have been so delivered But know withall that this universal Tradition of the Books of Scripture unto which you have added several Apocryphal Writings which have not been constantly delivered as those we receive is no part of the Tradition or Doctrine delivered That is no Doctrine distinct from the Scriptures but onely the instrument or means of conveying that Doctrine unto us In short it is the fidelity of the Church with whom the Canon of Scripture was deposed but is no more a Doctrine not written in the Scripture than the Tradition or delivery of the Code or Book of the Civil Law is any opinion or Law not written in that Code And we are more assured of the fidelity of the Church herein than the Civilians can be assured of the faithfulness of their predecessours in preserving and delivering the Books of their Law to them because these holy Books were always kept with a greater care than any other Books whatsoever and in the acceptance of them also we find there was great caution used that they might not be deceived all Christians looking upon them to be of such importance that all Religion they thought was concerned in them Of which this is an Argument that they who sought to destroy the Christian Religion in the primitive times sought nothing more than to destroy the Bible Which they were wont to demand of those who were suspected to be Christians to be delivered up to them that they might burn it And according as men behaved themselves in this trial so they were reputed to be Christians or not Christians And the Traditours as they were called that is they who delivered the holy Scriptures into the hands of the Pagans were look'd upon by Christians as men that were content to part with their Religion For which there could be no reason but that they thought Christian Religion to be therein contained and to be betrayed by those who delivered them to be burnt By which I have proved more than I intended in this part of my Discourse that in the holy Scriptures the whole will of God concerning our Salvation is contained Which is the true Question between us and the Church of Rome Not whether the Scripture be delivered to us as the word of God or no in this our people ought to tell them we are all agreed but whether they have been delivered as the whole will of God And from that argument now mentioned and many more we conclude that Universal Tradition having directed us unto these Books and no other they direct us sufficiently without any other Doctrines unto God and to our everlasting rest And if they urge you farther and say that the very credit of the Scripture depends upon Tradition tell them that it is a speech not to be endured if they mean thereby that it gives the Scripture its authority and if they mean less we are agreed as hath been already said for it is to say that Man gives authority to God's Word Whereas in truth the holy Scriptures are not therefore of Divine Authority because the Church hath delivered them so to be but the Church hath delivered them so to be because it knew them to be of such authority And if the Church should have conceived or taught otherwise of these Writings than as of the undoubted Oracles of God she would have erred damnably in such a Tradition I shall sum up what hath been said in this second particular in a few words Christ and his Apostles at first taught the Church by word of mouth but afterward that which they preached was by the commandment of God committed to writing and delivered unto the Church to be the ground of our Faith Which is no more than Irenaeus hath said in express words L. III. C. 1. speaking of them by whom the Gospel came into all Nations which they then preached but afterward by the will of God delivered unto us in the Scriptures to be in time to come the foundation and pillar of our Faith III. And farther we likewise acknowledge that the sum and substance of the Christian Religion contained in the Scriptures hath been delivered down to us even from the Apostles days in other ways or forms besides the Scriptures For instance in the Baptismal Vow in the Creed in the Prayers and Hymns of the Church Which we may call Traditions if we please but they bring down to us no new Doctrine but onely deliver in an abridgment the same Christianity which we find in the Scriptures Upon this there is no need that I should enlarge but I proceed farther to affirm IV. That we reverently receive also the unanimous Tradition or Doctrine of the Church in all ages which determines the meaning of the holy Scripture and makes it more clear and unquestionable in any point of Faith wherein we can find it hath declared its sense For we look upon this Tradition as nothing else but the Scripture unfolded not a new thing which is not in the Scripture but the Scripture explained and made more evident And thus some part of the Nicene Creed may be called a Tradition as it hath expresly delivered unto us the sense of the Church of God concerning that great Article of our Faith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Which they teach us was always thus understood the Son of God begotten of his Father before all worlds and of the same substance with the Father But this Tradition supposes the Scripture for its ground and delivers nothing but what the Fathers assembled at Nice believed to be contained there and was first fetch'd from thence For we find in Theodoret L. I. C. 6. that the famous Emperour Constantine admonished those Fathers in all their questions and debates to consult onely with these heavenly inspired Writings because the Evangelical and Apostolical Books and the Oracles of the old Prophets do evidently instruct us what to think in Divine matters This is so clear a Testimony that in those days they made this the complete Rule of their Faith whereby they ended Controversies which was the reason that in several other Synods we find they were wont to lay the Bible before them and that there is nothing in the Nicene Creed but what is to be found in the Bible that Cardinal Bellarmine hath nothing to reply to it but this Constantine was indeed a great Emperour but no great Doctour Which is rather a scoff than an Answer and casts a scorn not onely upon him but upon that great Council who as the same Theodoret witnesseth assented unto that Speech of Constantine So it there follows in these words the most of the Synod were obedient to what he had discoursed and embraced both mutual Concord and sound Doctrine And accordingly S. Hilary a little after extols his Son Constantius for this that he adhered to the Scriptures and blames him onely for not attending to the true Catholick sense of them His words are these in his little Book which
of the writing of this Epistle without the Doctrine of the Gospel completely written because among the Thessalonians some Traditions or Doctrines were as yet unwritten Which can in reason be extended no farther than to themselves and to this Epistle which did not contain all the Evangelical Doctrine though other writings which it is possible were then extant in some other Churches did And I say as yet unwritten in that Church because the Thessalonians no doubt had afterward more communicated to them in writing besides this Epistle or the former either viz. all the Gospels and the Acts of Apostles and other Apostolical Epistles which we now enjoy Which writings we may be confident contain the Traditions which the Apostle had delivered to the Thessalonians by word concerning the Incarnation Birth Life Miracles Death Resurrection and Ascention of our blessed Saviour and concerning the coming of the Holy Ghost and the mission of the Apostles and all the rest which is there recorded for our everlasting instruction And therefore it is in vain to argue from this place that there are still at this day some unwritten Traditions which we are to follow unless the Apostle had said hold the Traditions which ye have been taught by word which shall never be written And it is in vain for us to enquire after any such Traditions or to rely upon them when they are offered unto us unless we were sure that there was something necessary to our Salvation delivered in their Sermons which was never to be delivered in writing and unless we knew where to find it as certainly as we do that which they have committed to writing And it is to no more purpose to shew us the word Tradition in other places of Saint Paul's writings particularly in the III. Chapter of the same Epistle v. 6. where by Tradition S. Chrysostome understands the Apostle's Example which he had given them and so it follows v. 7. for your selves know how you ought to follow us c. or it may refer to the commandment he had given them in his former Epistle IV. 11. which the Reader may be pleased to compare with this but cannot with any colour be expounded to signifie any Doctrine of Faith about which the Roman Church now contends with us For it is plain it hath respect to their good manners and orderly living for the information of which we need go no whither but to the holy Scriptures wherein we are taught fully enough how we ought to walk and please God in all things The same may be said of that place 1 Cor. XI 2. Now I praise you Brethren that you remember me in all things and keep the Traditions or Ordinances as we render it or Precepts as the Vulgar Latin it self hath it as I delivered them unto you For we are so observant of what he hath delivered that we are confident if Saint Paul were now alive and in this Church he would praise us as he doth the Corinthians for keeping the Traditions as he delivered them and on the contrary reprove and condemn the Roman Church for not keeping them as they were first delivered And we have good ground for this confidence there being an instance in that very Chapter which demonstrates our fidelity in preserving the very first Traditions and their unfaithfulness in letting them go For he tells us v. 23. that he had delivered to them what he had received of the Lord and that which he received and delivered was about the whole Communion as you may reade there and in the following verses 24 25. in both kinds the Cup as well as the Bread Thus he saith the Lord appointed it and thus he delivered it and this Tradition we keep intire as he received it of the Lord and delivered it to his Church in this Epistle which is a part of the holy Scripture whereas they do not keep it but have broken this Divine Tradition and give the Communion of Christ's Body and Bloud otherwise than Saint Paul delivered keeping the Cup from the people By which I desire all that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity to judge which Church keeps closest to the Apostolical Tradition for so Saint Paul calls this Doctrine of the Communion in both kinds that which he delivered or left as a Tradition with them they that stick to what is unquestionably the Apostolical Doctrine or they that leave it to follow those Doctrines or presumptions rather which at the best are very dubious and uncertain And farther I desire all that reade this Paper to consider whether it be reasonable to think that those Rites which have no Authority in the holy Scripture but were instituted perhaps by the Apostles have been kept pure and uncorrupted according to their first intention when those sacred Rites for instance the holy Eucharist are not preserved intire which are manifestly ordained in the holy Writings And so much may serve for the first thing for it would be too long to explain all the rest of the places of holy Scripture which they are wont to alledge though the word Tradition be not mentioned in them to give a colour to their present pretences How pertinently may be judged by these places now considered II. Secondly then That word of God which was once unwritten being now written we acknowledge our selves to be much indebted to the Church of God in all foregoing Ages which hath preserved the Scriptures and delivered them down to us as his word which we ought to do unto those that shall succeed us as our Church teacheth us in its Twentieth Article where the Church is affirmed to be a Witness and a keeper of holy Writ This Tradition we own it being universal continued uninterrupted and undenied Though in truth this is Tradition in another sense of the word not signifying the Doctrine delivered unto us but the manner and means of its delivery And therefore if any member of our Church be pressed by those of the Romish persuasion with this Argument for their present Traditions that Scripture it self is come to us by Tradition let them answer thus Very right it is so and we thank God for it therefore let this be no part of our dispute it being a thing presupposed in all discourses about Religion a thing agreed among all Christian people that we reade the word of God when we reade the holy Scriptures Which being delivered to us and accepted by us as his word we see no necessity of any other Tradition or Doctrine which is not to be found there or cannot be proved from thence for they tell us they are able to make even the men of God wise unto Salvation And if they press you again and say how do you know that some Books are Canonical and others not is it not by a constant Tradition Answer them again in this manner Yes this is true also and would to God you would stand to this universal Tradition and receive no other Books but what
delivered to posterity by that primitive Church witnessing from whom they received them who carefully kept them as the most pretious Treasure so that this written word hath had the general approbation and testimony of the whole Church of Christ in every age untill this day witnessing that it is Divine And it hath been the constant business of the Doctours of the Church to expound this word of God to the people and their Books are full of citations out of the Scripture all agreeing in substance with what we now reade in them Nay the very enemies of Christianity such as Celsus Porphyry Julian never questioned but these are the writings of which the Apostles were the Authours and which they delivered Besides the Marks they have in themselves of a Divine Spirit which indited them they all tending to breed and preserve in men a sense of God and to make them truly vertuous Not one word of which can be said for any of those unwritten Traditions which the Roman Church pretend to be a part of God's word For we have no testimony of them in the holy Scriptures Nor doth the primitive Church affirm she received them from the Apostles as she did the written word Nor have they the perpetual consent and general approbation of the whole Church ever since Nor are they frequently quoted as the words of Scripture are upon all occasisions by the Doctours of the Church Nor do we find them to be the Doctrine which was constantly taught the people Nor is there any notice taken of them by the enemies of our Faith whose assaults are all against the Scriptures In short they are so far from having any true authority that counterfeit testimonies and forged writings have been their great supporters Besides the plain drift of them which is not to make all men better but to make some richer and the manifest danger men are in by many of them to be drawn away from God to put their trust and confidence in Creatures As might be shewn if this Paper would contain it in their Doctrines of Papal Supremacy Purgatory Invocation of Saints Image Worship and divers others Concerning which we say as S. Cyprian doth to Pompeius about another matter If it be commanded in the Gospels or in the Epistles of the Apostles or in their Acts that they should not be baptised who return from any Heresie but onely be received by imposition of hands LET THIS DIVINE and HOLT TRADITION BE OBSERVED The same say we if there be any thing in the Gospels in the Epistles in the Acts concerning Invocations of Saints concerning the praying Souls out of Purgatory c. let that divine that holy Tradition be observed But if it be not there what obstinacy is this as it follows a little after in that Epist LXXIV what presumption to prefer humane Tradition before the Divine disposition or ordinance A great deal more there is in that place and in others of that holy Martyr to bring all to the source the root the original of the Divine Tradition for then humane errour ceases which original Tradition he affirms to be what is delivered in the holy Scriptures which delivering to us the whole will of God concerning us we look after no other Tradition but what explains and confirms and is consonant to this For we believe that what is delivered to us by the Scriptures and what is delivered by true Tradition are but two several ways of bringing us acquainted with the same Christian Truth not with different parts of that Truth And so I have done with the first thing the sum of which is this We do not receive any Tradition or Doctrine to supply the defect of the Scripture in some necessary Article of Faith which Doctrines they of Rome pretend to have one and the same Authour with the Scripture viz. God and therefore to be received with the same pious affection and reverence but cannot tell us where we may find them how we shall discern true from false nor give us any assurance of their Truth but we must take them purely upon their word Now how little reason we have to trust to that will appear in the second thing I have to add which is this II. That we dare not receive any thing whatsoever merely upon the Credit of the Roman Church no not that divine that holy Tradition before spoken of viz. the Scripture Which we do not believe onely upon their testimony both because they are but a part of the Church and therefore not the sole keepers of Divine Truth and they are a corrupted part who have not approved themselves faithfull in the keeping what was committed to them Let our people diligently mark this that Traditions never were nor are now onely in the keeping of the Roman Church and that these things are widely different the Tradition of the whole Church or of the greatest and best part of it and the Tradition of one part of the Church and the least part of it and the worst part also and most depraved What is warranted by the Authority of the whole Church I have shewn before we reverently receive but we cannot take that for current Tradition which is warranted onely by a small part of the Church and we give very little credit to what is warranted onely by that part of it which is Roman Because 1. First This Church hath not preserved so carefully as other Churches have done the first and original Tradition which is in the Scriptures but suffered them to be shamefully corrupted Every one knows that there is a Latine Vulgar Edition of the Bible which they of that Church prefer before the Original none of which they preserved heretofore from manifest depravations nor have been able since they were told of the faults to purge away so as to canonize any Edition without permitting great numbers in their newest and most approved Bibles Isidore Clarius in his Preface to his Edition complains that he found these holy Writings defaced with innumerable errours Eight thousand of which that he thought most material he saith he amended and yet left he knew not how many lesser ones untouched After which the Council of Trent having vouched this Vulgar Latine Edition for the onely authentick Pope Sixtus the Fifth published out of the several Copies that were abroad one which he straitly charged to be received as the onely true Vulgar from which none should dare to vary in a tittle And yet two years were scarce passed before Clemens the Eighth found many defects and corruptions still remaining in that Edition and therefore published another with the very same charge that none else should be received Which evidently shews they have suffered the holy Books to be so fouly abused that they know not how to amend the errours that are crept into them nor can tell which is the true Bible For these two Bibles thus equally authorised as the onely authentick ones abound not onely with manifest diversities but
to imagine when he reads this that by admitting Tradition to be of such use and force as I have mentioned we yield too much to the Popish Cause which supports it self by this pretence But if any one shall suggest this to any of our people let them reply that it is but the pretence and onely by the Name of Tradition that the Romish Church supports it self For true Tradition is as great a proof against Popery as it is for Episcopacy The very foundation of the Pope's Empire which is his succession in Saint Peter's Supremacy is utterly subverted by this the constant Tradition of the Church being evidently against it And therefore let us not lose this Advantage we have against them by ignorantly refusing to receive true and constant Tradition which will be so far from leading us into their Church that it will never suffer us to think of being of it while it remains so opposite to that which is truly Apostolical I conclude this with the direction which our Church gives to Preachers in the Book of Canons 1571. in the Title Concionatores that no man shall teach the people any thing to be held and believed by them religiously but what is consentaneous to the Doctrine of the Old and New Testament and what the Catholick Fathers and ancient Bishops have gathered out of that very Doctrine This is our Rule whereby we are to guide our selves which was set us on purpose to preserve our Preachers from broaching any idle novel or popish Doctrines as appears by the Conclusion of that Injunction Vain and old Wives opinions and heresies and popish errours abhorring from the Doctrine and Faith of Christ they shall not teach nor any thing at all whereby the unskilfull multitude may be inflamed either to the study of novelty or to contention VI. But though nothing may be taught as a piece of Religion which hath not the forenamed Original yet I must add that those things which have been universally believed and not contrary to Scripture though not written at all there nor to be proved from thence we do receive as pious opinions For instance the perpetual Virginity of the Mother of God our Saviour which is so likely a thing and so universally received that I do not see why we should not look upon it as a genuine Apostolical Tradition VII I have but one thing more to add which is that we allow also the Traditions of the Church about matters of Order Rites and Ceremonies Onely we do not take them to be parts of God's Worship and if they be not appointed in the holy Scriptures we believe they may be altered by the same or the like authority with that which ordained them So our Church hath excellently and fully resolved us concerning such matters in the XXXIV Article of Religion where there are three things asserted concerning such Traditions as these First It is not necessary that Traditions and Ceremonies they are the very first words of the Article be in all places one or utterly alike for at all times they have been divers and may be changed according to the diversities of Countries times and mens manners so that nothing be ordained against God's word But then to prevent all disorders and confusions that men might make in the Church by following their own private fancies and humours the next thing which is decreed is this Secondly that whosoever through his own private judgment willingly and purposely doth openly break the Traditions and Ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnant to the word of God and be ordained and approved by common authority ought to be rebuked openly that others may fear to doe the like as he that offendeth against the common order of the Church and hurteth the Authority of the Magistrate and woundeth the Consciences of the weak Brethren Lastly it is there declared that every particular or national Church hath authority to ordain change and abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained onely by man's authority so that all things be done to edifying This is sufficient to shew what we believe concerning Traditions about matters of Order and Decency VIII As for what is delivered in matters of Doctrine or Order by any private Doctour in the Church or by any particular Church it appears by what hath been said that it cannot be taken to be more than the private opinion of that man or the particular decree of that Church and can have no more authority than they have that is cannot oblige all Christians unless it be conteined in the holy Scripture Now such are the Traditions which the Roman Church would impose upon us and impose upon us after a strange fashion as you shall see in the Second Part of this Discourse unto which I shall proceed presently when I have left with you this brief reflexion on what hath been said in this First Part. Our people may hereby be admonished not to suffer themselves to be deceived and abused by words and empty names without their sense and meaning Nothing is more common than this especially in the business of Traditions About which a great stir is raised and it is commonly given out that we refuse all Traditions Than which nothing is more false for we refuse none truly so called that is Doctrines delivered by Christ or his Apostles No we refuse nothing at all because it is unwritten but merely because we are not sure it is delivered by that Authority towhich we ought to submit Whatsoever is delivered to us by our Lord and his Apostles we receive as the very word of God which we think is sufficiently declared in the holy Scriptures But if any can certainly prove by any Authority equal to that which brings the Scriptures to us that there is any thing else delivered by them we receive that also The Controversie will soon be at an end for we are ready to embrace it when any such thing can be produced Nay we have that reverence for those who succeeded the Apostles that what they have unanimously delivered to us as the sense of any doubtfull place we receive it and seek no farther There is no dispute whether or no we should entertain it To the Decrees of the Church also we submit in matters of Decency and Order yea and acquiesce in its authority when it determines doubtfull opinions But we cannot receive that as a Doctrine of Christ which we know is but the Tradition of man nor keep the Ordinances of the ancient Church in matters of Decency so unalterably as never to vary from them because they themselves did not intend them to be of everlasting obligation As appears by the changes that have been made in several times and places even in some things which are mentioned in the holy Scriptures being but customes suted to those Ages and Countries In short Traditions we do receive but not all that are called by that name Those which have sufficient Authority but not those which
with contradictions or contrarieties one to the other Whereby all Romanists are reduced to this miserable necessity either to make use of no Bible at all or to fall under the curse of Sixtus if he make use the Bible of Clement or the curse of Clement if he use the Bible of Sixtus For they are both of them enjoined with the exclusion of all other Editions and with the penalty of a curse upon them who disobey the one or the other and it is impossible to obey both This might be sufficient to demonstrate how unfaithfull that Church hath been in the weightiest concerns Whereby all the members of it are plunged beyond all power of redemption into a dismal necessity either of laving aside the Scriptures or of offending against the sacred decrees as they account them of one or other of the heads of their Church which some take to be infallible and being accursed of them 2. But for every one 's fuller satisfaction it may be fit farther to represent how negligent they have been in preserving other Traditions which were certainly once in the Church but now utterly lost There is no question to be made but the Apostles taught the first Christians the meaning of those hard places which we find in their and other holy Writings But who can tell us where to find certainly so much as one of them and therefore where is the fidelity of this Church which boasts so much to be the keeper of sacred Traditions For nothing is more desirable than those Apostolical interpretations of Scripture nothing could be more usefull and yet we have no hope to meet with them either there or indeed any where else Which is no reproach to other Churches who do not pretend to more than is written but reflects much upon them and discredits them who challenge the power of the whole Church intirely and would pass not onely for the sole keepers and witnesses of Divine Truth but for carefull preservers of it For of what should they have been more carefull than of these usefull things whereof they can tell us nothing when of unprofitable Ceremonies they have most devoutly kept if we could believe them a very great number 3. They tell us indeed of some doctrinal Traditions also which they have religiously preserved but mark I beseech you with what sincerity For to justifie these they have forged great numbers of Writings and Books under the name of such Authours as it is evident had no hand in them which is another reason why we cannot give credit to their reports if we have no other authority There are very sew persons now that are ignorant how many Decretal Epistles of the ancient Bishops of Rome have been devised to establish the Papal Empire and how shamefully a Donation of Constantine hath been pretended wherein he gave away the Roman Empire and all its rights to the Pope Which puts me in mind as a notorious proof of this of the forgeries that are in the Breviary it self where we reade of Constantine's Leprosie and the cure of it by Sylvester's baptizing him which are egregious Fables and of the Decrees of the second Roman Synod under that Pope Sylvester wherein the Breviary affirms Photinus was condemned when all the world knows that Photinus his Heresie did not spring up till divers years after the death of Sylvester And there are so many other arguments which prove the Decrees of that Synod to be a vile forgery that we may see by the way what reason they have to keep their Liturgy in an unknown Language lest the people perceiving what untruths they are taught instead of God's word should abhor that Divine Service as justly they might which is stuffed with so many Fables It would be endless to shew how many passages they have foisted into ancient Writers to countenance their Traditions particularly about the Papal Supremacy by which so great a man as Thomas Aquinas was deceived who frequently quotes authorities which are mere forgeries though not invented by him I verily think but imposed upon him by the fraud which had been long practised in that Church For we find that the Canons of so famous and universally known Council as that of the first at Nice have been falsely alledged even by Popes themselves Boniface for instance and Zosimus alledged a counterfeit Nicene Canon to the African Bishops in the Sixth Council of Carthage who to convince the false dealing of these Popes sought out with great labour and diligence the ancient and authentick Copies of the Nicene Canons and having obtained them both from Alexandria and from Constantinople they found them for number and for sense to be the very same which themselves already had but not one word in them of what the Popes pretended The same I might say of Pope Innocent and others whom I purposely omit because I study brevity 4. And have this farther to add that as they have pretended Tradition where there is none so where there is they have left that Tradition and therefore have no reason to expect that we should be governed by them in this matter who take the liberty to neglect as they please better Tradition than they would impose upon us None are to be charged with this if it be a guilt more than themselves For instance the three immersions i.e. dipping the persons three times in Baptism was certainly an ancient practice and said by many Authours to be an Apostolical Tradition and to be ordained in signification of the blessed Trinity into whose name they were baptised And yet there is no such thing now in use in their Church no more than in ours who justifie our selves as I shewed above by a true opinion that Rites and Ceremonies are not unalterable which it is impossible for them to do unless they will cease to press the necessity of other Traditions upon us which never were so generally received as this which is now abolished To which may be added the custome of giving the Eucharist to Infants which prevailed for several Ages and is called by S. Austin an Apostolical Tradition the custome of administring Baptism onely at Easter and Whitsontide with a great heap more which it would be too long to enumerate Nor is it necessary I should trouble the Reader with them these being sufficient to shew the partiality of that Church in this matter and that we have no reason to be tied to that merely upon their Authority which they will not observe though having a far greater Nay all discreet persons may easily see what a wide difference there is between them who have abrogated such Traditions as had long gone even in their Church under the name of Apostolical and us who therefore do not follow pretended Traditions now because we believe them not to be Apostolical but merely Roman He is strangely blind who doth not see how much more sincere this Church is than that in this regard 5. Besides this we can demonstrate that as