Selected quad for the lemma: tradition_n
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A30455
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Six papers by Gilbert Burnet.
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Burnet, Gilbert, 1643-1715.
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1687
(1687)
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Wing B5912; ESTC R26572
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63,527
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69
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〈◊〉 less apt to fail than a Tradition of Points of Speculation and yet we see very neâ—r the Age of the Apostles contrary Traditions touching the Observation of Easter from which we must conclude that either the Matter of Fact of one side or the other as it was handed down was not true or at least that it was not rightly understood A Tradition concerning the Use of the Sacraments being a visible thing is more likely to be exact than a Speculation concerning their nature and yet we find a Tradition of giving Infants the Communion grounded on the indispensible necessity of the Sacrament continued 1000. years in the Church A Tradition on which the Christians founded their Joy and Hope is less like to be changed than a more remote Speculation and yet the first Writers of the Christian Religion had a Tradition handed down to them by those who saw the Apostles of the Reign of Christ for a Thousand Years upon Earth and if those who had Matters at second hand from the Apostles could be thus mistaken it is more reasonable to apprehend greater Errors at such a distance A Tradition concerning the Book of the Scriptures is more like to be exact than the Exposition of some passages in it and yet we find the Church did unaimously belâ—eve the Translation of the 70. Interpreters to have been the effect of a miraculous Inspiration till S. Ierome examined this matter better and made a New Translation from the Hebrew Copies But which is more 〈◊〉 all the rest It seems plain that the Fathers before the Council of Nice believed the Divinity of the Son of God to be in some sort Inferiour to that of the Father and for some Ages after the Council of Nice they believed them indeed both equal but they considered these as two different Beings and only one in Essence as three men have the same humane Nature in common among them and that as one Candle lights another so the one flowed from another and after the Fifth Century the Doctrine of one Invidual Essence was received If you will be farther informed concerning this Father Petaâ— will satisfie you as to the first Period before the Council of Nice and the learned Dr. Cudworth as to the second In all which particulars it appears how variable a Thing Tradition is And upon the whole Matter the examining Tradition thus is still a searching among Books and here is no living Judge XII If then â—he Authority that must decide Controversies lies in the Body of the Pastors scattered over the World which is the last retrenchment here as many and as great Scruples will arise as we foâ—nd in any of the former Heads Two difficulties appear at first view the one is How can we be assured that the present Pastors of the Church are derived in a just Succession from the Apostles there are no Registers extant that prove this So that we have nothing for it but some Histories that are so carelesly writ that we find many mistakes in them in other Matter and they are so differenâ— in the very first links of that Chain that immediately succeeded the Apostâ—es that the utmost can be made of this is that here is an Historical Religion somewhat doubtful but here is nothing to found our Faith on so that if a Succession from the Apostles timâ—s is necessary to the Constitution of that Church to which we must submit our selves we know not where to find it besides that the Dâ—ctrine of the necessary of the Intention of the Minister to the Validity of a Sacrament throws us into inextricable difficulties I know they generally say that by the Intention they do not mean the inward Acts of the Minister of the Sacrament but only that it must appear by his outward deportment that he is in earnest going about a Sacrament aud not doing a thing in jâ—st and this appeared so reasonable to me that I was â—orry to find our Divines urge it too much till turning over the Rubricks that are at the beginning of the Mâ—ssal I found upon the head of the Intention of the Minister that if a Priest has a Number of Hostiâ—â— before him to be consecrated and intends to consecrate them all except one in that case that Vagrant exception falls upon them all it not being affixed to any one and it is defined that he consecrates none at all Here it is plain that the secret Acts of a Priest can defeat the Sacrament so this overthrows all certainty concerning a Succession But besides all this we are sure that the Greek Churches have a much more uncontested Succession than the Latines So that a Succession cannot direct us And if it is necessary to seek out the Doctrines that are universally received this is not possible for a private Man to know So that in ignorant Countries where there is little Study the people have no other certainty concerning their Religion but what they take from their Curate and Confessor since they cannot examine what is generally receiâ—ed So that it must be confessed that all the Arguments that are brought for the necessity of a constant Infallible Iudge turn against all those of the Church of Rome that do not acknowledge the Infallibility of the Pope for if he is not infallible they have no other Iudge that can pretend to it It were also easie to shew that some Doctrins have been â—s Unâ—versally received in some Ages as they have been rejected in others which shews that the Doctrine of the present Church is not always a sure measure For five Ages together the Doctrine of the Popes Power to depose Heretical Princes was received without the least Opposition and this cannot be doubted by any that knows what has been the State of the Church since the End of the eleventh Century and yet I believe few Princes would allow this notwithstanding all the concurring authority of so many Ages to fortifie it I could carry this into a great many other Instances but I single out this because it is a point in which princes are naturally extream sensible Upon the whole Matter it can never enter into my mind that God who has made Man a Creature that naturally enquires and reasons and that feels as sensible a pleasure when he can give himself a good account of his actions as one that sees does perceive in comparison to a blind man that is led about and that this God that has also made Religion on design to perfect this Humane Nature and to raise it to the utmost height to which it can arrive has contrived it to be dark and to be so much beyond the penetration of our Faculties that we cannot find out his mind in those things that are necessary for our Salvation and that the Scriptures that were writ by plain men in a very familiar stile and addrest without any discrimination to the Vulgar should become such an unintelligible Book in these Ages that we must have an
adhered to his Majesty even against a Pretender that declared for them And in the Session of Parliament which came after that they shewed their disposition to assist the King with new Supplies and were willing to Excuse and indemnifie all that was past only they desired with all possible Modesty that the Laws which His Majesty had both promised and at his Coronation had Sworn to maintain might be Exâ—cuted Here is their Crime which has raised all this Out-cry They did not move for the Exâ—cution of â—evere and penal Laws but were willing to let those sleep till it might appear by the Behaviour of the Papists whether they might deserve that there should be any Mitigation made of them in their Favour Since that time our Church-men have have been constant in mixing their Zeal for their Religion against Popery with a Zeal for Loyalty against Rebellions because they think these two are very well consistent one with another It is true they have generally expressed an unwillingness to part with the two Tests because they have no mind to trust the keeping of their Throats to those who they believe will cut them and they have seen nothing 〈◊〉 the conduct of the Papists either â—â—thin or without the Kingdom to make them grow weary of the Laws for their sakes and the same principle of common sense which make it so hard for them to believe Transubstantiation makes them conclude that the Author of this Paper and his Friends are no other than what they hear and see and know them to be II. One instance in which the Church of England shewed her Submission to the Conrt was that as soon as the Nonconformists had drawn a new Storm upon themselves by their medling in the matter of Exclusion many of her Zealous Members went into that Prosecution of them which the Court set on foot with more Heat than was perhaps justifiable in it self or reasonable in those Circumstances but how censurable soever some angry men may be it is somewhat strane to see those of the Church of Rome blame us for it which has decreed some unrelenting Severities against all that differ from her and has enacted that not only in Parliaments but even in General Councils It must needs sound odly to hear the Sons of a Church that must destroy all others as soon as it can compass it yet complain of the Excesses of Fines and â—mprisonments that have been of late among â—s But if this Reproach seems a little strange when it is in the Mouth of a Papist it is much more provoking when it comes from any of the Court. Were not all the Orders 〈◊〉 late Severity sent from thence Did not the Judges in every Circuit and the Favourite Justices of Peace in every Sessions imploy all their Eloquence on this Subject The Directions that were given to the Justices and the Grand Iuries were all repeated Aggravations of this Matter and a little Ordinary Lawyer without any other Visible Merit but an Outragious Fury in those Matters on which he has chiefly valued himself was of a sudden taken in his Majesties special Favour and raised up to the Highest Posts of the Law All these things led sâ—me of our Obedient Clergy to look on it as a piece of their Duty to the King to encourage that Severity of which the Court seemed so fond that almost all people thought they had set it up for a Maxime from which they would never depart I will not pretend to excuse all that has been done of late Years but it is certain that the most crying Seveâ—ities have been acted by persons that were raised up to be Judges and Magistrates for that very end they were Instructed Trâ—sted and Rewarded for it both in the last and under the pâ—esent Reign Church-preferments were distinguished rather as Recompences of this devouring Zeal than of a real Merit and men of more mode ate Tempers were not only ill lookt at but ill used So that it is in it self very unreasonable to throw the load of the late Rigour on the Church of England without distinction but it is worse than in good manners it is fit to call it if this Reproach comes from the Court. And it is somewhat unbecoming to see that which was set on at one time disowned at another while yet he that was the chief Instrument in it is still in so high a post and begins now to treat the men of the Church of England with the same Brutal Excesses that he bestowed so lately and so liberally on the Dissenters as if his design were to render himself equally odious to all Mankind III. The Church of England may justly expostulate when she is treated as Seditinus after she has rendred the highest Services to the Civil Authority that any Church now on Earth has done She has beaten down all the Principles of Rebellon with more Force and Learning than any Body of men has yet done and has run the hazard of Enraging her Enemies and losing her Friends even for those from whom the more learned of her Members knew well what they might expect And since our Author likes the figure of a Snake in ones Bosom so well I could tell him that according to the Apoâ—ogue we took up and sheltred an Interest that was almost Dead and by that warmth gave it Life which yet now with the Snake in the Bosom is like to bite us to Death We do not say that we are the only Church that has the Principles of Loyalty but this we may say that we are the Church in the World that carries them the highest as we know a Church that of all others sinks them the lowest We do not pretend that we are inerrable in this Point but acknowledge that some of our Clergy miscarried in it upon King Edwards Death Yet at the same time others of our Communion adhered more ftedily to their Loyalty in favour of Q. Mary that She did to the Promises that she made to them Upon this Subject our Aurhor by his false Quotation of History forces me to set the Reader right which if it proves to the Disadvantage of his Cause his Friends may thank him for it I will not enter into so tedious a Digression as the justifying Queen Elizabeths being Legitimate and the throwing the Bastardy on Queen Mary must carry me to this I will only say that it was made out that according to the best sort of Arguments used by the Church of Rome I mean the constant Tradition of all Ages King Henry the Eighth marrying with Queen Catherine was Incesâ—uous and by consequence Q. Mary was the Bastard â—â—d Queen Elizabeth was the Legitimate Issue But our Author not satisfied with defaming Queen Elizabeth tells us that the Church of England was no sooner set up by her than She Enacted those Bloody Cannibal Laws to Hang Draw and Quarter the Priests of the Living God But since these Laws disturb him so much what does he