Authour too 'T is certain that those Holy men who delivered the Prophecies of the Old Testament to the Jewish Church were inspired from Heaven and hence it is that the Scripture styles a Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of God i. e. a man commissioned authorized and informed by God St. Peter tells us No prophecie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of private incitation so our learned Hammond renders it the expression imports that the Prophets were not suae mentis sed Divini Consilii Interpretes as Cameron words it they did not reveal their own minds but God's Thus St. Paul God spake by the Prophets they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men carried acted and taught by God And what Person of the Trinity it was that inspired these Prophets St. Peter tells us Holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Thus Ezekiel The Spirit of the Lord fell upon me and said unto me Speak Thus saith the Lord c. There was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Cameron the Spirit of God did invade seise and enter the Prophets of old and upon that score those Messages which they delivered and left upon record are commonly styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Holy Writings or as Dionysius calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Discourses Sermons or Words of God And as the Prophecies of these Holy men with a respect to the whole Trinity are indeed the Word of God so likewise with a more particular Appropriation to the Second Person they may be justly styled according to the expression in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of Christ For that this Blessed Spirit by whom these Prophets were infallibly taught and guided in all their Messages is indeed the Spirit of Christ 't is an Article of our Christian Faith delivered to us both in the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds For although the Title that was expresly given the Spirit by the ancient Fathers of the Greek Church in the Creeds of Nicaea and Constantinople were onely this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit that proceeds from the Father yet that it was their constant belief that the Spirit did also proceed from the Son our excellent Bishop Pearson hath undeniably evinced from several expressions of Epiphanius who thus affirms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Spirit of God is the Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of the Son too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is from the Father and from the Son and that doubtless not onely as he was anciently termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receiving from the Father and the Son but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proceeding too And this Procession of the Spirit from the Son though the Scripture doth no-where deliver in expresse and open terms yet it doth virtually contain and justly warrant it For as he is styled the Spirit of the Father so is he as plainly styled the Spirit of the Son too so St. Paul God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son And as he is styled the Spirit of God so is he styled the Spirit of Christ too thus the same St. Paul If any man have not the Spirit of Christ c. So then 't is evident that this Blessed Spirit by whom the Prophets of old were inspired and acted is indeed the Spirit of Christ So much St. Peter doth yet farther assure us The Spirit of Christ which was in the Prophets c. And methinks if that Holy Spirit by whose immediate Inspiration all the Prophets did speak and write were and is the Spirit of Christ we may easily grant that every Truth which these Prophets by the Guidance of this Spirit have delivered and left upon record is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of Christ Thirdly The New Testament hath Christ for its Authour too 'T is often styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gospel of Christ St. Paul calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gospel of the Son and well he may for all the Sermons recorded by the four Evangelists are the Sermons of this Son all the mighty works registred in these severall Gospels are the Miracles of this Son all the Promises that are anywhere delivered by St. Matthew Mark Luke or John are the Promises of this Son and whatever Truth we find mentioned by any one or all the Evangelists 't is the Doctrine of this Son Thus St. Paul God hath spoken to us by his Son c. Under the Law God spake by Angels and Prophets that were his Servants but under and in the Gospel he hath spoke more immediately by Christ Who is his Son And as the main Passages recorded by the four Evangelists were thus immediately delivered by Christ in his own Person so likewise those holy men who were Amanuenses Dei the Secretaries and Pen-men of the Spirit to write what our Saviour did and preached and so to transmit his Truths his Commands and his Miracles to all succeeding Ages were provided and raised by Christ too So that Text informs us He gave some Apostles and some Evangelists c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He gave c. but who is that Idem ipse Christus so Estius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so St. Chrysostom 't is Christ 't is the Son that gave But what did he give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostles such as St. Paul Silas Barnabas c. to preach the Gospel and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evangelists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so St. Chrysostom he gave St. Matthew and others to write the Gospel and by so doing to convey it sincere pure and incorrupt to all Generations And this doth Saint Paul acknowledge By Christ we have received Grace and Apostleship hence doth St. Peter style himself thus Peter an Apostle of Jesus Christ c. Christ himself was known by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle of his Father but St. Peter and St. Paul were His. And as these Apostles received their severall Commissions from Christ so were they careful to preach those very Doctrines which Christ himself had taught them Thus St. Paul I have received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you Non confinxi pro Ingenio meo c. saith Cameron St. Paul did not invent but receive what Truths he preached and wrote they were not the Issues of his own Brain but the Revelations and Dictates of Christ And if so if the Evangelists and Apostles who preached and penned the whole New Testament were not onely raised by Christ but infallibly taught by his Spirit too we may conclude that this holy Gospell which was published and registred by these inspired Persons is indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of Christ But 2. The Scriptures are and may be justly styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of Christ not onely as he is the Authour of the whole but also as he is
the chief Subject and Matter of the most materiall Passages that are found therein See this again in three Particulars First Christ is the grand subject Matter of the Law St. Paul tells us the Law was our Schoolmaster but what Lessons doth it teach us the Text answers the Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ 't is evident that Christ was taught even by the Law Thus Calvin In tota Ceremoniarum Pompa quicquid oculis ingerebatur id quasi notam Christi impressam habebat Whatever Ceremonies the Law commanded they were so many Types and Representations of Christ And that Christ was indeed the Person concerned and aimed at in the Law it seems very evident from that expression which St. Paul borrows from the Psalmist In the volume of the Book it is written of me c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the head of the Book But what book doth he mean Saint Augustine answers librum Psalmorum the Book of Psalms But that cannot well be because the Psalms in David's time were not yet collected into a Book St. Hierom therefore expounds it thus In the volume of the Book i. e. In principio Genesis In the beginning of Genesis But if not so if St. Hierom were mistaken in the particular Text to which the Psalmist referreth yet we have all reason to believe that he meant the writings of Moses for as Ludovicus Cappellus rightly observes in David's age there was scarce any other part of God's Word yet written praeter Pentateuchum besides the Pentateuch and perhaps that of Job And to confirm this Interpretation of the Text 't is observed by severall Authours that the five Books of Moses were usually styled by the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Muis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Cappellus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Book i. e. the chief and most excellent Book But whether the Psalmist and after him St. Paul do particularly mean these Books of Moses or not 't is sure enough that our Blessed Saviour was much concerned in them So much doth he himself expresly tell the Jews Moses wrote of me It was one great Argument whereby our Blessed Saviour did convince the Jews of gross Hypocrisy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Christ Ye do stoutly contend that ye believe the Writings of Moses and doe what he commands but indeed there is no such matter for had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me were ye indeed his Disciples ye would have been mine too for he wrote of me And that he did so indeed is farther cleared from that Discourse which our Blessed Saviour had upon the day of his Resurrection with the two Disciples upon the way The Text saith he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself but whence took he the first rise and ground of his Discourse the Text answers thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beginning from Moses So then 't is evident that Moses who was the Pen-man of the Law was the first Pen-man of the Gospel too he was an Evangelist as well as a Prophet and although he represented Christ as Grotius words it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by symbolicall Types and Figures though his Doctrine of the Messias was involved and wrapt up as Dionysius phraseth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in sacred Veils yet sure we are the Matter of his Writings is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as Law 2. Christ is the great and principall Subject of the Prophets too The miraculous Conception the wonderfull Nativity the holy Life the ignominious Death the honourable Buriall the stupendious Resurrection the glorious Ascension and Session of Christ at God's right hand and his coming again to Judgement are all recorded by the Prophets Insomuch that it seems very strange that the Jews who had long expected their Messias should not discover Christ to be the man St. Paul tells us They that dwell at Hierusalem and their Rulers knew him not But what made them to be thus ignorant The reason follows thus They knew not the voices of the Prophets the Text imports that whosoever knows the Prophets must needs know the Messias too which is a convincing argument that they wrote about him The Evangelists do often tell us that such and such Passages relating to Christ such and such Circumstances that did attend his Life and Death were signal Accomplishments of such and such Predictions What expression more frequent then this Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the Prophet Yea if it were fulfilled then was it spoken too if there was an Accomplishment there must be a Prophecie too And the truth is the Prediction is often urged as the great reason of the Event in several Passages that relate to Christ Thus St. Matthew All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet And thus our Saviour himself seems to argue All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me Whatever stands written in the Prophets we find accomplished in the Evangelists his very Death of all things in the world the most unlikely could not be excepted Thus it must be the Son of man must suffer and die but why so he tells us The Son of man goeth as it is written of him written where and by whom St. Peter answers God beforehand had shewed by the mouth of all his Prophets that Christ should suffer 'T is evident from these and many more like expressions that Christ and the things of Christ were the great Argument the principal Subject nay the onely Theme upon which the Vniversality of the Prophets did both speak and write 3. Christ is the great Subject of the Evangelists and Apostles too What is the grand Argument of St. Matthew's Gospel the very first Verse thus informs us The Book of the generation of Jesus Christ Zegerus tells us Hoc ceu Titulo totius rei summam omnémque Evangelicae hujus Narrationis praesignat Historiam The Evangelist in this short Title informs us what is the Summe and Argument of his whole Discourse and that is saith Clarius tota Servatoris Vita the whole Life of our Blessed Saviour Indeed Erasmus affirms Hic Titulus non est universi Argumenti This Title which St. Matthew doth here prefix before his Gospell doth not comprehend the Summe of his whole Book and Grotius contends that it is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a partiall Inscription referring onely to Christ's Originall But however what we want in the Title we have in the Book which from the beginning to the end contains nothing else but the Conception Nativity Life Death Burial and Resurrection of Christ And as for St. Mark who as St. Austin observes did little more then epitomize St. Matthew's Gospell he thus enters upon his work The beginning of the Gospell of Jesus Christ And that this is indeed Operis
Titulus the Title of his whole Book which comprehends the summe of all his following Discourse and sheweth that his design was to treat of nothing else but Christ is the acknowledgement of Erasmus who denieth St. Matthew's Title so to be and doe And what is the Subject Matter of St. Luke's Gospel himself acquaints his friend Theophilus The former Treatise have I made of all that Jesus began both to doe and teach Partitus est omnem Christi Vitam in Facta Doctrinam saith Erasmus St. Luke doth here divide the whole Life of Christ into the Miracles which he wrought and the Sermons which he preached and tells Theophilus that these two were the great Contents of his former Book Thus Grotius Haec verba brevem Evangelii descriptionem continent These words contain a short description of St. Luke's whole Gospel and shew that Christ is the Subject of it And as for the Acts of the Apostles Quid aliud est quà m Evangelii pars saith Erasmus What is it else but a part of the Gospel What contains it but an History of what the Apostles did and suffered upon the Account of Christ And what Saint John our fourth Evangelist treats of the very first line of his Gospel tells us In the beginning was the Word 'T is but one Word that makes up his whole Book and that Word is Christ So then 't is clear enough that Christ is the onely Subject of all four Gospels but what do the Epistles treat of St. Matthew Mark Luke and John do write of Jesus but what doth St. Paul doe 'T is sure that no Apostle preached no Apostle wrote so much as he but what 's his Subject The Text answers He preached Jesus himself confirms it We preach not our selves but Christ And as he preached so he wrote too 't is easily seen that in all his Epistles there are but few Passages to be found that do not one way or other relate to Christ So that upon the whole matter we may safely say as Maldonate doth Tota Scriptura Christum loquitur The whole Scripture speaks of Christ So Cornetius à Lapide too Tota Scriptura pro Argumento suo habet Christum tota circa Christum versatur All the Bible the Old Testament and the New Moses and the Prophets the Evangelists and the Apostles do all treat of Christ as Christ is the Authour of all Scriptures so is he their great Subject matter too And if so we may well conclude that the whole Bible is what the Text styles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word of Christ And since 't is so these Inferences will undeniably follow I. That the Scriptures have in them more of Excellence Wisedom Purity and Holiness then any or all other Writings whatsoever Indeed there may be and certainly is somewhat of worth in many other books besides 't is possible sometimes to find Gold among rubbish and a Jewel may lie upon a dunghill That there are many things of great use in Humane nay in Heathenish Authours no sober person that reads and understands them will deny So excellent are the Writings of Plato that I find him styled alter Moses a second Moses and the Ancients commonly surname him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato the Divine Such are the Morals of Plutarch a man styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Venus of all Philosophy that it was judged the fittest book to be preserved if all books were to be burnt but one Nay so choise an Authour is that very Poet Homer that Dionysius calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most Divine And methinks that little Poem of Pythagoras deserves its name and those few lines of his are justly styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verses of Gold What great use may be made of Heathenish Moralists Historians and Poets we learn from those great Examples and learned men the Primitive Fathers Justine Martyr Clemens Alexandrinus Origen Epiphanius c. and amongst the Latins Tertullian Austine Hierom Cyprian Lactantius and many others who overthrew the Idolatry of the Gentiles and convinced the Nations of their abominable Superstitions and Practices by the clear Testimonies of their own Writers And in so doing these great Luminaries of the Christian Church did but follow the Example of St. Paul who to convince Pagans and Infidels took Arguments from their own Authours and translated some Verses of Callimachus Epimenides Menander and Aratus into the Word of God and thereby made them sacred And doubtless there is a great truth in that expression of Scultetus Fructuosè ancillantur Sacris c. The Testimonies of Humane Authours do contribute a great deal towards the Confirmation of many Truths and the better understanding of the Oracles of God And if there be such a worth in the writings of other Authours who were but Men what value shall we set upon the Scripture which is the undoubted Word of God If the Laws of Solon be choise what is the Law of Moses If the Ethicks of Aristotle Epictetus Hierocles Cicero Seneca and many others be excellent what then are the Proverbs of Solomon If the Discourses of Plato be Heavenly what then are the Sermons of Christ Nay if the Epistles of St. Austine St. Hierom St. Bernard and other Fathers be even Divine what are St. Paul's then Remember other Writings are but the Writings of Men but these are God's other Books at best contain but the word of such and such a Saint whereas our Bible contains 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word of Christ II. That every man stands obliged readily and firmly to believe whatever the Scriptures contain and assert to be a Truth I remember St. Paul demands of Agrippa Believest thou the Prophets and our Blessed Saviour himself demands of Martha Believest thou this Certainly were not man grown strangely sottish such demands as these would have no place and yet methinks 't is a stranger Question which Christ put to the Jews How shall ye believe my words But what should hinder Is it possible for man to pretend any reason why the words of Christ should be so much as once suspected So great is his Authority so unquestionable is his Veracity that his bare affirmation is a sure ground of Faith Thus the Evangelist The man believed the word But what moved him so to doe the Text answers and assigns this Reason of his faith The man believed the word that Jesus had spoken And such is every word which our Bibles contain 't is the Word of Jesus and upon that score if we are the Disciples of Jesus we stand obliged to doe what his other Disciples formerly did They believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said The truth is the whole Scripture is nothing else but a Systeme of Words and Sentences which Jesus hath said and caused to be written and if so there is not a Verse there is not a Line to be found but requires and
deserves our Faith See this especially in three Particulars 1. Since the whole Scripture is undoubtedly the Word of Christ we are obliged to believe it in all the matter of History which is contained therein There are indeed such and such Historicall Narrations found in the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles so strange and miraculous that were they found in any Book besides we might perhaps without any blame suspect the Writers Faith and warrantably suspend our own Did we reade in Herodotus what we reade in Moses that this glorious fabrick of Heaven and Earth was created without any more adoe then onely this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And God said Let there be this and that where is the man that barely upon such an Authority would believe it Had Plutarch written the Life of Moses as he did the Lives of Greeks and Romans had he recorded the wonderfull Works of God in Egypt at the Red Sea and in the Wilderness had he told us of a Rod that became a Serpent of Waters that were consolidated into a Wall of Rocks that were rarefied and melted into Wells of Bread dropped down from Heaven the Tast whereof was gratefull to the various Palates of every one that ate it or had Ovid told us and onely he or some other Authour like him that the whole World was once drowned with water and shall one day be burnt with fire that a Woman was turned into Salt that a King became a Beast and fed on grass like an Oxe had he told us that the Chariot of the Sun that wheels round the world with so strong and quick a Motion stood still at one time and went back at another or had some Humane Authour who is of the greatest Credit told us what the Prophet Daniel peremptorily doth namely that a man was cast into a Den of hungry Lions and yet remained untouched that three persons were thrown into a flaming Furnace that was heated seven times more then ordinary on purpose to consume them and yet remained not onely unburnt but even unsindged too or had any such Writer told us what the Evangelist doth The blind receive their sight the lame walk the lepers are cleansed the deaf hear the dead are raised up Such stories as these had they been delivered by any humane and vulgar Authour must needs have exceeded all the faith of the most credulous person which the whole World affords But although these Stories to carnall Reason may seem very strange and improbable though the matter of fact be in it self so hard and difficult that it doth rather discourage then induce us to believe them yet since we find these things expresly and clearly delivered in our most holy Writ since we find them strongly attested by Prophets Evangelists and Apostles we cannot with any shew of Reason without a great deal of guilt and sin not onely deny our Assent but even so much as suspend our Faith and that because the whole Scripture which contains these historicall Narrations how strange soever is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word of Christ that Christ who did not will not can not lie 2. Since the whole Scripture is undoubtedly the Word of Christ we are obliged to believe it in all the Promises which it contains What those Promises are St. Peter tells us Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises The Promises of God are exceeding great in their number and exceeding precious in their nature too there is not any one amongst them but is of more reall value then the whole world besides so many so sweet so excellent are they that a poor humble soul who hath the greatest Interest in them scarce knoweth how to believe them as if they were too good to be true That an offended God upon the shedding of a few penitentiall Tears upon a little Humiliation Contrition and Reformation which cannot possibly make the least Satisfaction for those frequent Injuries which man hath done him should ever be so gracious as to promise him that signal and inestimable Blessing even the full Remission of all those Transgressions which would otherwise have certainly damned him for ever That upon the Submission of a Sinner God Almighty should promise to advance that Rebell to a Throne whom he might have justly laid in that infernall Gaol to be wrapped up in flames and chains of darkness and that for ever That upon some few Acts of such and such an inconsiderable service which adds nothing to the ever-blessed Majesty of Heaven the Great God should promise no less a Reward then an immortall Crown of Glory Certainly were such Promises as these reported by some mere man like our selves nay more were they delivered to us barely by an Angel from Heaven they would not easily be believed For when some dejected and contrite Soul doth seriously consider with it self the dreadfull nature of its Sin the worthlesness of its Repentance the manifold imperfections and small value even of its highest Services it can hardly enter into its head that the one should so easily be forgiven and the other so highly rewarded But although the Sinner from the sad apprehension of his own Guilt and his great Vnworthiness of those unvaluable Privileges which are the Subject matter of the grand Promises of the Gospell may find in himself just cause to fear their Performance yet when he seriously considers whose Promises they are and where they stand recorded he hath far greater reason to conclude their full Accomplishment St. Paul tels us He that hath promised is faithfull and again All the promises of God in Christ are Yea and Amen True it is Man is but a poor Worm a Sinner a Rebel unworthy to share in those glorious Promises that stand recorded in our Bibles but what then shall we take occasions from the Demerits of Man to suspect and question the Truth and Faithfulness of God We must acknowledge that Promises of Pardon Life eternal Blisse and Glory are such mighty things as pass our Vnderstanding but must they therefore exceed our Faith Methinks it should be as easie for us to believe them as it is to reade them Certainly if there be nothing too great for God to promise there is nothing too hard for God to doe whatever good words his Mercy hath made him speak his Power and his Truth confirms and for all this we have the Great Charter of Heaven a sure word of Prophecy even that blessed Security which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word of Christ But 3. Since the whole Scripture is undoubtedly the Word of Christ we are obliged to believe it in all the Threatnings which it contains That the various Menaces recorded in Holy Writ are indeed most dreadfull things whosoever doth but reade them must presently acknowledg The Prophet tells us The soul that sinneth it shall die What a sad condition then is the incorrigible Sinner in The Psalmist tells us The wicked shall be
No man shall be admitted to accuse a Bishop till first his quality be duely examined nor shall every fellow be suffered to exhibit Articles against the Governours of the Church And as every man might not accuse a Bishop so whosoever wrongfully did it though it were but a Bishop elect and yet to be ordained he was severely punished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let his Penalty be a long Excommunication So saith the Canon-Law So then since there is an Indictment of no less Crimes then Atheism and Heresie drawn up and exhibited against several Bishops and those of the Roman See too who claim a Superiority over all Bishops besides as being the onely Successours of the Prime Apostle and the immediate Vicars of Christ 't is of a considerable Concern that what is thus alledged against them be well proved too And here that Pope Marcellinus offered Incense to Idols might be proved with ease and evidence enough but because he did it barely for fear of Diocletian and afterwards repented and became a Martyr we pass him by Rhenanus saith of Pope Zephyrinus Episcopus Romanus Montanizat The Bishop of Rome embraceth the Heresie of Montanus So Tertullian who was too much of the same Opinion witnesseth too That Pope Honorius the First was a Monothelite and denied the distinction of two Wills in Christ we have the Testimonies of Pope Agatho Leo the Second Adrian the Second besides the Evidence of the Sixth General Council wherein he was publickly condemned for an Heretick That Pope Liberius and his Antipope Felix were Arrians is testified by Athanasius and St. Hierom too Nor need we be ashamed to produce the Testimony of Calvin and Erasmus who do both affirm that Pope John the Twenty second denied the Immortality of the Soul And what if we mention that Expression of Picus Mirandula Alium meminimus Pontificem qui nullum Deum credens c. We remember another Pope who believing that there is no God c. But that of the Council of Basil must not be forgot which having voted a General Council to be above the Pope could not possibly give a better Reason for it then this Multi Pontifices in Errores Haereses lapsi esse leguntur c. 'T is recorded that many Popes have fell into Errours and Heresies c. And the truth is there is no Pope who stifly maintains those Doctrines which assert the worshipping of Angels Saints Images Reliques a Morsel of Bread or a Consecrated Wafer but is a down-right Heretick and since he is so we cannot so far betray our own Reason as to rest satisfied and be convinced that such and such Doctrines which have no Countenance in Scripture are Apostolical by the Testimony of any Roman Bishop who notwithstanding the Pretence of his Infallibility is proved to be obnoxious to gross Errours even Heresie and Atheism it self as well as other men But III. The Champions of the Roman Faith do endeavour to justifie their unwritten Traditions by the Testimonies of the Fathers who are produced as Witnesses which seem in their account to speak a great deal for them Thus Bellarmine cites Ignatius who is an early and substantial Witness indeed as being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Coetane Collegue and Scholar of the very Apostles themselves and of him Eusebius thus records 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He exhorted the Christians to stick fast to the Traditions of the Apostles and that they might be preserved incorrupt not long before his Martyrdom he judged it necessary that they should be written This Testimony is clear for traditions and so is that of Dionysius the Areopagite too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The first Founders of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy the Apostles delivered to us Heavenly Mysteries by Instructions written and unwritten according to the Sacred Laws And thus great St. Basil too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To persevere in unwritten Traditions I think 't is Apostolical And so Tertullian also mentions several particular Observations quas sine ullo Scripturae Instrumento solius Traditionis titulo exinde Consuetudinis patrocinio vindicamus c. which the Church practised and defended without the Authority of any Scripture upon the bare credit of Tradition and the Patronage of Custom c. Now this being Argumentum Achilleum one of the strongest Arguments which the Romish Church can possibly urge for their Traditions we shall give an Answer to it in some distinct Particulars 1. Whatever Traditions are expresly and dogmatically delivered by the Vniversality of the ancient Fathers we do readily embrace own and defend That Expression of St. Basil the Great we do willingly close with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Old Doctrines are to be reverenced and for as it were their hoary Antiquity they deserve a Veneration But withall those Doctrines that may justly challenge a respect for their Age must be such as were generally received believed and practised according to that Rule which Vincentius Lyrinensis gives us Id teneamus quod semper quod ubique quod ab omnibus creditum est Let us hold that which hath been believed at all times in all places and by all Christians And for this St. Austine gives this Reason Illa quae non sunt scripta sed tradita custodimus quae quidem toto terrarum orbe observantur dantur intelligi vel ab ipsis Apostolis vel plenariis Conciliis quorum est in Ecclesia saluberrima Authoritas commendata atque statuta retineri sicuti quòd Domini Passio Resurrectio Ascensio in Coelum adventus de Coelo Spiritûs Sancti anniversariâ Solennitate celebrantur siquid aliud tale occurrerit quod servatur ab universa quácunque se diffundit Ecclesia This Expression commends the belief and practice of those Traditions supposing them to be the Institutions either of the Apostles themselves or ancient General Councils which were unanimously observed by the universal Church But now that such and such traditional Doctrines and Vsages were indeed generally received by the whole Christian Church we must have clear Proofs from credible Witnesses that have given Testimony thereunto throughout all the respective Centuries and Ages of the Church This is no more then was urged long since by Gregory Nyssene for the Ratification and full Establishment of all such Vsages and Doctrines as pretend to Antiquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this and nothing lesse is sufficient for the Proof of our Assertion that we have a Tradition derived to us from the Fathers as it were a certain Inheritance descending by entail from the Apostles by those Saints who were all along their Successours And this is the onely thing which we demand from the Roman Church being ready to acknowledge the Truth of all Doctrines and the Equity of all Practices which the Vniversality of the Fathers have left upon Record as things believed and done in the first and purest Ages of the Church And thus to doe
own Judgments delivering the sense of their own Understandings they have sufficiently evidenced themselves to be too fallible as our Adversaries themselves do acknowledge It is true where the Fathers do but seem to countenance the fond and superstitious Doctrines of the Roman Church if there be found any Passage in them that can possibly be pretended to favour that absurd and incredible Assertion of Transubstantiation or those advantageous Doctrines of Purgatory Indulgencies auricular Confession or the like every such Passage how ambiguous soever must pass for a certain Truth as if it proceeded ex Tripode even from an Oracle But in common cases and especially in those Controversies wherein the Fathers contradict the Opinions and Practices of that Church they are esteemed no more then other men and how clear and plain soever their Expressions are they are counted doubtful and fallible enough Thus Lorinus Gentiles ignorantiâ Linguae Hebraeae lapsi sunt ac nonnulli etiam Patres The Gentiles being ignorant of the Hebrew Tongue did erre and so did some of the Fathers too And in the same place he speaks thus of Clemens Alexandrinus Longè abest à vero quod arbitratur Clemens Alexandrinus The Opinion of this Clemens is far from being a Truth And as for St. Basil he giveth us this Caution too Tanti Patris Doctrina cum Cautione intelligenda est The Doctrine of so great a Father must be understood with Caution And why pray with so much Caution certainly some nice and tender Point lieth at stake and that was this Nè justissimis Pontificum Decreâ—is adversetur Lest St. Basil should perhaps contradict the Pope Well since 't is granted on all sides that the very best of the Fathers were subject to mistakes we have reason to believe that they might more probably erre in the case of Traditions sooner then in any other Point whatever and upon that score such Traditions as have no Countenance from the written Word nor the general Testimony of Antiquity we cannot receive as Apostolicall though such and such a particular Father may seem to recommend them But 2. The Second Reason why we cannot comply with every thing which we find recorded in the Works of such and such ancient Fathers is Because the Writings of these Fathers have been miserably abused corrupted falsified or forged Such Abuses have the most early Fathers met with So Ignatius who was as Eusebius tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst most men renowned the second Bishop of Antioch being the immediate Successour of St. Peter But though this excellent Person were indeed so ancient that his gray hairs might justly challenge a Veneration yet have they not secured him from several gross and foul Affronts We find some Bastards laid even at this old man's door 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supposititious and spurious Epistles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. ascribed to Ignatius though none of his And as for those Epistles collected by Polycarp and mentioned by Eusebius which notwithstanding all the Cavils of Blondel Walo and other Antiepiscopal persons our learned Pearson and Hammond 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have sufficiently vindicated and proved to be his we find even these as worthy Isaac Vossius well expresseth it ità interpolatas ut plurimùm Ignatium in hoc Ignatio frustrà quaeras so interlarded and stuffed with such numerous Insertions that in this new Ignatius the old one can scarce be found And as for Origen though it is generally granted that his Writings even as they dropped from his own Quill are many times to blame yet 't is easily believed that some Corrupters and Falsifiers of his Works have made them worse Thus Daniel Huetius who hath given the world a solemn account of Origen's Life and Opinions doth assure us Cùm ab Haereticis violata esse constaret Origeniana volumina c. Since it was evident that Origen's Books were abused by Hereticks c. And doth not Valesius tell us Clementis Romani libros qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inscribebantur ab Ebionaeis corruptos fuisse atque falsatos that the Books of Clemens Romanus named The Journals of Peter were corrupted and falsified by the Ebionites And this our Adversaries of Rome do not deny when-ever it makes for their Advantage to confess it Cornelius à Lapide a learned Jesuit finding that St. Hierom's Epistle to Damasus made against him flieth to this Refuge Epistola Hieronymi ad Damasum non videtur esse Hieronymi sed conficta The Epistle of Hierom to Damasus seems not to be really his but a meer counterfeit Well sure we are there are no persons to be named throughout the world that have shewed themselves shall I say more ingenious or more impudent in imitating their Forefathers Hands and counterfeiting their Voices and that to very ill Purposes too then the men that we have now to deal with 'T is the great Shame of the Roman Church and such a Blemish as is not to be wiped off for ever that they put unsavoury words into their Fathers mouths and cite the Dead to bear Testimony to those Follies and Falshoods which when alive they would have abhorred with just Indignation and Zeal 'T is well observed and unanswerably proved by an eminent Divine of our own Church that the Romanists have used several Tricks to corrupt the Fathers and make them speak even as they themselves would have them For sometimes they insert illegitimate and bastard Treatises into the Fathers Works hoping that these spurious Brats will pass for their lawful Children because found within their doors Sometimes again they do falsifie the known and undoubted Writings of ancient Authours by adding one thing detracting a second and changing a third Sometimes also they do cite and alleage such and such Passages out of such and such Fathers so miserably wrested from the Sense of the Authour that they offer Violence and commit a sacrilegious Rape even upon the Dead The Purging of the Fathers by suppressing razing and blotting out such and such Passages which do not please them the Roman Church doth own Thus they tell us concerning the Venetian Edition of St. Austine Curavimus removeri illa omnia quae fidelium mentes Haereticâ pravitate possent inficere aut à Catholica Orthodoxa fide deviare We have taken care for the removal out of St. Austine all those Passages of his which might infect the minds of the faithful with Heretical Pravity or make them turn aside from the Catholick Orthodox Faith We are also told in the Preface to the Paris Edition of St. Austine Ex sanctissimo Concilii Tridentini Decreto veterum Patrum Codices expurgandi By the most holy Decree of the Council of Trent the Books of the ancient Fathers are to be purged And for so doing doth Sixtus Senensis thus commend Pius the Fifth Expurgari ema culari curâsti omnium Catholicorum Scriptorum praecipuè veterum Patrum scripta Thou hast caused the
Works of all Catholick Writers but chiefly those of the ancient Fathers to be purged and made clean from blots and stains of Errours that is from every thing that contradicts the Superstitions of the Roman Church But if it were a thing indeed so commendable to purge the Fathers yet is it a thing praise-worthy to falsifie and forge them too St. Chrysostom left upon record an Expression which the Roman Church doth no way like and that was this In times of Heresie there is no means to find out the Truth save onely the reading of the Scriptures Bellarmine confesseth Totus hic locus è quibusdam codicibus nuper emendatis sublatus est This whole Passage is left out of some Editions newly set forth and corrected But how comes St. Chrysostom thus to deserve the Spunge The Cardinal gives this Reason Hoc Testimonium non est Chrysostomi This Testimony is not Chrysostom's but whose then Ab Arrianis locus hic insertus This place was inserted into St. Chrysostom's Works by the Arrians and therefore deserved rather to be expunged then believed We see what liberty the Romanists take to themselves to raze and blot out such and such Passages of the Fathers which make against them upon a groundless pretence that those Passages were inserted by some Heretick or other and can they then justly complain of us if we are not willing to credit some Expressions of ancient Authours upon which they ground those Doctrines and Practices of theirs which we reject since we have too much reason to believe that those Expressions are corrupted falsified and forged and that by some of their own Church That the Roman Catholicks have indeed miserably corrupted the ancient Writers in their Editions we are sufficiently convinced by the Testimony of our learned Doctour Featly who hath traced them through the several Ages of the Church and discovered to the world this unworthy dealing of theirs by giving us particular Instances and naming the Treatises and Expressions of several Fathers which their Adversaries as well as ours have abused perverted and corrupted thus or thus That of Ignatius is one who bespeaks Virgins thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In your Prayers set Christ before your eyes and his Father c. To evacuate this great and ancient Testimony against the Invocation of Saints and Angels a late Popish Edition printed at Lyons reads it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In your Souls set Christ before your eyes c. Again those words of our Blessed Saviour The flesh profiteth nothing Tertullian thus expounds Caro nihil prodest ad vivificandum scilicet The flesh profiteth nothing that is to quicken so saith the true Tertullian but a former Edition of theirs set forth at Paris though mended since by Rigaltius contrary to the meaning of Christ and Tertullian too reads it thus Caro nihil prodest sed ad vivificandum The flesh profiteth nothing save onely to quicken Once more our learned Authour mentions those words of St. Cyprian too Post gustatam Eucharistiam After the eating of the Eucharist which the Popish Edition at Paris to countenance a Ceremony of theirs changeth thus Post gestatam Eucharistiam After the Circumgestation of the Eucharist Nor can this Change be imputed to the mistake of the Presse because their Authours own and endeavour to justifie the Alteration These and a great many more Corruptions Forgeries and Falsifications of the ancient Fathers are reckoned up in that learned Treatise which give us fair warning not to believe every Testimony which our Adversaries pretend to produce out of such and such old Writers set forth by themselves for the justification of those Traditions for which they can bring no good warrant from the written Word of God For since 't is undeniable that they have notoriously abused the Records of Antiquity by suppressing changing and inserting what and where they pleased we have abundant cause to believe that these Alterations are made in those very places which they commonly cite in their own defence they being too wise to forge any counterfeit Deeds and suborn any other false Witnesses then such as are designed to speak for their Advantage But IV. The Champions of the Roman Church endeavour to justifie their Traditions by the Testimony and Authority of such and such Councils To which we have two things to reply 1. We cannot imagine but that whole Councils may erre in their Judgments and be mistaken in their Canons Decrees and Constitutions That no meer man save onely the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles ever was Infallible is acknowledged by some learned persons even of the Roman Church If Cajetane were not perfectly of this mind what means that Expression of his Solis Sacrae Scripturae Authoribus reservata est haec Authoritas ut ideo sic credamus esse quia Ipsi sic scripserunt That we should certainly believe things to be thus and thus barely because 't is so written by such and such is a Privilege peculiar to the Pen-men of Holy Writ alone Surely then that Assertion of Gratian mentioned by Bellarmine seems somewhat sawcy Epistolas Pontificum Decretales numerari debere inter Scripturas Canonicas The Pope's Decretal Epistles ought to be reckoned amongst the Canonical Scriptures And methinks the Cardinal himself seems somewhat confident when he speaks thus indifferently of Scriptures and Councils Vtraque sunt infallibilis Veritatis aequè certa They are both of infallible Truth and equally certain But if Cardinal Cajetane were in the right if all those Bishops and Doctours of whom Councils have consisted were but men subject to Mistakes and Errours in their own particular persons how the whole collective Body of any Synod should in the result prove infallible the Church of Rome will never be able to shew by any such clear Evidence as may satisfie a sober and impartial man We do not deny but that there is much of Truth in that Assertion of St. Austine Conoiliorum in Ecclesia saluberrima est Authoritas The Authority of Councils is of great Advantage to the Church of God we do with all thankfulness to Heaven acknowledge and own the Four first General Councils that of Nice which vindicated the Divinity of Christ against Arrius that of Constantinople which asserted the Divinity of the Holy Ghost against Macedonius that of Ephesus which maintained the Unity of Christ's Person against Nestorius and that of Chalcedon which asserted the double Nature of Christ against Eutyches So venerable is the Authority of these Four Councils that we do not quarrel with that high Expression of that good Emperour Justinian if rightly understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We receive the Doctrines of these Four holy Councils even as not in equality but similitude the Holy Scriptures and observe their Canons as so many Laws Accordingly Evagrius tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Emperour commanded that the Decrees of these Four Councils should be read