Scripture and in the Fathers And the generall sense of Traditio with the Latines of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Greeke of Cabbala or Masoreth with the Hebrewes is the same namely a Delivery or any thing delivered aswell by l â— Thâ—â— â— 15. Epistle as by word of mouth The word Tradition is taken aswell for the manner of delivery which is Traditio activa as for the matter delivered which is Traditio passiva And therefore lest the Iesuite who is well skill'd in the practise of equivocation should equivocate with the word Tradition and so prove Quid pro Quo the manner of deliverie for the matter delivered the Answere sheweth him That wee admit modum tradendi the Answer manner of delivery Wee willingly acknowledge that the word of God which by some of the Apostles was set downe in writing was both by themselves and others of their fellow-labourers delivered by word of mouth and that the Church in succeeding ages was bound not onely to preserve those sacred writings coÌ„mitted to her trust but also to deliver unto her children vivâ voce the forme of wholesome words contained therin Here he might have seene that we admit modum tradâ—ndi the manner of delivery both by the Apostles and by the Church 1. We beleive the preaching of the Apostles to be the undoubted word of God aswell as their writing so that it is m Ridiculum est quod nemini est dubium probare Mare Tul pro Quint. a ridiculous thing in the Iesuite to prove that which no man doubteth He alledgeth the Fathers as * Iren. pag. 118 Irenaeus * Euscb pag. 120. Eusebius many more to prove that the Apostles preached before they wrote that their preaching is to be beleived was effectual to save soulâ—s aswell as their writing In this he shrinketh from the Question which is not whether the Apostles preached before they wrote whether their preaching is to be beleived but thâ—â— he should frame the QuestioÌ„ whether the Apostles in their preaching delivered such points of faith or doctrines of salvation as are not contained in the Scriptures 2. As the preaching of the Apostles is called a Tradition so is their delivery of the Scriptures of divers doctrines contained in them called a Tradition being delivered unto the Church by writing n Traditum est nobis quod sit unus Deus una spes una sides c. August de baptism l. 5. c. â—6 It is dell vered unto us saith S. August in that there is one God one hope one faith c. As this kinde of Tradition commeth not within the compasse of this controversie so these Fathers * Irenaeus pag. 125. Irâ—naus * Euseb pag. 109. 120 Eusebius and sundry others are impertinently produced by the Iesuites who ascribe the word Tradition unto Scripture and unto written Doctrines In this the Iesuite shrinketh againe from the Question which is not whether the Scripture may be called a Traâ—â—tion but whether all things necessary for our salvation be written in this Tradition Unto these two I may adde a third kinde of active Tradition that is the delivery by action or conversation which I may call a Practicall Tradition S. Chrysostome expounding these words b 2. Thess 3. 6. Withdraw your selves from every brother that walketh disorderly and not after the Tradition which he received of no. giveth this sense of them p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in 2. Thes c. 3. He meaneth the Tradition which is according unto workes This kind of Tradition belongeth not to our purpose and to little purpose doth the Iesuite bring in * Iuseb pag. 162. Eusebius who calleth the practise of the Apostles a Tradition In this againe the Iesuite shrinketh from the Question which is not whether the practise of the Apostles may be called a Tradition but whether in their practise of Piety they observed any holy duties necessary for our salvation which are not contained in the Scriptures either expressely or by consequence We likewise admit the active Tradition of the Church as 1. Her preserving and delivery of the written word unto her children in succeeding ages not as the meanes whereby the Scripture is made canonical yet as one good meanes though not as the onely meanes whereby a man may bee perswaded that it is canonicall And the graunting of this is a sufficient answer to a deale of confused stuffe alledged by the Iesuite in his 4. Section 2. Her delivery vivâ voce of the forme of wholesome words and of such Doctrines as are either expressely contained in the Scriptures or by sound inference may be deduced from them S. q Basil de Fide Basil was sparing to use such words as are not contained in Scripture but the Pontificall Romanists spare not to bring in such doctrines as are not contained in it For words we say with Hilarie words r Nomen nihâ—â— habeteriminiâ— quod non perturbat sensum religionis Hilar de Synod cont Arian are not to be blamed which disturbe not the sense of Religion All things are not delivered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbatim in the Scriptures I reade not the words Essence Persons Vnbegotten Coessentiall yet we doe lawfully use them All Doctrines are not formally laide downe in them the Apostles Creed is not totidem verbis written in them yet they containe grounds principles by which all doctrines may be tryed and from which all divine conclusions may be drawne And those conclusions which by sound inference are gathered out of the Scriptures by the opinion of Å¿ Greg Nazian l. 5. de Theolog Gregorie Nazian are all one with the Scripture And to this t Stapleton relect fidei controv 5. q. 5. ar 1 Stapleton consenteth By this kinde of Tradition wee are taught many points of saith as these Fathers prove which the Iesuite alledgeth abundantly and impertinently By * Athanas pag. 140. Athanasius and * Epiph pag. 145. Epiphanius That the Father is unbegotten By * Athanas pag. 140. Athanasius and * August pag. 155. Augustine That the Son is consubstantiall with the Father By * Basil pag. 150. Basil and * Aug. pag. 119 Augustine That the holy Ghost is to be adored By * Origen pag. 126. Origen and * August pag. 118. 119. 126 Augustine That Children must be baptized By Augustine That the baptised by Heretickes must not be rebaptised He alone is alledged for this point but yet for want of company he is so * Augustin pag. 116. 116. 146. 148. Ideâ—â— pag. 118. 147 Idem pag. 119. 148. pag. 11â— oft brought in still singing the same song that the musick must needes be tedious to the hearer and the quotations troublesome to the reader The Iesuite againe shrinketh from the state of the Question in alledging these Fathers as Patrons of a Tradition which we defend The Question
therefore though they be glorious things in your eyes they are not holy That of Origen which the Iesuite alledgeth concerning the baptising of Children that it is a Tradition from the Apostles is * Sect. 4. divis 11. formerly answered Hippolytus the Martyr in his third Homily against the Heresie of Noetus There is one God whom we doe not otherwise Answer acknowledge but out of the holy Scriptures For as hee that would professe the wisedome of this world cannot otherwise attaine hereunto unlesse he reade the doctrine of the Philosophers sâ— whosoever of us will exercise piety towards God cannot learne this elsewhere but out of the holy Scriptures c. All this runneth upon the same straine with that which Reply pag. 13â— you even now produced out of Origen and therefore as you repeate the same so wee returne you the same Answer And withall wee desire you with this holy Martyr to understand whatsoever the Scriptures doe teach For they teach you to holde such Traditions as the Apostles gave whether by writing or by word They teach you to hearken unto the Church 4. Hippolytus here taketh the same oath with Origen both give their verdict against unwritteÌ„ Traditions This is the same strain upon which they run His answer unto that of Origen is already confuted if this be the same as indeed it is no wiser then the former but threed-bare and worne out at the elbowes I need not againe confute it It cannot fit with the wordes of this holy Martyr for as it were ridiculous to say The wisdome of this world may be attained unto by reading the doctrin of the Philosophers then to interpret this Not immediatly by reading their writings but mediatly by going to the living Philosophers So it is as absurd to say Our piety towards God may be learned out of the holy Scripture then to interpret this not immediatly out of the Scriptures themselves but mediatly by going to the Church Yea it is more absurd because the writings of the Philosophers are not so wel able to make a man wise for the world as the Scriptures are to make a man wise unto salvatioÌ„ The scriptures teach us to â—â—ld such traditioÌ„s as the Apostles gave but they taught the same doctrines both by Scripture and by word of mouth This maketh nothing for Popish Traditions such the Apostles never gave by writing or by word of mouth They teach us to hearken unto the Church when the doctrine of the Church is consonant with the doctrine of the Scriptures and not to hearken unto the Church when it teaâ—heth otherwise Å¿ Ien â—3 16. Thus saith the Lord of hostes Hearken not unto the words of the Prophets that prophesiâ— unto you and teach you vanity they speak the vision of their owne heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord. Athanasius in his â—ratian against the Gentiles The holy â— Answer Scriptures given by inspiration of God are of themselves sufficient for the discovery of Truth 5. This is an evident testimony directly opposite to the position of our Adversaries which they have learned from condemned Heretickes t Iren. l. 3. c. 2. That truth canâ—ot be found out of the Scriptures by them that are ignorant of Traditions And yet the Iesuite painteth this likewise with false colours answering First the Scriptures discover this truth That wee must Reply p. 139. â—old fast unwritten Traditions We have oft discovered this to be an untruth and for the better discovery of it wee will observe one thing more from the force of the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Athanasius useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not a mediate sufficiency as if the Scriptures were sufficient for the discovery of truth because they send us to the Church nor such a sufficiencie as needeth any other helpe as if the Scriptures were sufficient for the discovery of truth by having the helpe of unwritten Traditions joyned with them but as Lambine in his notes upon Aristotles Ethickes observeth u Plurâ—bus verâ—â—is haec vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cui nulla respondet Latina est de claranda Est autem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is qui â—â—s bonis contentur satisque copiosè instructus est quique nullas externas opes desiderat Lamb. in Arislot Ethic. â—â— c. 7. This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be expressed by more words for there is no one Latin word that can fully declare it He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is conâ—ent with his owne store and is furnished with enough and with abundant and desiteth no other helpâ— It is such a selfâ—-sufficienciâ— as is in the heavenly Kingdome of which Theophylact saith x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl in Ioh. 18. It is sufficient and needeth nothing Such then is the fulnesse and the selfe-sufficiencie of the holy Scripture that it hath store in it selfe it is fully furnished yea so abundantly that it needeth not the helpe of unwritten Traditions to discover any truth Athanasius here speaketh not of all Truth but of Two speciall Reply p. 130. points of faith onely to wit That Idols are not Gods and that Christ is the onely true God concerning which two articles he wrote thâ—se two bookes to Maearius And for the discovery of those two points the holy Father saith that the Scriptures are sufficient As in these two bookes to Macariâ—s he wrote of these two points and also of many other points for in the first he wrote of the deity of the Father of the immortality of the soule c. And in the second of Christs manhood his incarnation death resurrection c. So here he speaketh not onely of those two points but of all truth in generall that The Scriptures are sufficient for the discovery of truth And therefore in his Tractate of Christs incarâ—ation he taxeth them of great iâ—â—destiâ— which speakâ— the â—hings which are noâ— written Athanasius in that plaâ—e maketh mention not onely of the Reply p. 13â— holy Scriptures but also of the bookes of holy Fathers and to both doth he attribute this sufficiency forasmuch as a man by reading of those bookes may discover the true sense and meaning of the Scripture This is not the true sense and meaning of this Father In the words following though hee maketh mention of the bookes of the Fathers yet he never inteÌ„ded to impart any part of this sufficiency unto them or to make them equall with Scripture as you doe with Traditions but he declareth that they are good coÌ„menâ—aries or helpes for the understanding of the holy Scriptures His words are these There are also many bookes of the holy Fathers in which if a â—an imploy himselfe he may in some sort aâ—taine unto the interpretution of the Scripture It is one thing to say that by reading of the bookes of the Fathers a man may in some sort attain unto the interpretation of Scripture
Christian people commâ—th by divine Tradition 22. In both these places Leo writeth of Rituall Traditions as of set dayes of fasting concerning which we confesse wiâ—h S. Augustine m â—â—ceptum esse Iejunium qâ—â—bus autem diebus non oporteâ—â—ejunare qâ—bâ—â—o porteâ— praece to Domini vel Apostolorâ—m noâ—nâ—enio de 〈◊〉 Aug. câ—â—st â—â— ad Casul Thâ—â— the duty of fasting is comman ded but on what dayes we must fast and when we must not fast we finde nâ—t this determined by prâ—cept of the Lord nor of his Apâ—stlâ—s What then shall we dâ—â— in this case May wee conteâ—â—e the obâ—ervance of aâ—y fasting day No for if we live in such a place where such dayes are by tradition decreed and by custome established it is our duty to obey authority in such a case Remembring alwayes to distinguish these customes as Leo there calleth them from Gods commandements And if Leo spake any thing hyperbolically concerning such Rituall Traditions we doe excuse him because having taken upon him to defend them he strained his wits to finde out arguments to commend them He maketh no difference betweene Divine Apostolicall Traditions wholly taketh away all Eccleâ—iastical Traditions whereby he overthroweth that knowne division of Traditions into Divine Apostolicall Ecclesiasticall our Adversaries have need to excuse him in this The two subsequent testimonies the one of Chrysâ—stome the other of Epiphantus being * Chrysoâ—â— Sect 3. Divis aâ— Epiphan Sect. 2. Divis â—1 already answered I proceede to that which hee objecteth out of Epiphanius concerning the custome of praying for the dead at the time of administration of the divine mysteries * Epiphan hâ—res 76. It is haeres 7â— The Reply p. 149. Church performeth this necessarily having received it by Tradition from the Fathers and who may dissolve the ordinance of his mother or the Law of his Father God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost hath tâ—ught both in the Scriptures without writing the Church our mother hath inviolable statutes laide up in her which may not be broken 23. The mâ—aning of Epiphanius in this place is most evidently declared by the most learned Primâ—te in his * pag. 23â— Answer Such prayers for the dead as were generally used by the Primitive Church want not the testimony of the Scripture to consirme the lawfulnes of theÌ„ As S. Paul prayed for Oâ—esiphâ—rus while he was alive so may we pray for him being dead n 2. Tim. 1. 18. The Lord grant unto him that he may finde mercy of the Lord in that day But such prayers as are used by our Adversaries for the dead are not warâ—anted by Scriâ—ture nor by the Tradition of the Church Not by Scriptures because this is one of their unwritteÌ„ TraditioÌ„s Not by the Tradition of the Church because the Primitive Church denyed Purgatâ—rie and yet held Prayer for the dead but our Adversaries hold o Aquinas contgent l. 4. c 91. That if Purgatâ—ry be not admitted prayer for the dead is unprofitable I need not light my candle to give light to this truth for the light of this truth shineth as bright as the Sun in the Answer to this Article The doctrine how the dead may be prayed for differeth from the practice in praying for them at such a time namely at the administring of the sacred mysteries Epiphanius writeth of the latter of these for not observing of this ordinance of the Church hee condemneth Aerius in the words alledged The Church doth performe this having received it by Tradition from the Fathers and who may dissolve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ordinance of his mother As wee have * Sect. 4. Divis 10. shewed formerly so here we see it againe this practice to pray for the dead at such a time is placed by Epiphanius among the ordinances of the Church and of this nature are all those things which he saith were delivered and taught without writing These are not the Traditions against which we bend our forces Cassiodorus also readeth this lessâ—n * Cassiod Instiâ— divin l. 1 Let us not doubt to Reply pag. 150. mount up into the height of the Scriptures by the approved exposition of the Fathers as it were by a certaine ladder of Iacobs vision 24. Wee have ascended so high upon the ladder of the Fathers approved expositions that we descry the falshood of your Traditions This ladder saith Cassiodorus should bring us to the sight of our Lord. But behold the Pope sitteth on the top of this ladder to over-turne all the expositions of the Fathers but onely such as are approved by him yea all the Fathers the Scripture too hath hee put under his feet So that whatsoever exposition he giveth of Scripture Though it crosse the sense the Fathers gave yet saith p Cusâ—n ad â—o 〈◊〉 epist 7. Cusâ—nus it must be believed because the sense runneth with the practise and the Scriptures follow the Church and not the Church the Scripture Reply p. 150. S. Basil perswadeth thus * Basil hâ—â— coâ—◠〈◊〉 Let the Tradition of our Lord terrifie thee Our Lord himselfe hath given this lessâ—n the Apostles have preached it the Fathers have observed it and the Martyrs have confirmed it 25. That the holy Ghost is God this is the point which S. Basil prooveth And lest thou shouldest separate the holy Ghost from the Father the Son saith he let the Tradition of our Lord terrifie thee c. This should terrifie the Iesuite to sin against the holy Ghost in holding it is not written that the holy Ghost is God Our Lord himselfe had given this lessâ—n Iohn 14. 26. The Apostles have preached it written it 1. Iohn 5. 7. S. Basil observeth it in the words precedent by the forme of Baptisme which is laide downe Math. 28. 19. And all Gods Saints are ready to confirme it with their blood He is an Arch-haereticke deserveth the stake rather then an answer that accouÌ„teth it no written doctrin In the end he concludeth with the sayings of * Basil epist 61 Basil and of * Hormisd epist 67. Hormisda applyed unto us that we condemne the Doctrine of the Fathers despise Apostolicall Traditions sell the inventions of upstarts have none of that Charitie which is commended are so puffed up with â—rrogancie that we imagine that all judgement of Heaveâ— and earth ought to yeeld to our opinion that worldly wisedome detesting the glory of Christ his Crosse domineâ—reth in the first and cheifest place 26. S. Paul describeth the worst of men that ever were or shal be by these properties q â— Tim. 3. 3. They are false accusers intemperate fierce despisers of them that are good Traitors c. These are the proper markes of Iesuites they are alwayes false accusers therefore it is no wonder that this detracting standering carping Moâ—us should accuse us thus falsely Nero set Rome on fire and laid the blame
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
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
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
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
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
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
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—
the Scripture The custome or practise of the Church to pray for them at a set time as when the divine mysteries were in celebrating is no point of doctrin but a custome or ordinance of the Church The reasons given by these three Fathers of this practise were different being compared by themselves or with the reasons given by our Adversaries Chrysostome e Chrys hom 2â— in Act. because the damned soules might receive some ease thereby this was but one Doctors opinion S Augustine denyed case of torments yet held it good for f Aug. Enchir. ad Laur c. 108. release of lighter sinnes which Gods Children might beare with them oâ—t of this world into that hidden receptacle Epiphanius denyed â—ase of torments or release of sinne after death and yet held it good for g Epiph. haer 75 testifying of our faiâ—h concerning the happy state of them that die in the Lord. Our Adversaries deny these reasons and give another for the more speedy deliverance of the Soules in Purgatory from all torments The Primitive Church held no Purgatory and yet held prayer for the dead our Adversaries hold if no Purgatory no prayers for the dead These grounds being laid I answer to all that he objecteth out of those three Fathers 1. That they called it an unwritten Tradition I conâ—esse it that to pray for them at such a set time they accounted it an unwritten Tradition but withall they placed it among the customes or ordinances of the Church 2. That it was an universall Tradition It is true the practise was observed by the whole Church but the reasons of it were different 3. That they accounted it a necessary Tradition Not as if it were a necessary doctrine or a point of Salvation but necessary in regard that the Church had received it as a generall custome and that upon good grounds and therefore every man might not at his owne will and pleasure spurnâ— against it 4. They placed the denyers of this doctrine among Heretickes as we read of Aer us Heretiâ—kes commonly as they are contrary to thâ—â—aiâ—h of the Church so they will be contrary to the ordinances of the Church and thereforâ— wee mâ—st â—ot thinke that every thing which is condemned in Heretickes is hâ—resie nor that all were Heretickes indeed who are placed among Hereticks But suppose it were so that Aerius was an Heretick in deed because he denied the practice of the church in this point I am sure then you are Arch-Hereticks who farre outstrip him in this If he were over shooes because he held the prayers for them that were in blisse to be unprofitable you are over head and eares in the same heresie because you h Azoâ— Instit Moral To. 1. l. 8. c 20. hold prayers for them that are in blisse to be impious and absurd I have contracted my answer to this point in which the Iesuite is somwhat large because I would not fore-stall the market and though I have gleaned in a most plentifull field yet I would not gather all because I must leave it for him that commeth after me S. Hierome telleth us that * Hieron epist 54. ad Maâ—cell Lent is an Apostolicall Tradition Reply â— 166. necessary to be kept And againe * fore going Section that the unwritten customes of the Church doe receive the force of a law 4. In what sense S. Hiâ—rome calleth it Apostolicall wee have * Sect 4. Div. 9. formerly shewed We deny it not to be an unwritten Tradition But for the necessity of it that it should be of absolute necessity as a point of faith or as a matter of salvation that we deny We say with S. Hierome it is necessary to be kept conditionally not absolutely as in regard of the ordinance of the Church wheresoever it is commaunded and in regard of loving society wheresoever it is observed If it be absolutely necessary how can you so easily dispence with it He sendeth us to seeke for his other testimony of S. Hierome in his eight Section but you may aswell finde a candell sieve in a country towne as any such thing in his fore-going Section I finde the same words inhis 3d Section but they are the words of the Hereticks and not of Hierome When Eusebius affirmeth The Apostles delivered some Reply p. 166. things without writing as it were a law unwritten No man can be found so grosse witted but may understand he meant necessary articles 5. This is a grosse conceit of a nimble pated Iesuite to thinke whatsoever is as a law must needes be a necessary article of faith The Apostles delivered some things without writing as befitting those times places not intending thereby to make them parts of the divine law those things may be as law as humane lawes which are mutable not as the divine law which is immutable and unchangeable The Church in these daies may alter the orders customes which have been as law in former times and may ordaine such rites and customes as shal be as law for after-times yet such things are not necessary doctrines nor points of faith It is not in the power of the Church to cross the truth of Scripture by making that to be no point of faith which was a point of faith neither can the Church crosse the perfection of Scripture by making that to be a point of faith which was no point of faith i Teâ—tull de veland Virg. c. 1. The rule of faith saith Tertullian is alwayes without change or alteration other things which are of discipline and behaviour admit of change correction The Apostles commanding the believing Gentiles to abstaine from things strangled c prohibite this as a k Act. 15. 28. necessary thing If the Iesuite be so grosse witted as to thinke whatsoever is called necessary is necessary to salvation and is a point of faith let him hereafter take heede how he feedeth upon rabbets capons and the like strangled meat lest hee eate his owne damnation Lorinus may be his Master-Iesuite he teacheth him it was l Lorin in Act. 15. but a positive law though it was called necessary If there be no carnall Israelite in the Church saith S. m Aug. cont â—aust l. 32. c. 13 Augustine what Christian need to observe this to â—ate no birds but onely such whose blood is poâ—red out It is an absurd thing in this Iesuite from a conditionall necesâ—itie in regard of the authority of the Commaunder or of the infirmity of the weake to inferre an absolute necessitie in regard of salvation This hee hath done in those former proofes and yet wee shall have more of it Eusebius meaneth necessary things for hâ—e produceth Reply pag. 166 the necessitie of Priests abstaining from Marriage * Euseb de demonst Evang. l. 1. c. 8. Now they that are employed in the preaching of the Gospell doe necessarily abstaine from marriage And the second Councell * Conc. Carthag 2.