perspicuum est c. 'T is apparent from this place that he St. Paul and the other Apostles delivered many things not committed to writing Which Epiphanius also applyes to the same Haere 61. purpose teaching us Oportet autem Traditione uti c. That we must make use of Tradition seing all things cannot be taken out of sacred Writ The Apostles have delivered some things in Writing and others by Tradition Even as St. Paul says Sicut tradidi vobis As I have delivered to you And no less St. Lib. de spir◠S. Basil It is an Apostolique thing to persist constantly in Tradition not written for saith the Apostle I praise you in that you are mindful of whatsoever thing came from me and observe the Traditions which I have given you And affirms them to be so many that the day would fail him should he enumerate them Moreover That no man will contradict Ibid. it who hath the least experience in Ibid. Church Laws And as potent Patrons of the same Doctrine are St. Iraeneus l. 3 cont Haer. ca. 3 4. Tertullian de corona militis cap. 3. lib. de Praescrip S. Aug. Ep. 118. ad Januarium lib. 5. de bapt cap. 23. The second famous Nicene Council in the 7th Act c. by whom Traditionary points are invincibly vindicated And teach otherwise they could not except their words should contradict their Faith and practice though Protestants who are of a contrary belief are also of a contrary Doctrine and have invented several evasions to darken the evident light of these Texts whereby they alas deceive poor Souls To the native lustre of Scripture if we add the unanimous consent of the Fathers expounding them for us they more manifestly make good against the Protestants that the same Scriptures cannot be an un-errable and compleat Rule of Faith to Christians without Tradition And indeed Catholicks do not deny Scriptures to be a Rule but that they are not the compleat Rule of Faith nor can be a Rule of Faith at all as interpreted by private reason or particular fallibility Congregations which is their new way and practice but as expounded authoritatively by the Catholick Church according to the line of Ecclesiastical Tradition the constant custom of all Ages Now why Religion was setled in the Christian Church by Universal Tradition as a perpetual Rule of Faith rather then written Precepts will presently appear to any one well considering how that way of delivery is far more secure from mistakes and errours than Writings this being notoriously visible in actions common to all mankind in which all sorts of conditions do agree and can read the inward belief of their hearts in those outward well-understood expressions whereas written words are different and if understood by some few eminently Learned yet lyable to a thousand casualties and misapprehensions conveying erroneous Thoughts sometimes even where exactest diligence is observ'd And withall that it is more lasting then written Books which may perish totally by the fury of Persecution or be lost by some accident or other as most certainly some Scriptures are Whereas Christian Doctrine thus conveyed cannot perish but with the total ruine of all Believers But principally that sacred Scriptures themselves both for Canon Incorruptness and true sense of the Text are necessarily depending on Tradition not It on them being a self-evident Principle that needs no proof Which great and notable advantage will be more evident if we consider that the main end and principal errand of the Apostles being to deliver entirely to the World the Gospel or Law of Jesus Christ what they Preach'd throughout the whole World with their common and united endeavours inculcating it in season out of season and ingrafting it by daily and visible practice in the hearts of Believers must needs descend to us with more certainty and evidence of Truth because accompanied with a higher degree of Tradition than the Books of Scripture which were not any part of their Commission or by any joynt consent intended to comprize the whole Law of Christ but meerly an occasional work of their Apostleship according as the present circumstances did require writt by some single Apostle or Evangelist sent to some particular Church or Person as all the Apostolical Epistles upon whose Authority and Credit the whole Church originally must rely to believe it to be the true Writing of such an Evangelist or Apostle that is to be the undoubted Word of God And this is the genuine reason that while Traditionary Doctrines being on all hands acknowledg'd because founded in Universals which cannot easily fail The true Books of Scripture because at first of particular and unknown Authority agreeing therein with all errorus were cauceously rejected by some particular Churches and could not obtain due veneration and acceptance but by degrees as they were communicated to other Christians by those to whom they were at first delivered and so at last upon diligent inquisition received by the whole body of Believers for Canonical In which examination the Traditional Doctrine being universally Famous and first planted in their hearts and that of Scripture originally obscure and of an after Birth They neither did nor could rationally argue thus The Doctrine we have been taught is the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles because agreeable to this Book But thus this Book attested to us for Scripture may safely be received for the Writing of such an Apostle or Apostolical man as they witness who have already accepted it for such because we have no reason to think they are herein deceived or lye against their Conscience in that we find it conformable to the Doctrine we have been taught and have received by Tradition For to have proceeded è converso had been to prove I say not obscurum per obscurius but clarum per obscurum and contrary to all Rules of Logick and Reason Hence it is that we find the Ancient Fathers expounding some Texts of Scripture for Traditionary Doctrines of the Church which afford sometimes perhaps scarce probable Topicks for those points to which they are applyed Now this they do not as if they founded their belief of such Articles upon the Scriptures St Aug. de Civ Dei l. 20. c. 24. lib. de fide Oper. c. 15. S. Am in ca. 3. ad Cor. St. Jer. in ca. 5 Matt. Origen in eandem locum c. as might be specified in the 1st Corin. 3. from the 12 ver to the 16. and Matth. the 5th ver 25 26. for Purgatory The 15 of the foresaid Epist ver 29. For a state wherein the dead may be help'd by the living Luke the 1st ver 34. For the perpetual Virginity of the Mother of God c. But being in possession of the belief of such points with the present Church of their Age upon the tenure of Tradition they only bring such places for the further confirmation and explanation of their Faith that very probably such
for Catholicks Did not Tertullian depend upon Tradition for his Faith when he professeth * Lib. de Praesc c. 21 What I believe I received from the present Church the present Church from the Primitive That from the Apostles the Apostles from Christ. The Arrians indeed as the Protestants now appeal'd to Scripture for a sole Rule and Judge of their Faith seeing their condemnation as Protestants do likewise inevitably and evident by the practice and Tradition of the present Church But what did St. Athanasius that great Bullwark of Catholick belief reply to this Even the very same which the Church of Rome now takes up against her Adversaries * Lib. de Decr. Sym. Nic. cont Arianos Behold we have prov'd the Succession of our Doctrine deliver'd from hand to hand by Fathers to Sons but as for you new Jews and Children of Caiphas but as for you Protestants what Progenitors can you show of your Speeches Had he not held Tradition for the Rule of Christian belief could he have produced this as a satisfactory answer to their appeal to a Scripture-Tryal and a sufficient demonstration of Catholick Faith They who hear St Austin saying * Cont. Ep. Fund c. 5. I would not believe the Gospel were it not that the Authority of the Church mov'd me to it What think they Was he for Protestants or us for sole Scripture or for Tradition too in his Controversy More ample satisfaction may be had if desired from Vincentius Lyrinensis in whose words we may tell a Protestant * Faith is that which thou hast Cont. haer ca. 27. received not that which thou hast devis'd a thing not of private usurpation as their Exposition of Scripture are but of publick Tradition Quotations might be infinite but these may suffice to let the World see that Antiquity was of the same belief with the present Church of Rome in this point And Protestants by contradicting Her contradict the Fathers also SECT V. Tradition asserted against Protestants by Scripture and the notable Advantages that way of delivery hath above Writing IF the Testimony of the Fathers will not suffice we shall bring Scripture it self in defence of Tradition And truly to me it seems wonderful that Protestants professing to believe all things contained in the Scriptures should deny Tradition to have any thing to do with their Faith to which those Sacred Oracles bear so great witness The places are not few and full some of them I shall produce as translated in their own Bibles The first is that famous Anathema of St. Paul's upon the occasion of some false Teachers troubling the Church of Galatia with Doctrines contrary to 1 Ch. ver 3 9. Tradition * If we or an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Gospel unto you then what ye have received let him be accursed Would they have one more express Let them mind well his exhortation to the Thessalonians * Therefore Brethren stand fast and Eph. cap. 2. v. 15. hold the Traditions ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle The same point he presses home to the first Bishop of Ephesus writing in his first Epistle to him * O Chap. 6. v. 20 21. Timothy keep that which is committed to thy trust avoiding prophane and vain bablings and oppositions of Science falsely so called which some professing have erred concerning the Faith Which Deposition of Faith he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his second Epistle renewing the same charge Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me Chap. 1. v. 13. in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus Inculcated also in the Verse following That good thing v. 14. which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us And again in the 3d. Chapter he presses it as the only Antidote against the Infection of new-poisonous Doctrines scatter'd by Seducers Chap 3. v. 13 14. Continue in the things that thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them And with no less care and charge recommendeth it to Posterity in the 2d Chapter of the same Epistle The things that thou hast heard of me among many Witnesses commit thou to Faithful men who shall be able to teach others also From which Texts and such like the Fathers collect three things First That there are Traditions unwritten Rom. 16. Phillip 4. 12. Judes Ep. 3d. ver 1 Tim. 3. 15. as well as the written Word deposited in the Church which is the Pillar and ground of Truth Secondly That such Traditions belong equally to Christian Doctrine and alike to be credited aad observed Written and unwritten being but accidental differences of the word of God substracting or adding nothing essential to the formal Object of Faith which is Divine Revelation Thirdly That Traditionary Doctrines being termed a Depositum by St. Basil ut habetur Hist Trip l. 7. c. 39. Vinc. Ler. c. 26. c. the Apostle and so from him frequently call'd Depositum Fidei and the Governours of the Church in Timothy constituted the sacred Depositarii and Keepers of it makes it uncapable of any adition or diminution and consequently excluding the expectation of any other points necessary to be revealed the nature of a Depositum requiring it should be kept unalterable in the hands of those to whom it is committed And therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applyed to false Teachers by the same Apostle is directly opposed to this Depositum And the Church collected in General Councils when truth and peace requires it makes no new Articles of Faith but all her endeavours are that revealed Truths whether written or unwritten deliver'd from the beginning may be defended conserved illustrated and explicated against arising Heresies that would pervert them To which a fourth may be added That the Apostle writing to Churches fully constituted still refers them in his Epistles to Tradition for the trial of all Doctrines those sacred lines delivering no new point of Faith but only in as much as Doctrinal in things necessary explicating according t◠present circumstances and confirming what had been taught by word and practice Protestants indeed will owne no such things from these Texts but In 2 Epist ad Thess c. 2. 15. St. Chrysostom tells us * Hinc perspicuum est c. From hence it is apparent that the Apostles have not deliver'd all things by Epistle but also many things without writing Now both those and these deserve equally to be believ'd 'T is a Tradition what would you more Thus he and Theophilact comments thereupon almost in the same words And from the 2d ver of the 11th chap. of the 1st Epist. to the Corinthians * Now I praise you Brethren that you remember me in all things and keep the Ordinances ficut tradidi vobis as I delivered them unto you Not only inferrs the same Doctrine but likewise uses the self-same phrase Ex hoc loco
his part if we neglect not so great Salvation The chief Texts for the Churches supreme Teaching and consequently Judging and determining Power when any controversies of Faith arise by Commission from Christ the Head-spring of all Spiritual Jurisdiction are these and such like Mat. 28. 18 19. Go ye make Disciples of all Nations teaching them io observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you And that this Authoritative Teaching is performed by the Pastors of the Church as his Delegates and Representing his Person is plain from that of St. Luke He that heareth you heareth me and he Chap. 10. 16. Mat. 14. 18. that despiseth you despiseth me Again Whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven And again He Ephes 4. 11 12 13 c. gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ 'till we all come to the unity of the Faith and be not tossed too and fro with wind of every Doctrine What more express And yet if it may be the Churches Infallibility in the delivery of the Law of Christ is taught us in plainer terms as namely in Ch. 14. 26. those Promises in St. John The Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you When the Spirit of Truth Joh. 16. 13. S. Matt. ch 28. 19. is come he will guide you in to all Truth And those in St. Matthew Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you and behold I am with you always even to the end of the World And that in the 16 1 Tim. 3. 15. Chap. Vpon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Such a Church as this thus founded thus assisted thus guided cannot possibly teach damnable Haeresies or dangerous Errors but must needs be the Pillar and ground of Truth as that glorious Vessel of Election the great Apostle of the Gentiles doth assure us And therefore we may securely rely upon her word to do it also so much concerns us that not to hear and obey is no less then under pain of damnation and that too from no obscure Texts He that 1 Epist 4. 6. knoweth God heareth us saith St. John and he that heareth us not is not of God and by this we know the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Errour And that famous place Dic Ecclesiae Matt. 18. 17. Tell it to the Church and if he neglect to hear the Church let him be to thee as an Heathen and a Publican Persons doubtless in no fit case for Heaven I 'll name but one more out of St. Mark Go ye into all the World Mark 16. 16. and Preach the Gospel unto every Creature And what then He that believeth not shall be damned Plain and sad places these are to all Unbelievers and Incorrigible Hereticks But especially to these last who receiving these Scriptures for the Word of God do notwithstanding not only not hear the Church Obediently in her delivery of the Gospel but with obstinacy and pride of heart presume to teach the Church and will needs force upon her a new Creed which was never taught by Christ nor handed to us from the Apostles How can such as these escape the punishment threatned in the above-mentioned Sentences Their account must needs be heavy and the light they had will only serve to augment their guilt And I cannot omit for a Testimony of these and such like Texts against Protestants that being so express and unavoidable for the Churches Authority and Obedience to her in their first Editions of their English Bibles after their defection from the Church of Rome for Church they translated Congregation least common understandings should discover how they were withdrawn from their Ancient Faith by new Doctrines and Expositions so expresly contrary to the Word of God 'Till afterwards when by divers Artifices these Teachers perceived they had bred in their Followers a strong aversion from the Church of Rome and that they were sufficiently confirmed in their Errours the word Congregation in the later Translation was turn'd into Church that from the evidence of such Texts they might gain some credit to their usurp'd power set up against the pre-existent Authority of the whole Christian World Neither is it without reason that Christ hath set up in his Church such a supreme Judicature when to deny this Power to those whom he hath appointed for ever to be Governours of his Kingdom on Earth is doubtless to advance the Jewish Synagogue above the Christian Church their Sanedrim or Great Council whesein the High-Priest was supreme Judge in all doubts Deut. 17. and questions about the Law having such absolute Authority in giving Sentence that no man could appeal but was bound to obey under pain of death And yet that was but a temporary Pedagogy delivered by Moses a faithful Servant of the House of God in Types and Shadows prefiguring and leading to Evangelical Perfection whose Ministration is far more glorious endowed with more transcendent and admirable Priviledges foretold by the Prophets and in plenitude of time fulfill'd revealed and established in Person by the Eternal Son of God Lord of all things upon better Promises to continue for ever Secondly Christ our Lord having so dearly purchas'd a peculiar People and furnish'd his Church with all means necessary to the Salvation of mankind if we deny such Authority in her namely Infallibility to witness and when circumstances require to determine by a finally decisive unerring Sentence what these means are they cannot be effectual to the end for which they were with so much Sweat and Blood Instituted to continue for ever being otherwise according to the ordinary method of Divine Providence impossible to be known with an assured certainty and by consequence also to be put in practice Neither indeed could it be truly said that Christ hath provided in his Church all things necessary for our Salvation without this Authority when amongst things necessary that questionless seems to be most so by which we can only come to a certain knowledge of all the rest Thirdly seeing God hath made his Church a Proponent and Witness of his Truth in all Ages for 1 ch 8. that of the Acts Ye shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem and all Judaea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the Earth As to the substance of it belongs not only to the Apostles but to their Successors in the Office of making Jesus Christ and his Law known to the Worlds end the unanimous consent of the Catholick Church must needs be an undoubted testimony of revealed Verities seeing it
contradicts the Justice Goodness and Veracity of God to authorize any to be a witness of his Truth that might lye and deceive the World in their attestation And methinks it concerns as well English Protestants as Us to maintain the Catholick Church for an Infallible Witness seeing at this distance from the Preaching of Christ and his Apostles they as well as we have no other Infallible assurance then her Testimony whereby to know either which are the undoubtd Books of Scripture or what the true meaning of them And thus that Religion which Protestants pretend to be contain'd in only Scripture must rejecting Church Authority necessarily float in an Ocean of incertainties and we miserably be left in the mysts of conjectures among dead Letters with the twi-light of natural reason to search out Faith and the Eternal Salvation of our Souls Lastly the fore-quoted Texts being so express for the Church to have a Power from Christ to oblige all men under pain of Damnation to believe and submit to her Proposals as to Faith God hath also endowed her with Infallibility in bringing to our knowledge revealed Verities seeing otherwise such a Power in the Church and a correspondent obligation in her Children would not bear an equal proportion And therefore these two are inseparably link'd together a Power to bind to Believe and Infallibility in the Obliger Christ assisting his Church with his Holy Spirit to guide her Infallibly into all Truth because he hath invested her with a Power to bind to believe and giving her a Power of obliging to believe because he hath made her Infallible in such Proposals It seeming most conformable to the Divine Goodness and Providence that such an externe proponant of Faith should be established as might afford no just cause to suspect whither it be true or no which is proposed and in all reason no greater assurance can be desired then to have an absolute certainty that that Authority cannot err in points of Faith to whom we must in such Proposals captivate our Wills and Understandings For this is but to assent upon undoubted evidence then which nothing is more agreeable to mans nature Neither is it rational to believe that God who is essential Reason and Wisdom ruling all his Creatures according to the several Dispositions Imprinted in them would impose such a Duty on Discoursive Entities upon other terms Blessed be God who hath so carefully provided for us in giving us a Law which is the only means to Salvation and also an authorized guide to direct us in the certain knowledge of it namely the Catholick which cannot possibly lead us into errour as hath been formerly shewn Thus certainly these Scriptures witnessing the Churches Authority are agreeable to reason now let us see what further light can be added to them from the Writings and universal practice of Antiquity SECT VIII The Churches Authority or Infallibility taught and asserted by the Ancient Fathers IF I should produce what Antiquity affords us on this Subject I should rather transcribe Books than Passages so Copious and Industrious have the Fathers been on all occasions to press a point so necessary S. Athana coni Aria S. Hier. S. Aug. Pole St. Cyp. de vnit Ecc. Tert. c. especially in their Polemical Discourses against Hereticks to vindicate their dear Mother the Church in her Just Rights and Priviledges against all Rebellious contradictors of her Authority And thither I refer such as desire more ample satisfaction for the present I shall content my self with some few choice places and they are these We must believe saith Irenaeus â— l. cont hae ca. 49. those Priests that are in the Church those that have a Succession from the Apostles who together with the Episcopal Power according to the good pleasure of the Father have received the certain gift of Truth We must not believe saith the English Protestant Church those who in their Episcopal Chaires have had an un-interrupted Succession from the Apostles seek not for the Law of God from their Lips for they are fallen from the Truth yea General Councils can err and have erred in Art 21. of the 39. their Definitions having no certain gist of Truth by Divine assistance Thus they flatly contradicting good Irenaeus and Ancient Doctrine Now whom shall we believe The old Saint or the new Protestant Give him a little more Audience for he proceeds thus The Church Cap. 62. l. praed shall be under no mans judgement for to the Church all things are known in which is the perfect Faith of the Father and of all the Dispensations of Christ and firm knowledge of the Holy Ghost who teacheth all Truth But say he what he will Protestants will assume a Power to judge and condemn her of no less gross and damnable Errours then Idolatry and Superstition to justify that thing they call the Reformed Church Though it were no difficult matter for them to perceive the Injustice of such Proceedings when the same Saint goes on and tells them and us That it is easie to receive the Truth from Gods Church seeing the Apostles have most fully deposited in her as in a rich store-house all things belonging to Truth For what if there should arise any contention of some small questions ought we not to have recourse to the most Ancient Churches and from them receive what is certain and clear concerning the present question Thus far he And if this course is to be taken in small questions doubtless much more in matters of high concern as many points are now controverted between Us and Protestants In such to be left to our own private conjectures and Interpretations would be most unsafe and unreasonable And had Protestants taken the course here prescribed by the Saint for the inquisition of Truth when they first raised questions about Religion as in such cases all Christians ought to do could ever such a thing as the Protestant Church have had a beeing or existence For 't is as visible as the Sun that there was no pre-existent form of Faith in the whole Christian World according to which they modeliz'd their Religion in England and with whom they communicated when they divided from the Church of Rome their Catholick Mother If great St. Austin was not little in esteem with our modern Hereticks they might receive full satisfaction from him in this point if they would Impartially peruse his Writings against the Donatists and other Enemies of the Churches Faith and Unity That of his is very remarkable against Crescontius Though saith he there cannot be produced Lib. 1. cap. 33. from Scriptures any examples of such a thing yet the Truth of the same Scriptures is held of us in this matter when we do that which pleaseth the whole Church which the Authority of the same Scriptures commendeth that because the Holy Scriptures cannot deceive us whosoever feareth to be deceived with the obscurity of this question let him require the judgment of
the Church which the Holy Scriptures without any ambiguity do demonstrate To the end that because the Scripture cannot deceive us whosoever is afraid to be deceived by the obscurity of any question may have recourse to the Churches judgment concerning it which Church the Holy Scriptures demonstrate without any ambiguity Two things are suitable to our present purpose which are clear from hence First that though we may sometimes doubt what is Truth yet we can never doubt which is the true Church demonstrated to us by the Scriptures upon whose judgment while we rely we are secure from holding any thing contrary to the written Word commending to us her Authority Secondly That though the Scriptures are Infallible and cannot deceive us yet if we will not deceive our selves and kill our Souls by the dead Letter without the quickning sense we must believe what the Church believes submitting our private reason to her publick Interpretation For else let Hereticks never so much boast of Scripture for them we may tell them in the words of the same Saint This ye Cont. Faust l. 32. c. 19. seem to do that Scriptures may loose all Authority while every one may allow or disallow what his own mind suggests to him out of them That is may not subject his Faith to the Authority of Scripture but subject Scripture to his Faith It being indeed the property of all Hereticks not to take sense from but to bring sense to those Sacred Oracles forcing them by manifest distortions or dark conjectures to speak in defence of their prejudicated Tenets and so make nothing of Scripture while they seem to value nothing else Now what remedy against this intolerable abuse of the Word of God and everlastingly-quarrelproducing evil but that of Origen Quoties c. As often as they Hereticks Ho. in Mat. Praef. l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring forth Canonical Scriptures which no Christian but believes and assents to they seem to say Behold the word of Truth is in our Houses but we must not believe them nor depart from the Primitive Ecclesiastical Tradition nor believe otherwise then as the Churches of God by succession have deliver'd to us And to put them to silence with that of L. de Praes p. 19. Tertullian We must not appeal to Scriptures neither is the controversy to be setled upon them in which either there will be no victory at all or very uncertain Yea there is no good got by disputing out of Texts of Scripture that is as interpretable by private reason and play'd upon by wit but either to make a man sick or mad But that is only to be believed for for Truth which in nothing disagrees from the Tradition of the Church Thus he fully agreeing with Origen in the fore-quoted place And I cannot omit here what the glorious Bishop of Hippo hath so apposite for our present purpose to his Catechumens The Holy Church the Church which is one the true S. Aust de Symb. lib. 1. v. 6. Church the Catholick Church fights against all Heresies She may be resisted but cannot be conquer'd All Heresies have gone out of her as unprofitable branches cut off from the Vine see Protestants your Original but she remains in her Root in her Charity The gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Nor that to Honoratus when therefore we see God standing for us and so much fruit and proficiency doubt we to repose our L. de util Cred. c. 17. selves in the bosom of that Church which from the Apostolical Chair by Successions of Bishops Hereticks on all sides barking in vain against her hath obtain'd Supremacy of Power To whom not to give the chief is truly either the highest Impiety or harebrain Arrogance Thus the Fathers always brought Believers to the Church for a firm foundation in tottering times there they cast Anchor and fix'd themselves amidst the storms of Controversies and Contentions rais'd by unreasonable men with the wind of strange Doctrines lest they should make Shipwrack of their Holy Faith this still they prest upon all Christians in doubts of Disputations the Church the Church believe the Church the Pillar and ground of Truth the Sacred Depository of revealed Verities the rich Store-house of all things belonging to Salvation protected by Christ to the Worlds end endowed with the certain gift of Truth by the special guidance of the Holy Ghost founded upon a Rock that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Which is nothing else but what they had learn'd and received from Scripture and Tradition A Truth so convincing that it extorted from Dr. Field a great Patron of the English Protestants In his Book of the Church words to this effect Controversies are now a days grown to that height and so numerous and intricate that few have time to discuss and search into them thoroughly for satisfaction fewer wit and abilities to do it as such a business of concernment require that no security remains but to fly into the arms of the Church and acquiess in her judgments and definitions But from words let us proceed to deeds from the Doctrine to the practice of Antiquity SECT IX The aforesaid Authority of the Church cleared and demonstrated by the constant practice of all Ages IF we cast our eyes through the whole Christian World not a Popish Priest in the exercise of his Spiritual Jurisdiction but is in some sort a practical proof of this Authoritative Power wherewith the Church is invested by Jesus Christ Yet residing more eminently and with larger extent in Bishops the supreme Order of the Clergy made Overseers of their respective Flocks by the Holy Ghost it appears more gloriously visible in the Decrees and Acts of General Councils the highest Ecclesiastical Tribunal determining all emergent Controversies in Spiritual matters with Anathemae's against all Contradictors whatsoever And Catholicks in all Ages acknowledging their Sacred and obliging Authority paid most inviolably the just Tribute of Obedience to their Decisions with submission of their private Judgments and Opinions however rational before they seem'd unto them So that what points soever were once declared to be of Faith by lawful and approved Councils those who persisted in the contrary Doctrines where accounted Hereticks and being justly Excommunicated for such incorrigible obstinacy shunn'd by all the Faithful as no better than Heathens and Publicans Now I cannot think that English Protestants will say though such Decrees issued out from General Councils yet it was by an usurped Power not of Right and so though such exact obedience was paid by Christians to them yet it was in their own prejudice and not of duty or obligation though truely in deeds they assert it because they pretend much veneration to the first four General Councils and Bishop Montague one of the Learnedest In his Appello ad Casa men they ever had proceeds so far as to defend against his more zealous Brethren of Romes ruine the
Salvation Is therefore Faith excluded No doubtless For without Heb. 11. 6 Faith 't is impossible to please God Or because The Just shall live by Rom. 1. 17. Faith are not good works necessary What means then St. Paul to tell us That though we have all Faith 1 Cor 13. 1 2 c. without Charity tt profiteth us nothing He also teaches us That whosoever Rom. 10. 9 c. calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved Is it therefore enough of it self to bring a man to Heaven The Truth is Prayer saves us good Works save us Faith saves us Hope saves us and therefore properly enough they are said to do it severally though only conjointly they are sufficient And when St. John tells us He writ the Life and Death of Jesus Christ that thorough Faith in his Name we might be saved He little dream'd that in after Ages a Generation of men would arise that should affirm he taught That his Gospel did comprise in particular all fundamental points of Faith sufficient for the Salvation of mankind To that in Timothy I answer First 't is evident by the Gontext that the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament being such as Timothy had learn'd from his Childhood when little if any of the New could be written and divulg'd out of which I am confident our Adversaries will not pretend to determine all points of Catholick Doctrine acknowledg'd by themselves necessary to Salvation which quite overthrows their Argument from this place Secondly suppose we should grant it to be understood of the Scriptures of the New Covenant yet it will not follow from hence that therefore they are a compleat and perfect Rule of Faith whereby to judge all Doctrines whether they be revealed verities or not when from the 4th Verse 't is clear to any understanding eye that St. Paul exhorts Timothy to hold constant to the Faith received principally upon the tenure of Tradition Which is our Catholick Rule and to which we must stick close as he elsewhere teaches us Though an Angel Gal. 1. from Heaven should preach the contrary This Timothy was to do this Traditionary Depositum he was to keep whether ne had been ver'd or no in the Old Scriptures or any New written and deposited in the Church Yet withall he puts in mind of a peculiar advantage to confirm his Faith received by Oral Tradition And make him a perfect man of God or Bishop throughly furnish'd unto all good works proper to his Pastoral Office in that from his Infancy he had been brought up in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures which are able to make men wise unto Salvation through Faith in Jesus Christ and are profitable for Teaching for Arguing for Reproving for Instructing in Righteousness the Flock committed to his Charge And thus indeed it makes against themselves and for us highly who makes use of Scripture for a Rule of Faith as regulated and expounded by Tradition But to force the words to speak what they would prove from hence cannot be without manifest absurdity and contradiction As if the Apostle should say Timothy continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them And yet do not trust Oral Tradition though from the mouth of an Apostle but the Scriptures only for your Religion Thirdly weigh well the words themselves in the ballance of right Reason and they will easily be found too light to carry the cause on their side All Scripture divinely inspired is profitable for teaching for arguing for reproving for instructing in Righteousness c. True 't is so taken collectively yea distributively every verse of Scripture is profitable for some such end and purpose as is here specified And what then Therefore it is sufficient to regulate our Faith in all points necessary to Salvation and to determine all Controversies in Religion Good God! As if what is profitable for our Salvation must presently be sufficient for all things required to it Speak ingenuously is there such a word as sufficient or compleat Rule of Faith or sole Judge of Controversies or words equivalent contained in this Text Or doth St. Paul say that Scripture is all-sufficient of it self to perform these Offices without the Churches Interpretation Because 't is profitable in the hand of a Learned Bishop to Teach to Dispute to Correct to Instruct the Souls for whom he must give an account to God Is it therefore a sufficient Rule for every learner and ignorant Christian to square and cut out his own Faith by to interpret and judge of according to his own private Reason and to compose himself a Creed though contrary to Fathers Councils and the whole Christian World Does St. Paul say this Will this Text justify such an inference Yet this he must say or this place concludes nothing against Catholicks To the last out of the Apocalypse and not the least they rely upon in this Controversy I shall give a brief answer as seeming to me of all other most impertinent and non-concluding For the true meaning thereof is plainly this Whosoever shall presume to add to these Divine Revelations any other than what I have already described in this Book and endeavour to obtrude them upon the Church with the stamp of my Authority to gain credit to them or shall deny any Prophesies herein contain'd to be written by me let such a wretch expect the Vials of Gods Vengeance to be pour'd on his accursed head for so wicked an Imposture and Infidelity Which being evident thus must run their Argument God will severely punish those who shall add deceitfully or substract maliciously from St. John ' s Prophesies therefore the Bible ' s a compleat Rule of Faith and the sole Judge of Controversies about Religion An inference too gross to be confuted Yet from particular premises they draw an universal conclusion and on such weak and absurd reasonings from Scripture build their Church But how English Protostants will defend their Brethren the Lutherans from the wrath of God I say not for diminishing but even taking away this whole Book of St. John's Revelations from Sacred Canon I know not Thus therefore it appears there is nothing here produced by our Adversaries that proves evidently the all-sufficiency of Scripture for a Rule and Judge to decide all Controversies in Religion that the above-cited Texts but being throughly examin'd either conclude not for them or for us So much we are beholding to our Antagonists To conclude after an impartial and full examination to the best of my Abilities I finding the foundation of Protestanism to be really groundless and built upon meer uncertainties I forsook it and my own self to rely on the Catholick Church for my Salvation I renounced my own deceitful and weak reasonings upon Scripture to believe what the Fathers have plainly and unanimously taught what hath been declared in approved Oeneral Councils and what hath
true Church who knows himself by communicatory Letters which anciently were in use to be a Member of the Roman Church in which the Primacy of the Apostolical Chair always flourish'd More need not be said at present to shew that to be true Members of the Catholick Church is to live in the same communion with the supreme Pastor thereof under the same Government in the acknowledgment of the same Articles of Faith in the participation of the same Sacraments in the same manner of worship brought down to us by Tradition from Christ and his Apostles And to be separated from this One and Catholick Communion after once we have been Incorporated by Baptism is formal Schism pertinaciously to contradict her Doctrines of Faith is formal Heresie Thus the Scripture and Ancient Fathers concerning the nature of Heresie and Schism Now let us see whether the Protestant Church of England by separating from her Catholick Mother in Doctrine and Government be not both Schismatical and Heretical whatever is pretended to the contrary SECT II. Wherein is shew'd that the Protestant Church of England is guilty of Schism and Heresie by their Separation from the Roman THe Separation of the English Protestants from the whole body of Christians into a Church by themselves is a matter of Fact not so Ancient that it cannot be easily traced The Case in short was this King Henry the Eighth was of the same Faith and Communion with his Pious Predecessors from the very first Conversion of our Island and the whole Church in all Ages 'till the Popes Spiritual Power did cross his Amorous desires And then alas the unruly passion of Love so blinded his Reason that he could not see or would not longer acknowledge the Primacy of the Church of Rome which not long before he had so famously maintain'd against Luther the Apostate that deservedly he was rewarded with the glorious Title of Defender of the Faith For giving way to his Intemperate pleasure he fell passionately enamour'd on Anne Bullen who being of a subtil wit and perceiving the King charmed with her Beauty was resolv'd not to yeild to his Will unless he would first marry her This her resolute denyal did blow up the fire of his Love to a greater height and he being toss'd up and down with the billows of several passions determin'd at last with himself to quench those raging flames with her embraces according to her own terms though the impendiments seem'd almost insuperable and the consequences might prove very sad Hereupon he pretends scruples of Conscience about his Marriage with Queen Catharine no less then 22 years after their solemn Espousals sealed with the endearing pledge of Issue to succeed him in the Royal Throne And upon his hot Devotion to his new Saint he grew suddenly so tender-hearted in the point that by all means his former Marriage must be disannull'd that the storm and inquietude in his breast might be appeased And forthwith Addresses are made to the Pope to Commissionate Legates in England to hear and determine the business with all possible speed But the Queen appealing from them to Rome by the advice of her most Learned and Counscientious Councel and the Pope understanding the equity of her Case and how much it might be endanger'd where the King had so much power accepting of her Appeal recals the hearing of it to Himself and after mature deliberation notwithstanding all attempts and political motives to the contrary gave it as he was bound in Conscience on the Queens side against the King Which indeed was no more then to ratify what before had been adjudg'd lawful both by the Apostolical Chair with the approbation of the Christian World His Majesty now perceiving that all hopes were pass'd to procure from Rome a Divoce from his Lawful Wife and Vertuous Queen whom he could not but Honour even while he persecuted and a Dispensation to Marry his Beloved he grew highly enraged and passion so far prevail'd that abandoning Catholick Christian Peace and Unity he renounces all obedience to the Church casts the Popes Authority out of England under pain of death to the Acknowledger makes himself sole Head of the Church in his own Dominions and consequently Judge in his own Cause and then no question all things must pass for him and an usurped power would effect what Justice could not In a word he Divorces himself from his most Religious and Vertuous Queen shakes hands as I may say with Religion and joyns himself to Anne Bullen This was the original of this fatal Schism from this impure fountain stream'd a deluge of miseries upon our 'till then most happy Island For no sooner had he to satisfy his lusts remov'd the rampire of Church Government the sole preservative of Faith and Unity but an inundation of Evils broke in violently upon us and with Schism likewise Heresie Sacriledge Oppression ruine of Churches and Monasteries extirpation of Holy Orders contempt of Religion by making it lyable to perpetual changes uncertainties and and confusions as sad experience hath but too clearly manifested Thus was the Protestant Reformation as they call it in England first brought forth into the World and these are the Miseries which attended it I wish this point might be serionsly and impartially weighed and I doubt not but by God's Grace it would prove to others as it did to me a strong motive to return to Catholick Unity And here it will not be amiss to take notice what mark the Holy Scriptures have stamp'd upon Schism and Schismaticks to be known by Among your selves saith Act. 20. St. Paul shall arise men teaching perverse things to draw Disciples after them So did their first Reformers being Members of the Catholick Church till they contradicted the Doctrine which they before believ'd with the whole Body of Christianity to come from Christ himself and his Apostles teaching new Doctrines to draw Disciples after them They went out from us 1 John 2. saith St. John And so did they erecting a new communion distinct from the universality of Christians under a new Church Government it being never heard of before that a Secular person should be Head of a Spiritual Body or that Christ had left such an Oeconomy in his Church Scripture then condemns them for it condemns such Who will not hear Mat. 18. the Church it condemns such who 2 Thess 3. will not obey the word of her Governours it condemns such who sepeperate St. Jude Rom. 16 17. themselves who cause Dissention and Scandals contrary to the Doctrine delivered to the Saints And such were they as evidently in matter of fact as any thing that 's left upon Record in the World If therefore whosoever before them in the like sort separated themselves from the Church were accounted Schismaticks by all Catholick Christians how came they to be no Schismaticks by their Separation Never let them pretend any cause given on the Church's side to justify them for the Church
not They was the dividing party and Actors in this separation being so contrary to the nature and notion of Schism from Scripture and Antiquity yea and a common sense for how could a Church possibly separate from a Communion whereof they never were Members though it should be granted that they made the separation yet they say that Schism being a voluntary departure from the Communion of the Catholick Church they cannot be condemn'd for Schismaticks who only separated themselves from the particular Church of Rome But alas this is no better then a Cob-web Plea to keep Protestants from falling into the Gulph of Schism For first grant that the Church of Rome be but a particular Church yet as such 't is a true Member of the Catholick Church as the most Learned Protestants of the Church of England not only grant but contend for against other Dissenters and so they could not separate from the Church of Rome as such but of necessity they must separate from the whole with whom she as part thereof communicated Secondly if the separation was only made from the particular Church of Rome and not from the Universal let them shew us any Body of Christians agreeing with their Protestant Church in all Material points of Faith and practice to whom the first Reformers united themselves when they made a separation from their Catholick Mother If Communion with the Greek Church be pretended 't is most irrational when condemned by themselves in their Belief concerning the Procession of the Holy Ghost Mass Transubstantiation c. And indeed if they will be of their Communion they must agree with us almost in all points wherein they now differ from us and alledge as just causes of their separation But how justly shall be scann'd hereafter If with the Lutherans 't is as vainly pretended for by the Confession of those who made a full search into the Lutheran Tenets they agree in more points with the Church of Rome against the English Protetestants then on the contrary And 't is well known that when the Controversies were hot between the Remonstrants and Contra-Remonstrants as Hereticks are always as well fighting among themselves as against the Church the Remonstrants plainly asserted they would sooner return into the Bosome of their Catholick Mother then joyn in those points with the Calvinists with whom of all other Sects the English Protestants may most pretend to have Communion Which nevertheless hath as airy a foundation as either of the other when the greatest Patrons and Goliahs of the English Reformation condemn the Calvinists of fundamental Errors in denying Episcopacy to be jure divino and the Kings Supremacy in Ecclesiastical matters and for differing from them in other points contain'd in their 39 Articles and Book of Common-Prayer their publick Liturgy and way of Worship And so while they separate from the particular Church of Rome as they pretend and not from the Catholick from which they grant no man ought to separate they notwithstanding are found to be left by themselves a Church of their own constituting finding no part of Christs Catholick Church or any other with whom when they separated from the Roman Communion they actually joyn'd themselves or do yet in the belief of the same Articles of Faith in the acknowledgment and submission to the same Church Government in the participation of the same Sacraments and way of Worship which are essentially requisite to Church-union But thirdly though no Catholick denyes the Church of Rome as taken for the peculiar Diocess belonging to the Bishop of Rome is a particular Church as well as the Church of Ephesus or Church of Corinth and the Pope as Bishop of this Roman Congregation belonging to no other Jurisdiction is a particular Bishop Yet seeing also that all Catholick Christians do and the first Protestant Reformers did believe before their separation that the Roman Church as taken for the whole collection of the Faithful as holding Communion with the See of Rome is the Catholick Church and that the Pope of Rome as succeeding St. Peter in his Primacy by divine Right add Institution hath a Universal Headship and Jurisdiction in Spiritual matters over all particular Churches I say the whole Catholick World and first English Reformers thus believing before their separation they stand condemn'd for Schismaticks by the most Sacred and highest Tribunal on Earth not for separating from the particular Church and Bishop of Rome but from the Communion of the Roman Church as Catholick in respect of the extent of her Power and Jurisdiction and the Pope as St. Peters Successor supream Pastor and Head thereof And this guilt will never be wip'd off 'till it be evidenced that the Christian World is in an error and believes a lye and that the Supream and Universal Jurisdiction of the Pope of Rome is but a meer usurpation and innovation in the Church But this the Protestants neither have done nor ever will be able to do and yet ought to have been done by the first Reformers before they separated or by the continuers of it for the justification Which is an attempt no less desperate then to endeavour to perswade the World that the judgment of a few interessed passionate persons may not only ballance but also ought to out-weigh and be preferred before the greatest Authority and certainty we have on earth This is enough to manifest the unity of this Plea to any unbyassed and indifferent judgments But because Protestants do sadly deceive themselves in being perswaded they are true Members of the Catholick Church by imposing upon the word Catholick a notion different from the most usual and common sense of the Church in all Ages and thereby satisfy themselves that their separation is neither damnable nor dangerous that is not Schismatical this being a proper place for it I shall endeavour to undeceive them by applying the word to its genuine acceptation in which sense it had much influence on my Conversion SECT V. The sense and meaning of the word Catholick as it is us'd by the Church THe Church is said to be Catholick in three respects First ratione loci according to universality Mat. 28. 19. Mar. 16. 15. Jo. 4. 21. Act. 1. 8. Ro. 1. 17. Ro. 10. 12. Eph. 2. 14. of place whereby 't is distinguish'd from the Jewish Synagogue For the partition-wall being broken down by Christ the chief corner stone of this Spiritual building both Jew and Gentile were united into one and the same body of Christianity extending it self into all corners of the World Hence it is that of St. Cyril The Church is called Catholick because 't is spread over all the World from one end to the other Whereas before the true Worship was confin'd to Judaea and the Jewish Nation Secondly the Church of Christ is Catholick ratione temporis according to universality of time from its first existence because being once founded by our Blessed Saviour Mat. 15. 14. Dan. 3. 44.
Corruption 't is morally impossible that such novelty as an universal Usurpation in matters of the highest concern should insensibly creep into the Church without discovery and invade the whole Christian World without opposition and this too in producing notoriously visible effects which necessarily must accompany such an innovation Doubtless such a change in a matter of pretended Divine Institution would have made a strange clamour and confusion in the Christian World One may as well maintain that the bloody alterations of Government in our Island have crept into the Nation and after the sad miseries of so long a war leaving behind it evidences to every eye no man can tell how or be sensible when and in what manner those grand mutations hap'ned Yea this might be defended with more show of reason those alterations being in Temporal matters acted in a corner of the World and therefore more easily brought about with lesser noise and better stifled in their birth that they might not be transmitted to posterity then this usurpation in a Spiritual Government founded by Christ himself to continue for ever over all the Nations of the Earth in those things which concern the eternal Salvation of their Souls Those reverend Witnesses of our Ancient Faith the Holy Fathers who were so tenacious and careful of Christian Customs and the Doctrine once deliver'd to the Saints that they have exactly observ'd and register'd in the least innovations of Faith or practice which new Teachers would have brought into the Church and were always more ready to part with their lives than any one point of their Religion would they have quietly suffered the Government of the Church the sole Conserver of its Doctrine instituted by Christ himself to be changed and not generally complain contradict oppose register and publish it to the whole World that they might know it to be a usurpation a spurious issue no plant of our Heavenly Fathers planting and therefore to be abominated and rooted out It is incredible that they who were so eagle-ey'd to observe and eager to contradict matters of far less moment should in a business of such concernment be wholly silent and betray the Truth For if they have declar'd the Bishop of Rome's supreme Power and Jurisdiction in Gods Church as Successor to St. Peter in his Primacy to be an usurp'd Authority and of humane invention and as such oppos'd it let them show it out of their Writings that we may know when by whom and by what means 't was introduced into the Church so as to invade the whole Body of Christianity And if they cannot as most certainly they cannot having labour'd in vain to do 't for above these 100 years and their own differences about the time when 't was first brought in being a manifest proof it can never be assigned and confess'd so by the most ingenuous among them seeing 't is a Government that hath been in quiet possession of the Christian World time out of mind with a belief of its divine institution handed as such to us by Universal Tradition unless they will divest themselves of reason they cannot but acknowledge that ab initio fuit sic 't is as old as Christian Religion and all those Schismaticks who disobey so Sacred a Power under the pretence of usurpation The Divine Right of the Pope's Supremacy in Spiritual matters being thus vindicated those pretences of a Godly Reformation and reducing Church Government to its Primitive Institution fall to nothing of themselves what they call Reformation being a violent usurpation of anothers right and upon what Motives is too notorious to be justified 'T were much to be wish'd they would lay to heart how in the late Revolutions by Gods most remarkable judgments on them those very weapons which they us'd against Papal Power have been taken up by the Presbyterians to the ruine and extirpation of Eposcopacy for some time And those Zealots in the same sort as handsomely cudgell'd by the Independants all equally pretending a Godly Reformation and reducing Religion to its primitive Purity Here I might conclude this Motive of my Conversion wherein I have been very large because Schism being a matter of fact is more discernable by ordinary capacities than disputes of things more abstracted from sense and consequently it is more easie to discover to all Seperatists the danger of their condition that they may return to Catholick unity especially considering the proof wholly lyes on our Adversaries side to demonstrate so long a continued Government as the Pope's Primacy over the Catholick Church to be a meer Tyrannical Usurpation or else to stand unanswerably convicted of Schism for renouncing such an Authority evidenced unto us by Universal Tradition which is our tenure in points of Faith However in that many poor Souls not knowing or not considering the strength of universal practice and immemorial possession on the Catholicks side are still seduced and kept in error by some places gleaned here and there from Sacred Scripture and the Writings of Antiquity wrest'd to their purpose that they may evidently see that all such verbal proofs from dead Letters are made to speak what the Authors never intended I shall ex abundante to give them all possible satisfaction in a matter of so great consequence produce such clear Testimonies from undoubted Records of Antiquity speaking the Faith and practice of the primitive Church in the point of the Pope's Supremacy to be the same with the new present Church of Rome that more cannot be required by men of Reason SECT VIII Wherein the Pope's Universal Power and Supreme Jurisdictidiction in Gods Church is farther manifested and made good from Councils and the verdict of Ancient Fathers grounded on Sacred Scriptures WE holding St. Peter to be constituted by Christ himself the Head and Prince of the Apostles that is to have a Supreme Power and Jurisdiction in Gods Church peculiarly entrusted to him and the Pope's universal Pastorship to be founded on the Primacy of St. Peter as his Successors the Testimonies we are producing must make good too things First that the Ancient Church believed St. Peter to be Prince of the Apostles and Head of the Universal Church Secondly the Bishops of Rome succeed him in that Authority and Jurisdiction Here the Fathers first declare their belief in these particulars I begin with Anacletus Pope and Martyr immediately after the first Century speaking the very words of the present Church Haec Sacrosancta Ann. 101. Epist 3. ad omnes Epist Romana c. This Holy and Roman and Apostolical Chair hath obtained the Primacy and eminency of Power over all Churches and the whole Congregation of Christian People not from the Apostles but from our Lord and Saviour as he said to Blessed Peter the Apostle Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church Julius the first of that Name in the Roman Chair writing to the Bishops of the East in behalf of St. Athanasius that invincible
1. AN Introduction pag. 1. Sect. 2. A prepatory discourse to Church-Tradition and what it is pag. 6. Sect. 3. Vniversal Tradition demonstrated Infallible pag. 12. Sect. 4. Vniversal Tradition the Churches Rule of Faith in all Ages pag. 22. Sect. 5. Tradition asserted against Protestants by Scripture and the notable advantages thereof above writing pag. 32. Sect. 6. An introductive discourse concerning the judiciary power of the Church pag. 49. Sect. 7. That there is a supream Visible Judge to decide Controversies in matters of Religion instituted by Christ Infallible in all points of Faith with an obliging power to belief and obedience under pain of damnation made apparent from Scripture Some Reasons thereof pag. 51. Sect. 8. The Churches Authority or Infallibility taught and asserted by the Ancient Fathers pag. 63. Sect. 9. The said Authority of the Church clear'd and demonstrated by the constant practice of all Ages pag. 63. Sect. 10. A further declaration of the Churches Authority or Infallibility in General Councils from Antiquity pag. 84. The second Motive shewing the Protestant Faith without foundation Sect. 1. An Introduction to the following Discourse pag. 97. Sect. 2. Hereticks from the beginning were accustomed to appeal to Scripture as the sole Rule of Faith whereby they would be judged the Catholick Church always believing and practising the contrary pag. 101. Sect. 3. A declaration of the English Protestants Doctrine how and why they make Scripture the only Rule and Judge of Faith Sect. 4. That the Holy Scriptures are not the sole and perfect Rule of Faith pag. 125. Sect. 5. That Divine Scripture is not nor can be a Judge to determine Controversies in Religion pag. 132. Sect. 6. That private Reason in Controversies of Faith is not the Interpreter and Judge of the true sense of Scripture to rely upon for our Salvation pag. 148. Sect. 7. An answer to some of the principal places of the Scripture upon which Protestants rely for their Rule and Judge of Faith pag. 188. The third Motive shewing the Heretical Schism of the English Protestant Church Sect. 1. The nature of Schism and Heresie declared from Scripture and the Ancient Fathers pag. 188. 2. The Protestant Church of England is notoriously guilty of Schism and Heresie by their separation from the Roman pag. 203. Sect. 3. Wherein the Protestants plea that they did not separate from the Church but were forcibly cast out from her Communion and therefore the Schism not imputable to them c. pag. 212. Sect. 4. Wherein is show'd the emptiness of the Plea that they did not separate from the Vniversal but the particular Church of Rome pag. 217. Sect. 5. The Vindication of the word Catholick to its notion as us'd by the Church pag. 224. Sect. 6. Wherein the Protestants Plea of pretended errors to justify their separation from the Roman Church is confuted pag. 252. Sect. 7. Wherein the Protestants Plea that the PopesVuniversal Pastorship is an usurp'd Power crept into the Church and therefore without Schism might be forsaken is refuted pag. 273. Sect. 8. Wherein the Popes universal Jurisdiction in Gods Church is further manifested and made good from Councils and the Ancient Fathers grounded on Scripture pag. 282. The fourth Motive shewing Miracles wrought in the True Church Sect. 1. A preliminary Discourse pag. 209. Sect. 2. That Miracles were always vouchsafed to the true Church pag. 316. Sect. 3. Wherein the nature of true Miracles is declared pag. 322. Sect. 4. Some reasons of Gods proceeding in this manner pag. 331. Sect. 5. Some undoubted and most famous Miracles relating to the present Controversies between us and Protestants pag. 340. The fifth Motive shewing the eminent Sanctity taught and practis'd in the Roman Church Sect. 1. An Introduction pag. 367. Sect. 2. A further Declaration of the Sanctity taught and practis'd in the Roman Church pag. 371. 3. A further prosecution of this Motive from the new Doctrines and profane practice of Heretical Communions pag. 379. The Conclusion pag. 393. ERRATA PAge 38. l. 27. r. fallible p. 44. l. 12. r. other p. 63. l. 3. r. Catholick Church p. 73. l. 3. r. Parish p. 75. l. 10 dele in Councils p. 78. l. 26. r. lowd p. 82. l. 15. r. meanest p. 86. l. 2. dele of l. 3 dele that p. 89 l. 10. r. nonnunquam p. 90. l. 14. r. by general p. 112. l. 13. dele or p. 119. l. 20. r. a too notorious imposition p. 122. l. 2. dele of p. 127. l. 24. r. be p. 148. l. 3. r. absurdness p. 149. l. 21. dele the p. 151. l. 1. r. authoritatively p. 165. l. 22. dele the p. 176. l. 14. r. deceiving l. 15. r. obscure p. 178. l. 20 r whom p. 182. l. 6. r. puts him in mind p. 188. l. 3 r. versâ— p. 192. l. 11. r. but p. 216. l. 15. r. from Christ p. 218. l. 3 dele a p 223. l. 10. r. their p. 230. l. 4. r. reason thus satisfy p. 241. l. 23. r. danger p. 267. l. 14. r. mazes p. 277. l. 21. r. the least p. 294. l. 25. delâ— it p. 303. l. 18. r. by the divine p. 329. l. 15 r. possible not only to p. 333 l 22. r. if incredulous p. 342. l. 21. r. on Berengâ—riuâ— p. 352. l 3. r. say p. 354. l. 23. r. apposite p. 357. l. 13. r. purified p. 303. l 15. r. Case p. 379. l. 3. r. declaime p. 386. l. 1. r. of a â—â—â—â—smatick p. 395. l. 1. r. prosperity p. 398. l. 8. r. unwilling The First Motive SECT I. That the two chief externe Grounds or Motives of Credibility leading to the Truth of what Christ and his Apostles taught the World are Universal Tradition and Church Authority GOD who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke unto the Fathers by his Prophets last of all in the fulness of Time reveal'd his Will unto us by his Son So that the Word was made Flesh not only as a Saviour to lay down his own Life for our Redemption and Suffer for us but also as a Law-giver to instruct us what we must believe and do for his sake and our own good if we will be sav'd Before this last and perfect revelation of all supernatural means to attain to Life deliver'd to the World by Christ the Jews were the peculiar people of God their Synagogue the true Church and their Ceremonial Rights the True Worship instituted by God himself to continue in force during that Pedagogie But the eternal Sun of Righteousness appearing those Shadows were in him fulfill'd and so vanish'd to give place unto the Gospel whose glorious Beams were to Enlighten those that sat in Darkness and the shadow of Death to the uttermost Corners of the Earth Hereupon there being a change of the Law it was necessary there should be a Translation of the Priesthood also the time being now come foretold by Malachy That from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof Gods Name should be great
among the Gentiles and they should Sacrifice in every place and Chap. 1. 11. a Pure Offering should be offer'd to his Name a new form of Worship prescrib'd a new form of Government erected new Sacraments instituted new Precepts deliver'd Councels super-added agreeable to the Evangelical Law And in a word a Catholick Church founded to continue for ever This Church of Christ as it is one body so likewise it was of one heart and of one mind while Apostolical purity remain'd unspotted The Professors were all united in the same Faith Worship and Government holding close to Church-Tradition the Pillar and ground of Truth without any rent or Schism Till among Act. 20. 29. 30. themselves arose Wolves in Sheeps-cloathing not sparing the Flock teaching perverse things to draw away Disciples after them That is who set up a Congregation of Christians separated from the Communion of that Church which was founded by Christ and his Apostles And so by this means unity being destroy'd and Faith perverted Heresie shut up the gate of Heaven against false Christians as Infidelity did against Unbelievers A sad case this yet not so much to be wondred at seing the Apostle tells us Opportet esse Haereses There must 1 Cor. 11. 19. be Heresies for the Tryal of others and greater glory of the Truth And therefore the true Church hath in all Ages been more or less vex'd with them But never more then in these last and perillous days which since Luther's Apostacy from the Church of Rome have produc'd such an innumerable brood of New Gospels and Sects all pretending to believe and practice those Doctrines and that Worship which were taught by Christ and his Apostles and to be the only true Church of God or at least the purest Members of it Now it being acknowledg'd on all hands that they only are the true Church who believe and observe all points taught by Christ and his Apostles necessary to Salvation and 't is impossible contrary Beliefs and Worships should be all true and come from the Fountain of Truth Christ Jesus those whom a more serious desire and care of their Eternal Good may excite to seek for satisfaction in so important a business shall upon diligent inquisition by the blessing of God find that the chief externe grounds or evidence ordain'd by Christ for the guiding us in the knowledge of what was taught and left by him to be believ'd and practis'd to the Worlds end and consequently also for discerning which is the true Church among so many Pretenders are those according to which the Church of Rome regulates her Faith and Worship namely Universal Tradition and the Authority of the present Church as shall hereafter be made manifest And the farther they search into the Rule of the Protestant Religion that is sole Scripture interpreted by private Reason or Spirit exclusively to Tradition and Church Authority the more they will see such unsteady Maxims are destructive to Faith and manifestly leading to endless Divisions and Errors in matters of Religion This Conviction I had in examining the Fundamentals of the Roman and Protestant Religion and therefore am not to be blam'd for the Change I made and to my understanding whosoever searches as I did will easily receive the same satisfaction SECT II. A Preparatory Discourse to Church-Tradition and what it is THo' whosoever examines aright the Motives of Christian belief cannot rationally but become a Catholick that is find evidence how he may come to the certain knowledge of what Christ and his Apostles taught the World yet Faith is not grounded on Reason but Authority and that no less then Divine which excludes all possibility of Errour Whatever it is that brings men to know what they must believe Faith hath for its formal Object Divine Revelation into which it finally is resolv'd So that we believe nothing as of Faith but what is revealed and because it is revealed by Essential Verity who can neither deceive nor be deceived Catholicks then believe by Divine Faith Truths only revealed by Almighty God wherein Protestants agree with us But Catholicks believe the same Truths as they are ascertained declar'd and handled down to us by the Testimony of the Church wherein Protestants are defective the difference thefore between us in Faith arises chiefly from hence in that we use not the same externe Medium to convey unto our understandings the knowledge of what Truths are revealed and what not For could we once agree about this latter we should soon be of one Heart and of one mind in all points of Faith especially when once this Medium is proved to be infallible As to this Medium therefore Catholicks regulate their Faith by the Rule or Standard of Tradition and Church-Authority as the externe Proponent of Faith a Proponent also evidenced to them by the same Rule to be Infallible and thus they safely rely on the Testimony of Tradition and Church Authority in Declaring and Expounding both the Sense of Scripture and all other Christian Misteries necessary to Salvation Whilst on the contrary Protestants relying on the sole express Texts of Scripture interpreted by private Reason or Spirit as their only Rule and Guide in matters of Faith become unsteady in their Belief obnoxious to dangerous Errors and divided amongst themselves into endless Sects and Factions But because a more clear understanding of this matter in some sort depends on a right notion of Tradition we shall here define it in the sense it is usually understood by Catholick Divines Tradition then is the delivery of that Doctrine which was taught by Christ and his Apostles from hand to hand descending as such from Fathers to their Children making up the body of the Faithful This is the true notion of Tradition among us Catholicks and it matters not whether it be call'd Divine Apostolical or Universal being only the same thing exprest by divers adjuncts For it is call'd Divine because Christ our Lord as well true God as true man is the Spring-head of it It is call'd Apostolical because the Apostles immediately receiv'd from him things so deliver'd and Preach'd them to all Nations And Universal because Attested by the Catholick Church of all Ages to have been handed to her as originally proceeding from Christ and his Apostles And to prevent all mistakes let Protestants take notice that the Church of Rome sends not her Children only to search for what is Divine or Apostolical Tradition in matters of Faith and Discipline out of the Writings of the Fathers or other Libraries of Books fill'd with dead Words which are subject to various Interpretations by Critical heads without any hope of Agreement and can have no Authority dependent on Tradition though upon this account she has infinite advantage against all other Communions in the World to justify her Faith and practice in any unbyass'd Judgments But sends them to a visible living Oracle Oral Tradition that is the voice of the present Church attesting
to have fail'd in this particular must needs acknowledge this point concerning the Rule of Faith to be Apostolical Secondly They do not consider that seing it cannot be deny'd but Tradition was at first the usual means of Planting and Conserving the Law of Christ the greater part of the World being converted before the Scriptures were written and receiv'd by the Church so that when any false Teachers did arise they of necessity had recourse to Tradition whether they had been so Taught and not to Scripture whether it was so written being impossible to Rule before it had a Beeing I say this being undenyably evident they will never be able to give a rational account to Intelligent persons why an immutable Faith should have a mutable Rule and a standing Edifice should have a moving Foundation If they think to salve this soar by saying Tradition was necessary 'till the written word took place they will never be able to prove that all things at first delivered necessary for the Salvation of the World were afterwards committed to writing by the Apostles And yet 'till this be done satisfactorily who sees not the insufficiency of this assertion But then Thirdly if they could prove that the whole Law of Christ necessary to Salvation at first Traditionarily convey'd was afterwards entirely committed to writting by Infallible Inspiration and deposited in the Church They do not consider that were it so as most certainly they will be never able to prove yet it is necessary Tradition should be the Rule of Faith as well after as before the reception of such a Canon it being impossible for Scripture by its self to perform what Tradition did without it in the beginning For dead words being capable of endless controversy because lyable to various Interpretations Hereticks will either shrowd themselves under the Umbrage of obscure Passages in Sacred Writ or darken plain places with Metaphors or Clouds of witty Criticisms so that no evident Conviction can be had or possibility to hold up Church-unity in Faith and Government except the controverted Doctrines be brought for their tryal to the Touch-stone of Oral Tradition which with the same unerring voice delivers Scripture and the true sense of it to the Houshold of Faith in all Ages And therefore it is Lih de Praescript c 19. S. Irenae cont haeres St. Aug. eont Ep. Fund Vinc. Lyri in Com. that we find Tertullian and other Ancients affirming That no good can be done with Hereticks by disputing out Scripture to reduce them to Truth And if we will not take their word our own experience is an evidence beyond all exception Lastly they do not consider that as in Natural Sciences there are some Prima Principia fundamental Axioms which need no proof into which all Conclusions rightly from them deduced are reducible So in supernatural Revelations there must be some self-evident Principle a Rule of Faith into which points of Faith are resolvable having it self no need of further probation as to such evidence Or else we run in a circle not having any satisfactory ground upon which we may without any more ado rely for the Truth of what we believe Now Scripture is not nor can be such a Principle it depending manifestly as Protestants themselves acknowledge on Tradition by which we only come certainly to know and accept it for the Word of God and so is the Rule of Scripture as well as of other necessary points and consequently the ground or evidence of what we believe upon scripture-Scripture-Authority Which yet is not to be understood as if Tradition made the Word of God Infallible but that thereby we are rationally assured what is Scripture and the true sense of it which otherwise is subject to perpetual quarrells of Dissenting minds For my part I see not how Protestants can answer this Argument for they acknowledging Tradition to be the Rule of Scripture and contending for Scripture to be the Rule of Faith Tradition must necessarily be the prime Rule that is the Rule of their Rule and antecedent ground of their foundation And so by unavoidable consequence all their Faith is built upon the credit of Tradition See it clear by a parallel We Catholicks rely upon the Church for points of Faith will Protestants therefore say that we rely not upon Tradition For in relying upon the Church we rely also upon what the Church relyes which in all points of Faith is Tradition We rely upon the Church immediately as an Infallible Guide we rely upon Tradition as an extern Evidence 'T is easily applicable to Protestants receiving the Scriptures upon the credit of Tradition Who while they shun it as a stone of Offence fall upon it as a Rock of Foundation And truly 'till they show us some other self-evident Principle which can assure us what Doctrines Christ and his Apostles taught the World we must believe and maintain Universal Tradition to be the Fundamental Rule of Faith to the Christian Church in the sense hitherto explain'd Thus they might be satisfied with reason in this controversy but because they pretend to be mov'd more with the Authority of the Fathers than our Arguments they shall hear them speak and truly one would think plain enough to their condemnation Witness St. Iraeneus an Anti-Protestant certainly while he teaches * Lib. 3. cont Haer. c. 4. What if the Apostles had not left us Scriptures ought we not to have followed the Rule of Tradition which they delivered to those to whom they committed the Churches Which is not to be understood as if because they have left Scriptures the order of Tradition is by them evacuated but that revealed Truths depending on Tradition only are as Divine and certain as if no Scriptures had been left unto the Church by the Apostles Or else we make the Saint while he is showing the excellent use and necessity of Church-Tradition so Incongruous as to say there is no need of it at all But Arguments might be spar'd when the following instance of Nations believing by Tradition only without Scripture makes his meaning evident Before him in the front of the second Age B. Ignatius St. Johns Disciple Exhorted the Churches to hold themselves inseparably to the Tradition of the * Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 35. Apostles as Eusebius testifies Had the Rule of Faith been only Scripture as Protestants contend could he have given such advice Yea it inevitably implyes Tradition to be the sure ground to rely upon for Christian Doctrines Doth Origen assert Scripture or Tradition for a Rule while he teaches * In Tract 27. in c 23. S. Matt That in our understanding Scripture we must not depart from the first Ecclesiastical Tradition nor believe otherwise then as the Church of God hath by Succession deliver'd to us And elsewhere he tells us That only is to be believed * In Praef. lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Truth which in nothing disagrees from the Tradition of the Church What more full
submission to the Churches Decrees in things necessary to Salvation and likewise in vertue of the same Principle as in all equity they extend it withdraw their obedience from the Secular Magistrate in his necessary commands as he Judges for the publick good 'till it be made out to them that they are in the present matter though not taken out of the Holy Scriptures yet agreeable unto them doubtless all Government and Order is brought to nothing and their Edicts and Laws will be evacuated as often as the pride or prejudice or passion or Interest of Subjects shall think them not warrantable from Holy Writ Neither could such sad effects be hindred from daily breaking out to the Worlds disquiet were they not curb'd in with fear of present punishment For when they who are thus taught think themselves secure from the lash their deeds sufficiently evidence what Temporal Magistrates are to expect from their hands But to stick close to the Church which they have forsaken If they think they have kept firm ground enough for Church Authority to stand upon by inserting these words In things necessary to Salvation thereby implying that though her Decrees in things necessary to Salvation have no strength or Authority 'till it may be declared not by her self for she hath already made her declaration that they are taken out of the Holy Scriptures yet in things not necessary and indifferent her Authority is absolute and independent on such a declaration with an obligation of obedience fâ—om Believers If this I say be their meaning to keep up Church-Authority it will not do the business but is only to put a Reed in Christs hand instead of a Royal-Scepter and to allow his Church a Mock-power onely in Spiritual matters as will easily appear to any one considering the end for which our Lord and Saviour set up a Government in his Church For having founded and furnish'd his Church with plentiful means for the Salvation of mankind and instituted a Government therein to conserve and apply those means that they might be effectual for the foresaid end and purpose Church-Governours cannot possibly make a sufficient application as Co-workers with God by his appointment in the great work of our Salvation if their Power extended it self absolutely to things indifferent without which we may be saved and in those things necessary to Salvation can ordain things 'till a Declaration from God knows whom and when makes it good and valid For they tell us not by whom or when this Declaration must be made in such Cases but inveloping their conceit in general words only deliver that what Oecumenical Synods ordain in things necessary to Salvation have no strength nor Authority 'till it may be declared that they are taken out of the Holy Scriptures Is this Doctrine consistent with the end of Church-Government Would not those Superiours be invested with a goodly power who can without dispute bind their Subjects hands from scratching their own Faces but have no obliging Authority to hinder them from thrusting a Sword into their Bowels or striking a Dagger to their Heart Hath Christ given some Apostles Prophets and some Evangelists and Ephes 4. some Pastors to feed and govern his Church for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ 'till we all come into the unity of the Faith and yet what points they teach as necessary to Salvation have no strength nor Authoriry 'till their Disciples and Learners of them shall declare that they are taken out of Holy Scriptures Would God exact of Church-Governours an account of their Subjects Souls committed to their Charge threatning to require their Blood at their Hands if any perish Acts 20. 26 27. through their negligence and yet not invest them with an Authority essentially requisite for the sufficient discharge of so dreadful a duty What says St. Paul to this point Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give an account for them Now comes the English Protestant Church with a Paraphrase and teaches Obey them that have the rule over you who watch for your Souls because they must give an account of them and submit your selves to their commands and order in things indifferent and not necessary not in what they teach and ordain as without which Salvation cannot be had for such Decrees have no strength nor Authority 'till it may be declared that they are taken out of the Holy Scriptures Can any Conscientious or Rational man possibly perswade himself that this is the Apostles meaning Thirdly the English Protestants teach That the Church hath power to Decree Rites and Ceremonies and Authority in Controversies of Faith Had they stopt here and stood to it they had soon return'd to their Catholick Mother But forsooth it is with this Provisoe That she ordain not any thing that is contrary to Gods word nor expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another But never tells us who shall be this Judge to determine when her Decrees and Orders are contrary to the Word of God or not or when she gives the true sense of Scripture according to the Analogy of Faith so that one place be not repugnant to another And so leaves us in a maze for our Salvation They had denyed the Catholick Church Representative to be an Infallible Witness of the Truths of Jesus Christ and Authoritative Interpreter of Scripture to guide Believers in the true sense of it and so it would have been too a notorious Inquisition to have assum'd it to their Conventicles wherefore having taken away the Pillar and ground of Truth the Churches Authority or Infallibility they laid no other sure foundation nor set up any other determinate Column to uphold Religion but leaves it in uncertainties to certain ruine Well fare the Churches under St. Paul's care and governance who had receiv'd a Power not for destruction but edification and could do nothing against the Truth but 〈◊〉 10. 8. for it The English Protestant Church can do nothing for the Truth but against it has no Power at all for edification but only for destruction Neither indeed might she exercise her new assum'd Jurisdiction without destroying her self when she could not be builded up but by pulling down to patch up a Fabrick out of the ruines For the Composers of her Articles did very well perceive if they admitted the Church to be the Authoriz'd Visible Judge of the Sense of Sripture by the Rule of Tradition shining bright in the practice of the whole Christian World and immemorial possession of such points they contradicted it was not possible to escape the Sentence of condemnation but in the Controversy giving a decisive power only to the dead Letter of Scripture the refuge of old condemned Hereticks they feared no Anathema while themselves were Interpreters And having the supreme Magistrate on
't is impossible there should be any unity among the Christians in Faith and Worship That is 't is impossible there should be any such thing upon earth as one only Catholick Church Of the breach of which unity endless divisions amongst those who adhere to this Principle are apparent and most visible demonstrations Lastly whosoever seriously considers the difficulties of Languages the multiplicity of the occasions and intentions of the Writers the various lections in Copies of the Original the infinite and considerable differences in Translations the equivocation and ambiguity of Words the variety and obscurity of Circumstances together with the weakness of all and ignorance of most men endeavouring by themselves from dead Letters to attain to the knowledge of the sublime mysteries of our Holy Faith transcending all humane understanding and comprehension cannot but conclude that 't is altogether impossible that private Reason should be the only Interpreter and Judge of the true Sense of Scripture for every one to rely upon for his Salvation seeing nothing can be certainly gather'd and concluded out of naked words considered barely in themselves involving so many difficulties and uncertainties in regard to incomparably the greater part of mankind And if a Protestant Preacher will speak out ingeniously in this point he must tell his Auditors in these or such like words Beloved we exhort you to search the Scriptures and whatsoever we say is necessary to Salvation to believe us only so far as your own Reason doth tell you we teach according to the Word of God for that is the Rule and private Reason the sole Judge to give an unappealable Sentence in such Cases This is our Doctrine and this is also your practice but truely Beloved all things rightly considered we must needs confess that 't is an unsteady foundation to build your Faith and Salvation upon for after this way of proceeding you are infinitely obnoxious to dangerous errours and cannot but deceive your selves in matters that concern your everlasting Happiness So he preaching ingenuously Neither indeed can rational security be had in things of eternal Interest 'till reposing our selves in the bosome of the Catholick Church we take her word as well for the Sense of Scripture as the Letter A ground doubtless sufficient for me to justify the change of my Religion and for others to follow me SECT VII An answer to some of the principal places of Scripture upon which Protestants rely for their Rule and Judge of Faith IT being a main fundamental point of Faith to know what is the Rule and Judge of all the rest they who hold the written Word for a compleatly sufficient Rule and Interpreter of its self or give private Reason the Authority of a Judge in expounding it as such a Rule must necessarily ground themselves upon Scripture for this Article And some if not most of the principal places are these To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there 's no light in them Isaiah 8. 20. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal Life and they are they which testify of me Joh. 5. 39. These are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life thorough his Name Joh. 26. 31. And Paul reason'd with them out of the Scriptures And they search'd the Scripture daily whether those things were so Act. 2. 11. All Scripture divinely inspir'd is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect thoroughly instructed to every good work 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. If any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the Plagues that are written in this Book And if any man shall take away from the words of the Book of this Prophecy God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life Apocal. 22. ver 18 19. To all which and whatever other Scripture-proofs Protestants produce for themselves against us I first by way of general reply demand of them whether they bring such Texts as demonstrative arguments evidencing their position or only as probable If only as probable they conclude nothing against us Catholicks who have the judgement and practice of the Universal Church the best Interpreter of Holy Scriptures and conveyer of true Sense standing on our side with infinite advantage against their Novel Expositions But if they produce them as demonstrations how comes it about that any doubt of them seeing every demonstration is such as that granting the Premisses the conclusion cannot be denyed From that of Isaias they urge us thus Behold O Papists the Prophet of the Lord sends the Jews to the written Word of God as the Rule and Judge of what is taught them I answer Doubtless they who affirm this have quite forgot that the High-Priest in all doubts of any moment about Divine Worship was constituted Deut. 17. 8 9 c. by God the supreme Judge to give a definitive Sentence under pain of death to the disobeyers And so they set up the Holy Prophet against Moses and make one Scripture as they Interpret it contradict another This plainly shews they abuse the Text whose genuine Sense will easily appear by light borrowed from the Context Isaias prophesied in troublesome times and the Jews were very sollicitous what the event would be and neglecting to enquire of God had no recourse to the Law and the Prophets but 1 Sam. 28. 6. sought unto them who had familiar Spirits and unto Wizards The Prophet grieved at this Vengeance provoking sin sends them to the Law and to the Testimony where this grand impiety was forbidden and withall puts them in mind of Levit. 20. 6 27. Deut. 18. 9 10 c. their great folly in seeking to such who had no Divine Light for the Revelation of future contingences which could not possibly be in them who undertook it against Gods Word Now in the name of wonder what is this to a Judge of Controversies in points of Faith It is not lawful to consult the Devil to know future events because he is a Lyar and it is a thing forbidden in the written Word therefore the Scripture is the only Rule and Judge of Controversies in points of Faith and Worship among Christians 'T were well such Disputants would learn to be Logicians before they turn'd Controversial Divines To the second Search the Scriptures c. I find so satisfactory an Summa Theolo par c. 7. Answer in Becanus that I shall do little more than translate his words Our Blessed Saviour in this Chapter Joh. 5. 39. is disputing with the unbelieving Jews who denyed him to be the Son of God or sent from him To convince them he makes use of four Topicks First The witness of John the Baptist whom they accounted a Prophet and had formerly told them pointing to our Blessed Saviour Behold
the Joh. 1. 29. 34. Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the World I bear record that this is the Son of God Secondly The Testimony of his Divine works and stupendious miracles in these words I have a greater Joh. 5. 36. witness than that of John for the works which the Father hath sent me to finish the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me Thirdly The Testimony of God the Father in the Verse following And the Father v. 37. himself who hath sent me hath born witness of me And that by an audible voice from Heaven at his Baptism in these words This is my beloved Mat. 3. 17. Son in whom I am well pleased As also at his Transfiguration where the same words were spoken with this addition Hear ye Him Which Mat 17. 5. first voice if none of the Jews there present heard as certainly they did not unless in the words following Joh. 5. 37. Neither have ye heard his voice hearing is to be taken for obeying yet to them the Testimony was Authentick who seeing his most Holy Life and many Miracles to attest his Mission could not rationally think he would deceive them with a Lye Now more they could not desire when the force of these invincible arguments or nothing could dint and mollify their rocky hearts to receive the impression of saving Faith However our Blessed Saviour to give them all possible satisfaction makes use of a fourth Topick from the Holy Scriptures ver 39. which he bids them search For in them saith he ye think ye have eternal Life and they are they which testify of me Which Paraphras'd is thus much If ye will not receive the three former Testimonies which are most proper and efficacious to work Faith in your hearts but shut your eyes against Light sufficient to turn the darkness of Sodom and Gomorrah into day yet the Scriptures which ye receive and acknowledge bear such witness of me that if ye did search into them with humble hearts ye could not but be convinc'd of the Truth I preach unto you In them indeed ye think ye have eternal Life but while malice and pride thus blind your eyes ye deceive your selves and make them a killing Letter to your Souls Now let who will apply it the Argument runs thus Our Blessed Saviour having made use of the most powerful means to convince the Jews of their Infidelity and they yet persisting in their Blasphemies at last for their greater confusion made use of an argument from Scripture which they received Therefore Scripture is the sole Judge of Controversies about Religion How this follows I understand not when our Blessed Saviour in the present contest sends them not only to the written Word but uses it as the last and perhaps least evidence of his Divinity and Mission It clearly makes indeed for us Catholicks who as our Blessed Saviour brought St. Johns Testimony against his Advetsaries so do we likewise against the Protestants produce the Ancient Fathers Martyrs and Confessors of all Ages to witness for us in the present Controversies as also the voice of God from Heaven by many Miracles speaking in defence of the Truths which we profess They in this like to obdurate Jews despise these unanswerable evidences which are Motives sufficient to work on Infidels and will admit no Rule nor Judge but the Holy Scriptures to decide the quarrel Thinking as the Jews did to have Eternal Life in them but with that incredulous people likewise deceive themselves do observe the Light of Divine Truth by drawing as it were a vail of private and perverse Interpretations over their Eyes to their eternal Perdition I add moreover that had our Blessed Saviour only appealed to the Prophesies of the Old Testament concerning himself as sufficient to convince the Jews that he was the true Messias so that nothing else was necessary or requisite for the cleaâ—ing of that point yet I see not how this conclusion will follow therefore all necessary points of Faith are so fully and plainly deliver'd to writing in the New Testament under the Law of Grace that there 's no other Rule nor Judge to know and determine how many and what they are when controverted among Christians Yet this must follow or this Text doth them no good for the end they use it as most certainly it does not Which answer likewise takes away all strength from that place in the Asts of the Apostles where the Bereans are commended for searching the Scriptures whether those things were so as St. Paul taught and they believed before they consulted the written Word upon the Authority of their Teacher confirming his Doctrine to be the Word of God by frequent Miracles Upon inquiry indeed it could not but be much satisfaction to them to find so much of the Light of the Gospels involv'd in the Shadows of the Law and the Predictions of the Prophets to be so exactly fulfill'd in the person of Christ and about these it was that St. Paul disputed out of Scripture and for which they search'd after their believing and and so comes not home to the question For that the whole Law of Christ or all Catholick Doctrines necessary to Salvation are plainly contain'd and may satisfactorily be prov'd from Moses and the Prophets I presume our Adversaries will not maintain and so their Argument from hence is at an end To that in the 20th of St. John I answer that the true sense and meaning of those words is this That St. John testifies to the World he hath written a Book of the Life and Death of our Blessed Saviour when the Miracles wrought by him and therein deliver'd did sufficiently evidence him to be the Son of God and the true Messias according to his Doctrine without belief in whose Name they could not be saved And not that all necessary points of Faith were so deliver'd in this Gospel as to be intended by him for a compleat Rule of Belief and Judge of all Controversies in Fundamentalls to the Christian World Neither can any rational man except blinded with Passion or bribed with Interest but perceive this latter Exposition to be forced and the other natural To believe in Christ as the Son of God and Saviour of the World is a fundamental of fundamentals without which Salvation is not to be had But to believe this only is not sufficient nor can be the scope of this Text when 't is certain many necessary points of Christian belief are not contain'd in this Evangelist Who as 't is usual with other Sacred Pen-men of Gods Word ascribes the vertue of that effect to some principal or special causes though but partial which proceeds also from other by a necessary concatenation or connexion to make up the whole and adequate cause of such a product We are said in Scripture to be saved by Hope Rom. 8 24 is it therefore of it self sufficient for
Let them give any convincing reason why Feed my Lambs Feed my Sheep spoken by the fountain of all Jurisdiction to an Apostle should not be an Authoritative Commission as well as Go teach all Nations Matt. 28 Besides had they only been admonitory words to excite St. Peter to the work of his Apostleship they would have been as necessary to have been spoken to all the rest as to him who were equally Apostles with him and therefore not now minded of their duty because afterwards they were all to receive power from above by the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them for the performance of that great and glorious work So then being a Commission and only given to St. Peter it must necessarily follow that he was thereby invested with some Spiritual Authority which the other Apostles had not though all Apostles And the question put to St. Peter by our Blessed Saviour immediately before the words of his Commission have no small influence to prove a Superiority of Power to be instated upon Him above the rest For being asked Simon Son of Jonas lovest thou me more than these Those words of command Feed my Lambs Feed my Sheep do not correspond nor are at all emphatical as what follows relates to them if thereby no Authority more or above the rest was not imparted to him as a reward of his extraordinary affection in that he loved our Lord and Saviour more then the rest of the Apostles Moreover in short as St. Peter did profess his Faith before the rest when this supreme Authority was promiss'd to him so now our Saviour would have him profess his love especially above the rest when he conferr'd upon him this Jurisdiction Thus if these places be expounded according to the light of present circumstances in all reason Scripture makes for a Supremacy in Peter above the rest of the Apostles And as hath been shown the Ancient Fathers from these Texts unanimously assert That the Church was in a special manner founded on St. Peter in being constituted Vniversal Head and Pastor of it To which if we add the voice of the present Church attesting it to be a Universal Tradition handed to her as such from Age to Age the unerring Rule of Catholick Faith it amounts to an Infallible certainty and puts the question out of all question and further dispute And how unsafe it is and dangerous to forsake the direct Texts of Scripture the the constant interpretations of the Ancient Fathers and the consent of the whole Christian World in matters of the highest concernment and to rely upon the bare Authority of private and new invented glosses of a few interessed and confessedly Fallible Doctors or our own more vain presumptions let any sober-minded man be judge And whether the Protestant Church of England in separating from her Catholick Mother the Church of Rome can possibly be upheld from falling into formal and notorious Schism leaning only on such unstable grounds The fourth Motive That the many Miracles God hath ben pleased to work in the Roman Catholick Church and still continues to do more or less and in no other Communion divided from her are manifest proofs that she 's the true Church And those Miracles which in a special manner regard some Doctrines denyed by Protestants to come from God are Divine Testimonies that the said Doctrines are as well Heavenly Truths as others taught by the Church are confess'd to be so SECT I. A Preliminary Discourse IT being manifest by what hath been discuss'd in the precedent Motive that the Protestant Church of England is undeniably guilty of Heresie and Schism in a high manner by their wilful separation from the Church of Rome in Faith and Government and thereupon the universality and perpetual visibility of the true Church by a never interrupted Succession of Believers teaching and practising the same Faith and Worship from the Apostles to these present days have been in some sort handled as points co-incident and con-natural I shall not make any large discourse of them severally though they did not a little contribute to my Conversion but contract their strength into one Syllogism and so proceed to show what efficacy Miracles wrought in the Catholick Church for visible confirmation of her Faith and Worship to come from Heaven ought to have upon our Adversaries to reduce them to the bosom of that Chuch they have forsaken The Argument runs thus The true Church of Christ hath Universality perpetual visibility and Succession of Pastors and People from Christ and his Apostles to this time and so to continue to the Worlds end inseparably annexed to it But no Schismatical or Heretical Communion of Christians can possibly be universal or have a perpetual visibility and Succession of Believers in those points which constitute them a distinct Communion from the Catholick Church of which they were Members before their separation Therefore no Schismatical or Heretical Communion of Christians can be the true Church of Christ That the Minor or second proposition belongs to the Protestant Church of England is manifest from the former Motive where 't was evidenced to be Schismatical and Heretical which once prov'd concerning any Communion of Christians 't is implicatory in ipsis terminis to say that 't is or can be universal visibly Successive from Christ and his Apostles to this time being all one as to assert That it was founded by Christ and his Apostles and yet began afterwards by a voluntary separation from the true Church so founded which is the Essence of Schism and that they were a Congregation Believing Ordaining Preaching and Administring Sacraments before they had a Beeing in the World That is they were and were not at the same time The Major or first Proposition is manifested from Scriptures and Fathers briefly thus From St. Matthew Behold I am Mat. 28. 20. with you always even to the end of Word From St. Luke He shall reign Luk. 1. 33 in the house of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end From St. John The Comforter the St. John 14. 16 17. Spirit of Truth shall abide with you forever From the promise of God All Nations shall flow unto it From Isa 2. 2. the Commission of Christ Go teach Mat. 28. all Nations Which clearly demonstrate the Church of Christ from its first foundation to be Catholick both in respect of Time and Place This also is the Doctrine of the Fathers 'T is only the Catholick L. 1. ca. ult Church hath the true Worship and Service of God saith Lactantius Let Praefa in l. â—â—â—â—ar the Doctrine of the Church be kept saith Origen which is deliver'd from the Apostles by order of succession and remains in the Church to this very day See more in Iren. l. 1 c. 3. St. Aug. Ser. 131. 181. de Temp. de Vnit Eccl. c. 2. Tert. contra Judaeos For the perpetual visibility of the true Church in an