custome of that Church what the remedy was so if we should aske you what the practise of the primitive times in all those Churches was If you have no better rule then the practise it selfe in many things you may answer ignoramus It is likewise improbable that the custome and practise of so many Churches being not written though it were never so apparant and common to themselves should with such an uniformitie descend downe unto us What is more common and usuall in dayly practise then speech language Yet all languages are corrupted and have lost their originall puritie notwithstanding the common use of them and the purity of the ancient languages as of the Hebrew and the Greeke is best preserved by the writings of the old and new Testament Traditions were in use from Adam unto Moses and those Traditions might have beene seene in the dayly practise of the Church yet the Lord seeing this was not a sufficient meanes to preserve the purity of those Traditions gave a more ordinary helpe of extraordinary meanes as of Dreames Visions and Râ—velations and as these extraordinary mâ—anes failed so the Lord perfected the Canon of Scripture as the best meanes to preserve the puritie of doctrine And when these meanes failed saith S. Chrysostome Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost hom c. in Math. It was necessary that there should be Scriptures and written tables and such admonition aâ— is according unto them Were those things sâ—amped in the practise and written in the heart of many men or of one If of many hardly could there be an uniforme consent for so many men so many mindes if of one then when this one dyeth the Church must needes lose a great part of her necessary Doctrine And thus it appeareth that neither mâ—morie nor practise without writing is sufficient but that writing is the surest and the onely sufficient meanes to preserve from time to time and at all times the purity of Doctrine in the Church from oblivion alteration and decay Wherefore God gave this commandement unto Moses t Erod 17. 24. Write this for a remembrance in a booke And to the Prophet Isaiah u Isa 30. 8. Write it before them in a table and note it in a booke that it may be for the last day for ever and ever In perpetuam rei memoriam The Iesuite likewise foreseeing this addeth his 3d. rule in these words God hath ordained that from age to age the said Rituall Reply pag. 17â— or practicall Traditions should be corrâ—borated by the written attestation of the Saints and holy Doctours whose uniforme relation in matters universally practised by the Church of their times whereof they were eye witnesses themselves is a warrant of it selfe infallible 15. I his rule is lyable to more exceptions then the former It is impertinent because he pleadeth the written attestation of the Doctourâ— for Rituall Traditions whereas hee should plead for unwritten Doctrinall Traditions It is improbable that God hath ordained the Doctours of the Church to write those things which he would not have his Apostles to write It is false 1. Because all the Saints and holy Doctourâ— have not given a written attestation for unwritten Traditions 2. An uniform-relation is not found among them that have written of Rituall Traditions 3. All rituall Traditions have not beene universally practised by the Church 4. If all this were tâ—â—e yet this is not a warrant of it selfe infallible An humane testimony is fallible and cannot beget faith for * Rom. 10 17. Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God The testimony of the Doctours is but the word of man and as men they might erre The Apostles could not erre in their delivery yet the choyse men to whom those supposed Traditions were delivered might erre in not understanding the Apostles aright or in not remembring those things which they heard and understood if they to whom those things were delivered by the Apostles immediately did not erre in their relateing of the same things unto others yet those relators after them might erre in processe of time and so at length false Traditions might bee fathered upon the Apostles Yea they did erre in relateing false Traditions What say you to Irenaus his Tradition that Christ lived 50. yeares And to Clemens Alexandrinus that hee preached but one yeare Their warrant therefore is not of it selfe infallible who were themselves fallible and sometimes deceived by their owne errours or by false relators It is likewise an impossible rule to be knowne because some Saints and Doctours did not write all that did write we have not all that wee have is not truely from them many counterfeit things have beene fathered on them and many true things corrupted in them all that are truely theirs doe not declare the universall practise in every age all that declare the universall practise doe not declare any practise of many Popish Traditions which are observed in this age All of them he cannot name if hee can name them yet he never saw them if he saw them yet he never read them These things we write not to contemne the testimonie of the Church nor her practise nor the writings of the Fathers for both the testimonie and the practise of the Church and the writings of the Fathers plead for our cause but to give that honour unto the Scripture which is due to shew the shortest and easiest way to enâ— thiâ— and all other Controversies and to manifest to the world the thrasonicall bragges and great boastings of thousands and millions of this bankrupâ— Iesuiticall merchant wâ—o answereth an objection and objecteth one thing moâ—e and so concludeth with a curse He fâ—ameth his objection and answere in this manner How idle and ridiculous an objection iâ— it to say that if Reply pag. 171 way be given unto Apostolicall Traditions unwritten there is nothing so â—bsurd but may be broght in by this gate As though iâ— lay in the power of any whosoever to make a new invention to mount vp against the current of Antiquitie to gaine the attestation of all the ages of the Church The like argument may be urged against the writings of the Apostles for why may not false Scripture he invented but only because it is impossible for the like frand to recâ—ile back through former ages 16. We dispute not against Traditions meerely because they are not written but because they are not from the Apostles yet are preteÌ„ded by you to be froÌ„ the Apostles If we give way unto such there is nothing so absurd but it may enter in at this wide gate which leadeth to perdition â—f this do â—rin be sound in the general whatsoever the Râ—maÌ„ Church saith is an Apostolicall TraditioÌ„ is so indeed then any particular evill may enter thereby This is a budget wide enough to hold all the devillish devises that can be as deposing of Kings adoring of Images forbidding of marriage unto Priests
Scripture and in the Fathers And the generall sense of Traditio with the Latines of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Greeke of Cabbala or Masoreth with the Hebrewes is the same namely a Delivery or any thing delivered aswell by l â— Thâ—â— â— 15. Epistle as by word of mouth The word Tradition is taken aswell for the manner of delivery which is Traditio activa as for the matter delivered which is Traditio passiva And therefore lest the Iesuite who is well skill'd in the practise of equivocation should equivocate with the word Tradition and so prove Quid pro Quo the manner of deliverie for the matter delivered the Answere sheweth him That wee admit modum tradendi the Answer manner of delivery Wee willingly acknowledge that the word of God which by some of the Apostles was set downe in writing was both by themselves and others of their fellow-labourers delivered by word of mouth and that the Church in succeeding ages was bound not onely to preserve those sacred writings coÌ„mitted to her trust but also to deliver unto her children vivâ voce the forme of wholesome words contained therin Here he might have seene that we admit modum tradâ—ndi the manner of delivery both by the Apostles and by the Church 1. We beleive the preaching of the Apostles to be the undoubted word of God aswell as their writing so that it is m Ridiculum est quod nemini est dubium probare Mare Tul pro Quint. a ridiculous thing in the Iesuite to prove that which no man doubteth He alledgeth the Fathers as * Iren. pag. 118 Irenaeus * Euscb pag. 120. Eusebius many more to prove that the Apostles preached before they wrote that their preaching is to be beleived was effectual to save soulâ—s aswell as their writing In this he shrinketh from the Question which is not whether the Apostles preached before they wrote whether their preaching is to be beleived but thâ—â— he should frame the QuestioÌ„ whether the Apostles in their preaching delivered such points of faith or doctrines of salvation as are not contained in the Scriptures 2. As the preaching of the Apostles is called a Tradition so is their delivery of the Scriptures of divers doctrines contained in them called a Tradition being delivered unto the Church by writing n Traditum est nobis quod sit unus Deus una spes una sides c. August de baptism l. 5. c. â—6 It is dell vered unto us saith S. August in that there is one God one hope one faith c. As this kinde of Tradition commeth not within the compasse of this controversie so these Fathers * Irenaeus pag. 125. Irâ—naus * Euseb pag. 109. 120 Eusebius and sundry others are impertinently produced by the Iesuites who ascribe the word Tradition unto Scripture and unto written Doctrines In this the Iesuite shrinketh againe from the Question which is not whether the Scripture may be called a Traâ—â—tion but whether all things necessary for our salvation be written in this Tradition Unto these two I may adde a third kinde of active Tradition that is the delivery by action or conversation which I may call a Practicall Tradition S. Chrysostome expounding these words b 2. Thess 3. 6. Withdraw your selves from every brother that walketh disorderly and not after the Tradition which he received of no. giveth this sense of them p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in 2. Thes c. 3. He meaneth the Tradition which is according unto workes This kind of Tradition belongeth not to our purpose and to little purpose doth the Iesuite bring in * Iuseb pag. 162. Eusebius who calleth the practise of the Apostles a Tradition In this againe the Iesuite shrinketh from the Question which is not whether the practise of the Apostles may be called a Tradition but whether in their practise of Piety they observed any holy duties necessary for our salvation which are not contained in the Scriptures either expressely or by consequence We likewise admit the active Tradition of the Church as 1. Her preserving and delivery of the written word unto her children in succeeding ages not as the meanes whereby the Scripture is made canonical yet as one good meanes though not as the onely meanes whereby a man may bee perswaded that it is canonicall And the graunting of this is a sufficient answer to a deale of confused stuffe alledged by the Iesuite in his 4. Section 2. Her delivery vivâ voce of the forme of wholesome words and of such Doctrines as are either expressely contained in the Scriptures or by sound inference may be deduced from them S. q Basil de Fide Basil was sparing to use such words as are not contained in Scripture but the Pontificall Romanists spare not to bring in such doctrines as are not contained in it For words we say with Hilarie words r Nomen nihâ—â— habeteriminiâ— quod non perturbat sensum religionis Hilar de Synod cont Arian are not to be blamed which disturbe not the sense of Religion All things are not delivered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbatim in the Scriptures I reade not the words Essence Persons Vnbegotten Coessentiall yet we doe lawfully use them All Doctrines are not formally laide downe in them the Apostles Creed is not totidem verbis written in them yet they containe grounds principles by which all doctrines may be tryed and from which all divine conclusions may be drawne And those conclusions which by sound inference are gathered out of the Scriptures by the opinion of Å¿ Greg Nazian l. 5. de Theolog Gregorie Nazian are all one with the Scripture And to this t Stapleton relect fidei controv 5. q. 5. ar 1 Stapleton consenteth By this kinde of Tradition wee are taught many points of saith as these Fathers prove which the Iesuite alledgeth abundantly and impertinently By * Athanas pag. 140. Athanasius and * Epiph pag. 145. Epiphanius That the Father is unbegotten By * Athanas pag. 140. Athanasius and * August pag. 155. Augustine That the Son is consubstantiall with the Father By * Basil pag. 150. Basil and * Aug. pag. 119 Augustine That the holy Ghost is to be adored By * Origen pag. 126. Origen and * August pag. 118. 119. 126 Augustine That Children must be baptized By Augustine That the baptised by Heretickes must not be rebaptised He alone is alledged for this point but yet for want of company he is so * Augustin pag. 116. 116. 146. 148. Ideâ—â— pag. 118. 147 Idem pag. 119. 148. pag. 11â— oft brought in still singing the same song that the musick must needes be tedious to the hearer and the quotations troublesome to the reader The Iesuite againe shrinketh from the state of the Question in alledging these Fathers as Patrons of a Tradition which we defend The Question
is not whether the preaching of the Church be a Tradition or whether in delivery of Doctrines to her hearers shee may use such words as are not written and deliver such Doctrines as are by sound inference deduced from the Scriptures but the Question is whether the Church may deliver such doctrines unto her hearers as are neither expressely contained in the Scriptures nor by sound inference deduced from them All this saith the Iesuite is no more but that you admit the written word but our Question is of the unwritten word Is not he a silly Logician that cannot distinguish betweene modum tradendi and doctrinam traditam These five wayes The Apostles preaching Their writing their pious practise The Churches delivery of the written volume her preaching out of the same coÌ„cerne only the manner of delivery And if by admitting these we admit no more but the written word what then becometh of your unwritten word It must needs be a questioÌ„ de non ente 2ly The most reverend Primate sheweth him what passive Answer Traditions we admit We speake of doctrine delivered as the word of God that is of points of religion revealed to the Prophets and Apostles for the perpetuall information of Gods people Not of rites and ceremonies other ordinances which are left to the disposition of the Church and consequently bee not of divine but of positive and humane right The Question is not of rituall but of doctrinall Traditions not of points of historie or genealogies but of more weighty matters in observing of which a mans life and death consisteth not of indifferent actions but of morall such as have vice or virtue good or evill in them These ceremonies of the Church are called Traditions in the vulgar Latine Translation of that text muâ—â—bit Traditiones u Act. 6. 14. Hee shall change the Traditions All these are at the disposition of the Church by that golden rule or Canon of Canons x 1. Cor. 14. 40. Let all things bee done decently and by order These we admit 1. As mutable not as everlasting that belongeth to the y Rev. 14. 6. Gospell 2. As indifferent not as necessary God onely is such a z Iam 4. 12. Law-giver 3. As particular customes of force only in some places like the law of Gabal kinde not as generall to bind all a Vna in his salubeâ—rima regula tenenda est ut quae non sunt contra fidem neque contra bonos more 's habent aliquid ad exhortationem melioris vitae ubicunque institui videmus vel instituta cognoscimus non solùm non improbemus sed etiam laudando imitando secteâ—â—â—â— August epist 119. In these things saith S. Augustine one wholesome rule is to be observed those things which are not contrary to faith nor to a godly life have any encitement to a better life wheresoever wee see them appointed or know them to be appointed let us not only not disallow them but by our commendation and imitation of them allow them We read of the Iewes that they had their Synagogues their pulpits The primitive Church had and our Church hath diverse ceremonies ordinances yet the Scripture doth not directly containe them Doe wee hereby make the Scripture imperfect I may aswell say that man is imperfect that wanteth gay clothes for these are not of the substance of religion but are outward accidents for the comelines of the Church The Iesuite here yeeldeth unto this That the ceremonies ordinances of the Church pag. 116. are grounded only upon positive humane right But forgetting himselfe he saith * pag 135. This distinction of rituall and doctrinall Traditions serveth to no purpose but by his leave we can make very good use of it 1. It serveth for the true stateing of the Question which is only about doctrinall Traditions 2. It evidently declareth that the Iesuite stateth the question most falsly of rituall Traditions saying * pag. 169. Those articles which are reserved unto sole Tradition are rituall points And yet hee inserteth doctrinall points into his Catalogue of unwritten Traditions as that * pag. 126. The Father is unbegotten the Sonnes consubstantialitie with the Father the baptisme of children c. Is not this a manifest contradictioÌ„ 3. It sheweth that he shrinketh froÌ„ the question in alledging a number of Fathers who only speak of rituall Traditions as of holy-dayes fasting-dayes the like as * August pag. 118. 147. Augustine * Epiphan pag 1â—0 Epiphanius * Chrysost p 1â—0 Cbrysostome * Theophilact pag. 120. Theophilact * Tertul. pag. 137. Tertullian * Basil pag. 1â—â— Basil * Chrysost Chrysologus * Leo pag 149 Leo many others And yet he that speaketh nothing to the purpose taketh upon him to teach the Answerer to Speak to the purpose whether the Apostles preached no more then they laid down in writing And whether tradendi modus the manner of delivery of such things without writing made them to be of lesse authority then that which they coÌ„mitted to writing 5. All this is nothing to the purpose If by no more he meanes no more words he may be beg'd for a fool for asking such a questioÌ„ He is told that some of the apostlâ—s wrote that al preached We have but 8 writers of the new Testament Reply p. 115. there were at the least 80. Preachers of it This Iesuite hath a tricke to preach printed sermons in which he will preach no more words then are written but it was not so with the Apostles their Sermons were large Epistles and their Epistles are contracted Sermons If he mean no more rituall points this is nothing to the purpose hee frameth the Question falsly concerning those It is as litle to the purpose if hoe meane no more doctrines for they might be written formerly by the Prophets although they were not written by the Apostles And we defend the perfection of the whole Canon of Scripture and not of any part thereof Yet for his instruction we tell him all that was necessary for the Church to know was inspired all that was preached was written b 1. Epist Ioh. c. 1. vers 1. 3. 4. Those things which the Apostles saw and heard they declared and those things they wrote c Quod quidem praeconiaverunt poâ—â—â—à per Dei voluntatem in scripturis nobiâ—â—â—adiderunt Iren. l. 3. c. 1. What they first preached the same afterwards by the will of God they delivered unto us in the Scriptures saith Irenaus And if they be not what Authority can they have Wee give a due respect unto any thing which the Apostles have delivered either vivâ voce or by writing but for Popish Traditions we respect them not because they were never delivered by the Apostles They are of a later invention they are the commaundements of men condemned by the Scriptures And
is not this ad rem Is not this to speake to the purpose He may sooner cough up his heart then prove the contrary And though some things were delivered by the Apostles without writing yet their authority may be lesse then the authority of the things they committed to writing not because writing giveth authority but because the authority may arise from the matter delivered and from the intention of the deliverer 1. From the matter delivered unwritten rituall Traditions may be of the same authority with written rituall Traditions which are mutable and changeable but no man of understanding will say that they are of the same authority with written doctrinall Traditions which are immutable and unchangeable 2. From the intention of the deliverer Those things which the Apostles intended should be universall and perpetuall were written by them but those things which they intended should be transient and particular for the most part they were delivered by word of mouth so that their intention was to deliver such things as befitting those timâ—s and places and not by them to make an addition to the written word as it were defective nor to make them of equall authority with the written word In leagues between Prince Prince in covenants between man and man the Articles are committed unto writing God hath entred into a covenant with man and hath made choise to deliver it by writing and therefore we give supreme authority to the written word above all things unwritten whatsoever Yet those things which by sound inference are deduced from the Scriptures have the same authority with the Scriptures But first you have no meanes to know which is a sound inference Reply pag. 116 6. Sir I tell you that you are a lyar and I will prove it by a sound inference It was of olde accounted an argument sound both in matter and forme d Thom. Walâ—ing Histor Richâ—â— 2â— If a Fryar then a lyar This Argument is as sound If a Iesuite then a lyar The inference is sound because e Psal 116. 11. All men are lyars This is a surer inference then the Popes supremacie or the corporall presence the first depending upon many false suppositions and the second upon many doubtful intentions Such I confesse is the depth of Scripture that the wit of man is not able to sounde it and to find out all the sound inferences that may be deduced from it Such is the depth of Scripture saith S. Augustine f Tanta est Christianarum literarum profunditas ut iâ— eis quotid se proficerem sieas solas ab in cunte aetaâ—e usque ad decrepitam senectuâ—em coâ—areâ— addiscere August Ep. 3â— that still I may learne more out of it although I should studio nothing but it all the dayes of my life But to say that we have no meanes to know which is a sound inference out of it is to deny that we have Wit or any spirituall understanding This is a most witlesse cavill and it seemeth that the Iesuite hath no more braines then a bird-boult 2. We have the expresse warrant of the Scripture approving Reply unwritten Traditions And so the Scripture condemneth unwritten Traditions and I beleive when we come to examine your Traditions we shall find them more like those which are condemned then those which are commended by the Scripture 3. We are able to prove all such Traditions as the Catholick Reply Church holdeth for Apostolicall to bee doctrines deduced by sound inference from the Scripture And so are we but what is that to Popish Traditions which were never held by the Catholick Church are not Apostolicall and are no doctrines deduced by sound inference from the Scripture Wee have long desired to see the catalogue of unwritten Traditions we presse you and defye you to set it out This puny Iesuite knoweth not what is an unwritten Tradition What a babling wittall is this He undertaketh to prove All unwritten Traditions to be doctrines deduced by sound inference from the Scripture If he doe not prove this he is a lyar in grain If he doe prove this then he over-throweth unwritten Traditions for doctrines deduced by sound inference from Scripture are not unwritten Traditions but even all one with the Scripture it selfe I marvaile not at the dunsary of this Ignoramus in calling doctrines deduced by sound inference from Scripture unwritten Traditions seeing in * pag. 145. an other place hee calleth the Scripture it selfe an unwritten Tradition Sr. Ignaro learne to speake English before you write againe in divinity But let us here his sound inference Because the Scripture commandeth us to obey the Church A sound inference to defend Iewish Traditions aswell as Popish because the Church among them was to be obeyed Such an inference may passe for current among your Proselytes who must beleive whatsoever you prate or prattle This is a sound of an inference but no sound inference 1. Because the Romish Priests and Prelates who require this audience and obedience are not a true Church but upstart Imposters Tradition-mongers such the Scripture commandeth us not to obey 2. Though they were a true Church yet they are not the Catholicke Church of which Mr Dullman speaketh 3. Because the Traditions which you defend crosse both the veritie and perfection of the sacred Scripture And therefore they are no doctrines deduced by sound inference from the Scripture for which cause wee set our selves against them Then you set your selfe against no body Reply but combat with your owne shadow frameing a phantasticall Adversary for such Traditions as we defend are farre from crossing the veritie or perfection of the Scripture 7. The first article of Ignatius Loiola his lame confession is this g Credo Scripturam esse doctrinam imperfectam mutilam et mancam Hospin de orig Iesuit I beleeve that the Scripture is an imperfect lame and maimed doctrine not all that a Christian is bound to beleeve but onely h Maxima pars coâ—tinetur in Scripturis Andrad orthodox Explicat a â— The greatest part is contained in the Scriptures saith Andradius i Multo pars maxima Euangelij pervenit ad nos traditioneâ— perexigua est literis mandata Hosius confess Petrocovâ—â— 9 de Traditionibus The farre greater part of the Gospell we have by Tradition very little is committed unto writing thus writeth Hosius the Cardinall How oft hath this Sir Oblivious denyed the perfectiâ— of Scripture even in points of greatest moment g pag. 126. That it cannot be proved by Scripture that the Father is unbegotten and that the Son is consubstantiall with the Father that * pag. 118. The holy Ghost is to bee worshipped He likewise affirmeth * pag. 132. That all the Councel of God which the Minister is to deliver is not written And * pag. 165. That the Scripture hath sufficiencie to declare some but not all the Articles of faith And if this defect must
coâ—sen Euan l. 1. c. ult They were commanded to write saith S. Augustine g Iren. l. 3. c. 1. They wrote the Scriptures by the will of God saith Irenaus h Christus voluit scribi Euangelium Tâ—eoph praefat in Mat. Christ would have them to write the Gospell saith Theophylast And is not his will a sufficient command Inspiration i 2. Tim. 3. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 21. whereby they wrote the Scriptures is an internall command Hee sent them to preach his faith and to teach all nations Doth this exclude writing May not a man preach teach by writing The Apostles did k Rom 16 26. preach they did l 2. Thess 2. 15. 2. Tim. 3. 17 teach by their Epistles Clemens Alexandrinus Reply pag. 117 in this spake truly m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Strom. l. 1. Preaching is truly an Angelâ—call Scieâ—câ— in some sort and very profitable both wayes whether it â—â— by the hand or by the tongue Tertullian telleth us how the Apostles preached n Tum vivâ quod aiunt voce tum per Epistolas postea Tertul de praescrip c. 21 Aswell by word of mouth as they say as afterwards by Epistles So that preaching and teaching may be diverse wayes by writing as the Apostles preach by their Epistles by practise as Christ preached in his actions which are all for our instruction and not onely by word of mouth Wee have a commandement to heare his holy word and faith commeth by hearing but none can shew I trow where we are obliged to reade or where any commandement is given to propound the word of God to be read 3. It seemeth the Iesuite is more skilfull in Machiavel then in the Bible for if he had ever read it over and remembred Reply pag. 119 what he read he would never avouch this so confidently when as he may reade o Hab. 2. 2. He that runneth may reade it p Ioh 5. 39. Search the Scriptures q Luc. 10. 26. How readest thou r Rom. 15. 4. Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning Å¿ 2. Cor. â— 13 We write no other things unto you then what you read t Col. 3. 16 Lâ—t the word of God dwâ—ll plentifully in you Upon which place S. Chrysostome observeth this u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chry in Col. c. 3 ho. 9. Harken as many as are and are married have children hâ—w he commaundeth them specially to know the Scriptures Timothy himselfe is commanded to reade and to x 1. Tim. 4. 13. Attend upon reading Neither doth hearing of the word exclude reading of the same seeing it may be heard by reading aswell as by preaching y Revel 1 3. Blessed are they that reade and they that heare z Luc. 16. 29. Moses and the Prophets must be heard They are dead but yet when their writings are read then they are heard Certaine it is that the Primitive Church did abound in Reply pag. 118 faith and godlinesse for many yeares before the writings of the new Testament were perfected even by the meanes of unwritten doctrine 4. This is as certaine as all the rest It was not many yeares before the New Testament was perfected before it was perfected the Church had those Bookes of it which were first penned before any were penned the Church had the Olde Testament which Christ commaunded should be a Ioh. 5. 39. searched And the Bereans were commended for b Act. 17. 11. searching into it The Primitive Church did not continue in faith and godlinesse by the meanes of unwritten doctrine for the doctrine taught by the Apostles was first written in the c Rom. 16. 26. Old Testament and after in the New although it may be said to be unwritten in regard of the manner of delivery of it by the Apostles at the first vivâ voce Howsoever the Primitive Church did yet the Church in succeeding ages stood in need of a written word Children at first are taught many things without bookes yet afterwards they stand in need of bookes for their better learning The Primitive Church might doe well enough without Scripture during the life of the Apostles whose preaching was as infallible as their writing yet the Church in succeeding ages could not doe so well without Scripture because no man living since the Apostles had hath or ever shall have the same gifts power authority to deliver points of faith whose words shall be Gospel as the Apostles had And because writing is the best means to preserve doctrine delivered by word of mouth d Respectâ— nostri commodius utilius per Scripturam corleâ—â—em doctrinam à corruptione oblivione interitu conservari quam absque Scriptuâ—â— Gretzer de sens Bellarâ— l. 4. â— 4. The heavenly doctrine saith Gretzer in respect of us is better preserved from corruption oblivion and decay by writing then without writing S. Chrysostome teacheth us this 1. That the singular gifts which the Apostles had might well serve for these times instead of Scripture 2. That the after-times stood in need of Scripture And then hee concludeth e Extremae esse omninò dementiae post quam co redacti sumus ut Scriptis indigeamus â—e secundo quidem hoc remedio ad salntem nostram uti item magni esse criminis per illud auxilium nolle proficere sed quasi fruâ—â—â—à ac vanè posita scripta despicere chrysost hom 1. in Mat. It is the extremity of madnesse now that wee stand in need of Scripture not to use this excellent helpe for our salvation and that it is the greatest fault that can be not to profite by that helpe but to despise it as written in vaine and to no purpose This fit of frensie hath intoxicated the Iesuites braine hee hath accounted the Scripture needlesse and written in vaine Possevine hath written a whole Chapter f Possev Bibliothec select l. 2 c. 16. De necessitate Scripturarum S. Iude thought it needfull g Iude vers 3 To write to the Saints h Luke 1. 3. It seemed good to S. Luke to write his Gospell to prevent false rumours And S. Paul thought it i Philip. 3. 1. The surest way for the Philippians to write unto them If it were needefull good and the surest way then it is now more needefull to have the written word of the Apostles to prevent your false Traditions fathered upon them And * Iren. l. 2. c. â— Irenaeus doth witnesse that in his dayes many nations lived Christianly without the use of the written word onely by the guide of Apostolicall Traditions Sir I must tell you that if you goe on to alleadge the Fathers as you beginne you will gaine little credite by it In your first testimony you cite a counterfeite In your second you omit the place In your third Reply which is this you mistake the * l. 2. c. 3.
for l. 3. c. 4. place I subscribe to what Irenaeus saith And I beleeve that by Apostolicall Tradition that is the preaching of the word many nations were converted to the faith of Christ not by unwritten doctrines but by delivering written doctrines in an unwritten manner Irenaeus sheweth k Iren. l. 3. c. 1. First that the Apostles preached the Gospell and that afterward they delivered the same unto us in writing The same things the Pastours of the Church who might have the written word although the persons taught had it not delivered unto the People Irenaeus sheweth what those things were which were l Iren. l. 3. c. 4. written in their hearts without inke or letters They did beleive m In unum Deum sabricatorem coeli terrae omnium quae in eis sunt per Christâ—â—â— Iesum Dei filium c. Iren. ibid. In one God maker of heaven and of earth and of all things in them by Iesus Christ the Sonne of God c. These were the Traditions which they beleived and if any would have taught them otherwise they * Iren. ibid. would have stopped their eares as Irenaeus sheweth and have fled from them as they would from you and from your unwritten Traditions * Iren. l. 3. c. 4. Irenaus demandeth How should we dâ—e if the Apostles had written nothing at all' must wee not then follow the rule Reply pag. 118. of Tradition delivered unto them to whom the Apostles committed the charge of the Churches 5. We reject not this kinde of Tradition which is the succession of true doctrine in the Church And what shall we doe seeing the Apostles have written Is it not our dutie to follow the rule of Tradition delivered in their writings and not onely to take that course now that the Apostles have written which Irenaeus prescribeth if the Apostles had not written What if the Scripture should be consumed so that not one Reply Coppie thereof should be extant which is possible And what if a man had lost the true sense and meaâ—ing of the Scripture how shall he finde it out must he not as Irenaeus saith Follow the order of Tradition delivered by the Apostles unto those unto whom they committed the Churches The 1. hypothesis is absurd and impossible The Sunne may aswell be pulled out of the heavens and the skyes fall as the Scripture perish n Staplet coâ—t Whiâ—ak de authorit Script l. â— c. 1. s â— If it should GOD himselfe must faile in his providence saith Stapleton The 2. hypothesis is possible A man may lâ—se tâ—e true meaning of the Scripture and the order of Tradition delivered by the Apostles is one but not the onely meanes to finde it out and how shall a man finde out this order of Tradition in the originall of it better then by the Scripture it selfe So that when all is done the Scripture is the best interpreter of it selfe o Legitima sine periculo est expositio scripturae secundum ipsas scripturas Iren. l. 4. c 63. The exposition of Scripture according to the Scriptures themselves is the most surest saith Irenaeus The Apostles have written their writings are preserved the true meaning of them is well knowne Yet we reject not this meanes but doe follow the order of Tradition delivered by the Apostles as long as wee follow their writings for both by preaching and by writing they taught the same Popish Traditions are not of this order they were never taught by the Apostles nor by them to whom the Apostles committed the care of the Churches but onely of old by Heretickes and of late by an Anti christian faction Moreover S. Augustine teacheth us that there be many Reply pag. 118 points of faith for which wee have no written word * Aug. epist 128 In those things of which the holy Scripture saith nothing what course are wee to holde that which is used by the Church throughout all the world is to bee observed saith S. Augustine and it would be insolent madnesse to dispute against the same 6. The Iesuite mistaketh both the * Epist 128 for 118. place the point S. Augustine speaketh not of points of faith at all but onely of some rituall points or customes then in use as of the use of holy dayes of receiving the Eucharist fasting and the like These come not within the compasse of this controversie And as it is madnesse to dispute against these things so it is litle better in him then madnesse to dispute about these things and to call these things points of faith For * Aug. de bap cont Donatist l. 4. c. 24. whatsoever the Church universall doth holde if it Reply be not found or dained by some Councell but hath been alwayes in use it is most justly beleeved to bee a Tradition of none other but of the very Apostles themselves S. Augustine treateth in this place of the Baptisme of Children and calleth it Traditum apostolicâ autheritate A thing delivered by Apostolicall authoritie or an Apostolicall Tradition And are not written doctrines delivered by Apostolicall authority S. Augustine did not account Baptisme of Children to be an unwritten Tradition as appeareth by the arguments taken out of the Scriptures which he useth wee neede not goe farther then this Chapter to finde one p Si quisquam hac in re authoritatem quaerat divinam c veraciter conjicere possumus quid valeat in parvulis baptismi Sacramentum ex circumcisione carnis quam prior populus accepit Augus ibidem If any man saith he desire divine authority in this point we may truely conjecture how powerfull in Children the Sacrament of Baptisme is by the circumcision of the flesh which the Iewes received And this is accounted by q Bellarm. l. 1. de Baptism c. 1 Bellarmine a strong argument to confirme this point In the next testimony S. Augustine writing of the custome or practise of not rebaptising those that have been baptised by Heretickes so that they have beene baptised in the name of the Trinity saith r Quam consueâ—â—dinem credo ex Apostolicâ— Traditione venientem Aug de baptism cont Donat. l. 2. c. 7. Which custome I beleeve came from Apostolicall Tradition * Aug. ibid Even as many other things are not found in the writings of the Apostles nor in the Councels of following ages yet because they are held by the whole Church they are beleeved to have beene delivered and commended by the said Apostles It is a weake argument drawne from custome to Articles of faith from practise to the doctrine of the Sacraments Wee read nothing for point of practise whether those that have beene baptized by Heretickes have beene rebaptized or no Yet the doctrine in this point is sufficiently taught in Scripture We beleeve it Å¿ Propter folidissima manifestâ—ssrâ—â— scripturarum fundamentâ— et testimonia Tiâ—â—â—aâ— defens Triden ad articul de
of the Lord that which I delivered unto you And againe * The rest will I set in order when I come 11. What a Sr Iohn is this to commit such an Argument unto paper and inke There must bee unwritten Traditions because S. Iohn would not commit all to paper and inke Who ever held that all written doctrines were contained in the 2d. Epistle of S. Iohn I hope there were more Apostles then S. Iohn and Apostles that wrote more then S. Iohn It were a ridiculous thing in mee if I should argue thus No Iesuite ever had any will to handle the Question of Freewill because this Iesuite had no will unto it What then may wee thinke of this William Summers for his wise argument concerning S. Iohn S. Paul handleth two things in that Chapter Prayer and the Eucharist And unto those some things are accidentall as time place gesture vesture as to pray with faces covered or uncovered and some things are essentiall as the matter and forme of those duties The first of these belong not to this Controversie and therefore the Iesuite shrinketh from the Question in alledgeing these Fathers * Epiph. haeres 61. Epiphanius * Basil de Sp. Sanct. l. 1. c. 29. Basill * Chrysost in cor 11. Chrysostome and * Theoph. in 1 Cor. 11. Theophilact who treate not of doctrinall and essentiall things but of things rituall and accidentall Epiphanius first writeth of those things which the Church holdeth as points of faith concerning these we have spoken saith he Then he proceedeth on to reckon up sundry ecclesiasticall rites or Institutions as Monks Exorcists fasting dayes holy dayes and the like concerning which hee saith a Epiph. ibid. All these cannot be taken out of the Scripture Basils drift in that Booke if hee bee the Author of it is to defend a forme of words or of Syllables used by the Church as whether it were better to say Glory be to the Father and to the Sonne with the Holy Ghost or Glory be to the Father and to the Sonne in the Holy Ghost His whole disputation is about the Syllable cum and that this forme of words may be admitted he proveth because many other things as formes of words and rituall Traditions are admitted although they be not written Theophylact saith It is manifest that the Apostles have not delivered all things in writing And Chrysostome saith They delivered many things without writing But withall he sheweth what those things were b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost ibidem Of other things of no great moment Salmeron calleth them minutiora diminitive things these are his words c Non enim dignum erat ut minutiora haec quae cultum divinum exornant quae temporâ—â— progressu erant vel augenda vel minuenda vel mutanda iâ— melius in Sacris literis ponerentur Salmeron disput 3. in 2. Thes â— It was not meete that these diminitive things which are ornaments for divine worship and in time were either to be increased or diminished or altered to the better should be layde downe in writing The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle d Verse 34. useth importeth the same being commonly used as here so in other * 1. Cor. 16. â—â— 1. Tit. 5. places when Ecclesiasticall orders are spoken of and not in relation unto divine doctrines The essentiall things which appertaine unto these two divine dutâ—es they may be written Although this be S. Pauls first Epistle to the Corinthians either by other Pen-men of Scripture as diverse Sermons of the Apostles are penned by S. Luke or by himselfe in other of his Epistles or else in the same in which hee writeth that which he * Verse 23. delivered even all the essentiall things belonging unto the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord. Reply pag. 1â—â— Eusebius relateth of Egesippus that * Euseb l 4. c. â— he wrote five bookes of such unwritten Traditions as the Apostles lest unto the Church 12. These are the words of Eusebius f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Euseb ibidem In five bâ—okes he wrote an infallible deliverie of the Apostles preaching The bookes are not extant to see what they containe but they seeme to be a divine history rather historicall then dogmatical by Eusebius his citing theÌ„ alwayes in point of g Euseb l. 2. c. 22 l. 3. c. 12 history and by this testimony which S. Hierome giveth of them Hegesippus who lived neare to the Apostles times knitting together all the stories of the Acts of the Church Hegesippus vicinus Apostolorum tempo rum omnes à passione Domini usque ad suam aetatem Ecclesiasticorum actuum texens historias multaque ad utilitatem legentium pertinentia hinc inde congregam quinque libros composuit Hieron in Catalog from the passion of our Lord untill his owne dayes and gathering together in one many things profitable to be read he composed five bookes of them Eusebius saith not that they contained unwritten Traditions there is neither the word Traditions nor unwritten in his words but an Infallible Tradition or deliverie of the Apostles preaching And if an infallible deliverie of the Apostles preaching must needes be of unwritten Traditions then the Acts of the Apostles penned by S. Luke is of unwritten Traditions because it is an infallible delivery of the Apostles preaching A strong lye it is that unwritten Traditions are strongly confirmed by Eusebius either in that or in the next testimony alledged by the Iesuite S. Ignatius was accustomed * Euseb l. 3 c. 30 to exhort all men to adhere unto apostolical Traditions the which Reply pag. 120 saith Eusebius this Father affirmed that formore assurance he had left them in wâ—iting This testimony is most grossely corrupted by the Iesuit Eusebius relateth it in these words Ignatius exhorted to hold fast i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb ibidem The Tradition of the Apostles which for more assurance he thought fit to bee practised or expressed in practise even as hee testified by writing Heere is no mention of Traditions but onely of the Tradition of the Apostles and the doctrine delivered in Scripture is their Tradition Heere is not a word of writing unwritten Traditions as if Ignatius had written a booke of them which is a dreame of this Ignatian brat but that Ignatius testified by writing that hee thought it necessary that the Tradition of the Apostles that is their doctrine should be expressed in practise So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken for expressing by action not by writing As Ignatius did so doe we exhort men by word of mouth to hold fast the Tradition or the doctrine of the Apostles and likewise by writing testifie the same unto them that for more assurance they expresse the same in life and conversation Thus have we runne one course of the wilde-goose chase following this Gaggler thorough the
Scriptures and the Fathers and finde this for truth that Christ and his Apostles taught no unwritten Traditions If they did so what is this to the purpose unlesse the Iesuite can proove that the unwritten Traditions of the Romane Church are the same which Christ and his Apostles delivered They pretend that they are so so they doe in their miracles which are but coozening and juggling trickes of Leiger de maine so they doe in their reliques which are but grand impostures as the Angell Gabriels feathers our Ladyes smocke S. Peters chayne and the like these I beleeve are as true reliques from them as their Traditions are the same which Christ and his Apostles taught And as they are so is their authoritie which is the subject of his next Section wherein wee are to examine SECT III. VVhether unwritten Traditions are of equall authoritie with the written word 1. NOne but a Non ens would say that a Non ens can be of equall authority with the written word when as Bellarmine confesseth that a Bellarm. de â—erâ—o Dei l. 4. c. â— All Traditions are not of equall authority among themselves but without any distinction whatsoever this Iesuite would have them all to be of the same authority among themselves and of the same authority with the written word and the truth is they are no more worthy to be compared with the written word then b Ier. 13. 28. chaffe with wheat then drosse with c Is 1. â—2 silver The Iesuite hath already granted this * pag. 116. That the rites and ordinances of the Church are grounded only upon humane right and now he contradicteth the same that they are of divine right even equall with the written word and for this opinion he Reply p. 120. boasteth of Plaine Scripture and the uniforme consent of ancient Fathers It is no new thing to heare the enemies of the truth clayming the Scripture and the Fathers to be theirs after the same manner the Heretickes boasted that d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb l. 5. hist c. 27. The Fathers and the Apostles held taught the same things which they said First let us heare his plaine Scripture * â— Thes â— 15. Therefore brethren stand fast and hold the Traditions which you have beene taught whether by word or by our Epistle This Text is no lesse then ten times alledged by him and once for all I returne this Answer to it Those Traditions are Reply pag. 121. written and not unwritten Doctrines S. Paul declareth his continuall practise e Act. 26. 22. Hee witnessed both to small and great and therefore to the Thessalonians none other things then those which Moses and the Prophets did say His doctrine delivered at Thessalonica was taken f Act. 17. 2. out of the Scriptures And suppose it was not written in the Olde Testament yet it might be written in the New by himselfe or by some other of the Apostles What he taught the Philippians by word of mouth the g Philip. 3. 1. same things he wrote afterwards unto them in his Epistle And unto the Thessalonians he wrote those things h 2. Thess 2. 5. which he first told them and i 2. Thess 3. 10. which he first commanded them The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Apostle signifieth aswell both as whether and it is not onely disjunctive but very k 1. Cor. â—1â— 1â— c. 15. 11. Coloss 1. 20 Rom. 14. 8. oft conjunctive By which the meaning of the Apostle is declared to be this Holde fast the Traditions or the doctrines which have beene taught you both by word of mouth by Epistle The matter taught was the same although the manner of teaching was different both by word of mouth and by Epistle S. Ambrose expoundeth it thus l In Traditione Evangelij standum ac perseverandum monet Ambros in 2. Thess He admonisheth them to stand to persevere in the Tradition of the Gospell And Gretzer your Great Sire defending Bellarmine defendeth this interpretation that it might be the same doctrine which S. Paul delivered by word of mouth and by Epistle and giveth this instance for it m Sicut eadem fides quae confirmata olim fuit per Circumcisionem Pascha quae nuÌ„c coÌ„firmatur per Baptismum Coenam Gretz defens Bellarm. l. 4. c. 5 Even as it was the same faith which was formerly confirmed by Circumcision and the Passeover which is now confirmed by Baptisme and the Lords Supper It is most manifest by the precedent words that the Apostle speaketh of such Traditions as helpe to keepe out u 2. Thess 2. 3. The man of sinne the sonne of perdition It cannot then be that he should speake of unwritten Traditions because Popish Traditions are the onely key to let him in 2. To prove the uniforme consent of the Fathers he first alledgeth S. Chrysostome * Chrysost in â— Thess By this saying of S. Paul it is manifest saith S. Chrysostome that the Apostles did not Reply pag. 121. deliver all things by their Epistle but that they delivered many things without writing which are as worthie to be beleeved as those things which they left written We yeeld unto this that the Apostles have not delivered all things by writing And I will graunt more unto the Iesuite that the Apostles have not delivered all things by Epistle or by word of mouth which are and may be observed in the Church as all the rites and ceremonies of it and those are the things of which S. Chrysostome speaketh of things indifferent Concerning necessary things writing upon the same Chapter these are his words o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost hom 3 in 2. Thes â— All things are cleare and true which are in the holy Scriptures all necessary things are manifest But that those things which are not necessary and are delivered without writing should be as worthy of faith as those things which are written this is one of his many hyperbolicall speeches it is rather a flourish of his Rhetoricke then a truth in Divinity S. Basil saith * Basil de Spirit Sanct. c. 29. I hold it to be an Apostolicall doctrine that Reply we adhere unto unwritten Traditions in proofe whereof he alleadgeth Scripture The Author is suspected but I passe by that for the present I hold with the Author that it is fit to yeeld unto such unwritten Traditions as he writeth of and those are onely rituall and not doctrinall Unto these we doe yeeld not as unto the word of God which is of divine power and abideth for ever but as to the Lawes of men which are of humane right and mutable according unto time place And in proofe of the lawfull use of those we oft cite Scripture as that Author doth In the next place he alledgeth * That of Epiphan is answered Sect. 2d. Divis 10. lit â— S. Hierome
as may sometime deceive a man and therefore though the exposition be true yet how can I be as sure that it is true as I am that S. Iohns Gospell is canonicall I like better of that saying of Marsilius c Dict a Christi five Dei non vera sunt causaliter â—o quod â—iâ—dem testificatur Ecclesia Catholica vero testimonio sed testimonium Ecclesiae causaliter verum est dum dicit dicta christi vera propteâ— veâ—tatem dictorum christi Marsil Desensor pacis part 2. cap. 19. The words of Christ or of God are not therefore made true because the Catholicks Church by a true testimony giveth her testimony unto them but the testimony of the Church is therefore true when shee speaketh the true words of Christ because of the truth of Christs words And as S. Augustine said * August cont epist fundament c. 5. That hee beleevea the Gospell Reply pag. 114. by the authority of the Church so are we to beleeve the Traditions which the Church propoundeth unto us as the word of God 2. I wish our Adversary to consider two things which make the meaning of S. Augustine most evident 1. That S. Augustine speaketh of the primitive Church d Augustinus ibidem Ecclesiam sumit proâ— primitivâ— congregatione fidelium qui Christum viderunt audieruÌ„t sui testes sueruÌ„t Gerson de vitâ spirit lect 2 dâ— S. Augustine saith Gerson in that place taketh the Church for the primitive congregation of the faithfull who did see heare and were witnâ—sses of Christ What is this to the now Roman Church Have you the same power and authority which that Church had Your own Driedo telleth you no. e Ecclesia primitiva propter collegium Apostolorum majoris erat gratiae majorisque authoritatis quam Ecclesia quaenunc est Driedo de dogma l. â— c. 4. The primitive church by reason of the colledge of the apostles was of greater grace and of greater authority then the Church which now is If the Iesuite speake of the Traditions delivered by that Church we refuse them not let him prove this or that to be a Tradition delivered by the Apostles and we will beleeve it but if he speake of the now Roman Church his argument is of no force and as S. Augustine beleeved not the Gospell by the authority of that Church so wee will not beleeve the Traditions taught by her 2. That this was the occasion why he alledged the authority of the Church S. Augustine had beene for nine yeares a Manichee and now having to deale with the Manichees to convert them hee propoundeth unto them the authoritie of the Church to move them even as in the time of his heresie it moved him This he speaketh of the time past I had not beleeved the Gospell if the authority of the Church had not moved me But afterward being converted and made a Bishop he maketh a better confession saying f I am credere coeperam nullo modo te fuisse tributurum tam excellen tem illi scripturae per omnes jam terras authoritatem nisi per ipsam tibi credi per ipsam te quaeri voluâ—sses Aug. confess l. â— c. 5. Now I began to beleeve that thou wouldest not have given so excellent authoritie unto the Scripture it selfe â—ver the whole world but that by it thou wouldest be beleeved and by it thou wouldest be sought This is all that can be gathered out of S. Augustine that the Church is a good motive to perswade men to beleeve the word of God and not that it is such a Doctor that can give such lawes as shal be equall with the word of God S. Augustine confesseth that he had an other motive to perswade him to beleeve besides the authoritie of the Church g Se Carthagine motum esse disputatione cujusdam Elpidij cui Manichâ—i imbeâ—illa responsione restiterint August confess l. 5. c 11. Being at Carthage he was moved to beleeve by the disputation of one Elpidius whose arguments the Manichees were not able to answere But every mover is not a Law-giver h 1. Pet. 3. 1. The honest conversation of the wife may move the husband to beleeve must he therefore beleeve whatsoever she shall say I may aswell inferre thus the testimonie of the Iewes moveth us to beleeve the old Testament therefore we must beleeve their Cabbala their Masoreth and all their unwritten Traditions We are willing to i Math. 22. 21. give unto Cesar the things which are Cesars and unto God the things which are Gods and therefore wee give unto the Church the ministery to allure us and to move us to beleeve the word of God and to the Scripture the dignity and authority to be the onely word of God If the Church were bound not onely to preserve the sacred Reply pag 124 writings but also to deliver the forme of wholesome doctrine contained in them why should she not be likewise bound to preserve the sacred Traditions and to deliver the forme of wholesome doctrine in them contained And why should not we receive them upon her credit 3. If unwritten Traditions had beene committed to her trust there is no doubt but that she ought to preserve them and to deliver them as shee received them to keepe nothing backe but to deliver the whole counsell of God and to teach the forme of wholesome doctrine whether written or unwritten but unwritten Traditions are no wholesome doctrine they are part of that poysonous potion that bewitching doctrine which is in the golden cup of that glorious Religion for outward shew of the Scarlet coloured beast of Rome And though it were true that the Church received unwritten Traditions and that she is bound to teach them yet how can I be assured that this or that is a true Tradition as sure as I am of any written article of my faith That Christ dyed I beleive because the Scripture saith it that this is a Tradition you beleive it because a Father the Fathers or the Church saith it Can a man beleive that testimony which may be false as sure as he beleiveth that cui non potest subesse falsum No humane testimony can beget that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or full assurance which a divine Testimony doth k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Clemons Alex. Strom. 1. 7. Wee regard not an humane testimonie let us confirme the question by the Word of GOD which is the surest demonstration yea the onely demonstration saith Clemens of Alexandria It is l 2. Pet. 1. 19. more sure then the testimonie of men and of Angels Epiphanius layeth downe these for the limites and bounds Reply pag. 125 of our faith * Epiph hâ—res 55. Apostolicall Traditions and the holy Scriptures and the succession of doctrine by which Gods truth is fortified on every side that no man should be deceived with fabulous novelties 4. None of the Ancient were more deceived with
fabulous Novelties then Epiphanius especially in Genealogies into which it is probable he was misledde thorough his over-much love of historicall Traditions He taketh upon him to tell who was * Heracles and Astaroth Melchizedecks Father and Mother and who were the wives of * Sanue Asura Barthenoâ— Cain Seth and Noah These were some of his fabulous Novelties grounded upon Tradition without any authority of Scripture for which he deserveth to be censured We are willing rather to cover then to discover the nakednesse of this Father and therefore favourably interpret his words that The Traditions of the Apostles that is their preaching and The succession of true doctrine both which are the same with the Scriptures are the limites of the Church and the boundes of our faith This is consonant with the doctrine of other Fathers m â—criptura est murns adamantinus circum vallenâ—â—eclefiam Chrysoft l. 4. de Sacerdot The Scripture sayth Chrysostome is an adamantine wall environing the Church The Church saith Hierome n Ecclesia non egressa est de fiâ—â—bus suis id est de Scripturis sanctis Hieroâ— l â— c. â— in Mich. is not gone out of her bounds that is out of the holy Scriptures Irenaeus telleth us first that * Iren l. 3. c. 2. Heretickes cannot possibly be convinced by onely Scripture 5. I tell you that you belye this Father this is all that hee saith When Heretickes are convinced by the Scriptures Reply they beginne to accuse the Scriptures Heresie hath alwayes an obstinacie joyned with it this obstinacie and not the insufficiencie of Scripture made the Heretickes not submit unto it S. Steven convinced the Iewes by the Scriptures and so did S. Paul the Athenians yet malice made the Iewes to o Act. 7. 34. Gnash with their teeth at the one and obstinacie caused the Athenians to p Act. 17. 18. rayle upon the other The Scripture is sufficient to convince the whole rabblement of Iesuites although they doe as those Heretickes did accuse it of insufficiencie when as they are convicted by it If the Scripture be not sufficient to convince Heretickes because they raile upon it by the same reason they cannot be convinced by Tradition for Irenaeus sheweth that they did * Iren ibidem likewise oppose Tradition And that they would neither yeeld to Tradition nor to Scripture Irenaus had a better opinion of Scripture then the Romanists have he spent three Bookes in his arguments taken from Scripture against the Heretickes and not three Chapters in his arguments taken from Tradition Erasmus therefore well observeth it q Solis Scripturarum praesidiis pugâ—âsse Iâ—enâ—um adversus catervam Hâ—reticorum Erasâ—â— in Epist ad Triden Epist Iren. praeâ—â—â—â— That Irenaent fought against the roote of Heretickes onely with the strength of Scripture Afterwards reckoning up the Bishoppes of Rome from S. Peter to Elentherius who sate in his time thereby to shewe that there was in the Church a continuall and orderly succession of Bishoppes by whome divine and Apostolicall Traditions were truely preserved There was doeth not proove that there is Reply Rome was once t Rom. 1. 8. famous for her faith but now her obstinacie and apostasie whereof shee was Å¿ Rom. 11. 21. forewarned is manifest and apparent I graunt that from the dayes of S. Peter untill the time of Eleutherius or Iranaeus the Church of Rome preserved Traditions But not such Traditions as are now observed in that Church that Church then was as ignorant of these late inventions as this now Church is wide from those Traditions In his second Chapter hee hath these golden Reply words they are in his fourth Chapter Seeing that these demonstrations are so great wee must not seeke for that truth amongst others which we may easily finde out in the Church By others he meaneth the Valentinians the Marcionists and those Heretickes against whom he disputeth amongst these we must not seeke for the truth Where then In the Church Must we not therefore seeke it in the Scriptures This is to extract drosse out of Irenaeus his gold Is the Church without Scripture And if we finde truth in the Church can we not therefore finde it in the Scripture * Iren ibidem Seeing that the Apostles have laid up fully in her as in a Reply rich store-house all whatsoever belongeth to the truth The preaching and writings of the Apostles which are the same for substance of doctrine are the endlesse treasure laide up in the Church as in a rich store-house These are * Iren. ibidem The things of the Church which wee must love this is the Tradition of truth which wee must lay hould of Namely of the truth preached by the Apostles delivered unto the Church in the Scripture and preserved in the Church this kinde of Tradition Irenaeus commenmendeth by this kinde of Tradition hee condemned the Heretickes and this kinde of Tradition is not of unwritten but of written doctrines even of such doctrines as were coÌ„tradicted by those Hereticks who erred in points of written doctrines * Iren ibidem What if there were a controversie in some small point it selfe must wee not make recourse unto those most auncient Churches and receive from them what wee holde to be certaine and undoubted Not onely in small but even in the greatest Controversies wee collect the testimonies of antiquity wee enquire what the Primitive Church hath taught even as we doe in this great Controversie of unwritten Traditions and we finde that the Primitive Church taught as we teach and therefore we holde it as certaine and undoubted that unwritten Traditions are to bee rejected But the last wordes of Irenaeus * This is answered Sect. â— D. â— What if the Apostles had not left us the Scriptures â—â—written should wee not then bee obliged to follow the rule of Tradition delivered by them unto those with whom they left the Churches in charge These sayth the Iesuite put us in minde of tâ—at I dare say which never came into Irenaeus his minde That the Apostles delivered some things onely to certaine persons which they would not have layde open unto all by writing This is to corrupt Irenaus to sophisticate his golden wordes and to turne them into drosse there is nothing in Irenaeus sounding like unto this but I see as the foole thinketh so the bell tincketh If the Apostles had not written then there had beene unwritten doctrines and now seeing the Apostles have written must there needes be still unwritten doctrines Irenaeus never knew other doctrine delivered by the rule of Tradition then is contained in the Scriptures So Paul to Timothy * â— Tim. 2. 1. Thou therefore my sonne bee Reply p. 1â—5 strong in the grace that is in Christ Iesus and the things that thou hast heard of mee by many witnesses the same commit thou to faithfull men who shal be able to teach others also Here
the Apostle delivered some mysteries unto Timothy willing him to open them not to all by writing but to choyse men who might teach them by word of mouth unto others 6. To the same purpose did the Hereticks of old alledge this text and were condemned by the Church for it as Tertullian t Tertul. de praescript c. 25. beareth witnesse Timothy heard Paul's doctrine both by his preaching and by his writing The many witnesses of his doctrine were u Act. 26. 11. Moses and the Prophets as he testifieth of himselfe and sundry r Anselm Bruno Aquinas Interpreters so expound this place The same doctrine he would have Timothy to teach unto faithfull men not because they were such mysteries as were unfit to be opened unto all by writing but because they were not fit being holy things to be opened by all by speaking as by the ignorant and prophane persons unto such saith the Lord y Psal 50. 1â— What hast thou to doe to take my worde in thy mouth seeing thou haâ—est to be reformed Paul before having shewed that there is required in a Teacher both ability to teach and z 1. Tim. c. 3. faithfulnesse in teaching and now Timothy himselfe being an Over-seer of Gods Church he therefore exhorteth him to make choyse of such men as were fit for the Ministerie who were to be teachers of others and unto these to teach the same doctrine which he taught him that so they might be faithfull teachers of others It cannot then le denyed but that many commandements Reply p. 125. and holy mysteries are preserved in this store-house of the Church without writing 7. Here the Iesuite equivocateth in the words commandements and mysteries as appeareth by the instances which he alledgeth of which some are points of faith as that the Father is unbegotten The Sonne is consubstantiall with the Father c. which are taught us sufficiently by the Scripture although they be not written verbatim in the Scripture Some are not points of faith as The Lenten Fast The celebrating of Easter day upon a Sunday c. And such commandements may be preserved in the Church without writing And first he beginneth with the point of rebaptization Such is the rebaptizing of those that have beene baptized Reply pag. 126 by Heretickes as witnesseth S. Augustine * August cont Crescen l. 1. c. 33. Although no example heereof is brought out of holy Scriptures yet doe wee follow the truth of the same holy Scriptures in this point whilst wee doe that which now pleaseth the whole Church which the authoritie of Scriptures doth commend 8. The doctrine of rebaptizing is a point which the authority of Scripture doth commend Many texts of Scripture are alledged for the proofe of this point in an Index in some of your owne a Index Bibl. Sixt. Ephes 4. 5 Heb. 6. 6 10. 16. Gen 17. 14 1. Cor 10. 2. Bibles S. Augustine deemed this point rather to be an obscure Question then a point of faith b Quaestionis hujus obâ—curitas prioribus Ecelesiae temporibus ante schisma Donati magnos viros magnâ— charitate praeditos Patres Episcopos inter se compulit salvâ paâ—â— discepâ—â—re Aug. l. 1. de Bapt con Donat. c. 7 The obscurity of this Question in the former times of the Church even before the Schisme of Donatus caused great men and men abundant in charitie even Fathers and Bishops to differ among themselves the bond of peace not being broken saith S. Augustine Howsoever we distinguish betweene the precept and the practise betweene the doctrine and example of the doctrine It is evident that S. Augustine speaketh of the practise or example Although no example hereof is brought out of holy Scripture c. And though we finde not the example of this doctrine whether those have beene rebaptized who were first baptized by the Heretickes as we reade not whether those that have beene baptized by murderers and adulterers have beene baptized againe or no yet the precept or doctrine may be and is sufficiently declared in many places of Scripture by sound inference although it be not expressely written Those that have beene baptized by Heretickes shall not be baptized againe The next testimony concerneth the same point * Aug. 〈…〉 de Bapt. cont Donat c. 1â— The Apostles commaunded nothing hereof yet the Reply custome which was herein opposed against Cyprian is to bee believed to proceede from their Tradition even as many things bee which the Church handleth and are therefore well beleeved to bee commaunded of the Apostles although they be not written And unto it we returne the same aunswer that the Apostles commaunded nothing hereof in expresse words and that the Scripture doth not afford one example of this point but it doth not follow therefore it is an unwritten doctrine Cyprian was one of the Fathers and Bishoppes of the Church who held that they were to be rebaptized S. Augustine dissented from his opinion and yet both consented to have this Question determined by the Scriptures c Vnde est haec Traditio c. Cyprian Epist 74. ad Pomp. Whence is this Tradition saith Cyprian Is it from the divine authoritie of the Gospell or from the commandement and Epistles of the Apostles d Bellarm. l. 4. de verbo Dei c. 8. Bellarmine confesseth that here Cyprian speaketh of the Scripture and so doth S. Augustine commending Cyprian e Quod autem nâ—â— admonet ut ad fonâ—â—m recurramus id optimum est Aug l. 5. de Bapt. cont Donat. c. 16. Because he would have recourse in this unto the fountaine c. for that is the best course And by this authority drawne out of the fountaine f Ephes 4. 5â— There is one Lord one Faith one Baptisme hee confuteth his opinion And not onely by one but g Adjunctis Scripturaâ—m testimonijs ostendimus Aug. l. 6. c. 1. Wee prove it by testimonies of Scripture heaped together saith S. Augustine And in the Chapter alleadged by the Iesuite thus he writeth h Contra mandatum est quod veniâ—ntes ab Haereticis si jam ab illis Baptismum Christi acceperint baptiâ—antur quia Scripturarum sanctarum testimonijs non solum ostenditur sed planè ostenditur mulâ—os Pseudo-Christianos quamvis non habeant â—andem charitatem cum sanctis sine quâ nihil prosunt quaecunque sancta habere potuerint Baptismum tamen â—omâ—uâ—â—â— habere cum â—anctiâ— Aug. l. 5. c. â—3 It is contrary to the commandement that those should bee rebaptized which returne from the Heretickes if they haue the Baptisme of Christ because it is not onely proved but plainely proved by the testimonies of holy Scripture that many false Christians may have the same baptisme with them although they have not the same charitie with the Saints without which the holy things which they have cannot profite them By this clause If they have the baptisme of Christ he
excludeth the Baptisme of those Heretickes which did not baptize in the name of the Trinity but of the rest thus he disputeth The Baptisme of CHRIST is not to bee reiterated but the Baptisme of Heretickes is the Baptisme of CHRIST The Assumption hee prooveth by this medium By the testimonies of Scripture it is plainly prooved that they have the same Baptisme with the Saints Thus S. Augustine determineth this point by the Scriptures Such is the Fast of Lent Reply 9. Fasting is a Christian duety needfull for our salvation such is not the Fast of Lent The i On Mat. 1. Rhemists doe account it to be a written doctrine grounded upon Scriture Hosius the Cardinall reckoneth it among k Hosius in confess Petrocovien c. 4. de caeremonijs the Traditions of the Church The Iesuite is of opinion that it is a Tradition of the Apostles and for this he citeth S. Hierome saying * Hieron epist ad Marcel Wee faste one Lent by Apostolicall Tradition This he calleth Apostolicall not because it came from the Apostles but because it had gained some space of time for the observing of it in the Church for S. Augustine ascribeth the invention of it l Aug. epist 119. unto the Church And though it were an unwritten Tradition comming from the Apostles yet S. Hierome did not thinke it to be a doctrinall Tradition for m Doctrinâ— Ecclesiae quae est domus Dei in librorum repe ritur plenitudine divinorum Hierom. in Epist 155. ad Paulam Vrbicam The doctrine of the Church which is the house of God is found in the fullnesse of the divine bookes saith S. Hierome It must needs be then a rituall Tradition and such are impertinent to this Question Such also is the commemoration and prayer for the dead Reply pag. 126. in the sacrifice of the Masse witnesse S. Chrysostome * Chrysost hom 3. in Phi It was not in vaine ordained by the Apostles that in the celebration of the venerable mysteries a remembrance should bee made of the deceased They knew well that great comfort and profit did from hence arise unto the dead 10. The private conceit of every Doctor is not the publicke tenent of the Church especially in this point of prayer for the dead in which as most of the Fathers differed among themselves so S. Chrysostome dissented from the most of them It was his opinion That wicked livers that such as were not and would not bee baptized might bee prayed for that such as were in hell might receive some benefite by the prayers of the living Concerning such writing upon the same Chapter he saith n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Chrysost in Philip Hom. 3. Let us weepe for such let us succour them according to our power let us finde out some helpe for them little indeede but yet such as may releive them How and after what manner By praying for them Châ—ysostome deserveth to be censured for this for Gregory in his Morals saith o Greg. Moral in Iob l. 34. c. 16 We may aswell pray for the Devill and his Angells as for such and it is the generall tenent of the Romane Doctours that onely those are holpen by the prayers of the living who dye in the state of grace and being dead goe into Purgatory and not unto Hell For thy full satisfaction in this point reade the Article of prayer for the dead which is most learnedly handled by the most reverend Primate unto which I will adde this wee distinguish the point it selfe of praying for the dead from the practise of praying for them at any set time and namely at the time of celebrating the divine Mysteries this is but a custome or p Epiphan in fine Panarij ordinance of the Church by the judgment of Epiphanius of this S. Chrysostome speaketh and such things are as impertinently objected by the Iesuite as this is falsely affirmed by S. Chrysostome Such also is the custome of baptizing Infants before they doe actually beleeve for S. Augustine sayth Reply pag. 126 * Aug. de Genes ad lit l. 10. c. 23. The custome of the Church in baptizing of Infants were not at all to bee beleeved unlesse it were an Apostolicall Tradition And Origen saith * Orig. in Rom. c. 6. The Church received from the Apostles this Tradition to conferre baptisme even unto children 11. None but an Anabaptist would hold this opinion that the baptisme of Children is not warranted by Scripture If he had learned the Catechisme of Trent or if he had read Bellarmines first Booke and eight Chapter de Baptismo hee would not have inserted this into his catalogue of unwritten Traditions That which he produceth out of S. Augustine overthroweth all that which he with so much toile in this and in the former Section hath laboured for to build for if This or that is not to be beleeved unlesse it be an Apostolicall Tradition how then can Ecclesiasticall Traditions be beleeved or how can they be of the same credit and authority with the written word We distinguish betweene the doctrine and the practise in the Sacrament of Baptisme and likewise betweene doctrines expressely written in the Scriptures and by sound inference deduced from them S. Augustine proveth the doctrine by diverse texts of holy Scripture by this q August de peceat merit l. 1. c. 27. He that hath the Sonne hath life By that r Idem de verbis Apostol Serm. 8. He shall save his people from their sinnes And by the Å¿ Idem de Bapt. cont Donat. l. 4. c. 24. Circumcision of Infants As for the custome or practise whereof S. Augustine speaketh we read not of any Children baptised neither doe we read that any Apostles that any old men or widdowes or virgins were baptised but yet the generall precept and practise of baptising the Species under which these Individualls are contained is a sufficient warrant for their baptisme And this custome is to be beleeved * Nec omnino â—redenda est nisi Apostolica osse Traditio esses for esse is crept into the text in S. Augustin to be an Apostolicall Tradition that is a practise according to the written word which is the Tradition of the Apostles In the same sense Origen calleth it a Tradition received from the Apostles He proveth it by this text t Origen Hom. 14. in Luc. Vnlesse a man be borne againe of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Stupleton teacheth the same that we teach concerning this and sundry other points of faith that u Principia in Scripturâ— aperte posita quae plurimorum alioâ—um articulorum â—unt â—ontes seminaria ut de duabns â—atuâ—s una persona in Christo de necessitate baptizandi parvulâ—â— c. de aâ—is multis dogmatihus non aperte Scriptis â—de tamen firmiter deductis Stapleton Relect Princip fidei Contâ—
which I will breifly repeat By the Majesty of the Speaker by the titles of the Bookes by the power of the doctrine in the conscience by the simplicity and purity of the stile by the truth of the predictions by the agreement in all things though written by sundry persons in sundry places and at sundry times by the perfection of it and by the testimony which our Saviour giveth unto the i Luc. 24. 27. old Testament k 2. Pet. â— 16. S. Peter to the Epistles of S. Paul and S. Paul to the whole l 2. Tim. 3. 17. Scripture By all these it is more then probable and credible that the Scripture is the word of God These are sufficient arguments to beget an acquired faith in any man if the m 2. Cor. 4. 4. God of this world hath not blinded his eyes so that he cannot n Psal 119. 1â— see the wonderfull things contained in the Law The naturall man is blinde and o 1. Cor. 2. 14. perceiveth not the things of God by his active understanding neither can he conceive them by his passive understanding although they be most evidently revealed and therefore God worketh in his owne an infused faith and openeth their eyes that they may see and beleeve this truth There is p In Scripturis est Sol justitiae August in Psal 80. in the Scriptures the Sunne of righteousnesse as S. Augustine saith a blinde man cannot see this Sunne no more then a blinde man can see the Sunne in the Heavens as therefore the eye of the body must be light that it may see the Sunne so must the eye of the soule be spiritually illuminated that it may see this Sunne of righteousnesse This is wrought outwardly by the word which q Psal 19. 8. giveth light unto the eyes and inwardly by the spirit which r 1. Cor. 2. 11. onely knoweth the things of God and worketh this by Å¿ Origen de Principijs l. 4. c. 1. working upon the spirit and the understanding as Ovigen sayth And when the heart is purified that a man doth the will of GOD then he shall t Ioh. 7. 17. knowe whether the doctrine bee of GOD or no. And as a friend knoweth the voyce of his friend so the spouse of CHRIST and the sheepe of CHRIST know his u Cant. â— â— Ioh. 10. 4. voyce These are the meanes by which wee know the Scriptures to be the Word of GOD by which we know what bookes are canonicall and which are counterfeit And for the manifestation of this truth we doe likewise allow the testimony of the Church these cautions remembred 1. The testimony of the Church is one but not the onely meanes He that knoweth the Sunne to bee the Sunne onely because he is told so and hee that knoweth his horse to be his horse onely because the hostler telleth him so is as wise a man as he that knoweth not the Scripture to be the Scripture but onely because holy Church telleth him so I will demaund one thing of this Iesuite if a man deny the Scripture will he not convince him by the authority of the Church which testifieth for the Scripture And if he deny the testimony of the Church will he not convince him by the authority of the Scripture which testifieth for the Church Thus is he forced to daunce in a circle and in the end to bring all conclusions to be proved by the Scripture We rather hold that the Scripture is the onely meanes to know the Church by then that the Church is the onely meanes whereby to know the Scripture So saith the Authour of the imperfect Worke upon Matthew x Anteâ— multis modis â—stendebaâ—ur quae esset ecâ—lesia Christ quae gentilitas nunâ— autem nullo modo cognos cituâ— volentibus cogâ—oscere quae sit ecclesia Christâ— nisi tantummodò per Scripturas Hom. 49. In former times there were many wayes whereby to know which was the Church of Christ and which was Gentilisme but now if a man would know which is the Church of Christ the Scripture is the onely meanes whereby to know it And S. Augustine sheweth us where we must seeke for the Church y In prâ—scripto legis in Pro phetarum praedictis in Psal morum â—antibuâ— in ipsius pastoris vocibus in Evargelistarum praedicationibus laboribus hoc est in omnibus canonicis sanctorum librorum authoritaâ—ibus Aug. de unitat Eccles c. 16 In the prescript of the Law in the predictions of the Prophets in the Psalmes in the words of the Pastour himselfe in the Sermons and labours of the Apostles that is in the canonicall authority of the holy Bible 2. The authority of the Church is a meanes to declare which is the canonicall Scripture but not to make the Scripture canonicall as he that declareth Ignatius to be canonized for a Saint doth not thereby canonize him it is a good argument not à priori but à posteriori as when the Gold-smith declareth the Gold to be good But the Romanists speake most disgracefully of the Scripture z Scripturas valere quantum fabulae Aesopi si destituantur authoritate Ecclesiae Heâ—man apud Breut in Prolegom That the Scriptures are no better then Aesopes fables if they want the authority of the Church And without the authority of the Church a Se non plus fidei adhibiturum quam Tito Livio Gul. Bailius Catech. contr tract 1. q 12 They will beleeve them no more then Titus Livie Thus I have made good my promise and have runne the wilde goose chase after this Gagler in these three Sections who at last seeing his fault that all this while he hath answered nothing that hath beene objected confesseth That it is time for him to examine the Scripture which is produced against unwritten Traditions In reexamining of what he hath examined it shal be made manifest that SECT V. The Iesuite useth most silly shifts in answering the Scripture which is produced against unwritten Traditions THe three observations gathered by the Iesuite in the beginning of this Section are already answered and therefore I neede not actum agere yet I wil be content to give them a touching answer First the Traditions which we maintaine Reply p. 127. cannot be said to be precepts or commaundements of men but of God himselfe forasmuch as they proceede immediatly from Christ and his Apostles 1. Are your Ecclesiasticall Traditions immediately from Christ and his Apostles Your solemne baptizing of Bells Your Friday faste and the like can you proove thier originall to be immediatly from Christ and his Apostles Secondly that the like our Traditions are not any Reply pag. 128. way contrary or repugnant to the truth of holy Scripture 2. There is neither sense nor truth in this observation The likâ— our Traditions are not is none sense not contrary to the truth of holy Scripture is contrary to the truth That it is a
were not more repugnant to the Law of GOD then Popish are yeâ— even to every commandement That title given to the Pope 〈◊〉 Dâ—â—â—â—oster Papa The Lord 〈◊〉 God the Pope is repugnant to the 1. That Images are to be worshipped iâ— repugnant to the 2. That unwritten Traditions doe supply the defâ—ct of the written word is adiâ—â—â—on our to it and repugnant to the 3. That a Saints day is more duely to be observed then the Lords 〈◊〉 iâ— repugnant to the 4. That a man may give his goods unto the Church and let his parents starve â—â— repugnant to they That â—n some â—ases the subject may kill his King is repugnant to the 6. That the Stewes may be permitted and Preists allowed their Concubines is repugnant to the 7. That religious persons may enâ—ise and steale such children from their parents as wil be fit for their turne is repugnant to the 8. The doctrine of Aequivocation is repugnant to the 9. And that lust without consent is no sinne is repugnant to the last Can these be repugnant to the Scriptures and be Traditions deduced by sound inference from the Scriptures This the Iesuite affirmeth of them his reason is The Scripture commaundeth us to obey the Church and Reply pag. 130. the holy Ghost teacheth the Church all truth and Christ is present with his Church unto the worlds â—nd and hee that heareth the Church heareth God and the Scripture commâ—ndeth Traditions and commaundeth us to holde fast what the Apostles have delivered withâ—â—â— writing And the Church in all ages hath taught unwritten Traditions c. This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his â—â—ckow song and all these texts of Scripture we have already * Sect. â— answered This is a budget wide enough to holde all the trash of Romish Traditions it is his gladius Delphicus which serveth for all uses If this argument be found there needeth no more Scripture then this Obey the Church This giveth you power quidâ—â—bâ—â— addendâ— to say what you list and it will beare you out But it is a false argument consisting of quatuor termini for the Scripture speaketh of one Church and the Iesuite of an other the Scripture commendeth written Traditions and the Iesuite is all for unwritten Traditions The holy Scriptures not onely are able to make us * â— Tim. 3. wise Answer unto salvation which they should not be able to doe if they did not containe all things necessary to salvation but also by 〈…〉 of God that is the * 1. Tim. 6. 11. Minister of Gods word 〈◊〉 whom i◠〈◊〉 to * Act. 20. 27. declare all the counsell of God may bee perfectly instructed to every good worke which could not be if the Scripture did not containe all the counsell of GOD which was sit for him to learne or if there were any other word of GOD which he were bound to teach that should not bee contuined within the limites of the Books of GOD. Thus saith the Answerer The Iesuite would willingly writ he himselfe out of these words he windeth and turneth himselfe every way like an Eele that is taken he snatcheth and catcheth like a man ready to be drowned yâ—t every thing that commeth in his way His first shift is this There is no such saying in the Apostles writings as this Reply pag. 131. The Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation He saith indeed that they are able to make Timothy wise unâ—o salvation â—t lessâ— he will say thâ—â— whatsoever S. Paul affirmeth of Timothy may be applyed unto us all which is most absurd For who will say that the Apostle * 1. Tim. 5. 23. forbidding Timothy to drinke water doth thereby forbid us all in like manner 6. There is not the least word in Scripture spoken of the Church of the Apostles and of Traditions but our Adversaries doe apply it generally unto themselves onely this because it concerneth the power of the Scriptures must be peculiar unto Timothy and not applyed unto all But evill should not the Scriptures be as able to make us at Timothy wise into Salvation either it must be because hee had better meanes to be made wise then wee have or because having the same meanes he was more to 〈◊〉 of this wisedome Not the first if it be true which the Iesuite observeth That Timothy 〈◊〉 onely the old Testament 〈◊〉 wee have both the old and the h 1. Cor. 2. 14. Psal 119 18. new Nor the second because the understanding is alike corrupted in all 〈◊〉 it is not â— capable of this saving wisedome untill GOD ◠〈…〉 it And this 〈◊〉 of his absure instance of Timothyes not drinking 〈◊〉 which declareth his braines to be as weake us Timothyes stomack because all stomackâ— arâ— not â—ike weake but all menâ— understandings untill they are sanctified are alike wicked and uncapable of holy things What therefore S. Paul here affirmeth of Timothy may be applyed unto all and it is applyed unto all by Chrysostome on this text saying Verily the Apostle speaking this of Timothy â—â—th thâ—râ—py admonish all men His second shift is this Though we should graunt this that the Scriptures are Reply pag. 1â—1 able to make us wise unto salvation yet is doth not follow from thence that they containe Expressely all things necessary to Salvation 7. Expressely is an expresse lye an addition of his own for the Answerers inference is this Therefore they containe all things necessary for Salvation Now things are contained in Scripture not onely expressely but like wise by inference His third shift is this It is confessed the cheifest of our Aduersaries that the Reply pag. 131 Apostle in that place meaneth none other but the old Testaâ—ent onely as himselfe declareth plaint enough Thou hast learned the holy Scriptures of a child which are able to make thee wise And the new Testament was not written when Timothy was a childe And will our Answerer graunt that the old Testament alone containeth all things necessary to Salvation then consequently the new Testament iâ—â—â—â—dâ—lesse 8. It is the better for our cause if the Apostle hâ—â—re speaketh onely of the old testament that it is able to make in wise unto Salvation for then both old and new being joyned together must needs containe all thing 〈…〉 Salvation It is confessed that when Timothy was a childe he learned onely the old Testament and then the new was not written but 〈◊〉 when Paul wrote this â— d 1. Thrâ— 4. 6. Epistle unto him he was a 〈◊〉 he was Bishop of Ephesus this Epistle was write him a little before S. Paule death and then all the new Testament was written but onely that which 〈◊〉 added If I should say of an old Iudge that he hath knowne 〈◊〉 of a young Student this doth not exclude his knowledge of such laweâ— as were made in after times so S. Pauls speech of Timothy that he knew the Scriptures of a child doth
It is a diabolicall spirit that thinketh that any one thing from God should be without the authority of holy Scripture saith Theophilus of Alexandria The Secular Priests say that Iesuites are d Quodlibet 3. art 3. Statists Atheists Iudasses Others say that their denomination from * Vt à luce lucus dictus ut homo est bâ—mo pictus siâ— Ã Iesu Iesuita Iesu ita is a contrarie for they are more like Esauites Gehezites or Iebusites And I may say the Devill is an invisible Iesuite Iesuites are visible Devils yet they wil be men of God Secondly where is it found that all this counsell of God was â—ver yet written or that S. Paul in this place doth not speake aswell of the unwritten word as of the written word and counsell of God 13. We finde that S. Paul submitted all his doctrine to Reply be e Act. 17. 11. tryed by the Scriptures that he preached nothing but what f â— 2â— 22. was written and that making confession of his faith he saith g c. 24. 14. I beleeve all things which are written and if he had beleeved unwritten Traditions he would have added and I beleeve all the unwritten Traditions but seeing he beleived none of these how can he speak of an unwritten word of God The word of God is not like to a sick mans â—â—ncupative will of which some is written some is unwritteÌ„ only delivered by word of mouth but it is a perfect wil testament it needes not additioÌ„ of things unwritten Thirdly by all Scripture the Apostle meaneth onely the old Reply pag. 133 Testament He then that is well seene in the old Testament alone hath he knowledge of the whole counsell of God 14. In the eight division of this Section we have shewed the contrary but suppose the Apostles meaning is so what doth it make for the Iesuit David had but a part of the old Testament to be his h Ps 11 〈◊〉 â—4 Counseller yet he confesseth that it was so large that he could see i Vers â—6 no end of the perfection of it that by it k Vers 99. he had more understanding then all his teachers and that by it hee l Vers 101. refrained his foot from every evill way thus by it alone he understood the whole counsel of God Againe when the Apostle saith All Scripture the particle Reply All signifieth distributively every parcell of the Scripture not the whole Scripture together collectively but our Adversary will not say that every books of holy Scripture yea every parcell of a booke or chapter is able to instruct the minister of Gods word perfectly 15. This is Ad paucarespicere to stop one gap and to open ten for it overthroweth all his distinctions 1. That of mediate and immediate sufficiencie for every parcell of every Chapter of Scripture hath not a mediate sufficiencie it selfe to make us wise by sending us unto Christ neither doth every parcell send us unto the Church from her to learne Traditions 2. That of counsell written and unwritten for every parcell of every Chapter doth not containe all the written counsell 3. That of profitablenesse and sufficiencie for every parcell of a Chapter is not profitable it selfe for those foure uses to teach reprove correct and instruct 4. That of the man of God a godly man for every parcell is not profitable to enable a godly man to every good work This is to grant us more then wee desire that every parcell of Scripture is profitable for these foure uses how much more then is the whole Canon of Scripture profitable unto the same The words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Scripture are taken heere for the whole body or Canon of Scripture In the same sense Athanasius useth the same words when he saith m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas in Syâ—op All Scripture or the whole Scripture translate it as you please of us Christians is inspired of God and then he addeth and containeth certaine bookes contained in a certaine Canon Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Athanasius is taken for the whole Canon and not for every parcell for every parcell hath not certaine bookes Omnis id est totâ— is the usuall note upon this place but Estius is most plain n Non id velle Apostolum quod una quâ—â—que pars Scripturâ—â— sit utilis â—d istâ— quatuoâ— hic â—nim sensus liq â—do salsus est sed quod in universa Scriptura 〈◊〉 quatuor utilitates reperiantur Guil. â—stius professor Duaâ— The Apostles meaning is not this that every parcell of Scripture is profitable for these foure for this sense is manifestly false but that these foure profites are found in the whole Scripture Heere the Iesuite insultingly taxeth us for minching mangling and chopping of the Scripture when himselfe is guilty of the same of chopping the whole Scripture into severall parcells of a booke and of a Chapter Moreover he seemeth to inferre a sufficiencie where mention Reply p. 133. is made onely of a profitablenes All divine Scripture saith S. Paul is profitable to teach Hence our Answerer deduceth that nothing else is requisite to teach 16. The Iesuite dealeth not sincerely with his Answerer when he not onely seemeth to chop but doth mangle this argument as he did formerly the Scriptures S. Paul saith The man of God may bee perfectly instructed to every good worke by the Scriptures Hence the Answerer inferreth That there is no other word of God which the man of God who must declare the whole counsell of God is bound to teach S. Paul setteth forth at large the profitablenesse of the Scripture for foure uses to teach to reprove to correct and to instruct and sheweth how fully and sufficiently it doth these even that the man of God may bee perfectly instructed to every good worke But the Iesuite repeating the words of S. Paul diminisheth the profitablenesse of the Scripture onely accounting it profitable to teach and explaineth this of sending us unto Christ and Christs sending us to his disciples and the Disciples bidding as to hold fast unwritten Traditions If this be all the profitablenesse of the Scripture then there is little sufficiencie in it but this is not the profitablenesse of which the Apostle speaketh for All Scripture that is as the Iesuite expoundeth it every parcell of a booke and of a Chapter doth not send us unto Christ Christ unto his Disciples and the Disciples unto unwritten Traditions Neither doth the Answerer inferre a sufficiencie from a bare profitablenes the word Profitablenes or sufficiencie is not at all in his argument neither doth he say Therefore nothing else is requisite to teach for this is manifestly false Let the Scriptures be never so profitable and sufficient yet some thing else is required to teach there is required a * Act. 8. 31. Rom. 10. 14. Teacher yea though unwritten Traditions were admitted yet
there must be one to teach them In this Teacher learning is required because it is profitable yet not sufficient to enable him to teach But thus we argue That that is so profitable to to teach to reprove to correct and to instruct that thereby the man of God may be perfectly instructed to every good worke that we say is sufficient Omne sufficiens est utile this Proposition is most certaine Whatsoever is sufficient is profitable and it is not thus to be converted Omne utile est sufficiens northus Nullum utile est sufficiens but thus Aliquod utile est sufficiens Something that is profitable is sufficient So is the Scripture it is a thing so profitable every way that it must needes be sufficient in suo genere for that end there needeth no unwritten word to be taught Such a profitable thing is Godlinesse that it is likewise sufficient it is one of the instances which the Iesuite giveth to prove that the Scriptures are not sufficient because they are said to be profitable Godlinesse saith he is profitable for all things is it therefore so sufficient that nothing else is to bee sought for neither meat drinke sleepe c. The scope of the Apostle is to prove what is both profitable and sufficient for the obtaining of the promise especially of the life eternall can it be denyed that Godlinesse in suo genere is both profitable and sufficient for this As for meate drinke sleepe c. they are helpes of an other kinde they are needefull for a godly man in regard of his weake nature to maintaine his naturall life but not needfull to perfect Godlines to attaine eternall life As Godlines is both profitable sufficient for that end so are the Scriptures for the end of which the Apostle speaketh although helpes of any other kind are required The Iesuite giveth an other instance Learning saith he is profitable to the knowledge of the truth is it therefore sufficient I confesse it is not Is therefore the Scripture not sufficient but onely profitable because some things are profitable but not sufficient I pray you in what mood or figure is this Syllogisme Some things which are profitable are not sufficient but the Scripture is profitable Therefore not sufficient If learning were as profitable as the Scripture is then it were sufficient but it is not by it the man of God cannot bee perfectly instructed to every good worke Finally you either ignorantly or wilfully pervert and Reply p. 134. deprave the sonse and meaning of the Apostles wordes when making him to say that by the Scriptures the man of God may bee perfectly instructed to every good worke you interprete this good worke to bee the ministery of Gods word But Paules meaning was farre otherwise to wit that the Scriptures are profitable to teach to reprove to correct and instruct in the way of righteousnesse that the man of God that is to say a godly man thus instructed may be perfect in his godly life and enabled to every good worke not so much of preaching and teaching as of justice and righteousnes wherein hee was instructed out of the Scriptures 17. For want of new shifts the Iesuite is forced to returne to his old shift but we have * Divis 12. of this Section already started him out of this hole and shewed that by The man of God the Apostle meaneth the Minister of Gods word But supposing this to be the Apostles meaning That a godly man being instructed by others out of the Scriptures may be made perfeet in his godly life and enabled to every good worke What need we more or what neede then is there of unwritten Traditions if not onely initiatively but perfectly a godly life every good worke may be learned out of the Scriptures This coÌ„tradicteth his former distinctioÌ„ of perfectly initiatively quite overthrowes unwritteÌ„ traditioÌ„s the great pillar of Popery unlesse the Iesuite hath this mentall reservation that there is one faith for the Pastor and an other faith for the People one perfection for the Man of God and an other perfection for a godly man one law of workes for the Preist and an other for the Laytie In the last place he commeth to his wrestling argument as he tearmeth it of which he seemeth to be as confident as if it were an invincible Armado and yet with a blast it may be overthrowne When you affirme that the written word alone is sufficient Reply pag. 134 for faith and salvation you must meane either the entire Scripture wholly taken together or some one part thereof onely If the former then you have no sufficient rule of faith left you forasmuch as many bookes of holy Scripture are lost and perished as the * 3. King 4. 32. Three thousand Parables and the five thousand verses written by Salomon * 1. Paralip 29. 29. The bookes of the Prophets Nathan and Gad the bookes of Ahia and the * â— Paralip 9. 29. vision of the Prophet Addo 18. We meane as S. Paul meaneth the whole canon of Scripture or the entire Scripture wholly taken together of which if any part bee lost it being lost before S. Paul wrote this yet the whole Scripture of which he speaketh remaineth still We beleeve not that many bookes of holy Scripture are lost and perished no nor any as for that of Salomon the text doth not say that Salomon wrote but that he * 1. King 4. 32. spake three thousand Parables and a thousand and five not five thousand Songs It may bee they were written yet seeing the Proverbes containe 974. verses Ecclesiastes 222 and the Canticles 116 in all 1312. verses and many verses containe three or foure sayings those things therefore may be contained in them The bookes of Nathan Gad Ahia and Addo are supposed by p 〈◊〉 Semens Bibl. Sanct. l. a. Dorothens in Synopsi some to bee parcells of the bookes of Samuel Kings and Chronicles each of them writing the Acts and mouuments of those Kings under whom they lived All these may be lost and yet not many bookes of holy Scripture lost because those of Solomon as it may be were neither written nor canonicall and those of Nathan Gad c. were written but not canonicall q Alia sicuti homines histericâ diligentiâ alia sicut Prophetas divinâ— inspiratione scribere potuisse Aug. de Civitat Dei l. 18. c. 38. Some things saith S. Augustine speaking of the Prophets they might write by way of history as men other things by divine inspiration as Prophets And the Iesuite Sanctius whose bookes this Iesuite is not worthy to beare saith r Sanctius Iâ—â—olegom in l. Reg. These bookes of Nathan ad c. were like Diaries or an Ephemerides in which the acts of their times were written and he proveth at large that The choyse things in them were transcribed by the penmen of the Kings and Chronicles and that the remainder which
is lost contained onely leviora things of litle account Å¿ Si canonici ejusmodi libri extitissent ecclesia non fuisset depositi sibi traditi à Deo fidelis custos juxta illud 1. Tim. 6. oh Timoth depositum custodi c. Salmeron prolog 9 caâ— 4 If these bookes saith Salmeron had beene canonicall the Church had not beene a faithfull keeper of that which God committed to her according to that oh Timothie keepe that which is committed to thee It cannot then stand with the care of the Church which is Custes Rotulorum the keeper of Gods oracles that any booke of holy Scripture should be lost t Staplet Defens occles author cont Whitak l. 2. c. 1 It cannot stand with the providence of God which never faileth in things necessary to salvation saith Stapleton And he addeth That the Church is as much to bee blamed if she should lose a booke of Scripture as if she should lose a Sacrament But that we may wrestle the Iesuite with his wrestling argument let him answer this God by his providence and the Church by her care hath preserved the volume of the written word whole and intire so that not one booke of it is lost but many volumes of unwritten Traditions are lost and perished witnesse the five bookes which Egesippus wrote of the unwritten Traditions which the Apostles left unto the Church the which the * Sect. 2. Iesuite alledgeth against us And the booke written by Clemens Alexandrinus of the same subject neither is the Iesuite able to tell us what particular Traditions were contained in these bookes with us therfore the rule of saith remaineth whole intire but part of their rule is lost and perished And thus our Doctrine stands firme and sure notwithstanding all the shifts and cunning windings of this Iesuite there is in the Church perfectio integralis of the whole volume of Scripture not one booke of it is lost and there is in the Scripture perfectio finalis for the Church not one point of faith nor one good worke is there but it may be learned by the Scriptures This one testimony of S. Paul I preferre before the testimony of any Father yet because our Adversaries being convinced by the Scriptures give out that the Fathers are theirs as the Iewes did u Ioh. 8. 39. that Abraham is our Father Wee will therefore bee content to put our selves to be tryed by God and the Countrie not onely by the Scriptures but also by the Fathers whose verdict is returned in the next Section SECT VI. VVherein the Iesuite produceth senselesse exceptions against the Iury of the Fathers giving their verdict against him YOur Masters have told you that you disagree Reply p. 135. from the Doctrine generally received by the Fathers 1. I could tell you if it were not for manners sake that you lye notoriously You read this on the backeside of Constantine his Donation or of some of your golden legends for I am sure none of our Writers tell us so Name one if you can among our many Writers that doth acknowledge our disagreement from the Doctrine generally received by the Fathers in this point and if you cannot wee may easily judge how you will deale with the auncient Fathers when you deale thus with our late writers This is but a Iesuiticall fiction and it is evident that all our writers in combating with you about unwritten Traditions have fought against you at this weapon and have brought into the feild these champions of the truth helping to bring downe to the ground the Tower of Babel this sort of unwritten Traditions 2. Tertullian is the foreman of the Iury concerning whom the Answerer confesseth That hee was an earnest advocate for rituall Traditions unwritten and for doctrinall Traditions written c. In the opinion of the Iesuite this distinction of Rituall and Doctrinall Traditions serveth to no purpose It serveth for the true stateing of this Question It discovereth the Iesuites false stateing of this Question of Rituall Traditions onely And it sheweth his folly in heaping up a number of Fathers defending rituall Traditions unwritten for such are allowed in our Church But why serveth it to no purpose Because both of them may be Apostolicall Reply pag. 135 and are to be regarded as the written word and worthy of the same faith being delivered to the Church by the same Authors Are there no Rituall Ecclesiasticall Traditions to which you give the same credit and authority as to the written word Can those be Apostolicall Or were they delivered to the Church by the Apostles And although all Rituall Traditions were from the Apostles yet they are not to be regarded as the written word All that the Pope saith is not to be regarded as his Cathedrall voyce All that his Majesty saith is not to be regarded as his lawes and statutes The authority of things delivered may bee different although they be delivered by the same authors * Sect. 1. Divil â— the intention of the deliverer or the dignitie of the matter delivered may make the thing delivered more worthy of faith for this is certaine there may be a proposition beleeved in respect of the Author delivering yet the matter delivered may be not worthy to be an article of our faith Yet Tertullian having to deale with Hermogenes the Hereticke in a question concerning the faith presseth him with Answer the argument ab authoritate negativè * Tertul. advers Hermog â— 22. Whether all things were made of any subject matter I have as yet read no where let those of Hermogenes his shop shew that it is written If it be not written let him feare that wâ—e which is allotted to such as adde or take away The Iesuite painteth out an answer unto this and coloureth it with false glosses as if hee had gotten some relicks out of Hermogenes his painting shop It would be too tedious to lay downe all his wordes but the summe is this First this is no thing against us unlesse we should hold that Reply pag. 136. all points of faith are to bee proved by unwritten Tradition onely and none at all by Scripture For what if he presse the Hereticke Hermogenes in one point with the argument ab authoritate negativè must it follow that therefore he thought all points might be proved in the like manner The boyes of the Logicke Schoole doe know that an Inference universall is absurdly deduced from particular Premisses Hath not the Iesuite told us * pag. 126. They that deny unwritten Tradition can have no sure ground for their faith The Popes infallibility is the α and ω the formall reason and onely perswasive demonstration of a Papists faith for although materiale fidei the thing which he beleeveth be a written Doctrine yet firmale fiaei or ratio credendi the reason why he beleeveth it is because the Pope saith it He will not beleeve that there is a written word
therefore though they be glorious things in your eyes they are not holy That of Origen which the Iesuite alledgeth concerning the baptising of Children that it is a Tradition from the Apostles is * Sect. 4. divis 11. formerly answered Hippolytus the Martyr in his third Homily against the Heresie of Noetus There is one God whom we doe not otherwise Answer acknowledge but out of the holy Scriptures For as hee that would professe the wisedome of this world cannot otherwise attaine hereunto unlesse he reade the doctrine of the Philosophers sâ— whosoever of us will exercise piety towards God cannot learne this elsewhere but out of the holy Scriptures c. All this runneth upon the same straine with that which Reply pag. 13â— you even now produced out of Origen and therefore as you repeate the same so wee returne you the same Answer And withall wee desire you with this holy Martyr to understand whatsoever the Scriptures doe teach For they teach you to holde such Traditions as the Apostles gave whether by writing or by word They teach you to hearken unto the Church 4. Hippolytus here taketh the same oath with Origen both give their verdict against unwritteÌ„ Traditions This is the same strain upon which they run His answer unto that of Origen is already confuted if this be the same as indeed it is no wiser then the former but threed-bare and worne out at the elbowes I need not againe confute it It cannot fit with the wordes of this holy Martyr for as it were ridiculous to say The wisdome of this world may be attained unto by reading the doctrin of the Philosophers then to interpret this Not immediatly by reading their writings but mediatly by going to the living Philosophers So it is as absurd to say Our piety towards God may be learned out of the holy Scripture then to interpret this not immediatly out of the Scriptures themselves but mediatly by going to the Church Yea it is more absurd because the writings of the Philosophers are not so wel able to make a man wise for the world as the Scriptures are to make a man wise unto salvatioÌ„ The scriptures teach us to â—â—ld such traditioÌ„s as the Apostles gave but they taught the same doctrines both by Scripture and by word of mouth This maketh nothing for Popish Traditions such the Apostles never gave by writing or by word of mouth They teach us to hearken unto the Church when the doctrine of the Church is consonant with the doctrine of the Scriptures and not to hearken unto the Church when it teaâ—heth otherwise Å¿ Ien â—3 16. Thus saith the Lord of hostes Hearken not unto the words of the Prophets that prophesiâ— unto you and teach you vanity they speak the vision of their owne heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord. Athanasius in his â—ratian against the Gentiles The holy â— Answer Scriptures given by inspiration of God are of themselves sufficient for the discovery of Truth 5. This is an evident testimony directly opposite to the position of our Adversaries which they have learned from condemned Heretickes t Iren. l. 3. c. 2. That truth canâ—ot be found out of the Scriptures by them that are ignorant of Traditions And yet the Iesuite painteth this likewise with false colours answering First the Scriptures discover this truth That wee must Reply p. 139. â—old fast unwritten Traditions We have oft discovered this to be an untruth and for the better discovery of it wee will observe one thing more from the force of the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Athanasius useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not a mediate sufficiency as if the Scriptures were sufficient for the discovery of truth because they send us to the Church nor such a sufficiencie as needeth any other helpe as if the Scriptures were sufficient for the discovery of truth by having the helpe of unwritten Traditions joyned with them but as Lambine in his notes upon Aristotles Ethickes observeth u Plurâ—bus verâ—â—is haec vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cui nulla respondet Latina est de claranda Est autem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is qui â—â—s bonis contentur satisque copiosè instructus est quique nullas externas opes desiderat Lamb. in Arislot Ethic. â—â— c. 7. This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be expressed by more words for there is no one Latin word that can fully declare it He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is conâ—ent with his owne store and is furnished with enough and with abundant and desiteth no other helpâ— It is such a selfâ—-sufficienciâ— as is in the heavenly Kingdome of which Theophylact saith x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl in Ioh. 18. It is sufficient and needeth nothing Such then is the fulnesse and the selfe-sufficiencie of the holy Scripture that it hath store in it selfe it is fully furnished yea so abundantly that it needeth not the helpe of unwritten Traditions to discover any truth Athanasius here speaketh not of all Truth but of Two speciall Reply p. 130. points of faith onely to wit That Idols are not Gods and that Christ is the onely true God concerning which two articles he wrote thâ—se two bookes to Maearius And for the discovery of those two points the holy Father saith that the Scriptures are sufficient As in these two bookes to Macariâ—s he wrote of these two points and also of many other points for in the first he wrote of the deity of the Father of the immortality of the soule c. And in the second of Christs manhood his incarnation death resurrection c. So here he speaketh not onely of those two points but of all truth in generall that The Scriptures are sufficient for the discovery of truth And therefore in his Tractate of Christs incarâ—ation he taxeth them of great iâ—â—destiâ— which speakâ— the â—hings which are noâ— written Athanasius in that plaâ—e maketh mention not onely of the Reply p. 13â— holy Scriptures but also of the bookes of holy Fathers and to both doth he attribute this sufficiency forasmuch as a man by reading of those bookes may discover the true sense and meaning of the Scripture This is not the true sense and meaning of this Father In the words following though hee maketh mention of the bookes of the Fathers yet he never inteÌ„ded to impart any part of this sufficiency unto them or to make them equall with Scripture as you doe with Traditions but he declareth that they are good coÌ„menâ—aries or helpes for the understanding of the holy Scriptures His words are these There are also many bookes of the holy Fathers in which if a â—an imploy himselfe he may in some sort aâ—taine unto the interpretution of the Scripture It is one thing to say that by reading of the bookes of the Fathers a man may in some sort attain unto the interpretation of Scripture
contradict any of these For if we goe about to reject such customes as are not delivered by writing accounting them to be of little force we shall unawares daâ—â—age the Gospell very much and bring the preaching thereof unto a bare name of words Neither are we content with such things onely as the Apostles or the Gospell doth expresse but we say many things both before consecration and after of great avayle for that Mysterie which we have received by Tradition without writing What a Bull-head is this to confound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constitutions and Doctrines as if they were the same whereas they differ very much S. Basil in the subsequent words distinguisheth them saying h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem ibid. Constitution is one thing Doctrin is another thing Constitutions are the ritâ—â— customes decrees or ceremonies of the Church so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated a i Luc. â— 1. dâ—creâ— and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 k â—phes â— 15â— ordinances Doctrines are the points of salvation perpetuall and not changeable as the Ceremonies are And in the very words alleadged S. Basil distinguisheth them for he saith not Vnwritten Traditions are Gospell but If we reject them and account them of no force we may daâ—â—age the Gospell and bring Preaching to a bare name We should soone see this if there were no Ecclesiasticall orders What kinde of prayers or preaching or administration of the Sacraments would there be if every man might be his own carver in these things Surely there would be a Babell of confusion Quot capita tot placita The Iesuite in favour of his cause corruptly translath S. Basil in this manner * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Doctrines and Institutions which are preached in the Church some of them wee have out of the written word and some out of the Tradition of the Apostles Whereas S. Basil is thus to be translated The Institutions and Doctrines which are preserved in the Church these that is the Doctrines wee have out of the written word those that is the Institutions we have by the Tradition of the Apostles So that the doctrine of S. Basâ—l in this differeth nothing from our doctrine That the unwritten things which come by Tradition are the rites ceremonies or institutions which are preserved in the Church of which sort he reckoneth these Signeing with the crosse praying towards the East standing in prayer betweene Easter and Pentecost thriâ—e dipping of the party baptised a certaine forme of prayer both before and after consecration These we confesse are not written but they all are Rituall Traditions and belong not to our controversie The Doctrines of which we dispute are taken out of the written word this is the doctrine of S. Baâ—il to which wee suâ—scribe There is one thing in that of S. Baâ—il which he uttered unadvisedly That both the Institutions and Doctrines had equall force unto Godlinesse But we must consider that S. Baâ—il being in the heat of disputation in defence of these orders of the Church spake thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but after being in more coole blood he speaketh like himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for having shewed that some things are given by word of mouth he sheweth that those were not necessary things saying l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Idem in Râ—â—ul coâ—tract can 1. Concerning thâ—se things which are given without writings the Apostle Paul hath given â—â— this rule All things are lawfull but all things are not expedient We deny not the lawfull use of Ecclesiasticall ordinances but that they should be so expedient as to be of equall force unto Godlinesse with the writen Doctrines this is denyed not onely by us but even by the wisest Papists themselves And in the practise of the Roman Church many of the unwritten constitutions of which Basil speaketh are not observed as m Durand de ritib. Eccl. l. 1. cap. 3. praying standing to the East and n Catech Rom. de Baptis The thrise dipping of the party baptised This omission o Bellat de verbo non script l. 4. c. 7. Bellarâ—â—â—â— excuseth by distinguishing the observation of them from the first Institution of them And if they be not necessary for our observation how can they be of equall force unto Godlinesse At last S. Baâ—il concludeth thus * Idem ibid The day would fayle Reply p. 144. me if I should take upon me to number up all the unwritten mysteries of the Church I ommit the rest Onely I demaâ—nd in what written word have we the very profession of our faith to belâ—eve in the Father and the Sonne and the Holy Ghost As for the rest we have answered And for the profession of our faith we professe this faith that all the points of faith contained in the Creed are taught us in the Scriptures It is the confession of the Iesuite in another * Pag. 146. place As for example the Creed the Scripture declareth plaine enough Vnto whose confession I might adde that of Cyrill p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Cyril Catech. 5â— The choyse things of the whole Scripture being knit together make up the forme of our creed And that of S. Augustine q Aug. l. 1. ad Catechum de Symbol The words of the Symbolâ— are seatteâ—ed in the Scriptures and from them collected into one So that by the profession of our faith S. Baâ—â—l doth not meane the Articles of faith contained in the Creed but that profession or manner of reciteing it which the Church required of those that were baptised when they came to the yeares of discretion as we require in confirmation or else the whole frame Syntaxe and forme of words as they are kâ—it together in the Creed And this we confesse is not written verâ—atim altogether in any one part of Scripture but it is taken out of diverse parts of Scripture and collected into one forme of words Clement of Alexandria upon the words of the Apostle to Reply pag. 144 the Romans c. 1. I deâ—ire to see you that I may impart unto you some spirituall gift for your confirmation * Clem Alex Stro l. 5. Such gifts aâ— these saith Clement could not be published openly by writing being a Tradition which he desired to deliver unto them being present and not by Epistle 11. What spirituall gift S. Paul meaneth he declareth in the next verse r Rom. 1. 12. That is that I may be comforted together with you by our mutuall faith Comfort was that spirituall gift which he desired to impart unto them and to receive from them and this could not be done so well by writing as by mutuall speech and conference It was not to teach any unknowne unwritten doctrine unto them for that he might have delivered unto Phebe the bearer of his Epistle and she unto them Yea Paul professeth of them that they were
116 pag. 118. Father is unbâ—gâ—ttâ—n that the Sâ—nne is â—onsubst anâ—iall with the Father and that the Holy Ghest is to bee â—â—â—red and wâ—rshipped â—â— pag. 143. God Are not these things generally necessary for all to know Againe * August l. de Pastor c. 11. Whatsoever you he are from the holy Scriptures Answer let that savour well unto you whatsâ—ever is without them reâ—â—se lâ—st you wander in a cloud Your meaning was not sure to hurt as by these sayingâ— Reply p. 14â— of S. Augustine seeing you bring them to so little purpose for S. Augustine was so farre from thinking the Traditions of the Church to be without Scripture that he assuâ—eth â—â— to â—◠〈◊〉 â—â—try truth of Scripture when we doe that which â—â— plâ—â—sing to the Church 17. It is true our meaning is not to â—urt you but to 〈◊〉 your madnesse if it may be healed if not it is to litle purpose for your benefite It is no wonder to see this â—â—ly Iesuite wander in a â—â—ud embracâ—ing a cloud in stead of â—nno following after an Iguiâ— fatâ—uâ— for the light of Gods Word forsaking the beaten pathe of Gods Commaundements to follow the doubtfull track of humane Traditions not refusing those things which are not written It is the duety of the Church to teach no unwritten â—oâ—trinall Traditions but onely to teach such Doctrines as the Scripture teacheth her and as long as the Church performeth her duety so long the Scripture willeth us to heare her But what if any Church though once never so famous fayle in her duety and holde untruthes against the Scripture doe wee then holde the truth of the Scripture when wee doe that which now pleaseth such a Church In this thing saith S. Augustine wee holde the trâ—eth of the Scripture when wee doe that which now pleaseth the universall Church He saith not In all things but in this thing and this thing was no unwritten but a wâ—itten Doctrine to wit the Doctrine of â—â—baptisation established by the Church out of the Scripture He saith which now pleasâ—th hee saith not which Alwayes pleasâ—th the Church S. Augustine speaketh of the Vniversall Church but the Iesuite of the Roman Church for no Church else holdeth unwritten Traditions And in an other place * August epistâ— 4 â— All those things which in times Answer past our Aâ—â—cestors have mentioned to bee done toward mankinde and have delivered unto us all those things also which we see and doe deliver unto our â—osterity so faâ—râ— as they apportainâ— to the seeking and maintaining of true Religion the holy Scriptures have not passed in silence He pauseth not where you breake off his spâ—â—â—h but proceâ—deth Reply p. 147. to declare that be treated onely of Prophecies and Predictions which are all fulfilled according as they are laid downe in the Scriptures And could you wrong S. Augustine so unconscionably as to teach that has therefore alâ—wed â—â— thing to appertaine to the seeking and maintaining of truâ— Religion but what the holy Scripture hath not passed in sâ—lâ—â—e 18. The former part of S. Augustines wordes Thâ—se things which our Aâ—â—cestors in times past have mantianed to be done toward mankinde may be understood of Prophecies and Predictions but the latter part All thâ—se things also which we see and doe declare unto our posterity c. can by no meanes be so understood for S. Augustine was no Prophet neither are wee Prophets to deliver predictions to the posterity to come but as it was his so it is our office to declare the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and to deliver the doctrines contained in them And although we were Prophets to deliver Predictions of our owne yet how can wee say The Scripture hath not passed them in silence We hate those Anabaptistical Revelations and all your Papisticall Traditions we desire to follow the practise of S. Augustine not To deliver unto others those things â—â— points of Religion which the Scripture hath passed in silence 19. And thus we have discovered the silly shifts grosse dunsery of an ignorant Iesuite in answering of the Fathers who for all his tampering with them will not be perswaded to alter their verdict but find him and all such Tradition-mongers guilty of treason for coyning new Articles of faith such as have not the seale of the living God namely the authority of holy Scripture to make them current in the Church And as the petty Iury have given their verdict against them so the grand Iury consisting of 318. Fathers in the first generall Councell of Nice have condemned them for in the name of all the rest Eâ—sehiâ—â— Pamphili delivereth this d Gelaâ— Cyâ—icon Act. Conc. Nic part 2 dâ— c. 19. as it is cited by the most learned Answerer in his reprinted Answere The things that are not written neither thinke upon nor inquire after The Iesuite knowing full well that his answere to the testimonies of the Fathers will not give content to an indifferent Reader for the truth is they are â—nanswerable leaveth againe his answering and observing no order or method but onely heaping up a number of Sayings he betaketh himselfe againe to the objecting of the Fathers against us And first for S. Augustine all the world acknowledgeth Reply pag. 147 that he standeth for our Doctrine out of whom we will heape a number of sayingâ— here together 20. If by the world you meane as you doe by the Church the Roman universall world I doubt not but you may have witnesses enough to sweare it but what neede we witnesses when we may heare himselfe speake You promise an heape and a number of his sayings but I beleeve by the time that we have sisted your heape and cast up your number we shall finde nothing in your heape but â—haffe and in your number onely Cyphers And I hope every judicious Reader will preferre those three direct testimonies objected against you before your Bakers douzen of impertinent testimonies objected against us The 1. is against Maximiâ—â—â— the Arian where hast thou ever read that God the Father is unbegotten To this we have * Seâ—t â— Diâ— â— forâ—erly answered and answere so againe though this forme of words God the Father is unbegâ—tten be not written yet the same Doctrine is written in other words And our Question is not of unwritten words but of unwritten Doctrines The second is against the Dâ—â—atists Many things are not â—ound in the writings of the Apostles but were delivered by them without writing For whatsoever the Church doth hold if iâ— bâ— not â—ound ordained by some Councâ—ll it is beleeved to be a Tradition of the Apostles This is likewise * Sect. 2. Div. â— formerly answered and so we answere againe that many things are not found expressely written in the writings of the Apostles and yet by â—ound insâ—rence they may be deduced from those things that are written such things we call written Traditions
because they are all one with those things that be expressely written As for example Whether Children shal be baptised or no Or whether the baptised by Heretickes shal be rebaptised or no We read no expresse commandement nor evident practise either way yet by sound consequence these points may be determined out of the Scripture And of this in this testimony S. Augustine disputeth against the Dâ—â—atists Reply pag. 14â— The third is against the Non-conformists * Aug Epist â—â— ad Casul In thâ—se things whereof the Scripture hath deliveâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Gods people and the 〈◊〉 of our Aâ—â—â—estâ—râ— are to be held for a law In this he disputeth of the rites customes or constitutions of the Church and specially of the Saturdayes fast concerning which in the same Epistle â—e giveth this advice Let the â—aith of the universâ—ll Church â—â— one alâ—hough the unity of faith be â—â—â—nded upon with diverse observations by the 〈◊〉 thâ—â— which is true in the faith is â—â— way 〈◊〉 Here he distinguisheth these observations of the Church from â—â—th â—â—ith is one they are diverse they are not of faith but attend upon faith So that they are to bee held for 〈◊〉 yet not for the law of faith which is of divine â—ight universall and bindeth all but as the law of man which is but of humane right particular to some places like the Law of Gâ—â—all kinde and bindeth not all like the by-lâ—wes of a Corporation The fourth testimony which he citeth out of Augustine I finde it in his 118. Epistle and it is * Sect 2. Div. 6. formerly answered * Aug ad Inquisit laâ—â—aâ— l. 1. c. 1 All those things which we hold without writing onely by unwritten Tradition were commended and ordained either by the Apostles themselves or by generall Councells All such things are not Doctrinall but Rituall Traditions not points of faith but orders and constitutions for the Church This appeareth both by the words allâ—adged and by the subsequent words in the same Epistle Wee see in the words alleadged S. Augustine cannot well tell upon whom to father such things but he leaveth it doubtfull it may be they were from the Apostles and it may be they were ordained first of all by generall Coâ—â—â—lls But all points of faith are elder then the eldest Councell The Iesuite himselfe telleth us out of Aâ—hanasius * Pag. 140. It is not nâ—wâ—dayes that our faith received its beginning but it is derived from the Lord himselfe And Athanasius himselfe was one of the first generall Councell That of Gerson iâ— most câ—rtaine c Nec Papa neâ— generale Concilium potest facere aliquid esse de side quod antè non â—uâ—t Gerson part 1 de err cirâ—a pâ—aecept Non Occides Neither the Pâ—pâ— â—or any generall Councell can make that to be a point of faith which was not so before And in the words immediately following S. Augustine declareth what such things were as were delivered without writing As the Passion reâ—â—â—rection and ascensâ—â—â— of our Lord and the descâ—nsion of the holy Ghost are yâ—â—rely solemnely celebrated These Feastâ— put us in minde of greater things but the Feasts themselves aâ—â— to be accounted but as rites and ordinances belonging to the Church The fifâ— is against the Doâ—atists and it is like wise * Sect. 4. Div. â— formerly answered The Apostles have not commanâ—ded any thing in this poinâ— but that customâ— which was opposed unto Cyprian must be held to have taken its originall from their Tradition The point of rebaptization is the point of which he dispâ—teth concerning which we oft declared the judgment of S. Augustinâ— to be this that the Apostles expressely commaunded nothing in this point and yet that this point may be determined by sound inference out of the holy Scripture The sixt is this He would not beleeve the Gospell it selfe but that the authority of the Church moved him The summe of our former * Sect. â— Div. 2 answere unto this is this S. Augustine spake this of the time when he was a Manichee but after his conversion he maketh a better confession He speaketh of the primitive Church not of the now Roman Church That power which he ascribeth unto the Church is to be a mover to perswade us to beleeve not to be a law-giver to coyne Articles of our beleefe The 7th is likewise * Sect. 4. Div. 8 answered Although we have no certaine example hereof out of Scripture yet we hold the truth of the Scripture in this thing when wee doe that which now pleaseth the universall Church The Example which is sought for is an example how those were received when they returned to the Church who were baptised by Heretickes whether they were rebaptised or no We confesse the Scripture giveth no example how they were received but none can inferre because the Scripture containeth not an example in this point therefore it containeth not the Doctrine of this point The 8th is likewise * Sect 2. Div. â— formerly answered This neither thou nor I can fiâ—de plainly and evidently in the Scripture This is against the Dâ—natists in the same point and I returne the same answere This that is an example of this how they were received into the Church that were baptised by the Heretickes neither thou nor I can finde in Scripture Yea we confesse the point of Doctrine is not written plainely evidently and expressely word for word but by sound consequence it is deduced from the Scripture And now let the understanding Reader judge of the reason that moved the Iesuite to object all those testimoniâ—s which were formerly answered surely it was onely to make his promise good to heape up a number without any regard of their nature He mustereth his testimoniâ—s as some Captaines when their companies are not full muster their Souldiours presenting some of them three or foure times over The 9th is this * Aug. l. â— cont Crese â— I receive not that which Cyprian held because Reply p. 14â— it is not received by the Church And I receive not that which is held by the Iesuite because it is not received by S. Augustine Doe I therefore hold unwritten Traditions Cyprian held rebaptization Augustine held the contrary and confuteth him by the authority of the Church but doth the use of one meanes exclude the power of another Because he confuted him by the authoritie of the Church could he not therefore confute him by the authority of Scripture Cyprian would have this question to be tried by the Scripture f Cypâ—ian epist 74. ad Pompâ—ium whence saith he is this Tradition Is is descended from the authoritie of our Lord and the Gospell or doth it come from the Acts or Epistles of the Apostles And a little after Let us goe to the fountaine to the Evangelicall and Apostolicall Tradition This is so evident that Bellarmine confesseth g Bellar de verbo non script l.
Christian people commâ—th by divine Tradition 22. In both these places Leo writeth of Rituall Traditions as of set dayes of fasting concerning which we confesse wiâ—h S. Augustine m â—â—ceptum esse Iejunium qâ—â—bus autem diebus non oporteâ—â—ejunare qâ—bâ—â—o porteâ— praece to Domini vel Apostolorâ—m noâ—nâ—enio de 〈◊〉 Aug. câ—â—st â—â— ad Casul Thâ—â— the duty of fasting is comman ded but on what dayes we must fast and when we must not fast we finde nâ—t this determined by prâ—cept of the Lord nor of his Apâ—stlâ—s What then shall we dâ—â— in this case May wee conteâ—â—e the obâ—ervance of aâ—y fasting day No for if we live in such a place where such dayes are by tradition decreed and by custome established it is our duty to obey authority in such a case Remembring alwayes to distinguish these customes as Leo there calleth them from Gods commandements And if Leo spake any thing hyperbolically concerning such Rituall Traditions we doe excuse him because having taken upon him to defend them he strained his wits to finde out arguments to commend them He maketh no difference betweene Divine Apostolicall Traditions wholly taketh away all Eccleâ—iastical Traditions whereby he overthroweth that knowne division of Traditions into Divine Apostolicall Ecclesiasticall our Adversaries have need to excuse him in this The two subsequent testimonies the one of Chrysâ—stome the other of Epiphantus being * Chrysoâ—â— Sect 3. Divis aâ— Epiphan Sect. 2. Divis â—1 already answered I proceede to that which hee objecteth out of Epiphanius concerning the custome of praying for the dead at the time of administration of the divine mysteries * Epiphan hâ—res 76. It is haeres 7â— The Reply p. 149. Church performeth this necessarily having received it by Tradition from the Fathers and who may dissolve the ordinance of his mother or the Law of his Father God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost hath tâ—ught both in the Scriptures without writing the Church our mother hath inviolable statutes laide up in her which may not be broken 23. The mâ—aning of Epiphanius in this place is most evidently declared by the most learned Primâ—te in his * pag. 23â— Answer Such prayers for the dead as were generally used by the Primitive Church want not the testimony of the Scripture to consirme the lawfulnes of theÌ„ As S. Paul prayed for Oâ—esiphâ—rus while he was alive so may we pray for him being dead n 2. Tim. 1. 18. The Lord grant unto him that he may finde mercy of the Lord in that day But such prayers as are used by our Adversaries for the dead are not warâ—anted by Scriâ—ture nor by the Tradition of the Church Not by Scriptures because this is one of their unwritteÌ„ TraditioÌ„s Not by the Tradition of the Church because the Primitive Church denyed Purgatâ—rie and yet held Prayer for the dead but our Adversaries hold o Aquinas contgent l. 4. c 91. That if Purgatâ—ry be not admitted prayer for the dead is unprofitable I need not light my candle to give light to this truth for the light of this truth shineth as bright as the Sun in the Answer to this Article The doctrine how the dead may be prayed for differeth from the practice in praying for them at such a time namely at the administring of the sacred mysteries Epiphanius writeth of the latter of these for not observing of this ordinance of the Church hee condemneth Aerius in the words alledged The Church doth performe this having received it by Tradition from the Fathers and who may dissolve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ordinance of his mother As wee have * Sect. 4. Divis 10. shewed formerly so here we see it againe this practice to pray for the dead at such a time is placed by Epiphanius among the ordinances of the Church and of this nature are all those things which he saith were delivered and taught without writing These are not the Traditions against which we bend our forces Cassiodorus also readeth this lessâ—n * Cassiod Instiâ— divin l. 1 Let us not doubt to Reply pag. 150. mount up into the height of the Scriptures by the approved exposition of the Fathers as it were by a certaine ladder of Iacobs vision 24. Wee have ascended so high upon the ladder of the Fathers approved expositions that we descry the falshood of your Traditions This ladder saith Cassiodorus should bring us to the sight of our Lord. But behold the Pope sitteth on the top of this ladder to over-turne all the expositions of the Fathers but onely such as are approved by him yea all the Fathers the Scripture too hath hee put under his feet So that whatsoever exposition he giveth of Scripture Though it crosse the sense the Fathers gave yet saith p Cusâ—n ad â—o 〈◊〉 epist 7. Cusâ—nus it must be believed because the sense runneth with the practise and the Scriptures follow the Church and not the Church the Scripture Reply p. 150. S. Basil perswadeth thus * Basil hâ—â— coâ—◠〈◊〉 Let the Tradition of our Lord terrifie thee Our Lord himselfe hath given this lessâ—n the Apostles have preached it the Fathers have observed it and the Martyrs have confirmed it 25. That the holy Ghost is God this is the point which S. Basil prooveth And lest thou shouldest separate the holy Ghost from the Father the Son saith he let the Tradition of our Lord terrifie thee c. This should terrifie the Iesuite to sin against the holy Ghost in holding it is not written that the holy Ghost is God Our Lord himselfe had given this lessâ—n Iohn 14. 26. The Apostles have preached it written it 1. Iohn 5. 7. S. Basil observeth it in the words precedent by the forme of Baptisme which is laide downe Math. 28. 19. And all Gods Saints are ready to confirme it with their blood He is an Arch-haereticke deserveth the stake rather then an answer that accouÌ„teth it no written doctrin In the end he concludeth with the sayings of * Basil epist 61 Basil and of * Hormisd epist 67. Hormisda applyed unto us that we condemne the Doctrine of the Fathers despise Apostolicall Traditions sell the inventions of upstarts have none of that Charitie which is commended are so puffed up with â—rrogancie that we imagine that all judgement of Heaveâ— and earth ought to yeeld to our opinion that worldly wisedome detesting the glory of Christ his Crosse domineâ—reth in the first and cheifest place 26. S. Paul describeth the worst of men that ever were or shal be by these properties q â— Tim. 3. 3. They are false accusers intemperate fierce despisers of them that are good Traitors c. These are the proper markes of Iesuites they are alwayes false accusers therefore it is no wonder that this detracting standering carping Moâ—us should accuse us thus falsely Nero set Rome on fire and laid the blame
upon the Christians your selves are guilty of these things and yet lay them to our charge This Domineering is in the first cheifest place the Church of Rome challengeth this priâ—acie principalitie above all places The judgement of Heaven and earth namely the Tradition of the Apostles which is contained in the Scripture the doctrine of the Fathers must yâ—eld to her opinion This deformed Church not unlike a toad-stoole all head no body for the r Hervaeâ— de potest Papâ— c. 23. Pope saith Harvie virtually is the whole Church is so swollen up with arrogancy that whatsoever interpretation he giveth of Scripture though it crosse the sense which the Fathers gave yet it must be beleeved if wee will beleeve Å¿ Cusan epist 7. Cusanus And whosoever is absolved by the Pope from Gods Law he is safe enough with God if we will credite t Bodin de Rep. â— 1. c. â— Bodin The touling of Bells the sight of reliques the forgivenes of sins Masses for the dead are some of the rotten wares solde by these soule-marchants Is not this to sell the Inventions of upsâ—arts And from your Charity good Lord deliver us Thus gentle Reader thou hast heard the verdict of the Iurie the senselesse exceptions which the Iesuite hath taken against them all that he can say for himselfe answered and confuted now take upon thee the office of a Iudge consider consult give thy sentence as God shall direct thee SECT VII Of the originall of unwritten Traditions 1. THE contrariety or diversity of any Doctrine froÌ„ the Doctrine of the Apostles is sufficient as a Tertul. pâ—aescript advers haereâ— c. 12. Tertuslian held for the confutation of it We have shewed that the Doctrine of unwritten Traditions doth either crosse the verity of the Scriptures and so they are contra legem or else they crosse the perfâ—ction of them and so are prater legem To find out the original of all Heresies is as difficult a thing as to find out the head of Nilus Hic labor hoc opus est and yet for the more full discoverie of the falshood of this Doctrine unto your Fatherhood the originall of it is thus found out If now is bee demanded in what Popes dayes the contrary Doctrine was brought in among Christians I answere that if S. Peter were ever Pope in his dayes it was that some Seducers first laboured to bring in will worship into the Church against whom S. Paul opposing himselfe Coloss 2. counteth it a sufficient argument to condemne all such inventions that they were the commandements and doctrines of men You tell us a tale of a tub for the Traditions which wee Reply pag. 15â— â—aintâ—ine are not commandements and doctrines of men but delivered unto the Church by the Apostles 2. This is a tale of a tub that you defend no Traditions but such as were delivered by the Apostles unto the Church Will you be content to renounce all your Ecclesiasticall Traditions only to cleave unto Apostolicall Traditions The Scriptures tell tales of your Traditions and we have discovered them to be no better then Aesopes fables or tales of Robin Hood The Apostles words are these * Coloss 2. â— Beware lest any man deceive Reply p. 15â— you by Philosophie according to the Tradition of men according to the elements of this world and not according unto Christ In this place he treateth â—ot of any Traditions which â—e different from the Scriptures but of the observation of the Ceremoniall law which he tearmeth the Tradition of men because it was now expired by the comming of Christ By Philosophiâ— hee doth not meanâ— the Philosophicall Sciences of the Schooles but the doctrine of such as were accounted Sages and wise among the Hebrewes The elâ—ments are not the foure elements but the weake elements of the Iewish Religion He speaketh this saith S. * Hieron Epist ad Algas q. 10. Hiernme against certaine of the Iewes who desired to bring in Iewish Ceremonies And again He swâ—lleth with pride who endeavoureth to bring in Iewish Traditions And thus he presenteth uâ— with a masse of Iewish Traditions Here is a great cry but little wooll much a doe to little pâ—â—pose about Philosophie and the four â— Elements with this Foolosopher The sum of all is this That here the Apostle speaketh of the câ—râ—moniall law I confesse that the Apostle seâ—keth to weane the Colossians from the ceremoniall law and to win them unto Christ In presenting you with a messe of Iewish Traditions we serve you with your owne souce for this messe of Iewish Ceremonies is served up and observed in your Church you have digged Moseâ— out of his grave and a great part of your Religion as a late b Reynolds against Hart. pag. 567. Writer well observeth consisteth in Iewish Ceremonies But this is not the principall thing against which the Apostle disputeth Bellarmine denyeth your exposition saying c Bellar. de verbo Dei l. 4. c. 10. In those places of the new Testament which condemne Traditions they were such Traditionâ— aâ— were contrary to the written word The Apostle hore condâ—mneth Traditions and you say They are not such as were different from the Scripture Bellarmine giveth his reason Because they are never called Traditions of Moses or of the Prophets but Traditions of men you â—ee they are called Traditions of men and yet say they were so called Because the ceremonies were now expired by the comming of Christ Bellarminâ— and this Iesuits doe both cite this place of Hiâ—româ— the one to prove that those Traditions were contrary the other to prove that They differed not from the Scripture And thus the Cardinall and the Iesuâ—te differ in their opinions and agree like Harp and Harrow I approve of Bellarminâ—s reason Traditions of men cannot bee said to bee Traditions of God and though the Ceremoniall law was abolished by the comming of Christ yet it is not therefore to bee called a Traditioâ— of men And if that bee true which the Iesuite * pag. 159. observeth out of our English Translations Thâ—◠〈◊〉 use the word Tradition onely where the Scripture speaketh of certaine Traditions of the Iewes partly frivolous partly repugnant to the Law of God Then the Traditions heere spoken of must needes bee not onely different but also repagâ—â—â—â— to the Law of God for in this place all our Traâ—llations have the word Tradition That the Apostle here speaketh of Traditions different from the Scriptures this doth evidently appeare by the particular Traditions which he condemneth as d Verse 18. 19. worshipping of Angels And touch not tuste not handle not These are Popish Traditions they worship Angels in praying to them and some of them must not touch fine liâ—â—en not tâ—ste flesh not handle money These are Traditions of men not different from the Scriptures And if you had not stinted us to shew In what Popes dayes unwritten Traditions were brought in
among Christians wee could easily have shewed not onely the Grandfathers of this Doctrine to be Heretickes among the Christians but also that the Sâ—ducers among the Iewes were the great grand Fathers of it In a booke of theirs called Pirke Aboth Capitula Patrum we reade thus God gaue by Moses not onely the written Law but also an unwritten Law And e Peres de Tradit eccles part 2. asseâ— 1. Peresius citeth this out of Rabbi Moyses That God gave unto Moyses severall Doctrines by word of mouth besides the written Law which Moyses delivered to Ioshua Ioshua to the 70. Elders the 70. Elders to the Prophets and the Prophets to the chiefe of the Synagogues These Traditions the Apostles condemned as f Iâ—en l. 4. e. 25. Irenâ—uâ— declareth Not the Law of Moyses but the Traditions of the Elders corrupting the Law of Moyses were condemned by them These were condemned by the Prophets g Isaâ— 29. 13. As Doctrines â—f men even then when the Ceremoniall Law was of force And these were received in the dayes of S. Peter not from the Law of Moyses but h 1. Pet. 1. 18 By the Tradition of the Fathers namely those Seducers among the Hebrowes Neither doth S. Hicroâ—â— in that Epistle cite this tâ—xt at all therfore his words are here impertinently alledged Shortly after them started up other Heretickes who taught Answer that * Iren. l. 3. c. 2. the truth could not bee found out of the Scriptures by those to whom Tradition was unknowne for as much as it was not delivered by writing but by word of mouth for which cause S. Paul also should say we speake wisedome among them that be perfect This sticketh so close unto the Iesuite that with all his idle shifts he cannot shake it off â—â— He answereth ex concessis Those Heretickes were so Reply pag. 153 madde as to say that they were wiser then the Apostles themselves c. How then can they have any part with us who adâ—it all Apostolicall Doctrine 3. Are you not likewise tolde that All of them did not breake forth into that open impiety Some of them and not all of them were so madde as to say They were wiser then the Apostles And you may bee stareing though not starke madde Doe you admit all Apostolicall Doctrine Why then doe you not admit the Communion sub utrâ◠specie The inconstant Councell of Constance saw good reason to take away the Cup and to make it a dry Feast although as the i Concil Constan Sess 13. Councell confesseth Christ appointed it and the Primitive Church used it This declareth that you are as badd as the worst and as madde as the maddest Heretickes that ever were How could you doe this to make a new law contrary to the law given by Christ observed by the Apostles and by the Primitive Church if in this point ye did not thinke your selves wiser then the Primitive Church then the Apostles yea then Christ himselfe Cardinall Hosius breaketh forth into this impietie k Hosius Confess Petricoviâ—â—sâ— de Tradit 9â— That the Church which now is hath more revealed unto it then was revealed unto the Apostles And thus The same mysterie of iniquity which wrought in the fore-runners of Antichrist thâ—â— is discovered in his ministers now His second shift is to put the Hereticke upon us You are in the same predicament with those Heretickes in denying unwritten Tradition Whatsoever can be proved to have beene delivered by the Apostles either by writing or by word of mouth we deny it not we willingly receive what soever is truly an Apostolical TraditioÌ„ But 〈…〉 nomine it is you that are in the same predicaâ—â—â—â— for we can evidently prove it and our l Concil Constan ses 13. Bellarm. l. 4. de Sacram. Lucharist c. â—4 Adversaries confesse it that the Church received this written Tradition froÌ„ the Apostles and did likewise observe it to administer the Cup in the Supper of the Lord this Apostolicall Tradition delivered both by writing by word of mouth is litle couÌ„ted of by you and therefore you may take up your standing among those Heretickes and enter your name in Catalogâ— Hareticorum His last shift is this This holy Father Irâ—nâ—us was accustomed Reply pag. 153 to urge the Hereâ—â—ckes with the Tradition of the Apostles which is preserved in the Churches by the succession of Priests And if he were now alive he would as earnestly â—rge you with the same looly Traditions With what weapons Irenaus fought against the Heretickes we have * Sect. 4. Div. 5 already shewed Traditions are either written or unwritten unwritten Traditions were the hereticks plea they spake disgracefully of the scriptures that they were obscure might be diver sly interpreted could not be understood without Traditions and that Traditions were before them the same spirit possesseth our Adversaryes as if those Heretickes by some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were transformed into them Against these Heretickes Irenâ—â—â— fought first by the Scriptures then when they appealed unto Traditions he fought against them by the Tradition of the Apostles preserved in the Churches If Irenâ—us were alive he needed not â—rge iâ— against us wee urge it against you wee are now upon triall by it we say that we follow the Tradition of the Apostles preserved in the Churches that is the succession of true doctrine in the Churches as it is contained in the Scriptures But what is this to Popish Traditions They are not from the Apostles they are not contained in the Scriptures nor preserved in the Churches but onely maintained contrary to the Scriptures and the Tradition of the Churches as they were of old by Hereticks so in latter times by an Antichristian faction They confessed indeed as witnesseth Tertullian * Tertul. de prâ—scripâ— c. 25. that the Apostles Answeâ— were ignorant of nothing and differed not among themselves in their preaching but they say they revealed not all things unto all men some things they delivered openly to all some things secretly and to a few Because that Paul useth this spâ—â—ch unto Timothy O Timothy keepe that which is committed to thy trust And againe That good thing which was committed unto thee keepe I confesse in one thing our Adversaries are not like thâ—se Heretickâ—s they confâ—ssed that the Apostles were ignorant of nothing but our Adversaries hold this That there is more revealed unto the Church which now is then was revealed unto the Apostles as we have heard from Hosius the Cardinall Setting aside that part of the testimonie in all things elfe they are as like those Heretickes as if they had beene spit out of their mouth and therefore lest their agreement should be discovered the Iesuite in his wisedome thought it the best way not to lay downe these words of the Answerer but onely to returne a blind answere unto them It is confessed that Tertullian was a maintainer of unwritten Reply pag.
any secret Doctrines concealed from the little ones that beleeved which were in secret revealed to the great ones but all points of faith were propounded before all the faithfull but now his tongue is clipâ— and these words in the late editions because they crosse them are crossed out Where then is the uniforme consent of the Fathers for your Doctrine This is not the voyce of the Fathers but of the Heretickes if you will beleeve your owne Salmâ—ron e Ex grege Haereticorum nostri seculi quidam est insignis Castellio dictus qui docet Apostolum reconditio em aliquam Doctrinam habu isse quam Scriptis non commendaverit sed quibusdam perfectis hominibus eam tradidisse Salmer in 2. Tim. 3. Tom. 15. There is a notable Hereticke of late dayes called Castellio who teacheth that the Apostle had a more secret kinde of doctrine which he would not publish to the world by writing but delivered it to certaine perfect men If this be heresie in him then the same is heresie in you so that he may well shake hands with you and you with the ancient Heretickes This doctrine is likewise built upon most false propositions 1. That he greatest mysteries are reserved for Traditions and the least are contained in the Scripture but what greaâ—er mystery is there then the mystery of the Trinity The wonderfull union of the two natures in one person Christ is declared by the Scripture to be a f 1. Tim. â— 16. great mystery So is the mysticaâ—l union of Christ and his Church a g â—phes 5. 32. great mystery All unwritten Traditions are but trifles unto these 2. That the dignity of those mysteries requireth silence least too much knowledge should bring thâ—m into contempt Trutâ— never blusheth but when it is concealed saith h Nihil veritas crubescit nisi abscondi Tert. Cont. Valentinian Tertulliaâ— And ignorance not knowledge causeth pride and contempt S. Paul would not have the Romanes ignorant of a great mysterie lest they should be i Rom. 11. 25. arrâ—gant What made the Atheniaâ—s speake basely of S. k Act. 17. Paul and of his doctrine but only their ignorance When the Apostles spake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l Act. 2. 11. the wonderfull things of God ignorance made their hearers floute them for it The mysteries of Gods word are not like juggling tricks which being oft seene and discovered become contemptible but rather like the Sun every day seene and yet desired m Aug. epist â— Such is the depth of holy Scripture saith S. Augustine that if I did studie nothing but it all the dayes of my life yet I may still learne more out of it How then can the knowledge of those things cause contempt of which the ripest understanding can never know enough And if those things were not to bee taught to the people which in fact thorough their owne foolishnesse they doe sometimes contemne thâ—n surely the Apostles would never have written such mysteries as are contained in Scripture neither would they have preached Christ crucified both to the Iewes and to the Gentiles n 1. Cor. 1. 2â— To the lewes a stumbling blocke and to the Grâ—â—ians foolisâ—nes And as these positions are false so their practise is contrary to their owne grounds For if those great mysteries are not opened in the Scriptures which â—â—â— read to the whole world but are locked up under unwritten Traditions and onely the things of lesse dignity are opened in the Scriptures why then are the common people debarred from reading the Scriptures not from unwritten Traditions Why doe you teach these great mysteries of unwritten Traditions unto them seeing they may be sooner brought into contempt by hearing then by reading The reason is because all cannot read but all have eares to heare Yea what authority have you to write those things which the Apostles thought not â—it to be written o Dionys Halicarn l. 1â— Those things saith Dâ—â—nysiuâ— which all may nâ—â— see I thinke all â—â—â—uld not heare them neither ought they to bee written Wherefore that hereafter your practice may not be contrary to your positions take away your Missals Rationals Rituals Pontificals Breviaries Legends and the like from the eyes of the common people seeing in these are the greatest mysteries which by too much familiaritie may be contemned allow the Scriptures unto the common people seeing the Apostles would not open these mysteries in the Scriptures which are to be read unto the whole world lest they should be contemned To shift his necke out of the coller that hee may not bee couppled with those Heretickes he useth this as an other shift Must we shake hands with Heretickes forsooth if wee Reply p. 155. doe but once touch the same texts which they have produced He learned his manners forsooth but he hath lost his wâ—â—s Here is a witlesse demaund wee know the Devill used * Mat. 4. 6. Scripture and yet we lawfully use the same text He said to our Saviour p Mat. 8. 29. What have I to doe with thee And yet our Saviour used the same wordes to his mother q Ioh. 2. 4. What have â— to doe with thâ—â— Heretickes will range thâ—rough the Scripture and so must we but we say you may well shake hands with those Heretickes when you make use of the same texts for the same purpose for which they were condemned The Iesuite denyeth the fact Those Heretickes did reject such Traditions aâ— the Catholicke Church did then maintaine And they brought in such Traditions as they of themselves found out teaching against the nature of Christ and the like In this likewise you may be parallel'd with those Heretickes for reâ—ecting such written Traditions as the Catholick Church did then maintaine as the giving of the Cup the reading of the Scripture the perfection of the Scripture and the like And also for bringing in unwritten Traditions of your owne invention which from the beginning were not and yet are fathered on the Apostles by you And though in the particular Haresies defended by those Hereticks you may differ from them yet in the general tenent you may well shake hands together as long as with those Hereticks you defend The dignity of many mysteries to be such that it is unmeet they should be opened in the Scriptures And that the Apostles had a more secret kind of doctrine which they would not lay down in their writings but delivered it by word of mouth unto perfect men that so under the colour and pretence of unwritten Traditions you may say what you will as against the nature of Christs body that it may be in 10000. places at once and yet this pillar of Popery shall uphold it whatsoever it be that you teach The Iesuite having entred his name in Catalogo Hâ—reticorum he taketh much paines to little purpose to find out our name therein What can you say for your selfe when you Reply
Scriptures He expoundeth the words of our Lord Search the Scriptures in this mannâ—r Å¿ Idem hom 14 in Iohn Our Lord exhorted all the Iewes to search the Scriptures t 2. Pet. 1. 15 Yee dâ—e well saith S. Peter that ye take heâ—d unto them But thus saith the supposed Successor of S. Peter yee doe ill to read them for innumerable and great inconveniences come thereby Thus wee see a manifest opposition betwixt Christ and his supposed vicar betwixt the practise of the Primitive Church and of the now Roman Church Let the evils be never so great yet our taking away the Scriptures from the common people can be no more justified then your taking away the cuppe you may aswell take away meat and drinke from them because evill commeth sometimes by them you may aswell forbid them the hearing of the word as the reading of it seeing evill may come by preaching being misunderstood you may aswell take Christ from them because he is to some a rocke of offence and a stone to stumble at If this reason be good then take away the Scriptures from the Priests likewise yea rather from them because they may pervert the meaning of the Scriptures and not onely thereby fall themselves into evill but likewise draw Disciples after them And as * Bellarm. de Pontif. Rom. l. 1. c. â— Bellarmine observeth the Ring-leaders of the people into heresies have beene for the most part Bishops or Preists But will you heare the particular inconvâ—niâ—nces 1. Doth not the licentious liâ—â— of your people against Princes Reply p. 158. Pastors and Church shew plainely that which Sutor mentioneth This is a lye of the longest elevens Let the world judge whether obedience unto Princes be better taught and practised by us or by you A Princes Crowne cannot sit sure upon his head if this doctrine be true The Pope may depose Kings and dispose of their Kingdomes the which is defended by the Iesuite x Marian de Rege Regis institut Mariana and y I de abdicat Hennc 3 â—â— ascribed to Bucher Bucherus As for obedience unto Pastors and the Church setting aside that blinde obedience the common proverbe declareth what you are The nearer Rome the worse Christians 2. The losse of soules as * â—ee pag 2â— of tâ—e Reply Calvin confesseth that the Divell did gaine more â—oules by permitting the Scriptures to the vulgar Reply pag. 1â—â— sort then by kâ—eping the word from them Calvin speaketh onely of corrupt Translations as the Iesuite himselfe confesseth in the place cited what therefore Calvin saith of corrupt Translations that the Devill gained soules by them is rather true of yours then of ours for they are more corrupt then ours The vulgar Latine Translation upon which you dote so much that you preferre it before the Originall hath many corruptions of all sorts as a Bishop z Lindan de opt gener interp l. 3 c. 1. of yours confesseth Every old wife is able to chop Scripture with the best of you all You should rather pitty the ignorance of your owne silly women who are like those women spoken of by S. Paul a 2. Tim. 3. 7. who are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Their ignorance I say you should rathâ—r pittie then envie the knowledge of our women whose glory it may be and not their shame that they are more skilfull in the Scriptures then many Iesuites and are able to discover your errors in many points of Divinitie Pamphilus approved this practice not onely in men but likewise in women for as Hierome recoâ—deth it b Scripturâ—s quoque sanctâ—â— non ad legendum tantum sed ad habendum tribuâ—bat promptissimè non â—olùm vitis sed foeminis quas vidisset lectioni deditas Hiâ—ron in Apol. cont Ruf. He gave most freely the holy Scriptures not onely to read but to keep them for their owne not onely unto men but likewise to as many women as hee saw did give themselves to reading In the conclusion of this Section he telleth us a tale of an olde wife They are living yet and perhaps your owne selfe are not ignorant of it who can testifie that one of your Predecessours in that dignitie which you once enjoyed being challenged for taking a second wife contrary to â—he presâ—ript of the Apostle ordaining that a * 1 Tim. 3. â—6 Bishop should be the husband but of one wife onely returned a short answer for himselfe out of the same Apostle * 1. Cor. 7. 9. that it was better to marry then to burne Reply p. 158. Choosing rather to separate S. Paul from S. Paul then his second wife from himselfe I know the person by your description the first letters of his name are G. M. His fame liveth after his death unto his glory and were hee living hâ— would have curried your cockscombe for this tale S. Augustine saith that Montauns the Hereticke was the first that condemned c August de Haeres ad Quodâ—ultd second marriage as fornication from him our Adversaries have received the same opinion S. Paul condemneth it not no not in a Bishop himselfe d Praecipitur â—t non nisi singulas â—no tempore habeant uxorea Hicron epist ad Ocean To avoyde the multiplicitie of wives which was common with the â—ewes at the same time it is commanded saith S. Hierome that they shall have but one wife at once If the Apostle allow one wife to a Bishop why doe you condemne that by your Traditions which God alloweth The forbidding of it crosseth the truth of the Scripture for the Scripture saith e Heb. 13. 4. Marriage is honorable among all men but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge And these Tradition mongers say marriage is damnable among some men but whore mongers and adulterers are not so Doe wee not see it among them that a Priest may not hold one benefice with one wife but hee may keepe two benefices with three concubines When Hildebrand an adulterous Pope resolved to bring in this doctrine of devils f 1. Tim. 4. 3. in forbidding of marriage the Clergy with one consent cryed out against him g Lambert Schaphnaburg hist an 1074. He was an Hereticke he forgat the sayings of our Lord All men cannot receive this saying And of his Apostle Hee that cannot abstaine let him marry for it is better to marry then to burne That renowned Prelate might answer the same for himselfe yet not separate S. Paul from S. Paul To conclude this Section dayly experience sheweth it that as greater inconveniences come by debarring the common people from the Scriptures then by admitting them to reade them so greater evils proceede from debarring Preists their wives then from the allowing of them Platina saw this long since therefore in the life of Pius Secundus he secondeth this Sacerdotibus magnâratione sublat â—â— nuptias majori restituâ—ndas There
present themselves Folly is so â—eâ—pely rooted in him that though he were brayed in a morter his foolishnesse will not depart from him As for bâ—aggs they are essentiall to him and therefore confute him never so evidently by the Scriptures and by the Fathers yet a man may aswell make a scould lâ—ave rayling as make him leave his bragging I will not actum agere answere that againe which hath beene already three or foure times answered yet that the Reader may see that I have not lefâ— one testimonie it selfe unanswered the margine * Ignatius sect 2. the lasâ— testimonâ— Terâ—ul sect 6. Divis â— Eureb sect 6. Divil 12. doth direct him where hee shall finde these testimonies taken out of Ignaâ—ius Tertullian Eusebius Epiphanius Basil Chrysostome and Augustine already answered Epiph. sect 2. Divis 11. Basil sect 6. Divis 10. Chrys sect 3. Divil 2. August sect 4â— Divis 8. The pleading is ended and the verdict is given against you conclusum est in causâ all your witnesses come too late and your testimonies a day after the fayre but because we are willing to give you a full hearing you shall have your witnesses examined The Fathers of the Councell of Gangers doe pleade our cause as if they had beene fie'd to that end * Conc. Gang. can ult We desire that all Reply p. 164. things delivered by the Scriptures and Ecclesiasticall Traditions by Apostolicall Traditions it is in the Greeke be observed in the Church 2. The Eustathians against whom this Councell proceeded erred both in point of Doctrine and in Ceremonies in doctrine absolutely condemning the Christian duty of fasting and the honourable state of marriage in all men in ceremonies they allowed not the received kinde of apparel but would have a strange kinde brought into the Church Against the first their errors in doctrine these Fathers pleaded the Scripture against the latter their error in Ceremonies they alleadged the Tradition of the Apostles And therefore desired that All things should be observed in the Church which were delivered by the Scriptures and by Apostolicall Tradition You have need to fee these Fathers again for this which they have pleaded is nothing for you Some Protestants tell us that in these sayings the Fathers Reply pag. 165 doe not speake of points belonging unto faith 3. It seemeth you answer without taking out the copie of our Answer What we have answered we have will ever make it good that in many places where the Fathers speake only of rituall Traditions you alleadge them as patrons of doctrinall Traditions unwritten Wee say not in all those places they speake not of points of faith in some they doe in some places they doe not And here againe he bringeth in the same witnesses to bee reexamined as Basil concerning the worshipping of the Holy Ghost Augustine for rebaptization Tertullian touching prayer for the dead Epiphanius about single lift Chrysostome Augustine and Epiphanius about prayer for the dead those points saith he they accounted necessary and unwritten Traditions S. Basil being duely sworne testifieth this that the worship which is due unto the holy Ghost is taught in Scripture but for the use of this syllable Cum in this forme of words Glory be to the Father and to the Sonne cum spiritu sancto with the holy Ghost this forme of words hee confesseth is not written but that it may be defended by Tradition S. Augustine confesseth the same concerning the point of Rebaptization that although this forme of words Those that returne from the Heretickes shall not bee rebaptiâ—ed be not written yet from most certaine grounds of Scripture he concludeth the same And no Protestant saith this is not an article of faith Tertullian is onely an advocate for Rituall Traditions unwritten And the anniversary oblation or yearely prayer for the dead at such and such times is not to be reckoned among the points of faith but among the Customes or ordinances of the Church Epiphanius saith that the obligation to abstaine from marriage is such in those that have so vowed that it is a finne to marry after single lifâ— is vowed The Popish practise declareth it to be no sinne else how could a Cromer de rebus Polon lib. 4. Benedict the 9th dispense with Casimirus the heyre of Polonia to marry after his vow It is the Popes dispensation which is above law which maketh it lawfull This is a case of Conscience as we hold which may be determined though it be not expressely written by sure and certaine principles of the Scripture in this manner If the vow be solemnely made and the party by any meanes be able to keepe it it is unlawfull to marry although the Pope would dispense with it but if not we say with Epiphanius b Epiph. haer 61 It is better to marry after the vow at length to returne home to the Church though he be laâ—e then alwayes to be wounded with inward darts And wherein doth this differ from the Scriptures conclusion c 1. Cor. 7. 9. It is better to marry then to burne S. Chrysostomes saying that the Apostles have not delivered all things by writing cannot prove that they did not deliver all their doctrines or all necessary things by writing because all things which the Apostles delivered were not doctrines nor things necessary And yet the Iesuite to helpe his lame dogge over the stile corruptly readeth S. Chrysostomes words in stead of All things he readeth All their doctrine saying the Apostles have not delivered all their doctrine by writing Epiphanius and Augustine are in the like manner to bee answered they say the Apostles delivered many things without writing Hence the Iesuite inferreth that they delivered many points of faith or doctrines of salvation without writing I may aswell inferre the Iesuite is an animal ergo an asse But Chrysostome Augustine and Epiphanius saith he tell us in particular that the Custome of the Church in praying for the dead is a Tradition given by the Apostles unto the Church without writing If it bee a Tradition given without writing how then can you make good this part of your Challenge For the confirmation of all the points of our Religion of which prayer for the dead is one I will produce good and certaine grounds out of the holy Scriptures if the Fathers authority will not suffice If you can bring no Scripture for this point then you must eat these words if you doe produce Scripture then it was not given without writing Qui benè distinguit benè docet here wee must needs distinguish the point it selfe of praying for the dead from the Custome of the Church in praying for them at set times this custome we must distinguish from the reasons of it as they are given by these three Fathers their reasons we must distinguish from the reasons given by our Adversaries The point it selfe how we may pray for them is grounded on d 2. Tim. 1. 1â—
this our Adversaryes enlarge unto all articles of faith As in that of S. Hierome which the Iesuite addeth in the margine That God was borne of a virgin we beleeve because we read it that Mary did marry after she was delivered we beleeve not because we read it not 11. The Fathers provoke their Adversaries unto Scripture only not only in doubtful questions not determined but likewise in points of faith determined by the Church out of the Scriptures The first Councell of Nice determined this point That the Sonne is consubstantiall with the Father and yet about an 100. yeares after S. Augustine disputing against Maximinus the Arian about the same point provoketh k August cont Maxim l. 3. c. 14 him unto Scripture onely The Iesuit's instance of the perpetuall virginity of the blessed Virgin cannot agree with the observation of the Cardinall If it was a question not determined in the Church when S. Hierome wrote against Helvidius why then doth the Iesuite insert it into his * ag 126. Catalogue of unwritten Traditions For as Iulius Rugerius once one of the Popes Protonotaries observeth l Iâ—l Ruger de lib. Canoniâ—is A Tradition is of no force if it have not beene beleeved even from the times of the Apostles 6. When the Fathers cry out upon the abominable impostures Reply p. 169. of the Heretickes who â—athered upon the Apostles execrable Traditions our Adversaries make use of this against such Catholicke and Apostolicke Traditions as the universall Church in all ages and thoroughout all nations hath evermore observed 12. We admit all Catholicke and Apostolicke Traditions and yeeld to the doctrine of the Catholicke Church if by the Catholicke Church he doe not meane the Roman Catholicke Church The Traditions of that Church are as execrable and abominable as those Traditions which were invented by those Hereticks and we have just cause as the Fathers did to cry ouâ— against such Traditions These are the fraudulent inventions by which these Tradition-mongers seeke to avoyde the verdict which the Fathers have given against unwritten Doctrines whose fraud and craftinesse do â—like wise appeare in alleadging the testimonies of the Fathers for unwritten Traditions for as wee have discovered in the stateing of this Question wheresoâ—ver the Fathers use the word Tradition meaning thereby eiâ—her the manner of delivery or the matter delivered eithâ—r Rituall Traditions unwritten or Doctrinâ—ll Traditions written all those places without any respect to thâ— sense most senselesly and deceitfully they produce for their unwritten Traditions When the Fathers use the word Tradition for the delivery of the written word in writing by the Apostles or for their delivery of the same things which are in the word by preaching or by practise or for the Churches delivery of the written word or of written doctrines either expressely written or by consequence deduced or delivered in an unwritten forme of words or for the succession of true doctrine in the Church or for unwritten rites and ordinances used by the Church all such places they alleadge against us for their papisticall Traditions We confesse that which followeth in his Reply That Reply pag. 170. the condition of being written or not written belongeth nothing at all unto the nature of a precept but onely unto the manner of delivery and therefore if once we be assured it was delivered we must not doubt of it This is the true state of the Question whether the Apostles did deliver such things or no Prove this that the Apostles did deliver such doctrines as are not contained in the Scriptures that your unwritten doctrines are the same and we will make no doubt of them To prove this the Iesuite propâ—undeth three rules whereby we may be certainely assured of this 1. By the testimonie of the Church vivâ voce 2. By the dayly and constant practise of the Church 3. By the written attestation of the Saints and holy Doctours His 1. rule is thus squared Seeing our Adversaryes have Reply pag. 170 no other warrant for the written word but the continuall testimonie of the Church thoroughout all ages having the same authoritie for the unwritten word why doe they not embrace the same 13. If we had as good authority for the one as we have for the other we would embrace it for the written word we have more sure grounds then the testimonie of the Church as we have * Sect. 4. Div. 16 shewed but for unwritten Traditions we have not so much as the continuall testimony of the Church throroughout all ages Produce if you can the continuall testimony of the Church thoroughout all ages for adoring of Images for denying the Cuppe and the Scriptures unto the common people and marriage unto Priests To prove unwritten Traditions by the testimonie of the Church is to prove idem per idem for they account the testimonie of the Church an unwritten Tradition This is to prove obscurum per obscurius because it is a most diâ—â—icult thing to finde out the continuall testimonie of the Church thorough all ages Howsoever we put it to the tryall of the Church exceptis semper excipiendis 1. That it be the testimony of the truly Catholicke Church not of the Roman Catholicke Church whose fame is crackt and â—he is â—mficti praviâ— tenax the case is her owne and shee must not be a witnesse in her owne cause m Aug epist 9. If one false thing bee found in the Scriptures saith S. Augustine what authoritie can there be in them In the Roman Church there is at the least one false Tradition which is not from the Apostles as the taking away of the Cuppe and then what authority can there be in her testimony 2. The testimony of the Church must be beleeved the Iesuite might spare his labour in proving it but it cannot beget that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full assurance which the Scripture doth so that I may easily answer his question What deposition of witnesses I pray Reply p. 170. you can be more certaine and authenticall then tho voyce of the whole Church Why the voyce of the Scripture is a more â—ure word holy men may be deceived in some things and their aâ—â—irmation maketh a thing probable but the Scripture is infallible so certaine as non potest â—ubesse falsam the Scriptures affirmation is a most certaine demonstration And now having made our exceptions let us heare the continuall testimony of the Church The voyce of the Church is an uniforme consent and agreement of six or seven Reply p. 170. thousand Chayres and Episcopall Successions derived without any interruption from the Apostles and their successours and of many millions of subordinate Churches â—hâ—rough the which as thorough so many câ—nduit pipes ordained assisted and authorized by the holy Ghost for this effect the Traditions of the Apostles have with a great uniformity sliden and â—â—owen through all ages unto us This is not the voâ—ce of Iacob but
of Esau we expected to heare the continuall tâ—stimony of the Church aâ— least to heare some of the 6000 or 7000 chaires or one of the many millions of subordinat Churches we heare only the testimony of a â—esuite who will make no bones oâ— it to lye for the good of the Church Partâ—rit Oceanus prodit de gurgite squâ—lla Our excâ—ptions have prevented his testimonie you may aswell aske the daughter if the mother be an whoore Thais or Lais will never condemne her selfe Neither doth he tell us what the Church saith by her testimonie but it is a â—esuiticall description of the voyce of the Church An uniforme consent hath not beene continually in all ages in the Church about such Rituall Traditions it selfe as the Apostles have delivered unto the Church He that knoweth any thing in antiquitie cannot bee ignorant of that dissent in the Church about the observation of Easter day Six or seven thousand Chayres and Episcopall Successions derived without any interruption from the Apostles and their Successours and of many millions of subordinate Churches This is like the eleven thousand virgins Where shall wee finde them Were there so many Apostles did they sit in so many Chayres and are there so many Chayres that can be derived successively from the Apostles without any interruption The Roman Church is none of these in which there hath oft beene a personall interruption and at this day there is a doctrinall interruption in succession from S. Peter Through which as through so many conduit pipes the Traditions of the Apostles have with a great uniformitie sliden thorough all ages unto us It stands you upon to prove this for we deny it It is false impossible and improbable False because the Romane conduit pipe is so stuffed up with mire and filth that the water which passeth thorough it is the water of Marah and not the water of life her Traditions are not Apostolicall but Apostaticall Impossible because if this Iesuite were as strong as Sampson as wise as Salomon as long lived as Methusalem and did nothing but study this point all his life yet he is not able to declare what was beleeved and practised continually thorough all ages with an uniforme consent in those 6000. or 7000. Chayres and many millions of subordinate Churches And it is improbable that things unwritten trusting to the bare memory of man for their preâ—ervation should continually in all ages thorough thousands and millions of Churches with such an uniformity slide unto you seeing it is most certaine vox audita perâ—t The Iesuite foreseeing that this rule would not hold frameth his second rule after this manner Those matters were not trusting unto the bare memory of Reply p. 170. man for their preservation but were surely stamped in the custome dayly practise of the Church never to be obliterated but it was continually extant most apparantly at every houre and moment 14. This rule is likewise lyable to the same exceptions It is false 1. Because our Adversaries hold many things to be unwritten Traditions which cannot be seene in the dayly practise of the Church and are not continually extant most apparantly at every houre and moment Such are those Traditions which the Iesuite hath * Pag. 126. alleadged as That the Father is unbâ—ggottâ—n that the Sonne is consubstantiall with the Father that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne as from one beginning These things wee beleeve we see them not how then can they be seen continually extant most apparantly Such likewise are those secret and hidden mysteries which for their dignity least they should be contemned by too much familiarity as the Iesuite hath * Pag. 155. said were not to be written If they might not bee read then surely they ought not to be continually extant most apparantly at every houre and moment 2. Because Custome is not to be the rule of faith unlesse we have the authority of the Scripture for that custome n Basil epist â—0 It is not good saith Basil to make custome the law and rule of true doctrine the Scriptures inspired by God must be the Iudge 3. Because such Traditions as are now defended in the Romane Church were not continually observed in all the Churches of God 4. Because all the points of faith which were surely stamped in the dayly practise of the Church were likewise more surely stamped in the holy Scriptures The Apostles did not write their Traditions in letters of paper and inke but in the heart and forehead of the Church saith the Iesuite because the Apostle saith * 2. Cor. 3. 3 you are manifest to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us Those things were written in their hearts therfore they were not written in paper inke this inference is so absurd that with all the paper and inke in the world he can never make it good Whatsoever is written in the Scriptures ought to be written as it were in our hearts and on our foreheads thus we read of the blessed virgin she laide up in her o Luc. â— 19. heart those things which are written With the heart we p Rom. 10. 10. beleeve Doe we therefore beleeve things unwritten No for those things are written that we may q Ioh. 20. 31. beleeve The writing of things in the heart doth no more exclude writing in paper and inke then it doth exclude teaching by word of mouth S. Paul calleth the Corinthians his Epistle because in their practise he read the doctrine which he taught them he may aswell inferre therefore S. Paul did not write two Epistles unto the Corinthians in paper and inke The instances given by the Iesuite of the baptizing of Children and of the observing of Sunday are of this nature things seene in practice and things written in the Scriptures This is so evident that after all his labour and toyle to prove unwritten points of faith he concludeth with us against himselfe in these very words * pag. 171. All those points of Christian Religion which doe absolutely belong unto the naked Theorick or speculation of our faith are touched either directly or indirectly in the the Scripture and those articles which are reserved unto sole Tradition are rituall points This sheweth that there is some hope of the man for hee renounceth all Doctrinall points of Popery and onely holdeth with it in such Rituall points as are unwritten As this is false and therefore is no rule in it selse so it is impossible to be knowne and therefore it is no rule unto us Can a man be at every houre and moment in those thousands and many millions of Churches to see their practise most apparantly extant You tell us that the Iewes had unwritten Traditions aswell as the Christianâ— among which this was one r Bellaâ—â— de verbo Deil. 4. cap. 4. The remedy for originall sinne in women and as you cannot tell us by the dayly practise and