries necessary to Salvation Whilst on the contrary Protestants relying on the sole express Texts of Scripture interpreted by private Reason or Spirit as their only Rule and Guide in matters of Faith become unsteady in their Belief obnoxious to dangerous Errors and divided amongst themselves into endless Sects and Factions But because a more clear understanding of this matter in some sort depends on a right notion of Tradition we shall here define it in the sense it is usually understood by Catholick Divines Tradition then is the delivery of that Doctrine which was taught by Christ and his Apostles from hand to hand descending as such from Fathers to their Children making up the body of the Faithful This is the true notion of Tradition among us Catholicks and it matters not whether it be call'd Divine Apostolical or Universal being only the same thing exprest by divers adjuncts For it is call'd Divine because Christ our Lord as well true God as true man is the Spring-head of it It is call'd Apostolical because the Apostles immediately receiv'd from him things so deliver'd and Preach'd them to all Nations And Universal because Attested by the Catholick Church of all Ages to have been handed to her as originally proceeding from Christ and his Apostles And to prevent all mistakes let Protestants take notice that the Church of Rome sends not her Children only to search for what is Divine or Apostolical Tradition in matters of Faith and Discipline out of the Writings of the Fathers or other Libraries of Books fill'd with dead Words which are subject to various Interpretations by Critical heads without any hope of Agreement and can have no Authority dependent on Tradition though upon this account she has infinite advantage against all other Communions in the World to justify her Faith and practice in any unbyass'd Judgments But sends them to a visible living Oracle Oral Tradition that is the voice of the present Church attesting
for Catholicks Did not Tertullian depend upon Tradition for his Faith when he professeth * Lib. de Praesc c. 21 What I believe I received from the present Church the present Church from the Primitive That from the Apostles the Apostles from Christ. The Arrians indeed as the Protestants now appeal'd to Scripture for a sole Rule and Judge of their Faith seeing their condemnation as Protestants do likewise inevitably and evident by the practice and Tradition of the present Church But what did St. Athanasius that great Bullwark of Catholick belief reply to this Even the very same which the Church of Rome now takes up against her Adversaries * Lib. de Decr. Sym. Nic. cont Arianos Behold we have prov'd the Succession of our Doctrine deliver'd from hand to hand by Fathers to Sons but as for you new Jews and Children of Caiphas but as for you Protestants what Progenitors can you show of your Speeches Had he not held Tradition for the Rule of Christian belief could he have produced this as a satisfactory answer to their appeal to a Scripture-Tryal and a sufficient demonstration of Catholick Faith They who hear St Austin saying * Cont. Ep. Fund c. 5. I would not believe the Gospel were it not that the Authority of the Church mov'd me to it What think they Was he for Protestants or us for sole Scripture or for Tradition too in his Controversy More ample satisfaction may be had if desired from Vincentius Lyrinensis in whose words we may tell a Protestant * Faith is that which thou hast Cont. haer ca. 27. received not that which thou hast devis'd a thing not of private usurpation as their Exposition of Scripture are but of publick Tradition Quotations might be infinite but these may suffice to let the World see that Antiquity was of the same belief with the present Church of Rome in this point And Protestants by contradicting Her contradict the Fathers also SECT V. Tradition asserted against Protestants by Scripture and the notable Advantages that way of delivery hath above Writing IF the Testimony of the Fathers will not suffice we shall bring Scripture it self in defence of Tradition And truly to me it seems wonderful that Protestants professing to believe all things contained in the Scriptures should deny Tradition to have any thing to do with their Faith to which those Sacred Oracles bear so great witness The places are not few and full some of them I shall produce as translated in their own Bibles The first is that famous Anathema of St. Paul's upon the occasion of some false Teachers troubling the Church of Galatia with Doctrines contrary to 1 Ch. ver 3 9. Tradition * If we or an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Gospel unto you then what ye have received let him be accursed Would they have one more express Let them mind well his exhortation to the Thessalonians * Therefore Brethren stand fast and Eph. cap. 2. v. 15. hold the Traditions ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle The same point he presses home to the first Bishop of Ephesus writing in his first Epistle to him * O Chap. 6. v. 20 21. Timothy keep that which is committed to thy trust avoiding prophane and vain bablings and oppositions of Science falsely so called which some professing have erred concerning the Faith Which Deposition of Faith he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his second Epistle renewing the same charge Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me Chap. 1. v. 13. in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus Inculcated also in the Verse following That good thing v. 14. which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us And again in the 3d. Chapter he presses it as the only Antidote against the Infection of new-poisonous Doctrines scatter'd by Seducers Chap 3. v. 13 14. Continue in the things that thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them And with no less care and charge recommendeth it to Posterity in the 2d Chapter of the same Epistle The things that thou hast heard of me among many Witnesses commit thou to Faithful men who shall be able to teach others also From which Texts and such like the Fathers collect three things First That there are Traditions unwritten Rom. 16. Phillip 4. 12. Judes Ep. 3d. ver 1 Tim. 3. 15. as well as the written Word deposited in the Church which is the Pillar and ground of Truth Secondly That such Traditions belong equally to Christian Doctrine and alike to be credited aad observed Written and unwritten being but accidental differences of the word of God substracting or adding nothing essential to the formal Object of Faith which is Divine Revelation Thirdly That Traditionary Doctrines being termed a Depositum by St. Basil ut habetur Hist Trip l. 7. c. 39. Vinc. Ler. c. 26. c. the Apostle and so from him frequently call'd Depositum Fidei and the Governours of the Church in Timothy constituted the sacred Depositarii and Keepers of it makes it uncapable of any adition or diminution and consequently excluding the expectation of any other points necessary to be revealed the nature of a Depositum requiring it should be kept unalterable in the hands of those to whom it is committed And therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applyed to false Teachers by the same Apostle is directly opposed to this Depositum And the Church collected in General Councils when truth and peace requires it makes no new Articles of Faith but all her endeavours are that revealed Truths whether written or unwritten deliver'd from the beginning may be defended conserved illustrated and explicated against arising Heresies that would pervert them To which a fourth may be added That the Apostle writing to Churches fully constituted still refers them in his Epistles to Tradition for the trial of all Doctrines those sacred lines delivering no new point of Faith but only in as much as Doctrinal in things necessary explicating according t◠present circumstances and confirming what had been taught by word and practice Protestants indeed will owne no such things from these Texts but In 2 Epist ad Thess c. 2. 15. St. Chrysostom tells us * Hinc perspicuum est c. From hence it is apparent that the Apostles have not deliver'd all things by Epistle but also many things without writing Now both those and these deserve equally to be believ'd 'T is a Tradition what would you more Thus he and Theophilact comments thereupon almost in the same words And from the 2d ver of the 11th chap. of the 1st Epist. to the Corinthians * Now I praise you Brethren that you remember me in all things and keep the Ordinances ficut tradidi vobis as I delivered them unto you Not only inferrs the same Doctrine but likewise uses the self-same phrase Ex hoc loco
perspicuum est c. 'T is apparent from this place that he St. Paul and the other Apostles delivered many things not committed to writing Which Epiphanius also applyes to the same Haere 61. purpose teaching us Oportet autem Traditione uti c. That we must make use of Tradition seing all things cannot be taken out of sacred Writ The Apostles have delivered some things in Writing and others by Tradition Even as St. Paul says Sicut tradidi vobis As I have delivered to you And no less St. Lib. de spir◠S. Basil It is an Apostolique thing to persist constantly in Tradition not written for saith the Apostle I praise you in that you are mindful of whatsoever thing came from me and observe the Traditions which I have given you And affirms them to be so many that the day would fail him should he enumerate them Moreover That no man will contradict Ibid. it who hath the least experience in Ibid. Church Laws And as potent Patrons of the same Doctrine are St. Iraeneus l. 3 cont Haer. ca. 3 4. Tertullian de corona militis cap. 3. lib. de Praescrip S. Aug. Ep. 118. ad Januarium lib. 5. de bapt cap. 23. The second famous Nicene Council in the 7th Act c. by whom Traditionary points are invincibly vindicated And teach otherwise they could not except their words should contradict their Faith and practice though Protestants who are of a contrary belief are also of a contrary Doctrine and have invented several evasions to darken the evident light of these Texts whereby they alas deceive poor Souls To the native lustre of Scripture if we add the unanimous consent of the Fathers expounding them for us they more manifestly make good against the Protestants that the same Scriptures cannot be an un-errable and compleat Rule of Faith to Christians without Tradition And indeed Catholicks do not deny Scriptures to be a Rule but that they are not the compleat Rule of Faith nor can be a Rule of Faith at all as interpreted by private reason or particular fallibility Congregations which is their new way and practice but as expounded authoritatively by the Catholick Church according to the line of Ecclesiastical Tradition the constant custom of all Ages Now why Religion was setled in the Christian Church by Universal Tradition as a perpetual Rule of Faith rather then written Precepts will presently appear to any one well considering how that way of delivery is far more secure from mistakes and errours than Writings this being notoriously visible in actions common to all mankind in which all sorts of conditions do agree and can read the inward belief of their hearts in those outward well-understood expressions whereas written words are different and if understood by some few eminently Learned yet lyable to a thousand casualties and misapprehensions conveying erroneous Thoughts sometimes even where exactest diligence is observ'd And withall that it is more lasting then written Books which may perish totally by the fury of Persecution or be lost by some accident or other as most certainly some Scriptures are Whereas Christian Doctrine thus conveyed cannot perish but with the total ruine of all Believers But principally that sacred Scriptures themselves both for Canon Incorruptness and true sense of the Text are necessarily depending on Tradition not It on them being a self-evident Principle that needs no proof Which great and notable advantage will be more evident if we consider that the main end and principal errand of the Apostles being to deliver entirely to the World the Gospel or Law of Jesus Christ what they Preach'd throughout the whole World with their common and united endeavours inculcating it in season out of season and ingrafting it by daily and visible practice in the hearts of Believers must needs descend to us with more certainty and evidence of Truth because accompanied with a higher degree of Tradition than the Books of Scripture which were not any part of their Commission or by any joynt consent intended to comprize the whole Law of Christ but meerly an occasional work of their Apostleship according as the present circumstances did require writt by some single Apostle or Evangelist sent to some particular Church or Person as all the Apostolical Epistles upon whose Authority and Credit the whole Church originally must rely to believe it to be the true Writing of such an Evangelist or Apostle that is to be the undoubted Word of God And this is the genuine reason that while Traditionary Doctrines being on all hands acknowledg'd because founded in Universals which cannot easily fail The true Books of Scripture because at first of particular and unknown Authority agreeing therein with all errorus were cauceously rejected by some particular Churches and could not obtain due veneration and acceptance but by degrees as they were communicated to other Christians by those to whom they were at first delivered and so at last upon diligent inquisition received by the whole body of Believers for Canonical In which examination the Traditional Doctrine being universally Famous and first planted in their hearts and that of Scripture originally obscure and of an after Birth They neither did nor could rationally argue thus The Doctrine we have been taught is the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles because agreeable to this Book But thus this Book attested to us for Scripture may safely be received for the Writing of such an Apostle or Apostolical man as they witness who have already accepted it for such because we have no reason to think they are herein deceived or lye against their Conscience in that we find it conformable to the Doctrine we have been taught and have received by Tradition For to have proceeded è converso had been to prove I say not obscurum per obscurius but clarum per obscurum and contrary to all Rules of Logick and Reason Hence it is that we find the Ancient Fathers expounding some Texts of Scripture for Traditionary Doctrines of the Church which afford sometimes perhaps scarce probable Topicks for those points to which they are applyed Now this they do not as if they founded their belief of such Articles upon the Scriptures St Aug. de Civ Dei l. 20. c. 24. lib. de fide Oper. c. 15. S. Am in ca. 3. ad Cor. St. Jer. in ca. 5 Matt. Origen in eandem locum c. as might be specified in the 1st Corin. 3. from the 12 ver to the 16. and Matth. the 5th ver 25 26. for Purgatory The 15 of the foresaid Epist ver 29. For a state wherein the dead may be help'd by the living Luke the 1st ver 34. For the perpetual Virginity of the Mother of God c. But being in possession of the belief of such points with the present Church of their Age upon the tenure of Tradition they only bring such places for the further confirmation and explanation of their Faith that very probably such
contradicts the Justice Goodness and Veracity of God to authorize any to be a witness of his Truth that might lye and deceive the World in their attestation And methinks it concerns as well English Protestants as Us to maintain the Catholick Church for an Infallible Witness seeing at this distance from the Preaching of Christ and his Apostles they as well as we have no other Infallible assurance then her Testimony whereby to know either which are the undoubtd Books of Scripture or what the true meaning of them And thus that Religion which Protestants pretend to be contain'd in only Scripture must rejecting Church Authority necessarily float in an Ocean of incertainties and we miserably be left in the mysts of conjectures among dead Letters with the twi-light of natural reason to search out Faith and the Eternal Salvation of our Souls Lastly the fore-quoted Texts being so express for the Church to have a Power from Christ to oblige all men under pain of Damnation to believe and submit to her Proposals as to Faith God hath also endowed her with Infallibility in bringing to our knowledge revealed Verities seeing otherwise such a Power in the Church and a correspondent obligation in her Children would not bear an equal proportion And therefore these two are inseparably link'd together a Power to bind to Believe and Infallibility in the Obliger Christ assisting his Church with his Holy Spirit to guide her Infallibly into all Truth because he hath invested her with a Power to bind to believe and giving her a Power of obliging to believe because he hath made her Infallible in such Proposals It seeming most conformable to the Divine Goodness and Providence that such an externe proponant of Faith should be established as might afford no just cause to suspect whither it be true or no which is proposed and in all reason no greater assurance can be desired then to have an absolute certainty that that Authority cannot err in points of Faith to whom we must in such Proposals captivate our Wills and Understandings For this is but to assent upon undoubted evidence then which nothing is more agreeable to mans nature Neither is it rational to believe that God who is essential Reason and Wisdom ruling all his Creatures according to the several Dispositions Imprinted in them would impose such a Duty on Discoursive Entities upon other terms Blessed be God who hath so carefully provided for us in giving us a Law which is the only means to Salvation and also an authorized guide to direct us in the certain knowledge of it namely the Catholick which cannot possibly lead us into errour as hath been formerly shewn Thus certainly these Scriptures witnessing the Churches Authority are agreeable to reason now let us see what further light can be added to them from the Writings and universal practice of Antiquity SECT VIII The Churches Authority or Infallibility taught and asserted by the Ancient Fathers IF I should produce what Antiquity affords us on this Subject I should rather transcribe Books than Passages so Copious and Industrious have the Fathers been on all occasions to press a point so necessary S. Athana coni Aria S. Hier. S. Aug. Pole St. Cyp. de vnit Ecc. Tert. c. especially in their Polemical Discourses against Hereticks to vindicate their dear Mother the Church in her Just Rights and Priviledges against all Rebellious contradictors of her Authority And thither I refer such as desire more ample satisfaction for the present I shall content my self with some few choice places and they are these We must believe saith Irenaeus â— l. cont hae ca. 49. those Priests that are in the Church those that have a Succession from the Apostles who together with the Episcopal Power according to the good pleasure of the Father have received the certain gift of Truth We must not believe saith the English Protestant Church those who in their Episcopal Chaires have had an un-interrupted Succession from the Apostles seek not for the Law of God from their Lips for they are fallen from the Truth yea General Councils can err and have erred in Art 21. of the 39. their Definitions having no certain gist of Truth by Divine assistance Thus they flatly contradicting good Irenaeus and Ancient Doctrine Now whom shall we believe The old Saint or the new Protestant Give him a little more Audience for he proceeds thus The Church Cap. 62. l. praed shall be under no mans judgement for to the Church all things are known in which is the perfect Faith of the Father and of all the Dispensations of Christ and firm knowledge of the Holy Ghost who teacheth all Truth But say he what he will Protestants will assume a Power to judge and condemn her of no less gross and damnable Errours then Idolatry and Superstition to justify that thing they call the Reformed Church Though it were no difficult matter for them to perceive the Injustice of such Proceedings when the same Saint goes on and tells them and us That it is easie to receive the Truth from Gods Church seeing the Apostles have most fully deposited in her as in a rich store-house all things belonging to Truth For what if there should arise any contention of some small questions ought we not to have recourse to the most Ancient Churches and from them receive what is certain and clear concerning the present question Thus far he And if this course is to be taken in small questions doubtless much more in matters of high concern as many points are now controverted between Us and Protestants In such to be left to our own private conjectures and Interpretations would be most unsafe and unreasonable And had Protestants taken the course here prescribed by the Saint for the inquisition of Truth when they first raised questions about Religion as in such cases all Christians ought to do could ever such a thing as the Protestant Church have had a beeing or existence For 't is as visible as the Sun that there was no pre-existent form of Faith in the whole Christian World according to which they modeliz'd their Religion in England and with whom they communicated when they divided from the Church of Rome their Catholick Mother If great St. Austin was not little in esteem with our modern Hereticks they might receive full satisfaction from him in this point if they would Impartially peruse his Writings against the Donatists and other Enemies of the Churches Faith and Unity That of his is very remarkable against Crescontius Though saith he there cannot be produced Lib. 1. cap. 33. from Scriptures any examples of such a thing yet the Truth of the same Scriptures is held of us in this matter when we do that which pleaseth the whole Church which the Authority of the same Scriptures commendeth that because the Holy Scriptures cannot deceive us whosoever feareth to be deceived with the obscurity of this question let him require the judgment of
the Church which the Holy Scriptures without any ambiguity do demonstrate To the end that because the Scripture cannot deceive us whosoever is afraid to be deceived by the obscurity of any question may have recourse to the Churches judgment concerning it which Church the Holy Scriptures demonstrate without any ambiguity Two things are suitable to our present purpose which are clear from hence First that though we may sometimes doubt what is Truth yet we can never doubt which is the true Church demonstrated to us by the Scriptures upon whose judgment while we rely we are secure from holding any thing contrary to the written Word commending to us her Authority Secondly That though the Scriptures are Infallible and cannot deceive us yet if we will not deceive our selves and kill our Souls by the dead Letter without the quickning sense we must believe what the Church believes submitting our private reason to her publick Interpretation For else let Hereticks never so much boast of Scripture for them we may tell them in the words of the same Saint This ye Cont. Faust l. 32. c. 19. seem to do that Scriptures may loose all Authority while every one may allow or disallow what his own mind suggests to him out of them That is may not subject his Faith to the Authority of Scripture but subject Scripture to his Faith It being indeed the property of all Hereticks not to take sense from but to bring sense to those Sacred Oracles forcing them by manifest distortions or dark conjectures to speak in defence of their prejudicated Tenets and so make nothing of Scripture while they seem to value nothing else Now what remedy against this intolerable abuse of the Word of God and everlastingly-quarrelproducing evil but that of Origen Quoties c. As often as they Hereticks Ho. in Mat. Praef. l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring forth Canonical Scriptures which no Christian but believes and assents to they seem to say Behold the word of Truth is in our Houses but we must not believe them nor depart from the Primitive Ecclesiastical Tradition nor believe otherwise then as the Churches of God by succession have deliver'd to us And to put them to silence with that of L. de Praes p. 19. Tertullian We must not appeal to Scriptures neither is the controversy to be setled upon them in which either there will be no victory at all or very uncertain Yea there is no good got by disputing out of Texts of Scripture that is as interpretable by private reason and play'd upon by wit but either to make a man sick or mad But that is only to be believed for for Truth which in nothing disagrees from the Tradition of the Church Thus he fully agreeing with Origen in the fore-quoted place And I cannot omit here what the glorious Bishop of Hippo hath so apposite for our present purpose to his Catechumens The Holy Church the Church which is one the true S. Aust de Symb. lib. 1. v. 6. Church the Catholick Church fights against all Heresies She may be resisted but cannot be conquer'd All Heresies have gone out of her as unprofitable branches cut off from the Vine see Protestants your Original but she remains in her Root in her Charity The gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Nor that to Honoratus when therefore we see God standing for us and so much fruit and proficiency doubt we to repose our L. de util Cred. c. 17. selves in the bosom of that Church which from the Apostolical Chair by Successions of Bishops Hereticks on all sides barking in vain against her hath obtain'd Supremacy of Power To whom not to give the chief is truly either the highest Impiety or harebrain Arrogance Thus the Fathers always brought Believers to the Church for a firm foundation in tottering times there they cast Anchor and fix'd themselves amidst the storms of Controversies and Contentions rais'd by unreasonable men with the wind of strange Doctrines lest they should make Shipwrack of their Holy Faith this still they prest upon all Christians in doubts of Disputations the Church the Church believe the Church the Pillar and ground of Truth the Sacred Depository of revealed Verities the rich Store-house of all things belonging to Salvation protected by Christ to the Worlds end endowed with the certain gift of Truth by the special guidance of the Holy Ghost founded upon a Rock that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Which is nothing else but what they had learn'd and received from Scripture and Tradition A Truth so convincing that it extorted from Dr. Field a great Patron of the English Protestants In his Book of the Church words to this effect Controversies are now a days grown to that height and so numerous and intricate that few have time to discuss and search into them thoroughly for satisfaction fewer wit and abilities to do it as such a business of concernment require that no security remains but to fly into the arms of the Church and acquiess in her judgments and definitions But from words let us proceed to deeds from the Doctrine to the practice of Antiquity SECT IX The aforesaid Authority of the Church cleared and demonstrated by the constant practice of all Ages IF we cast our eyes through the whole Christian World not a Popish Priest in the exercise of his Spiritual Jurisdiction but is in some sort a practical proof of this Authoritative Power wherewith the Church is invested by Jesus Christ Yet residing more eminently and with larger extent in Bishops the supreme Order of the Clergy made Overseers of their respective Flocks by the Holy Ghost it appears more gloriously visible in the Decrees and Acts of General Councils the highest Ecclesiastical Tribunal determining all emergent Controversies in Spiritual matters with Anathemae's against all Contradictors whatsoever And Catholicks in all Ages acknowledging their Sacred and obliging Authority paid most inviolably the just Tribute of Obedience to their Decisions with submission of their private Judgments and Opinions however rational before they seem'd unto them So that what points soever were once declared to be of Faith by lawful and approved Councils those who persisted in the contrary Doctrines where accounted Hereticks and being justly Excommunicated for such incorrigible obstinacy shunn'd by all the Faithful as no better than Heathens and Publicans Now I cannot think that English Protestants will say though such Decrees issued out from General Councils yet it was by an usurped Power not of Right and so though such exact obedience was paid by Christians to them yet it was in their own prejudice and not of duty or obligation though truely in deeds they assert it because they pretend much veneration to the first four General Councils and Bishop Montague one of the Learnedest In his Appello ad Casa men they ever had proceeds so far as to defend against his more zealous Brethren of Romes ruine the
and after much enquiry it was evident to me they could not afford to Impartial Judgments any solid and real satisfaction For the main Pillar of the Protestant Religion being to make the Scripture the sole Rule of Faith I finding by clear conviction this foundation to be without Solidity how could I in Reason or Conscience stand firm to that Church which I saw built on so unstable a bottom And indeed were Protestants able to perform what they promise that is to resolve all Controversies of Faith by Sacred Scripture we should be so far from being true Christians the best of men that we were worse than Beasts if we should refuse to be judg'd thereby Wherefore it is a wrongful Imputation in them to bear the World in hand that we have not a due veneration of those Sacred Oracles of Divine Truth when our reverence and respect to them is in reality more than theirs our Canon more general our Expositions more elaborate humble and submissive and our Assent unchangeable to whatsoever the Church declares to be revealed by them or is contain'd in them evidently by necessary consequence They in the interim only believing by a Spirit with a strange presumption what they please saying and unsaying in Civil Wars among themselves as well as against us whom they call the common enemy what they think is for their present advantage to serve their turn on all occasions And while we necessarily urge to all Christians the Authority of the Church as the Pillar and ground of Truth we are so far from intending any diminution of their just esteem that if they can produce but one single place of Scripture evidently containing the contrary to what we believe Conclamatum est The controversy is at an end we will confess we are in the wrong and for this Miracle for 't will be no less when ever it is done yield the whole cause unto them But 'till then let thâ—m cease to traduce us as Non-Veneraâ—ers of Sacred Writ because we will not receive it for what God did never intend it and leave it to his Church And against the evidence of our own Eyes and long experience acknowledge it to have conditions fit and requisite for the plain and Infallible instruction of all Christians of the whole Law of Christ and final decision of all Controversies For that Scripture by it self cannot perform those necessary Offices in the Church will manifestly be made to appear in the following Sections But first I shall shew that herein they agree with other Hereticks and Dissent from the Antient Church as well as from Us in this main fundamental of their Religion SECT II. Hereticks from the beginning were accustomed to Appeal to Scripture as the sole Rule of Faith whereby they would be judg'd in opposition to the Traditionary Doctrine and Sense of the Catholick Church THat whatsoever is purely of Divine Faith depends necessary on the Word of God is sound Doctrine but that all Supernatural Verities revealed to the Church are so written in the received Canon as none can misunderstand them is a most dangerous position yet the Anchora Sacra and chief refuge of old condemned Hereticks as well as of our modern Adversaries who groundiug their novel Opinions upon Texts of Scripture as interpreted by their own private Reason do at last make them Heretical by choosing pertinaciously to adhere to them against the Sense and Judgement of the Church A sad Case this that with the Waters of Life they should suck in Eternal Death into their Souls But alas Thus they turn Remedies into Diseases and blind their Eyes with the Heavenly Light of the Word becoming so much the more incorrigible because they perswade themselves even against evidence if seeing they would see that they have Divine Authority for their Doctrines The Arians in the Controversy between them and Catholicks about the Divinity of Christ would admit nothing but Scripture as St. Austin testifies bringing in Maximus an Arian Bishop thus disputing with him If you produce any thing Cont Max. l. 1. Init. out of the Divine Scriptures which are cemmon to all of necessity we must give ear unto it But these words which are without Scripture in no Case are received by us The direct Language of Protestants who in this however are perfect Arians The Macedonians impugning the Divinity of the Holy Ghost rejected the Gloria Patri Filio Spiritui Sancto whereby the Church professes her belief of a Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the Divine Essence because not contained in Holy Writ Witness St. Basil They Li. de Sp. S. c. 25 26. the Macedonians cease not to brag up and down that the Glorification of God with the Holy Ghost wants Testimony wants Scripture Thus they then and thus Protestants now in points controverted between them and us But hear the same Holy Fathers answer Verily against The Church then in â—hâ—r Doxology us'd Cum Spiritu Sancto as El Spiritui Sancto that they say the Preposition cum Spiritu Sancto to want Testimony nor to be extant in Scripture we reply thus If nothing else be received without the Scripture neither truly let this be received by us without Scripture let us also receive this among many other For I think it Apostolical to adhere to the unwritten Traditions You see we need not new words to condemn the Protestants who will never be able to give any rational satisfaction why they receive some things not in Scripture only upon the score of Church-Tradition and yet refuse other alike commended to them by the same Authority In all reason they deserve an equal reception and so they must become Catholicks Euryches the Arch-Heretick denyed Christ to be perfect man as well as perfect God and for his defence appealed to Scripture Ergo a S. Scripturâ—s 〈…〉 saith he have vet learned from the Sacred Scrâ—ptures of two Natures To whom it was replyed Neither have we been Concit Chalced. Act. 1. taught the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Sacred Writ Which must needs put him to a bashful silence the verity of Christ's Humane Nature being as fully deliver'd in Scripture as his Divine though not in such express terms as they required And therefore both either to be necessarily receiv'd or rejected by them But Protestants certainly have far less to say for themselves who with the Eutychians receiving the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not found in Scripture yet deny the Corporal presence of Christ in the Blessed Eucharist by a real though Invisible Change of the Visible Elements when My Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink Joh. 6. 51. 55. indeed And again The Bread that I will give is my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the World And the most Sacred words of Institution This is my Body This is my Plood are plain and express terms as any Doctrine can be delivered unto our capacity The Pelagians to
submission to the Churches Decrees in things necessary to Salvation and likewise in vertue of the same Principle as in all equity they extend it withdraw their obedience from the Secular Magistrate in his necessary commands as he Judges for the publick good 'till it be made out to them that they are in the present matter though not taken out of the Holy Scriptures yet agreeable unto them doubtless all Government and Order is brought to nothing and their Edicts and Laws will be evacuated as often as the pride or prejudice or passion or Interest of Subjects shall think them not warrantable from Holy Writ Neither could such sad effects be hindred from daily breaking out to the Worlds disquiet were they not curb'd in with fear of present punishment For when they who are thus taught think themselves secure from the lash their deeds sufficiently evidence what Temporal Magistrates are to expect from their hands But to stick close to the Church which they have forsaken If they think they have kept firm ground enough for Church Authority to stand upon by inserting these words In things necessary to Salvation thereby implying that though her Decrees in things necessary to Salvation have no strength or Authority 'till it may be declared not by her self for she hath already made her declaration that they are taken out of the Holy Scriptures yet in things not necessary and indifferent her Authority is absolute and independent on such a declaration with an obligation of obedience fâ—om Believers If this I say be their meaning to keep up Church-Authority it will not do the business but is only to put a Reed in Christs hand instead of a Royal-Scepter and to allow his Church a Mock-power onely in Spiritual matters as will easily appear to any one considering the end for which our Lord and Saviour set up a Government in his Church For having founded and furnish'd his Church with plentiful means for the Salvation of mankind and instituted a Government therein to conserve and apply those means that they might be effectual for the foresaid end and purpose Church-Governours cannot possibly make a sufficient application as Co-workers with God by his appointment in the great work of our Salvation if their Power extended it self absolutely to things indifferent without which we may be saved and in those things necessary to Salvation can ordain things 'till a Declaration from God knows whom and when makes it good and valid For they tell us not by whom or when this Declaration must be made in such Cases but inveloping their conceit in general words only deliver that what Oecumenical Synods ordain in things necessary to Salvation have no strength nor Authority 'till it may be declared that they are taken out of the Holy Scriptures Is this Doctrine consistent with the end of Church-Government Would not those Superiours be invested with a goodly power who can without dispute bind their Subjects hands from scratching their own Faces but have no obliging Authority to hinder them from thrusting a Sword into their Bowels or striking a Dagger to their Heart Hath Christ given some Apostles Prophets and some Evangelists and Ephes 4. some Pastors to feed and govern his Church for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ 'till we all come into the unity of the Faith and yet what points they teach as necessary to Salvation have no strength nor Authoriry 'till their Disciples and Learners of them shall declare that they are taken out of Holy Scriptures Would God exact of Church-Governours an account of their Subjects Souls committed to their Charge threatning to require their Blood at their Hands if any perish Acts 20. 26 27. through their negligence and yet not invest them with an Authority essentially requisite for the sufficient discharge of so dreadful a duty What says St. Paul to this point Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give an account for them Now comes the English Protestant Church with a Paraphrase and teaches Obey them that have the rule over you who watch for your Souls because they must give an account of them and submit your selves to their commands and order in things indifferent and not necessary not in what they teach and ordain as without which Salvation cannot be had for such Decrees have no strength nor Authority 'till it may be declared that they are taken out of the Holy Scriptures Can any Conscientious or Rational man possibly perswade himself that this is the Apostles meaning Thirdly the English Protestants teach That the Church hath power to Decree Rites and Ceremonies and Authority in Controversies of Faith Had they stopt here and stood to it they had soon return'd to their Catholick Mother But forsooth it is with this Provisoe That she ordain not any thing that is contrary to Gods word nor expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another But never tells us who shall be this Judge to determine when her Decrees and Orders are contrary to the Word of God or not or when she gives the true sense of Scripture according to the Analogy of Faith so that one place be not repugnant to another And so leaves us in a maze for our Salvation They had denyed the Catholick Church Representative to be an Infallible Witness of the Truths of Jesus Christ and Authoritative Interpreter of Scripture to guide Believers in the true sense of it and so it would have been too a notorious Inquisition to have assum'd it to their Conventicles wherefore having taken away the Pillar and ground of Truth the Churches Authority or Infallibility they laid no other sure foundation nor set up any other determinate Column to uphold Religion but leaves it in uncertainties to certain ruine Well fare the Churches under St. Paul's care and governance who had receiv'd a Power not for destruction but edification and could do nothing against the Truth but 〈◊〉 10. 8. for it The English Protestant Church can do nothing for the Truth but against it has no Power at all for edification but only for destruction Neither indeed might she exercise her new assum'd Jurisdiction without destroying her self when she could not be builded up but by pulling down to patch up a Fabrick out of the ruines For the Composers of her Articles did very well perceive if they admitted the Church to be the Authoriz'd Visible Judge of the Sense of Sripture by the Rule of Tradition shining bright in the practice of the whole Christian World and immemorial possession of such points they contradicted it was not possible to escape the Sentence of condemnation but in the Controversy giving a decisive power only to the dead Letter of Scripture the refuge of old condemned Hereticks they feared no Anathema while themselves were Interpreters And having the supreme Magistrate on
their side to prohibite Catholicks to speak for themselves in any publick defence it was easie to delude vulgar apprehensions with this plausible Sophism The Papists refuse to be try'd by the Word of God Which things whosoever layes together and seriously ponders as I did cannot but discover that the English Protestant Reformers did not receive a Rule of Faith from the Catholick Church which had been the Square of Christian belief in all Ages and is to continue so for ever but invented or rather assumed from their Predecessors the Ancient Hereticks a Rule of Faith for the Church they were setting up whereby they thought their new Doctrines might with most likelihood be maintain'd and found no better expedient then by denying an authoriz'd Visible Judge to pronounce a definitive Sentence in Controversies of Faith that so they might keep in possession of what they had usurped by eternally wrangling about the right But that we may come to some issue by bringing them out of a mysterious may be declared to stand to something in this main Principle of Religion admit that the written word were the sole and perfect Rule of Faith it being impossible for dead Letters of themselves to rectify things applicable to them for that end and purpose they must needs acknowledge some animated Judge to perform this Office among Christians by applying the Rule to all particulars Now they having denyed the Church this right and so cast off her living voice and Authority in plain terms though insisting in generals they assign no other determinate Interpreter yet must have recourse to Reason or Revelation for besides these three I know not any I say they must either let private Reason make this declaration and Judge of the true sense of Scripture by her innate Light or flie to Revelation and Pretend that the Holy Ghost Infallibly declares by a Divine Light his meaning to them This later way of Divine Inspiration is laid claim to by the Calvinistical party and those strange broods of other English Sectaries who have nothing but Scripture and the Spirit of God in their mouths upon whom in a most Prodigious manner they Father all their Blasphemies to the shame of Christians But it is rejected by all Protestants in any degree rational as meerly Fanatical and invincibly convicted of Imposture by the manifest contradictions of several pretenders to the Spirit of God For can the Holy Ghost reveal to the Calvinists that the Government of the Church by Presbytery hath a Divine right from Scripture and by the same Divine Unction teach the Independents that it is against the written Word c. Private reason therefore is only left them to resolve their Faith into and rely upon in their inquiring after and belief of Supernatural Truths and those sublime Mysteries to the knowledge of which nature hath not sufficient Light to advance her self by her sole native powers beside those mists of passion or prejudice or Education or Interest to which we are daily lyable and which must needs make this way more dark and difficult in order to eternal Happiness However they must take to it unless they will openly recant what they have publickly approved For though at first they kept secret this grand mystery of their State-Religion yet at last great Patrons of the English Protestant Church have with Authority and much applause inthron'd Mr. Chilling worth c. private Reason as a sole Queen and Mistress in the Churches Chair to direct and interpret the Holy Scriptures and from them to give a final Sentence what are the Truths of God revealed to us Without which Sentence or Declaration the Churches Decrees in things necessary to Salvation have no strength at all or obligation Nor then neither as these Rationalists explain it upon the score of Authority but Reason only But how unreasonably and without ground I doubt not to make appear in the following Sections SECT IV. That the Holy Scriptures are not the sole and perfect Rule of Faith TO evidence the groundlessness of this main foundation of the English Protestant Church as declar'd and explicated in the precedent Section with full satisfaction I conceive it lyes upon me principally to make three things good against them First That Scripture is not the sole and perfect Rule of Faith Secondly That it is not nor can be the Judge of Controversies in Religion Which is the common Tenet of modern Hereticks And thirdly That admitting it for a Rule of Faith as in part it is private Reason is not the Interpreter and Judge of the true sense thereof for every Christian to rely upon for his Salvation In clearing the first point I need not labour much having already by convincing arguments establish'd in the 4th and 5th Sections of the first Motive the Catholick Rule of Faith Universal Tradition whither I desire my Reader to return for satisfaction And which standing firm the Protestants Rule of Scripture only must needs be as well a ruin'd as ruinous Principle and fall to nothing Yet that discourse being more general I shall here descend to some particulars to make it visible to very ordinary Capacities that Scripture doth not contain fully all things necessary to Salvation nor is clearly evident without dispute in all points necessary therein contain'd and consequently cannot be the sole and compleat Rule of Faith wanting those two most necessary conditions belonging to it First I say not full and comprehending all points necessary to Salvation of mankind For I demand of them whether it be not a fundamental point of Faith to believe the Holy Scriptures to be the Word of God and yet Mr. Hooker one of the most Judicious Writers of the English Protestants acknowledges this cannot be grounded upon Scripture Of all points saith Hooker's Ecc. Polit l. 2. â—â— I remember he the most necessary to be believ'd is that the Scriptures are the Word of God which is confest impossible for them to prove And proceeding makes a demonstration of it against the Puritans How then themselves being Judges can the Holy Scriptures being a compleat Rule of Faith not comprehending what is most necessary to be believ'd by every Christian If they say this Objection is not pertinent because whosoever makes the written word of God the sole and sufficient Rule of Faith must necessarily pre-suppose the belief of Scripture founded upon some other Principle I reply 't is impertinent to say so because the necessity of a pre-supposition of some fundamental point is a sufficient conviction that the Rule they have chosen cannot be compleat and perfect as they would have it Especially if it be confider'd that the fundamental point pre-suppos'd independent on Scripture but Scripture depending on it must needs be the ground quoad nos to us of all things believ'd in it Which ground or antecedent Principle upon which they as well as we build their belief of such Scriptures to be the undoubted Word of God being the universal
Tradition and Authority of the Church not they but this can only truly and rationally be asserted for a compleat and perfect Rule comprehending all things necessary to Salvation handing them down from the Apostles themselves to us now living as the revealed Truths of Jesus Christ and believed as such by all respective Ages upon that tenure Among which Truths so attested That such Writings are the undoubted Word os God is a Principal one and believed because so attested But all other Traditionary Doctrines of Faith having the same convincing proof that they came from Heaven whatever of them were occasionally committed to Writing afterwards by the Apostles are still to be believ'd upon the same account viz. Tradition and Church Authority the certainty of Scripture as well for the Sense as Letter depending thereon Again I demand of English Protestants by what Authority they condemn the Anabaptists to be Hereticks whether by Scripture or Tradition If they say by Scripture they must give me leave to tell that St. Austin with the primitive Christians were of another mind who tells them very plainly That Consuetudo Matris Ecclesiae c. The L. 4. cont Donat. custom of the Church our Mother in Baprizing Children is in no sort to be despis'd nor by any means thought superfluous nor at all to be believ'd except it was an Apostolical Tradition But if they value not Antiquity and presume the Fathers were but School-Boys to them in the understanding of Sacred Writ let them produce any one Text for Infant-Baptism so clearly proving it that the Contradictors must be unavoidably convinc'd and left confounded without any shadow of reply before thoroughly knowing and expert Judges in such Controversies and will confess the Fathers were but dull and heavy men compar'd to their quicker and more deep-sighted judgements in diving into the sense of Scripture and rest satisfy'd that upon the score of only Scripture Anabaptists may be condemned In his Reply Fisher for Hereticks I remember Bishop Land much presses that place in the Acts to be convincing for Infant Baptism Repent and be Baptiz'd Act. 2. 38 39. every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the promise is unto you and to your Children Yet not without the help of Tradition enlightning and exalting it to that force and efficacy But Dr. Hammond In his Ans to 6. Quaeres a great Scripturist and Defender of the Protestant Church confesses it is not at all concluding for it Without more ado the Truth is did not Church-Tradition shining bright in universal practice decide the controversy they could not satisfactorily answer those Texts of Scripture wherewith the Anabaptists confront those other produced by them nor justly enroll them in the black Book of Hereticks Does not this manifestly destroy their main foundation of Scripture to be the only and sufficient Rule of Faith Besides it is not an Heretical practice to Re-baptize those who have been Baptiz'd by Hereticks observing the true form of Baptism Can they evince it for such by any Scripture St. Austin tells them That custom which was opposed to Cyprian L. 2. de Bap. cont Donat. ca. 7 l. 5. c. 23. is to be believ'd to have taken its rise from the Tradition of the Apostles and that he believ'd it for such Moreover the form of Baptism is not expresly deliver'd in Holy Writ nor the number of the Sacraments nor yet the word Sacrament in the Scripture apply'd at all to those they acknowledge for such at least generally necessary to Salvation But for all these we are beholding to the practice and Tradition of the Church This is not all for farther yet let them show any precept in Scripture for the Abolishing of the Jewish Sabbath and observation of the Lords day in its stead A point doubtless necessary for Christians however as applyed to multitudes in Church-Communion Here also they are forc'd to leave Scripture and betake themselves to Tradition for the condemnation of the Sabbaterians Moreover would they willingly part with the Apostles Creed the Observation of Lent which their In his Sermon upon Lent Bishop Andrews contends to be Apostolical and see all Christian Festivals trampled under the prophane Feet of furious Fanaticks with most Ep. 118. ad Janua insolent madness as St. Austin calls it Yet they are all gone if Scripture must hold them up without Tradition In a word the greatest Champions of the English Protestant Church in these later years especially perceiving by sad experience the Vnder Sectaries who were Spawn'd from them to endanger and at last for a time wholly to destroy their new form of Belief and Worship by vertue of this Principle of Only-Scripture do now betake themselves to the Sword and Buckler of Tradition to defend and justify themselves against their Treacherous Brethren And thus although they fly to our Rule of Faith Vniversal Tradition for conviction of their Adversaries in some points by themselves accounted necessary yet they will needs have the Holy Scriptures to be the only and perfect Rule of Faith Doubtless it had been more safe and ingenuous to have acknowledg'd with the Ancient Fathers Traditionary Doctrines as well as the Holy Scriptures to compleat the Rule of Christian belief but contradicting Antiquity by contracting the Rule of Faith into Scripture alone they have likewise contradicted themselves the inevitable Fate of all Truthopposers Secondly The Holy Scriptures are not clearly evident without dispute in all points necessary contain'd in them and consequently no compleat nor certain Rule of themselves as the common experience of all Ages makes good Can any say the Consubstantiality of the Son of God with the Father is in evident or express terms in Sacred Scripture Yea or so contained in it by inevitable consequence as to destroy all probability in the Texts brought for the contrary by Contradictors Then certainly the Arians who had as subtil Heads and able Brains as any Protestants to understand the Logick of their Adversaries were mad men to appeal from Councils and Tradition to the written Word They knew very well that without the Tradition and practice of the Church delivering the sense of Scripture they could handsomly enough evade the force of all Arguments might be rais'd from the bare and dead words of Scripture though stretch'd upon the Tenters of most rigorous Criticism Yea they doubted not but there were Texts for them more evidently asserting the Inferiority of the Son and appropriating the Divine nature to the Father only which was the ground of their confidence in appealing to the written Word to be tryed thereby without Tradition And yet the Protestants condemn the Arians for Hereticks and justly too But how they can do it rationally upon their own Principles I confess surpasses my understanding True it is add to Scripture the Tradition of the Church and the Authoritative Sentence of an approved General Council so interpreting it and the case is clear but these
relying we have only a firm and rational belief of revealed Verities constant and immoveable among all the changes of Sects and Hereticks True it is in every act of Faith there is use of Reason whether it be referred to the Authority of God revealing or the Church proposing For we captivate our understanding to the obedience of Faith because we judge nothing more reasonable than to believe God and we securely rely upon his Church whom he hath promis'd to assist with Infallibility in such proposals But shall we say therefore that Reason is the prime intrinsical Motive of Faith and into which it finally is resolv'd Nothing less For this discourse and approbation of Reason are but necessarily previous and antecedent to our deliberate and rational acts of Faith the acts themselves are acts of the understanding not discoursing but purely assenting Which assent is not for Reasons sake but for Authority Were the last resolution into the judgment of private Reason Faith could not be Divine or Supernatural Reason indeed produces an act of Faith as well in Catholicks as Protestants but with a vast difference For a Protestant believes such a Truth to be from God relying upon his Reason only that it is revealed and this assent is not rational because his ground is deceitful But in a Catholick Reason acts only so far in points of belief as to bring him to Authority declaring such Truths to be sufficiently revealed by Almighty God which he cannot with any reason suspect to be Fallible in such declarations I believe this says a Protestant because my Reason tells me it is revealed and will allow no other judge of this Revelation I believe this says a Catholick because an Infallible Authority assures me iâ— is revealed and my Reason tells me there is no other sufficient ground or evidence for Divine Faith and therefore give up my private judgment to the Church And which of these Principles is more safe and rational let Reason judge Thirdly I demand of these Rationalists whether there be any such thing as Heresy in the World and what it is Oportet esse Haereses 1 Cor. 11. 19. c. There must be Heresies St. Paul hath said it and that 's sufficient And as for what it is 't is well known the Church hath always taught That Heresie is the voluntary Election of some private opinion contradicting the Doctrine of the Church And that he is to be accounted an Heretick who neglecting the Churches Authority with a stubborn mind defends wicked opinions But if we should admit their new definition That Heresie is to contradict any fundamental point expresly contain'd in Scripture In my poor judgment according to such a definition there 's no such thing as Heresie or Hereticks but both Arians Anabaptists Fanaticks c. are as good Catholicks as any Christians of the World For if private Reason be the only judge of the true Sense of Scripture for every one to rely upon these and all other condemned Hereticks the Montanists excepted relying upon the written Word as interpreted by Reason with sober enquiry and real endeavours to find out Truth cannot justly be so reputed The Arians have so much Reason and Scripture too in the bare Letter on their side that take away the Churches Infallibility and universal Tradition interpreting and delivering to us the true sense of it the Controversy would never be decided All places would swarm with Nestorians Eutychians Anti-trinitarians Barengarians Anabaptists c. neither could we condemn them if this Principle be good for doing their duty in following Scripture as the Light of their own private Reason or Spirit dictates to them Let them not say that these and such like are justly condemn'd for contradicting express Scripture against their knowledge and the judgment of their own Reason For they must remember first that themselves do not condemn the Anabaptists upon only Scripture grounds Secondly that it hath been demonstrated that all fundamental points are not so express in Scripture as they imagine And thirdly that 't is most uncharitable to say That all those whom they condemn for Hereticks do against their own knowledge and Conscience contradict the express Word of God and run headlong to hell with their eyes open Can we possibly imagine that among so many Millions of Arians there was not one single person had any Conscience It cannot be denyed but that many Hereticks have and do live Vertuously in the Eyes of the World For who knows not That Satan sometimes transforms himself into an Angel of Light And while they profess and protest that if it was once made apparent to them that their Tenets are against the Word of God they would not one minute persist in them we judge it uncharitable to affirm that notwithstanding the protestations of their sincerity and real though misguided zeal they all wilfully sin against the Light and knowledge of their Consciences We Catholicks indeed assert That sufficient evidences of credibility are produced by us to convince them of their Heretical opinions and dangerous state without Repentance But withall we say That God in his just Judgments which are inscrutable suffers them through strong delusions to believe Lyes in that the Light of Truth is veiled from their Eyes by passion or prejudice or worldly Interest while they so continue and we pray for them in hope that the Father of infinite Mercies will in his good time discover Truth unto them and bring them home unto his Church But for these Rationalists to damn all those whom they esteem Hereticks as contradictors of the Word of God against their Conscience and knowledge is a censure most unreasonable and little beseeming such whose lives are not so Gospel-like but that many Sectaries who differ from them in fundamentals may justly be reputed at least as conscientious and in charity cannot be thought otherwise All which duely consider'd plainly proves that they must either change their Judge of Controversy in points of Faith or give us some new Rule to discover Heresy And withall that if they will stick close to this Principle they must maintain that all the General Councils of the Church even that celebrated by the Apostles themselves were meer tyrannical Usurpations in obliging all Christians to believe and practice according to their Decrees whatever their private Reason could say to the contrary Fourthly in vain and to no purpose hath Jesus Christ instituted Authoritative Overseers and Governours in his Church For the perfecting Eph. 4. 11 12 c. the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the Edification of the Body of Christ till we all come in the unity of Faith c. If every one must acknowledge no visible Authority upon Earth to have any obliging power over him in Doctrines appertaining to God but be his own Teacher in all points of Faith according to the Dictates of private Reason Fifthly If every one be sent to Scripture to compose a Creed for himself
condemn as Erroneous and Idolatrous they would determine That to be the time when the Church grew rotten and corrupted And so after all their seeming veneration of Antiquity the Ancient Fathers shall not be any Rule whereby to judge of their Faith and Worship but their Faith and Worship shall be a Rule whereby to judge when the Fathers are or are not erroneous A sure way I confess for a new Religion But they cannot escape so neither without condemnation that even by their own confessions so impossible it is for those who contradict Truth not to contradict themselves also and to confute themselves while they oppose her For take the first 5 or 600 years after Christ to be the limiâ—s of primitive Purity and 't is manifest from their own Champions that what they call errors as just causes of their separation from the Church of Rome are Catholick Verities 'T is true saith Whitaker what Cont. 2. q. 5. c. 7. Calvin and the Centurists have written that the Ancient Church did err in many things as touching Limbo Free-will Merit of Works c. I confess saith Tulk Hierom Riot Brist pag. 36. Austin Ambrose c. hold the Invocation of Saints Most of the Fathers saith Kemnitius Exam. Con. Trid. p. 3. p. 2000 did not dispute but avouch that the Souls of Martyrs heard the Petitions of those who Prayed to them they went to the Monuments of Martyrs and invocated Martyrs by Name As long as we stand to Councils and De Noto Col 1559. Fathers we shall remain always in the same Errors So Peter Martyr Which words being indefinite may as well involve the Councils and Fathers of the first 300 years their utmost refuge in Antiquity as after Ages But Whitguift an English Protestant Defen p. 473. Bishop put it out of all doubâ— for he affirms That all the Bishops and Learned Writers of the Greek and Latin Church too for the most part wrre spotted with the Doctrines of Free-will Merit Invocation of Saints It was a custom saith Calvin 1300 years ago to Pray for the Dead Inst l. 3. c. 5. para 10. But all of that time I confess were carried away into Error Which computed from the time he writ must of necessity adulterate the Church in the days of her pre-acknowledg'd Purity And Dudidius plainly acknowledges to his Brother Beza That if it be true Apud Bezam Ep. 1 which the Fathers have profess'd with mutual consent 't is altogether on the Papists side What can we desire more as to the judgment of Antiquity for our justification Thus these men while they pretend only to forsake errors and reform Religion by cloathing the the Church a new with the snowy garments of primitive purity confess unawares enough to condemn themselves out of their own mouths and flatly give the lye to what they produce for their justification They flee to Antiquity to absolve them from error and yet accuse the same Antiquity as erroneous But while they thus condemn the whole Church Councils and Ancient Fathers of errors certainly they could not intend that their own single words should be of any Authority or deserve to be credited by rational men Who desires more satisfaction in this particular I refer him to that most excellent Treatise call'd The Protestants Apology for the Catholick Faith which in an argument ad hominem is unanswerable and plainly demonstrates that Protestants must upon their own grounds either become Catholicks or else confess that their Faith and practice is not the Faith and Practice of the Ancient Church With whom to consent is notwithstanding the Plea of these men to defend their separation from the Church of Rome their Catholick Mother not to be Schismatical Some therefore seeing their Church not only to totter but wholly to fall while it pretends to stand on the legs of Antiquity have with greater zeal though with less reason invented another way to justify their Schism and will have no Authority at all attributed to the Fathers and Councils the constant practice and Tradition of the Church for decision of the present Controversies but affirm all things to be uncertain upon that score though never so plainly and unanimously asserted and the Sacred Scripture independent on them must be sole judge and give the decisive Sentence by it self Which position if made speak out says thus much that since the Apostles days there 's not one sufficient witness of what they taught the World to believe and practice as Christ instructed them but that the Doctrine of the Church is to be brought to the touchstone of Scripture by every one in particular and after examination to be accounted counterfeit or true accepted or refused as fancy and private reason shall determine For after these magnificent pretences of their great veneration of Sacred Scripture and deferring all to it this is the up-shot and their Faith is finally resolv'd into no safer Principle A Position so wholly destructive of the certainty of Christian belief so inconsistent with the majestick gravity of Religion such a never dying Hydra of Schisms and Heresies that I know not what can make a surer way for Atheism to triumph over the ruines of Christianity And had our Fore-Fathers been of this judgment and practice doubtless before this time the Cross of Christ had not been the glory but contempt of Nations Besides methinks they cannot but see that while they flee to to Scripture as sole Judge in these Controversies and deny all Church Tradition and Attestation they thereby take away those Sacred Oracles of Divine Truth also when 't is confess'd by all who can pretend any right to reason that there 's no possible way for us to know undoubtedly what is the Word of God or not but by the Tradition of the Church Moreover if the written Word must be sole Judge seeing the Scriptures themselves send them to the Church obliging them to stand to her determination in such Cases as is manifest by what hath been said are they not confounded upon their own grounds and must obey the Churches decisive Sentence in all Controversies of Faith or else deny to stand to Scripture In such inextricable waves do they miserably loose themselves who obstinately defend so bad a cause But if notwithstanding these Paralogisms and self-contradictions the Scriptures must still be sole Judge in the present controverted points and they will have them to speak for them against us except it be so convincingly that the Propositions by the very connexion of terms cannot be denyed without some implicancy they are in as bad a case as they were before For if the places produced are justly lyable to various interpretations can they think it reasonable that their private glosses should be preferred before the publick judgment of the Church to whom we owe the Scriptures themselves and from whom we ought to receive as well the sense of Scripture when 't is controverted as we do the
Letter I know in their popular discourses they make fine flourishes and after a long combat with pretended monstruous errors of the Church of Rome they clap their wings and crow triumphantly upon their own dunghill demanding of their deluded Auditory whether the Church of Rome or Scripture is to be believ'd This is their custom but 't is not the question For let them produce but one sentence out of those Sacred Oracles of Truth that in express terms contradicts the Doctrine of the Church of Rome in any one controverted point for which they pretend just cause of separation and it would be something to the purpose but who can imagine that Catholicks who have taught the Protestants that the Scripture is God's word should themselves in express and positive terms deny the Doctrine of it And therefore seeing the question is if Scripture alone was to deside the Controversies whether the sense and meaning of the Holy Ghost in those Sacred Writings is to be taken upon the credit of Ecclesiastical Tradition or new-born interpretations of some few private men certainly none except much oversway'd by passion or interest can prefer the bare conjectures and probabilities of those Interpreters before the evidence of such Authority Especially the Scriptures themselves witnessing That things in them 2 Pet. 3. 15 16 17. difficult to be understood are wrested by the unlearned and unstable to their own destruction And the experience of all Ages making it evident that the Interpretation of Scriptures by private Spirits in a sense contrary to the attestation and practice of the Church hath been the very source and fountain of all Heresies And in such cases there 's no possible way to be secured from seduction and falling into errors but by firmly adhering to the Doctrine and Tradition of the Church Sine ego sive quis alius c. If I or any other saith Vincentius Lyrinensis will discover the frauds of new-born Hereticks and shunning their snares abide sound and firm in the right belief he must by the help of God fortify his Faith with a double bullwark first the Authority of Divine Law and then the Tradition of the Catholick Church For Sacred Scriptures being lyable to such variety of Interpretions that almost so many men so many minds Novatian Photinus Sabellius Donatus Arius Apollinaris Belagius Nestorius Lutherans Calvinists Protestants Anabaptists Independents Fanaticks c. every one pretending the Scriptures to stand for them according to their several glosses and expositions of necessity to shun the Labyrinths of so many errors we must follow the line of Apostolical Writings as handed to us by the sense and Tradition of the Catholick Church And yet if we should exclude the universal Tradition of the Church with the undoubted Testimonies of Councils and Fathers of all Ages by which Protestants stand convicted of Schism and Heresie beyond all rational contradiction from having any thing to do in the decision of these Controversies granting all that they desire let bare words of Scripture be taken according to the exactest Criticisms of private reason in the judgement of Learned and Un-interessed men and even upon that score those Sacred Oracles of Divine Truth will cast it clearly on the Catholicks side against our Adversaries And if they cannot be convinced from them to be Heretical in all material points of Faith wherein they differ from us yet as much as concerns the formal part of Schism and Heresie they stand thereby as manifestly guilty of those hainous sins as ever any one who separated from the Churches Doctrine and Communion yea and by Protestants themselves condemn'd for Hereticks But never any place hath been produced by them from the Scriptures against the Church in the present Controversies as to evidence her in any one point erroneous But Catholicks have sufficiently shown that by such endeavours they have troubled those waters of Life with the mud of their corrupted fancies and by injurious distortions forced them to speak what never the Holy Ghost intended What remains therefore but that Protestants acknowledging themselves to be a Congregation Fallible and subject to error in points of Faith confess also that they never afforded a more pregnant demonstration of their Fallibility than in assering the Catholick Church to have erred whereby their separation from her Doctrine and Communion might be justified SECT IV. Wherein the Protestants Plea that the Popes Universal Pastorship in an Usurpation crept into the Church and therefore might and ought to be forsaken without Schism is refuted YEt another Plea they have that the Popes Universal Authority and Primacy over the Church is a meer Usurpation and Tyrannical and consequently to oppose and expel the exercise of such a Power out of England or where ever else 't is introduced cannot be a Schism but a Godly Reformntion by reducing the Government of the Church to its primitive institution as founded by Christ and his Apostles These are fine specious words and will be found nothing else in their due examination For it being of Faith in the Catholick Church that a Primacy or Supreme Jurifdiction in Ecclesiastical matters over the Universal Body of Christianity in St. Peter and his Successors the Bishops of Rome is of Divine Institution and maintain'd by her as so taught and practic'd in all Ages yea and the Popes being in peaceable possession of such an Authority in England for about 1000 years by confession of Protestants themselves being a thing not to be denyed as notoriously evident from unquestionable Records in Church affairs to deny such an Authority to be lawful and thereupon to withdraw their obedience from such a Government without any more adoe declares them Schismaticks unless first by rigorous demonstration they prove it to be a meer usurpation For 't is not abus'd Scripture much less other Testimonies either justly suspected or wrested to their purpose that can weigh any thing against the selfproof of so long a continued possession the like to which cannot be shown by any Authority upon Earth to fortify their right against opposers I say nothing but rigorous demonstration will serve their turn in this case which no prescription can evacuate But when the Papal Authority was first cast out of England God knows they were thinking on other matters Lust and Self-interest had quite blinded the eye of reason in King Henry the 8th and his flatterers resolving first upon the fact and then endeavouring to maintain it just and lawful But with such weak Arguments as may be strong proofs to induce all un-interested Souls to believe the contrary though indeed the strength of our evidence against them needs no help from the feebleness of their defences However thus liberal they are to us against their wills No cause actually working can but produce effects correspondent to the nature of its activity No man can deny this but he must deny his reason If therefore the Pope's Supremacy over the Universal Church was introduced by Tyranny and
to have fail'd in this particular must needs acknowledge this point concerning the Rule of Faith to be Apostolical Secondly They do not consider that seing it cannot be deny'd but Tradition was at first the usual means of Planting and Conserving the Law of Christ the greater part of the World being converted before the Scriptures were written and receiv'd by the Church so that when any false Teachers did arise they of necessity had recourse to Tradition whether they had been so Taught and not to Scripture whether it was so written being impossible to Rule before it had a Beeing I say this being undenyably evident they will never be able to give a rational account to Intelligent persons why an immutable Faith should have a mutable Rule and a standing Edifice should have a moving Foundation If they think to salve this soar by saying Tradition was necessary 'till the written word took place they will never be able to prove that all things at first delivered necessary for the Salvation of the World were afterwards committed to writing by the Apostles And yet 'till this be done satisfactorily who sees not the insufficiency of this assertion But then Thirdly if they could prove that the whole Law of Christ necessary to Salvation at first Traditionarily convey'd was afterwards entirely committed to writting by Infallible Inspiration and deposited in the Church They do not consider that were it so as most certainly they will be never able to prove yet it is necessary Tradition should be the Rule of Faith as well after as before the reception of such a Canon it being impossible for Scripture by its self to perform what Tradition did without it in the beginning For dead words being capable of endless controversy because lyable to various Interpretations Hereticks will either shrowd themselves under the Umbrage of obscure Passages in Sacred Writ or darken plain places with Metaphors or Clouds of witty Criticisms so that no evident Conviction can be had or possibility to hold up Church-unity in Faith and Government except the controverted Doctrines be brought for their tryal to the Touch-stone of Oral Tradition which with the same unerring voice delivers Scripture and the true sense of it to the Houshold of Faith in all Ages And therefore it is Lih de Praescript c 19. S. Irenae cont haeres St. Aug. eont Ep. Fund Vinc. Lyri in Com. that we find Tertullian and other Ancients affirming That no good can be done with Hereticks by disputing out Scripture to reduce them to Truth And if we will not take their word our own experience is an evidence beyond all exception Lastly they do not consider that as in Natural Sciences there are some Prima Principia fundamental Axioms which need no proof into which all Conclusions rightly from them deduced are reducible So in supernatural Revelations there must be some self-evident Principle a Rule of Faith into which points of Faith are resolvable having it self no need of further probation as to such evidence Or else we run in a circle not having any satisfactory ground upon which we may without any more ado rely for the Truth of what we believe Now Scripture is not nor can be such a Principle it depending manifestly as Protestants themselves acknowledge on Tradition by which we only come certainly to know and accept it for the Word of God and so is the Rule of Scripture as well as of other necessary points and consequently the ground or evidence of what we believe upon scripture-Scripture-Authority Which yet is not to be understood as if Tradition made the Word of God Infallible but that thereby we are rationally assured what is Scripture and the true sense of it which otherwise is subject to perpetual quarrells of Dissenting minds For my part I see not how Protestants can answer this Argument for they acknowledging Tradition to be the Rule of Scripture and contending for Scripture to be the Rule of Faith Tradition must necessarily be the prime Rule that is the Rule of their Rule and antecedent ground of their foundation And so by unavoidable consequence all their Faith is built upon the credit of Tradition See it clear by a parallel We Catholicks rely upon the Church for points of Faith will Protestants therefore say that we rely not upon Tradition For in relying upon the Church we rely also upon what the Church relyes which in all points of Faith is Tradition We rely upon the Church immediately as an Infallible Guide we rely upon Tradition as an extern Evidence 'T is easily applicable to Protestants receiving the Scriptures upon the credit of Tradition Who while they shun it as a stone of Offence fall upon it as a Rock of Foundation And truly 'till they show us some other self-evident Principle which can assure us what Doctrines Christ and his Apostles taught the World we must believe and maintain Universal Tradition to be the Fundamental Rule of Faith to the Christian Church in the sense hitherto explain'd Thus they might be satisfied with reason in this controversy but because they pretend to be mov'd more with the Authority of the Fathers than our Arguments they shall hear them speak and truly one would think plain enough to their condemnation Witness St. Iraeneus an Anti-Protestant certainly while he teaches * Lib. 3. cont Haer. c. 4. What if the Apostles had not left us Scriptures ought we not to have followed the Rule of Tradition which they delivered to those to whom they committed the Churches Which is not to be understood as if because they have left Scriptures the order of Tradition is by them evacuated but that revealed Truths depending on Tradition only are as Divine and certain as if no Scriptures had been left unto the Church by the Apostles Or else we make the Saint while he is showing the excellent use and necessity of Church-Tradition so Incongruous as to say there is no need of it at all But Arguments might be spar'd when the following instance of Nations believing by Tradition only without Scripture makes his meaning evident Before him in the front of the second Age B. Ignatius St. Johns Disciple Exhorted the Churches to hold themselves inseparably to the Tradition of the * Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 35. Apostles as Eusebius testifies Had the Rule of Faith been only Scripture as Protestants contend could he have given such advice Yea it inevitably implyes Tradition to be the sure ground to rely upon for Christian Doctrines Doth Origen assert Scripture or Tradition for a Rule while he teaches * In Tract 27. in c 23. S. Matt That in our understanding Scripture we must not depart from the first Ecclesiastical Tradition nor believe otherwise then as the Church of God hath by Succession deliver'd to us And elsewhere he tells us That only is to be believed * In Praef. lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Truth which in nothing disagrees from the Tradition of the Church What more full
't is impossible there should be any unity among the Christians in Faith and Worship That is 't is impossible there should be any such thing upon earth as one only Catholick Church Of the breach of which unity endless divisions amongst those who adhere to this Principle are apparent and most visible demonstrations Lastly whosoever seriously considers the difficulties of Languages the multiplicity of the occasions and intentions of the Writers the various lections in Copies of the Original the infinite and considerable differences in Translations the equivocation and ambiguity of Words the variety and obscurity of Circumstances together with the weakness of all and ignorance of most men endeavouring by themselves from dead Letters to attain to the knowledge of the sublime mysteries of our Holy Faith transcending all humane understanding and comprehension cannot but conclude that 't is altogether impossible that private Reason should be the only Interpreter and Judge of the true Sense of Scripture for every one to rely upon for his Salvation seeing nothing can be certainly gather'd and concluded out of naked words considered barely in themselves involving so many difficulties and uncertainties in regard to incomparably the greater part of mankind And if a Protestant Preacher will speak out ingeniously in this point he must tell his Auditors in these or such like words Beloved we exhort you to search the Scriptures and whatsoever we say is necessary to Salvation to believe us only so far as your own Reason doth tell you we teach according to the Word of God for that is the Rule and private Reason the sole Judge to give an unappealable Sentence in such Cases This is our Doctrine and this is also your practice but truely Beloved all things rightly considered we must needs confess that 't is an unsteady foundation to build your Faith and Salvation upon for after this way of proceeding you are infinitely obnoxious to dangerous errours and cannot but deceive your selves in matters that concern your everlasting Happiness So he preaching ingenuously Neither indeed can rational security be had in things of eternal Interest 'till reposing our selves in the bosome of the Catholick Church we take her word as well for the Sense of Scripture as the Letter A ground doubtless sufficient for me to justify the change of my Religion and for others to follow me SECT VII An answer to some of the principal places of Scripture upon which Protestants rely for their Rule and Judge of Faith IT being a main fundamental point of Faith to know what is the Rule and Judge of all the rest they who hold the written Word for a compleatly sufficient Rule and Interpreter of its self or give private Reason the Authority of a Judge in expounding it as such a Rule must necessarily ground themselves upon Scripture for this Article And some if not most of the principal places are these To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there 's no light in them Isaiah 8. 20. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal Life and they are they which testify of me Joh. 5. 39. These are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life thorough his Name Joh. 26. 31. And Paul reason'd with them out of the Scriptures And they search'd the Scripture daily whether those things were so Act. 2. 11. All Scripture divinely inspir'd is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect thoroughly instructed to every good work 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. If any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the Plagues that are written in this Book And if any man shall take away from the words of the Book of this Prophecy God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life Apocal. 22. ver 18 19. To all which and whatever other Scripture-proofs Protestants produce for themselves against us I first by way of general reply demand of them whether they bring such Texts as demonstrative arguments evidencing their position or only as probable If only as probable they conclude nothing against us Catholicks who have the judgement and practice of the Universal Church the best Interpreter of Holy Scriptures and conveyer of true Sense standing on our side with infinite advantage against their Novel Expositions But if they produce them as demonstrations how comes it about that any doubt of them seeing every demonstration is such as that granting the Premisses the conclusion cannot be denyed From that of Isaias they urge us thus Behold O Papists the Prophet of the Lord sends the Jews to the written Word of God as the Rule and Judge of what is taught them I answer Doubtless they who affirm this have quite forgot that the High-Priest in all doubts of any moment about Divine Worship was constituted Deut. 17. 8 9 c. by God the supreme Judge to give a definitive Sentence under pain of death to the disobeyers And so they set up the Holy Prophet against Moses and make one Scripture as they Interpret it contradict another This plainly shews they abuse the Text whose genuine Sense will easily appear by light borrowed from the Context Isaias prophesied in troublesome times and the Jews were very sollicitous what the event would be and neglecting to enquire of God had no recourse to the Law and the Prophets but 1 Sam. 28. 6. sought unto them who had familiar Spirits and unto Wizards The Prophet grieved at this Vengeance provoking sin sends them to the Law and to the Testimony where this grand impiety was forbidden and withall puts them in mind of Levit. 20. 6 27. Deut. 18. 9 10 c. their great folly in seeking to such who had no Divine Light for the Revelation of future contingences which could not possibly be in them who undertook it against Gods Word Now in the name of wonder what is this to a Judge of Controversies in points of Faith It is not lawful to consult the Devil to know future events because he is a Lyar and it is a thing forbidden in the written Word therefore the Scripture is the only Rule and Judge of Controversies in points of Faith and Worship among Christians 'T were well such Disputants would learn to be Logicians before they turn'd Controversial Divines To the second Search the Scriptures c. I find so satisfactory an Summa Theolo par c. 7. Answer in Becanus that I shall do little more than translate his words Our Blessed Saviour in this Chapter Joh. 5. 39. is disputing with the unbelieving Jews who denyed him to be the Son of God or sent from him To convince them he makes use of four Topicks First The witness of John the Baptist whom they accounted a Prophet and had formerly told them pointing to our Blessed Saviour Behold
Let them give any convincing reason why Feed my Lambs Feed my Sheep spoken by the fountain of all Jurisdiction to an Apostle should not be an Authoritative Commission as well as Go teach all Nations Matt. 28 Besides had they only been admonitory words to excite St. Peter to the work of his Apostleship they would have been as necessary to have been spoken to all the rest as to him who were equally Apostles with him and therefore not now minded of their duty because afterwards they were all to receive power from above by the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them for the performance of that great and glorious work So then being a Commission and only given to St. Peter it must necessarily follow that he was thereby invested with some Spiritual Authority which the other Apostles had not though all Apostles And the question put to St. Peter by our Blessed Saviour immediately before the words of his Commission have no small influence to prove a Superiority of Power to be instated upon Him above the rest For being asked Simon Son of Jonas lovest thou me more than these Those words of command Feed my Lambs Feed my Sheep do not correspond nor are at all emphatical as what follows relates to them if thereby no Authority more or above the rest was not imparted to him as a reward of his extraordinary affection in that he loved our Lord and Saviour more then the rest of the Apostles Moreover in short as St. Peter did profess his Faith before the rest when this supreme Authority was promiss'd to him so now our Saviour would have him profess his love especially above the rest when he conferr'd upon him this Jurisdiction Thus if these places be expounded according to the light of present circumstances in all reason Scripture makes for a Supremacy in Peter above the rest of the Apostles And as hath been shown the Ancient Fathers from these Texts unanimously assert That the Church was in a special manner founded on St. Peter in being constituted Vniversal Head and Pastor of it To which if we add the voice of the present Church attesting it to be a Universal Tradition handed to her as such from Age to Age the unerring Rule of Catholick Faith it amounts to an Infallible certainty and puts the question out of all question and further dispute And how unsafe it is and dangerous to forsake the direct Texts of Scripture the the constant interpretations of the Ancient Fathers and the consent of the whole Christian World in matters of the highest concernment and to rely upon the bare Authority of private and new invented glosses of a few interessed and confessedly Fallible Doctors or our own more vain presumptions let any sober-minded man be judge And whether the Protestant Church of England in separating from her Catholick Mother the Church of Rome can possibly be upheld from falling into formal and notorious Schism leaning only on such unstable grounds The fourth Motive That the many Miracles God hath ben pleased to work in the Roman Catholick Church and still continues to do more or less and in no other Communion divided from her are manifest proofs that she 's the true Church And those Miracles which in a special manner regard some Doctrines denyed by Protestants to come from God are Divine Testimonies that the said Doctrines are as well Heavenly Truths as others taught by the Church are confess'd to be so SECT I. A Preliminary Discourse IT being manifest by what hath been discuss'd in the precedent Motive that the Protestant Church of England is undeniably guilty of Heresie and Schism in a high manner by their wilful separation from the Church of Rome in Faith and Government and thereupon the universality and perpetual visibility of the true Church by a never interrupted Succession of Believers teaching and practising the same Faith and Worship from the Apostles to these present days have been in some sort handled as points co-incident and con-natural I shall not make any large discourse of them severally though they did not a little contribute to my Conversion but contract their strength into one Syllogism and so proceed to show what efficacy Miracles wrought in the Catholick Church for visible confirmation of her Faith and Worship to come from Heaven ought to have upon our Adversaries to reduce them to the bosom of that Chuch they have forsaken The Argument runs thus The true Church of Christ hath Universality perpetual visibility and Succession of Pastors and People from Christ and his Apostles to this time and so to continue to the Worlds end inseparably annexed to it But no Schismatical or Heretical Communion of Christians can possibly be universal or have a perpetual visibility and Succession of Believers in those points which constitute them a distinct Communion from the Catholick Church of which they were Members before their separation Therefore no Schismatical or Heretical Communion of Christians can be the true Church of Christ That the Minor or second proposition belongs to the Protestant Church of England is manifest from the former Motive where 't was evidenced to be Schismatical and Heretical which once prov'd concerning any Communion of Christians 't is implicatory in ipsis terminis to say that 't is or can be universal visibly Successive from Christ and his Apostles to this time being all one as to assert That it was founded by Christ and his Apostles and yet began afterwards by a voluntary separation from the true Church so founded which is the Essence of Schism and that they were a Congregation Believing Ordaining Preaching and Administring Sacraments before they had a Beeing in the World That is they were and were not at the same time The Major or first Proposition is manifested from Scriptures and Fathers briefly thus From St. Matthew Behold I am Mat. 28. 20. with you always even to the end of Word From St. Luke He shall reign Luk. 1. 33 in the house of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end From St. John The Comforter the St. John 14. 16 17. Spirit of Truth shall abide with you forever From the promise of God All Nations shall flow unto it From Isa 2. 2. the Commission of Christ Go teach Mat. 28. all Nations Which clearly demonstrate the Church of Christ from its first foundation to be Catholick both in respect of Time and Place This also is the Doctrine of the Fathers 'T is only the Catholick L. 1. ca. ult Church hath the true Worship and Service of God saith Lactantius Let Praefa in l. â—â—â—â—ar the Doctrine of the Church be kept saith Origen which is deliver'd from the Apostles by order of succession and remains in the Church to this very day See more in Iren. l. 1 c. 3. St. Aug. Ser. 131. 181. de Temp. de Vnit Eccl. c. 2. Tert. contra Judaeos For the perpetual visibility of the true Church in an