p. 164. alledge not onely the same Text which ancient Heretickes alledged but also directly in the same sense When S. Augustine urged Maximinus the Arian with unwritten Traditions hee received this Answer from him * Aug. l. 1. cont Max. These sayings which are not in Scripture may not be received of us seeing our Lord warning us doth say Without cause doe they worship me tâ—â—ching for Doctrines the commandements of menâ—â—â—nd is not this selfe-same text the first which you in like manner produce against unâ—ritten Traditions 6. S. Augustine did not urge Maximinus with unwritten Traditions they disputed of unwritten sayings not of unwritten but of a written doctrine by unwritten sayings he urged him Wherefore we say for our selves it is a directlye for directly in the same sense wee alledge it not We alledge it against unwritten Doctrines not against unwritten sayings as that Arian did and we receive unwritten sayings which are not in Scripture although wee refuse to receive unwritten Doctrines This is a verball argument taken â— verbis ad res How can it be in the sâ—â—â— sensâ— and against the same truth when we receiuâ— both the saying and the Doctrine rejected by that Arian Irenaus and Tertullian doe openly make it knowne that the Valentinians Gnosticks and Mareionits condemned unwritten Reply pag. 156 Traditions Hilarie Epiphanius and Augustine doe testifie the same of the Arians S. Basil of the Eunomians The Donatists pleaded onely for Scripture denying the authority of the Church and of Traditions and yet S. Augustine still pursued them with unwritten Traditions 7. In all this the Iesuite harpeth upon three strings 1. That the Hereticks did plead onely for Scripture 2. That they rejected unwritten Traditions 3. That the Fathers pursued them by unwritten Traditions To the first I answer suppose it were so that the Heretickes did plead onely for Scripture are they therefore Heretickes that doe the same What then shall we say of the Fathers who were as earnest to try all controversies by the Scripture as the Heretickes were This maketh men Hereticks saith S. Augustine i Non quod Scripturas non contemnunt sed quod eas non intelligunt Aug. Epist 222. Not because they fly to the Scriptures but because they understand them not The Fathers did not condemne the Hereticks for appealing unto Scripture but as we haâ—â— shewed out of Irenaeus Tertullian for speaking disgracefully of it that truth could not bee knowne out of Scripture by them that were ignorant of Tradition because all things were not delivered in Scripture Theodoâ—et setteth forth the practice of the Heretickes in this manner Å¿ S. vides ni petitisè Scripturis demonstrationibus stultitiam suam constringinum Scripturae recusant scopum usum Si quando vero putart nudum aliquod effatum à genuinâ recisum Orationis sene ad suum propositum accommodant â—uis confirmandis Theodor in opusc cont vanas haeres Whensoever they saw that their folly was discovered by demonstration taken out of the Scriptures then they denyed the scope and the use of Scripture And if at any time they thought that there was any bare saying which being severed from the 〈◊〉 meaning might servâ— for their turne that they made use of to confirme their opinions Yet whensoever they appealed unto Scripture the Fathers accepted of the challenge and â—ought with them at those weapons l Lapidandoâ— esse Haereticos Scripturarum argumeâ—tis Athan. Orat. coâ—t Arâ—an They accouÌ„ted the Scriptures to be the touchstone of truth Heretickes are tâ—â—e stoned with the arguments of Scripture saith Athanasiâ—â— u Sicut salâ—atâ—r vâ—rbo doctrinae suae silentium imposuit Sadducâ— is sic â—aeient Christi imitatores exâ—mplis Sâ—rit turarum quibus oportet secundum sanam doctrinam omnem voâ—em abmâ—â—es ere hâ—raonis Origen tract 23. in Mat. As our Saviour by the word of his Doctrine put the Sadduces to silence so must we by the examples of Scripture if we will be the fâ—llowers of Christ by the which according unto sound Doctrine wee ought to stop the mouth of every proud Pharaâ—h saith Origen S. Augustine did not reject the appeale of the Donatists unto Scripture as if it were coraâ— non Iudice but commendeth it as the best way as appeareth by his Answer unto x Aug. l. 5. contra Donat. c. 2â— Cyprians appeale in the same point unto the same Iudge and by his severall Answers to the Donatists themselves y Sunt libri dominici quorum authoritatiutrique consentimus ibi quaeâ—anius ecclesiam ibi discutiamâ—s causam nostram Idâ—â— de unitat â—cles cap. 3. There are the bookes of the Lord unto whose authoritie wee both submit in them let uâ— seeke for the Church by them let us examine our cause And againe in his sixth Chapter Reade this out of the Law out of the Prophets out of the Psalmes cut of the Gospels and Epistles reade it and wee will believe it The hope of prolonging the controversies of tiring the Orthodoxe this moved the Heretickes to appeale to the Scriptures that so the sentence might not finally passe against them as if the Iesuite being questioned before an inferiour Iudge for his Religion should appeâ—le unto his Majestie to gaine time thereby And as wee see some men that love trouble appealing from Court to Court to vexe their Adversaries though their cause bee never so bad S. Paul z Act. â—5 â—â— appealed unto Caesar so did his enemies was Caesar therefore no sufficient Iudge In like manner as the Fathers appealed unto Scripture so did the Heretickes Is therefore this practice evill Or is the Scripture therefore no sufficient Iudge The more doe appeale unto it the more witnesses there are of the sufficiency of it Origen giveth this reason why the Tempter used Scripture a Origen 〈◊〉 3. in Luc. Because if hee had spoken without booke his words could have had no authoritie You may aswell say that we learned this doctrine from the Devill as from Heretickes It is a truth which the Fathers have taught which the Heretickes acknowledged and the Devil believeth it and he is worse then an Heretick then the Devil that will deny it To the second I answer As all Heretickes rejected not Traditions so all that reject Traditions are not Hereticks Traditions are either written or unwritten they rejected some written Traditions and those were points of faith else they could not be Heretickes but all poinis of faith necessary for all to know as the * pag. â—4â— Iesuite hath confessed are expressed in the Scripture He nameth the Valentinians Guosticks and Marcionites and these taught against the nature of Christ and against the resurrection and the like as he confesseth Againe the Arians and the Ennomians and they taught against the Deitie of Christ and of the holy Ghost And for the Donatists they taught against the unitiâ— of Bapâ—ismâ— All these we have proved to bee written Traditions rejected
Fathers speaking of the Scriptures as they are Reply p. 168. compared with the writings of men which are but of humane authority say that the Scriptures alone have the prerogative of undoubted truth our Adversaryes give forth that the Fathers hereby doe reduce the certainty of all truth unto the sole Scriptures absolutely 9. As comparisons are odious especially with the Scriptures so this observation is ridiculous we have oft shewed that the Fathers doe give unto the Scriptures not only a coÌ„parative certainty infallibility above the writings of any Doctors whatsoever but likewise do attribute unto them the only assured certainty and the absolute infallibility When S. Peter saith e 2. Pet. 1. 1â— Wee have a more sure word with what doth he coÌ„pare the certainty of the Scriptures only with the writings of the Doctors of the Church No but even with this voyce or unwritten word when it was first spoken This is my welbeloved son Then it was not certaine whether it were the voyce of God or no it might have beene the voyce of an Angell but at that time the writings of the Prophets concerning Christ were more sure because there was more certainty assurance that the Scriptures were the word of God then that this voice was the word of God S. Peters supposed successor holdeth many unwritten Traditions such as God never spake such as the Doctors of the Primitive Church never delivered unto him and all those he would have to be as sure and certaine as Gods written word And suppose the Doctors of the Primitive Church had delivered these Traditions are they therefore as certaine and infallible as the Scripture The Iesuite affirmeth it * Pag 171. if truely figured These Traditions being corroborated by the written attestation of the Saints and holy Doctors this is a warrant of it selfe infallible and undâ—â—bted The Cardinall denyeth it even in this his observation for he granteth us that though the certaintie and infallibilitie of all truth is not to be reduced onely and absolutely unto the Scriptures yet hee holdeth that the Fathers did esteeme the Scriptures to bee more certaine and infallible then the â—ritings of the Doctours of the Church or writings of humane authoritie Here is Manasseh against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasseh and both against the truth The written attestation of the Doctors is the best authority which the Iesuite can produce for unwritten Traditions thiâ— written attestation is not so certaine infâ—llâ—ble as the Scripture as the Cardinall confesseth then the consequence is sure that unwritten Traditions are not as certaine infallible as the Scripture consequently the certainty infallibility of all doctrine must be reduced only absolutely to the Scripture As for the obedience due unto the commandements of the King given onely by word of mouth whensoever it is proved that God gave necessary commaundements onely by word of mouth which are not written and that the unwritten commandements of the Roman Church are the same wee will give obedience to them 4. When the Fathers disputing with Heretickes doe Reply pag. 168 argue as they say adhominem that is when they urge them out of their owne erroneous principles and provoke them unto the sole authority of the written word our Adversaryes step forth and will have this kinde of arguing to bee universall withall whereas this is the conclusion to bee draweâ— from hence Therefore the Fathers admitted no meane to bee with the Heretickes for tryall of true doctrine but onely the Scriptures For the Heretickes for the most part in the beginning of their disputations would disavâ—w all authoritie of Tradition and of Church save onely that of the Scripture c. Therefore the Fathers to keepe their noses to the grindlestone did onely presse them with Scripture 10. This observation is a very heape of untruths 1. That the Heretickes for the most part in the beginning of their disputations were accustomed to reject Tradition and to flye unto Scripture onely As the Heretickes were many and their opinions different so their practice was diverse the Cardinall cannot prove that tenne of the hundred in the beginning of their disputations did renounce Tradition and onely betooke themselves to Scripture It was rather their practice to alledge Tradition of their owne and never to forsake that fastnesse untill they were beaten out of it They were as earnest pleaders for unwritten Traditions and as great enemies against the Scripture as our Adversaries are or can be And therefore in regard of the first they were stiled f Hieronym l. 2. in Eâ—av c. 3. Deutorotae Tradition-mongers and in regard of the latter they were called g Tertullian de resurrect carâ— Lucifugae Scripturarum owles flying from Scripture 2. That it was an errâ—neous principle in the Heretickes to flye only unto Scripture I reade of the Fathers condemning of Heretickes for flying from Scripture for not understanding the Scriptures for misinterpreting of them but I never read where they were condemned by the Fathers for flying to the Scriptures It is true that the Iewish Cabbalists would reproach those that were given unto the Scriptures with this nickname of Karaim as Roman Traditiâ—n-mâ—ngers call us Scripturiaâ—s but the Fathers never accounted it an error S. Augustine hath cleared this to be no error in coÌ„mending h Aug l 5 cont Donat. c 26. Cyprians appeal unto the Scriptures i Aug. epist 1â—2 this maketh men hereticks saith he nor because they do not contemne but because they do not understand the Scriptures These two untruthes we have * Sect 7. Div. 7 already fully confuted 3. That the Fathers admitted no other meane for tryall of true doctrine with the Heretickes but onely Scripture I will not question the truth of this conclusion because it serveth to our purpose 1. To shew that this is no erroniâ—us principle to flye only â—nto Scripture 2. It overthroweth what the Iesuite affirmed * pag. 153. 156. that the Fathers still produced unwritten Traditions against the Heretickes and that they made Tradition and not Scripture the onely meanes whereby to try true doctrine with Heretickes 3. It manifestly declareth what the Fathers thought of the sufficiencie of Scripture seeing they durst try the points in controversie betweene them and the Heretickes even at their owne weapons and by their owne principle supposing Scripture to be their weapon and their principle As therefore the Fathers dealt with the Heretickes pressing them onely with Scripture so might wee deale with you but we have beene content to bee tryed both by the Scripture and by the Tradition of the Church delivered by the mouth not onely of twelue but also of CCCXVIII Fathers giving their verdict against you 5. When the Fathers doe dispute of a custome or question Reply pag. 169 not yet determined by the Church and consequently Tradition cannot be alleadged for the same then the Fathers provoke their Adversaryes unto Scripture onely And
be supplied by unwritten traditioÌ„s do not those crosse the perfectioÌ„ of scripture Pull your considering-cap closer to your cockscombe and thinke better upon it This discovereth his shrinking at the first encounter that by his own confession he is good man no body but a shadow but a very phantasticall Adversary For such Traditions are defended by him as crosse both the veritie and perfection of the sacred Scriptures 1. The verity The denyall of the cup to the Laity crosseth this institution k Math. 26. 27. Drinke ye all of this The Councell of Constance took away this l Concil Constan Sess 13. non obstante mandato although Christ the Apostles and the Primitive Church used it Of this nature is the Popes deposing of Kings and his Dispensations contrary to Gods Law 2. The perfection of Scripture is crossed by adding of many bookes which were never inspired by God unto the Canon of Scripture and of many articles of faith unto the faith at once delivered by the Apostles Of this nature is Pius Quartus his new Creed and many points of Religion with you which are prater legem and so crosse the perfection of Scripture although they are not contra legem and so crosse the verity of it These Law-makers are worse then Law-breakers for men actually breake Gods Lawes because of their weakenesse and the hardnesse of Gods Lawes to doe them but these men make new lawes as if Gods Lawes were but foolish and they wiser then God to know what is meet But they crosse not the perfection or truth of Scripture because Reply pag. 116. they helpe us to finde out the true sense in the obscure and controverted letter â— This is neither true nor to the purpose It is nothing to the purpose because the Question is not whether unwritten Traditions be a good help to expound Scripture but whether they are to be accounted as Scripture and as part of Gods Law It is not true 1. Because the Scripture is not an obscure and controverted letter in doctrinall things m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost hom 3. in 2. Thess All those things which are necessary are manifest in them saith S. Chrysostome n In eis quae apertè in Scriptura posita sunt inveniuntur illa omnia quâ— ad fidem c. August de doctrina Christi l. 2. c. 9â— And in those things which are laid downe plainly in Scripture all those things saith S. Augustine are found which appertaine to faith and direction of life 2. Although the Scripture were obscure yet Popish Traditions cannot helpe to finde out the true sense unlesse we should say o Exod. 20. l. Thou shalt not worship an image The sense is Thou shalt worship images p Math. â—â— â—â— Drinke yee all of this That is All shall not drinke of it q Heb. 13. 4. Mariâ—ge is honourable among all It is not honourable among all These are your cursed glosses which corrupt the text and crosse the sense and meaning intended by the Holy Ghost 3. Although the Scripture were obscure and your Traditions did helpe to finde out the sense yet they doe crosse the perfection of Scripture because they are accounted not onely helpes for the interpretations of Gods written Law but even additions to the written Law Interpretation is for things obscure addition is for things imperfect What then will you call your Traditions additions to the Scripture or helpes for the interpretation of it If they be additions then they crosse the perfection of it for that which is perfect needeth no addition If they be helpes for the interpretation only then you shrinke from the Question from the matter delivered as the word of God to the manner of deliverie or of expounding the same Howsoever the Iesuites argument is most false That which helpeth to expound Scripture cannot crosse the perfection of the same Why goodman noddie Doe not all the Arts Tongues Fathers Commentaries helpe to expound Scripture And yet whosoever shall say that all these are the word of God he denyeth the perfection of the Bible We use commentaries upon Aristotles text but he that bringeth the commentarie into the text thereby to supply the defects of it denyeth the perfection of the text Doe not you deale so with the Scripture making unwritten Traditions a part of Gods word that so you may supply the defects of the written word making every idle interpretation as * pag. 124. Reply authenticall as S. Iohns Gospell Doe you not hereby crosse the perfection of the written word So S. Basil telleth us that * Basil de Spirit sanct c pro If unwritten Traditions be neglected the Gospell will incurre no small detriment So we tell you that if Arts Tongues Fathers Councels Commentaries and the like helpes be neglected the Gospell will incurre no small detriment We yeeld to the pen man of that Booke although it was not Basil but a counterfeit that if all unwritten Traditions be neglected if the testimony lyturgie and doxologies of which the author specially speaketh if the customes constitutions orders and ceremonies of the Church handmaides of the Gospell excellent in their use be slighted of all and every man left to himselfe to doe as he list in the manner of Gods service doubtlesse the Gospell will incurre no small detriment and if nothing be received into the Church but what is totidem verbis written in the Scriptures I wonder what kinde of Church we should have Popish Traditions are of another nature they crosse the truth and the perfection of Scripture if we admit such the Gospell will incurre no small detriment And though the Authour of that Booke would have Tradition respected yet hee would not have them accounted Gospell for in the words alledged he distinguisheth them from the Gospell You make no difference betweene unwritten Traditions and the Gospell you give them the same * Sect. 3. nature and quality the same * credite and authority with the Gospell If wee reject such Traditions the Gospell will incurre no detriment And S. Augustine saith * Sect. 4. Then doe wee hold the truth of Scripture when wee doe that that pleaseth the Vniversall Church Where S. Augustine saith so we may goe seeke Reply pag. 116 for the Iesuite citeth not the place but I thinke the place is this Augustin contra Crescon l. 1. c. 33. In this thing wee doe holde the truth of the Scripture when wee doe that which now pleaseth the Vniversall Church The thing is the point of rebaptization in which the Church held the truth of Scripture and determined this point by the authority of Scripture and not of unwritten Traditions so that S. Augustine might truely affirme this He speaketh not of unwritten Traditions they are a thing not pleasing to the universall Church therefore no man can hold the truth of Scripture nor please the universall Church if he hold with unwritten Traditions 9. And now
for l. 3. c. 4. place I subscribe to what Irenaeus saith And I beleeve that by Apostolicall Tradition that is the preaching of the word many nations were converted to the faith of Christ not by unwritten doctrines but by delivering written doctrines in an unwritten manner Irenaeus sheweth k Iren. l. 3. c. 1. First that the Apostles preached the Gospell and that afterward they delivered the same unto us in writing The same things the Pastours of the Church who might have the written word although the persons taught had it not delivered unto the People Irenaeus sheweth what those things were which were l Iren. l. 3. c. 4. written in their hearts without inke or letters They did beleive m In unum Deum sabricatorem coeli terrae omnium quae in eis sunt per Christâ—â—â— Iesum Dei filium c. Iren. ibid. In one God maker of heaven and of earth and of all things in them by Iesus Christ the Sonne of God c. These were the Traditions which they beleived and if any would have taught them otherwise they * Iren. ibid. would have stopped their eares as Irenaeus sheweth and have fled from them as they would from you and from your unwritten Traditions * Iren. l. 3. c. 4. Irenaus demandeth How should we dâ—e if the Apostles had written nothing at all' must wee not then follow the rule Reply pag. 118. of Tradition delivered unto them to whom the Apostles committed the charge of the Churches 5. We reject not this kinde of Tradition which is the succession of true doctrine in the Church And what shall we doe seeing the Apostles have written Is it not our dutie to follow the rule of Tradition delivered in their writings and not onely to take that course now that the Apostles have written which Irenaeus prescribeth if the Apostles had not written What if the Scripture should be consumed so that not one Reply Coppie thereof should be extant which is possible And what if a man had lost the true sense and meaâ—ing of the Scripture how shall he finde it out must he not as Irenaeus saith Follow the order of Tradition delivered by the Apostles unto those unto whom they committed the Churches The 1. hypothesis is absurd and impossible The Sunne may aswell be pulled out of the heavens and the skyes fall as the Scripture perish n Staplet coâ—t Whiâ—ak de authorit Script l. â— c. 1. s â— If it should GOD himselfe must faile in his providence saith Stapleton The 2. hypothesis is possible A man may lâ—se tâ—e true meaning of the Scripture and the order of Tradition delivered by the Apostles is one but not the onely meanes to finde it out and how shall a man finde out this order of Tradition in the originall of it better then by the Scripture it selfe So that when all is done the Scripture is the best interpreter of it selfe o Legitima sine periculo est expositio scripturae secundum ipsas scripturas Iren. l. 4. c 63. The exposition of Scripture according to the Scriptures themselves is the most surest saith Irenaeus The Apostles have written their writings are preserved the true meaning of them is well knowne Yet we reject not this meanes but doe follow the order of Tradition delivered by the Apostles as long as wee follow their writings for both by preaching and by writing they taught the same Popish Traditions are not of this order they were never taught by the Apostles nor by them to whom the Apostles committed the care of the Churches but onely of old by Heretickes and of late by an Anti christian faction Moreover S. Augustine teacheth us that there be many Reply pag. 118 points of faith for which wee have no written word * Aug. epist 128 In those things of which the holy Scripture saith nothing what course are wee to holde that which is used by the Church throughout all the world is to bee observed saith S. Augustine and it would be insolent madnesse to dispute against the same 6. The Iesuite mistaketh both the * Epist 128 for 118. place the point S. Augustine speaketh not of points of faith at all but onely of some rituall points or customes then in use as of the use of holy dayes of receiving the Eucharist fasting and the like These come not within the compasse of this controversie And as it is madnesse to dispute against these things so it is litle better in him then madnesse to dispute about these things and to call these things points of faith For * Aug. de bap cont Donatist l. 4. c. 24. whatsoever the Church universall doth holde if it Reply be not found or dained by some Councell but hath been alwayes in use it is most justly beleeved to bee a Tradition of none other but of the very Apostles themselves S. Augustine treateth in this place of the Baptisme of Children and calleth it Traditum apostolicâ autheritate A thing delivered by Apostolicall authoritie or an Apostolicall Tradition And are not written doctrines delivered by Apostolicall authority S. Augustine did not account Baptisme of Children to be an unwritten Tradition as appeareth by the arguments taken out of the Scriptures which he useth wee neede not goe farther then this Chapter to finde one p Si quisquam hac in re authoritatem quaerat divinam c veraciter conjicere possumus quid valeat in parvulis baptismi Sacramentum ex circumcisione carnis quam prior populus accepit Augus ibidem If any man saith he desire divine authority in this point we may truely conjecture how powerfull in Children the Sacrament of Baptisme is by the circumcision of the flesh which the Iewes received And this is accounted by q Bellarm. l. 1. de Baptism c. 1 Bellarmine a strong argument to confirme this point In the next testimony S. Augustine writing of the custome or practise of not rebaptising those that have been baptised by Heretickes so that they have beene baptised in the name of the Trinity saith r Quam consueâ—â—dinem credo ex Apostolicâ— Traditione venientem Aug de baptism cont Donat. l. 2. c. 7. Which custome I beleeve came from Apostolicall Tradition * Aug. ibid Even as many other things are not found in the writings of the Apostles nor in the Councels of following ages yet because they are held by the whole Church they are beleeved to have beene delivered and commended by the said Apostles It is a weake argument drawne from custome to Articles of faith from practise to the doctrine of the Sacraments Wee read nothing for point of practise whether those that have beene baptized by Heretickes have beene rebaptized or no Yet the doctrine in this point is sufficiently taught in Scripture We beleeve it Å¿ Propter folidissima manifestâ—ssrâ—â— scripturarum fundamentâ— et testimonia Tiâ—â—â—aâ— defens Triden ad articul de
Charactere because of the most solide Reply and most manifest testimonies of the Scripture as one of your owne hath said t â—â—â—videar humanis argumentis id agere etc. ex â—vangelio profero certa documâ—â—â—â—a Aug. l. 1. de Bapt. â—ont Donat. c. â— Least I should seeme to deale in this onely by humane arguments saith S. Augustine I will bring most sure arguments out of the Gospell And in the wordes following he bringeth in this Text. u Luc. 9. 50. Forbid him not for he that is not against us is with us By which hee overthroweth the maine argument of the adverse parties who helde That the things of Christ could not bee had out of the Church And in his answer to this question whether it were better to baptise or not to baptise such he hath these words x Recurrens ad illam stateram dominicam ubi non ex humano sensu sed authoritate divinà return momenta pensantur invenio de â—â—raque te Domini sententiam Aug. l. 2. de bapt cont Donat c. 14. Looking to the divine measure that is the Scripture whereby things are measured by divine authoritie and not by humane opinion I finde the judgment of the Lord concerning both And he concludeth this question with these words y Perspectis Scripturarum testimonijs potest etiam dici quod veritas declaravit hoc sequimur Aug. l. 4. de bapt cont Donat. c 7. Having searched the testimonies of the Scriptures I may say we follow that which the truth declareth Thus it appeareth by the judgment of S. Augustine that the point of doctrine is written although for point of practise we reade nothing in the writings of the Apostles 7. That the holy Ghost is to be adored and that the Father is unbegotten and unborne I beleive those as the Articles of my faith but I will never beleive him that saith * Aug. cont Maximinum l. 3. c. 3. S. Augustine held them to be unwritten articles These words The holy Ghost is to be adored The Father is unbegotten I confesse are not written verbatim yet there are other words written which doe import the same and are equivalent unto them And may we not understand some words which we reade not out of those words which we reade saith S. Augustine a In verbis Scripturarum non est Evangeliuâ— sed in sensu Hicroâ—â—m in Galat. c. 1. The words are not the Gospell but the sense of Scripture is the Gospell saith S. Hierome So I Reply pag. 119 may say the forme of words is not the article of faith but the thing signified by those words else the Church believed not these two articles untill this forme of words was z Quasi non ex ijs quae legimus aliqua etiam quae non legimus intelligamus Aug. ibidem used The holy Ghost is to be adored The Father is unborne As for the article of faith signified by these words The holy Ghost is to be adored S. Augustine prooveth it out of the Scriptures in which it is written in an other forme of words b Glorificate ergo Deum in corpore vestro ubi delucidè ostend it Deum esse spiritum sanctum glorificandum scilicet in corpore nostro Aug. cont Maxim l. 3. c. â—1 Glorifie therefore God in your body this evidently declareth that the holy Ghost is God and that he must be glorified in our bodies saith S. Augustine And againe c Glorifieate Deum portate in corpore vestro Quem Deum nisi Spiritum sanctum cujus corpora nostra dixerit esse templum Aug. epist 66. Glorifie God in your body whom doth he meane but the holy Ghost whose temple he calleth our bodies And concerning the words Coessentiall Vnbegotten and the like hee saith d Etiasi vocabula ista ibi non inveniuntur fieri potest ut illud inveniamus cui haec vocabula rectè adhibita indicentur Aug. epist 174. Although those words are not found in Scripture yet we may finde that which is intended by those words This then was the opinion of S. Augustine that the doctrine signified by those words was written in other words although those words themselves were not written And as S. Augustine answereth Pascentius the Arian so I may answere the Iesuite e Quid contentiosius est quaÌ„ ubi de re constat certare de nomine Aug. ibidem What is more contentious then to strive about words when the thing meant by them is manifest 8. It is not An other point of faith which S. Augustine handleth in the next testimony but the point of rebaptization * Aug. de unit Eccles c. 19. This neither of us both can finde written expressely and evidently in the Scripture And this is not spoken concerning the doctrine but concerning the practise in this point as appeareth by S. Augustines answer to the Heretickes demaund f Cum in scripturis non inveniamus aliquos ad Ecclesiam iam transisle ab Hereticâ— sicut ego dico aut sicuâ— tu dicis esse succeptos Aug. ibidem Seeing now we finde not any in the Scriptures to haue for saken the Heretickes and come home to the Church and to have beene received either as I say or as you say This point of fact may well be distinguished from the point of faith the doctrine may be written though Reply the practise is not written Howsoever we graunt it that the practise is not written neither is the doctrine written expressely and evidently That the baptised by Heretickes shall not be rebaptised Yet S. Augustine from most certain principles and by most evident consequences out of the holy Scripture concludeth the doctrine of this point The praâ—tise of the Church herein being according unto the truth of Scripture S. Augustinâ— might very well oppose the practise of the Church against the Heretick tel him * Aug. â—bidem Thou must beleeve the Câ—urch which if thou refuse to doe thou doest not oppose thy selfâ— against me or against man but Reply even against our Saviour himselfe to thy everlasting damnation The baptisme of Children of which S. Augustine writeth in the next testimony is no unwritten doctrine but a point established likewise both by the authority of the Scriptures and of the Church and S. Augustine did well to declare the authority of the Scriptures and of the Church in this point saying * Aug. serm 14. de verb. Apost Such force hath the authority Reply of the Church and the fixed rule of truth that is the Scripture against this bulwarke against this impregnable wall who so advanceth himselfe he shall be broken and burst in peeces As this is most truely affirmed by S. Augustine so it is as impertinently alledged by the Iesuite Reply Is it not recorded in the Acts of the Apostles that * Act. 1. 3 Christ after his passion shewed himselfe alive to his Apostles being seene
* Hieron Dial. cont Lucifer c. 4â— Although saith he there were no authority of Scripture at all for this yet the consent of all the world herein would beare the force of a precept For many other things which are observed in the Reply pag. 1â—1 Churches by Tradition have obtained the authoritie of the written Law If S. Hierome himselfe had said this yet we might appeale from him as S. Augustine did who being pressed by him with humane authority said p Ad ipsâ—◠〈◊〉 Aug. Epist 19. I flye to Paul himselfe How much more may we justly doe the same when these are not the words of S. Hierome himselfe but of the Lucifirian Heretickes against whom he disputed by way of dialogue Is this the uniforme consent of the Fathers Is not this to shake hands with Heretickes This is no faire dealing either you are wilfully ignorant or you grossely corrupt S. Hierome You tooke it at the second hand or wanted sleepe when you read the place But will you heare S. Hierome himselfe speaking like himselfe concerning a certaine Tradition which had no warrant in the Scripture q Hoc quia ex Scripturis non habet authoritatem eâdem facilitate contemnitur quâ probatur Hieron in Math c. 23. This is as easily rejected as affirmed because it hath no authority out of the Scriptures And if one Tradition may be rejected because of this reason onely It hath no authority out of the Scriptures then by the same reason all your Traditions may be rejected unlesse you can bring authority for them out of the written word So farre was S. Hierome from beleeving unwritten Traditions to be of equall authority with the written word that he accounted that to have no authority which wanted the authority of the written word And in an other place he beateth downe unto the ground all unwritten Traditions by these words t Alia quae absque authoritate testimonijs scripturarum quasi Traditione Apostolicâ sponte reperiunt atque confingunt percutit gladius Dei Hieron in Hag. c. 1. Many other things which of their owne accord they invent and finde out as if it were by Apostolicall Tradition without any testimony or authority of the written word all those things the sword of Gods mouth striketh thorough And a little after he sheweth what such things are sit dayes of fasting night-watchings bodily labours sleeping on the ground the like these are things of great esteeme among our adversaries grounded upon Tradition without any warrant of Scripture and such things are strucken thorough by the sword of God In the last place Dionysius is brought in affirming * Dionys Areopag Eccles Hier. cap. 1. That Reply pag. 121 the apostles delivered the most high divine mysteries partly by their written partly by their unwritten institutions The Author is suspected not without just cause The Severian Hereticks were the first that objected them in a disputatioÌ„ betwixt theÌ„ the Catholicks in the yeare 532 The Catholickes made this Answer Å¿ Illa testimonia quae vos Dionysij Areopagitae dicitis unde potestis ostendere vera esse sicut suspicaminiâ— si enim ejus erant non potuissent latere beatum Cyrillum nec Cyrillum solum sed si Athanasius procerto scisset ejus fuisse illa allegaret contra Arianos in Coneâ—lio Nicaeno in ista quaestione de consubstantiali Trinitate Si autem nullus ex antiquis recordaâ—us est ea unde nunc potestis ostendere quia illius sunt Baronius Anno 532. S. 39 Those testimonies of Dionysius the Areopagite which you say are his how can you shew them to be his as you thinke For if they had beene his blessed Cyrill could not be ignorant of them and not onely Cyrill but Athanasius would have alledged them against the Arians in the Councell of Nice in the Question of the consubstantiall Trinity if he had certainely knowne that they were his And if none of the Ancient made mention of them how can you now shew them to be his This I have taken out of Baronius Bellarmine confesseth t Bellarm. de confirmat l. 2. c. 7. many doubt of this booke Erasmus and Cajetan writing upon the 17. Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles deny it to be his Eusebius and Hierome who were very carefull to finde out all the writings of the Ancient write not a word of it It ill became that Author to call u Cap. 1. Timothie his sonne He handleth the order of the Angels and of the heavenly Powers a thing which S. Paul could x 2 Cor. 12. 4. not utter Irenaeus giveth this censure on such as write of such things y Nihil â—anum dicunt delirant dicant nobis quae sit invisibilium naturn enarrent numeâ—m Aâ—gâ—lorum ordinem Archangelorum demonstrent Thronorum Saâ—â—menâ—a doceant diversitaâ—es Dominationum Principaruum atque virtutum Iren. l. 2. c. 54. It is not sound which they say they are no better then madde can they tell us the nature of invisible things can they setforth the number of the Angels and of the Archangels can they demonstrate the mysteries of the Thrones and teach the diversities of the Dominations Principalities and Powers He writeth of Temples Altars Quires Monkes and the like such things were not in Dionysius his dayes Our Adversaries reject many things in this booke and we reject this testimony as false which the Iesuite calleth his irrefragable confirmation 3. And now not being able to prove any thing for the authoritie of unwritten Traditions out of the Fathers he would perswade the Reader That his more learned Adversaries then himselfe he meaneth as Reinolds Whitaker Fulke and Kemnitius have censured some and have acknowledged Reply pag. 121. others of the Fathers to be great Patrons of Traditions as Basil Epiphanius Chrysostome Dionysius Ignatius Clement Origen c. It would be tedious to examine all those apart and to shew their opinions concerning Traditions in this place onely for the present take this generall answer 1. For censuring of the Fathers some of them have deserved it in holding false and frivolous Traditions so that our writers have justly censured Epiphanius for his foolish delighting in uncertaine genealogies Origen for his fiction that x Origen in Maâ— tract 35. Christ had diverse aspects oft changeing his visage which made the Iewes desire of Iudas a signe to know thereby which was he And concerning Iustine Martyr Irenaeus Epiphanius and others Bellarmin saith a Non video quomodo ab errore possumus defenderâ— Bellarm. de Beatit sanct l. 1. c. â— I see not how they can be defended from error S. Augustine teacheth us that b Liceat aliquid in â—orum sâ—riptis rejiâ—erâ— August epist 111. it is lawfull to reject some things in the writings of the Fathers The giving of the Eucharist unto children and the deferring of the Baptisme of Children untill Easter is censured and rejected
on both sides and yet these and many such things were defended by some of the Fathers 2. We confesse that the Fathers are Patrons of Traditions of such Traditions as we allowed in the * Sect. 1. Diâ—is 4. stateing of the Question and not of Popish Traditions for all our Writers have disputed by the testimonies of the Fathers against unwritten doctrinall Traditions learned Whitaker shall answere for himselfe and for all the rest c Conâ—edimus defensas esse Traditiones à Patribâ—â— sed â—â— modo â—uod dictumest at quod aiâ— Patres non oppugnare illud falâ—um est Whâ—â—akeâ— controvers 1. de verbo Del non scâ—â—pto q. 6. c. 1â— Wee confesse that the Fathers defended Traditions but they were such Traditions as we defend But whereas you say that the Fathers did not oppugne Traditions it is false What now may we thinke of the Iesuite who falsely chargeth both the Fathers and our Writers He verifieth the saying The Monke of all men and the Iesuite above all Monkes is most impudent This babling prater or prating babler may bragge that He hath the consistorie of Antiquitie and that we are The babling upstarts Wee cannot tame his tongue from rayling for as he observeth out of S. Hilary * Hilar. de Triâ—iâ— l 3. Desperation bringeth alwayes with it selfe an unbridled boldnesse and professed impietie leâ—peth beyond the bounds of all shame This is true of him although S. Hilary hath no such words in that booke He deserveth the whetstone for his impudent lying and the cucking-stoole for his shamelesse scoulding And for his excusing of the most reverend Primate to those of his owne side and to the outlandish Doctours hee hath more need to excuse himselfe 1. To those of his owne side who stand for the perfection sufficiencie and prerogative of the sacred Scripture d Scriptura sufficleuter continet doctrinam necessariaâ—â— viatori-Scotus in prolog in 1. sentent â— â— The Scripture saith Scotus sufficiently containeth the doctrine necessary for him that is in his trauell e Sacra Scripturâ— est regula fidei cui nec addere nec subtrahere licet Aquin 〈…〉 ar 9. The holy Scripture saith Aquinas is the rule of faith to which we must not adde and from which we must not substract f Loquitur Deus in Scripturis it a copiose quod non oportet Deum iterum loqui nobis aliquod necessarium 〈◊〉 habeantur Aâ—ton part â— 3. tiâ— 1â— c. 3. God speaketh in the Scripture saith Antoninus and speaketh so copiously that he need not speake againe unto us any thing that is necessary seeing all such things are in the Scriptures Thus God hath made the g Ioh. 1. 5. light tâ— shine in darkenes And how can the Iesuite reconcile himselfe unto these men who denyeth that which they affirme 2. To all the outlandish Doctors who preferreth himselfe all his Countreymen before all other writers of what Countrey soever That they are partakers of that benigne and blessed influence which it pleaseth the heavens to distill into the Irish disposition This is good Divinity The heavens distill this influence of grace The outlandish Doctors are beholding unto him for his good opinion of them in that Ireland or the Irish disposition is made partaker of this influence before all other Countreyes and Countreymen whatsoever This is to make all other places and persons like h â— Sam. 1 21. The mountaines of Gilboa upon which there falleth neither dew nor raine And only Ireland to be like the Reply pag. 112. 1â—3 hill of i Psal 133. â— Hermon the dew whereof watereth other hills And how shall we excuse him in these things 1 Be pleased to remember that he left his native soyle and wenâ— over seas to write this booke by means whereof he leâ—t his wits behinde him and deprived himselfe of this blessed influence if he had remained at home he might perhaps have received some of this benigne influence which it pleaseth the heavens to distill upon his native Climate 2. That those of his owne side speake of the susticiency of Scripture in things necessary in doctrines of salvation but he denyeth the sufficiency of Scripture in rituall points which are the Traditions which he defendeth this will appeare in the examining of his next Section which is SECT IIII. Of the nature and quality of unwritten Traditions 1. THe subject of this and of the former Section is the same and therefore I wil answere the Iesuite as S. Augustine did Iulian upon the like occasion a Replicas quae superiore disputatione consumpta â—unt August cont Iulian. l. 4. c. 18 Thou replyest those things which are already coÌ„futed We * Sect. 2. D. 1. have answered the argument drawne froÌ„ the infallibility authority of the Church yet here againe the Iesuite reneweth it The Catholick Church cannot erre and therefore whatsoever she delivereth Reply p. 1â—4 as a point of faith or an interpretation of any obscure passage of Scripture we must beleeve it as fire as that S. Iohns Gospell is Scripture Sir you reckon without your Hoaste for the Catholicke Church never taught unwritten Traditions And according to your own sayings and tenents unwritten Traditions were of no authority for the first 300. yeares for if it be the Catholicke Church that must give authority to an unwritten Tradition and if the iudgement of the Catholicke Church could not then be heard but in a generall Councell and if there were no generall Councell untill about 300. yeares after Christ what nature or quality what credit or authority had unwritten Traditions untill that time Traditions likewise which are particular not observed by the Catholicke Church but onely in some Churches which by your doctrine are parcels of the unwritten wordâ— must needs want their authoritie because they are not delivered by the judgement of the Catholicke Church Neither is any Church on earth so infallible as that it cannot erre in delivery of a Tradition or exposition of an obscure passage of Scripture The Church which hee meaneth hath erred in many foolish and ridiculous expositions What shall we thinke of that exposition which is so famous among the Franciscans upon this text Revel 7. 2. From the East that is b Ab ortu solis id est decivitaâ—ate Assissij in Oriente posita asceâ—dit Angelus id est Franciscus puritate sanctitate Angelis consiâ—oilis cum signo Dei vivi id est cum stigmatibus Iesu Christi conformit Francis l. 1. from the city Assissium which is in the East the Angell ascended that is Francis like unto the Angels in purity and sanctitie with the Seale of the living God that is with the wounds of Iesus Christ Is this exposition as true as S. Iohns Gospell Besides the testimonie of the Church I have diverse arguments to perswade me that S. Iohns Gospell is canonicall the testimony of the Church is but one argument and such an one
the Apostle delivered some mysteries unto Timothy willing him to open them not to all by writing but to choyse men who might teach them by word of mouth unto others 6. To the same purpose did the Hereticks of old alledge this text and were condemned by the Church for it as Tertullian t Tertul. de praescript c. 25. beareth witnesse Timothy heard Paul's doctrine both by his preaching and by his writing The many witnesses of his doctrine were u Act. 26. 11. Moses and the Prophets as he testifieth of himselfe and sundry r Anselm Bruno Aquinas Interpreters so expound this place The same doctrine he would have Timothy to teach unto faithfull men not because they were such mysteries as were unfit to be opened unto all by writing but because they were not fit being holy things to be opened by all by speaking as by the ignorant and prophane persons unto such saith the Lord y Psal 50. 1â— What hast thou to doe to take my worde in thy mouth seeing thou haâ—est to be reformed Paul before having shewed that there is required in a Teacher both ability to teach and z 1. Tim. c. 3. faithfulnesse in teaching and now Timothy himselfe being an Over-seer of Gods Church he therefore exhorteth him to make choyse of such men as were fit for the Ministerie who were to be teachers of others and unto these to teach the same doctrine which he taught him that so they might be faithfull teachers of others It cannot then le denyed but that many commandements Reply p. 125. and holy mysteries are preserved in this store-house of the Church without writing 7. Here the Iesuite equivocateth in the words commandements and mysteries as appeareth by the instances which he alledgeth of which some are points of faith as that the Father is unbegotten The Sonne is consubstantiall with the Father c. which are taught us sufficiently by the Scripture although they be not written verbatim in the Scripture Some are not points of faith as The Lenten Fast The celebrating of Easter day upon a Sunday c. And such commandements may be preserved in the Church without writing And first he beginneth with the point of rebaptization Such is the rebaptizing of those that have beene baptized Reply pag. 126 by Heretickes as witnesseth S. Augustine * August cont Crescen l. 1. c. 33. Although no example heereof is brought out of holy Scriptures yet doe wee follow the truth of the same holy Scriptures in this point whilst wee doe that which now pleaseth the whole Church which the authoritie of Scriptures doth commend 8. The doctrine of rebaptizing is a point which the authority of Scripture doth commend Many texts of Scripture are alledged for the proofe of this point in an Index in some of your owne a Index Bibl. Sixt. Ephes 4. 5 Heb. 6. 6 10. 16. Gen 17. 14 1. Cor 10. 2. Bibles S. Augustine deemed this point rather to be an obscure Question then a point of faith b Quaestionis hujus obâ—curitas prioribus Ecelesiae temporibus ante schisma Donati magnos viros magnâ— charitate praeditos Patres Episcopos inter se compulit salvâ paâ—â— discepâ—â—re Aug. l. 1. de Bapt con Donat. c. 7 The obscurity of this Question in the former times of the Church even before the Schisme of Donatus caused great men and men abundant in charitie even Fathers and Bishops to differ among themselves the bond of peace not being broken saith S. Augustine Howsoever we distinguish betweene the precept and the practise betweene the doctrine and example of the doctrine It is evident that S. Augustine speaketh of the practise or example Although no example hereof is brought out of holy Scripture c. And though we finde not the example of this doctrine whether those have beene rebaptized who were first baptized by the Heretickes as we reade not whether those that have beene baptized by murderers and adulterers have beene baptized againe or no yet the precept or doctrine may be and is sufficiently declared in many places of Scripture by sound inference although it be not expressely written Those that have beene baptized by Heretickes shall not be baptized againe The next testimony concerneth the same point * Aug. 〈…〉 de Bapt. cont Donat c. 1â— The Apostles commaunded nothing hereof yet the Reply custome which was herein opposed against Cyprian is to bee believed to proceede from their Tradition even as many things bee which the Church handleth and are therefore well beleeved to bee commaunded of the Apostles although they be not written And unto it we returne the same aunswer that the Apostles commaunded nothing hereof in expresse words and that the Scripture doth not afford one example of this point but it doth not follow therefore it is an unwritten doctrine Cyprian was one of the Fathers and Bishoppes of the Church who held that they were to be rebaptized S. Augustine dissented from his opinion and yet both consented to have this Question determined by the Scriptures c Vnde est haec Traditio c. Cyprian Epist 74. ad Pomp. Whence is this Tradition saith Cyprian Is it from the divine authoritie of the Gospell or from the commandement and Epistles of the Apostles d Bellarm. l. 4. de verbo Dei c. 8. Bellarmine confesseth that here Cyprian speaketh of the Scripture and so doth S. Augustine commending Cyprian e Quod autem nâ—â— admonet ut ad fonâ—â—m recurramus id optimum est Aug l. 5. de Bapt. cont Donat. c. 16. Because he would have recourse in this unto the fountaine c. for that is the best course And by this authority drawne out of the fountaine f Ephes 4. 5â— There is one Lord one Faith one Baptisme hee confuteth his opinion And not onely by one but g Adjunctis Scripturaâ—m testimonijs ostendimus Aug. l. 6. c. 1. Wee prove it by testimonies of Scripture heaped together saith S. Augustine And in the Chapter alleadged by the Iesuite thus he writeth h Contra mandatum est quod veniâ—ntes ab Haereticis si jam ab illis Baptismum Christi acceperint baptiâ—antur quia Scripturarum sanctarum testimonijs non solum ostenditur sed planè ostenditur mulâ—os Pseudo-Christianos quamvis non habeant â—andem charitatem cum sanctis sine quâ nihil prosunt quaecunque sancta habere potuerint Baptismum tamen â—omâ—uâ—â—â— habere cum â—anctiâ— Aug. l. 5. c. â—3 It is contrary to the commandement that those should bee rebaptized which returne from the Heretickes if they haue the Baptisme of Christ because it is not onely proved but plainely proved by the testimonies of holy Scripture that many false Christians may have the same baptisme with them although they have not the same charitie with the Saints without which the holy things which they have cannot profite them By this clause If they have the baptisme of Christ he
Lord God of Israel hath entred by it And so are many of our Adversaries who defend that shee vowed perpetuall virginity by these words p Luc. 1. 34. How shall this be seeing I know not man That Sunday ought to be kept holie Reply 14. This is a doctrine warranted by the Scripture S. Augustine thinketh that it was tipisied q August epist 1 9. ad â—anâ—aâ— â— 13. by the â—ight day appointed for Circumcision and that it was taught by Christs resurrection upon that day We finde in Scripture that it is called r Revel 1. 10. The Lords day and upon this Ribâ—â— observeth that I may oppose one Iesuite to another that which this Iesuite cannot see Å¿ Videmus hic etiam tempore Apostolorum Sabbathi solemnitatem mutatam esse in dieâ— Dominicum Riber in Apoc. c. 1. We see even here that in the times of the Apostles the Sabboth was changed into the Lords day We finde that day ordained by S. Paul for t 1. Cor. 16. 1. holy duties so Chrysostome Ambrose Remigius Primasius and many others expound that place And we find the observance of it u Act. â—0 7. by the Apostles themselves in preaching of the word and administring of the Sacrament upon that day That Easter day be celebrated alwayes upon Sunday Reply pag. 126. 15. It is a decent order in the Church to observe the feast of Easter and there is no day fitter then Sunday for it but we deny the observing of it upon Sunday upon another day or upon any day to be a point of faith It is only a custome or ordinance of the Church and therefore commeth not within the compasse of this Question x Controversia de die Paschatis diu â—eterum Ecclesias exercuit Socrat. l. 5. c. 22. This Question about Easter day saith Socrates troubled the Churches a long while The Churches of Asia unto which S. Iohn wrote pleaded his Tradition for the 14. day other Churches observed Sunday alledging the Tradition of Peter and Paul at the last it was determined in the Councell of Nice that it should be kept upon Sunday not as if it were a point of faith but because it was a decent order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c It is a comely order saith Constantine in his letters written to the Bishops that were absent which the Churches of the West North and South doe observe And Epiphanius saith of the Audians y Epiphan in Anacephal They are of the same faith in all things with the Catholicke Church And yet they kept the Passeover as did the Iewes And truely they that deny this to be sound Doctrine cannot Reply possibly have any sure ground for their Faith For how can they prove that they have any word of God at all but onely by the Tradition and authority of holy Church how will they know which bookes of Scripture be canonicall which not c How shall those Heretickes be disproved who denied the Canticles the foure Gospells c How shall those five Gospels attributed unto Thady Thomas Barnabe Bartholomew and Andrew be disproved c but by the authority of the Church Why then doth he condemne such Traditions 16. Such Traditions we condemne not In the stateing of this Question it doth appeare that we allow modum tradendi the manner of delivery of the volume of Gods written word by the authority or testimony of the Church and all this concerneth the manner of deliverie In this the Iesuite not onely belyeth our Doctrine but also shrinketh from the Question hee should prove that unwritten Traditions are the word of God but he goeth about to prove that by an unwritten Tradition namely by the authority and testimony of the Church a man may know that there is a word of God and which bookes are the word of God and which are not All Questions are not to be disputed of saith z Aristot l. 1. Topic. c. 9. Aristotle Of all things this is most sure and ought to be beleeved that the Scripture is the word of God As he that a Hebâ— 11. 6. Will come to God must first beleeve that God is so he that will come to the knowledge of Gods word must first beleeve that there is a word of God and that the Scripture is this word To doubt of this is to deny a most sure principle and to dispute of this is to take away the very ground of this Question If this Question were given Whether Heaven covereth all things if the opponent should argue thus It doth not cover it selfe therefore it doth not cover all things Wee would judge him a sillie Sophister The trifling Iesuite disputeth after the same manner The Scripture doth not discover all points of faith because it doth not discover it selfe to be the word of God But this point is excepted by the Question it selfe for when the Scripture saith b 1. Cor. 15. 27. That all things are put downe under him it is manifest that he is excepted which did put downe all things under him So when we say that the Scripture declareth all points of faith it is manifest that this is excepted it needeth not declare it selfe to be the Scripture or the word of God As the first good is to beloved for it selfe so the first truth is to be beleeved for it selfe saith c Aquinas in Prolog in sent Aquinas The Scriptures are accounted among those things which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be beleeved for themselves yea they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most worthy of beleife being like Principles in an Art which oportet discentem credere the Learner must beleeve as d Basil in Psal 115. Bafill saith So that in this disputation this must be datum a thing granted and taken pro concesso that the Scripture is the word of God e August Confessâ—l 6. c. 5. Heare them not saith S. Augustine who demaund How doe you know the Scripture to be the word of God for that is a thing to be beleeved Yet we wil be content to answere this foolish demaund and to shew by what meanes we know which bookes are canonicall and which are counterfeit We know the Scriptures to be the word of God by those arguments which we finde in them They neede not testify for themselves but it is to be presupposed as a pracognitum that they are the word of God yet they beare witnesse for themselves The Scripture is a witnesse to it selfe saith f Testis est ipsa Scriptura Bellarm de verb Dei â— 1 c. 2. Bellarmine g Humana dicta argumentis testibus cgeâ—â— Dâ—i auâ—em sermo ipse sibi testis est Salvian de gubernatâ— Dei Humane sayings saith Salvian neede arguments and witnesses but the word of God is a witnesse to it selfe h Scotus in prolog in l. 1. sent q. â— Scotus proveth it by eight arguments taken out of the Scripture it selfe the
which I will breifly repeat By the Majesty of the Speaker by the titles of the Bookes by the power of the doctrine in the conscience by the simplicity and purity of the stile by the truth of the predictions by the agreement in all things though written by sundry persons in sundry places and at sundry times by the perfection of it and by the testimony which our Saviour giveth unto the i Luc. 24. 27. old Testament k 2. Pet. â— 16. S. Peter to the Epistles of S. Paul and S. Paul to the whole l 2. Tim. 3. 17. Scripture By all these it is more then probable and credible that the Scripture is the word of God These are sufficient arguments to beget an acquired faith in any man if the m 2. Cor. 4. 4. God of this world hath not blinded his eyes so that he cannot n Psal 119. 1â— see the wonderfull things contained in the Law The naturall man is blinde and o 1. Cor. 2. 14. perceiveth not the things of God by his active understanding neither can he conceive them by his passive understanding although they be most evidently revealed and therefore God worketh in his owne an infused faith and openeth their eyes that they may see and beleeve this truth There is p In Scripturis est Sol justitiae August in Psal 80. in the Scriptures the Sunne of righteousnesse as S. Augustine saith a blinde man cannot see this Sunne no more then a blinde man can see the Sunne in the Heavens as therefore the eye of the body must be light that it may see the Sunne so must the eye of the soule be spiritually illuminated that it may see this Sunne of righteousnesse This is wrought outwardly by the word which q Psal 19. 8. giveth light unto the eyes and inwardly by the spirit which r 1. Cor. 2. 11. onely knoweth the things of God and worketh this by Å¿ Origen de Principijs l. 4. c. 1. working upon the spirit and the understanding as Ovigen sayth And when the heart is purified that a man doth the will of GOD then he shall t Ioh. 7. 17. knowe whether the doctrine bee of GOD or no. And as a friend knoweth the voyce of his friend so the spouse of CHRIST and the sheepe of CHRIST know his u Cant. â— â— Ioh. 10. 4. voyce These are the meanes by which wee know the Scriptures to be the Word of GOD by which we know what bookes are canonicall and which are counterfeit And for the manifestation of this truth we doe likewise allow the testimony of the Church these cautions remembred 1. The testimony of the Church is one but not the onely meanes He that knoweth the Sunne to bee the Sunne onely because he is told so and hee that knoweth his horse to be his horse onely because the hostler telleth him so is as wise a man as he that knoweth not the Scripture to be the Scripture but onely because holy Church telleth him so I will demaund one thing of this Iesuite if a man deny the Scripture will he not convince him by the authority of the Church which testifieth for the Scripture And if he deny the testimony of the Church will he not convince him by the authority of the Scripture which testifieth for the Church Thus is he forced to daunce in a circle and in the end to bring all conclusions to be proved by the Scripture We rather hold that the Scripture is the onely meanes to know the Church by then that the Church is the onely meanes whereby to know the Scripture So saith the Authour of the imperfect Worke upon Matthew x Anteâ— multis modis â—stendebaâ—ur quae esset ecâ—lesia Christ quae gentilitas nunâ— autem nullo modo cognos cituâ— volentibus cogâ—oscere quae sit ecclesia Christâ— nisi tantummodò per Scripturas Hom. 49. In former times there were many wayes whereby to know which was the Church of Christ and which was Gentilisme but now if a man would know which is the Church of Christ the Scripture is the onely meanes whereby to know it And S. Augustine sheweth us where we must seeke for the Church y In prâ—scripto legis in Pro phetarum praedictis in Psal morum â—antibuâ— in ipsius pastoris vocibus in Evargelistarum praedicationibus laboribus hoc est in omnibus canonicis sanctorum librorum authoritaâ—ibus Aug. de unitat Eccles c. 16 In the prescript of the Law in the predictions of the Prophets in the Psalmes in the words of the Pastour himselfe in the Sermons and labours of the Apostles that is in the canonicall authority of the holy Bible 2. The authority of the Church is a meanes to declare which is the canonicall Scripture but not to make the Scripture canonicall as he that declareth Ignatius to be canonized for a Saint doth not thereby canonize him it is a good argument not à priori but à posteriori as when the Gold-smith declareth the Gold to be good But the Romanists speake most disgracefully of the Scripture z Scripturas valere quantum fabulae Aesopi si destituantur authoritate Ecclesiae Heâ—man apud Breut in Prolegom That the Scriptures are no better then Aesopes fables if they want the authority of the Church And without the authority of the Church a Se non plus fidei adhibiturum quam Tito Livio Gul. Bailius Catech. contr tract 1. q 12 They will beleeve them no more then Titus Livie Thus I have made good my promise and have runne the wilde goose chase after this Gagler in these three Sections who at last seeing his fault that all this while he hath answered nothing that hath beene objected confesseth That it is time for him to examine the Scripture which is produced against unwritten Traditions In reexamining of what he hath examined it shal be made manifest that SECT V. The Iesuite useth most silly shifts in answering the Scripture which is produced against unwritten Traditions THe three observations gathered by the Iesuite in the beginning of this Section are already answered and therefore I neede not actum agere yet I wil be content to give them a touching answer First the Traditions which we maintaine Reply p. 127. cannot be said to be precepts or commaundements of men but of God himselfe forasmuch as they proceede immediatly from Christ and his Apostles 1. Are your Ecclesiasticall Traditions immediately from Christ and his Apostles Your solemne baptizing of Bells Your Friday faste and the like can you proove thier originall to be immediatly from Christ and his Apostles Secondly that the like our Traditions are not any Reply pag. 128. way contrary or repugnant to the truth of holy Scripture 2. There is neither sense nor truth in this observation The likâ— our Traditions are not is none sense not contrary to the truth of holy Scripture is contrary to the truth That it is a
greater sinne for a Priest to be married to a wife then to live in fornication with many whores that it is worse for a Lay-man not to make his auricular confession once in the yeare then to live in sinne all the yeare that it is a greater sinne to eate flesh in Lent then to be drunken in the Lent and to breake a Saints day then the Lords day these Traditions are contrary and repugnant to the truâ—h of the holy Scriptures * Chrysostoâ—e and Hierome answered Sect. 3. Diâ—is â— Repâ—y pag. 128. Thirdly that our Traditions doe not any way derogate from the fullnesse or perfection of the written Word 3. Traditions are additions to the written word if they bee so then they derogate some way from the perfection of it for that that is perfect needeth no addition And this addition of unwritten doâ—trines to the written Word not onely crosseth the truth of the Scripture in the generall commaund which forbiddeth a â—evel â—â— â—â— â—euter 12 3â— Addition and Substraction but likewise derogateth from the perfection of it for if the Scripture be a covenant then b Gal â— 15. No man must adde unto it c Chrysost hom 12 in Philip. If it bee a Canon it admitteth neither addition nor substraction if it should it ceaseth to bee a Canon saith Châ—ysostome They rather bring unto us the whole complement of Reply pag. 1â—8 Scripture as this example follâ—wing will most plainely declare His Majâ—stie sendeth over into thâ—s Kingdome our of his trustie Counsellours wiâ—h his Royall Letters unto his Subjâ—cts wher in hee prâ—scribâ—tâ— unto them not onely expresse Lawes himselfe but also commaundeth them to fullfill whatsoever shal be enjoyâ—ed them by his said Counseller to whom hee hath imparted his whole will and pleasure Can it bee said I pray you that the subjects of Ireland by obeying unto such things as are commaunded by the said Embassadour doe derogate any thing unto the fulnesse and perfection of His Majesties Letter This his royall argument like Goliaâ—â— sword shall undoe himselfe Be it to The Scriptures are the royall letteâ—s or the grand commission and the Church is the trusty frâ—â—nâ— the Embassadour or Commissioner Now I demauâ—d 1. Is not the authority of the Commissioner or of the Embassadour from his commission or his letters and not the authority of the commission or letters from the commissioner or Embassadour So if this similitude hold the authority or credite of the Church is from the Scriptures and not the authority or credite of the Scriptures from â—he Church 2. May not an Embassadour as many have goe beyond his commission and deliver things contrary to the trust committed to him and so become an Impostor So the Church of Rome is gone beyond her commission hath delivered these things which are contrary to the written word and in this she is a grand Impostor Similitudes are a weake foundation to uphold this pillar of Traditions upon which the weight of all other controversies doth depend especially such a similitude as this which wanteth feet to uphold it selfe 1. Kings of themselves know not all things which are fit for their subjects neither can they fore-see what passages will happen betweene their Commissioners and their people and therfore they are forced to leave many things to the discretion of their Embassadours but it is not so with the King of Kings hee hath revealed all things necessary for his people to the pen-men of Scripture and they according to that revelation have written all things d Aristot de Rhetor. l. 1. c. 1 The best Lawes saith Aristotle determine all things themselves and leave very little to the discretion of the Iudges The Law of God is the best and the most perfect Law how then can there be so many and so great things left to the discretion of the Church 2. The Lawes of Kingdomes are subject to mutation and addition so that his Majesty may send over Commissioners for this purpose but the Law of God is an e Revel 14. 6. eternall Gospell the faith of the Church was f Iude vers 3. at once delivered unto the Saints in the holy Scriptures as it is here confessed by the Iesuite In these letters it is true he hath expressed his Lawes and Commaundements himselfe yet forasmuch as all things are not so manifestly therein described that our feeble understanding may attaine unto the knowledge of his heavenly will by the same alone he himselfe commaundeth us to be ruled by his Church Can any Protestant say more God himselfe hath expressed his Lawes and Commandements in the Scripture And againe All things are therein described though not so manifestly This I confesse doth not derogate from the perfection of Scripture but it over-throweth the Iesuite and his cause because all things are therein described and there is onely required the interpretation of things obscure which no Protestant denyeth because all things are not therein so manifestly described 4. The truth hath convinced the Iesuite yet malice hath set his witts a raveing and his tongue a rayling on his Adversary of most grosse vanity of great madnesse of ostentation and of not touching the point at all But who can with patience endure to heare this animal bray thus It seemeth he is touch'd to the quick and that maketh him kick as if he were madde if he be not it is because his owne conscience is past feeling and yet he taketh upon him to be the Iudge of an other mans conscience He that citeth Scripture more for shew then to purpose taxeth his Answerer For alledging so little Scripturâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Reply pag. 119. and to so little purpose for bringing in his proofes out of Scripture so scanâ—ly who sometimes is puft up with no thing but Scripture The Roman Tradition mongers have lâ—arned the trick of the Iewish Cabbalists to call those of the adverse part Scripturians or men puft up with Scripture Call them as you will I had rather be filled with Scripture then with the puft-paste of Traditions or the puftcrust of humane inventions Neither is the most reverend Primate to be blamed for alledging in this point but a few texts of Scripture because brevity was the thing which he intended in the beginning of this Worke. If he alledged but one text to the purpose Chrysostome pleadeth 1 Chrysoâ—â—â— hom â—6 ad â—â—pul Aâ—â—otheâ— his excusetâ— What have I to doe with multitudes I had rather have one pâ—â—â—ious 〈◊〉 thâ—â— many halfe 〈◊〉 And I thinke a judicious Reader will like better of his little to great purpose then of the Iesuites great deale to little purpose But it is to little purpose for first that text of Matth. 15. In vaine doe they worship me teaching for Doctrines Reply pag. 119. the commaundements of men is farre from proving any thing against us seeing that by it onely such humane Traditâ—ous are reproved aâ— are repugnant to the Law of God 5. Iewish Traditions
an other to teach that the bookes of the Fathers are to be compared with the Scripture If the Iesuit would say no more of unwritten Traditions then Athanasius saith of the books of the Fathers then the coÌ„troversy were ended for you see he brings not the commentary into the Text but distinguisheth between the coÌ„mentary the Text you make no difference between the one the other but make the interpretation Pag. 124. as authenticall as the Text even as S. Iohns Gospel He attributeth unto the scriptures the sufficiency to discover al truth to be learned to the Fathers the interpretatioÌ„ of Scripture as an help that the same truth may be more easily learned you attribute to the Scriptures a sufficiency only to teach some truths not all truths which are to be learned teach that those truths must be taught by unwritten Traditions Vnwritten Traditions are not therfore only interpretations of Scripture but even additions to it In the last place he objecteth out of Athanasius in this manner Athanasius disputing against the Arians did most frequently Reply p. 119. beate them downe with the authority of the Church of unwritten Traditions Yea hee thought it * Athanas Epist ad Epicteâ— sufficient for their confutation to tell them without any more adoe that their Doctrine was not agreeable to that of the Catholickâ— Church nor yet was held by the Fathers of former ages I thinke it sufficient for your confutation to tell you Opâ—rtet mendacem esse memorem You told us even now in your second Answer That the Scripture was sufficient for the discovery of two truthes whereof one was this That Christ is truely God Did not the Arianâ— deny this article of faith And yet now you tell us That the Arians could not be everthrowne but onely by the help of unwritten Traditions Sir where was your memory when you wrote this Yet for your more full confutation I tell you that in the same Epistle hee saith The fâ—â—th confirmed in the Nicen Councell at which he was present according to the Scriptures was sufficient to beat downe the Arian Heresie And in an other place hee declareth his minde saying y Athanas in Exhort ad monach Let us thinke that the well ordered Canon is sufficient to attaine the knowledge of God And not onely by the Scriptures but likewise by the authority and Tradition of the Church that is the succession of the truth of this doctrine doth he confute them Now good Sr Wiseakers tell me in your wisdome If this holy Father had onely used the Tradition of the Church and not the authority of the Scriptures to beat downe the Arian Heresie would it follow that he could not beat it down by the Scriptures Doth the use of one meanes exclude the possibility of the other Because now we are beating down unwritten Traditions by the Fathers have we not or can we not therefore beat them down by the Scripture Seeing the Arians held such a wicked and manifestly perverse a doctrinâ— therefore saith this holy Father it is sufficient to tell them c. so we thinke it sufficient for confutation of unwritten Doctrines to tell you This Doctrinâ— is not agreeable to that of the Catholicke Church nor yet was held by the Fathers of former ages so farre are we from condemning the Doctrine of the Catholicke Church that by it we condemne this new Doctrine of unwritten Traditions Againe * Idem de decret Synod Nic. cont â—useb Let the Arians answer me if they can where doe Reply p. â—4â— they fiade in the Scriptures this solemne word by what reason doe they hold God to be unbegotten Behold we have evident demonstrations that this our Doctrine was delivered by Traditions from hand to hand by the Fathers We confesse with Athanasius that the wordes unbegotten or â—oessentiall are noâ— written but yet the Doctrine signifiâ—d by these words as we have * Sect. 4. Divis 1â— formerly shewed is written in other words Is the doctrine unwritten because the word is unwritten And is the Doctrine not taught in Scripture because it was preserved in the Church and delivered by Tradition from hand to hand â— Athanasius shall answere for us z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas Epistol de Senten Dionys con Ariaâ— Although I cannot find that word in the Scriptures yet gathering the Doctrine ouâ— of the Scriptures I knowe that hee that is the Sonne and the Word cannot be of an other substance then the Father Lastly * Idem in Epist ad ubique Orthodox The constitutions of the Church saith hee are no novelties lately brought in but they were delivered by our first Fathers Neither did our Faith now beginne but it descended from our Lord by his Disciples unto us When the Arian persecution was so hote against the Catholickes as that Athanasius was thrust out of his Bishoprick and an Arian by Simonie purchased it then this holy Father wrote this Epistle This made him complaine Reply p. 140. that the Constitutions of the Church were overthrowne and a new faith set up by these Intruders What doth this make for unwritten Traditions If it be because the Church hath Constitutions wee graunt it but these are nihil ad rem no points of faith If it be because our Faith descended from the Lord by his Disciples unto us wee graunt this likewise but what is this Even the forme of wholesome Doctrine contained in the Scriptures as it was taught first by the Disciples of our Lord and after preached vivâ voce by the Church Wee plead for the same Faith which was at onâ—e delivered unto the Saints We acknowledge no faith but that which from Christ by his Disciples is descended unto us And wee deny that the Church in after ages had any power to coyne a new Article of faith With you are the Novelties Traditions of a later invention not so old as from the time of Athanasius nor descended from our Lord by his Disciples You have coyned many new Articles of faith What will you say for your Ecclesiasticall Traditions which you make to be of the same faith authority with the written word By the judgement of Athanasius they cannot be points of faith Because our faith descendeth from the Lord by his Disciples unto us S. Ambrose * S. Ambros offi l 1 c. 23 The things which wee finde not in the Answer Scriptures how can we use them And againe * Idem in virgin instit c. 11. I read that hee is the first I read that he is not the second they who say hee is the second let them shew it by reading S. Ambrose instructing Churchmen how they ought to Reply p. 140. carry themselves in their conversation propoundeth the question whether they may use such pleasant mery jests in their speech as the Philosophers doe commend Whereunto he answereth negatively in these words The things which we find
because they are all one with those things that be expressely written As for example Whether Children shal be baptised or no Or whether the baptised by Heretickes shal be rebaptised or no We read no expresse commandement nor evident practise either way yet by sound consequence these points may be determined out of the Scripture And of this in this testimony S. Augustine disputeth against the Dâ—â—atists Reply pag. 14â— The third is against the Non-conformists * Aug Epist â—â— ad Casul In thâ—se things whereof the Scripture hath deliveâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Gods people and the 〈◊〉 of our Aâ—â—â—estâ—râ— are to be held for a law In this he disputeth of the rites customes or constitutions of the Church and specially of the Saturdayes fast concerning which in the same Epistle â—e giveth this advice Let the â—aith of the universâ—ll Church â—â— one alâ—hough the unity of faith be â—â—â—nded upon with diverse observations by the 〈◊〉 thâ—â— which is true in the faith is â—â— way 〈◊〉 Here he distinguisheth these observations of the Church from â—â—th â—â—ith is one they are diverse they are not of faith but attend upon faith So that they are to bee held for 〈◊〉 yet not for the law of faith which is of divine â—ight universall and bindeth all but as the law of man which is but of humane right particular to some places like the Law of Gâ—â—all kinde and bindeth not all like the by-lâ—wes of a Corporation The fourth testimony which he citeth out of Augustine I finde it in his 118. Epistle and it is * Sect 2. Div. 6. formerly answered * Aug ad Inquisit laâ—â—aâ— l. 1. c. 1 All those things which we hold without writing onely by unwritten Tradition were commended and ordained either by the Apostles themselves or by generall Councells All such things are not Doctrinall but Rituall Traditions not points of faith but orders and constitutions for the Church This appeareth both by the words allâ—adged and by the subsequent words in the same Epistle Wee see in the words alleadged S. Augustine cannot well tell upon whom to father such things but he leaveth it doubtfull it may be they were from the Apostles and it may be they were ordained first of all by generall Coâ—â—â—lls But all points of faith are elder then the eldest Councell The Iesuite himselfe telleth us out of Aâ—hanasius * Pag. 140. It is not nâ—wâ—dayes that our faith received its beginning but it is derived from the Lord himselfe And Athanasius himselfe was one of the first generall Councell That of Gerson iâ— most câ—rtaine c Nec Papa neâ— generale Concilium potest facere aliquid esse de side quod antè non â—uâ—t Gerson part 1 de err cirâ—a pâ—aecept Non Occides Neither the Pâ—pâ— â—or any generall Councell can make that to be a point of faith which was not so before And in the words immediately following S. Augustine declareth what such things were as were delivered without writing As the Passion reâ—â—â—rection and ascensâ—â—â— of our Lord and the descâ—nsion of the holy Ghost are yâ—â—rely solemnely celebrated These Feastâ— put us in minde of greater things but the Feasts themselves aâ—â— to be accounted but as rites and ordinances belonging to the Church The fifâ— is against the Doâ—atists and it is like wise * Sect. 4. Div. â— formerly answered The Apostles have not commanâ—ded any thing in this poinâ— but that customâ— which was opposed unto Cyprian must be held to have taken its originall from their Tradition The point of rebaptization is the point of which he dispâ—teth concerning which we oft declared the judgment of S. Augustinâ— to be this that the Apostles expressely commaunded nothing in this point and yet that this point may be determined by sound inference out of the holy Scripture The sixt is this He would not beleeve the Gospell it selfe but that the authority of the Church moved him The summe of our former * Sect. â— Div. 2 answere unto this is this S. Augustine spake this of the time when he was a Manichee but after his conversion he maketh a better confession He speaketh of the primitive Church not of the now Roman Church That power which he ascribeth unto the Church is to be a mover to perswade us to beleeve not to be a law-giver to coyne Articles of our beleefe The 7th is likewise * Sect. 4. Div. 8 answered Although we have no certaine example hereof out of Scripture yet we hold the truth of the Scripture in this thing when wee doe that which now pleaseth the universall Church The Example which is sought for is an example how those were received when they returned to the Church who were baptised by Heretickes whether they were rebaptised or no We confesse the Scripture giveth no example how they were received but none can inferre because the Scripture containeth not an example in this point therefore it containeth not the Doctrine of this point The 8th is likewise * Sect 2. Div. â— formerly answered This neither thou nor I can fiâ—de plainly and evidently in the Scripture This is against the Dâ—natists in the same point and I returne the same answere This that is an example of this how they were received into the Church that were baptised by the Heretickes neither thou nor I can finde in Scripture Yea we confesse the point of Doctrine is not written plainely evidently and expressely word for word but by sound consequence it is deduced from the Scripture And now let the understanding Reader judge of the reason that moved the Iesuite to object all those testimoniâ—s which were formerly answered surely it was onely to make his promise good to heape up a number without any regard of their nature He mustereth his testimoniâ—s as some Captaines when their companies are not full muster their Souldiours presenting some of them three or foure times over The 9th is this * Aug. l. â— cont Crese â— I receive not that which Cyprian held because Reply p. 14â— it is not received by the Church And I receive not that which is held by the Iesuite because it is not received by S. Augustine Doe I therefore hold unwritten Traditions Cyprian held rebaptization Augustine held the contrary and confuteth him by the authority of the Church but doth the use of one meanes exclude the power of another Because he confuted him by the authoritie of the Church could he not therefore confute him by the authority of Scripture Cyprian would have this question to be tried by the Scripture f Cypâ—ian epist 74. ad Pompâ—ium whence saith he is this Tradition Is is descended from the authoritie of our Lord and the Gospell or doth it come from the Acts or Epistles of the Apostles And a little after Let us goe to the fountaine to the Evangelicall and Apostolicall Tradition This is so evident that Bellarmine confesseth g Bellar de verbo non script l.
4. c. 8. He speaketh of the Scripture And S. Augustin approveth of his admonition h Aug. de bapt cont Donat. l. 5. c. 26. That which Cyprian admonisheth us That we should have recourse to the fountaine to wit to the Apostolicall Tradition that is best and ought to be done So that in S. Augustines judgment this point may be determined by the Scriptures He accounted the testimonie of the Church one good meanes but the testimony of the Scripture the best meanes to judge it by The 10th is this * Aug. in Psal 57. The truth surely harboureth in the belly Reply p. 148. of the Church The truth is while Christ is the head and husband of the Church truth must needs harbour in the belly of that Church but if Antichrist become the head husband of a Church truth cannot harbour in the belly of that Church The man of sinne the Sonne of perdition doth set as God in the Roman Church which was once â— The â— Thes 1. 4. temple of God He equalizeth all his Decrees and his Cathedrall voyce with the voyce of God sounding in the Scriptures She was along while like a woman sicke of a timpany or some swelling disease and at length brought forth a monster k Nec Deus es nec homo quasi nevter es inter utruâ—que Clemen proem in Glos Neither God nor man but a nevter betweene both And this monster is the Father of this monstrous doctrine of unwritten Traditions The 11th followeth * Aug. epist 56 The whole height of authority and light of reason for the reparation of mankinde consisteth Reply only in the saving name of Christ in his one onely Church As we give unto God the things which are Gods so to the Church the power belonging to her that is the supreame power and absolute authority unto Godâ— and under God a subordinate power and ministeriall authoritâ—â— unto the Church And this is all which S. Augustinâ— meaneth He addeth the 12th * Aug cont Fausâ— Manich l. 11. c. 2. Thou seest of how great forcâ— in Reply p. 149. thâ—â— matter the authoritie of the Catholicke Church is which by the orderly succession of Bishops from the most assured soaâ—â— of the Apostles unto these our dayes and by the consent of so many nations and people is confirmed As in all things wee give due respect unto the authoritie of the Catholicke Church so likewise we doe in this point of which S. Augustine speaketh which is of the truth of holy Scripture that it is the word of God We confesse the authority of the Catholicke Church is of great fâ—rce to confirme our faith in beleeving which is the Scripture and what is the true meaning of it yet her authority extendeth not it selfe so farre as to adde unwritten Traditions to the Scripture or to give any other interpretation of the Scriptures then is contained in them Her authority is one meanes but noâ— the onely meanes to confirme this point for in the same place S. Augustine sheweth that there are other meanes likewise as Searching into other copies of the Scripture and comparing the copies with the originall And yet this is nothing to the Roman Church it is not the Catholicke Church in it there is no orderly successioâ— if there be it is not from the most assured seats of the Apostles but from a doubtfull seat of an Apostle in it the consent of nations and people is not to be heard but onely the voyce of the Pope is to be regarded And to make up his Bakers douzen hee concludeth with this * Aug. cont Iul Pelag. l. 2. cap. 1. It is necessary that all Christian people preferre the judgment Reply pag. 149 and testimonies of holy Fathers before your Novelties and choose rather to adheare unto them then unto you I should but slander you with an action of truth if I should say Popery is a Novelty Vnwritten Traditions are novelties We have ever preferred the testimonies and judgements of holy Fathers before such Novelties and if wee will adheare unto them we cannot adheare unto unwritten Traditions You preferre Novelties before the judgements and testimonies of the holy Fathers The Popes Cathedrall voyce is preferred before the judgements and testimonies of all Councels and holy Fathers and this is a Noveltie never heard of untill it was hatcht of late noâ— much aboue an 100. yeares since in the Lateran Councell l Melch Canus Ioc theolog l. â— c. 5. In generall Councels saith a flatterer of the Pope matters are not to be judged by the number of suffrages but by the weight Pondus autem dat summi Pontific is authoritas but the authority of the Pope maketh up the weight So that among the Fathers and in Councells hee hath not onely a negative voyce to stop that which they conclude but even a divine voyce farre transcendent aboue them all As Pharaohs leane kine eat up the fat so hath he eaten up the authoritie of Church and Fathers And as Iacke Cadâ— would have all written law banished that the law might proceede out of his mouth even so dealeth the Pope Thus we have sifted your â—eapâ— and finde it but chaffe and cast up your number and finde it nothing but cyphers The testimonies are weapons whereby Heretickes and Schismaticks such as deny the true doctrine of the Church may be wounded and put to flight but unto us who defend S. Augustines doctrine they are defensive and not offensive And if dropping of testimonies out of S. Augustine might beare away the bell I dare hazard the game upon it to drop three for one but I dare not take that liberty unto my selfe as the Iesuite doth to be both Respondent and Opponent least I should be censured for gresling from the right rule of answering wherefore I tie my selfe to answer those testimonies which follow * Chrysol ser â—5 S. Peter Chrysologus A Christian minde knoweth not Reply p. 149. how to dispute against such things as are strengthned by the Tradition of the Fathers 21. The same Christian minde is in us for we dispute not against such things Chrysologus his sermon was upon that text of S. Iohn * Ioh. â— 1. There was a Feast of the Iewes This gave him occasion to discourse of holy dayes and specially of such fistivall dayes as were strengthned by the tradition of the Fathers and long continuance These we account as ordinances of the Church and give that respect unto them as is due but we dare not give them that authoritie which belongeth to the word of God as to be points of Reply p. 149. faith or necessary doctrines S. Leo affirmeth * Leo serm â— Thâ—t true learning doth acknowledge and piety doth embrace that which Tradition hath long since dâ—creed and custome hath established * Leo de Iejun Pentecost Neither is it to bee doubted but whatsoever is observed by the
any secret Doctrines concealed from the little ones that beleeved which were in secret revealed to the great ones but all points of faith were propounded before all the faithfull but now his tongue is clipâ— and these words in the late editions because they crosse them are crossed out Where then is the uniforme consent of the Fathers for your Doctrine This is not the voyce of the Fathers but of the Heretickes if you will beleeve your owne Salmâ—ron e Ex grege Haereticorum nostri seculi quidam est insignis Castellio dictus qui docet Apostolum reconditio em aliquam Doctrinam habu isse quam Scriptis non commendaverit sed quibusdam perfectis hominibus eam tradidisse Salmer in 2. Tim. 3. Tom. 15. There is a notable Hereticke of late dayes called Castellio who teacheth that the Apostle had a more secret kinde of doctrine which he would not publish to the world by writing but delivered it to certaine perfect men If this be heresie in him then the same is heresie in you so that he may well shake hands with you and you with the ancient Heretickes This doctrine is likewise built upon most false propositions 1. That he greatest mysteries are reserved for Traditions and the least are contained in the Scripture but what greaâ—er mystery is there then the mystery of the Trinity The wonderfull union of the two natures in one person Christ is declared by the Scripture to be a f 1. Tim. â— 16. great mystery So is the mysticaâ—l union of Christ and his Church a g â—phes 5. 32. great mystery All unwritten Traditions are but trifles unto these 2. That the dignity of those mysteries requireth silence least too much knowledge should bring thâ—m into contempt Trutâ— never blusheth but when it is concealed saith h Nihil veritas crubescit nisi abscondi Tert. Cont. Valentinian Tertulliaâ— And ignorance not knowledge causeth pride and contempt S. Paul would not have the Romanes ignorant of a great mysterie lest they should be i Rom. 11. 25. arrâ—gant What made the Atheniaâ—s speake basely of S. k Act. 17. Paul and of his doctrine but only their ignorance When the Apostles spake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l Act. 2. 11. the wonderfull things of God ignorance made their hearers floute them for it The mysteries of Gods word are not like juggling tricks which being oft seene and discovered become contemptible but rather like the Sun every day seene and yet desired m Aug. epist â— Such is the depth of holy Scripture saith S. Augustine that if I did studie nothing but it all the dayes of my life yet I may still learne more out of it How then can the knowledge of those things cause contempt of which the ripest understanding can never know enough And if those things were not to bee taught to the people which in fact thorough their owne foolishnesse they doe sometimes contemne thâ—n surely the Apostles would never have written such mysteries as are contained in Scripture neither would they have preached Christ crucified both to the Iewes and to the Gentiles n 1. Cor. 1. 2â— To the lewes a stumbling blocke and to the Grâ—â—ians foolisâ—nes And as these positions are false so their practise is contrary to their owne grounds For if those great mysteries are not opened in the Scriptures which â—â—â— read to the whole world but are locked up under unwritten Traditions and onely the things of lesse dignity are opened in the Scriptures why then are the common people debarred from reading the Scriptures not from unwritten Traditions Why doe you teach these great mysteries of unwritten Traditions unto them seeing they may be sooner brought into contempt by hearing then by reading The reason is because all cannot read but all have eares to heare Yea what authority have you to write those things which the Apostles thought not â—it to be written o Dionys Halicarn l. 1â— Those things saith Dâ—â—nysiuâ— which all may nâ—â— see I thinke all â—â—â—uld not heare them neither ought they to bee written Wherefore that hereafter your practice may not be contrary to your positions take away your Missals Rationals Rituals Pontificals Breviaries Legends and the like from the eyes of the common people seeing in these are the greatest mysteries which by too much familiaritie may be contemned allow the Scriptures unto the common people seeing the Apostles would not open these mysteries in the Scriptures which are to be read unto the whole world lest they should be contemned To shift his necke out of the coller that hee may not bee couppled with those Heretickes he useth this as an other shift Must we shake hands with Heretickes forsooth if wee Reply p. 155. doe but once touch the same texts which they have produced He learned his manners forsooth but he hath lost his wâ—â—s Here is a witlesse demaund wee know the Devill used * Mat. 4. 6. Scripture and yet we lawfully use the same text He said to our Saviour p Mat. 8. 29. What have I to doe with thee And yet our Saviour used the same wordes to his mother q Ioh. 2. 4. What have â— to doe with thâ—â— Heretickes will range thâ—rough the Scripture and so must we but we say you may well shake hands with those Heretickes when you make use of the same texts for the same purpose for which they were condemned The Iesuite denyeth the fact Those Heretickes did reject such Traditions aâ— the Catholicke Church did then maintaine And they brought in such Traditions as they of themselves found out teaching against the nature of Christ and the like In this likewise you may be parallel'd with those Heretickes for reâ—ecting such written Traditions as the Catholick Church did then maintaine as the giving of the Cup the reading of the Scripture the perfection of the Scripture and the like And also for bringing in unwritten Traditions of your owne invention which from the beginning were not and yet are fathered on the Apostles by you And though in the particular Haresies defended by those Hereticks you may differ from them yet in the general tenent you may well shake hands together as long as with those Hereticks you defend The dignity of many mysteries to be such that it is unmeet they should be opened in the Scriptures And that the Apostles had a more secret kind of doctrine which they would not lay down in their writings but delivered it by word of mouth unto perfect men that so under the colour and pretence of unwritten Traditions you may say what you will as against the nature of Christs body that it may be in 10000. places at once and yet this pillar of Popery shall uphold it whatsoever it be that you teach The Iesuite having entred his name in Catalogo Hâ—reticorum he taketh much paines to little purpose to find out our name therein What can you say for your selfe when you Reply
by these Hereticks As for unwritreÌ„ Traditions doctrines not taught in Scripture but delivered by word of mouth they rejected them not they laide the foundation and upon their foundation you have built this pillar of your Religion this towre and fort of your salvation This is not onely discovered by Irenaeâ—â— and Tertullian but likewise I may adde S. Augustine who declareth this to be the practice of all Heretickes b Aug. tract 97. in Ioh. All of the most foolish Heretickes use to colour their bold fictions with this saying I have yet many things to say unto you And this very text the Iesuite * pag. 119. likewise useth to the same purpose to colour this bolde fiction of unwritten Traditions therewith Thus the Heretickes yea omnes insipientissimi Haereâ—iâ—i if you will believe S. Augustine agreed in urgeing unwritten Traditions And yet the Iesuite saith they agreed in rejecting unwritten Traditions To the third That the Fathers pursued those Heretickes by unwritten Traditions I answere If a man bee to dispute against an Heathen it is in vaâ—e to presse him by the authority of Scripture which he denyeth Many of the Fathers disputed against Heretickes that did sapere cum Ethnicis as Tertullian c Tertul. de resurrect cain affirmeth and would not bee tryeâ— by the Scriptures but rejeâ—ted them as counterfeit as impâ—rfect and lyable to various interpretations as Ireâ—â—us hâ—th recorded their actions to dâ—pute against sâ—ch by the Scriptures would be but labour lost Cyrill teachâ—th us how to deale with such d Contra coâ— qui â—eriâ—ta non admittunâ— pugâ—ato aâ—â— is non scriptis ex solis ratiocinationibus demonstrationibus Cyril Hâ—erosol catechâ—s 18. Fight against such as deny the Scriptures by unwritten weapons onely by strong reasons and demonstrations Thus Cyrill in the same place prooveth the Resurrection of the Body by the renewing of the Moone as S. Paul proveth it by e 1. Cor. 15. the springing of the Corne. The same Apostle maketh use of Heathen Poets as of Epimâ—nides * Tit. 1. Aratiâ— and * Act. 17. Menander And so the Fathers made use of all kinde of learning by unwritten arguments they proved written Doâ—trines against such as denyed the written word And when the Heretickes appealed from Scripture to unwritten Traditions they purâ—ued them by the true Tradition of the Church which was is the same with that which * 1. Cor. 15. is contained in the Scripture This is nothing for unwritten Doctrinâ—s it onely concerneth modum probandi not rem probatâ—m The thing proved may be written although the mâ—dium or argumentum whereby it is proved be not written What enemies those famous Hereticks Nestorius Eutyâ—hes Reply p. â—â—7â— Dioschorus were unto unwritten Traditions is dâ—scovered by Basil Bishop of Ancâ—ra S. Bernard telleth us the same â—le of certuine Hereticks of his time called Apostolicks who were followed herein by Wicklessâ— as Thomas Waldensis doth recount by the Hussites as Cocklaus beareth witnes from these Bellarmine saith truly thâ— Pâ—otestants did receive their opinion And this is your Pedegree x. We receive not our opinion from man but finde our doctrine delivered in the Scriptures from time to time confirmed by the preaching writings of the Fathers As for Basil Bishop of Ancira he was an idolater and one of that second conventicle at Nice wherein by unwritten Traditions idolatry was established so that his testimony is little worth Those famous Heretickes Nostorius Entyches Dioschorus were not condemned for denying unwritten Traditions but for opposing written Doctrines Although Bernard lived in a declining age yet he defendeth no unwritten Traditions against the Apostolicks but being urged by them to shew where in the Gospell this is written He accepteth of their Appeale to the Gospell prosecuteth them in their appeale and examineth the cause by the Scripture f Beâ—â—ard â—erm 65. in Caâ—â—ic Evangelium appellasts Ad Evangelium ibis Hast thâ—â— appealed unto the Gospell To the Gospell thou shalt goe Wickliffe defendeth no hereticall Doctrine but the doctrine of the Primitive Church as Thomas Waldensis relateth it g Quod nulli quidquam in materiâ— fidei debent definiâ—e nisi ad hoc habent authoritatem Scripturae Tho. Wald. l. 2. Doct. â—id antiq c. 19 That none ought to determine any thing in a point of faith without the authoritie of Scripture If this make Wickliffe an Hereticke what then will you say of Thomas Waldensis himselfe who saith as much if not more against the authority of the Roman Church h Idem ibid. In the doubts of faith we must inquire what the Apostles taught And if any shall aske who shall declare what the Apostles taught He answereth Not the African Church as Donatus said Not the Roman Church as the Iesuite will say but the universall Church not as gathered in a generall Synode which â—ft hath erred but the Catholicke Church of Christ dispersed over the world Where then was the Popes Cathedrall voyce This Doctrin was not then hatcht that whatsoever power is extensivè in the whole Church the same is intensivè in the Pope And that it must be a thing taken pro Concesso that iâ— determining doubts of faith the Pope cannot erre Huss opposed the errors of the Church of Rome and therefore it is no new thing to heare his enemies speake evill of him and of his adherents Finally the Iesuite concludeth with a rotten lye that our pedegree is from those rotten Heretickes It is a Brute raised by a Brute as true as the tale of the Britanes from Brute S. Chrysostome in like manner giveth this for a marke of Answer Antichrist and of all spirituall theeves that they come not in by the doore of the Scriptures * Chrys 〈◊〉 in Ioh. 10 For the Scripture saith hee like unto a sure doore doth barre an entrance unto Heretickes safeguarding us in all things that we will and not suffering us to be deceived Whereupon hee concludeth That who so useth not the Scriptures but commeth in otherwise that is betaketh himselfe to an other and an unlawfull way hee is a thâ—efe To this the Iesuit retnrneth no answer he durst not touch it it discovereth him to be a spirituall theefe and a minister of Antichrist and that things unwritten are an other way and therefore an unlawfull way How this mystery of iniquitie wrought when Antichrist Answer came unto his full growth was well observed by the author of the booke de unitate Ecclesiae thought by some to be Waltram Bishop of Naâ—mburg who speaking of the Monkes that for the upholding of Pope Hildebrands faction brought in Schismes and heresies into the Church noteth this specially of them * lib de unitat Eccles that despising the Tradition of God they desired other doctrines and brought in maisteries of humane institution Waltram his invective against Pope Hildebrand is to no Reply pag. 157 purpose
was great reason to take away marriage from Preists but there is greater reason to restore it unto them againe And so we proceede to his next Section the title whereof is this SECT VIII For what cause all Heretickes have beene accustomed to reject Apostolicall Traditions WHen I first read the title of this Section I expected no other stuffe then I finde therein even a deale of bombaste to stuffe it out And as the title is a digression so the whole Section consisteth of three digressions from the Question The 1. is of the affinity of Heresie and Idolatrie The 2. about the Interpretation of Scripture The 3. is touching the Translation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tradition Concerning the 1. he beginneth thus The Reader must observe that Heresie is a kinde of Idolatry Reply pag. 15â— for as S. Cyprian observeth * Câ—prian de unit Eccles the enemy of mankinde perceiving how by the comming of Christ and by the preaching of his faith men were drawen from Idolatrie unto the true service of God he be thought himselfe how by a new illusion he might entrap poore soules under the very title and profession of Christianity Heereupon saith S. Cyprian he invented new Heresies and Schismes We confesse all this and are able to prove that with you are these things Idolatrie Heresie onely the title of Christianity or a shew of Godlinesse There was never greater Idolatry among the Heathens then is at this day defended in the Church of Rome for which cause namely for her Idolatry S. Iohn compareth her unto a Revel 11â— Egypt This is descended unto her from the ancient Heathens as this Heresie of unwritten Doctrines to perfect the rule of faith is descended unto her from the ancient Heretickes As for the title of Christianitie and the outward forme of Godlinesse this is all you have to bâ—agge of ye are wolves in sheepes skins ye have the hornes of the Lambe but the voyce of the Dragon as S. Iohn b Revel 13. 11 describeth you Ye speake lyes in hypocrisie as if they were truth And the mysterie of iniquity that is the covâ—rt of pietie is the onely meanes whereby ye entrap poore soules To free themselves from Idolatry he giveth a strange description of it Idolatry placeing a senselesse creature in Gods stâ—â—d doth Reply pag. â—59 give religious worship thereunto A senselesse description and yet as senselesse as it is such Idolatry you are guilty of in worshipping of Idols of silver and gold and of brasse c. If a man worship the Devill is it not Idolatrie Yet he is no senselesse creature Your Demi god the Pope is an hereticall Idoll to whom that may well be applyed which you lay to our charge For he is set up on the altar of your soules and adored as God He is so far besotted with a selfe-liking of his owne opinion that he treadeth under-fooâ— all other authority both divine humane as the power of Scripture of Fathers and of Councels which are nothing without him and he farre above them And yet because he hath some apprehension of the authoritie of holy Scripture â—nd finding it plyable to his humor he admitteth no other Interpreter thereof but himselfe Hence it commeth that these places must needes be understood of him c Concil Later Sess 9. All Kings shall worship him Psal 72. 11. All power is given unto him in heaven and in earth Math. 28. 18. This is the hereticall Idoll whose essentiall parts are Heresie and Idolatry 2. His second digression is about the Interpretation of Scripture and therein hee pusâ—eth himselfe to shew by what meanes it must be interpreted and by what meanes it must not be interpreted It must be Apostolicall Tradition which the ancient Fathers alwayes have taught to bee the certaine â—ule whereby Reply pag. 159 we must finde out the assured sense and mâ—aning of the holy Ghost speaking unto us in the Scripture * Vincent Liâ—in c. 1. Inquiring often saith Vincentius Liâ—inensis with great care of very many holy and learned mâ—n in what sort I might by a certaine and as it were by a generall and regular way discover the truth of the Catholicke faith from the falshood of hereticall perversitie I received still this answere from them all that if I would finde out the deceit of uprising Heresies c. I must fortifie my beleâ—â—e with two things first by the authority of Holy Scripture next by the Tradition of the Catholicke Church But seeing the Canon of Scripture is perfect and sufficient to it selfe for all things what need is there of the authoritie of the Ecclesiasticall interpretation to be joyned with it Because the Scripture is so profound that all men doe not take it in one and the same sense c. If you will stand to the judgment of Vincentius the controversie is thus determined by him 1. That the Canon of Scripture is perfect and sufficient to it selfe for all things Hee beleeved a selfe-sufficiency or an immediate sufficiencie so that there needed no unwritten Traditions 2. The Tradition which he alloweth is that kind of Tradition which we allow the Ecclesiasticall interpretation Not the interpretation of Hereticks of the Pope of the Roman Church but that of the Catholicke Church 3. The end of this kinde of Tradition is that Heresies might be discovered and confuted not to be a rule of faith nor to supply the defects of Scripture as if it were an imperfect rule 4. He doth not account it a good meanes to discover all Heresies but onely uprising Heresies as the Iesuite translateth it that is of new Heresies or Heresies lately sprung up d Ceterùm dilatatae inveteratae hâ—reses nequâ—quam hâc vià adgrediendâ— sunt â—â— quod prolixo temporum tractu â—onga his furandâ— veritatis patuerit occasio Idem de Haer c 39. For far-spread and inveterate Heresies are not to be dealt with all this way saith Vinceâ—tius because by long continuance of time a long occasion hath lyen open unto them unto the Hereticks to steale away the truth Majorum volumina vitiando by corrupting the bookes of the ancient Such heresies he would have coÌ„futed sola Scripturarum authoritate only by the authority of Scripture This â—eresie of unwritten Traditions is not now newly budded our Adversaries have received it from the ancient Heretickes and whatsoever the Heretickes did wee are sure our Adversaries have not beene backeward from corrupting the writings of the ancient they have fitted the monuments of antiquity to their opinion as the Tyrant used to fit his guests to his bed wresting them cutting them off and adding to them c Adscripta sunt Patribus quae ipsis nunquà m ne per quietem quidèm in mentem venerant Ludov. Viâ—es de caus corrupt art many things which the Fathers never dreamed of Yet we except not against this kinde of Tradition we have tryed examined unwritten Traditions by this
this our Adversaryes enlarge unto all articles of faith As in that of S. Hierome which the Iesuite addeth in the margine That God was borne of a virgin we beleeve because we read it that Mary did marry after she was delivered we beleeve not because we read it not 11. The Fathers provoke their Adversaries unto Scripture only not only in doubtful questions not determined but likewise in points of faith determined by the Church out of the Scriptures The first Councell of Nice determined this point That the Sonne is consubstantiall with the Father and yet about an 100. yeares after S. Augustine disputing against Maximinus the Arian about the same point provoketh k August cont Maxim l. 3. c. 14 him unto Scripture onely The Iesuit's instance of the perpetuall virginity of the blessed Virgin cannot agree with the observation of the Cardinall If it was a question not determined in the Church when S. Hierome wrote against Helvidius why then doth the Iesuite insert it into his * ag 126. Catalogue of unwritten Traditions For as Iulius Rugerius once one of the Popes Protonotaries observeth l Iâ—l Ruger de lib. Canoniâ—is A Tradition is of no force if it have not beene beleeved even from the times of the Apostles 6. When the Fathers cry out upon the abominable impostures Reply p. 169. of the Heretickes who â—athered upon the Apostles execrable Traditions our Adversaries make use of this against such Catholicke and Apostolicke Traditions as the universall Church in all ages and thoroughout all nations hath evermore observed 12. We admit all Catholicke and Apostolicke Traditions and yeeld to the doctrine of the Catholicke Church if by the Catholicke Church he doe not meane the Roman Catholicke Church The Traditions of that Church are as execrable and abominable as those Traditions which were invented by those Hereticks and we have just cause as the Fathers did to cry ouâ— against such Traditions These are the fraudulent inventions by which these Tradition-mongers seeke to avoyde the verdict which the Fathers have given against unwritten Doctrines whose fraud and craftinesse do â—like wise appeare in alleadging the testimonies of the Fathers for unwritten Traditions for as wee have discovered in the stateing of this Question wheresoâ—ver the Fathers use the word Tradition meaning thereby eiâ—her the manner of delivery or the matter delivered eithâ—r Rituall Traditions unwritten or Doctrinâ—ll Traditions written all those places without any respect to thâ— sense most senselesly and deceitfully they produce for their unwritten Traditions When the Fathers use the word Tradition for the delivery of the written word in writing by the Apostles or for their delivery of the same things which are in the word by preaching or by practise or for the Churches delivery of the written word or of written doctrines either expressely written or by consequence deduced or delivered in an unwritten forme of words or for the succession of true doctrine in the Church or for unwritten rites and ordinances used by the Church all such places they alleadge against us for their papisticall Traditions We confesse that which followeth in his Reply That Reply pag. 170. the condition of being written or not written belongeth nothing at all unto the nature of a precept but onely unto the manner of delivery and therefore if once we be assured it was delivered we must not doubt of it This is the true state of the Question whether the Apostles did deliver such things or no Prove this that the Apostles did deliver such doctrines as are not contained in the Scriptures that your unwritten doctrines are the same and we will make no doubt of them To prove this the Iesuite propâ—undeth three rules whereby we may be certainely assured of this 1. By the testimonie of the Church vivâ voce 2. By the dayly and constant practise of the Church 3. By the written attestation of the Saints and holy Doctours His 1. rule is thus squared Seeing our Adversaryes have Reply pag. 170 no other warrant for the written word but the continuall testimonie of the Church thoroughout all ages having the same authoritie for the unwritten word why doe they not embrace the same 13. If we had as good authority for the one as we have for the other we would embrace it for the written word we have more sure grounds then the testimonie of the Church as we have * Sect. 4. Div. 16 shewed but for unwritten Traditions we have not so much as the continuall testimony of the Church throroughout all ages Produce if you can the continuall testimony of the Church thoroughout all ages for adoring of Images for denying the Cuppe and the Scriptures unto the common people and marriage unto Priests To prove unwritten Traditions by the testimonie of the Church is to prove idem per idem for they account the testimonie of the Church an unwritten Tradition This is to prove obscurum per obscurius because it is a most diâ—â—icult thing to finde out the continuall testimonie of the Church thorough all ages Howsoever we put it to the tryall of the Church exceptis semper excipiendis 1. That it be the testimony of the truly Catholicke Church not of the Roman Catholicke Church whose fame is crackt and â—he is â—mficti praviâ— tenax the case is her owne and shee must not be a witnesse in her owne cause m Aug epist 9. If one false thing bee found in the Scriptures saith S. Augustine what authoritie can there be in them In the Roman Church there is at the least one false Tradition which is not from the Apostles as the taking away of the Cuppe and then what authority can there be in her testimony 2. The testimony of the Church must be beleeved the Iesuite might spare his labour in proving it but it cannot beget that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full assurance which the Scripture doth so that I may easily answer his question What deposition of witnesses I pray Reply p. 170. you can be more certaine and authenticall then tho voyce of the whole Church Why the voyce of the Scripture is a more â—ure word holy men may be deceived in some things and their aâ—â—irmation maketh a thing probable but the Scripture is infallible so certaine as non potest â—ubesse falsam the Scriptures affirmation is a most certaine demonstration And now having made our exceptions let us heare the continuall testimony of the Church The voyce of the Church is an uniforme consent and agreement of six or seven Reply p. 170. thousand Chayres and Episcopall Successions derived without any interruption from the Apostles and their successours and of many millions of subordinate Churches â—hâ—rough the which as thorough so many câ—nduit pipes ordained assisted and authorized by the holy Ghost for this effect the Traditions of the Apostles have with a great uniformity sliden and â—â—owen through all ages unto us This is not the voâ—ce of Iacob but
Luther by the Scriptures that we might shew our wit and learning this combustion which wee greive to see is stirred up By this wee may see why they flye from Scripture even as the dog flyeth from the whip wherewith he is beaten The Scripture is no freind of theirs and therefore they will not be freinds with it but speake evill of it as of an inky Gospell a leaden rule a nose of wane a dumbe Iudge and an imperfict Law And they have invented this Doctrine of unwritten Traditions as a Sanctuary to slye unto which they call c Salutis castrum propugnaculum Lindan de optim gener in terpret The towre and fort of salvation d Andrad orthodox explicat l. 2. The maine pillar of Religion * pag. 169. And upon it saith the Lesuite in this his hotch-potch doth podge the whole frame of all differences controversies in Religion which now adayes are disputed betwixt Protestants and Catholickes Seeing then this is his Master-piece in which he fighteth Tanquam pro focis aris let him shew his skill and reading Hee giveth good testimony of his vaine skil and reading If I may use his owne words who hath read no more then his †A. Andradius B. Bellarmine C. Coccius A. B. C. And such a fibolist by whole sale I never read yet this impudent Iesuite compareth him whose learning his learned Adversaryes doe acknowledge unto * pag. 151. Esopes Iacdaw trimmed with the gay feathers of other birds but now remaining in his doublet and hose Whenas he fluttereth in others feathers having of his owne not so much as one feather or a fig-leafe to cover his nakednesse but onely a robe of lyes of raylings of malice and of impudencie e Quem veritate non potest vincere lacerat convitijâ— Ambros in Psal 118 In truth hee cannot overcome him yet by raylings hee would wound him It is no marvaile that he should slaunder and belye him that standeth for the perfection of Gods written word seeing he slandereth and belyeth the written word it selfe with imperfection A whipp is fitter for a foole then an answer for his follye f An non justius os loquens talia fustibus tunderetur quam rationibus refelleretur Bernard epist 190. A cudgell is more fit to stoppe then reasons are to confute a mouth that speaketh such things I might refuse to aunswere his foolish Reply as g Ierem. â—8 11. Ieremie did to Hannaniah but then the Philistims will vaunt that none dare meete with their Goliah and therefore I who am but the least in the Campe of Israel will grapple with him and by GODS assistance leave him groveling on the ground 2. Sir Wiseakers in his haulting simile taxeth the pag. 115. most reverend Primate for frameing of the Question A witlesse cavill Is it not the part of an Answerer to lay downe the state of the Question that the truth may bee the better discovered If the Iesuite had stated the Question better or if hee had shewed wherein his Answerer had framed the Question amisse he had not spoken non-sense but to doe neither the one nor the other this Declareth how idlely his Answer wil be shaped It is his policie Dolosus versatur in generalibus to dispute at randoâ— and not to state the Question at all lest the truth should bee discovered h Vanitas potest plus clamare quam veritas August de Civit. Dei l. 5 c 27. Vanitie saith S. Augustine may out-cry the truth So doth the Iesuite crying out of vanitie and of grosse vanitie in the most reverend Primate when he himselfe most vainely triumpheth as Victor That unwritten Traditions are embraced by the Catholicke Church as the undoubted Word of God this is one of his vaine flourishes this is no better then petitio principij a vaine begging of the Question 3. Hee can doe little that cannot belye his Adversarie This the Iesuite hath done first perswading the Reader to beleive that the Answerer engaged himselfe to tell When unwritten Traditions first beganne The most reverend Primate hath shewed their * pag. 40. Originall although hee sheweth that it is a * pag. 2. 3. vaine and a foolish demaund Tell us when those Iewish Traditions which the Scripture condemneth beganne and who was the Authour of them and then wee will doe the same for Popish Traditions This is as true as the next that the Answerer hath not produced so much as one onely Authoritie out of the Fathers against unwritten Traditions Not one onely why Is it because hee hath produced many more then one And those so direct so cleare so evident against them as that the Iesuite could not invent any false glosse to obscure them In answering many testimonyes of the Fathers hee hath made use of that Counsell which the Divines of Doway gave i Commodum ijs sensum affingamus dum oppoâ—untur nobis in disputationibus Index Enpurg Bolg Let us invent some commodious sense for the Fathers when as they are objected against us in disputations But many others he hath answered onely with a noli me tangere dealing with them as Antony the unskilfull Oratour did with troublesome points k Mar Tul. l 2. de Orat. passing them over in silence It will not be unseasonable here to give a taste of them Can there be a more direct testimonie then that of S. Basil * Basil pag. 11. l. Every word and action ought to be confirmed by the testimony of holy Scripture And againe * pag. 38. ctm. Neither reject nor adde any thing thereunto for it whatsoever is not of faith be sinne as the Apostle saith and faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God then whatsoever is without the holy Scripture being not of faith must needes bee sinne Gregorie Nyssen saith * Greg. Nyss pag. 39. ct o. Forasmuch as this is upholden with no testimony of Scripture as false wee will reject it Unto these I might adde that of S. Benedict * Benedict pag. 42. n. The Abbot ought to teach nothing that is without the precept of the Lord. That of S. Anthony * Anthon. pag. 43. 0. The Scriptures are sufficient for Doctrine And that of S. Basil * Basil pag. 43. p. It is necessary that every one should learne out of the holy Scriptures that which is for his use both for his full settlement in godlinesse and that hee may not bee accustomed unto humane Traditions These are direct testimonyes and unto those the Iesuite answereth nothing but mumme never expect truth from a Iesuite in defending of his Religion for as it is compounded of lyes so it is maintained by lying What Traditions doe you admit Reply 4. If he had eyes to see he might see that All Traditions are not promiscuously strucke at by our Religion Wee cavill not at the use of the word Tradition we finde it both in
is not this ad rem Is not this to speake to the purpose He may sooner cough up his heart then prove the contrary And though some things were delivered by the Apostles without writing yet their authority may be lesse then the authority of the things they committed to writing not because writing giveth authority but because the authority may arise from the matter delivered and from the intention of the deliverer 1. From the matter delivered unwritten rituall Traditions may be of the same authority with written rituall Traditions which are mutable and changeable but no man of understanding will say that they are of the same authority with written doctrinall Traditions which are immutable and unchangeable 2. From the intention of the deliverer Those things which the Apostles intended should be universall and perpetuall were written by them but those things which they intended should be transient and particular for the most part they were delivered by word of mouth so that their intention was to deliver such things as befitting those timâ—s and places and not by them to make an addition to the written word as it were defective nor to make them of equall authority with the written word In leagues between Prince Prince in covenants between man and man the Articles are committed unto writing God hath entred into a covenant with man and hath made choise to deliver it by writing and therefore we give supreme authority to the written word above all things unwritten whatsoever Yet those things which by sound inference are deduced from the Scriptures have the same authority with the Scriptures But first you have no meanes to know which is a sound inference Reply pag. 116 6. Sir I tell you that you are a lyar and I will prove it by a sound inference It was of olde accounted an argument sound both in matter and forme d Thom. Walâ—ing Histor Richâ—â— 2â— If a Fryar then a lyar This Argument is as sound If a Iesuite then a lyar The inference is sound because e Psal 116. 11. All men are lyars This is a surer inference then the Popes supremacie or the corporall presence the first depending upon many false suppositions and the second upon many doubtful intentions Such I confesse is the depth of Scripture that the wit of man is not able to sounde it and to find out all the sound inferences that may be deduced from it Such is the depth of Scripture saith S. Augustine f Tanta est Christianarum literarum profunditas ut iâ— eis quotid se proficerem sieas solas ab in cunte aetaâ—e usque ad decrepitam senectuâ—em coâ—areâ— addiscere August Ep. 3â— that still I may learne more out of it although I should studio nothing but it all the dayes of my life But to say that we have no meanes to know which is a sound inference out of it is to deny that we have Wit or any spirituall understanding This is a most witlesse cavill and it seemeth that the Iesuite hath no more braines then a bird-boult 2. We have the expresse warrant of the Scripture approving Reply unwritten Traditions And so the Scripture condemneth unwritten Traditions and I beleive when we come to examine your Traditions we shall find them more like those which are condemned then those which are commended by the Scripture 3. We are able to prove all such Traditions as the Catholick Reply Church holdeth for Apostolicall to bee doctrines deduced by sound inference from the Scripture And so are we but what is that to Popish Traditions which were never held by the Catholick Church are not Apostolicall and are no doctrines deduced by sound inference from the Scripture Wee have long desired to see the catalogue of unwritten Traditions we presse you and defye you to set it out This puny Iesuite knoweth not what is an unwritten Tradition What a babling wittall is this He undertaketh to prove All unwritten Traditions to be doctrines deduced by sound inference from the Scripture If he doe not prove this he is a lyar in grain If he doe prove this then he over-throweth unwritten Traditions for doctrines deduced by sound inference from Scripture are not unwritten Traditions but even all one with the Scripture it selfe I marvaile not at the dunsary of this Ignoramus in calling doctrines deduced by sound inference from Scripture unwritten Traditions seeing in * pag. 145. an other place hee calleth the Scripture it selfe an unwritten Tradition Sr. Ignaro learne to speake English before you write againe in divinity But let us here his sound inference Because the Scripture commandeth us to obey the Church A sound inference to defend Iewish Traditions aswell as Popish because the Church among them was to be obeyed Such an inference may passe for current among your Proselytes who must beleive whatsoever you prate or prattle This is a sound of an inference but no sound inference 1. Because the Romish Priests and Prelates who require this audience and obedience are not a true Church but upstart Imposters Tradition-mongers such the Scripture commandeth us not to obey 2. Though they were a true Church yet they are not the Catholicke Church of which Mr Dullman speaketh 3. Because the Traditions which you defend crosse both the veritie and perfection of the sacred Scripture And therefore they are no doctrines deduced by sound inference from the Scripture for which cause wee set our selves against them Then you set your selfe against no body Reply but combat with your owne shadow frameing a phantasticall Adversary for such Traditions as we defend are farre from crossing the veritie or perfection of the Scripture 7. The first article of Ignatius Loiola his lame confession is this g Credo Scripturam esse doctrinam imperfectam mutilam et mancam Hospin de orig Iesuit I beleeve that the Scripture is an imperfect lame and maimed doctrine not all that a Christian is bound to beleeve but onely h Maxima pars coâ—tinetur in Scripturis Andrad orthodox Explicat a â— The greatest part is contained in the Scriptures saith Andradius i Multo pars maxima Euangelij pervenit ad nos traditioneâ— perexigua est literis mandata Hosius confess Petrocovâ—â— 9 de Traditionibus The farre greater part of the Gospell we have by Tradition very little is committed unto writing thus writeth Hosius the Cardinall How oft hath this Sir Oblivious denyed the perfectiâ— of Scripture even in points of greatest moment g pag. 126. That it cannot be proved by Scripture that the Father is unbegotten and that the Son is consubstantiall with the Father that * pag. 118. The holy Ghost is to bee worshipped He likewise affirmeth * pag. 132. That all the Councel of God which the Minister is to deliver is not written And * pag. 165. That the Scripture hath sufficiencie to declare some but not all the Articles of faith And if this defect must
good man Wiseakers wherein doth the most reverend Primate shrinke Wherein hath hee stated the Question amisse Doth not he directly oppose Popish Traditions which crosse either the verity or the perfection of Scripture Confesse this or else deny this article of unwritten Traditions All your exceptions proove frivolous and ridiculous You are like an unskilfull Pilot that maketh ship-wrack before he can get out of the haven You deale with your Adversary as Pericles did in his disputations with Thucidides r Plutarch in vitâ Pericl boasting that he gave the foyle when he received the foyle And as in this Section we finde that which Iosephus found in Å¿ Ioseph l. 1. cont Apion Apions writings an heape of untruths So I doubt not but that we shall finde the like dealing in your next Section wherein we are to examine SECT II. VVhether Christ and his Apostles delivered unto the Church many things which are not written 1. a Aristotâ—l de reprehens sophist ARistotle compareth sophisticall disputers unto weake persons who stuffe up themselves to seeme greater The Iesuite is such a one he stuffeth up his three ensuing Sections with a deale of bombaste that so his Replye may seeme greater They beare the title of a Reply to the Answer and yet the Answerer doth not once speake in them I might therefore passe them over as impertinently written but I wil be content to run the wildgoose chase and to pursue this gagler by his hissing who thus beginnes to keake Christ commaunded that the * Math. 23. 3. Scribes and Pharisees Reply pag. 117. should be obeyed in their doctrine for the authority of Moyses chayre much more will he have his Church to be obeyed in her holy Lawes In the same Chapter Christ saith b Vers 19. The altar sanctifyeth the gift Yet it doth not sanctify every gift as doggs flesh or swines flesh but onely such gifts as are fit for the Altar Children must obey their c Col. 3. 20. Parents in all things Yet not in unlawfull things so must the Chayre the Church be obeyed in all holy Lawes Wee must obey them that sit in Moses chayre but who sit therein d Qui ea quae in lege habentur docent Theophâ—l in Mat. 23. They that teach those things which the Law teacheth them saith Theophilact e Perinde est ac si dicat omnia quae lex Moses vobis dixeâ—int Scribis Pharisaeis recitanâ—bâ—s Maldoâ—â—â— in Mat. 23. It is all one saith Maldonate as if he should say obey all things which Moses and the Law doe teach being recited by the Scribes and Pharisees And S. Augustine saith f Sua verò si vellent docere nolite audire Aug. tract 46. in Ioh. If they will teach things of their owne heare them not Prove then your Traditions to bee taught in the Law and that they are not of your owne but from God and wee will obey them You stretch this obedience as shooemakers doe their leather untill it cracke The caveat which Christ gave unto his Disciples g Matth. 16. 12 Take heed of the leaven of the doctrine of the Pharisees is entred in sacred writ for our instruction You erre in Traditions as much as ever did the Pharisees Moses Chayre is fallen the Popes is a falling as you paint h Lernaus in introduct in arâ—â—â— Iesuit The Pope in his Chayre ready to fall and the Iesuites bearing it up with their shoulders You have lost not onely the power of binding and unbinding but likewise your discretion with it for no man of discretion would say as you doe That the Church can binde and unbinde at her discretion To prove this he alledgeth the text * Luk. 21. 15. Christ bestowed upon his Church os sapientiam a mouth to utter and wisedome to declare all his will and counsell in so much that whatsoever shee saith must not be doubted This seemeth to bee a gift peculiar to the Apostles to whom Christ gave wisedome without study or labour not onely to stoppe the mouthes of their Adversaries but also to penne Lawes for his Church rather then an inheritance conveyed by succession unto the Church her wisedome is not to make new Lawes but to keepe the Lawes which GOD hath made not to bee wise above that i 1. Cor. 4. 6. which is written But to be k 2. Tim. 3. 15. made wise by the Scripture Suppose it were a promise made to the Church for ever yet it is no such warrant for her infallible truth but that her doctrine may bee inquired into and examined by the Scriptures l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Chrysost hom 13. in 2. Cor. It is an absurd thing saith S. Chrysostome not to beleeve others in receiving of money but to reckon it after them and yet in greater things to receive other mens doctrines and not to trye them Are your wordes more authenticall then S. Paules m Si ipse taliâ— ac tantus Apostolus authoritatem dictorum suorum sufficere non posse credit nisi doceat in Lege Prophetis scriptâ— esse quae dicit quanto magiâ— nos minimi hoc observaâ—e debemus Origenâ— in Rom. c. 3. If he such and so great an Apostle did not thinke his words to have authority enough unlesse hee could teach that those things which he said were written in the Law and the Prophets how much more ought wee who are the least to observe the same course saith Origen And what if the doctrine taught cannot bee prooved by the Scripture must it be obeyed I reade the contrary in Cyrill n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Cyrill Hieros Catech. 4â— de Spiâ— Sanct. Beleeve not mee unlesse I can bring a demonstration out of the Scripture In S. Augustine o Nec ipsis Catholicis Episcopiâ— consâ—ntiendum est sicuti forte falluntur ut contra â—anonicaâ— Dei scripturas aliquid sentiant Aug. de unitat Eccles c. 10. Beleeve not the Catholicke Bishoppes themselves who may sometimes bee deceived teaching things contrary to the holy Scriptures of GOD. And in the imperfect worke upon Matthew p Nec ipsis Ecclesiâ—s credendum est nisi ea dicant quae convenientia sunt Scriptura Author imperfect Oper. in Matth hom 49. Beleeve not the Churches themselves unlesse they teach these things which doe agree witb the Scriptures So that a Bishop Bishops or the Churches must not be beleived unlesse they can proove their doctrine by the Scripture But if the Church say it then the Iesuite will sweare it Because it is the Lords decree * Luke 10. 16. Hee that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth mee Take heed you be not forsworne for Gerson telleth you that this is spoken of the q Gerson de vitâ spirituali lect 2 Apostles And Driedo addeth his reason r Ecclesia primitiva propter collegium Apostolorum majoris erat
gratiae majorisque authoritatis quam Ecclesia quae nunc est Driedo de Eccles dogm l. 4. c. 4. Because the Primitive Church by reason of the college of the Apostles had more grace and more authoritie then the Church which now is but be it spoken of the Church that now is as long as the Church heareth Christ and delivereth nothing but his embassage hearing her we heare Christ but if once she speake of her owne head and goe beyond beside or contrary to her commission if wee heare her wee heare not Christ Did the Iewes heare Christ when they heard Iudas with his Quid dabitis If our teachers become Arians Nestorians or Pelagians must wee heare them No If it be Paul himselfe more If it bee an Å¿ Gal. 1. 8. Angell from heaven shall teach other doctrine then is contayned in the Scriptures let him be accursed Hee is rather to bee accursed and accounted as an Reply pag. 117 * Matt. 18. 17. Insidell who wilfully refuseth to hearken to the Church In that Text our Saviour speaketh not of matters of faith but of fact as of the meanes of ending strife betweene party and party And as it is in inferiour Courts they may heare and judge some things as Batteryes Blood-sheddes and the like but may not judge of Felony Treason and the like So it is with the Church shee may heare and determine in matters of fact as to compose strife and he that will not in such a case hearken unto her let him be no better then an Infidell but if she take too much upon her as that God must say whatsoever she saith that all her wordes are Gospell * pag. 124. as sure as S. Iohns Gospell and if she dare adde unwritten Traditions to Gods written Law the point of greatest consequence and the cheifest Article of the Romane faith she extendeth her authority beyond her power and in such a case none but wittalls will listen unto her But the Church is * 1. Tim. 3. 5. it is vers 15. the foundation Reply pag. 117. pillar of truth To speake properly t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in 1â— Tim. hom 11. Truth is the foundation and pillar of the Church as S. Chrysostome saith And the Replyer oft a lyer now telleth truth This title doth properly belong unto God himselfe Then it is improperly given unto the Church but the question is in what respect whether in regard of her nature or of her dutie In regard of her nature saith the Iesuite Because shee is indued from above with the Spirit of truth which never faileth to teach her all truth I may safely grant this yet deny unwritten verities because they are not truth but very lyes never received from the spirit of truth nor taught by the Church unto her followers This title is given unto the Church rather in regard of her dutie for as the Magistrate is said to be u Rom. 13. 3. A terror not to the good but to the evill Not because he is alwayes so but because he ought to be so so this title is given to the Church not in regard of her infallible nature which never faileth but in regard of her office and dutie which is to upholde the truth and to preserve the truth in which she may sometimes faile The Apostle calleth the Church of Ephesus where hee left x 1. Tim. 1. 36 Timothy and where Timothy was resident when S. Paul wrote unto him the ground and pillar of truth yet that which S. Paul y Act. 20. 19 feared is come unto it it is not now the pillar of truth but is fallen froÌ„ the truth So is the Church of Rome fallen from the truth into many errors of which this doctrine of unwritten Traditions is not the least 2. Thus much I have well considered and the more I consider I see the more dunsery and the lesse divinitie In his ensuing observations he laboureth to tread downe the authority of Scripture even as in his precedent observations hee laboured to make the authority of the Church to mount up unto heaven The first is this Christ never Reply p. 117. wrete any his doctrine himselfe As he spake by the mouth of all his Prophets and Apostles so he wrote by their hands S. Pauls Epistle written by z Rom. 16. 22. Tertius unto the Romans is accounted part of Pauls writings aswell as the Epistle to Philemon which was written with a Vers 19. his owne hands so the Scripture may bee said to be written by Christ being written by the Apostles and Prophets who were his hands S. Augustine will teach him to speake b Nequaquam dicendum est quod Christus non scripserit quandoquidem memora ejus id operata sunt quod dictante capite cognoverunt quicquid enim ille de dictis sactis suis nos le gere voluit hoc scribendum illis tanquam suis manibus imperavit Aug. de consens Evang l. 1. c. ult Say not by any meanes that Christ hath not written because his hands wrote that which the head did dictate unto them and whatsoâ—ver he would have us to reade touching his words or workes that he commanded them to write as it were with his owne hands c Haee ille doctè eleganter c. Tanto magis dicen dum est Christum scripsesse per Iuangelicrum Scriptores ut per manus suas quanto illi ne verbum unum aut iotâ— unum de suo spiritu Evangelio addiderunt Saâ—mer Proleg 26. Tom. 1. These things saith Salmeron S. Augustine spake learnedly and eloquently And he addeth this reason By so much the rather we must say that Christ himselfe wrote by the writers of the Gospell as by his owne hands in as much as they added not one word it selfe nor the least letter of â—heir owne to the Gospell Gregorie de Valentia saith d Planâ— instar calami cum usurpatur à Scriptore quo illud Davidis spectat lingua mea calamus scribae velociter scribentis nec enim alium hoc loco scribam significat praeter ipsum Deum Greg. de Val. Annal. fid l. 8. c. 5. They wrote even as the pen which the writer useth unto which David alludeth Psal 45. 2. my tongue is the penne of a ready writer he meaneth here no other writer but God Neither is it any thing materiall whether we say Christ wrote it himselfe or the Apostles wrote it as long as we are sure they had Christs commandement for the writing of it But this the Iesuite denyeth Wee doe not reade that ever he gave commandement to his Disciples to commit any part thereof unto writing S. Iohn was eleven times e Revel c. 1. 11. 19. c. 2. 1. 8. 1â— c. 3. 1. 7. 14. c 14. 13 c. 19. 9. c. 21. 5. coÌ„manded to write Is the Revelation of Iesus Christ no part of his doctrine f Aug. de
as may sometime deceive a man and therefore though the exposition be true yet how can I be as sure that it is true as I am that S. Iohns Gospell is canonicall I like better of that saying of Marsilius c Dict a Christi five Dei non vera sunt causaliter â—o quod â—iâ—dem testificatur Ecclesia Catholica vero testimonio sed testimonium Ecclesiae causaliter verum est dum dicit dicta christi vera propteâ— veâ—tatem dictorum christi Marsil Desensor pacis part 2. cap. 19. The words of Christ or of God are not therefore made true because the Catholicks Church by a true testimony giveth her testimony unto them but the testimony of the Church is therefore true when shee speaketh the true words of Christ because of the truth of Christs words And as S. Augustine said * August cont epist fundament c. 5. That hee beleevea the Gospell Reply pag. 114. by the authority of the Church so are we to beleeve the Traditions which the Church propoundeth unto us as the word of God 2. I wish our Adversary to consider two things which make the meaning of S. Augustine most evident 1. That S. Augustine speaketh of the primitive Church d Augustinus ibidem Ecclesiam sumit proâ— primitivâ— congregatione fidelium qui Christum viderunt audieruÌ„t sui testes sueruÌ„t Gerson de vitâ spirit lect 2 dâ— S. Augustine saith Gerson in that place taketh the Church for the primitive congregation of the faithfull who did see heare and were witnâ—sses of Christ What is this to the now Roman Church Have you the same power and authority which that Church had Your own Driedo telleth you no. e Ecclesia primitiva propter collegium Apostolorum majoris erat gratiae majorisque authoritatis quam Ecclesia quaenunc est Driedo de dogma l. â— c. 4. The primitive church by reason of the colledge of the apostles was of greater grace and of greater authority then the Church which now is If the Iesuite speake of the Traditions delivered by that Church we refuse them not let him prove this or that to be a Tradition delivered by the Apostles and we will beleeve it but if he speake of the now Roman Church his argument is of no force and as S. Augustine beleeved not the Gospell by the authority of that Church so wee will not beleeve the Traditions taught by her 2. That this was the occasion why he alledged the authority of the Church S. Augustine had beene for nine yeares a Manichee and now having to deale with the Manichees to convert them hee propoundeth unto them the authoritie of the Church to move them even as in the time of his heresie it moved him This he speaketh of the time past I had not beleeved the Gospell if the authority of the Church had not moved me But afterward being converted and made a Bishop he maketh a better confession saying f I am credere coeperam nullo modo te fuisse tributurum tam excellen tem illi scripturae per omnes jam terras authoritatem nisi per ipsam tibi credi per ipsam te quaeri voluâ—sses Aug. confess l. â— c. 5. Now I began to beleeve that thou wouldest not have given so excellent authoritie unto the Scripture it selfe â—ver the whole world but that by it thou wouldest be beleeved and by it thou wouldest be sought This is all that can be gathered out of S. Augustine that the Church is a good motive to perswade men to beleeve the word of God and not that it is such a Doctor that can give such lawes as shal be equall with the word of God S. Augustine confesseth that he had an other motive to perswade him to beleeve besides the authoritie of the Church g Se Carthagine motum esse disputatione cujusdam Elpidij cui Manichâ—i imbeâ—illa responsione restiterint August confess l. 5. c 11. Being at Carthage he was moved to beleeve by the disputation of one Elpidius whose arguments the Manichees were not able to answere But every mover is not a Law-giver h 1. Pet. 3. 1. The honest conversation of the wife may move the husband to beleeve must he therefore beleeve whatsoever she shall say I may aswell inferre thus the testimonie of the Iewes moveth us to beleeve the old Testament therefore we must beleeve their Cabbala their Masoreth and all their unwritten Traditions We are willing to i Math. 22. 21. give unto Cesar the things which are Cesars and unto God the things which are Gods and therefore wee give unto the Church the ministery to allure us and to move us to beleeve the word of God and to the Scripture the dignity and authority to be the onely word of God If the Church were bound not onely to preserve the sacred Reply pag 124 writings but also to deliver the forme of wholesome doctrine contained in them why should she not be likewise bound to preserve the sacred Traditions and to deliver the forme of wholesome doctrine in them contained And why should not we receive them upon her credit 3. If unwritten Traditions had beene committed to her trust there is no doubt but that she ought to preserve them and to deliver them as shee received them to keepe nothing backe but to deliver the whole counsell of God and to teach the forme of wholesome doctrine whether written or unwritten but unwritten Traditions are no wholesome doctrine they are part of that poysonous potion that bewitching doctrine which is in the golden cup of that glorious Religion for outward shew of the Scarlet coloured beast of Rome And though it were true that the Church received unwritten Traditions and that she is bound to teach them yet how can I be assured that this or that is a true Tradition as sure as I am of any written article of my faith That Christ dyed I beleive because the Scripture saith it that this is a Tradition you beleive it because a Father the Fathers or the Church saith it Can a man beleive that testimony which may be false as sure as he beleiveth that cui non potest subesse falsum No humane testimony can beget that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or full assurance which a divine Testimony doth k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Clemons Alex. Strom. 1. 7. Wee regard not an humane testimonie let us confirme the question by the Word of GOD which is the surest demonstration yea the onely demonstration saith Clemens of Alexandria It is l 2. Pet. 1. 19. more sure then the testimonie of men and of Angels Epiphanius layeth downe these for the limites and bounds Reply pag. 125 of our faith * Epiph hâ—res 55. Apostolicall Traditions and the holy Scriptures and the succession of doctrine by which Gods truth is fortified on every side that no man should be deceived with fabulous novelties 4. None of the Ancient were more deceived with
fabulous Novelties then Epiphanius especially in Genealogies into which it is probable he was misledde thorough his over-much love of historicall Traditions He taketh upon him to tell who was * Heracles and Astaroth Melchizedecks Father and Mother and who were the wives of * Sanue Asura Barthenoâ— Cain Seth and Noah These were some of his fabulous Novelties grounded upon Tradition without any authority of Scripture for which he deserveth to be censured We are willing rather to cover then to discover the nakednesse of this Father and therefore favourably interpret his words that The Traditions of the Apostles that is their preaching and The succession of true doctrine both which are the same with the Scriptures are the limites of the Church and the boundes of our faith This is consonant with the doctrine of other Fathers m â—criptura est murns adamantinus circum vallenâ—â—eclefiam Chrysoft l. 4. de Sacerdot The Scripture sayth Chrysostome is an adamantine wall environing the Church The Church saith Hierome n Ecclesia non egressa est de fiâ—â—bus suis id est de Scripturis sanctis Hieroâ— l â— c. â— in Mich. is not gone out of her bounds that is out of the holy Scriptures Irenaeus telleth us first that * Iren l. 3. c. 2. Heretickes cannot possibly be convinced by onely Scripture 5. I tell you that you belye this Father this is all that hee saith When Heretickes are convinced by the Scriptures Reply they beginne to accuse the Scriptures Heresie hath alwayes an obstinacie joyned with it this obstinacie and not the insufficiencie of Scripture made the Heretickes not submit unto it S. Steven convinced the Iewes by the Scriptures and so did S. Paul the Athenians yet malice made the Iewes to o Act. 7. 34. Gnash with their teeth at the one and obstinacie caused the Athenians to p Act. 17. 18. rayle upon the other The Scripture is sufficient to convince the whole rabblement of Iesuites although they doe as those Heretickes did accuse it of insufficiencie when as they are convicted by it If the Scripture be not sufficient to convince Heretickes because they raile upon it by the same reason they cannot be convinced by Tradition for Irenaeus sheweth that they did * Iren ibidem likewise oppose Tradition And that they would neither yeeld to Tradition nor to Scripture Irenaus had a better opinion of Scripture then the Romanists have he spent three Bookes in his arguments taken from Scripture against the Heretickes and not three Chapters in his arguments taken from Tradition Erasmus therefore well observeth it q Solis Scripturarum praesidiis pugâ—âsse Iâ—enâ—um adversus catervam Hâ—reticorum Erasâ—â— in Epist ad Triden Epist Iren. praeâ—â—â—â— That Irenaent fought against the roote of Heretickes onely with the strength of Scripture Afterwards reckoning up the Bishoppes of Rome from S. Peter to Elentherius who sate in his time thereby to shewe that there was in the Church a continuall and orderly succession of Bishoppes by whome divine and Apostolicall Traditions were truely preserved There was doeth not proove that there is Reply Rome was once t Rom. 1. 8. famous for her faith but now her obstinacie and apostasie whereof shee was Å¿ Rom. 11. 21. forewarned is manifest and apparent I graunt that from the dayes of S. Peter untill the time of Eleutherius or Iranaeus the Church of Rome preserved Traditions But not such Traditions as are now observed in that Church that Church then was as ignorant of these late inventions as this now Church is wide from those Traditions In his second Chapter hee hath these golden Reply words they are in his fourth Chapter Seeing that these demonstrations are so great wee must not seeke for that truth amongst others which we may easily finde out in the Church By others he meaneth the Valentinians the Marcionists and those Heretickes against whom he disputeth amongst these we must not seeke for the truth Where then In the Church Must we not therefore seeke it in the Scriptures This is to extract drosse out of Irenaeus his gold Is the Church without Scripture And if we finde truth in the Church can we not therefore finde it in the Scripture * Iren ibidem Seeing that the Apostles have laid up fully in her as in a Reply rich store-house all whatsoever belongeth to the truth The preaching and writings of the Apostles which are the same for substance of doctrine are the endlesse treasure laide up in the Church as in a rich store-house These are * Iren. ibidem The things of the Church which wee must love this is the Tradition of truth which wee must lay hould of Namely of the truth preached by the Apostles delivered unto the Church in the Scripture and preserved in the Church this kinde of Tradition Irenaeus commenmendeth by this kinde of Tradition hee condemned the Heretickes and this kinde of Tradition is not of unwritten but of written doctrines even of such doctrines as were coÌ„tradicted by those Hereticks who erred in points of written doctrines * Iren ibidem What if there were a controversie in some small point it selfe must wee not make recourse unto those most auncient Churches and receive from them what wee holde to be certaine and undoubted Not onely in small but even in the greatest Controversies wee collect the testimonies of antiquity wee enquire what the Primitive Church hath taught even as we doe in this great Controversie of unwritten Traditions and we finde that the Primitive Church taught as we teach and therefore we holde it as certaine and undoubted that unwritten Traditions are to bee rejected But the last wordes of Irenaeus * This is answered Sect. â— D. â— What if the Apostles had not left us the Scriptures â—â—written should wee not then bee obliged to follow the rule of Tradition delivered by them unto those with whom they left the Churches in charge These sayth the Iesuite put us in minde of tâ—at I dare say which never came into Irenaeus his minde That the Apostles delivered some things onely to certaine persons which they would not have layde open unto all by writing This is to corrupt Irenaus to sophisticate his golden wordes and to turne them into drosse there is nothing in Irenaeus sounding like unto this but I see as the foole thinketh so the bell tincketh If the Apostles had not written then there had beene unwritten doctrines and now seeing the Apostles have written must there needes be still unwritten doctrines Irenaeus never knew other doctrine delivered by the rule of Tradition then is contained in the Scriptures So Paul to Timothy * â— Tim. 2. 1. Thou therefore my sonne bee Reply p. 1â—5 strong in the grace that is in Christ Iesus and the things that thou hast heard of mee by many witnesses the same commit thou to faithfull men who shal be able to teach others also Here
excludeth the Baptisme of those Heretickes which did not baptize in the name of the Trinity but of the rest thus he disputeth The Baptisme of CHRIST is not to bee reiterated but the Baptisme of Heretickes is the Baptisme of CHRIST The Assumption hee prooveth by this medium By the testimonies of Scripture it is plainly prooved that they have the same Baptisme with the Saints Thus S. Augustine determineth this point by the Scriptures Such is the Fast of Lent Reply 9. Fasting is a Christian duety needfull for our salvation such is not the Fast of Lent The i On Mat. 1. Rhemists doe account it to be a written doctrine grounded upon Scriture Hosius the Cardinall reckoneth it among k Hosius in confess Petrocovien c. 4. de caeremonijs the Traditions of the Church The Iesuite is of opinion that it is a Tradition of the Apostles and for this he citeth S. Hierome saying * Hieron epist ad Marcel Wee faste one Lent by Apostolicall Tradition This he calleth Apostolicall not because it came from the Apostles but because it had gained some space of time for the observing of it in the Church for S. Augustine ascribeth the invention of it l Aug. epist 119. unto the Church And though it were an unwritten Tradition comming from the Apostles yet S. Hierome did not thinke it to be a doctrinall Tradition for m Doctrinâ— Ecclesiae quae est domus Dei in librorum repe ritur plenitudine divinorum Hierom. in Epist 155. ad Paulam Vrbicam The doctrine of the Church which is the house of God is found in the fullnesse of the divine bookes saith S. Hierome It must needs be then a rituall Tradition and such are impertinent to this Question Such also is the commemoration and prayer for the dead Reply pag. 126. in the sacrifice of the Masse witnesse S. Chrysostome * Chrysost hom 3. in Phi It was not in vaine ordained by the Apostles that in the celebration of the venerable mysteries a remembrance should bee made of the deceased They knew well that great comfort and profit did from hence arise unto the dead 10. The private conceit of every Doctor is not the publicke tenent of the Church especially in this point of prayer for the dead in which as most of the Fathers differed among themselves so S. Chrysostome dissented from the most of them It was his opinion That wicked livers that such as were not and would not bee baptized might bee prayed for that such as were in hell might receive some benefite by the prayers of the living Concerning such writing upon the same Chapter he saith n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Chrysost in Philip Hom. 3. Let us weepe for such let us succour them according to our power let us finde out some helpe for them little indeede but yet such as may releive them How and after what manner By praying for them Châ—ysostome deserveth to be censured for this for Gregory in his Morals saith o Greg. Moral in Iob l. 34. c. 16 We may aswell pray for the Devill and his Angells as for such and it is the generall tenent of the Romane Doctours that onely those are holpen by the prayers of the living who dye in the state of grace and being dead goe into Purgatory and not unto Hell For thy full satisfaction in this point reade the Article of prayer for the dead which is most learnedly handled by the most reverend Primate unto which I will adde this wee distinguish the point it selfe of praying for the dead from the practise of praying for them at any set time and namely at the time of celebrating the divine Mysteries this is but a custome or p Epiphan in fine Panarij ordinance of the Church by the judgment of Epiphanius of this S. Chrysostome speaketh and such things are as impertinently objected by the Iesuite as this is falsely affirmed by S. Chrysostome Such also is the custome of baptizing Infants before they doe actually beleeve for S. Augustine sayth Reply pag. 126 * Aug. de Genes ad lit l. 10. c. 23. The custome of the Church in baptizing of Infants were not at all to bee beleeved unlesse it were an Apostolicall Tradition And Origen saith * Orig. in Rom. c. 6. The Church received from the Apostles this Tradition to conferre baptisme even unto children 11. None but an Anabaptist would hold this opinion that the baptisme of Children is not warranted by Scripture If he had learned the Catechisme of Trent or if he had read Bellarmines first Booke and eight Chapter de Baptismo hee would not have inserted this into his catalogue of unwritten Traditions That which he produceth out of S. Augustine overthroweth all that which he with so much toile in this and in the former Section hath laboured for to build for if This or that is not to be beleeved unlesse it be an Apostolicall Tradition how then can Ecclesiasticall Traditions be beleeved or how can they be of the same credit and authority with the written word We distinguish betweene the doctrine and the practise in the Sacrament of Baptisme and likewise betweene doctrines expressely written in the Scriptures and by sound inference deduced from them S. Augustine proveth the doctrine by diverse texts of holy Scripture by this q August de peceat merit l. 1. c. 27. He that hath the Sonne hath life By that r Idem de verbis Apostol Serm. 8. He shall save his people from their sinnes And by the Å¿ Idem de Bapt. cont Donat. l. 4. c. 24. Circumcision of Infants As for the custome or practise whereof S. Augustine speaketh we read not of any Children baptised neither doe we read that any Apostles that any old men or widdowes or virgins were baptised but yet the generall precept and practise of baptising the Species under which these Individualls are contained is a sufficient warrant for their baptisme And this custome is to be beleeved * Nec omnino â—redenda est nisi Apostolica osse Traditio esses for esse is crept into the text in S. Augustin to be an Apostolicall Tradition that is a practise according to the written word which is the Tradition of the Apostles In the same sense Origen calleth it a Tradition received from the Apostles He proveth it by this text t Origen Hom. 14. in Luc. Vnlesse a man be borne againe of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Stupleton teacheth the same that we teach concerning this and sundry other points of faith that u Principia in Scripturâ— aperte posita quae plurimorum alioâ—um articulorum â—unt â—ontes seminaria ut de duabns â—atuâ—s una persona in Christo de necessitate baptizandi parvulâ—â— c. de aâ—is multis dogmatihus non aperte Scriptis â—de tamen firmiter deductis Stapleton Relect Princip fidei Contâ—
It is a diabolicall spirit that thinketh that any one thing from God should be without the authority of holy Scripture saith Theophilus of Alexandria The Secular Priests say that Iesuites are d Quodlibet 3. art 3. Statists Atheists Iudasses Others say that their denomination from * Vt à luce lucus dictus ut homo est bâ—mo pictus siâ— Ã Iesu Iesuita Iesu ita is a contrarie for they are more like Esauites Gehezites or Iebusites And I may say the Devill is an invisible Iesuite Iesuites are visible Devils yet they wil be men of God Secondly where is it found that all this counsell of God was â—ver yet written or that S. Paul in this place doth not speake aswell of the unwritten word as of the written word and counsell of God 13. We finde that S. Paul submitted all his doctrine to Reply be e Act. 17. 11. tryed by the Scriptures that he preached nothing but what f â— 2â— 22. was written and that making confession of his faith he saith g c. 24. 14. I beleeve all things which are written and if he had beleeved unwritten Traditions he would have added and I beleeve all the unwritten Traditions but seeing he beleived none of these how can he speak of an unwritten word of God The word of God is not like to a sick mans â—â—ncupative will of which some is written some is unwritteÌ„ only delivered by word of mouth but it is a perfect wil testament it needes not additioÌ„ of things unwritten Thirdly by all Scripture the Apostle meaneth onely the old Reply pag. 133 Testament He then that is well seene in the old Testament alone hath he knowledge of the whole counsell of God 14. In the eight division of this Section we have shewed the contrary but suppose the Apostles meaning is so what doth it make for the Iesuit David had but a part of the old Testament to be his h Ps 11 〈◊〉 â—4 Counseller yet he confesseth that it was so large that he could see i Vers â—6 no end of the perfection of it that by it k Vers 99. he had more understanding then all his teachers and that by it hee l Vers 101. refrained his foot from every evill way thus by it alone he understood the whole counsel of God Againe when the Apostle saith All Scripture the particle Reply All signifieth distributively every parcell of the Scripture not the whole Scripture together collectively but our Adversary will not say that every books of holy Scripture yea every parcell of a booke or chapter is able to instruct the minister of Gods word perfectly 15. This is Ad paucarespicere to stop one gap and to open ten for it overthroweth all his distinctions 1. That of mediate and immediate sufficiencie for every parcell of every Chapter of Scripture hath not a mediate sufficiencie it selfe to make us wise by sending us unto Christ neither doth every parcell send us unto the Church from her to learne Traditions 2. That of counsell written and unwritten for every parcell of every Chapter doth not containe all the written counsell 3. That of profitablenesse and sufficiencie for every parcell of a Chapter is not profitable it selfe for those foure uses to teach reprove correct and instruct 4. That of the man of God a godly man for every parcell is not profitable to enable a godly man to every good work This is to grant us more then wee desire that every parcell of Scripture is profitable for these foure uses how much more then is the whole Canon of Scripture profitable unto the same The words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Scripture are taken heere for the whole body or Canon of Scripture In the same sense Athanasius useth the same words when he saith m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas in Syâ—op All Scripture or the whole Scripture translate it as you please of us Christians is inspired of God and then he addeth and containeth certaine bookes contained in a certaine Canon Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Athanasius is taken for the whole Canon and not for every parcell for every parcell hath not certaine bookes Omnis id est totâ— is the usuall note upon this place but Estius is most plain n Non id velle Apostolum quod una quâ—â—que pars Scripturâ—â— sit utilis â—d istâ— quatuoâ— hic â—nim sensus liq â—do salsus est sed quod in universa Scriptura 〈◊〉 quatuor utilitates reperiantur Guil. â—stius professor Duaâ— The Apostles meaning is not this that every parcell of Scripture is profitable for these foure for this sense is manifestly false but that these foure profites are found in the whole Scripture Heere the Iesuite insultingly taxeth us for minching mangling and chopping of the Scripture when himselfe is guilty of the same of chopping the whole Scripture into severall parcells of a booke and of a Chapter Moreover he seemeth to inferre a sufficiencie where mention Reply p. 133. is made onely of a profitablenes All divine Scripture saith S. Paul is profitable to teach Hence our Answerer deduceth that nothing else is requisite to teach 16. The Iesuite dealeth not sincerely with his Answerer when he not onely seemeth to chop but doth mangle this argument as he did formerly the Scriptures S. Paul saith The man of God may bee perfectly instructed to every good worke by the Scriptures Hence the Answerer inferreth That there is no other word of God which the man of God who must declare the whole counsell of God is bound to teach S. Paul setteth forth at large the profitablenesse of the Scripture for foure uses to teach to reprove to correct and to instruct and sheweth how fully and sufficiently it doth these even that the man of God may bee perfectly instructed to every good worke But the Iesuite repeating the words of S. Paul diminisheth the profitablenesse of the Scripture onely accounting it profitable to teach and explaineth this of sending us unto Christ and Christs sending us to his disciples and the Disciples bidding as to hold fast unwritten Traditions If this be all the profitablenesse of the Scripture then there is little sufficiencie in it but this is not the profitablenesse of which the Apostle speaketh for All Scripture that is as the Iesuite expoundeth it every parcell of a booke and of a Chapter doth not send us unto Christ Christ unto his Disciples and the Disciples unto unwritten Traditions Neither doth the Answerer inferre a sufficiencie from a bare profitablenes the word Profitablenes or sufficiencie is not at all in his argument neither doth he say Therefore nothing else is requisite to teach for this is manifestly false Let the Scriptures be never so profitable and sufficient yet some thing else is required to teach there is required a * Act. 8. 31. Rom. 10. 14. Teacher yea though unwritten Traditions were admitted yet
of God and that the Scripture is that word and that these and those Doctrines are delivered in the Scripture unlesse the Church that is the Pope say it and if he say it it is beleeved because Ipse dixit Is not this an unwritten Tradition by which all points of faith must be proved He that truely holdeth the Doctrine of the Romane Church must not beleeve any point of his faith because he beleeveth the Pope hath decreed it aright in decreeing iâ— according to the Scriptures because it is in them contained but he must beleeve that it is contained in the Scriptures because the Pope saith so Is not this to teach that all points of faith must be proved by unwritten Tradition and none at all by Scripture We confesse that in humane writings this argument ab authoritate negativè is not of sufficient force because non omnia vidit Bernardus Neither in the divine writ is it of force against Rituall Traditions yet it is of sufficient force against him that holdeth any one point of faith to bee unwritten aswell as it is against him that holdeth all points of faith to be unwritten Admit unwritten Traditions and then indeede the argument ab authoritate negativè is of no force because Tradition-mongers may answer All points of faith are not proved by the Scriptures but seeing the Scriptures make use of this kinde of argument as in proving the glory of Christ to excell the glory of the Angels because a Hebâ— 1. 5. It was not said to any of the Angels Thou art my sâ—nne this day begate I thee Seeing the Fathers make use of it as b Iren. l. 1. c. 1. Irenaeus c Origen boâ— 5. in Levit. Origeâ— d Hilar. in psal 132. Hillary e August cont liâ—er Petil. l. 30 c. 6. Augustine f Hierom cont Helvid Hierome and now Tertullian Yea seeing our Adversaries themselves make use of it as g Bellarm l. 1 de Rom. Pont. c. 16. Bellarmine and the * Pag. 177. Iesuit how then can this be true that this kinde of argument is of force onely against them that hold all points of faith are to be proved by unwritten Tradition onely and none at all by Scripture In all these places it is but a particular point which is handled and all of them depend upon this universall proposition That which is not written is not to be beleeved As in this of Tertullian in which the Iesuite choppeth Logicke like one that may talke of Robin Hoâ—ds butts and never shot in his Bow In this I say the Boyes of the Logicke Schoole will not say that the Premisses are particular for then Tertullian had no skill in Logicke to argue thus Some things which are not read are to be rejected This is not read Therefore it is to be rejected Let the Iesuitâ— with all his Logicke if he have any frame Tertullians argument into a Syllogisme true both in moode and figure that we may see for our learning whether the Premisses wil be particular and the Inference universall and not rather contrary the Premisses universall and the Inference particular Thus Tertullian disputeth against Hermogenes Whatsoever is not written is accursed This is not written Therefore it is accursed In like manner we dispute out of Tertullian against unwritten Traditioâ—s by the same generall medium Whatsoever is unwritten is accursed The Traditions which we oppose are unwritten Therefore they are accursed Secondly we confesse when any thing is maintained contrary Reply p. 136. to the expresse text of the Scripture as we see in this error of Hermogenes then the argument ab authoritate negativâ— may rightly be pressed according to this example of Tertullian by you produced Some of your Traditions are of this nature as your worshipping of Images and your halfe-communion the one expressely contrary to the second commandement and the other expressely contrary to this text h Math. 26. 27. Drinke yâ—e all of this And if this answer be sound that the argument ab authoritate negativè is onely to bee prest againâ—t such things as are defended contrary to expresse Scripture why then doe the Fathers formerly named use it against such opinions as were defended not contrary to any expresse text of Scripture Tertullian in his booke De Coronâ— out of which presently you shall heare the Iesuite disputing useth this kinde of argument to prove that a Christian may not we are a crowne or garland on his head as the heathen did because the Scripture commandeth it not And yet this is not contrary to any expresse text of Scripture Why doth Cardinall Bellarmine use this kinde of argument not onely against us in the point of the Popes supremacy i Bellarm. de Roâ— Pont. l. 1. c. 16. Because it was not said to any of the Apostles but onely unto Peter Pasce oves meas But also against the Greeke Lyturgies k Bellarm de â—uâ—â— 21. l. 4. c. 13 Because many things in them are not commanded by the Lord And why doth M. Malone himselfe use it against us * Pag. 117. Where doe we read that Christ gave any commandement to his Disciples to write his Gospell And where are wee commanded to read iâ— Yet neither the writing of it neitheir the reading of it is contrary to any expresse text of Scripture Maintaine what you will as a point of Salvation that is not contrary to the expresse text of the Scripture yet if it be not written either expressely or by firme consequence in the Scripture it is threatned with a wâ—e and it may be condemned with this kinde of argument l Isa l. 1. 12. who required this at your hands not onely direct murder expressely contrary to Scripture but likewise pretended religion in burning children in the valey of Ben-hinnâ—â— is condemned by God himselfe because m Iereâ— 7. 31. It is that which hee commaunded them not Such things crosse the perfection of Scripture and are as bad as those things which crosse the verity of it In the * Seâ— that of appealing answered in the former part last place he opposeth those things which Tercullian wrote when he was not a man of the Church but an Hereticke against this which he wrote against an Hereticke Reply pag. 137 He telleth us that there be many points * Teâ—â—â— de Coronâ— Militis which wee dâ—â— hold without any testimony of Scripture onely by the tittle of Tradition defâ—nded by the patronage of Custome And if thou demaundest authority for these out of Scripture thou shalt get none at all Tradition shal be assigned for the Author use and custome for the conformer and faith for the observer of them by these examples then it shal be confirmed that the use and observation of unwritten Tradition may be defâ—â—ded Vnto this he addeth an observation of his owne Behold now how this place produced by our Answerer out of Tertullian against unwritten Traditions
maketh no more against the same then it doth against Tertullian himselfe His observation is true for Tertulliaâ—s first writings being sound make against his latter workes which were corrupt This booke de Corona was written by him after he became an Hereticks and if that be true which Hil aâ—y telleth of him and of his writings n Consequens error hujus hominis detraxit Scriptis probabilibus authoritatem Hilas in Math can 5. The last â—â—or of this man tooke away the authority of his fâ—rmer probable writings How little credit is then to be given unto this booke which he wrote in the depth of heresie Heâ— wrote it against the Christians who held that it was better for a Christian to weare a Crowne or gaâ—land of flowers upon his head as the heathen did being commaunded by the Emperour to doe so then in such an indifferent thing to oppose his authority and thereby to incurre his displeasure Teâ—â—ulliun held the contrary and having no ground for his opinion in the Scriptures he fled as our Adversaries doe unto Tradition And this made him â—xtoll unwritten Traditions and to affirme that which here the Iesuite alledgeth Thus he that formerly taxed the Hereticks that they were o Tertul. de â—â—esurâ— Câ—â—nâ— Lucifugâ— Scripturarum may bee taxed for the same He that rejected any thing that could not be road in Scripture now beleeveth many things without any testâ—â—â—ny of Scripture He that said p Niâ—il desideâ—amus ultra credeâ—â— hoâ—â—nim priâ—â— crediâ—â—â— â—â—â—sse ultrà quod crâ—dere debemus Tertul de Praescript c. 8. When we beleeve the Scripture we desire to beleeve no more for this we beleeve first that there is no thing else for us to beleeve Now receiveth unwritten Traditions into his beleife And therefore the Iesuite saith well This of Tertulliâ—â— maketh no â—ore against unwritten Traditions then it doth against Tertullian himselfe His former writings being Orthodoâ—â—ll make against his latter which were hereâ—icâ—ll and so they doe against unwritten Traditions There is one thing more which he observeth out of Tereullians words And here by specifying such unwritten Traditions as are Reply pag. 137. observed by faith he giveth â—nhandsome bobbe unto our Answerer when â—e is not ashamed to declare him for an Advâ—cate of unwritten Rituall Traditions onely That Tertullian defendeth onely unwritten Rituall Traditions is a thing most manifest by the particulars which he nameth as To be thrise dipâ— in Baptisme after to â—stâ— a little â—ilke and honey mixed together then not to â—usâ— the body of the party baptised for a weeke after â—ot iâ— fâ—sâ— upon sundayes and to crosse our selves upon every occasion And if thou demaundest authority of Scripture for these and such like Disciplines thou shâ—lâ— got nâ—nâ— at all Tradition shalbâ— assigned for the Author c saith he Now if these be doctrinall Traditions and points of faith why then doe not you use them why is aspâ—rsion used in stead of immersâ—â—nâ— why is the party baptised wâ— shâ—d eâ—e the weeke be out why doe you fast on sundayes And why doe you crosse your selves so little His jest is spoyl'd and the bobbâ— put upon himselfe he promised to * pag. 135. Confirme it by the testimony of this Fathers that â—e allowed Doctrinall Traditions unwritten And yet he bringeth him in as an Advâ—catâ— of Rituall Traditions onely so that Tertullian in this is not so bad as he would make him And for his flout of standing in Herâ—â—genes shop The place becomâ—eth him better such peddling Merchanâ—â— stand in neede of darke shops to â—ell their naughâ—ie wareâ— to their deceived Customers In the two Testaments saith Origen iâ— Levitâ— Hom. 5. Origen every word that Answer apperâ—ineth to God may be discussed and all knowledge of things out of them may be understood But if any thing doe râ—â—aine which the holy Scripture do â—â— not determiâ—â— â—o other third Scripture ought â—â— bee received foâ—â—â—o authoriâ—e any knowledge but that which remaineth we must commit to the fire that is we must reserâ—e it unto God For in this present world God would not have us to know all things 3. In these words â—rigan taketh â—he shmâ— oath which his foreman tooke But the Iesuitâ— cannot sâ—e the wood for trees â—e cannot see how these particulars are applyed And therefore he telleth us a tale of A Painter so unskillfull in his Art that having pâ—inted the images of severall creaturâ—â— he waâ— aâ—â—ustomed to write under every one what they ware aâ— this is â—â—â—erse this is a dâ—ggâ— c. Sr I need not write under that you are a Cocks c. to tell such a tale of a Cocke and a Bull. Like Painter like Replyer in wishing that thâ—â— example had beene folloâ—ed He that cannot sâ—â— how this maketh against unwritten Traditions is as senselesse as the Painters horse and in controversies Asinus ad Lyram His answer is like to be without understanding when he answereth to that which he understandeth not and in this manner We say with Origen that in the two Testaments every Reply pag. 13â— word that appertaineth to God may be discussed and all knowledge of things out of them may be understood either immediately or mediately that is by the helpe of unwritten Traditions unto which the holy Scripture dâ—th expressely send and direct us It is in vaine to call for the weapons of holy Scripture by them to fight for unwritten Traditions seeing you have already received the worst at them The holy Scripture doth not send us to unwritten Traditions to learne the knowledge of God or of any necessary thing unwritten Seeing â—â— it every word that appertaineth to God may be requâ—â—â—d and discussed That which the Scripture leaveth to the Tradition of the Church is either the delivery of Rituall Traditions unwritten or the explanation of Doctrinall Traditions written in the Scripture And suppose the two Testaments did send us unto Doctrinall Traditions unwritten yet to say They are Scripture and no third Scripture because the Scripture sendeth us unto them Is as true as if I should say The Pismire is Scripture and yet no third Scripture because the Scripture doth q Prov. 6. 6. send us unto the Pismire And to say that all things may be required and discussed in the two testamâ—nts Because they send us foâ— helpe unto unwritten Traditions Is as if I should say The gold that is acquired and refined in the Iâ—dies may bee acquired and refined in Spainâ— because Spaine sendeth for gold unto the Iâ—dies The gold saith r Aurum quod â—ueriâ— extra Templum non est sanctificatum Sic omnis qui suerit extra divinam Scripturam quamvis admirabilis videatur quâ—busdam nonest â—nctus Orig. â—om 25. in Mâ—tth Origen which was not in the Temple was not holy so that that is not in the Scripture let it appeare never so glorious unto some is not holy Vnwritten Traditions are not in Scripture and
ali soules may be cured and from which every man may take a medicine to heale his disease Now as it is absurde to say This Apothecaries shop containeth all medicines for all diseases because it is written on the shop doore Goe to such a place for them so it is a senselesse thing to say the Scripture containeth all medicines for the Soule because it sendeth to an other for them That of the Embassadours letters of crâ—dence is already * Sect 5. Div. 3 answered And so is that of S. * Sect. â— Div. 2 Basil in commending unwritten Traditions S. Basil teacheth further * Basil in Ethicis Regul â—6 That every word and action ought to be confirmed by the testimony of holy Scripture Answere c. And that it is the property of a faithfull man to bee fully perswaded of the truth of thâ—se things that are delivered in the holy Scripture * Idem ibid reg â—â— c â—2 and not to 〈◊〉 either to reject or to adde any thing thereunto For if whatsoever is not of faith be sinne as the Apostle saith and faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God then whatsoever is without the holy Scripture being not of faith must needs be sinne These two testimonies the Iesuite passeth over in silence 9. Many other testimonies are produced out of the Fathers by the most reverend Primate as that of Gregory Nissâ—ne * Greg. 〈◊〉 Dialog de Anima Resur In that onely the truth must bee acknowledged wherein the seale of the Scriptures testâ—mony is to be seene Of S. Hierâ—ms * Hieron adv Helvid As we deny not those things which are written so we refuse those things tâ— aâ— are not written That God was borne of a virgin we beleeve because we read it that Mary did marry after she was delivered we beleeve not because wee read it not With those of Theodoret * Theodor dial 2. I am not so bold as to aâ—â—irme any thing that the Scripture hath passâ—d in silence * Idem in Exod. quaest 26 It is an idle and a senselesse thing to seeke those things that are passed in silence These the Iesuite passeth not over in silence but as he is idle and senselesse in seeking after unwritten things so he maketh an idle and senselesse answer in defence of things unwritten These Fathers did alwayes suppose holy Traditions to be Reply p. 143. virtually contuined in the Scripture howsoever they bee not plainely expressed in the same We beleeve the same that there are many holy doctrines which are holy Traditions which are not plainely expressed word for word in the Scriptures and yet we call them doctrinall Traditions written because they are virtually contâ—ined in the Scriptures and by sound inference deduced from them But this maketh nothing for Popish Traditions they are not holy but prophane not written but unwritten not plainely expressed nor virtually contained in the Scriptures but only taught and delivered by a Church and that no true Church but a false Church I have heard of a subtle disputant who would undertake by three distinctions to avoyde any argument were it never so evident the Iesuite goeth beyond him for with this one distinction onely of mediate and immediate he hath answered all the testimonies of these Fathers The vanity of this distinction we have oft discovered and now leave it to the judgment of an understanding Reader 10. And now the Iesuite contrary to the duty of the Defendant becommeth the Assailant hudling together a confused number of testimonyes for unwritten Traditions out of the Fathers But that nothing may scape us without due examination we wil be content once more to run the wilde-goose chase and to hunt him out of every corner The Arians denying that the holy Ghost ought to be worshipped Reply pag. 143 as God and with God alleadged that it was no where written in the Scripture To that we answere thus saith S. Basil * Basil l. de spir Sanct. c. 29. If nothing else that is unwritten be admitted then let this also be rejected but if many mysteries besides this be received of us without writing then I pray you among the rest let this also be received For truely I hold it to be Apostolicall doctrine to adhere also unto unwritten Traditions Amongst which this which we now have in hand is not the meanest for asmuch as they who in the beginning did governe all delivered it unto those that came after them and so by use in processe of time and by continuall custome it hath now taken strong râ—â—ting c. The Iesuite doubted of that Treatise of Basil de fide there is more cause to doubt of this booke de spiritu sanctâ— whether it may not be accounted among the Postuati The Author of it speaketh of Meletius as if he were dead long before him c Lib. de Spir. Sanct. c. 19. They that lived with Meletius say that he was of this opinion but what need I remember the things long past Yet the true Basil and Meletius were Coâ—tâ—neâ— S. Basil wrote foure d Basil epist 56 57. 58. 59. Epistles unto him Yea S. Basil dyed three yeares before for Basil dyed an 378. and Meletius dyed an 381. as e Baron Annal Tom. 4. Baronius observeth Admitting the Author we answer to the matter by distinguishing the doctrine contained in the foâ—me of words from the forme of words it self This doctrine The Holy Ghost is to be worshipped as God is no unwritten Tradition f Basil c. 25. It is agreable to that which is written in other words saith S. Basil And he proveth it by the desâ—ension of the g Idem c. 29. Holy Ghost upon Christ in his baptisme The forme of words of which he disputeth is this Glory be to the Father and to the Sonne with the holy Ghost The question betweene him and the Heretickes was about the syllable Cum whether it were lawfull to say Cum spiritu sanctâ— and not rather In spiritu sanctâ— And in proofe of the lawfullnesse of this forme of words he aâ—â—irmeth this which the Iesuite alleadgeth proving it to be lawfull though it be not written expressely in Scripture as many other rites and customes of the Church are observed though they be not written This Tradition we willingly admit and desire most reverendly to use it in the Lyturgie of our Church Yea we allow the decent rites and orders of the Church and those are the Traditions of which S. Basil disputeth namely of Rituall Traditions Listen a little more and you shall heare him declare that Reply pag. 144 * Basil c. 27 The Doctrines Constitutions of the Church sâ—me of them we have out of the written word some others we receive by the secret hidden Tradition of the Apostles both have equall fâ—ree unto Godlinesse neither can any man that hath the least sight in the things of the Church
116 pag. 118. Father is unbâ—gâ—ttâ—n that the Sâ—nne is â—onsubst anâ—iall with the Father and that the Holy Ghest is to bee â—â—â—red and wâ—rshipped â—â— pag. 143. God Are not these things generally necessary for all to know Againe * August l. de Pastor c. 11. Whatsoever you he are from the holy Scriptures Answer let that savour well unto you whatsâ—ever is without them reâ—â—se lâ—st you wander in a cloud Your meaning was not sure to hurt as by these sayingâ— Reply p. 14â— of S. Augustine seeing you bring them to so little purpose for S. Augustine was so farre from thinking the Traditions of the Church to be without Scripture that he assuâ—eth â—â— to â—◠〈◊〉 â—â—try truth of Scripture when we doe that which â—â— plâ—â—sing to the Church 17. It is true our meaning is not to â—urt you but to 〈◊〉 your madnesse if it may be healed if not it is to litle purpose for your benefite It is no wonder to see this â—â—ly Iesuite wander in a â—â—ud embracâ—ing a cloud in stead of â—nno following after an Iguiâ— fatâ—uâ— for the light of Gods Word forsaking the beaten pathe of Gods Commaundements to follow the doubtfull track of humane Traditions not refusing those things which are not written It is the duety of the Church to teach no unwritten â—oâ—trinall Traditions but onely to teach such Doctrines as the Scripture teacheth her and as long as the Church performeth her duety so long the Scripture willeth us to heare her But what if any Church though once never so famous fayle in her duety and holde untruthes against the Scripture doe wee then holde the truth of the Scripture when wee doe that which now pleaseth such a Church In this thing saith S. Augustine wee holde the trâ—eth of the Scripture when wee doe that which now pleaseth the universall Church He saith not In all things but in this thing and this thing was no unwritten but a wâ—itten Doctrine to wit the Doctrine of â—â—baptisation established by the Church out of the Scripture He saith which now pleasâ—th hee saith not which Alwayes pleasâ—th the Church S. Augustine speaketh of the Vniversall Church but the Iesuite of the Roman Church for no Church else holdeth unwritten Traditions And in an other place * August epistâ— 4 â— All those things which in times Answer past our Aâ—â—cestors have mentioned to bee done toward mankinde and have delivered unto us all those things also which we see and doe deliver unto our â—osterity so faâ—râ— as they apportainâ— to the seeking and maintaining of true Religion the holy Scriptures have not passed in silence He pauseth not where you breake off his spâ—â—â—h but proceâ—deth Reply p. 147. to declare that be treated onely of Prophecies and Predictions which are all fulfilled according as they are laid downe in the Scriptures And could you wrong S. Augustine so unconscionably as to teach that has therefore alâ—wed â—â— thing to appertaine to the seeking and maintaining of truâ— Religion but what the holy Scripture hath not passed in sâ—lâ—â—e 18. The former part of S. Augustines wordes Thâ—se things which our Aâ—â—cestors in times past have mantianed to be done toward mankinde may be understood of Prophecies and Predictions but the latter part All thâ—se things also which we see and doe declare unto our posterity c. can by no meanes be so understood for S. Augustine was no Prophet neither are wee Prophets to deliver predictions to the posterity to come but as it was his so it is our office to declare the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and to deliver the doctrines contained in them And although we were Prophets to deliver Predictions of our owne yet how can wee say The Scripture hath not passed them in silence We hate those Anabaptistical Revelations and all your Papisticall Traditions we desire to follow the practise of S. Augustine not To deliver unto others those things â—â— points of Religion which the Scripture hath passed in silence 19. And thus we have discovered the silly shifts grosse dunsery of an ignorant Iesuite in answering of the Fathers who for all his tampering with them will not be perswaded to alter their verdict but find him and all such Tradition-mongers guilty of treason for coyning new Articles of faith such as have not the seale of the living God namely the authority of holy Scripture to make them current in the Church And as the petty Iury have given their verdict against them so the grand Iury consisting of 318. Fathers in the first generall Councell of Nice have condemned them for in the name of all the rest Eâ—sehiâ—â— Pamphili delivereth this d Gelaâ— Cyâ—icon Act. Conc. Nic part 2 dâ— c. 19. as it is cited by the most learned Answerer in his reprinted Answere The things that are not written neither thinke upon nor inquire after The Iesuite knowing full well that his answere to the testimonies of the Fathers will not give content to an indifferent Reader for the truth is they are â—nanswerable leaveth againe his answering and observing no order or method but onely heaping up a number of Sayings he betaketh himselfe againe to the objecting of the Fathers against us And first for S. Augustine all the world acknowledgeth Reply pag. 147 that he standeth for our Doctrine out of whom we will heape a number of sayingâ— here together 20. If by the world you meane as you doe by the Church the Roman universall world I doubt not but you may have witnesses enough to sweare it but what neede we witnesses when we may heare himselfe speake You promise an heape and a number of his sayings but I beleeve by the time that we have sisted your heape and cast up your number we shall finde nothing in your heape but â—haffe and in your number onely Cyphers And I hope every judicious Reader will preferre those three direct testimonies objected against you before your Bakers douzen of impertinent testimonies objected against us The 1. is against Maximiâ—â—â— the Arian where hast thou ever read that God the Father is unbegotten To this we have * Seâ—t â— Diâ— â— forâ—erly answered and answere so againe though this forme of words God the Father is unbegâ—tten be not written yet the same Doctrine is written in other words And our Question is not of unwritten words but of unwritten Doctrines The second is against the Dâ—â—atists Many things are not â—ound in the writings of the Apostles but were delivered by them without writing For whatsoever the Church doth hold if iâ— bâ— not â—ound ordained by some Councâ—ll it is beleeved to be a Tradition of the Apostles This is likewise * Sect. 2. Div. â— formerly answered and so we answere againe that many things are not found expressely written in the writings of the Apostles and yet by â—ound insâ—rence they may be deduced from those things that are written such things we call written Traditions
present themselves Folly is so â—eâ—pely rooted in him that though he were brayed in a morter his foolishnesse will not depart from him As for bâ—aggs they are essentiall to him and therefore confute him never so evidently by the Scriptures and by the Fathers yet a man may aswell make a scould lâ—ave rayling as make him leave his bragging I will not actum agere answere that againe which hath beene already three or foure times answered yet that the Reader may see that I have not lefâ— one testimonie it selfe unanswered the margine * Ignatius sect 2. the lasâ— testimonâ— Terâ—ul sect 6. Divis â— Eureb sect 6. Divil 12. doth direct him where hee shall finde these testimonies taken out of Ignaâ—ius Tertullian Eusebius Epiphanius Basil Chrysostome and Augustine already answered Epiph. sect 2. Divis 11. Basil sect 6. Divis 10. Chrys sect 3. Divil 2. August sect 4â— Divis 8. The pleading is ended and the verdict is given against you conclusum est in causâ all your witnesses come too late and your testimonies a day after the fayre but because we are willing to give you a full hearing you shall have your witnesses examined The Fathers of the Councell of Gangers doe pleade our cause as if they had beene fie'd to that end * Conc. Gang. can ult We desire that all Reply p. 164. things delivered by the Scriptures and Ecclesiasticall Traditions by Apostolicall Traditions it is in the Greeke be observed in the Church 2. The Eustathians against whom this Councell proceeded erred both in point of Doctrine and in Ceremonies in doctrine absolutely condemning the Christian duty of fasting and the honourable state of marriage in all men in ceremonies they allowed not the received kinde of apparel but would have a strange kinde brought into the Church Against the first their errors in doctrine these Fathers pleaded the Scripture against the latter their error in Ceremonies they alleadged the Tradition of the Apostles And therefore desired that All things should be observed in the Church which were delivered by the Scriptures and by Apostolicall Tradition You have need to fee these Fathers again for this which they have pleaded is nothing for you Some Protestants tell us that in these sayings the Fathers Reply pag. 165 doe not speake of points belonging unto faith 3. It seemeth you answer without taking out the copie of our Answer What we have answered we have will ever make it good that in many places where the Fathers speake only of rituall Traditions you alleadge them as patrons of doctrinall Traditions unwritten Wee say not in all those places they speake not of points of faith in some they doe in some places they doe not And here againe he bringeth in the same witnesses to bee reexamined as Basil concerning the worshipping of the Holy Ghost Augustine for rebaptization Tertullian touching prayer for the dead Epiphanius about single lift Chrysostome Augustine and Epiphanius about prayer for the dead those points saith he they accounted necessary and unwritten Traditions S. Basil being duely sworne testifieth this that the worship which is due unto the holy Ghost is taught in Scripture but for the use of this syllable Cum in this forme of words Glory be to the Father and to the Sonne cum spiritu sancto with the holy Ghost this forme of words hee confesseth is not written but that it may be defended by Tradition S. Augustine confesseth the same concerning the point of Rebaptization that although this forme of words Those that returne from the Heretickes shall not bee rebaptiâ—ed be not written yet from most certaine grounds of Scripture he concludeth the same And no Protestant saith this is not an article of faith Tertullian is onely an advocate for Rituall Traditions unwritten And the anniversary oblation or yearely prayer for the dead at such and such times is not to be reckoned among the points of faith but among the Customes or ordinances of the Church Epiphanius saith that the obligation to abstaine from marriage is such in those that have so vowed that it is a finne to marry after single lifâ— is vowed The Popish practise declareth it to be no sinne else how could a Cromer de rebus Polon lib. 4. Benedict the 9th dispense with Casimirus the heyre of Polonia to marry after his vow It is the Popes dispensation which is above law which maketh it lawfull This is a case of Conscience as we hold which may be determined though it be not expressely written by sure and certaine principles of the Scripture in this manner If the vow be solemnely made and the party by any meanes be able to keepe it it is unlawfull to marry although the Pope would dispense with it but if not we say with Epiphanius b Epiph. haer 61 It is better to marry after the vow at length to returne home to the Church though he be laâ—e then alwayes to be wounded with inward darts And wherein doth this differ from the Scriptures conclusion c 1. Cor. 7. 9. It is better to marry then to burne S. Chrysostomes saying that the Apostles have not delivered all things by writing cannot prove that they did not deliver all their doctrines or all necessary things by writing because all things which the Apostles delivered were not doctrines nor things necessary And yet the Iesuite to helpe his lame dogge over the stile corruptly readeth S. Chrysostomes words in stead of All things he readeth All their doctrine saying the Apostles have not delivered all their doctrine by writing Epiphanius and Augustine are in the like manner to bee answered they say the Apostles delivered many things without writing Hence the Iesuite inferreth that they delivered many points of faith or doctrines of salvation without writing I may aswell inferre the Iesuite is an animal ergo an asse But Chrysostome Augustine and Epiphanius saith he tell us in particular that the Custome of the Church in praying for the dead is a Tradition given by the Apostles unto the Church without writing If it bee a Tradition given without writing how then can you make good this part of your Challenge For the confirmation of all the points of our Religion of which prayer for the dead is one I will produce good and certaine grounds out of the holy Scriptures if the Fathers authority will not suffice If you can bring no Scripture for this point then you must eat these words if you doe produce Scripture then it was not given without writing Qui benè distinguit benè docet here wee must needs distinguish the point it selfe of praying for the dead from the Custome of the Church in praying for them at set times this custome we must distinguish from the reasons of it as they are given by these three Fathers their reasons we must distinguish from the reasons given by our Adversaries The point it selfe how we may pray for them is grounded on d 2. Tim. 1. 1â—
of Esau we expected to heare the continuall tâ—stimony of the Church aâ— least to heare some of the 6000 or 7000 chaires or one of the many millions of subordinat Churches we heare only the testimony of a â—esuite who will make no bones oâ— it to lye for the good of the Church Partâ—rit Oceanus prodit de gurgite squâ—lla Our excâ—ptions have prevented his testimonie you may aswell aske the daughter if the mother be an whoore Thais or Lais will never condemne her selfe Neither doth he tell us what the Church saith by her testimonie but it is a â—esuiticall description of the voyce of the Church An uniforme consent hath not beene continually in all ages in the Church about such Rituall Traditions it selfe as the Apostles have delivered unto the Church He that knoweth any thing in antiquitie cannot bee ignorant of that dissent in the Church about the observation of Easter day Six or seven thousand Chayres and Episcopall Successions derived without any interruption from the Apostles and their Successours and of many millions of subordinate Churches This is like the eleven thousand virgins Where shall wee finde them Were there so many Apostles did they sit in so many Chayres and are there so many Chayres that can be derived successively from the Apostles without any interruption The Roman Church is none of these in which there hath oft beene a personall interruption and at this day there is a doctrinall interruption in succession from S. Peter Through which as through so many conduit pipes the Traditions of the Apostles have with a great uniformitie sliden thorough all ages unto us It stands you upon to prove this for we deny it It is false impossible and improbable False because the Romane conduit pipe is so stuffed up with mire and filth that the water which passeth thorough it is the water of Marah and not the water of life her Traditions are not Apostolicall but Apostaticall Impossible because if this Iesuite were as strong as Sampson as wise as Salomon as long lived as Methusalem and did nothing but study this point all his life yet he is not able to declare what was beleeved and practised continually thorough all ages with an uniforme consent in those 6000. or 7000. Chayres and many millions of subordinate Churches And it is improbable that things unwritten trusting to the bare memory of man for their preâ—ervation should continually in all ages thorough thousands and millions of Churches with such an uniformity slide unto you seeing it is most certaine vox audita perâ—t The Iesuite foreseeing that this rule would not hold frameth his second rule after this manner Those matters were not trusting unto the bare memory of Reply p. 170. man for their preservation but were surely stamped in the custome dayly practise of the Church never to be obliterated but it was continually extant most apparantly at every houre and moment 14. This rule is likewise lyable to the same exceptions It is false 1. Because our Adversaries hold many things to be unwritten Traditions which cannot be seene in the dayly practise of the Church and are not continually extant most apparantly at every houre and moment Such are those Traditions which the Iesuite hath * Pag. 126. alleadged as That the Father is unbâ—ggottâ—n that the Sonne is consubstantiall with the Father that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne as from one beginning These things wee beleeve we see them not how then can they be seen continually extant most apparantly Such likewise are those secret and hidden mysteries which for their dignity least they should be contemned by too much familiarity as the Iesuite hath * Pag. 155. said were not to be written If they might not bee read then surely they ought not to be continually extant most apparantly at every houre and moment 2. Because Custome is not to be the rule of faith unlesse we have the authority of the Scripture for that custome n Basil epist â—0 It is not good saith Basil to make custome the law and rule of true doctrine the Scriptures inspired by God must be the Iudge 3. Because such Traditions as are now defended in the Romane Church were not continually observed in all the Churches of God 4. Because all the points of faith which were surely stamped in the dayly practise of the Church were likewise more surely stamped in the holy Scriptures The Apostles did not write their Traditions in letters of paper and inke but in the heart and forehead of the Church saith the Iesuite because the Apostle saith * 2. Cor. 3. 3 you are manifest to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us Those things were written in their hearts therfore they were not written in paper inke this inference is so absurd that with all the paper and inke in the world he can never make it good Whatsoever is written in the Scriptures ought to be written as it were in our hearts and on our foreheads thus we read of the blessed virgin she laide up in her o Luc. â— 19. heart those things which are written With the heart we p Rom. 10. 10. beleeve Doe we therefore beleeve things unwritten No for those things are written that we may q Ioh. 20. 31. beleeve The writing of things in the heart doth no more exclude writing in paper and inke then it doth exclude teaching by word of mouth S. Paul calleth the Corinthians his Epistle because in their practise he read the doctrine which he taught them he may aswell inferre therefore S. Paul did not write two Epistles unto the Corinthians in paper and inke The instances given by the Iesuite of the baptizing of Children and of the observing of Sunday are of this nature things seene in practice and things written in the Scriptures This is so evident that after all his labour and toyle to prove unwritten points of faith he concludeth with us against himselfe in these very words * pag. 171. All those points of Christian Religion which doe absolutely belong unto the naked Theorick or speculation of our faith are touched either directly or indirectly in the the Scripture and those articles which are reserved unto sole Tradition are rituall points This sheweth that there is some hope of the man for hee renounceth all Doctrinall points of Popery and onely holdeth with it in such Rituall points as are unwritten As this is false and therefore is no rule in it selse so it is impossible to be knowne and therefore it is no rule unto us Can a man be at every houre and moment in those thousands and many millions of Churches to see their practise most apparantly extant You tell us that the Iewes had unwritten Traditions aswell as the Christianâ— among which this was one r Bellaâ—â— de verbo Deil. 4. cap. 4. The remedy for originall sinne in women and as you cannot tell us by the dayly practise and
c. 2. of Carthage declareth the single life of Priests to bee a thing necessarie and an Apostolicall Tradition 6. His assertion and this instance hang together like pibles in an halter necessary doctrines or points of faith are perpetually the same but Priests abstayning from marriage hath not beene perpetually so from the beginning it was not so I could alledge inâ—inite testimonies of antiquitie to proove that the Priests in the Primitive Church were allowed to marry our adversaryes n Alphons de Castro l. 13 advers haeres confesse the same Howsoever some of them alledge Scripture to prove it and others Apostolicall Tradition yet the most of them according to the doctrine of the Councell of o Conc. Trid. â— 24. Trent account it to be onely an ordinance or institution of the Church so * Scotus in 4. Sent. dist 36. Aquin. 2. â—dae q. 88. ar 11. Cusan epist â—â— de usu coÌ„mun Panorm extra de Clericis conjug cap. Cùm olim Peres de Tradit part 3 tia consider de voto contined art 4. Scotus Aquinas Cusaâ—us Bellarmine Panormitane Peresius with many others And in regard of the great inconveniences which come thorough the single life of Priests the two latter as Panormitane a great Canonist and Peresius a great Bishop thinke it necessary that this custome were altered Bernard saith truely p Bernard in Cant. serm 66. Take away honourable marriage out of the Church and the unpolluted bed and doe you not fill the Church with fornicators incestuous persons uncleane effeminate and Sodomiticall persons As for Eâ—sebius he did not thinke that single life was a vertue in a Priest or that it was necessary for his salvation no more then S. Paul did thinke it necessary for every man in saying q 1. Cor. 7. 1. It is good for a man not to touch a woman And againe r Ibid. vers 26. It is good for the present necessity This is S. Pauls meaning it is good in regard of the troubles and cares which accompany marriage not in regard of any commandement from the Lord. Eusebius speaketh to the same purpose first he commendeth that supernaturall state or manner of life which is like unto that of the Angels in Heaven who neither marry nor are given in marriage have no cares of the world no children no possessions this manner of life hee commendeth very much Then concerning Priests he saith not that this state or manner of life is necessary but that for the avoyding of cares and troubles of the world this manner of life is necessary This is all that caâ— be gathered out of that passage of Euscbius And this is no more then the Scripture teacheth us Å¿ Maâ—th 19. 12. 1. Cor. 7. 7. He that can receive it let him receive it And S. Paul would have all men â— to bee unmarried and as himselfe was if they have that gift of God The Councell of Carthage requireth Priests 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to observe chastity temperance or sobrietie What is this for single life These vertues are required of them in the Scripture and may better be observed in marriage then in a single life Behold how the Iesuite corrupteth antiquity â—hat he may have some shew of defence for this corrupt Tradition which is no Apostolicall but a Papisticall or a u 1. Tim. 4. 3. Diabolicall Tradition It crosseth the truth of the Scripture x 1. Cor. 7. 2 To avoyde fornication let every man have his wife And y Heb. 13. 4. marriage is honourable among all men How can it be an Apostolicall Tradition when some of the Apostles were z Math. â— 14. marryed and put not off their wives after they were a 1. Cor. 9. 5. called to the office The Iesuite seemeth to confesse * pag. 158. that a Bishop may bee husband of one wife Marriage is so precious saith b Chrysost hâ—m â— in Tit. Chrysostome that it hindereth no mans promotion to the Episcopall chayre Our Adversaryes teach the contrary and hold it to bee c Coster enchirid art de coe libat A greater sinne for a Priest to marry then to commit fornication And thus ex unguâ— leonem by the print of Herculâ—s foot you may judge of his whole body by this one Tradition you may judge of the rest and so see how like the Traditions of the now Romanâ— Church are unto those things which the Apostles delivered unto the Primitive Church 7. The Iesuite finding no helpe from the Fathers flyeth for succour unto the writings of Cardinall Pervon from whom hee borroweth these sixe observations following 1. When the Fathers speake of the sufficiencie of Scriptures Reply p. 167. in one point our Adversaries extend it unto all points of faith The Fathers disputing against particular errors doe oft use such a medium to confute them as may serve to confute all other errors Tertullian his generall proposition Whatsoever is not written is accursed with a woe extendeth it selfe not onely against Hermogenes his error but likewise against all unwritten Doctrines The same I may say of S. Ambrose his argument against light talke in Church-men The things which we finde not in Scripture are not to be used This not onely condemneth that one thing but likewise all points of faith which are not found in Scripture In these two as in many others although the conclusion bee particular yet the proposition is generall and declareth the sufficiencie of Scripture in all points of faith 2. When the Fathers speake of a mediate sufficiencie of the Reply pag. 167 Scripture being attended upon by Tradition which uttereth that by retayle which the Scripture propoundeth in grosse and serveth as a kâ—y or as an interpreter of the same they apply it to an immediate sufficiencie 8. A mediate and an immediate sufficiencie is a grosse distinction to proceed from a learned Cardinall for a mediate sufficiencie is meerely an insufficiencie Athanasius hath taught us that the Scriptures have a selfe-sufficiencie for the discoverie of truth If any part of this sufficiencie be given unto Traditions where is the selfe-sufficiencie This pedlar-like phrase of uttering by retayle what is propounded in Scripture in grosse befitteth not the mouth of so great a Cardinall ye are like them of whom S. Paul speaketh that make d 2. Cor. 2. 17. merchandise of the word of God uttering by retaile that which is not in the Scriptures The Tradition of the Church which serveth for a key to open the meaning of the Scriptures is to be received this concerneth the manner of teaching not the matter taught but when men will open the wrong doore with this key will utter by retaile rotten warâ—s if any in stead of bread will give a stone in stead of fish will give a serpent in stead of the sincere milke of the word will teach bloody doctrin this is damnable and of this the Church of Rome is guiltie 3. When the