Examination of those Plausible Appearances in the Romish Church, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. That the search of antiquity is not rightly ordered, and what the direction is which Saint Cyprian giues vsus for it,
WEE affirme then, that antiquity is alwaies on the right hand of truth, wee beleeue it, and preach it, honouring true antiquity, not that which seemeth so to our fancy ignorant of times past: but that which is true and reall. Otherwise, wee should be like those, which sometimes thought, that beyond the great Ocean, and Atlantique sea, there was no land, because there was neuer knowne any Pilot, that went so farre, vntill Columbus ventred vponupon it in the time of our Grandfathers. Wee beginne at our shore, with our time and so goe backward; but why at least peirce wee not this Ocean of time, and so get through to the other end? why loose wee courage in the midst of our voyage, why turne wee saile so suddainely? If wee hauehave had neither the skill nor courage to saile further, why affirme wee so confidently, that their is nothing beyond our computation? why dreame wee that it is impossible for vsus, to find that which wee neuer sufficiently looked after, fearing to find it, desirous not to find it. Wee may then iustly suffer this taunt, that wee fainted in our vndertakings; that wee were tired in our iourney. When they goe about to calculate antiquity, now a daies they beginne not with that which is first, the first epoche is, where were you within these hundred yeares! so in steede of going fo…ward, they stop at a short period and retire homeward. In the meane time this path were not to be neglected, nor this method to be refused, if they would not stop in their search, vntill they came to the age of the Apostles; for beateing this way so farre, how many nouelties would their be met with betweene this and that, of fresher date; and which might be questioned, where were you before? which are not then of that ancient originall, nor graced with the priuiledges of true antiquity, which yet are antiquities in respect of vsus, and our times: but meere nouel…ies in respect of the age of the Apostles.
That which was in the age of the Apostles, is truely ancient, and nothing ancient but that: they are the fathers whose bounds wee must not remoue: wee must inquire after the waies of these fathers, as for those degenerate ancestors which came afterwards, wee hauehave an expresse prohibi…ion. Walke not according to the statutes of your fathers, Ezek. 2….18.and regard not their-ordināces, I am Iehouah your God, walke in my statutes, keepe my commandements, and doe them. Antiquity then is not to be accounted of, but as shee is a witnesse of truth, according to Tertullian, that which was first taught (saith hee) is of the Lord and true.Tertull. de praescent, … That which is absolutely first then, is to bee sought out, and from it the calculation is to begun.
St. Cyprian giueth vsus a direction for this calculation,Cypri. ad Pomp. cont. epist. Seph Epis. epist. 74. ex edit Pamell. (although he otherwise applyeth it) which is as pertinent, as it is familiar, instructing vsus, that euen as a conduit of water which formerly ranne copiously, and continually coming to faile vponupon a suddaine, wee hauehave recourse to the spring-head, to know the cause of this defect: whether it bee that the drying of the fountaine, depriueth the running water, both of an originall & nourishment: or whether the foūtaine being entire the water faileth in its course, the pipe being either brokē or stopt, that it being mēded the water may bee restored to the vse of the citty, in the same plenty & purity it proceedeth from the fountaine: so, saith he, the Priestes of God ought to repaire to the originall, and the tradition of the Gospell and Apostles, in keeping his commandements, to the end, that the reason of our actions may be deduced, from the same beginning, whence that deriueth its authority. That wee may not doubt, what is the tradition of which he speaketh:Cypr. ibid. let vsus he…re what he saith a little before, to the same purpose. One alleadged to him tradition; whence is this tradition, replyeth he, is it from the Lord, from the authority of the Euangelists or Apostles? For that those things which are written, in the booke of the law, are to bee obserued, God himselfe testifieth, telling Iosuah that the booke of the Law, the scripture should not depart out of his mouth. If then it bee either commanded in the Gospell or contained in the Apostolicall writings, that they which come out of any heresie, be it what it will should not be baptised, let this holy and diuine tradition be obserued. St. Cyprian reiecteth not the baptisme of heretickes, but only because he bel…eueth not that it was a holy and diuine tradition, that it should bee admitted; he is ready to receiue it, if it bee proued vntounto him to bee such a one; giuing vsus the rule to proue it, by the apostolicall wri…ings. He cal…eth then a diuine and holy tradition, all that which may bee iustified by them, as for other tradi…ions, he putteth t…em aside with this sl…ghting interrogato…y▪ whence is this tradition? Now therefore such traditions as these, we are ready to accept, prouided that the Papists, after the same method, manifest their origin all vntounto vsus. When w…e demand whence is this tradition? when beganne it? let them answere vsus, it is drawne from the writings, it hath beene from the time of the Apostles.