Milan which is neere Rome they fasted not on Saturdayes as Saint Augustine testifieth in his 118. Epistle Thirdly single life of Priests and 3. Single life of Priests Bishops cannot be an Apostolicall Tradition because it was not practised at the time of the Apostles nor many ages after them But having spoken of this elsewhere at large I will content my selfe for the present with the testimony of the two most famous Cardinals of this age Barronius and Perron Baronius in the 58. yeere of his Annales Bar. Ann. 58 §. 14. acknowledgeth that married men were received to the function of Bishop at the Apostles time whereof hee alledgeth divers causes and namely amongst the rest the scarcity of unmarried men especially in Crete And Perron affirmeth Du Perron cōtre le Roy de la grand ' Bretagne pag. 312. A cause respondrens nous de la rareté des personnes marices lors de la naissance de l'Eglise c. Mais depuis comme l'Emperour Constantin c. that this permission lasted untill the time of Constantine that is to say during the three first ages But if he would have confessed the whole truth he had acknowledged that Greeke Churches never was any time when Priests were not married yea they so continue to this very day And the 13. Canon of the sixt generall Councel called at the Imperial Palace of Constantinople doth formally condemne the Church of Rome upon this subject Estius Doctor and Professor at Doway in his Commentary upon this passage of the Apostle 1 Tim. 3. Let the Bishop Fatendum est Avestolum permittere vt in Episcopum eligatur qui habeat verum id pro tēpore propter paucitatem eorla qui et coelibes essent ad Episcopatum idonei be husband of one wife speaketh thus We must confesse that the Apostle suffereth us to chuse a Bishop that is married to one wife but he teacheth this according to the time because of the fewnesse of unmaried men and of such as were fit for the function of a Bishop Therefore this Tradition claimeth not the Apostles to bee the Authours of it and consequently is not Apostolicall nor hath it beene received at all times and in all places I have insisted hereupon not that wee should have need of the authority of the ancients to fight against Romish Traditions for refutation whereof the word of God is sufficient and is only that which ought to judge us but to shew that our Adversaries supposing to establish their Traditions doe plainely destroy them and doe giue such notes whereby they draw their owne inditement and conviction Neverthelesse it is not without craft that they will have Traditions to bee examined by this touchstone to wit whether they have beene universally received at all times For they know that of those who would examine their Traditions by this way scarce one amongst a thousand can attaine to the head of them and that the people can inform themselves nothing at all therein for this examination cannot bee made but by the reading of all the Greeke and Latine Fathers and of all the Ecclesiasticall histories since the continuation of sixteene hundred yeeres All the bookes to this purpose would fill a spacious roome and are no more then sealed letters to the people yea amongst the Clergie not one of a hundred will bee found that hath but ordinary knowledge therein By this meanes our Adversaries contrive the matter that when their Traditions come to be examined a way must bee undertaken that is endlesse wherein the people walke blindefold and are constrained to repaire to the testimony of such men as preach these Traditions and live by them truly if by these directions men expect to arrive at the knowledge of salvation I know not who can be saved The which most cleerely appeareth in this that the holy Scripture being the short and sure means to examiue Traditions they sequester it farre from the peoples eyes and divert them from reading therof appointing them to books wherein they are neither comprehensive nor capable It appeareth likewise in the examination of Traditions by the history of every age wherein ordinarily they commence with the last age and so walke retrograde in the calculation of their times to the end they may arrive as late as possibly they can at the Apostles time and their writings CHAP. XV. The second marke set by our Adversaries to distinguish the good Traditions from the bad to wit Succession To discerne the good Traditions from the bad our Adversaries agree that those ought to be held for divine and Apostolicall which are received by the Churches that derive their succession from the Apostles This marke hath no more certainty then the former and maketh as much against our Adversaries The doubtfulnesse of it is manifest in this that the Churches of Antioch of Alexandria of Ephesus of Thessalonica of Candia c. which are contrary to the Romish Church and more ancient doe boast themselves to bee of equall succession and one part of them challengeth a succession from Saint Peter yea before the Churches of Alexandria and Antioch did suffer any interruption by the persecutions of the Mahumetans they were often in discord with the Church of Rome and were not in any wise subject unto it and more particularly the Church of Thessalonica founded upon Saint Paul and the Church of Candia where Saint Paul established Titus from whom descended the Bishops of Candia keepe a succession from the Apostles which never was interrupted and hath continued since the time of Christ who speaking from heaven sent the Apostle Saint Paul yet notwithstanding these Churches are separated from a communion with the Church of Rome and the Pope holdeth them for Schismatickes and Heretikes As for the Bishop of Rome so many schismes dividing and so many heresies tainting his Seat as our Adversaries themselves confesse and we have elsewhere proved have long since broken the ranke of this imaginary succession Also the uncertainty of this succession betrayeth it selfe in that it is a meere tradition so as if the service of Images or the Communion under one kinde be founded upon succession behold then Traditions founded upon a Tradition and this Tradition founded upon humane histories which may mistake yea often doe jarre and disagree wherefore this is an uncertainty founded upon another uncertainty as atomes and motes carried upon the aire But how shall a Mechanicke or a woman know this succession How shall they be assured that the second Bishop of Rome hath beleeved in the points of Religion as the first the third as the second the fourth as the third and so for sixteene hundred yeeres though there never might have happened any alteration Who doth not perceive that these men by a palpable falshood invent projects wherof they know that the knowledge is impossible and wherein the search is a labour in vaine to the end that the ignorant finding themselves muffled up in darknesse
recte de Ecclesia sentit qui nihil admit tit nisi quod expresse in veteri Ecclesia sumpenÌ„ aâ—t factuÌ„ essâ— legit quasi Ecclesia osterioris temporis aut desierit esse Ecclesia aut facuitate non habeat explicaâ—â— et acclarandi costiruenat etiam 〈◊〉 qua au 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christianon perâ—â—onâ— doctrine defendeth himselfe in this manner He judgeth not rightly of the Church who admitteth nothing but what hee expresly readeth to haue â—en practised or done in the ancient â—hurch as if the Church of these â—tter times had câ—ased to be a Church â— had not power to vnfold and dâ—clare â—a to establish and ordaine the things â—â—at appertaine to fayth and manners â—f Christians This power then of â—he Pope over the life and crowne â—f Kings is not a divine Tradition â— or Apostolike but Ecclâ—siasticall â—rought in by the church of Rome â—n latter times that is to say by â—he Pope And when our adversaries attribute to the Pope the power of adding to the Creed and of making articles of Faith it is apparant that they hold the Pope able to bring in Traditions essentiall to Christian faith which the Apostles haue neither written nor taught by word of mouth This is that which Thomas Aquinas Them 2. â—â— qâ— 1. are 10. Ad solam ar theritate 〈◊〉 â—â—◠〈◊〉 is pertinot noua editie symboli sicut alia omnia qua pertinent ad toram Ecclâ—siam teacheth in the second part of his Summs saying It belongeth sâ—lely to the authority of the soveraigne Pope to make a new edition of Creed as also all things that concerne the vniversall Church Vpon which passage Andradius that assisted at the Counsell of Trent spake thus in the second Booke of the defence 〈◊〉 Pontifices â—â—lte defini 〈◊〉 qua anto 〈◊〉 symbolâ— fidei 〈◊〉 consu 〈◊〉 of the Tridentine faith The Romane Pontifies in defining many things which had been formerly hidden haue accustomed to augment the Creed This question hath been moved to the Councell of Florence betweene the Greekes and Latines the Latines maintaining against the Greekes that the Pope and church of Rome may adde to the Creed Finally in the last Session is concluded in favour of the Latines Ipsi necessitate â—â—gente iure suo particulaâ— illam ex filioque symbolo app◠〈◊〉 licuisso that the Church of Rome hath right of power to adde to the Creed and in the margent is noted Rom Pontificis potestas the power of the â—ope for by the church you must â—understand the Pope To this doth the Iesuite Vasques â—gree who disputing of the Apoâ—les commandement that biddeth â—he people of Corinth 1. Cor. 11. vers 28 to eate of this bread and Vazques Tom. 2. Disp. 216. NuÌ„ 60. Licet coÌ„cederemus hoc fuisse ApostoloruÌ„ praceptuÌ„ rithilomâ—n us Ecclesia summus PoÌ„tifex potuerunt illud iÌ„ustis de causis abrogare Neque enim maior fuit porestas Apostolorum quam Ecclesia Pontificu in ferendu praceptis drinke of this cup speaking thus Though we should graunt that it hath been the Apostles commandement yet neverthelesse the Church and the sove raigne Pope were able to abolish this commandement vpon just reasons for the power of the Apostles to giue commaundements hath not been greater then that of the Church and the Pope Seeing therefore that the Pope hath as much power over the Church as the Apostles and that the Apostles haue had the power to forme a Creed and to establish in the Church Articles of Faith which had not beene written before nor taught by word of mouth in the Church it followes that the Pope hath the same power and that he can forma a Creed or adde to that which the Apostles haue formed and can ordaine matters which the Apostles haue neither written nor taught by mouth Whereupon Leo the tenth in his Bull Exurge which is annexed to the end of the last Lateran Councell thundereth and pronounceth an anathema again â— Luther for having spoken amongst other things Certum est in manis Ecclesis aut Papa proorsus noÌ„ esse 〈◊〉 artiâ—ulos fides that it is no way in the power of the Church or of the Pope to establish articles of faith Salmeron the Iesuite is expresse in his 13 Tome and the third part Disp 6. â— est ergo Doctrina â—dei admitit additioneÌ„â— essentialius of the sixth Disputation saying The doctrine of faith suffereth addition in the things that are essentiall These words are worth observation for if you beleeue this Iesuite the Pope and Church of Rome â—â—ay adde to the Traditions that â—re called Apoâ—tolicall and to the â—â— written word not only matters â—ccidenâ—all but also essentiall not â—aught by the Apostles Which â—ikewise doth iâ—feere that the Aâ—ostles haue not taught all that is â—ecessary to Christian Religion â—nd that then there wanted someâ—hing that was essentiall in the doctrine of the Apostles § Atque hoc c. Nec sub Apostolu omnia occur runt vt possent ab en omnia decidi Et in alio statu erat Ecclesia sub Apostolu quam sit modo vel fuenâ—â— post illa tempra Deinde natura nostra non omnia simul doceri potest c. In iniurtam igitur spiritus sanctâ— qui vngit vnctione â—a membra Christi qui vsque modo operatur reiicitur quicquid non est dudum ab Apostolis c. Possunt ergo esse nâ—uae traditiones ad fidem mâ—res spectaÌ„tes licet ab Apostolu noÌ„ sint conditâ— aut explicatâ— The same Iesuite in his 8. Disputation giues a reason why the Apostles haue not written nor preached all things The affayres saith hee in the Apostles time diâ— not so hit and fall out as that all things could bee decided and the Church at that time was of a condition differing from her now prâ—sent estate and from her estate since that very time Moreouer our nature cannot apprehend all things at once but by progresse and succession of time neither is it capable of all truths at a time c. It were then to abuse the holy Ghost that anâ—oynteth Christs members with oyntment and that operateth vntill thiâ— instant to reject all that hath not beeâ— spoken by the Apostles Whereupon he concludeth therefore may therâ— bee new Traditions concerning faith and manners though they were never made or explicated by the Apostles Now I leaue to judge with whaâ— conscience it may be maintained that the Traditions are ancient and Apostolicall seeing that our adversaries doe confesse that there are many of them moderne and new whereof the Apostles never spake word And to the ende that no man may conceaue these new Traditions to be spungie of no weight unnecessary or unessentiall to christian Religion he speakes directly that the new Traditions are touching faith and manners and that the â—â—ctrine of the Christian faith reâ—â—veth yet an addition even in â—ings that are essentiall
Pag. 1009. Et quat aux auteris plus proches du siecle Apostouque encore qu'il ne s'y trouue pas de vestages de vesta coustume c. Pag. 994. Quelques particuliers 〈◊〉 que les ames des fideles 〈◊〉 point la visin is Diâ—â— avant is augament final c. L'Eglise n'avcit point incore prononce la decisian la dessus is due to be the best versed in the study of the Father's confesfeth freely that in the Authors neerest approching to the Apostles time there appeareth no trace of this custome of invoking Saints Yea he acknowledgeth that then when S. Augustine wrote which was some 420. yeeres after the birth of our Saviour the doctrine of those which hold that the Saints know not the occurrences of things acted here below was not condemned and that the Church had not yet made a decision thereupon and indeed all that our Adversaries alledge out of the Fathers of the three first ages and more then halfe the fourth upon this question are passages ser ving to prove that the Saints pray for us which is a point that willingly wee condiscend unto but not to prove it behovefull for us to invoke the Saints nor to allow them a religious service The approbation of the bookes 3. Maccabees of Maccabees amongst other books Divine and Canonicall is inserted by our Adversaries in their unwritten Traditions Yet this is not a Tradition received from the beginning by all the Catholike Le Concile de Laodiceâ— Can. 58. Melâ—â—â—â— aâ—â—gué pur Eusebe â—â— 5. libâ—â—â— foni histoirà chap. 24. Origene surâ—â—s primier Ps 〈◊〉 par Eâ—seb lib. 6 cap. 24 Tertull â—â— 4 liure de ses Carmes Eujebe Chron. Olymp. 116. 〈◊〉 Cateeltesi quarta Athanas Epost 39. Synops Na-Zianz Caâ—â—â—n Epiph. de mensuris et ponderibus Hilar. prologo Psalmorum Church the Councell of Laodicea rejecteth them and Meliton Bishop of Sardius neere the time of the Apostles and Origen and Tertullian and Eusebius and Athanasius and Cyril of Ierusalem and Hilarie and Gregorie of Nazianzene and Amphilochius Bishop of Iconia and Epiphanius Bishop of Salamine and Philustreus Bishop of Bresse and Saint Ierome in Prologâ— Galeato and in his Preface upon the Bookes of Salomon and Ruffin upon the Lords Prayer all of these were persons remarkeable in the third and fourth ageâ— Yea and Pope Gregorie the 1. who wrote neere upon the end of the fifth age in the 19. of his Morals Chap. the 17 as we have proved elsewhere in amplemanner wherefore this is no Tradition received wholly and at all times by the Church universall By this very Plea the Romish 4. Indulgences Indulgences ought to be rejected the which Indulgences I understand to bee a Tradtion wherewith the Pope heapeth up the superfluity of the satisfactions of Iesus Christ and the Saints to the treasure of the Church and convertech them to payment for others by his Indulgences which he hoardeth in certaine Churches of Rome and causeth that the people from all parts repaire thither to purchase pardons I say that these Indulgences are new and that neither the Apostles nor their disciples did convert the superaboundance of the sufferings of Abrabam or of Saint Iohn the Baptist or of the Virgine Mary to payment for others and kept no treasury to hold the superabounding satisfactions of the Saints and gave no pardons of one or two hundred thousand yeeres as the Pope doth and that these Indulgences have beene altogether unknowne in the first ages of the Christian Church by the plaine confession of our Adversaries Cardinall Cajetan in the 2. Chap. of his Treatise of Indulgences hath these words * De ertu IndulgentiaruÌ„ si certituâ—â— habert posset veritati indà ganda opem ferret Verum quia nulla sacra Scriptura nulla priscoruÌ„ Doctoâ—uÌ„ GraecoruÌ„ aut Lâ—â—inoruÌ„ au 〈◊〉 asscripra hane ad nostraÌ„ deduxit notitiam sed hee solum a treemtis ennâ— scriprurae coÌ„mendatuÌ„ de ve tustus Paâ—â—tbus c. Gabrtel Biel Lect. 57. Decendum quod ante tempora B. Gregorij modicus vel â—ullus fuit vsus Indulgentiarum Nuâ—â—â— autem crebrescit 〈◊〉 vsuâ— quiae sine dubiâ— Ecclesia habens spiritaÌ„ sponsi sut Christi et idcirco non errans c. Navan us Coment de Iobel â—t Indutg pag. 545 Quate autent apud antâ—qâ—os tam rara apud recentiores taÌ„ frequens sit Indulgentiarum mentio docuit ille vit sanctissimus c. Iâ—hannis Roffensis c◠〈◊〉 ea de re verboruÌ„ summa est Quod non certo constat à 〈◊〉 primuÌ„ tradi coeperint c. Quod multa aâ— Evangelijs â—t alijs scripturu nuÌ„c sunt â—xcusa â—ucuâ—â—ntius intellectu perspicacius quaÌ„ fuerunt olim Quod nemo â—â— dubitat orthodoxus an Purgatâ—rium sit de quo tameÌ„ apud priscos illos nulla vel quaÌ„ rarissima fiebat mentio Quod non fuit tam necessaria siue Purgatâ—rij siue Indulgâ—tiâ—rum fides explicita in â—rimitiua ecâ—lesia atque â—unc est c. Anton. Sum. â—â— S. Theolog. art 1. tit 10. 3. de Indul. l. 202. Veâ—tijs ann â—82 5. bridgeent of Cup. If we could have any certainty concerning the originall of Indulgences it would helpe as much in the disquisition of the truth but we have not by writing any authority either of the holy Scripture or of ancient Doctors Greeke or Latine that affordeth us the least knowledge thereof Gabriel Biel Lect. 57. upon the Canon of the Masse We must confesse that before the time of Gregory that is to say in the six first ages the use of Indulgences was very little or none at all but now the practice of them is growne frequent for without doubt the Churoh hath the Spirit of Christ her Spouse and therefore erreth not Navarrus the Popes Penitentiary What is the cause that among the ancients so little mention is made of Indulgences and among it the moderne they are in such use Iohn of Rochester most holy and reverend for his dignity of Bishop and Cardinall hath taught us the reason saying that The explicite faith whether it bee of Purgatory or of Indulgences was not so necessary in the Primitive Church as now And a little after Whil st there was no heed taken to Purgatory no man enquired after Romish Indulgences because thereupon dependeth the properâ—y and worth of them Antonine Archbishop of Florence whom the Pope canonized for a Saint speaketh to the same purpose Touching Indulgences we have nothing expresly recited in holy Scripture although the saying of the Apostle be alledged upon this subject 1 Cor. If I have pardoned any thing I have done it for your sake in the person of Christ Nor are found at all in the writings of the ancient Doctors but of the moderne It is therefore no small abuse to place Indulgences amongst Apostolike Traditions Of the same ranke is that Tradition which excludeth the people from the communion of the Cup it
with the fire of the last judgement Particularly Chrysostome was of opinion that the Soules could not bee tormented without the bodies as hee speaketh in his 39. Homily upon the 1. to the Corintbians And in the same passage where his 3. Homily upon the Epâ—stle to the Philippians is objected to vs hee supposeth that the dead which are comforted by lamentations and prayers are not the faithfull but the infidells So as this passage maketh altogether against the Church of Rome Though Saint Augustine be punctuall and excellent in this subject as we have seene yet they would make him an advocate to plead for unwritten Traditions in matter concerning the faith This holy Father hath beleeved and we with him that the necessary Doctrines which concerne faith and maners are sufficiently contained in the holy Scriptures And for some certaine Customes Ceremonies and outward observations because they are generally received he beleeveth they are derived from ancient unwritten Tradition It becommeth none to gainesay this but frantickes or such as are given to a contradicting humour and are enemies to the peace Good reason for it To give you some instance Aug. ad Ianuar Epist 118. Illa qua non scripta sed tradita custodimus quae quidem toto terrarum orbe servantur dantur intelligi vel ab ipsis Apostolu vel pleparijs Concilijs quoruÌ„ est in Ecclesia saluberrima authoritas commendata atque statuta retine 1. Sicut quod Domini passio et resurrectio ascensio in coelu et adveÌ„tus de coelo Spiritus Sancti anniversaria solemnitate celebraâ—ur It is not commanded in the Scripture to celebrate annually the day of our Saviours Nativity nor of the Paschall nor of the Lords Resurrection nor of Pentecost which is the day whereoâ— the holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles For Saint Augustine in his 118. Epistle bringeth these examples where he saith To stirre up dissentions hereupon for matters in their owne nature not necessary to salvation but authorized by the generall custome of so many ages should be according to my judgment according to the truth a despightfull perversenesse yea a symptome of distraction confounding all concord and quietnesse In like manner doth the Scripture give no charge touching the precise houre of administring the holy Supper Iesus Christ occasionally performed it after Supper to place and substitute the holy Eucharist immediatly to the Paschal Lambe But it appeareth by the History of the Acts that the Apostles were not obliged to this houre and since that time the generall custome was to celebrate it in the morning I say for a man hereupon to separate himselfe from the Communion of the Church and to make a schisme or trouble the peace of the Church in a matter that concerneth not the Doctrine of faith nor is necessary to salvation What is it but stubborne arrogance It is most necessary not to molest the Church for matters not necessary in their owne nature If the mischiefe bee not great for as much as concerneth the Doctrine yet is it of no small importance for what concerneth the manners and the many inconveniences that ensue thereon This is the same that Saint Augustine teacheth in his 118 Epistle to Ianuarius where he argueth the case whether they bee well advised who appoint that on Thursday before the Paschal the holy Supper be twice solemnized that is to say in the morning after evening repast His answer is If Quid horum sit facienuÌ„ si divina Scriptura praescribit authoritas non sit dubitanduÌ„ quin ita facere debeamus vt legimus c. Sioniliter etiam si quid horum totaÌ„ per orbeÌ„ frequentat Ecclesia NaÌ„ hoc quin ita faciendum sit disputare insolentissima insania est the authority of the holy Scripture prescribe what is to be done wee are not to doubt but that wee ought to doe as wee reade c. As also if there bee any thing that the universall Church doth practise thorowout the world For to dispute whether this should bee done or no is a meere lunacie But in other matters as that concerning the houre of the holy Supper which doe vary according to the places he alloweth that every man should follow the custome of his countrey He speaketh of the same otherwhere As in the second booke of QuaÌ„ consuâ—tudineÌ„ credo ex Apostolica traditione vinienteÌ„ sicut multa noÌ„ inveniuntur in literis eorum neque in Concilijs posterioru Et tameÌ„ quia per vniversame custodiuntu Ecclesiam non nisi ab ipsis tradita commendata creduntur Quod vniversa tenet Ecclesia nec Concilijc institutu sed semper retentuÌ„ est no nist auctoritate Apostolica institutuÌ„ rectissimè creditur Apostolis qui deÌ„ nihil exinde praecepâ— king â—t sed contudo alia 〈◊〉 oppnetur Cypriaâ—ab eorum â—ditione ordium â—mpsisse creâ—nda est Si-â—t sunt mul-â—t quae vniâ—ersa tenet Ecclesia at obâ—oc abd Apotolis praecepâ—a bene creduntur quanquaÌ„ scripta non reportantur Baptisme against the Donatists the seventh Chapter Which Custome not to rebaptize Heretickes I beleeve to bee derived from Apostolicall Tradition as many things are not found written in their bookes nor the Councels of posterity after them Neverthelesse because they are kept by the Catholike Church it is beleeved that they were delivered by none but them And in his fourth booke chap. 24. That which the universall Church doth keepe and hath not beene instituted by Councels but hath alwayes beâ—ne preserved is justly beleeved to have beene given for no other Tradition but Apostolicall And in his fifth booke chap. 23. The Apostles have commanded nothing to that purpose speaking of the re-baptizing of Hereticks but we must beleeve that the other Custome which was opposed against Cyprian tooke beginning from their Tradition As there are many things which the universall Church observeth and therefore are beleeved to be instiâ—uted by the Apostles although they appeare not in writing In this Tract he speaketh concerning the Custome of not re-baptizing those who have beene baptized by Heretickes which is no point necessary to salvation For how many men are saved that never heard discourse of this question If a man once baptized bee re-baptized the second time although his second Baptisme be superfluous yet neverthelesse the fault not being in him that is rebaptized he shall not be therefore debarred from salvation Or if the Baptisme of Heretikes be unlawfull yet hee that is converted from heresie to the true faith having received no other Baptisme shall not be deprived of salvation because it happeneth not by his default It is not the privation but the neglect and contempt of Baptisme that impeacheth mans salvation Saint Cyprian and his Predecessour Agrippine and with them all the Bishops of Africke have in this point beene of a contrary opinion to the Romish Church and by expresse Councels have condemned the Doctrine held in that Church Would our