Examination of those Plausible Appearances in the Romish Church, Chapter 15
CHAP. XV. That novelty is a reproach which is ordinarily cast vponupon truth, and how shee hath beene cleared of it from time to time.
LEt vsus come now to the preiudice strongest of all the rest, that Antiquity they pretend, burdening on the contrary, the truth which we preach, as new, with hatred and envy. Antiquity, they say, is diuine and venerable, nouelty on the other side, damnable and diuellish. The truth of this wee willingly subscribed to, but wee yeeld not, that this antiquity, which they so much cracke of, appertaineth vntounto them: that the shame of nouelty which they so much taunt vsus with, is due vntounto vsus. Here standeth the difference, if they can iustifie that they are ancienter then wee, let them gaine the cause: if wee are conuinced of nouelty, let sentence be pronounced against vsus, the condemnation shall be iust, we are all ready to giuegive way to it, and to be the first that shall set their hands to it.
But wee earnestly request, that their pretences may not be takē vponupon t…eir words, that our reasōs may be pondered ere we bee condemned of nouelty vponupon a bare accusatiō: yea although there were some likelyhood of truth in it. So long as the accuser speaketh, it is hard if the defendant be not iniured. But the lawes, but nature, but God willeth, that both parties, the plaintif and defendant, be heard with equall attention and equity. Otherwise, where is the innocent that could shroud himselfe from the fraud and violēce of calūny: alwaies malitious, but then confident and peremptory, when shee perceiueth herselfe handsomely trimmed, and to be favoured something like the truth.
To begin this point, wee say that it is no new matter that truth should be censured of nouelty, nor that falshood should be invested with the venerable and sacred mantle of antiquity. The Iewes cast this aspersion vponupon our Sauiour the Prophet of Prophets, and doctor of doctors: contrarily they tooke to themselues this prerogatiue, that they were the aMarc 7.5. Math. 13.2.old friends, and retainers of truth. bSym. in relat.The pagans made the primitiue Christians odious to the world by the aspersion of nouelty. Proud and lying braggers, they made brauadoes and trophies, with the monuments of their antiquity. It is for vsus then to thinke our selues happy, and to cheare vp our selues in that wee are partakers of the same slanders with Christ: these are honorable skars, with which the primitiue Christians were marked: And they who goe about to shame vsus by these aspersions, who boast and brag of their antiquity, if they doe it vponupon the same title which the Iewes and Pagans presumed on, are they not vnhappie, and their proceeding is it not really as ridiculous, as in appearance it was commendable? Now that it is so, it appeareth by the nature of the answeres we oppose to their exceptions, conformable to those of Christ to the Iewes, and of the Christians to the pagans, to discouer the impie…y, quell the earnestnes, and abate the insolency of the like calumnies. Search the scriptures (saith our Sauiour) for in them yee thinke to hauehave eternall life, and they are th…y which testifie of me, …oh. 5.39.If y…u hauehave beleeued in M…s…s yee beleeue also in me, … 5.4….for he wrote of me. This is our defence at this day. Wee are slandered as innouators, wee answer, search the Scriptures, if you beleeue Moses, the Prophets and Apostles, you will bel…e…e also in Christ, preached in the midst of vsus, wee publish nothing, but what hath bee…e written by them. It was oblected to our Sauiour, Math 25.6.that his d…sciples violated the traditions of the fathers, he replyed v…to th…m, that by their traditions they had made void the word of God. Wee at t…is time are molested with the same censure, wee in our Sauiours authority, retort the same reproch, vsing his words, in the face of them that brocht it. Wee offer to make it manifest, wee doe indeede make it a plaine case, that they nullifie the word of God by their traditions, that our antiquity is the antiquity of the Scripture, yea of the truth contained in it, which was preached before euer it was written. So when the Pagans by this aspersion (though false) of nouelty, made the cause of the Christians suspected, they were confuted by f.Tertul. Apol. c. 19.the antiquity of the scriptures, and by a proposall of these considerations, that wee are not so much to care when, hArnob. Contr. Gentes. lib. 2.as vponupon what grounds wee embrace religion, that as God almighty Iehouah, the ancient of daies is not of any new being, so his true worship cannot be new, the forme of which worship who can better prescribe, iAmbros in r…spos. ad Sym. celat.then God himselfe? who (said they) is more to be beleeued in a matter concerning God, then God himselfe? is man to be credited, who is ignorant of himselfe, vnlesse God assist him, and reueale him to himselfe? It is not the antiquity of yeares, but of manners which is venerable. Its no disparagement to be conuerted euen in the doting age of the world, no age is superannuated for repentance. It is rather a shame, not to be forward in a willing and industrious amendment in old age. So the Primitiue Christians defended themselues; and so in these times, wee frame our apologies. Wee rehearse the same things to iustifie vsus. Wee request, that the antiquity not of persones, but of doctrine may be respected. This is that which we expect, that to which wee hauehave summoned, and doe daily call our adversaries to. Hither our adversaries dare not come, that they may not come hither, they find excuses to runne back. It is then, a base slander which is cast vponupon vsus; that wee confesse our religion is new, that wee denie, which wee stifly affirme, that antiquity is allwaies on truths side. Christ in appearance, was but an vpstart in respect of his adversaries; as being but newly come abroad; Christian religion, if one would hauehave iudged of it, while he cast his eyes vponupon the heathenish monuments, their temples and edifices, would hauehave beene thought a neotericke vanity. New in outward shew, but really Christ and his doctrine, in antiquity surpassed the Pharises, and their leauen; Christianity was by many ages ancienter then Paganisme. But is it not a kind of stupidity in mā, more to looke after towers and steeples, then truth? neuer remēbring that there was a time when these deuices were not; but truth was before them all·
Is it not reasonable here that wee should be heard? will it not be thought, that wee speake with reason, when wee affectionately both aduise and entreate, that it may be considered, that it is a fault, almost common to all men, to call that new, which is not so but in respect of them, to bestow the honour of antiquity vponupon nothing but what is ancient in their opinion; measuring both antiquity and nouelty, by the ell of their memories. It fares with religion and lawes, which the corruption and ignorance of the times hath obscured, and as it were buried, as it doth with Countries called new-found lands, because lately discouered: yet who is there that hath not his senses stolne from him, which doubts but that they are of the same standing with the world? All reformation is new, what matter is it if the modell, and patterne of it be antient? Let our discouery be new, The land which wee hauehave discouered is ancient, h…th alwaies beene, though vnknowne to the multitude·