A Learned Treatise of Traditions, Treatise · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. That our Adverſaries ſay there are doctrines and articles of Chriſtian Faith, yea in the very eſſentiall things, which the Apoſtles hauehave neither taught by mouth nor writing.
OVr Adverſaries are not contented to accuſe the Scripture alone of imperfection, but they finde alſo a deficiency in the Apoſties preacaing, and ſay, that they hauehave not taught all by word of mouth. So as by their account the holy Scripture and Apoſtolique Traditions coupled together make no an entire body of the Chriſtian doctrine. They alſo freely con…ſſe, that the Popes hauehave added from age to age divers Traditions, according as they hauehave thought them neceſſary; and that not only … things of leſſe importance, but alſo in matters eſſentiall to the Chriſtian faith.
Bellarmine in his 4. Booke of the§ Eſt aut ē. Prior partitio Traditionum eſt in divi…as Apoſto…as, Eccleſiaſti…as. Vnwritten word of God, chap. 2. calleth ſome Traditions Divine, which Ieſus Chriſt hath taught by mouth, & hauehave not been ſet downe in writing. Others he calleth Apoſtolique, which the Apoſtles hauehave taught by word of mouth, and never wrote them. And the laſt hee calleth Eccleſiaſticall, which heeEccleſiaſtica Traditiones proprie dicuntur conſuetudines quaed… antiqua ve… a Praeſulibus vel á … paularim tacito conſenſa populorum v…m legis obtinuerunt. Ide… hab…t Sa…meron, Tom. 13. Diſp. 8. ſaith, are introduced from ancient cuſtomes by the Prelates, or by the people, and creepingly by the ſilent and vnqueſtioning agreement of the people, hauehave gayned as it were ſtrength of law. In which diſtinction hee clearely acknowledgeth, that the Traditions which he ſtileth Apoſtolique, are not Divine; and that Eccleſiaſticall are neither Divine nor Apoſtolicall. Whence it is manifeſt with what ſubtiltie our adverſaries commonly attribute the title of Apoſtolicall to all Traditions indifferently, as if they were all derived from the Apoſtles; and how falſely they comprehend Traditions under the title of The vnwritten word of God, when as by their owne confeſſions a great part of theſe Traditions is not the Word of God. For Traditions that are not divine, are neceſſarily humane. And this is evidently ſeene in the Prayer Bookes for certaine houres, and the duties wherwith they charge the people, unto whom they firſt commit Gods ten Commandements, and then the commandements of the Church: which is an argument of their confeſſion, that the commandements of the Church are not Gods commandements.
In this interim the Councell ofSeſſ. 4 Trent, at the before recited place, maketh no difference betweene Traditions; avouching, that the… are all received with like affectio… of pietie and reverence as the hol… Scripture, & equalleth thoſe Eccleſiaſticall Traditions (brought in b… the Popes at ſeverall times) to th… ten commandements of the divine Law, and to the Doctrine of the Goſpel written in the New Teſtament.
The ſame Cardinall diſputing againſt Barkley touching the Popes power to depoſe Kings, and cauſe them to bee killed, as alſo concerning his authoritie over all the Temporaltie of the world, not finding either in Scripture, or in ancien… Hiſtory of the Church, any paſſage or example to countenance and underprop ſo abhominable aBellarm. in Barkl. cap. 3 Non recte de Eccleſia ſentit, qui nihil admit tit niſi quod expreſſe in veteri Eccleſia ſumpen̄ a…t factū eſſ… legit, quaſi Eccleſia, oſterioris temporis aut deſierit eſſe Eccleſia, aut facuitate non habeat explica… et acclarandi, coſtiruenat etiam & … qua au … & … Chriſtianon per…on…. doctrine, defendeth himſelfe in this manner: He judgeth not rightly of the Church, who admitteth nothing but what hee expreſly readeth to hauehave …en practiſed or done in the ancient …hurch: as if the Church of theſe …tter times had c…aſed to be a Church, … had not power to vnfold and d…clare, …a to eſtabliſh and ordaine the things …at appertaine to fayth and manners …f Christians. This power then of …he Pope over the life and crowne …f Kings is not a divine Tradition, … or Apoſtolike, but Eccl…ſiaſticall, …rought in by the church of Rome …n latter times, that is to ſay, by …he Pope.
And when our adverſaries attribute to the Pope the power of adding to the Creed, and of making articles of Faith, it is apparant that they hold the Pope able to bring in. Traditions eſſentiall to Chriſtian faith. which the Apoſtles hauehave neither written nor taught by word of mouth.
This is that which Thomas Aquinas Them. 2. …. q…. 1. are. 10. Ad ſolam ar. theritate … … … is pertinot noua editie ſymboli, ſicut & alia omnia qua pertinent ad toram Eccl… ſiam.teacheth in the ſecond part of his Summs, ſaying, It belongeth ſ…lely to the authority of the ſoveraigne Pope, to make a new edition of Creed, as alſo all things that concerne the vniverſall Church. VponUpon which paſſage, Andradius that aſſiſted at the Counſell of Trent, ſpake thus in the ſecond Booke of the defence… Pontifices …lte defini… qua anto … ſymbol… fidei … conſu…. of the Tridentine faith: The Romane Pontifies in defining many things which had been formerly hidden, hauehave accuſtomed to augment the Creed.
This queſtion hath been moved to the Councell of Florence, betweene the Greekes and Latines; the Latines maintaining againſt the Greekes, that the Pope and church of Rome may adde to the Creed. Finally in the laſt Seſſion is concluded in favour of the Latines,Ipſi neceſsitate …gente, iure ſuo particula… illam ex filioque ſymbolo app… … licuiſſo. that the Church of Rome hath right of power to adde to the Creed; and in the margent is noted, Rom: Pontificis poteſtas, the power of the …ope, for by the church you muſt …underſtand the Pope.
To this doth the Ieſuite Vaſques …gree, who diſputing of the Apo…les commandement, that biddeth …he people of Corinth, 1. Cor. 11. verſ. 28 to eate of this bread andVazques Tom. 2. Disp. 216. Nū. 60. Licet cōcederemus hoc fuiſſe Apoſtolorū praceptū, rithilom…n us Eccleſia & ſummus Pō tifex potuerunt illud īuſtis de cauſis abrogare. Neque enim maior fuit poreſtas Apoſtolorum quam Eccleſia & Pontificu in ferendu praceptis. drinke of this cup, ſpeaking thus: Though we ſhould graunt, that it hath been the Apoſtles commandement, yet nevertheleſſe the Church and the ſove raigne Pope were able to aboliſh this commandement vponupon juſt reaſons: for the power of the Apoſtles to giuegive commaundements, hath not been greater then that of the Church and the Pope. Seeing therefore that the Pope hath as much power over the Church as the Apoſtles, and that the Apoſtles hauehave had the power to forme a Creed, and to eſtabliſh in the Church Articles of Faith, which had not beene written before, nor taught by word of mouth in the Church: it followes, that the Pope hath the ſame power, and that he can forma a Creed, or adde to that which the Apoſtles hauehave formed, and can ordaine matters which the Apoſtles hauehave neither written nor taught by mouth.
Whereupon Leo the tenth in his Bull Exurge, which is annexed to the end of the laſt Lateran Councell, thundereth and pronounceth an anathema again … Luther, for having ſpoken amongſt other things,Certum eſt in manis Eccleſis aut Papa proorſus nō eſſe … arti…ulos fides. that it is no way in the power of the Church or of the Pope to eſtabliſh articles of faith.
Salmeron the Ieſuite is expreſſe in his 13 Tome, and the third partDiſp. 6. … eſt ergo. Doctrina …dei admitit additionē … eſſentialius. of the ſixth Diſputation, ſaying, The doctrine of faith ſuffereth addition in the things that are eſſentiall. Theſe words are worth obſervation: for if you beleeue this Ieſuite, the Pope and Church of Rome …ay adde to the Traditions that …re called Apo…tolicall, and to the … written word, not only matters …cciden…all, but alſo eſſentiall, not …aught by the Apoſtles. Which …ikewiſe doth i…feere, that the A…oſtles hauehave not taught all that is …eceſſary to Chriſtian Religion, …nd that then there wanted ſome…hing that was eſſentiall in the doctrine of the Apoſtles.§ Atque hoc &c. Nec ſub Apoſtolu omnia occur. runt, vt poſſent ab en omnia decidi. Et in alio ſtatu erat Eccleſia ſub Apoſtolu quam ſit modo vel fuen… poſt illa tempra. Deinde natura noſtra non omnia ſimul doceri poteſt, &c. In iniurtam igitur ſpiritus ſanct… qui vngit vnctione …a membra Chriſti, & qui vſque modo operatur, reiicitur quicquid non eſt dudum ab Apoſtolis, &c. Poſſunt ergo eſſe n…uae traditiones ad fidem & m… res ſpectātes, licet ab Apoſtolu nō ſint condit… aut explicat….
The ſame Ieſuite in his 8. Diſputation, giues a reaſon why the Apoſtles hauehave not written nor preached all things: The affayres (ſaith hee) in the Apoſtles time di… not ſo hit and fall out, as that all things could bee decided; and the Church at that time was of a condition differing from her now pr…ſent eſtate, and from her eſtate ſince that very time. Moreouer, our nature cannot apprehend all things at once, but by progreſſe and ſucceſsion of time: neither is it capable of all truths at a time, &c. It were then to abuſe the holy Ghoſt (that an… oynteth Christs members with oyntment, and that operateth vntill thi… instant) to reject all that hath not bee… ſpoken by the Apoſtles. Whereupon he concludeth, therefore may ther… bee new Traditions concerning faith and manners, though they were never made or explicated by the Apostles.
Now I leaue to judge, with wha… conſcience it may be maintained that the Traditions are ancient and Apoſtolicall, ſeeing that our adverſaries doe confeſſe, that there are many of them moderne and new, whereof the Apoſtles never ſpake word.
And to the ende that no man may conceaue theſe new Traditions to be ſpungie & of no weight, unneceſſary, or uneſſentiall to chriſtian Religion, he ſpeakes directly, that the new Traditions are touching faith and manners, and that the …ctrine of the Chriſtian faith re…veth yet an addition even in …ings that are eſſentiall: yea and …ore expreſly in the ſame 8. Diſ…tation:§. Tertio. varia. Hins … gi poteſt non om…a tradita eſſe ab Apoſtolu, ſed … qu… tunc …ē por… neceſſaria … qu… ad ſalutem credent… … Hence (ſaith he) may be col…cted, that the Apoſtles hauehave not giuen …l by Tradition, but onelyonly the thing… …at then were neceſſary, and that were …oper for the beleevers ſalvation. Ac…ording to this Ieſuites Tenet, the Apoſtles hauehave not taught all that …s neceſſary in theſe our dayes; and …here are now articles of faith neceſſary to ſalvation, which in the Apoſtles time were not neceſſary.
Of the number of theſe new Traditions neither written nor preached by the Apoſtles, and that are now decreed for neceſſary and eſſentiall to Religion, are Romiſh Indulgences, and Treaſure of the Church, wherein the Pope gathereth vp the ſuperaboundance of ſatisfactions made by Saints an… Monkes, and diſtributes them … others by his Pardons, to ſatisfi… the juſtice of God. This is an eſſen…iall doct…ine of the Romiſh Religion, and the arch or Buttreſ… that ſhoreth …p Papiſme. For i… there any thing of more importance in Religion, then the remiſſion of ſinnes, and the meanes to ſatisfie the juſtice of God? yet in this while our adverſaries doe confeſſe that this is a new Doctrine, and that there is found no trace or footſtep of it in all Antiquitie, as we ſhall hereafter diſcover.
When we produce the Councell of Laodicea, and multitudes of Fathers, Meliton, Origen, Euſebius, Athanaſius, Epiphanius, Hierome, Gregory Nazianzen, Hilary, Ruffin, &c. that unanimouſly exclude the Books of Macabees, out of the liſt of Canonicall books; our adverſaries …nſwer that then the apprehenſions …d opinions were much differing, …r that the Church had not yet …ecided any thing vponupon this point. …ere then by their own confeſſion … a Tradition which the Apoſtles …ever taught, nor decided either by …outh or writing, to wit, that theſe Bookes of Maccabees are canonicall, which they doe now falſely …nſert amongſt the Apoſtolicall Traditions.
In this claſſe I ranke Invocation of Saints, adoration of Reliques and Images, the painted Trinitie, the power of the Pope to diſpenſe with oathes and vowes; to diſpoſe of kingdoms, and depoſe Kings; to canonize Saints; to releaſe diſtreſſed ſoules out of Purgatory, the Communion under one kinde, the Limbus for little Infants, private Maſſes, particular mens prayers, and publique ſervice in an unknowne tongue; the aſſumption … the Virgin Mary bodily into he… ven, together with her coronatio… in the dignity of Queen of heaven and Lady of the world; and many other the like things, wherein … this preſent they make Gods Service to conſiſt; of theſe is the body of Papiſtry compoſed, and herein are the people more carefully inſtructed and exerciſed, then in the Doctrine of ſalvation contained in the holy Scripture. All which are new Traditions and unheard of in the ancient church; yea and that by the confeſſion of our adverſaries, as we ſhall proue in fit place.
It would bee very proper and convenient, to know when the Chriſtian doctrine ſhall be perfect, and whether the Popes ſhall ever be able to add new articles of faith thereunto.
And if it be ſo that the Apoſtles …e neither taught by mouth or …iting, all the Doctrines eſſen…ly belonging to Chriſtian …th, it would bee neceſſary to …derſtand whether the Apoſtles …ew the Doctrines which th…y …ue not taught: for if they knew …em, why did they not publique… teach them? why hauehave they …ſſembled Doctrines eſſentially …elonging to Religion? But if …hey knew them not, it muſt bee …cknowledged, that the Popes ſur…aſſe the Apoſtles in knowledge, …nd that Saint Paul deceiues himſelfe, when hee delivereth that hee had taught the Epheſians all …he counſell of God, Actes 2. verſ. 27.